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GRIDIRON..the intangibles that will make quarterback Byron Leftwich such an asset to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year were on display last night. Three times Leftwich, showing a warriors tenacity, converted third and long into renewed downs. The man is begging for a chance for redemption after damaging his reputation by ending his Jacksonville tenure on bitter, incendiary terms. A stint watching the machinations of the classy Pittsburgh Steeler organization has given Leftwich a grasp of the poise and tone required of a successful NFL player. The Bucs, incidentally, looked quite intriguing, buoyed by the seven yards per carry results of the smooth running Cadillac Williams. While certainly not a contender for the top prize, it is also evident that the team is eons away from the dire “winless season” prognostications made by a Fox Sports analyst… in 2008 corner back DeAngelo Hall suffered the ignominy of being cut by the Oakland Raiders months after signing a 70 million dollar contract. Hall resurfaced with the Washington Redskins for the last seven games of the season and performed with workmanlike efficiency. He could now be set to return to Pro Bowl form after moulding his awesome abilities to address the needs of the Skins…the United Football League (UFL) begins play in Oct of this year. The new league has generated minimal attention north of the border. The League will start with four teams and play primarily on Wed, Thurs and Fri nights. A couple of cheeky innovations include the removal of the abominable “Tuck Rule” and the prohibition of celebrations anywhere but the end zone and the player’s benches. In overtime, both teams are guaranteed a possession. Allot of the good will generated by some of their rule twists evaporates, however, with the strange decision to allow intentional grounding by the quarterback. This will doubtless eliminate the cerebral cortex rattling sacks fans love and cheer for…MEDIA..great news, Bill Simmons of ESPN has his summer mailbag up and it’s a classic…ICE..Peter Forsberg is playing with Modo of the Swedish Elite League. The center hopes to play for Sweden in the 2010 Olympics and then, according to the Denver Post, return to the NHL for the 2010-11 season…Mats Seldom has announced he will not play for Sweden at the 2010 Olympics. He made the announcement to his dog Lars. The dog didn’t care, nor does anyone else…TURN LEFT..the NASCAR Sprint series takes a week off before finalizing the Chase standings with races from Atlanta and Richmond, respectively, on Sept 6^th and Sept 12^th…FOOTIE..the first big game of the EPL season takes place this Saturday as the Red Devils welcome the Gunners in an early season showdown. The BBC form guide notes Arsenal is in “irresistible form” while Manchester United has had some early difficulties adjusting to the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. Arsenal has won only one time in their last eight trips to Old Trafford (against six losses and a draw). BBC recommends playing the draw…despised Liverpool takes on Bolton tomorrow…PUG LIFE..recent work on the biography of Sugar Ray Robinson has revealed some wonderful stories about his career and ring life. Unfortunately, the private life of the fighter is causing many to recoil. Like Roberto Duran, Robinson had an affinity for prostitutes. He was never faithful and virtually ignored his children…Duran, by the way, proudly proclaims his affection for hookers. “I love whores” he would loudly shout to crowds before big fights. His wife was always too busy gambling away Cholo’s millions to bother with these indiscretions…guns, ammunition and bullet proof vests were seized from Floyd Mayweathers home yesterday as police continue to investigate a recent shooting. “Money” seems eager to be a poser in the gangsta world, seemingly oblivious to the real world repercussions which can flow from such stupidity. If police can tie Mayweather to an attempted “hit”, his career would certainly be in jeopardy, a poor development for one up to his neck in tax arrears…