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GRID IRON…the Sporting News flatly predict the “Big Three” of NFL quarterbacks (Manning, Brady, Brees) will expand to a “Big Four”  in 2010 with Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers achieving entry into that elite club…

…it’s looking increasingly likely that Donovan McNab will miss the Washington Sept 12^thopener against Dallas. That comes as a relief for “Suicide Pool” devotees. Have you checked out Week 1? The schedule matches teams as evenly as any week I can recall. The Redskin back-up is Rex Grossman and, really, that’s all I need to hear…

…Brett Favre is taking injections in his damaged ankle and S I’s Peter King speculates the quarterback may miss a few games this year due to lingering problems. Favre has a reputation as an Iron Horse, starting 16 games a year for an amazing 17 straight years…

…Brian Bender has good news for Detroit fans. According to the reporter the sad sack Lions have surpassed the Buffalo Bills in terms of talent. One down, many more to go…

…all these Cincinnati boosters did watch Carson Palmer play the final four games last year, right? The Bengal pivot was atrocious and I’m finding it hard to believe that ancient Terrell Owens is poised to kick start a tabby resurgence…

…and wasn’t it nice to see the Baltimore Ravens running three wideout sets against the New York Giants Saturday night? It’s going to be fun watching Joe Flacco power up this high octane offence…

…it was foolish of Jay Cutler to go public with his “trust issues” with the Chicago offensive line. The young man needs to act like a leader, particularly as the entire unit adapts to a new system. This is a critical year for Cutler, a washout last year in his first season after a high profile bust-up with his former employers in Denver…

ICE…here’s the Hockey News take on recent Toronto acquisition Clarke MacArthur; “Inconsistent mediocre scorer, good enough for the third line”…

PUG LIFE…obviously I have to offer a grudging respect to the UFC after Randy Couture easily handled James Toney on Saturday night. Toney was like a child when taken to the mat, unable to manage any kind of offense. These MMA fighters are clearly better than I thought and I’ll just have to adapt to these new realities. Anyone know when Lesnar fights again?…

PONIES…Rachel Alexandra out away her main foe, Life At Ten, but then succumbed to a late challenge from the aptly named Persistently in Sunday’s Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. It was Rachel’s first attempt at ten furlongs and it simply wouldn’t inspire confidence in her ability to be successful in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. An engagement in the Beldame and then, likely, the Breeders Fillies and Mares, and that will likely be it for the filly. It would be more than appropriate to simply retire her now; she cannot hope to replicate the sparkling form of 2009 and, instead, seems to tarnish her reputation with losses…the connections of Zenyatta were very silly to keep their mare on the west coast and pass on an engagement in the Sunday stakes. Even a critic of her careful handling would be hard pressed to envision the mare not easily running away from the field in the final furlong. It would have been a tremendous moment for her followers…

…the Travers may have lacked for star power but the stretch brawl between winner Afleet Express and Fly Down was a classic. The pair were noses apart on the line and well clear of other competitors. The Mid Summer Classic sadly underlined the collapse of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver as that one was again off the board and a non-factor throughout…

RANDOM…I watched Alice In Wonderland, the recent Tim Burton version, and quite enjoyed it. A quick stroll through IMDB revealed a loud and vocal group that were not impressed with the quirky take on the Lewis Carroll classic. I found Burton’s idiosyncratic directorial tactics perfect for the odd events transpiring in Wonderland. I also appreciated Burton taking a slow and measured approach to the plot, letting the story unfold as we wandered through some stunning sets, meeting peculiar and enchanting characters. Perfect performances from Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway added to a most enjoyable experience…

…I polished off William Boyd’s Ordinary Thunderstorms during a most relaxing and languid Saturday afternoon. The writer has followed the gripping Restless with another brilliant effort. Protagonist Adam Kindred stumbles into a murder site and, due to a series of all too human blunders, finds himself on the run, hunted by cops and mysterious military figures. It’s a classic Boyd landscape, with the characters choices inherently fragile and debatable, always triggering mad collisions of repercussions and ramifications, some good and some bad. The players are drawn deliciously, with the hippy father of a policewoman stealing every scene he graces. Boyd’s The Blue Afternoon remains one of my all time favourites and, after a bundle of disappointing works, it is thrilling to find Boyd back in rare form…