Hail Arizona and the age of the newest neon-light QB, Derek Anderson? The dropped Card in NFL football today is sometime QB Matt Leinart, who couldn’t find or fill the shoes of Kurt Warner. The Tilt-a-Whirl kaleidoscope of Arizona quarterbacks leaves Max Hall as the Anderson backup, a big bet for early season pressure on the snapcatcher.  The former Heisman Trophy winner, 2006 No. 10 pick for Arizona Leinart couldn’t get a grip on the ball both figuratively and literally pre or post Warner era.

It was a pineapple sunrise for the Kiffin Era at USC, a start beleaguered by the horizon of no bowl for the players no matter how well they perform. Bill Plaschke in the Los Angeles Times reviews the Trojans’ ambivalent start here. The Trojans won 49-36, but the defense tanked obviously. USC’s 2-year probation and 30 lost scholarships rankle in the mind of every spectator, coach and player.

Barkley won yards and TD’s but the Kiffin legions lost the defense war against the ..uh, Warriors. With NCAA sentence in place, pundits say “aloha” to any bowl hopes USC might have fostered in the absence of the NCAA shutdown.  So QB Barkley gets some cheers, but USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin announced he was “very disappointed”.

Join the crowd, buddy.

The NFL Commish Rog Goodell minimized the super-size suspension capped on the Roethlisberger for his cheesy ways. Pittsburgh’s Roethlisberger, who was allowed to practice with the team and play in the preseason, will now not be allowed to visit the team facility, interact with Steelers coaches or football operations personnel during his suspension, or even talk with his teammates about league or football matters.

The Steelers need the help, even if R-Berger doesn’t come into the huddle until their week 5 bye. He will not be able to practice with the team, attend games, or represent the organization in any way. Roethlisberger may be practicing with another coach in private practice to keep skills sharp. The mood in Pittsburgh is tolerant, but I would advise any travel agent taking reservations under the name “Roethlisberger” to call their bookie.

Well, the document covered the sale of the Dodgers for $30 million, not exactly bubble gum. Let’s hope one of these nice people gets a new cleanup attorney in the lineup soon.

The worst football play ever. Even small babies would cry seeing this. That blur in the upper portion of the image is the football being haphazardly tossed into the stratosphere (which the other team recovered in their end zone). Critics say the tackles ended the play, but just watching this may make dads all over the world grab the pigskin and pull their daughters away from their Barbie Town Houses in hope.

Rebecca Bross snatched back the crown of the World gymnastics ladie’’s derby recently, but the big news is that her coach is still making it happen. To many gymnastics fans, Valeri Liukin was a East Bloc vet who coached his daughter Nastia to Olympic gold. Bridget Sloan was sort of the name at the top of the heap, ho-hum. Nastia Liukin was gold P.R., but she had genetics, the family relationship, and the Olympic heritage  on her side. But Bross’ Visa Worlds win proved Liukin can mold other stars than just his offspring. Liukin (senior) could be the legitimate inheritor to the Bela Karolyi berth in American gymnastics.

The under/over on NFL to college per geo region is crazy this year. Tennessee for the pros is all football bonanza, but college is a gypped downriver ex-Kiffin healing year. If Seattle has a college team nobody’s talking about it, but the Pete Carroll Football Reality Show premieres its new season soon. That’s must-see viewing if only for the pundit value. And legendary football rivals USC and Notre Dame have some serious cred to win back. But how?

Florida and Alabama (Meyer, Saban) are starting to make the USC-Notre Dame rivalry look like a sandbox tiff. And Texas-Oklahoma is about 60 shopping days away. Florida and Alabama are so popular now, soon some pro players may be thinking about going back to school. One thing is for sure,  Lane Kiffin may be circling the P. R. drain but he won’t be approaching any bowls come New Year’s.

The quarterback career of Matt Leinart may be lined out if the preseason blogs and sports columnists are focusing properly. Leinart may be lined out as soon as early to midseason, leaving the Kurt Warner vacuum to be filled by … Derek Andersen. Pretty boy Leinart may have to start valuing his hot tub game if the bills depend on his starting for the Cards, even as early as week 1.

Warning klaxons in the sports press mark it down to irregular performance (check)   misconnection issues surfacing preseason (check) and diminished franchise enthusiasm (sadly, check).  Leinart’s worst enemies are scratching their heads at his B-team flushout. If there was any time to hail an alma mater’s loyalty this would be Leinart’s pocket, but the morass at USC is no touchstone at present.

Leinart was named in January as the Arizona Cardinals/Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. The award designates the player on each NFL team who exemplifies “off-the-field community service as well his playing excellence.” Fitzgerald may be as community minded as the best of them, but right now I bet he wishes Leinart brought a little of that game to the field. The Cards will be looking for all the charity they can get in the next few weeks…

Tiger Woods is the world’s top earning athlete and once again a bachelor, as sources confirmed today his divorce form Elin Nordegren is final. Unlike the Los Angeles Dodger’s owners the McCourts, Tiger swings a mean divorce case and custody agreements were the only detail of the suit shared.  Nordegren’s slice of the action could be as high as $50 million and Tiger is free to show his er…stripes freely.

What becomes a sports legend best? Money! Those endorsement deals are pouring in for heavy hitters like Maria Sharapova, who pulled in almost $25 million from sponsors like Nike, Sony, Ericsson and Tiffany. Tiger Woods closed at least US $100 million last year, but considering how much of that is probably headed out in funnels between his wife in divorce court, Florida strippers bank accounts,  and lawyers, he may be rattling a tin cup before long.

Sharapova is poised to take some of Tiger’s money unless “Titanium Cup” starts sinking a few. Venus and Serena Williams see high numbers as well, but the economic downturn mean slower cash for top winners. David Beckham is behind Phil Mickelson at numbers five and four in the derby respectively, while Floyd Mayweather grabs the silver medal. Bronze medalist is Kobe Bryant, who is far from announcing retirement from the Lakers.

Beckham works hard for the money, bending it at about $40 million in soccer and endorsement and licensing. Roger Federer has a similar racket at number six on the world earnings list. LeBron James is trailed by Manny Pacquiao, the biggest name boxing has seen in decades. Pacquaio’s congressional offices in the Phillippines may have closed off the most lucrative boxing career ever.

And those looking for Peyton Manning can cross his name out,brother Eli Manning’s $97 million contract for the giants may require him to put a helmet on in practice. Some cro-magnon linebacker named Terrence Suggs with over $60 million in NFL contracts in his pocket will back the top-earning athletes’ line at number ten. That’s a lot of green for one man, quoth the Ravens’ accountant nevermore.