San Francisco 49ers Hand-Picked As Patsy For The Arizona Cardinals - Profootballtalk.com

Florio and the Profootballtalk.com team penned this gem that's sure to give Head Coach Mike Nolan some good material for his team. It seems that the Cards think the Niners are the perfect patsy's for the opening of their new stadium!

CARDS HAND PICKED THE 49ERS FOR OPENING WEEKEND

A league source tells us that the NFL threw the Arizona Cardinals a bone by asking the team to identify the opponent against which they'd most like to christen the Cards' new digs.

And the Cardinals specifically selected the San Francisco 49ers.

Why? Our guess is that the Cards regard the 49ers as the softest opponent on a schedule.

It's hard to disagree. After all, the Cardinals swept the Niners in 2005, the first two-game sweep by Arizona of any of its current division rivals.

From the 49ers' perspective, this should provide an extra level of motivation. After all, who wants to be known in NFL circles as the Arizona Cardinals' bitches

Steve Irwin Passes At 44 - More Information From CNN

This is a video of CNN's coverage of the passing of nature celebrity Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin Passes At 44 - Shocking News

Crocodile hunter and expert Steve Irwin passed away after being fatally stabbed by a Stingray yesterday. What is shocking about this development -- to me -- is that at 44 years old, you expect him to just be around. Part of the Zeitgeist. But his passing just reminds me of how precious life is and how much we should thank God for every moment we're here.

Here's Steve in action:

SMG Sues 14 Companies Over Superdome Roof Problem

I personally found it hard to believe that stadium managment company SMG thought suing the 14 companies responsible for the construction of the Louisiana Superdome's roof would actually bear fruit.

SMG claims that ""The roof was supposed to insure that the Superdome could serve as a haven of evacuation of last resort for hurricanes which threaten New Orleans; an ark in any storm where residents who could not otherwise evacuate would be safely housed."

I smirked until I learned that "Horizon Group" made a new roof for the complex four years ago, and promised that it would withstand winds of over 200 mph.

Well that did not happen. The roof weakened under the pressure and winds of Hurricane Katrina, and leaked, harming over 20,000 people who took refuge in the giant structure.

"Star Wars" Music Legend John Williams Composes "Sunday Night Football" Theme for NBC

My favorite composer, John Williams -- who developed the now legendary Star Wars theme -- conceived of the military-march that is the theme for "NBC's Sunday Night Football." It doesn't matter what the music, John Williams always makes something you want to hum!

If you've not heard the music, just visit the show website at NFL Sunday Night Football.

Michael Sliver Says NFC East Is NFL's Hardest Division - I Say NFC South

Hmm... Atlanta. Carolina. New Orleans. Tampa Bay. Mike Silver of SI says the NFC East is the toughest division in the NFL. But I'd take the teams of the NFC South any day. They have the best defenses and now the best running back in the league in Reggie Bush.

What? He's not taken a snap?

...Just wait!

Steelers Cut QB Omar Jacobs Then Place Him On Practice Squad

The practice squad move was just announced. The Steelers should place him on the 53-man roster for the game vs. the Dolphins.

Steelers Finish Cuts, Release Morgan, Frazier

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Steelers reached their 53- player roster limit on Saturday, adding wide receiver Quincy Morgan and linebacker Andre Frazier to an initial list of 20 cuts.

Morgan played in all 16 regular season games for the Steelers last season, catching nine passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns and also appearing as a kickoff returner. Morgan, a second-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 2001, also appeared in a playoff win over the Bengals before injuring his right ankle.

Frazier appeared in 11 games with Pittsburgh last season, appearing mainly on special teams.

As previously reported, Pittsburgh parted with an additional 20 players: punter Mike Barr, quarterback Shane Boyd, offensive lineman Tim Brown, tight end Charles Davis, tight end Jon Dekker, defensive tackle Orien Harris, running back Cedric Humes fullback Branden Joe, quarterback Omar Jacobs, fullback John Kuhn, safety Mike Lorello, cornerback Anthony Madison, wide receiver Lee Mays, defensive end Shaun Nua, defensive tackle Scott Paxson, linebacker Richard Seigler, linebacker Ron Stanley, tackle Brandon Torrey, defensive end Lee Vickers, and wide receiver Walter Young.

Jacobs, a 6-4, 232-pound quarterback out of Bowling Green, was vying to make the roster as the team's third-string quarterback, behind Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch. The signal-caller, who completed 22-of-34 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, could be brought back when the team establishes its eight-man practice squad on Sunday.

Davis (5th Round, Purdue), Harris (4th Round, Miami (FL)), and Humes (7th Round, Virginia Tech) were all 2006 draft picks.

Among the notable veterans released was Mays, who played in 48 games with the Steelers from 2002 through 2004, catching a total of 11 passes while also participating on special teams.

Barrett Brooks, a 12-year veteran who injured his quadriceps in the team's final preseason game, was place on season-ending injured reserve.

The reigning Super Bowl champs will open the NFL regular season this Thursday, when they play host to the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.