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GRIDIRON..analyst Dan Dierdorf recalls watching teams put eight, or even nine, defenders in the box when playing the Minnesota Vikings last year. While Tarvaris Jackson or Gus Frerotte were calling plays, running back Adrian Peterson had a wall of men to navigate. For this reason Dierdorf believes the arm of Brett Favre is destined to produce meaningful results for the Vikings. His long ball will keep defences honest and potentially, Dandy Dan believes, lead to an historic year for the sublime Peterson…a reminder y’all; Buffalo Bill running back Marshawn Lynch will serve a suspension for the first three games of the 2009 season. Nothing to do with either the sexual assault allegations nor the hit and run conviction. No, the suspension is for a weapons violation. Just keeping you in the loop…quarterback Dan Orlovsky, ex of the Detroit Lions, scored a three million dollar a year contract to serve as the back-up for the Houston Texans. Orlovsky is 0-8 as a starter…Mike Florio of Sporting News has penned an interesting article entitled “Five NFL Teams Whose Fans Should Temper Expectations”. The five cities that, according to Mike, should be ready for diminished returns this year? Arizona, Philadelphia, Houston, San Diego and Minnesota. Hmmm, very provocative. Dead right with Arizona and San Diego, dead wrong with Minny and Houston and, well, Brian Westbrook’s health will determine the status of the Eagles. Have to admit I find his credibility a tad stretched when his justification for a poor season from the Vikings is, “they don’t do well when expected to”…you can watch Plaxico Burress on the ESPN site describing the troubling events at a nightclub last year which ultimately lead to his trip to the crowbar hotel. It is unintentionally hilarious. Burress may have had an edge on Manny Ramirez as the dumbest guy in sports…ICE..Atlanta Thrasher GM Don Waddell is reportedly optimistic Ilya Kovalchuk will be signed to a long term deal by the time training camp opens in two weeks. After Rick Nash signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kovalchuk had ranked as the most appealing free agent proposition for 2010. The road to respectability for the Toronto Maple Leafs may have just grown a little bit longer…Patrick Marleau, embattled centre for the San Jose Sharks, is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the current season. Don’t think he is the solution to anyone’s problems…Day One of Canada’s Olympic camp saw a top line of Sydney Crosby, Jerome Iginla and Rick Nash. What’s not to like?…S I’s Michael Farber spends allot of time stating the obvious in his current piece; Joe Thornton should not make this team…PUG LIFE..the Polish “fight of the Century” has been signed. Heavyweight Andrew Golota will face the excellent cruiserweight Tomasz Adamek Oct 24^th in Lodz. Golota will likely outweigh Adamek by 60 lbs (270-210 I’m guessing) but still must be considered a longshot to defeat the courageous smaller man. Golota disgraced himself time and time again in fights with opponents such as Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. Hopefully this is his last outing in the square ring. He will not be remembered favourably…Quincey Williams, the man shot at a couple of hours after an antagonistic meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr, has claimed “Money” threatened to have him killed. This looks bad for Floyd Jr. Surely he couldn’t be stupid enough to have someone “hit” mere hours after a public spat and with his vehicle still parked in the roller rink where the confrontation took place? Draw your own conclusion…Davey Hilton Jr has been arrested again. After being convicted of raping his two young daughters and serving a mere three years, the Montreal slugger has repeatedly found himself in trouble with the law…STUNG..I hadn’t thought much about reports of a record number of wasps in the Big Smoke as a result of our recent garbage strike until last night when, just as I was dozing off, one stung my back. Damn, those little buggers carry a wallop! Now, I thought they were supposed to die after they carried out that aggresive bit of business. Well this little bastard, doubtless a Liverpool fan, continued to fly around my room. Instead of restful sleep, I was engaged in a war. Trying to stop a wasp with a pitched football? Not a good plan. Tossed books? Again, not very successful. Sipping on some Jagger while the intruder buzzed angrily about? A way to lose even more sleep. Remembering a rusty, ancient can of Raid under your bathroom sink? Yep, that’s the ticket…