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In particular, these five:

5) Manny Ramirez’s return from a 50 game suspension - I don’t care if fans are booing Manny or cheering him. It’s Manny being Manny. He’s one of the most polarizing athletes in recent memory. He’s hated and adored by millions alike. C’mon, the guy once refused to enter a game because it was his day off. He climbed into the Green Monster to make a phone call during a pitching change. What’s left to say?

4) Roger Goodell and Jim Mora, Jr. climbing Mt. Rainier - I’m sure this modern day Lewis and Clark had a damn good reason to scale a towering volcano other than raising money for charity. Hmmm… I wonder what it could be? Solve the mystery of the Abominable Snowman? Find the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant? Meet the aliens responsible for constructing the Great Pyramids? Or the proverbial “because it was there” reason. Sorry, non-story.

3) Lance Armstrong rides in the Tour de France again - Listen, I’m pro Lance. I’m on team Lance. I would vote for Lance. But enough is enough, champ. If he wins, great. He’s frakkin’ Lance Armstrong. Even at 37, will anyone really be shocked? If he loses, so what. He’s been off the bike four years. He may be super-human, but he ain’t Superman. Or is he?

2) Nike confiscating footage of LeBron getting dunked on - I don’t watch the NBA as much as I used to, but I seem to recall at least one player dunking on King James during the last few years. So, I assume people are up in arms not about the dunking, but rather that Big Brother Nike went all Warren Commission on the lowly photogs at LeBron’s Skills Academy. Uh… okay… I get it… sort of. This is Nike, right? The same company that employs ten-year-old Asian kids for pennies a day to weave together $200 sneakers. The same company that holds a virtual monopoly on sporting apparel. Even if LeBron ordered them to take the footage, what’s the big deal? Doesn’t everyone know by now that he’s a dick?

1) The Steve McNair chronicles - Didn’t know Steve McNair. Never met the dude. Watched him ball for ten plus years. Thought he was a pretty good quarterback. Death is death. No matter the circumstances, no matter how tragic. He’s still gone. Sorry, but my true friends and real family are important to me. Not some pro athlete I watch on television. If he was an Eagle, would I care? Yes. But I would write one short goodbye and be done with it. I wouldn’t speculate and I sure as hell wouldn’t drag it out for days on end. If you want to pay tribute to McNair, let him rest.

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In layman’s terms, speed score adjusts the NFL Combine 40-yard dash times according to the weight of each individual back. If a runner is at or above an average score of 100, then the odds he will have a productive career increase. To reinforce their point, backs such as Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte and Brandon Jacobs have all posted 100+ scores. While Chris Perry, Trung Candidate and William Green all averaged less than 100.

The 2009 running back class was topped by a Giant: Andre Brown with 110.2. All of us hoping Big Blue’s backfield might not be as potent without Derrick Ward could be in for a rude awakening.

What was LeSean McCoy’s score? Unfortunately, he didn’t run at the Combine. His last recorded 40 time of 4.52 (from draftcoutdown.com) is similar to Westbrook’s time of 4.57 back in 2002, which would mean a sub-par number. However, Westy is the only back since 1999 to make a Pro Bowl with a speed score of less than 98.0. Lorenzo Booker had a 96.5 in 2007.

Steve Slaton (Texans) posted a 96.9 last year, so this is by no means an exact formula. I just found it an interesting way to look at young running backs. Both Shady and Westy were reported to have run sub 4.4 times. If this is true, it would alter their speed scores immensely.

To be honest, I’m always looking for an upper hand in Fantasy Football. So, if you follow this formula, Chris Wells (105.9), not Knowshon Moreno (96.9) would be a better back to draft. For what it’s worth, I still believe Moreno will have a good career.

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- During overtime, both teams will be allowed to possess the ball. Then sudden death will commence.

I like this idea. I’m not a fan of the college system because in can get out of hand quickly, but giving both teams at least one shot seems like an acceptable alternative.

- The “Tuck Rule” is gone.

Who wouldn’t be on board for this? I know Raiders fans would. Ahem.

- All replays will be handled in the booth, not by the on-field ref.

Even if this means hiring more referees, I say do it. It certainly would be a great time-saver. Waiting for the ref to come out from under that Darth Vader hood can be maddening.

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However, Kyle did inspire me and my pal Sean to down a few beers last night and exchange thoughts on the upcoming season. As always, it turned into a spirited discussion. Sean is a little more of a pessimist than I am, but he means well.

Here are a few of our pontifications from a night of drinking:

• I think Kevin Curtis is going to have a damn fine season. With all the hype surrounding DJax and JMac, Kev should be motivated to dominate.
• Sean believes Curtis won’t make it out of camp without ripping his groin in two.

• I predict Cornelius Ingram will produce three highlight-reel plays in ‘09.
• Sean says the only face time Ingram will get is when he limps off the field during the first preseason game.

• Something tells me the old Brian Westbrook may be gone for good.
• Sean agrees.

• Reid/McDermott will have a hard time keeping Sean Jones out of the lineup.
• Sean reminds me that Jones is an ex-Brown.

• I don’t foresee Sheldon tanking this year the way Lito did last year.
• Sean is convinced Sheldon was traded to the Lions two weeks ago for a fourth-round pick. (I have no idea where he gets his information.)

• The subject of underrated players comes up. I mention Mike Patterson.
• Sean laughs and questions if Mike is aware he’s allowed to sack the quarterback.

• I’m curious as to the kind of impact Asante Samuel will have this season.
• Sean doesn’t care as long as he keeps dropping nicknames like “Iguana.”

• I am pumped to watch Jason Peters at left tackle.
• Sean hopes Reid moves him back to tight end just so he can witness a 340 pound man run a square-in.

• I’m unsettled on Akeem Jordan at WIL.
• Sean wonders is he can perform the “Dream Shake.” (I inform him it’s “Akeem” not “Hakeem” but he ignores me.)

• I have a suspicion Chris Clemons will surprise at left defensive end.
• Sean thinks Clarence Clemons could get more sacks.

Well, there’s never a dull moment when Sean and I crack open a twelve pack and start talkin’ Iggles. I like the dude and all, but he can be really negative. Don’t you think?

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Boley has had an adventurous offseason since joining the G-Men. He had hip surgery in June and is expected to be out of action 8-10 weeks. Not exactly what Big Blue had in mind when they inked Boley to a 5-year deal worth $25 million. Oh, well.

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At any rate, as we crawl toward training camp ‘09, the search for significant tidbits of Eagles news to dissect is proving difficult. Never deterred, I shall trek on into the expanding desert in hopes of discovering a droplet of water to quench our thirsts. Here it goes.

Matt Mosley picked LeSean McCoy to be his breakout player for the Birds this season. His predictions of 750 yards rushing and 35-40 catches are higher than my prognostications from last week. We’ll see who’s right next January. Maybe I can talk Matt into making a wager. I’ll put up $5 dollars. He puts up his sweet gig at ESPN. Seems fair.

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This article from Delawareonline is making the rounds, so I thought I’d give it another plug. It debates whether or not the Birds will use more “Wildcat” formations in ‘09. I think they will mix some of it in, but the scheme is limited if the trigger man is not a threat to pass the ball. The Dolphins discovered this late last year, which is one of the reasons why they drafted Pat White. He can at least throw the ball. The Eagles have a guy who can throw the ball too. His name is McNabb. Just let him run the show.

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Speaking of Don, the annual sojourn to Arizona for anyone who wants to play catch is underway this week. According to GCobb.com, McCoy, Maclin and Ingram will all be in attendance. Cobb discussed Shady at length and closed out the story with this:

“McCoy hopes to be playing behind Westbrook when the season starts.”

Umm… he will be playing behind Westbrook. There is no hope. The dude was a second-round draft pick. Even if by miracles of miracles Lorenzo Booker earns the number two spot, McCoy will still be playing behind Brian. Actually, deep down, I would imagine Shady “hopes” to be the starter once the season kicks off. I mean, if you’re a football player with any sort of competitive nature, wouldn’t you want to start, rookie or not?

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The Redskins hired longtime USA Today football writer Larry Weisman to be what the ‘Skins are calling, “Editorial Director.” What the hell does that mean? Nobody seems to know. In an interview last week, Weisman revealed he will be writing for redskins.com, in addition to TV and radio work. It’s important to note that Weisman left a major national newspaper to, among other things, write for a website. Oh, the times they are a changin’.

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Off topic. Chris Pronger was introduced yesterday by the Flyers. I’ve always liked Pronger. He brings Cup experience and toughness to a team in need of both. When asked about his age (34), Pronger said he felt more like 24:

“You can call me Jack Bauer,” he said with a smirk.

This got me thinking. Do the Birds have a Jack Bauer? You know, a guy called upon in tight situations to get the job done and make a game altering play. A player who will rally the team in the face of unrelenting pressure. Dawkins was a Jack Bauer for sure. Westy definitely is, when he’s on the field. Donovan is capable, but… never mind. Personally, I believe DeSean is on his way to being a Jack Bauer. Just get the ball in his hands and watch him work his magic.

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Bucky Brooks at NFL.com has pegged his Top 5 cornerbacks. Asante Samuel placed third. Here’s what Brooks said about him:

“The big-play specialist has ascended to the top of the cornerback charts because of his outstanding ball skills and awareness. The two-time Pro Bowler has an uncanny ability to read routes, and his exceptional instincts have netted him 20 interceptions over the past three seasons. Playing in an aggressive zone-blitz scheme that ideally suits his game, Samuel is poised to continue his bandit-like ways and remain worthy of consideration as one of the league’s best cover men.”

Let’s hope he can hang on to the ball better in 2009.

More from our old pal Pete Prisco over at CBSSports.com. This time he’s ranking the unglamorous position of center. Jamaal Jackson barely cracked his Top 10:

“He’s a physical center who sometimes seems to get out of shape. When he’s on, he’s good. When he’s not focused, he has lapses.”

I’d say that’s a relatively accurate assessment. With the added talent around him, I would expect Jackson to pick up his game in ‘09. Fingers crossed.

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I spent some of the holiday weekend cleaning out the ITI prize closet. Low and behold, I stumbled across a Donovan McNabb Bobblehead. It looks like the one in the picture above.

Who wants it? Now, this giveaway has a catch. Only those who subscribe to the RSS feed are eligible. And by subscribe, I mean NEW subscribers. If you are currently receiving the feed, I appreciate it greatly, but you will not be eligible. Don’t worry, everyone will be included for my next giveaway.

So, if you want a shot at this fantastic Eagles collectible, first click here. You’ll get a daily fix of Eagles news sent directly to your inbox. Next, shoot me an email to stunstall72@gmail.com to let me know you’ve signed up for the ITI feed and I will enter your name in the drawing for the DMac bobblehead. (By the way, I can verify if you sign up or not. In other words, don’t try to pull a fast one on me. Not that anyone would, but you never know.)

It’s that easy. Thanks for playing!

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I’ll leave you this weekend with a video. It speaks for itself. How does 44-6 sound?