Week 1's most exciting matchups

After waiting for what seems like forever, college football is finally back.

And while the Maryland Terrapins don't appear to have much to look forward to this season, plenty of other teams do. So let's roll up our sleeves and look at the most compelling matchups in Week 1.

MATCHUP NO. 3 -- CLEMSON/AUBURN

Prior to last season, Auburn seemed to have Clemson's number. The Alabamian Tigers had won 14 straight in the series, including a pair of close wins in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. But last year, Clemson put its foot down and took the matchup by two touchdowns.

This year, led by wide receiver phenom Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tajh Boyd, Clemson is the favorite heading into the Georgia Dome matchup. Auburn is without stud running back Michael Dyer, who was suspended, and quarterback Kiehl Frazier is making his first-ever start. But don't count Auburn out. It's just two years removed from its National Championship.

MATCHUP NO. 2 -- BOISE STATE/MICHIGAN STATE

Both teams are coming off excellent 11- or 12-win seasons last year, but both teams will also have distinctly different looks. Neither Michigan State's Kirk Cousins nor Boise State's Kellen Moore -- both longtime starters at quarterback -- are on the current roster.

Michigan State lost the majority of its offensive starters from last season's team. But its defense, which ranked No. 3 in sacks and No. 11 in interceptions, returns. Boise State lost a ton of firepower in Moore and fellow NFL rookie Doug Martin, but can always be counted on to win at least 10 game, which it's done every year under head coach Chris Petersen.

MATCHUP NO. 1 -- ALABAMA/MICHIGAN

Last year's 13th-ranked rush offense (Michigan) meets last year's top-ranked rush defense (Alabama) in a battle at the line of scrimmage. And though the Crimson Tide are favorites, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has beaten countless teams by himself with his deceptive speed. Robinson has run for more than 2,800 yards over the past two seasons, and was a huge part of the Wolverines' 11-2 season last year.

And while Alabama loses the majority of its starters on both sides of the ball, the Crimson Tide are consistently one of the deepest teams in college football. Running back Trent Richardson was an early first-round pick in April's NFL Draft, while defensive standouts Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower left, too. But it's reload, not rebuild, in Tuscaloosa. And the team with the No. 1 recruiting ranking on Rivals.com for the past two years should bounce back with no problem.

Giants DT left out of Madden

New York Giants defensive tackle Marcus Thomas isn't a superstar player or a household name by any means.

He's always served as a backup, recording no sacks and just one forced fumble in his six NFL seasons. But he's been around long enough for the folks at Electronic Arts to acknowledge his existence.

So Thomas was predictably fired up when he got his copy of Madden 13 and found himself on there -- only with another Marcus Thomas' face. (Sidebar: I would argue that's better than being left out of the game entirely...)

The Marcus Thomas on the right is definitely not the Marcus Thomas you see below. That Marcus Thomas was a standout at UTEP who hasn't been on an NFL roster since 2009.

To remedy the situation, Thomas took to Twitter to air his greivances. Credit to Gawker blog Kotaku for collecting the following stream of tweets, some of which appear to have been taken down.

@MarcusThomas_79 "the creators of madden needs to b slapped for putting an imposter pic in place of me that's not me for the last time I don't look like that"

@MarcusThomas_79 "I been in the nfl going on 6years and y'all still hav another mans face for my pic on madden i hate y'all hate is very strong but I do"

@MarcusThomas_79 "Madden is disrespectful practice your craft and make it realistic I'm in newyork now help me please someone call madden and tell him lol"

@MarcusThomas_79 "I'm serious but I'm not Naw I'm serious they been try n me for 4 years"

@MarcusThomas_79 "How y'all gone hav my pic rookie season and then change it to a completely dif person for ds rest of my career"

@MarcusThomas_79 "Man im angry now u right madden is very unprofessional"

@MarcusThomas_79 "dear mr @EAMaddenNFL i com to you humbly sir. Can u please put the right photo of me on the madden it's been 6years not lol maybe a giggle"

@MarcusThomas_79 "I did it but I have a feeling he will be to busy to read it smh"

If you're still with me, there's a happy ending. Donny Moore, a Madden content producer, reached out to Thomas through Twitter: @MarcusThomas_79 Sincere apologies Mr. Thomas, we will have this picture removed for next update...It is the UTEP Marcus Thomas.

So it's going to be fixed after all. And we'll all finally be able to sleep well again.

Redskins cut fan-favorite Cooley

After eight productive seasons, Redskins veteran tight end Chris Cooley got his walking papers yesterday as Washington made final roster cuts.

The 30-year old leaves the only team he's ever played for with 428 career receptions for 4,703 yards and 33 touchdowns. He played in 101 games in Washington, starting 94 of them. He ends his tenure in Washington as the fifth-leading receiver in receptions.

Yet after missing 11 games last season due to arthroscopic surgery, Cooley, who was owed nearly $4 million this season, was a victim of the numbers game.

Cooley had a reputation as a clubhouse leader. And rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III admitted Cooley made him feel like a part of the team right away.

"He helped me get comfortable with this team [and] this offense. He is a legend in my mind and will be missed," Griffin tweeted.

Linebacker London Fletcher expressed a similar message: "Chris Cooley was one of the all time great Redskins, he'll be missed by everyone in the organization. #HTTR"

As did defensive lineman Adam Carriker: "Congrats @thecooleyzone on a great career with the #Redskins. Best of luck in the future. #YouWillAlwaysBeARedskin"

And now-retired running back and former teammate Clinton Portis: "@thecooleyzone Keep your head up bro, I know life will offer you a lot whether you play again are not. Loved you as a teammate and pal!"

Even Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin got in on the Cooley memoriam: "Good luck to a new team @thecooleyzone DC going to miss u man !!!!!

But the sentiment went beyond athletes. Washington Post columnist Mike Wise said he'll miss his time with Cooley: "Of all the players I've got to know in sports, Chris Cooley ranks up there as one of the classiest. I'll miss him in DC more than he knows."

And yet he's not only a leader who will be missed in the clubhouse. He's a fan-favorite. And Cooley is more than a typical football player. He authors a blog called "The Cooley Zone" in which he videotapes his everyday life and responds to fans' tweets.

He appears regularly on DC101's Elliot in the Morning. He works with an independent film company and owns an art gallery. And pottery has become a passion.

I can speak for all Redskins fans when I say we'll miss you, Chris. And we're wishing you the best no matter where you end up. (Unless it's Dallas.)

Edsall releases depth chart

Maryland football coach Randy Edsall released the Terps' offensive and defensive depth charts for the team's Week 1 game against Division I-AA member William & Mary.

And it's not pretty.

The Terps have lost would-be starters to transfers: running back DJ Adams, quarterback Danny O'Brien, offensive linemen RJ Dill and Max Garcia, wide receiver Adrian Coxson, linebacker David Mackall and defensive backs Jeremiah Wilson, Titus Till and Avery Graham.

They've lost others to graduation: running back Davin Meggett, wide receivers Tony Logan, Ronnie Tyler and Quintin McCree and cornerbacks Cam Chism and Trenton Hughes.

And then there's the laundry list of injuries: quarterback CJ Brown, linebacker Kenny Tate, defensive backs Jeremiah Hendy and Isaac Goins and defensive linemen Keith Bowers and Andre Monroe.

Oh, and let's not forget Maryland has a new offensive coordinator (Mike Locksley) and a new defensive coordinator (Brian Stewart). How's that for continuity?

So Edsall's squad is a bit thin, as shown below. On the offensive two-deep chart, 10 freshmen are backups and another two are penciled in as starters. Starting quarterback Perry Hills has never played a down of college football, and his top target, senior wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, has just 63 career receptions for 777 yards and five touchdowns.

The graduations, injuries and transfers have taken a toll on the defense, too. Six freshmen are on the two-deep, and two others -- nose tackle Darius Kilgo and backup strong safety Clarence Claiborne -- have no experience at the college level, either.

It's shaping up to be a tough year for Edsall, who is coming off a horrific 2-10 campaign in which he did everything wrong and nothing broke in his favor. A first-week matchup against a William & Mary squad will show fans exactly what this under-experienced team has in the tank.

Ravens cut Cundiff

Seven months after he missed a would-be game-tying field goal in the AFC Championship Game, the Baltimore Ravens have released kicker Billy Cundiff.

I'll say it: the guy got a raw deal.

After starting 38 games for the Ravens across three seasons, Cundiff was an outstanding 65-for-76 from inside the 50-yard line, good for 86%. He set a league record with 40 touchbacks in 2012 and was a Pro Bowler in 2011.

But when Cundiff shanked a 32-yard field goal that would have sent Baltimore into overtime against the New England Patriots, he was villainized as badly as Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy. And it's not fair at all.

If Ravens fans needed a scapegoat, it should have been head coach John Harbaugh, who kept a timeout in his back pocket while Cundiff sprinted onto the field and didn't have time to set up. But Cundiff shouldn't have had to fall on the sword.

And Cundiff -- who plays one of the most mental positions across all sports -- has kicked well in training camp and the preseason, connecting on both of his field goal attempts.

Instead, the Ravens went with Justin Tucker, an undrafted rookie kicker from the University of Texas who has been impressive in the preseason.

"These decisions are never easy, and this one was difficult for all of us. Billy had a great camp, the best he has had with us. He showed, like he always has, a toughness and an ability to come back and be a top-flight NFL kicker," Harbaugh said.

Good for Tucker. But Ravens fans need to get over their blind hatred for Cundiff for his one missed field goal. Most NFL teams would kill for a steady kicker, which Cundiff was for the better part of three seasons. And you can be sure Cundiff will catch on with another team quickly, because he's a steady, proven veteran in a revolving-door position.

Are the Kings moving to Va. Beach?

According to Inside Business, a Hampton, Virginia-based business journal, the Sacramento Kings could be relocating to Virginia Beach.

The Kings have been looking at a possible relocation for the franchise since April.

A new arena would have to be built in order for the deal to go down. Inside Business reports that the new arena would be built across from Virginia Beach's convention center.

But the reports appear to be slightly premature. Kings owner George Maloof told reporters, "We haven't talked to Virginia Beach."

Virginia Beach would seem to be an odd choice for relocation. For one, the closest NBA teams – the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Bobcats – are located four and six hours away from Virginia Beach, respectively.

Cities such as San Diego, San Francisco, Nashville, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh or Kansas City would seem like better fits. Most of those cities already support at least one major sports team. Virginia Beach doesn't.

And let's not forget about Seattle, which lost its team to Oklahoma City in one of the most depressing moves since the Colts left Baltimore.

If Maloof's telling the truth, it appears too early to start looking into season tickets in the Hampton Roads area. Regardless, the possible move is exciting for Virginia residents, who have long-desired a professional sports franchise. And it would give the Commonwealth its first professional basketball team since the Virginia Squires in 1976.

Barry Zito's epic blooper

Back in December 2006, then-Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito was one of the hottest commodities in free agency. 

With a Cy Young and three All-Star Games under his belt, he signed a historic seven-year, $126 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. 

Since then, he's 52-69 with a 4.53 ERA. Certainly one of the biggest "busts" of the past decade. 

So when he threw this gem of a pitch (in the video below), it's sort of the proverbial cherry on top for Giants fans. And it sort of reminds me of John Wall's opening pitch fail last year. Enjoy.

Edsall takes football team bowling

Heading into their season opener against Division I-AA William & Mary, the Terps football team could probably use a night off occasionally.

After all, between studying the playbook, workouts and practice, there's not much time for these guys to kick back and relax. So earlier this week, head coach Randy Edsall gave the team the night off -- and took them bowling at nearby AMF College Park Lanes.

The excursion was filmed (for your entertainment) and posted on YouTube. It was a nice gesture for the usually Army-like Edsall.

Granted, this might be the only bowling the team does for the next few years. (Yes, it was worth making a whole blog post just to make that joke.)

Watch the video below, and enjoy.

Skip Bayless: master troll

ESPN personality Skip Bayless' specialties include pissing everybody in America off, playing the contrarian role and generally acting like a world-class douchebag.

He's not likable. He's not funny or charismatic. He's not even well-informed.

And on Monday, he appeared on ESPN's "First Take" to blatantly troll Redskins fans.

"Some foolish Redskins fans -- fans, foolish, doesn't that go together, right? -- they're gonna sit back and say, 'G-d, [Robert Griffin III] was struggling. He fumbled, he threw a couple of bad passes. Maybe Kirk Cousins is better right now. Maybe we should go with Kirk.' NO! I don't want to see that. I don't want to set up that dynamic," Bayless said.

"I'm going to throw it out there. You also have the black/white dynamic and the majority of Redskins fans are white and it's just human nature if you're white to root for the white guy. It just happens in sports. Just like the black community will root for the black quarterback. I'm for the black guy. I'm just saying I don't like the dynamic for RGIII. It could stunt his growth in the NFL," he added.

In one fell swoop, Bayless calls Redskins fans idiots, suggests Griffin isn't the franchise quarterback and creates his own racial controversy.

Even better is that this is a continuation troll. Right after the Redskins picked the quarterback duo, Bayless suggested: "If Kirk Cousins has four or five big quarters in the exhibition games, all of a sudden you create a quarterback controversy."

Well, no. Remember when I said Bayless wasn't well-informed? There you have it. The guy acts like there's going to be a quarterback competition after the Redskins gave up several draft picks to move up and draft Griffin at No. 2 overall. He will no doubt struggle as a rookie. But unless he forgets how to throw a spiral, he's the starter over fourth-round pick Kirk Cousins.

Of course, bloggers everywhere aren't exactly hurting Bayless' cause. They say don't feed the trolls. And by writing about the verbal diarrhea this idiot spews, we're doing just that. Oops.

Aquille Carr arrested

Arguably the most electrifying guard to come out of Baltimore since Muggsy Bogues, Patterson High's Aquille Carr has a larger-than-life persona in Charm City.

I've written about the 5-foot-8, 150-pound playmaker before -- calling him "a tiny Tim Hardaway" as an eighth-grader, telling people to remember the name back in 2010 and then updating readers on his reported $750,000 contract offer to play overseas last summer.

Carr's phenomenal high school career earned him dozens of scholarship offers and the No. 50 ranking by national recruiting service Rivals.com. And in January, he accepted an offer to play for Seton Hall.

But now, the kid nicknamed the "Crime Stopper" -- for the fact that everyone in the city is at his games, and therefore no crime happens while Patterson High is playing -- might have to give it all up.

On Saturday, Carr was arrested for domestic assault.

According to Baltimore Sun crime reporter Justin Fenton, Carr "is accused of throwing his former girlfriend to the ground outside a Southeast Baltimore trade school and kicking and punching her, records show."

He posted the required $50,000 bond and was released on Saturday. But Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard is currently in Spain with the Pirates on an exhibition tour, and returns this week. So he'll have to decide whether it's worth it to keep Carr's commitment or yank his scholarship and make a positive public relations move.

For Seton Hall, it would be a hit to its one-man recruiting class for 2013. And for Carr, it would be a sad ending to a storied career that included dozens of accolades and multiple Baltimore City Player of the Year honors.

Umpire takes cleats to the face

Being a baseball umpire is often a thankless job. Get a call wrong and you're mocked and booed. Get a call right and hey, you should, that's your job!

Occasionally, an umpire will take a foul ball to his facemask or stomach. And every once in a blue moon, it's uglier than that.

Enter ump Greg Gibson, who was calling the Los Angeles Angels game against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. After Kendrys Morales hit a double, teammate Torii Hunter attempted to score from first base.

The play at the plate ended with Hunter's cleat smashing into Gibson's face, as you can see in the video below. It's ugly. Luckily, Gibson walked away relatively unharmed beyond a handful of stitches.

Amazingly, that's not the only bruise Gibson has suffered this season. He also took a Stephen Strasburg fastball to the nuts earlier this season. Ouch.

Terps QB tears ACL, out for season

Just three weeks before his team's first game of the season, Maryland starting quarterback C.J. Brown has torn his ACL and is out for the season.

And just like that, head coach Randy Edsall must go back to the drawing board.

"I feel terrible for C.J. He's worked incredibly hard to be the starting quarterback of this team. He's stepped up and been a tremendous leader. We'll do everything we can to make sure he gets the best treatment to help in his recovery," Edsall said.

Now, Edsall's two -- and only -- options are both true freshmen who have never taken a snap at the collegiate level.

Option A is Perry Hills, a sturdy, 6-foot-3, 205-pound dual-threat quarterback from Pittsburgh. Hills chose Maryland over offers from Akron, Buffalo, Kent State and Miami (OH).

He threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns to only two interceptions, and ran in four more scores. He's deceptively fast, running between a 4.6 and 4.7 40-yard dash at various combines. And his skills weren't limited to just the gridiron: he was an all-state wrestler in Pennsylvania, going 35-0 at the 195-pound weight class as a senior. 

Meanwhile, Hills' competition is Option B: Caleb Rowe, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound pocket passer from North Carolina. The Terps were Rowe's only offer. And he, too, accepted a scholarship offer on the same day he received it at Maryland's summer camp.

As a senior, Rowe threw for more than 2,700 yards and 33 touchdowns. He's the more natural pocket passer of the two freshmen.

The Terps would no doubt love an Option C -- New Mexico transfer Ricardo Young. But per NCAA guidelines, Young is ineligible this season as he sits out for his transfer season.

And perhaps Edsall-haters have a bit more fuel to add to their fire, as Option D would have been a junior Danny O'Brien, once the ACC Freshman of the Year not long ago.

But that's beside the point.

According to Edsall on Tuesday -- before Brown's injury -- Hills was leading the race for No. 2 quarterback. 

"We were able to get a great evaluation in, and right now Perry is the No. 2 guy. He's a little ahead of Caleb right now. You probably saw today, there were some different combinations out there with the first, second and third teams based on the first eight practices," Edsall said.  

It doesn't hurt that Hills' game mirrors Brown's game. Brown threw for 842 yards and seven touchdowns in five starts last year and ran for an additional 574 yards and five touchdowns.

Regardless, coming off a 2-10 season, losing your starting quarterback in mid-August -- with no other experienced quarterbacks on the roster -- makes for a tough season. The Terps will likely focus more on their run game, allowing for their true freshman quarterback to ease into the role a bit.

Even with Brown, Vegas had the Terps pegged as a four-win team. Without him, it could be another season with double digits in the L column.

Os pitcher Patton sprains ankle walking

In one of the least athletic injuries ever, Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Troy Patton has been put on the 15-day disabled list following a bizarre off-the-field ankle sprain.

Patton told the media that he sprained his ankle while walking through a parking garage.

"I just kind of caught the edge wrong and rolled my ankle. It's the third time I've done it to this ankle, so I think it happened pretty easily," he said.

The move is a temporary hit to the Orioles' bullpen, which has been one of the team's strengths this season.

Patton has appeared in 50 games and has a 2.58 ERA to go along with 48 strikeouts. Opposing batters are hitting just .218 off him.

"It's extremely frustrating, very, very, very frustrating. I haven't felt this good as I've felt on the mound in my whole career so it's very frustrating," Patton said.

Though X-rays were negative, Patton is forced to walk around with a walking boot. He'll be back in action come early September. The Orioles already lost starting pitchers Zach Britton and Jason Hammel at various points this season to injury, though both were related to actually doing something athletic.

"Guess we're going to have to start taping ankles away from the ballpark, too," manager Buck Showalter said.

Machado's hot start has fans excited

He may be just four games into his young professional baseball career, but Orioles third baseman Manny Machado's incredible start has turned some heads around the league.

Meanwhile, Baltimore fans are hoping he'll be the best shortstop the team has had since Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

If that sounds lofty, it is. But before ever playing a professional game, Machado was garnering comparisons to New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.

Sitting a half-game behind second-place Tampa Bay, the Orioles sure could use a spark from the youngster.

And in his first major league series with the Orioles, Machado delivered. He hit .375 with three home runs and seven runs batted in.

Two of those home runs came in the same game, making him "the youngest Oriole ever to have a multihomer game," according to STATS Inc. 

So it was no surprise, then, when Machado earned American League co-Player of the Week honors after his debut.

"If we can do something that makes us two inches better to have a chance to win the last 49 games, we're going to do it," said manager Buck Showalter.

Baltimore executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette agrees. "It'll be pretty clear to everybody in a short time how talented and skillful Manny Machado is," Duquette told reporters.

And as USA Today notes, Machado's third Major League home run put him in the elite company with "Frank Robinson, Ray Knight and Lee May as the only players to get an extra-base hit in each of their first four games with the Orioles."

"To be mentioned with Frank Robinson, that's just great. It's a great feeling. I'm just fortunate," Machado said.

USA wins the Olympics

Sandwiched between a Mr. Bean-filled opening ceremony and a Spice Girls-filled closing ceremony, the United States again took home the most medals for the sixth-straight Olympic games.

While Team USA was taking home 104 medals -- including a staggering 46 golds -- America cheered on old favorites and found new icons to root for.

We saw Team USA take the top spot in men's and women's basketball, forcing the nation to root for a team starring LeBron James and coached by Mike Krzyzewski.

And familiar faces Alex Morgan, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach led women's soccer to a gold medal. Sisters Serena and Venus Williams earned a gold in women's doubles tennis, while Michael Phelps won the men's 100-meter butterfly gold at likely his last Olympic games.

Phelps paired up with 100-meter freestyle winner Nathan Adrian and 100-meter backstroke winner Matt Grevers to win another gold in the men's 4x100-meter medley.

But the men didn't steal the show in swimming. Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt were among the best athletes America had at the Olympics. Franklin earned four gold medals and a bronze, while Schmitt won three golds, a silver and a bronze.

Sanya Richards-Ross won the women's 400-meter race, gymnasts Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber led Team USA to the gold in women's team all-around, and Jordan Burroughs won the men's 74-kilogram wrestling gold.

And while Team USA wasn't well-represented in nontraditional sports like handball or badminton or speedwalking, the 2012 Summer Olympics ended as they should: with America showing it's the baddest country in sports. Along the way, we got to see some pretty damn cool storylines and meet some pretty damn cool athletes.

Dwight Howard traded to Lakers

Six-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard has been itching to get out of Orlando. As a result, he's been the focus of many trade rumors this offseason -- to Brooklyn, to Dallas or to Los Angeles.

He finally got his wish.

Late Thursday night, Howard was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-way trade that involved giving up star center Andrew Bynum and a future first-round pick -- and that's it -- in exchange for Howard.

It's still a risky move for all parties involved, particularly because Howard has reiterated his plans to become a free agent after next season and reevaluate whether he wants to continue being a Laker.

According to ESPN, Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who's currently in London for the 2012 Olympics, "was ecstatic Thursday night upon hearing that Los Angeles was able to complete such a significant transaction without surrendering [fellow star Pau] Gasol."

The Lakers already made a splash this offseason in trading for eight-time All-Star point guard Steve Nash with the Phoenix Suns.

If the Howard deal goes through, it'll make Los Angeles the obvious favorite in the Western Conference. It'll also give the NBA its second "super team" alongside the current NBA champion Miami Heat.

What to watch for: Ravens open preseason

It's been a six-and-a-half months since Baltimore fans watched the Ravens fritter away a shot at the Super Bowl in an AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots.

And while many fans thought that might be the best shot Baltimore had at a Super Bowl, this year's team could be even better.

The Ravens boast an impressive 18 of 22 starters, including 10 of 11 on offense -- minus only guard Ben Grubbs, who signed a five-year, $36 million deal with the Saints.

That returning experience should give offensive coordinator Cam Cameron arguably his best offensive group since coming to Baltimore. And though Grubbs' talent will be missed on the offensive line, free agent signee Bobbie Williams should fill in without a significant dropoff in talent.

Behind Williams are several youngsters who should compete for starting jobs by next season: second-year guard Jah Reid, rookie guard/center Gino Gradkowski and rookie tackle Kelechi Osemele, who has been impressive during training camp. Gradkowski is slotted as the starting center while veteran Matt Birk recovers from back spasms.

Defensively, the Ravens return their entire secondary but had to replace outstanding pass-rushers Jarret Johnson, Terrell Suggs and Cory Redding. Johnson and Redding signed elsewhere in the offseason, while Suggs, a five-time Pro Bowler, recovers from a torn Achilles tendon.

Those holes have left the door open to Paul Kruger and rookie Courtney Upshaw, as well as third-year reserve Sergio Kindle. Kindle is expected to play in tonight's preseason opener, but fans will have to wait for the highly anticipated Upshaw to make his debut, while he recovers from a sprained shoulder.

Don't expect a ton of flashy plays against the Falcons, as head coach John Harbaugh hinted he's not playing the starters much. They might end up playing a quarter or so, eventually coming out to let the newcomers -- and those vying for a roster spot -- play.

What to watch for: Skins open preseason

Since late April, Redskins fans have been foaming at the mouth to see first-round draft pick Robert Griffin III officially don the burgundy and gold in Washington.

On Thursday, they'll get their chance as the Redskins open their preseason at Buffalo.

But get there early: head coach Mike Shanahan told the Washington Post that Griffin will get somewhere between 12 and 20 snaps.

And don't expect too much razzle-dazzle from the get-go, since the Skins will be down several offensive starters: running back Tim Hightower, fullback Darrel Young and three starting linemen in guards Chris Chester and Kory Lichtensteiger and tackle Jammal Brown. 

Fortunately for Griffin, a) he'll still have franchise tackle Trent Williams protecting him, and b) it's the preseason -- and his first NFL action -- so people won't be judging too hard, especially without half the starting offense.

As far as the rest of the team goes, wide receiver Pierre Garcon and tight end Fred Davis, both expected to be two of Griffin's top targets this season, will finally get to work on their chemistry.

Second-year running back Evan Royster will look to take advantage of Hightower's injury and aim to continue off last year's strong finish. He started the final two games of Washington's season, carrying the ball 39 times for 245 yards and seven catches for 67 yards.

Defensively, the Redskins are healthy and return eight starters -- including six of their front seven. Second-year linebacker Ryan Kerrigan should continue to improve off last year's tremendous rookie campaign, and fans will watch the new-look safety duo of Brandon Meriweather and Tanard Jackson. Meriweather was a two-time Pro Bowler with New England in 2009 and 2010, but was waived in 2011.

Winning a medal at the Olympics ain't cheap

Winning a gold medal at the Olympics is the ultimate goal for every athlete staying in the Olympic Village right now.

And every time a Team USA athlete finds his or her way to the podium, the Internal Revenue Service licks its chops.

According to the Weekly Standard, a Washington D.C.-based conservative magazine, the Olympics issue a $10,000 award for every bronze, $15,000 for every silver and $25,000 for every gold medal.

That prize is essentially a stipend for otherwise unpaid athletes.

But it comes with a downside. The Standard points out that U.S. Olympians come home and must pay taxes for their winnings. Makes sense, but it's an unusual way of looking at things.

Based on their calculations, every gold medal costs a U.S. Olympian nearly $9,000. Silvers cost close to $5,400 and bronzes cost $3,500.

Now, consider this: U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps shattered Olympic records by earning his 20th medal last week. Sixteen of those medals are gold, two are silver and two are bronze. A quick calculation shows Phelps will have had to pay $7,000 in bronze taxes, $11,000 in silver taxes and an astonishing $144,000 in gold taxes.

Of course, Phelps won't have any problems paying that bill. The 27-year old Baltimore native has lucrative sponsorships with Subway, Under Armour, Head & Shoulders, Speedo and Omega, a watch company. 

But other U.S. athletes aren't so lucky. That includes fellow swimmer Missy Franklin, who the Standard points out owed $14,000 in medal taxes as of last week. Franklin, 17, is just a high schooler. 

Ryan Lochte might be an idiot

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte might be Team USA's newfound heartthrob. But it's starting to seem like he's all brawn and no brain.

In an interview with ESPN last month, the 27-year old shared that "70 percent to 75 percent of Olympians" are having promiscuous sex at the games. Then he added this gem: "My last Olympics, I had a girlfriend -- big mistake. Now I'm single, so London should be really good. I'm excited." 

I guess you can't blame him for being too honest. But then I went over to his Twitter feed and found these tweets...

Then, I stumble across a YouTube video from BuzzFeed, a site that focuses on taking videos and making them go viral. It's aptly titled "Ryan Lochte Is Terrible At Interviews."

I guess I hadn't paid enough attention to him up to this point. But you can bet I'll be listening carefully to every post-swim interview he gives NBC going forward. I can't imagine Gatorade or Under Armour or McDonald's will be lining up to sign him to speak in their commercials any time soon.

Check out the hilarious video compilation below.

"Dream Team" beats Nigeria by 83

Children of the 1980s and 1990s have fond memories of catching "on fire" when playing the classic video game NBA Jam.

But alas, that was just a video game. Teams never really "caught fire" in real life, unable to miss from just about anywhere on the court.

Except yesterday, when Team USA beat toppled absolutely demolished the Nigerian men's basketball team, 156-73.

Just a few days removed from leading Tunisia by a mere 13 points at the half, Team USA came out crisp and focused against a woefully unprepared Nigerian team.

After scoring the game's first 13 points, Team USA led by a respectable 33 points in the third quarter. Then they erupted, ending the game on a 71-21 run behind likely the best shooting performance in organized, modern-day basketball history.

Carmelo Anthony led the charge with 37 points on 13-of-16 shooting, including a 10-for-12 performance from three-point range.

All told, Team USA connected on 29 three-pointers in just 46 attempts. Between Anthony, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Love, the "Dream Team" shot a lights-out 73% from beyond the arc.

"When we get hot, it's a big problem. So you have all these guys on one team and then all get hot on the same night, it's tough," Bryant said.

Granted, Team USA has beaten the two bottom-feeders in their group. They now face Lithuania (0-2), which boasts a lopsided loss to Argentina and an eight-point loss to France. Team USA, for the record, beat France by 27.

Badminton players DQed for trying to lose

In one of the most bizarre twists at the 2012 Olympics, badminton teams from China, South Korea and Indonesia were disqualified for intentionally trying to lose their matches.

Due to the sport's new round-robin format at the Olympics, teams were given an incentive to lose in order to play on opposite sides of the bracket for the single-elimination tournament.

The two Chinese teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, and wanted to set up the tournament so that they would face each other in the finals, rather than in the semifinals.

And now, captured on tape, you can see below both teams trying to lose their matches intentionally -- while playing each other.

It's actually kind of hilarious. It's clearly the most drama the sport has ever faced, and it's the most anyone has talked about badminton ever. Plus, it's far less athletic-looking or competitive than your typical middle school gym badminton game.

And while it's sad that these hard-working Olympians are forced out of the games, we appreciate them providing us with significant entertainment

Orioles, Nats stand pat at trade deadline

The 2012 MLB trade deadline came and went, and neither the Baltimore Orioles nor the Washington Nationals made a move, opting not to add any players to either roster at the last-minute.

The Orioles, who were once 13 games over .500, now sit just 55-49, just one game ahead of third-place Tampa Bay in the American League East.

Baltimore was in a position to buy or sell at the deadline, and could have packaged All-Star closer Jim Johnson in exchange for a few top prospects from another team. But doing so would have shown that the Orioles' organization did not believe it would make the playoffs, and would more or less give up on the season.

Yet with a few key injuries -- including second baseman Brian Roberts and starting pitcher Jason Hammel -- one might think the Orioles' good fortunes are up for the season, and that dumping a starter to a desperate team could be better for the future.

An hour down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, the Nationals have taken a different trajectory with their season, and now sit 20 games over .500, with sole possession of the best record in the bigs.

The Nats would have certainly been buyers at the deadline, and could have been looking to add a starting pitcher to their rotation, especially with ace Stephen Strasburg on a careful innings limit for the remainder of the season.

Doing so would have likely meant parting ways with one or more of the organization's top prospects, and would have forced the team to mortgage its future in an effort to win now.

So neither team made a move, content with how they each sit just over 100 games into the season. And though the Nats have a far greater chance of making the playoffs come October, it's refreshing to see the Orioles not selling at the deadline, as they are wont to do.