We've already seen some great college football in the first week of the regular season, complete with upsets and uprisings.

But when we were "treated" to the game between the Miami Hurricanes and Maryland Terrapins on Monday on ESPN, several of us watched in horror.

Randy Edsall, the new head coach of Maryland, decided in late August that it would be a good idea to let the fans vote on what the Terrapins would wear against Miami this season.

Normally, I would agree with this method, given college football has been known to botch uniforms, but what the Terrapins trotted out with on Monday was a slight to mankind and a travesty, and I'm not even exaggerating.

I would describe the uniforms, but, honestly, there are no words that can describe them. I guess you could say they remind you of what a child would do with different-colored paint cans if he was given the freedom to do whatever he/she wanted. There were so many colors on Maryland's uniforms, I had to check my TV set to see if it had broken again. Up against the classic Miami unis, the Terrapins looked like a joke gone horribly, horribly wrong.

In fact, the Terrapins actually lead Miami after the first quarter on Monday, 7-0, and for once I didn't attribute it to the team at all but the blinding colors that surely confused the Hurricanes. As a quarterback or defense, staring down the Terrapins must have been like trying to concentrate amid a real-life Picasso painting.

I had hope this college football season, especially after that dazzler of a game between TCU and Baylor to start things off, but the Maryland Terrapins' uniforms have ruined it for me.

I don't know what's worse, the University of Miami after the scandal or the University of Maryland after those uniforms.

College football will never be the same again.

Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan was diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time last week, according to his son and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Ryan, who has already overcome melanoma twice, encephalitis and an undisclosed form of cancer this spring, now has cancer in his glands that has spread to his neck, according to his son.

Ryan said he's scheduled to have surgery Sept. 16 in Lexington, Ky., a few days after he watches the Cowboys open their season against his other son Rex Ryan and the New York Jets on Sunday night.

Said Ryan, via ESPN:

"I'm going to be at the game and see my grandkids and I planned on staying longer. But I got to take care of some things."

Ryan has been battling cancer for years now. His battles with melanoma (a dangerous type of skin cancer) were well known and his comeback from encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain, was astonishing.

He's going to battle cancer this time around, too.

Said Rob Ryan:

"He knows this is a big thing for him and a big thing for the Ryans. He's about the only guy who's beat cancer about every time. He's been through it about four or five times so I'm sure the prognosis is great for him because he always wins."

Ryan was a defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in the mid-1980s and helped guide them to a victory in Super Bowl XX. He was also the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1986-90 and the Arizona Cardinals from 1994-95.

Plenty of prayers will be sent out to Ryan before the Cowboys-Jets season-opener on Sunday night.

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Well, turns out we all owe Houston Texans running back Arian Foster an apology.

Not only did we blast him for denouncing Fantasy Football Nation, we were also quick to label him foolish after he tweeted an MRI of his left hamstring, which ESPN sports medicine expert Dr. Michael Kaplan said would keep him out at least two weeks.

Turns out Foster just re-aggravated that hamstring and everything is fine after all, with Foster slated to start in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, per the Houston Chronicle.

Ironically, Foster now looks more likely to start than Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who has played in 208 consecutive games.

That's a double-whammy for the Colts.

The Texans, vying to win their first division title in franchise history, already were looking like the favorites in my eyes heading into the season. They had a great draft, grabbing defensive end J.J. Watt, linebacker Brooks Reed and cornerback Brandon Harris, and they had a great offseason, signing top corner Johnathan Joseph and former Chicago Bears safety Danieal Manning.

And let's be real. The Colts have never been able to piece together a great rush defense. They gave up 4.6 yards per carry last season, near the bottom of the league. On top of that, Foster destroyed them last season. In the season-opener last season, Foster busted out for a team-record 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Texans' 34-24 win. He ran for a mere 102 yards and a touchdown in their next meeting, as well as adding nine receptions for 65 yards.

The Colts couldn't have received worse news heading into Week 1 of the 2011 campaign, and it all adds up to a season-opening loss.

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New York Yankees rookie catcher Jesus Montero, as one of baseball's highest-rated prospects, was expected to compete for the starting spot in spring training, but the signing of veteran Russell Martin left him as the odd man out.

But better late than never.

As one of the Yankees' September call-ups this season, Montero is already making waves, and he was one of the reasons the Yankees won on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles.

In his fourth game in the big leagues on Monday, all Montero did was go 2-for-3, hitting the first two home runs of his career. His three RBI and three runs made him 5-for-13 in four games since being called up and helped the Yankees defeat the Orioles, 11-10.

Montero's known prowess as a hitter will do the Yankees well as they battle the rival Boston Red Sox for the AL East crown. Being used as a right-handed designated hitter, the 21-year-old is already looking like an added spark for the Yankees' potent offense, and that can't sit well with a Red Sox team currently two games behind their bitter rivals.

It was hard to envision the Yankees having the season they've had in spring training. They took gambles in the starting rotation, plugging in veterans seemingly past their prime in Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon and there was some uncertainty as to how their young starters would perform, as Phil Hughes has demonstrated quite emphatically.

But Garcia and Colon have actually been, gasp, solid this season, and second-year pro Ivan Nova has stepped into Hughes' shoes admirably.

If the Yankees continue to pitch this way down the stretch, which is now looking more and more likely, there's no reason to think they can't capture the AL East from a Red Sox team not only heavily favored to win the division at the start of the year, but the World Series, as well.

Adding a player of Montero's caliber offensively will only make the Yankees stronger, and that's a scary thing for the rest of the league.

The Boise State Broncos had to leave three players at home when they left for the Chick-Fil-A Kick-Off Game in Atlanta, Georgia. 

There is concern about the eligibility of wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, safety Cedric Febis, and defensive tackle Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe. All three are from the Netherlands, and the Broncos await word from the NCAA as to whether or not they can play this season.

For now, these three will miss their season opener, which is a crushing blow to the Broncos. Boldewijn and Febis were expected to start, and Tjong-A-Tjoe is an experienced backup on the defensive front that would have seen a good deal of playing time.

Febis is a senior, and he will be greatly missed by Boise State as redshirt freshman Jeremy Ioane will now have to take his place. He'll have his hands full with Georgia's experience receivers and talented quarterback. 

With the Broncos top receivers from 2010 no longer on the team, Boise State needed Boldewijn to be a big factor in the offense this weekend. The 6'4", 204-pound receiver had been turning heads in each of Boise's scrimmages, and there was hope that he be their next big playmaker.

The Broncos will have to wait on that one however, but they can still feel good about their chances this Saturday because of a solid starting defensive line, and they have Kellen Moore at quarterback, who is undoubtedly the most accurate QB in the country.

There's no question the loss of these three players will hurt the Broncos on Saturday, but as long as Moore is able to play, Boise State has a fighting chance. He may not have experienced receivers, but he's going to put the ball where they can catch it because he's that good.

For Georgia, the right thing to do is to think nothing of this and move forward. The focus needs to be on who is playing and not those ineligible. Worry about Moore and how to slow him down because he'll be slinging it left and right.

A bigger blow for the Broncos would have been if an offensive lineman were unable to play, but thankfully for Broncos' fans that isn't the case.

The Broncos will take their hit and move on. The secondary is now a weak spot Aaron Murray will try to take advantage of, but Boise State's offense will still be fine. 

Seattle Seahawks tight end John Carlson will undergo season-ending surgery, further highlighting one of the Seahawks' biggest signings this offseason, tight end Zach Miller.

Carlson, the team's starter last season, suffered a torn labrum (shoulder) after the team's first exhibition game of the preseason, according to the Seattle Times, further stunting the progress he made in his first two years in the NFL.

Carlson racked up over 1,200 years receiving and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league before a down year in 2010 that saw him catch just 31 balls for 318 yards and one touchdown.

Coming into the offseason, he was still considered a big part of the team, evidenced by his inclusion in the offense even after the signing of Miller, the former Oakland Raiders star. The Seahawks were planning on using a two-headed approach in the passing game.

Now, the responsibility will lie solely on Miller's shoulders. Fortunately for the Seahawks, Miller is undoubtedly a player that can be trusted to get the job done. He's one of four tight ends in the NFL who had caught 50 passes or more in each of the last three seasons. According to Scouts Inc., he's the 10th-best tight end in the league. That's why his signing was even bigger for the Seahawks than they ever could have imagined.

There are still reservations for the Seahawks at quarterback, currently sporting a tandem of Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, but at least Miller will be there to give whoever's under center a check-down option to make them more comfortable.

As for what happens to Carlson after this, there's still a good chance he stays with the Seahawks after this season. This is the last year of his rookie contract and his injury will probably sour his stock in free agency. Head coach Pete Carroll said Carlson had a "great camp" and "was rocking and rolling" so the Seahawks obviously like him enough to keep him around.

Star running back Frank Gore has reportedly signed a three-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

And the 49ers should be thankful he didn't leave town.

Gore, who reportedly signed a three-year, $21 million deal, has been one of the league's best running backs since his second season, in which he rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as catching 61 balls for 485 yards and a TD.

He holds a career mark of 4.7 yards per carry, despite some issues with the offensive line from time to time in San Francisco, and has been one the NFL's biggest bargains after being selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

Gore has always been the consummate professional, adored by his teammates, coaches and fans, and his loss would have been just as crippling mentally to the 49ers franchise as it would have been on the field.

Honestly, there weren't a lot of reasons for a player of Gore's caliber to sign an extension with the 49ers. The team likely will finish in the bottom of the NFC West this season after a ho-hum offseason and ugly exhibition play. And plenty of teams would have paid him handsomely once he hit free agency.

Sure, Gore's not getting any younger, at 28 years of age, but he's the best offensive player on the 49ers by far given his dominance in both phases, rushing and receiving, and he's the ultimate team player, an individual who has yet to openly complain while with the 49ers, even after a disastrous 2010.

While star linebacker Patrick Willis is the leader of the 49ers' defense, Gore and tight end Vernon Davis have stepped up as the leaders on the offense.

In Gore, you have everything you expect a star player to be.

Locked up for three more years, the 49ers should be thanking their lucky stars.

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Every since his Major League Baseball debut, when he struck out 14 batters, 2009 No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg has been one of the most hyped prospects in baseball.

But when he injured his right elbow on Aug. 21, 2010, against the Philadelphia Phillies, and had to undergo the dreaded Tommy John surgery, the nation gasped, wondering if the man some compared to a young Nolan Ryan would ever be the same.

But on Sept. 6, the 23-year-old who regularly clocks in at over 100 mph will return to the baseball diamond, with an entire nation watching him.

Tweeted Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, "Source tells me that, barring anything weird, Strasburg will indeed return to the MLB mound on Sept. 6."

In his rookie season, Strasburg actually lived up the hype, which didn't seem possible given he was being buzzed about in a similar manner as Miami Heat star LeBron James did out of high school.

In 68 innings pitched, Strasburg racked up an astounding 92 strikeouts and recorded a 2.91 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. His two-seam and four-seam fastballs were nightmares for hitters, and he added in a devastating curveball and changeup for good measure.

And for those of you wondering if Strasburg still has it, well, wonder no more. He was dazzling in his last start for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, throwing five perfect innings and recording seven strikeouts before being taken out of the sixth inning to keep his pitch count low. His fastball hit the mid-90s and his curve, or whatever you want to call it (Strasburg calls it a slurve), reportedly dropped from the letters on hitters' jerseys to the dirt.

We may only see a few starts this year from Strasburg as he is scheduled to debut in the last month of the regular season, but those few starts should be fantastic.

Strasburg is the kind of pitcher you watch in awe.

Hitters are caught looking on a regular basis.

If you haven't heard the name Dorial Green-Beckham by now, you're about to be bombarded with hyperboles from here on out.

That's because Green-Beckham, a senior receiver out of Hillcrest High School, is making waves throughout the nation in preparation for what is likely to be a near-historic recruiting process.

Green-Beckham, at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, is already a physical specimen, drawing comparisons to Detroit Lions star wideout Calvin Johnson. His production completes the picture.

In three seasons, Green-Beckham has already accumulated 4,120 yards and 51 touchdowns. Not only is he tremendously strong, he runs the 40-year dash in 4.37 seconds, an absolute blur on the field. In short, press coverage doesn't work, and neither does committing three defenders on him at once, as Lebanon discovered when he scored four touchdowns on the defense in a single game.

In the first play Hillcrest High ran for Green-Beckham, he scored a 45-yard touchdown.

Said Lebanon High coach Will Christian, via ESPN:

"When we assessed them on tape, I thought he was a big, athletic kid. But when we saw them live, I could not believe how huge his legs are. And when you watch him run his routes, he's so fluid and effortless.

"That's the thing you see really in special athletes; they almost look like they're loafing."

But take one look at the No. 1 prospect in the nation and you know he does anything but loaf, on or off the field.

Green-Beckham's mailbox is already flooded. If he used AOL Mail, the "You've Got Mail" guy would quit. In one week, he received four items in one day from Florida State, three from Oregon and Tennessee, two from Missouri, Alabama, Texas A&M, Texas and East Carolina and one each from North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Florida.

This is a prospect who is being compared to Calvin Johnson based on his physique and to Randy Moss based on what experts project him to do at the NFL level.

In short, by the time signing day comes around, Green-Beckham will likely be receiving the same level of hype that Miami Heat superstar LeBron James did when he came out of high school.

Is Green-Beckham the next Calvin Johnson?

There's a chance he could be better.

Jimmer Fredette has always had his fair share of fans, but he proposed to his biggest cheerleader on Friday night, Whitney Wonacott of Chatfield, Colo.

That's right, Fredette followers, the former BYU star has just gotten engaged to his longtime sweetheart, and you can put down those "Marry Me, Jimmer" signs.

Wonacott, a senior cheerleader at BYU, had front-row seats last season when Fredette went on to be the nation's leading scorer, averaging 28.9 points and leading the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

And while Fredette was scoring on the floor, Wonacott was scoring in the eyes of Fredette, most likely because she was the most technically-sound cheerleader on the sidelines.

Of course, with the latest news, Fredette's female admirers are probably crushing the love letters they planned to mail him. Fredette, in addition to being one of last season's best players, also built up a loyal following from the opposite sex. It wasn't hard to figure out why he was always smiling all the time.

It's good to see Fredette propose to his college sweetheart, though. After getting selected 10th overall by the Sacramento Kings in this year's draft, he could have easily let the bigger and brighter lights of the NBA lead him astray.

As for the wedding plans, those are currently under wraps, but I'm guessing they will involve a cougar mascot and a Jimmer cheer section. At least, that's how I would plan it if I was him.

Congratulations to Jimmer and Whitney.

Wonacott has just become the second-most famous person from BYU.

With the announcement that Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest will be a contestant in the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars, we can all rest assured that the world is in balance.

Let me put it this way: if Artest hadn't joined the competition, I would have worried if metta world peace really was possible.

That's because Artest has always been entertaining, whether he's on the court or off it, and his recent comedy tour, as well as his part in an art show titled Lovable Badass, is proof enough.

Artest has always seemed to be one of those athletes who wouldn't mind if his basketball career all of a sudden ended. He does so much off the court, and is such a creative and unique individual, that his mere presence practically breeds spontaneous activity. You get the feeling that Artest will never be bored in his life, even if he were plopped inside a box and ordered to live in it by himself for a year.

It doesn't matter to Artest if he wins Dancing with the Stars. It's just another thing for him to do in an extended offseason brought about by an NBA lockout. In fact, he doesn't even need a lockout. He's always living an extended offseason in his mind, anyway.

But Artest is so intriguing, even when he's not up to par on defense (i.e. last season), because he's a born character study. I mean, this is the same guy who thanked his psychiatrist in an interview after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Finals.

If his dancing style mimics his scattered personality, I'm guessing his favorite dance will be the Russian Cossack Dance.

The more athletes participate in Dancing with the Stars, the more I want to watch.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

The greatest sprinter in the world was just disqualified after a false start in the Men's 100-meter final at the world track and field championships on Sunday.

That's right, Usain Bolt, a man who could probably still win if the whole field false started, was just robbed because of a controversial rule implemented last year that automatically disqualifies anyone who false starts.

Bolt had no reason to try to gain an unfair advantage on Sunday. Jamaican Yohan Blake, who ended up winning the event, said he wasn't even thinking about beating Bolt, but instead placing in the top three. Bolt's the most dominant sprinter in the world.

Bolt's coach Glen Mills reacted better than would have been expected.

Said Mills, via the Washington Post, "He’s human, isn’t he? I always knew he was human. He will pick himself up. He’s a champion.”

But the fact that Bolt is human is more reason why the new false start rule is all the more preposterous. Sprinters false start. It's a fact in track and field. It happens to the best of them. While a small penalty may be required, completely disqualifying someone is unfathomable.

Why the rule was originally implemented is even more the reason why fans should be outraged. The rule was basically implemented for television ratings, its purpose to prevent long delays from numerous false starts.

The ironic thing is this rule now threatens to hurt ratings, effectively taking the world's best sprinter out of an event in controversial fashion.

Usain Bolt has just become the victim of an outrageous rule that never should have been put into effect in the first place. The rule needs to be overturned just as quickly as it has been implemented.

You start losing top sprinters to a bogus rule, you might as well kiss your precious ratings goodbye.

The Madden video game series has been criticized in past years for getting by on its name alone while not making significant improvements from season to season.

But Madden 12 appears to be bucking that trend.

In fact, many are hailing it as the greatest football game ever.

In IGN.com's latest review, the video game site applauds Madden 12 in virtually every aspect, from the presentation, to the graphics, to the AI, to the gameplay.

The AI appears to have been the biggest difference in the game, which is why Madden 12 is also being lauded as the most realistic football game ever created.

Via IGN.com:

The AI upgrade changes nearly every player reaction. Dozens of different options are available ranging from how quickly a QB will throw the ball away, to whether a player performs better in the clutch, to how hard a DT hits. It's a simplified version of "tendencies" used in other sports games, and it adds a new level of depth to the game. Donovan McNabb will run if you give him an open slot, Troy Polamalu only gets more aggressive when he's losing. The defense is smarter and can recognize plays better.

In addition to this, consistency and confidence meters add a personal element to the game, so for a young quarterback like Tim Tebow who has endured overwhelming criticism, his confidence level will affect his play.

The Franchise mode has also been tweaked to become the most difficult Madden game in history. The All-Pro mode will only be beaten by savvy football fans who know the intricacies of each team, particularly the defense they are facing. Run a simple running play up the center of the line against the Pittsburgh Steelers and watch your running back get enveloped, no less get rocked.

Per IGN, "In terms of pure gameplay, Madden NFL 12 looks better, hits harder, and runs faster than ever before."

This, my friends, is the type of game that makes people go out and buy a new video game system just to play it.

Jimmer Fredette enjoyed a wave of success and adoration virtually unparalleled in the world of college basketball last season when he led the BYU Cougars to the Sweet 16 as the nation's leading scorer.

That adoration will soon end, at least from his female fans.

Fredette, who inspired his fair share of "Will You Marry Me Jimmer?" signs last season, announced via Twitter today that he is engaged with his longtime girlfriend Whitney Wonnacott of Chatfield, Colo.

Tweeted Fredette:

I'm officially engaged everyone. She Said yes and she was completely surprised! It was perfect!!

This came complete with a photo of Fredette and Wonnacott standing lovingly side-by-side. I guess we could say Wonnacott, a senior cheerleader at BYU, is Fredette's biggest fan (I am currently scouring through videotape to catch furtive glances between the two every time Fredette hit a 3-pointer last season...it's gonna take a while).

Congratulations, Jimmer, you have now lost half of your fans due to heartbreak. Once one of the game's most popular prospects, you are nothing but a basketball star now, minus the "hearts" and "winks" you receive via your Twitter account.

But Fredette's legion of female fans should have seen this coming. Part of what made Fredette so popular for both sexes was his humble nature and down-to-earth personality that always came complete with a broad smile. It wasn't like Fredette was going to go wild and start burning $100 bills in nightclubs once he entered the NBA.

It's a testament to who Fredette is, a hyped athlete who doesn't care for the hype. It's only fitting that he would settle down when most rookies have stars in their eyes and can't wait to hop into that jacuzzi inside the limousine.

Fredette may have lost a good chunk of his fans as they burn signed posters from him, but he has surely made me a bigger fan with the latest sign that he is above all the glitz and glamor.

When I first read Houston Texans running back Arian Foster's tweet condemning fantasy football fanatics on Sunday, I busted up laughing.

Tweeted Foster:

4 those sincerely concerned, I'm doing ok & plan 2 B back by opening day. 4 those worried (about) your fantasy team, u (people) are sick

It was a humorous statement on the world of fantasy football, which has induced as many crazed fans as the sport itself.

At least, I thought Foster was being humorous.

That is until ESPN SportsNation host Colin Cowherd quipped:

Hey Arian Foster--- 'We really do care about you as a human too. Um,now about that hammy? --signed, everybody

To which Foster responded, not as humorously, "Did you want to be a critic as a child? Or did your dreams die with your humility?"

Whoa now! Hold on a second. What just happened?!

It's worth noting that Cowherd has been a controversial figure ever since SportsNation first aired. In a similar vein as Skip Bayless, he makes his opinions know with fervor, and unabashedly, and predictably receives his fair share of backlash as a result.

But in this case, I'm pretty sure he was joking in response to what should have been a joke from Foster. Now, I can understand Foster's bitterness to those who think of him as nothing but a spot in their fantasy football lineup, but it is what it is, and he should have been used to it by now. After all, when you score the most points in fantasy football last season, you're going to draw a good deal of fantasy football buzz, much in the same way Adrian Peterson has all these years.

Foster excites in the real world of football and the fantasy world. Why not accept it for what it is? Foster is ruining an opportunity to be twice as popular.