The kids are back in school, the weather has taken a turn for the cool and there's only so much time to get yard and garden work done before the inevitable early freeze so let's jump right into the notes...
Born to run: Not even 30 minutes into the season, the Packers' post-season chances took a major hit when running back Ryan Grant was lost for the season with an ankle injury.
Grant rushed for 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons, but it was Aaron Rodgers and the passing game that paced the offensive attack.
With Grant on the shelf, it's up to either Brandon Jackson to pick up the slack and provide a suitable replacement. A second-round pick in 2007, Jackson started three games as a rookie before suffering shin injury that paved the way for Grant to take over.
With just 689 yards on 175 career carries, Jackson certainly doesn't have much of an NFL resume. And with only fullback/third-down back John Kuhn behind him, there isn't much room for error.
The Packers' offense will survive, as Green Bay's is a pass-first type system but still, a running game is essential to its success.
Sainz, Sainz, everywhere a Sainz: Give credit to Jets' owner Woody Johnson who did the right thing in getting out in front of the situation when Mexican sports reporter Ines Sainz claimed she was sexually harassed in the Jets' locker room last week.
Bears linebacker Lance Briggs took things a step further, telling NBCChicago.com that he doesn't think women should be in the locker room.
"The locker rooms is the place where us guys, us football players, dress, shower, we're naked, we're walking around and we're bombarded by media," he says.
Quite frankly, I won't go that far. Women have just as much place in the locker room as any man. To be honest, I don't enjoy going in the locker room - few reporters do - but we have a job to do. If it were up to me, teams would bring the players into the media room, we could do our job and get back upstairs to finish our work. There'd be no need to duck from flying towels, or try to wait out players while others try and shower and get home.
I certainly don't think that Sainz was deserving of any uncomfortable treatment, but having seen pictures of her ensemble from that day, I have to wonder if it was the wisest decision.
Skin-tight jeans and a low-cut blouse may be appropriate for a night on the town, but certainly not for the workplace. We sportswriters will never be confused with a fashion-savvy group of people, but we also know the difference between appropriate and inappropriate for work.
There's no dress code when covering sports, but ballparks, stadiums and arenas are our office: you dress the part.
This isn't suggesting Sainz had anything coming to her because of the way she dressed, it's just an observation that perhaps Sainz should have used a little common sense when picking what to wear to work that day.
Larry King Lounge: The Brewers open the 2011 regular season on a Thursday, part of baseball's effort to complete post-season play before November. Now, if only they could find a way to get a game in before the end of the late local news each night ... Was Aaron Rodgers' response of "bring it on" when asked if the team should trade for disgruntled Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch tampering? ... ESPN brings it's "SportsNation" program to Madison Monday. The show, hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle, is on a tour of the Big Ten next week and will be broadcast from the Memorial Union ... Kudos to Brewers television announcer Brian Anderson who will work postseason games on TBS for the third straight year. He's a vastly underappreciated talent ... Former Wisconsin track star Suzy Favor-Hamilton and football players Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch and Alan Ameche have been named "Big Ten Icons" by the Big Ten Network ... Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson is known for working with young talent. You have to wonder what kind of impact he'll have on Jeremy Jeffress and Mark Rogers heading into next season ... With Penn State adding a hockey program in 2012, could a Big Ten Hockey conference be far behind. Penn State would make six league schools with hockey.
