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GRID IRON..San Francisco went 0 for 11 on third downs against the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday…the Dallas Cowboys have produced two 200 yard plus rushing games back-to-back for the first time since 1979. Taking the ball out of Tony Romo’s hands can pay dividends for the Cowboys…best player in the NFL the past two weeks? Jay Cutler…does any receiver in football drop balls as frequently as the Pittsburgh Steelers Limas Sweed? Does he fit the Steelers image, or is his presence, along with that of the lacklustre Rashard Mendenhall, undermining the formidable Steeler work ethic?…the Scouts Sporting News column takes the relatively rare step of actually offering a pick for the weekend. The Scouts pronounce the New York Jets as ready to bash around Drew Brees and the New Orleans offence for an upset score…the column also comments on deterioration in Michael Vick’s ability to run post prison and a break down in the body of LaDainian Tomlinson. My favourite bit, however, was a quick rumination on the ghastly group of players playing receiver for the St Louis Rams…the 9.5 spread favouring the Houston Texans, with the 31^st ranked defence in football, is surely an indictment on the ability of Oakland Raider QB JaMarcus Russell. Should the Texans be giving that many points to any team?…ICE..handy signing by the Phoenix Coyotes, bringing Robert Lang on board with a one year contract. Lang played only 50 games last year, for the Montreal Canadiens, but recorded 39 points. The Coyotes need someone outside of Shane Doan and, hopefully, Peter Mueller, to put some points on the board. Bringing in the 38 year old veteran was a smart move in preparation for a season that will surely see soul destroying sparse home gatherings…PUG LIFE..Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams will face each other on Dec 5^th. This is a fight to put on your calendar. Pavlik desperately needs the win after snuffing out his career momentum with a poor performance against Bernard Hopkins. Williams is a fighter that has been avoided by many top contenders at welterweight and now looks to make his mark at 160. Williams, like a modern day Tommy Hearns, has the body type to easily transition to the higher weight class. In his win over Winky Wright Williams was completely dominant. He’ll face major pressure from a desperate Pavlik and will have to demonstrate the tenacity that allowed him to score a win over Antonio Margarito earlier in his career. It’s a tantalizing match, one I would rank as pick ‘em until we hear the whispers from the respective camps. Pavlik has recently been the subject of gossip concerning a potential drinking problem and a stay in rehab. He’ll need to be 100% to win on the 5^th…the end of HBO’s major commitment to boxing appears to be right around the corner. The boxing budget will be decimated in 2010, according to Thomas Hauser, with the possible cessation of the Boxing After Dark program and multiple layoffs. Current HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg has produced a series of inane mismatches and repeatedly backed fighters that do not resonate with the viewing public. Greenburg green lighted fights like Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy and the Antonio Tarver-Chad Dawson rematch. His backing of the insipid Chris Arreola, a fat talentless boor, will likely form the soft spoor of his legacy. Look, it breaks my heart. The HBO name used to stand for integrity and the best possible matches. Under Greenburg HBO failed to develop the most significant, compelling fights. And now it appears fight fans will pay the cost…Greenburg’s first big fight of 2010? A Roy Jones - Bernard Hopkins rematch. You can’t make this up. If he had spoken to one hard core fan he’d understand that particular ship sailed out of port years back…PONIES…early reports have Sea The Stars a go for an appearance in the Arc on Sunday. With no rain in the forecast trainer John Oxx will have the star prepared for what could be the pinnacle of a legendary three year old campaign. His attempt to win the 2,000 Guineas/English Derby/Arc triple puts him in the footsteps of two of the greatest runners of all time, Nijinsky and Dancing Brave. Both were unsuccessful in their attempts at the Arc…Lester Piggott has recently proclaimed the Irish runner the equal of the great Nijinsky, a compliment tantamount to Ron Turcotte comparing an American runner to Secretariat…