The Boston Globe has inspirational story on Matt Curtis, captain of the Harvard football team.Most people on campus know something about his story now. How his father, a recovered alcoholic, died when Curtis was in high school, how his mother still struggles with drugs. How Curtis lived for a time in public housing, how he subsisted on whatever the Salvation Army handed out, writes John Powers. To read the entire piece, click here.

A day after Tony Romo shows up at a high school pep rally with Will Smith comes the story of the Dallas Cowboys QB paying a homeless man’s way into a movie and offering to sit with him even though "Doc" said he hadn’t showered in a few days. Don’t worry about that," Romo said. "I’m used to locker rooms."

San Francisco Giants to jump into CC Sabathia sweepstakes

Donald Driver’s dad injured in run-in with Houston police.

Washington Post on Chase Hilgenbrinck, who chose priesthood over MLS.

BCS fun and games that could lead to USC playing in the Holiday Bowl.

Myron Rolle will define the term student-athlete on Saturday.

Golfer J.P. Hayes disqualifies himself out of a tour card.

Thanks to The Big Lead, no holiday party in Bristol this year.

LPGA Tour cutting events, $5 million in purses.

The Fumble turns 30. Did you know the offensive coordinator, Bob Gibson, was fired the next day and never worked in football again?

Michael Lohan knocked out of charity boxing match by parole officer.

High school swim coach in Florida hit with child-porn charges.

Jags’ WR Troy Williamson wants to "duke it out" with Vikings coach Brad Childress

Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com is reporting New York Yankees righthander Mike Mussina will announce his retirement. Moose won 20 games this year for the first time, so it is nice way to go out. The big question is whether he is a Hall of Famer. Open to debate. Speak up!

How about being undefeated and getting seven points? How about being winless and giving seven points? All part of the fun of a College Football Saturday.

The game that usually decides the Big Ten is Michigan-Ohio State. This year, however, it will just determine whether the worst season in Wolverine history is eight or nine losses. Our guess is nine. However, 20 1/2 points is as massive number. Would Jim Tressel & Co. pile it on? Who is going to stop them? Meanwhile, the folks in Pasadena have to be hoping that either Oregon State slips at Arizona or Michigan State upends Penn State. They can’t want a rematch of Penn State-Oregon State. Think the Beavers could be tested by the Wildcats. Not sure whether Sparty will have success in Happy Valley.

Pittsburgh is at Cincy in what amounts to a big Big East game. We like the roll the Bearcats are on and think they can handle LeSean McCoy at home. Brian Kelly has done a stellar job at Cincy.

When was the last time Vandy was favored over Tennessee? Do the Vols have any pride? Hard to think they will after losing to Wyoming. Just have to fear a letdown by the Commodores, who made themselves bowl-eligible last week.

Greg Robinson straggles into Notre Dame with the Orange. After last week, how can anyone trust ND. And you certainly can’t endorse Syracuse. However, remember, the Irish did cover last week.

 The disaster that is the college football in Washington comes to a head when the Huskies and Cougars meet. The Cougars do not have a zero in their win column and they are home. The Huskies are winless and favored. So, that says, Ty Willingham may actually get a win. The Apple Cup, as one writer says, "is a battle to escape infamy."

Texas Tech is getting 7 at Oklahoma. Huge number for an undefeated team. Makes one think that the Sooners will roll, right? Oklahoma can be tested by the pass and Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree can do that all night. A Sooner win turns the Big 12 into a quagmire. And can OU leapfrog Texas with wins over TT and Oklahoma State in BCS picture?

North Carolina has been without Tyler Hansborough and now it has lost another Tyler. This one is Tyler Zeller, who suffered a "serious injury" to his left hand while attempting a dunk late in the Tar Heels’ win over Kentucky on Tuesday. The challenges of being No. 1 are daunting even without injury in parity-laden college hoops. With dents and dings, it becomes an even bigger task. Think the Heels will go all the way this season?

ESPN.com has a look at the murder of Sean Taylor on its first anniversay and how it has affected the lives of other NFL players. Strong package.

Talk about being punished. The Boston Red Sox sent Coco Crisp to the outpost known as the Kansas City Royals in return for reliever Ramon Ramirez. Well, if Crisp stays in KC he won’t see the playoffs again for a while the way things are going out there.

Seattle Mariners hire first Asian-American manager. Best of luck to Don Wakamatsu. It might be easier to turn the University of Washington football program into a winning team.

Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff thinks the way to shorten the season is have a one-game playoff in the first round. Would be exciting, but would they go for it? Would you go for it? Talk about a roll of the dice!

Good luck finding BYU-Utah on Saturday. The game will be on something called The Mtn Network. Don’t have it? Who does? Bars? People with the college football package? If you want to see it, time to scout out your neighborhood pub to see if it pulls it in. And if you do, let people here know where to go, please.

Tony Romo and Will Smith paid a surprise visit to Lake Highlands gym, where a pep rally was underway for a volleyball and football team. According to the Dallas Morning News, Smith told the students that when he first started on TV’s  "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," producer Quincy Jones gave him two words of advice: fearless and relentless. He said you have to be both to achieve your goals. Romo talked about the doubts that he, as an undrafted free agent, could even make the team, much less become starting quarterback of the Cowboys. He said what was keeping him from reaching his goals was him, not what other people were saying.