"It's Your Dime" Episode 62 - Pet peeves in sports

Apparently, the Internal Revenue Service taxes American Olympic athletes for the medals they bring home. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has jumped into the fray, urging the IRS to cease and desist from this flagrant abuse of America's best and brightest.

In another bit of annoying sports news (at least for Wisconsin Badgers fans), running back Montee Ball was attacked in the early hours of the morning by five men near the Wisconsin. Why do some people target college and professional athletes for violence? Is it sheer envy, or is there something deeper going on?

There seems to be a mounting wave of frustration among NFL players directed against league commissioner Roger Goodell. After fielding questions about the standoff with officials yesterday at the Green Bay Packers' training camp, he was the target of aspersions today from Chicago Bears players, several of whom expressed distrust and dislike of the man. We were sold the new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the promise of a decade of labor peace. Will the league implode into strife in the next year or two instead?

Something that might soothe ruffled feathers, though, is the fact that Jenny McCarthy, girlfriend of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, has just completed a sexy new bikini shoot. After getting a glimpse of these photographs, men everywhere will be uttering silent prayers that their women age as gracefully as Ms. McCarthy has.

Of course, we must devote some time to the ongoing saga (some might call it the comedy of errors) that is the Detroit Lions. General manager Martin Mayhew has boldly proclaimed that the Lions are better this year than they were last year. If that be the case, it will put them solidly in contention for the NFC North divisional crown. But how many people take his words seriously?