The punchy American is an 11-2 underdog going into his fight tonight against Fedor, but everyone seems to be wondering if Brett Rogers has any chance at all. To be fair, neither fighter seems to be getting his due of late, as Fedor Emelianenko has drawn the ire and disappointment of the MMA faithful since turning down UFC to fight for Strikeforce, generally considered to be the CFL of MMA. LOL…They’re even calling Fedor fat now.

If Rogers can get this fight out of the first round–and he seems to have the tools to do so–the grief will only mount for the pudgy Russian. His career choices aside, Fedor is widely considered to be the class of MMA, the fat white Rouskie whale that somebody will have to conquer to make his own name in the sport. It could happen tonight. Full rundown of the card here.

Golenbeck’s well-researched book chronicles Steinbrenner’s days as a spoiled little ass growing up in Cleveland, his antics in the Air Force and as an assistant football coach, and ultimately his forays into sports ownership. Steinbrenner’s dickish ways were first on display as owner of the Cleveland Pipers of the old ABL, but would assume a more prominent stage in 1973, when he would lead a group of investors to buy the New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million, a paltry sum when one considers what the landmark franchise is worth today.

The meat of the book begins here, as Golenbeck chronicles Steinbrenner’s relentless tormenting of players, managers, and front office staff alike. The Billy Martin saga, The Dave Winfield contract, and his two suspensions from Major League Baseball are laid out–by the people that were there–in a way that may shatter your image of the guy that was so lovably parodied on “Seinfeld.” Golenbeck’s subject is nowhere near lovable, and the evidence might blow your mind.

But then Golenbeck blows it at the end with a sort of “kiss and make up” chapter, listing all of the nicer things and charitable efforts that Steinbrenner had engineered over the course of his life. After exposing the man for the big ball of evil that he is, this epilogue seems to ring hollow. Perhaps that’s by design.

Regardless, George is a great read for anyone with interest in the inner politics of one of the most famous team’s on sport. Its terrific chronology and impressive research make for a rewarding read.

Good news for people looking for that special Olympic souvenir: There’s a block of about 5,000 condoms that were snatched up by a collector, who’s hoping to turn a profit with them at an upcoming auction. And just in time for Christmas.

100,000 condoms were distributed during the games, with this guy somehow ending up with 5% of them. His wildly optimistic plans for getting laid fell short, and now you can have these condoms for a mere 5,000 yuan ($730) minimum bid.

The auction, very tastefully named the “Exceptional Auction of China Sport Collection,” will take place November 29th. With each condom possibly going for just 14 cents, that’s a great value. –AFP, via Sports Rubbish.

Honestly, I hate condoms, and I think women do, too. If she really wanted to feel that level of rubberized protection, she can go out to the driveway and hump the tires on my Hyundai. They have extra treads, you know, for her pleasure. And also for superior handing in wet conditions. Same thing, really.

At the end of each week, Josh picks the winners to the weekend’s hottest matchups. Home teams are in ALL CAPS. Follow Josh’s action here. Thanks to the Chavez clan for the img.

Tonight: Boise State -21.5 over LOUISIANA TECH. The Broncos can make a statement to the nation with a big win against a team that’s recently had their number in beautiful downtown Ruston, LA.

Cavs -8.5 over KNICKS. LeBron typically plays well at the Garden, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll be doing so next year in a Knicks uniform. Also taking under 200 here.

Eskimos +4 over LIONS. Oh, CFL, how I’ve missed you.

Saturday: Western Michigan +20.5 over MICHIGAN STATE, under 56. I don’t expect much from a middling MAC team, but I expect even less from Michigan State, who has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory far too many times this season.

PENN STATE -5.5 over Ohio State, under 39. Big Ten football doesn’t blow up the skirts of many people, but the fourth quarter of this game should be quite thrilling, relatively speaking.

Vanderbilt +35 over FLORIDA. Brandon Spikes picked the wrong week to stop eye gouging. Also going under 67 for Fresno State-IDAHO.

BRETT ROGERS over Fedor. More on this fight and the Strikeforce Saturday card tomorrow morning.

Sunday: Packers -10 over Buccaneers. Two Cs. Two Es. Zero wins.

BENGALS +3 over Ravens. I think the juice on that Baltimore D is finally starting to dry up.

COLTS -9.5 over Texans. With Owen Daniels out for the year and Steve Slaton sucking ass, Houston has their work cut out for themselves.

Panthers at SAINTS, under 52. Final score prediction: 51-0.

We’ll have three posts tomorrow. Get silly tonight. Come back once you’ve awakened.

1. Amanda Harrington. She, apparently, is with leather. Or at least something shiny.

2. Jim Nantz’ ex-wife. Imagine a bitch so insufferable that you’d pay almost a million dollars a year to get away from her. Unreal.

3. Passive-agressive signage. At least this sign won’t ask why you came home so late last night.

4. Asian bikini golf. She never does chip it in, which leaves you plenty of time for your putts.

5. Lakers benchwarmer Sasha Vujacic. Well done, sir. Well done.

6. Andy Reid Photoshops. Great work from the KSK readership here and here.

7. Anne V. We didn’t really get to the New York City marathon this week. But honestly, you didn’t seem too bent out of shape about it…

8. Absinthe. Or “absinth.” Any way you spell it, it’s pants-droppingly badass.

9. Bacon. So good that it’s married to Gwen Stefani.

10. Mark McGwire. He’s doing a lot better than this guy. Hey, I thought Michael Jackson was dead!

“Never really too much cared for New England,” Porter said. “Still don’t care for New England. The hate’s been there for a while, especially after all the cheating they did back in the day. I can honestly say I don’t agree with it, but it happened, and it’s over with now.”[..]

Porter also commented on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady:

“When a guy can tell a ref when to throw a flag and he gets it and stuff like that, he got his own rules. They made the whole [rule that you] don’t go at the legs because of Tom. So when he feels that someone is coming at his legs, he just points at the ref and he gets a flag. So you’ve got to honestly say that he got his own rules.” –ESPN.

It’s bizarre to think of such a frightening individual actually goes by “Joey.” But damn, I think Roger Goodell would put Tom Brady in a dress if Mr. Porter asked him. Yeah, I’m just calling him Mr. Porter now to be safe, and I should add that Mr. Porter is a wonderful person without any sort of chemical imbalance whatsoever.

A report coming out of Ohio claims that the Columbus Blue Jackets have lost at least $12 million per year since their inception and that the team could move if the city does not offer “financial relief” in the near future. The Blue Jackets are one of the few teams in all of pro sports to play in an arena that’s entirely privately owned in Nationwide Arena, but one of the more popular “relief” options listed in the report involves Franklin County purchasing either part or all of that arena with tax revenue.

The Blue Jackets’ president, Mike Priest, who supports the chamber’s idea of using public money to help defray the team’s costs, tells reporters, “We’re just trying to educate that this is what a sustainable model looks like.” –NYTimes

Taxpayers in that area voted three times to reject a tax increase that would have created public money for an arena. And it’s worth noting that the gaming referendum that passed earlier this week will put a casino in that same “Arena District.” And those publicly-funded stadiums have done wonders for the Browns, Indians and Reds. But even if the team decides they can’t cut it in Columbus anymore–which will probably happen anyway–WHERE ARE THEY GONNA GO? Kansas City? Great, have fun in the middle of nowhere. Tell Mrs. Parker and Zack Greinke we said hey.

Here comes your women’s soccer post for 2009, courtesy of New Mexico defender Elizabeth Lambert. Lambert played in the Lobos’ WAC Mountain West semifinal against BYU, and took some time out to go Mormon hunting, as seen in this ESPN clip. It looks to me that she’s spending more time fighting for women’s rights than simply gooning it up. Sure, she’s fighting other women, but that’s where the groundswell starts, in my opinion. And I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t a little turned on…BYU won this game, 1-0. No, I didn’t really care either.

I didn’t see Brüno, so I didn’t realize that this scene with Pete Rose didn’t make the final cut of the film. Rose is still banned from baseball, but apparently not banned from interactions with people pretending to be gay Austrians–or “faux-mos,”–if you will. I guess the studio released this clip to generate some buzz for the DVD release. Which studio? Great question. You go ahead and check that out and get back to me. –First Cuts.

Lincecum was pulled over for doing 74 in a 60-mph zone near the Washington-Oregon border and turned over 3.3 grams of the sticky when the cop on the scene detected the smell of it. But how did he know what pot smells like?

Lincecum, 25, entered a plea of not guilty through his attorney Monday, according to court records obtained by The Associated Press. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 22 and faces fines of $622 for the misdemeanor charges, police said.[..]

Giants spokesman Jim Moorehead said the team was “still gathering information and has no comment at this time.”

The San Jose Mercury News also points out that recreational drug use is not punishable under MLB’s current drug policy. I guess to be punished for that in baseball, his name has to be on some anonymous listed and then leaked to the New York Times in the dark corner of some parking garage. And yeah, I guess Lincecum doesn’t really look like Alanis.