Missing: #1 player in the world

News flash: Tiger is no longer Tiger. That's right. No one ever saw this coming, as Tiger Woods is starting to come down to earth and below. Tiger is struggling beyond belief, and rightfully so with the past year he has had to endured. There is a chance Tiger doesn't even qualify for the Ryder cup, which is embarrassing on his part. People keep debating if whether the real,dominant Tiger will ever emerge again and catch Jack and his 18 majors. That's up to Tiger. He has to remain focus and needs to practice more. Even Tiger has said he hasn't put much work ethic out on the practice course, which is understandable. The fact is, Tiger can reach his "Tiger status" again, but the effort and focus he puts into it while climbing that ladder will be the difference maker.

NFL Offseason

Many moves were made over the spring during the NFL off season that may have a big impact on teams this year. My winners and losers:

Winners:

Jets- Brought in key players like Santonio Holmes, Ladainian Tomlinson, and Jason Taylor to go along with a super, strong defense and a more experienced Mark Sanchez. The only question mark is Revis, who the Jets will need to make a run for Dallas.

Bears- Mike Martz brings his new offense to town to try to help Jay Cutler and a young receiving core, plus the addition of Julius Peppers and Chris Harris makes the Bears start to look the the "Monsters of the Midway" again.

Saints- The defending champs return 20 of 22 starters and all their top assistants from last year. With the core intact, Brees and company will look for another party on Bourbon Street again.

Losers:

Steelers- Losing Big Ben to a possible 4 game suspension hurts bad. Have fun with Byron Leftwich. Former Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes is gone, and injuries are still lingering on this roster.

Cardinals- Kurt Warner retired after helping the Cards reach the Superbowl just 2 years ago. Stud players on the defense( Rolle & Dansby) left via free agency, and a big question is left: Can Leinart get Larry Fitzgerald the ball?

Larry Mayer Exclusive

I got a chance to catch up with ChicagoBears.com lead writer Larry Mayer and ask him a couple of questions about training camp and this upcoming season.

Q: "What is an under the radar topic coming into training camp?"

A: "Everyone is talking about Mike Martz's new offense, but the big key to me is the defense, especially the D-line. I talked to one of the veterans on the team, and he said we will only go as far as our defensive line takes us."

Q: "Chester Taylor was brought in this year, and there has been talk that if Forte struggles early, Taylor could take most of the carries. Who do you think will get the majority of the carries by season's end?"

A: "I think actually they will split the work load, and barring injury, I don't think one will get much more carries that the other. In their Super Bowl year(2006), they had two quality backs in Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. I think the Bears thought they were really missing that last year, and getting another running back was a top priority this off season."

Q: "The secondary has always been an issue with the Bears. Who do you see starting this year?"

A: "Zach Bowman and Charles Tillman have been working out at the conerback position, with Chris Harris and Daniel Manning at the free safety and strong safety positions, respectively. The secondary was a top issue in the off season, but with a veteran safety in Harris leading the way, and rookie Major Wright looking sharp, look for major strides this season."

Q: "Who do you think will be a breakout player on the offensive and defensive side of the ball?"

A: " Zach Bowman has great ball skills and with a better pass rush this year, he will have 8 interceptions. I will make a prediction that he will make his first Pro Bowl this year. On offense, Devin Aromashodu , who is making every play in camp, is sure to have a great season. He is a rare combination of size and speed, and will get plenty of opportunities this season."

Thatsportskid thanks Larry Mayer for his time and I look forward to more interviews to come.

Albert Haynesworth

I'm pretty sure every person in the world would love to be in Albert Haynesworth's position right now. Well except for Albert that is. He is on his seventh day of trying to pass a conditioning test that will allow him to finally practice with the team and earn his millions of dollars in a paycheck. It's ridiculous that a professional athlete can not complete a simple running test. Many people much older and much younger than him can pass this test with ease. He has been a huge distraction this off season, and now he has come to camp and is an even bigger distraction with this simple, little test. Mike Shanahan will give Albert no pass and that is the right call. If you can't pass this, your letting your teammates, coaches, and fans down. You don't deserve to earn all that money and especially to play on Sunday.

The Favre Saga

Quoting Heath Ledger as the Joker, " And here we go." Again. Brett Favre has retired again, according to multiple reports. He has still yet to officially confirm it but some Vikings teammates have received texts saying, "This is it." Although this is Brett Favre, and even with his un-retirements in the past, I think there is a good chance he's done. He has said he is not completely healthy and this is a good time to announce it to the Viking's organization so QB battles can begin in camp. However, I can see Favre coming back in the middle of the season. The Vikings have a very tough schedule after their week 4 bye, with the Jets, Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots. If the Vikings and Tavaris Jackson struggle leading up to those 4 tough games, do not be surprised at all if Favre gets on a plane from Hattiesburg, Mississippi and joins coach Childress and the rest of the team to try to make another Super Bowl run.

Anyway it plays out, this Favre Saga has been exhilarating at times and even tiring. One thing is certain though: This Saga would make one hell of a movie.

NFL Rookie Contracts

Something is wrong with the NFL. No, its not the recent studies showing serious brain injuries, or even the labor negotiations. Its the outrageous contracts that rookie players are signing before even playing a down in the NFL. Sam Bradford just signed a $78 million, $50 million guaranteed contract for the Rams as the top overall pick. This is a player just coming off arm surgery and is making more than established Qb's like Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, and Matt Ryan. Players who should make that much money are QB's like Brees, Brady, and Peyton Manning, all who will get a raise and new contract this year. Darrelle Revis has been holding out for big time money. I applaud him. He has shown he is the best CB in the game and has shut down any WR that has come his way. There is no way no other CB should be making more money than him, especially a rookie cornerback. Even if these rookies are impact players immediately, there should still be a system in which every year the pick number(ex. pick number 8) gets the same contract and amount every year, and if after 2 years they prove they are worth more money, the contract should be re-constructed. Veterans who have been in the league for years and are bruised and have multiply surgeries are probably not happy that some rookie is making more than them and they even haven't been through training camp! Roger Goodell should have this up there as a top priority to fix this.

Winners and Losers of MLB Trade Deadline

Well, July 31st has finally past, and here is who came out on top and teams that did not improve their teams.

Winners-

Rangers- Added a elite pitcher in Cliff Lee and got really nice deals in Jorge Cantu and Christian Guzman.

Phillies- With Oswalt, they now have 3 dangerous pitchers, who will be tough to beat in a playoff series. Problem is, can they reach October?

Padres- Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick were under the radar moves, but were excellent deals to help San Diego reach the playoffs.

Losers-

Royals and Brewers- Both had a chance to rebuild with young talent and unload some over payed veterans, but both stood pat as the deadline came and went.