Let me start off with an apology for not updating the last couple of days.  What a busy Presidents weekend! Saturday I attended a weddiung which I mentioned in my previous post, and once again, congratulations toTom and Kelly for a wonderful day and a wonderful future.  Sunday was Valentine's Day, and my girlfriend I spent as any couple would, at the WWE Event here in Philadelphia.  The show was post poned twice due to the two snow storms here in Philly, and this was actually my birthday present.  So we spent the day down in the Wachovia Center area and had a fantastic time.  Monday and Tuesday, worked the everyday job, but was also pretty under the weather.  Been pretty effected by some Mucinex the last couple of days.  Zero energy, equaled no posts.  So my apologies, but FTS is back, and thank you all for the great traffic and support the site has encountered just in the last week! A huge jump in visitors!!!! Keep spreading the word on FTS! Thank you all!

1) Trade rumors continue to swirl around the NBA.  The Cavs and Suns seem to be at the forefront.  Will the Suns move Amare Stoudemire, or are the Cavs more interested in Corey Maggette.  Will the Sixers rid themselves of the contracts of Andre Iguodala and/ or Samuel Dalembert? So many questions... but is there any real shot for any of these teams? The Lakers are winning without Kobe Bryant... that is a scary sign. Without arguably the best scorer in all of basketball, the Lakers can still get the job done.  It is going to take a lot more work then a mid season trade to combat that for any team in the NBA.  It is fun to see the last second deals, and who actually gets dealt, but I think this year those trades will mean absolutely nothing.

2) So the Raiders signed Sebastian Janikowski to a 4 year, $16 million extension.  For those of you who do ot follow the NFL real close, sure that is not a huge deal to speak of.  However, that is the Raiders kicker!! Like there were not any other positions that the Raiders had to worry about, let's give our kicker the largest contract in the NFL history for a kicker.  Well played Oakland, to bad Janikowski is all you have, and that money may have helped you somewhere else going into the next four years!

3) If you have not watched any of the Winter Olympics so far, what are you waiting for? The drama of watching your country try to be the top nation in a certain event is magical.  I spent some time yesterday watching Curling.  For those of you who have never seen curling, please check the Olympic listings and attempt to catch it the next time it is televised.  Crazy, and intense event that kept me glued.  A great game of strategy that matches shuffleboard with chess.  It was a shame that the US women's lost to Japan yesterday, but I learned a lot of respect towards the event. 

4) I just wanted to congratulate the NBA on doing a much better job with their celebrations then the NFL.  Of course, after the Peep Show Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed during a Super Bowl half time shows, the NFL takes no chances with their performances.  In example, the Who during this year's half time celebration.  Nothing against the Who, but they do not fit with the new generation of the NFL fans, and they atre a little to safe.  Not only did the NBA fit their image with performances by R and B sensation Usher, and the talented Alicia Keys, but they also allowed Shakira to shake her booty in some revealing shorts all over the stage and over thousands of viewers television sets.  All in the name of the NBA All- Star Game.  Usher, Alicia Keys, and Shakira's booty certainly are more suited for this generation and are relevant to the fans of the NBA this millenium.

5) More Raiders talk, but not quite sure.  Read up on a duo of former Raiders receivers recently.  Both of which were Olympic participants. The first being Alvis Whitted, third on the list of Raiders receiving yards.  Whitted competed in the 1996 Olympics where he finished sixth place in the 200 meters.  Of course, he ran against legends such as Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis.  The other was James Jett. Jett participated in the 1992 Olympics in the 4x100 Men's Relay.  His most impressive moment came as he out ran Carl Lewis during the prelims of the 100 meter.  The Raiders may not have the greatest of legacies, however, these two were exceptional world athletes.  Not the most recognizable receivers, but should be given more credit for their resume!

6) TMZ is reporting that Chad Ochocinco has stated that he is willing to take a pay cut to bring one Terrell Owens aboard for the up coming season.  I hate harping on the Bengals, and I will take a break for a while after this post, but the Bengals really need to start analyzing the players they continue bringing into Cincinnati.  How long till TO throws Carson Palmer under the bus because he is throwing into Ochocinco's direction more.  Ocho, for short, is the younger, quicker receiver at this point in time, and TO, still a great receiver, would have to deal with being a role player in the Bengals offense.  If this happens, HBO better get the tapes rolling and continue Hard Knocks with the Bengals this preseason.  That would be must see TV!

Happy Hump Day, we are celebrating Mardi Gras even if your not in New Orleans ladies and gents! Want a drink of the week? Try to get your hands on a New Orleans beer to help kick off the celebration! Abita, a brewery in Lousiana, has a specific beer created for the Mardi Gras period, their Mardi Gras Bock.  To learn more about this beverage, and more of the the brews Abita serves up, check oout Abita's site.  Have fun, be safe, I will be back tomorrow!

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Just in, congratulations to Lindey Vonn on winning the gold medal in the women's downhill event.  Also, congratulations to America's Julia Mancuso on the Silver!