FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT EVERYBODY ~ The Ravens have signed yet another undrafted free agent and this one is a San Jose State Spartan.  It’s doubtful that you heard or seen this wide receiver so here’s the lowdown 411 on Rufus Skillern as provided by SI.com:

BIO: Two-year starter who posted 36/561/6 last season after career numbers of 40/588/4 as a junior.

POSITIVES: Adequately sized pass catcher with solid athletic skills. Comes back to the ball out of breaks and extends, pulling the pass from the air. Nicely adjusts to the errant throw and makes the difficult catch downfield with defenders draped on him.

NEGATIVES: Deceptively fast yet lacks true, consistent downfield speed. Marginally productive as a senior under a new coaching staff.

ANALYSIS: A late bloomer of sorts, Skillern is practice squad material who could develop as a No. 5 receiver in the NFL. 

Skillern is 6’0”, 184 pounds, runs a 4.46 40 and has a 36 inch vertical leap.

BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR…YES I’M GONNA BE A STAR ~ According to troubled Titans’ CB Pacman Jones, "I know a lot of people. ... I was gone for about a month and (a friend) said a guy wanted to borrow my car and said he would shoot video and a couple of pictures.  I was like, 'That's cool.' I have 12 cars so that is not the first time I let somebody use one of my cars. As a matter of fact, I had Allen Iverson use one of my (cars) in Atlanta not too long ago. But it's not like I am going around to find people to drive my cars.''

Pacman apparently loaned his car to 39 year old Nashville Native Darryl Jerome Moore.  Moore was found with Jones’ 2004 Cadillac XLR and other surprises including 1600 pounds of Marijuana, 128 pounds of Cocaine, and 600 thousand dollars in cash, guns, and more than 20 vehicles.  Talk about pimping his ride!

Jones claims that he was quite surprised.

"Hell yeah, I was surprised. I know him, but I don't know of him. You know what I am saying?  I know he has a record label, but I don't know what he does. I met him at a club a few times, and I go home and he goes home. It is not like my best friend or somebody I am hanging out with.... ''

Yo Pacman, can I borrow the Bentley convertible this weekend.  I promise to keep the exotic extra curriculars to a girl named Angelina.

I FOUGHT THE LAW AND THE LAW WON, I FOUGHT THE LAW AND THE LAW WON…I NEEDED MONEY CAUSE I HAD NONE, I FOUGHT THE LAW AND THE LAW WON ~ Word is that Ty Law is looking for a signing bonus in the $10 million range and if he is looking for that from the Titans, he just might find a few zeros to the left of the decimal place missing.  The Titans are believed to have just something north of $100,000 in cap space and even the most creative capologist isn’t going to make that work.

Law has already visited with Seattle and there are others besides the Titans reportedly interested in Law – namely the Chiefs, Browns and surprisingly the Patriots.

Of course the Titans could make room for Law by releasing their quarterback, some dude from Alcorn State.  That might please Law and his agent Carl Poston (yikes) who stated, "I think a guy like Ty could have a good influence on [the Titans], especially on a guy like Pacman Jones.  He's a player a lot of those young guys could look to.''

Maybe Law could even borrow one of Pacman’s 12 vehicles.

GOD DIDN’T MAKE LITTLE GREEN APPLES AND IT DON’T RAIN IN INDIANAPOLIS IN THE SUMMER TIME ~ And speaking of the law, the courts certainly rained on The Beatles recently when they learned that they lost their suit against Apple Computer.  According to The Guardian Lawyers for Apple Corps - which is owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison - had argued that the iTunes store broke a 1991 deal between the two companies.

That agreement, made after years of legal battles over trademarks, said that Apple Computer was not allowed to use the apple logo "in connection with musical content".

Each company had agreed to a strict "field of use", setting out areas in which each party would have exclusive use of their respective fruit-shaped logos.

In his ruling, the judge Mr. Justice Mann (funny…that’s an injustice, man!) said Apple Computers was not guilty of breaking the agreement. He said that the apple logo was only used in association with the company's online shop, and not with the music itself, and therefore dismissed the case brought by the Beatles' label.

An appeal is expected.

AND I’M NEVER GOING BACK TO MY OLD SCHOOL ~ Going back?  This dude can’t even leave it.  University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student Johnny Lechner withdrew his application for graduation, just days before the ceremony.

"I realized that if I went one more year, I could study abroad," Lechner said. "That's one thing I haven't done."

After this spring’s semester, Lechner will have 234 college credits to his name – roughly 100 more than is needed to graduate.  The 29 year old student will have degrees in education, communication, theatre, health and women’s studies.

Something tells me that by now, he’s likely earned a master’s in the later.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU…UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN ~ Five-time Pro Bowl WR Jimmy Smith has informed the Jaguars that he’s going to hang them up after 12 seasons in the NFL.  During his career Smith hauled in 865 passes for 12,267 yards and 67 scores (half of which seemed to be at the expense of Duane Starks).  Just last year Smith had 70 catches for 1,023 yards and 6 scores. 

"It's hard because I know I can still go out there and do it," Smith said. "I just figure it's not in my heart to (continue). If I'm going to play, it's got to be 100%. I won't get out there and not give it my all. If I can't give it my all to this organization and the fans, I'm just not going to do that. This is just not the type of person that I am.  It's best for me to leave on a high note. I want to be able to enjoy my legacy."

Thanks for the nightmares Jimmy – I mean memories.  It’s tough to go out on top yet Smith is doing exactly that while leaving the Jags with big shoes to fill.

IT’S THE SAME OLD SONG AND SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE ~ With the BALTIMORE Orioles.  Bad starting pitching, terrible bullpen, injuries and thousands dressed as green chairs watching in total silence at Camden Yards.  Mid May is just approaching and already a .500 record seems out of reach, particularly with this staff of scatter arms.  Mix in a small strike zone, juiced up ball and small parks and what chance do gopher ball philanthropists Bruce Chen and Rodrigo Lopez have?

Back to those fans dressed as green chairs – it is quite embarrassing particularly in light of what used to be during the mid to late 90’s.  I found it very interesting that the Orioles called Thursday night’s game 2 hours before the scheduled first pitch.  Was that a decision to avoid what easily could have been the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history?  Think about it – a losing team plays on a rainy Thursday school night against the Detroit Tigers.

CAN’T TOUCH THIS ~ It’s Hammer time – as in Hammerin’ Hank Aaron.  Don’t know about you but all this hoopla over Barry Bonds is nothing more to me than overblown drama for a boring game that desperately needs some.  How many other times in the world of sports has the lead story in sports news repeatedly been about a player about to move into the No. 2 spot for a prestigious record?  Can you imagine what it’s going to be like if and when Bonds approaches Hank Aaron’s record?

And speaking of Aaron, no one can deny his accomplishments.  Many will try to compare eras which is next to impossible.  They will say that Ruth didn’t face the best pitching because he played in a racially segregated league.  And they’ll say that Bonds has faced watered down pitching, benefited from smaller strikes zones and ball parks and flatter pitching mounds. 

Aaron faced the best pitchers of all races, played in big stadiums while being forced to protect an ample strike zone against men throwing at him from atop mountains, relatively speaking.  Here’s to Hank Aaron’s record.  May it remain perserved.

Oh and by the way Rick Maese, that column (link) of yours arguing that Bonds’ accomplishments exceed those of Babe Ruth is an absolute joke!  The ground rules established in your argument are laughable.  “Let’s suspend belief for a second and forget that B*nds has had chemical assistance in thrashing his way through the record books.” 

You have got to be kidding me!

That’s like saying, “Let's suspend belief for a second that Frank Sinatra was a womanizer and please embrace his heartfelt book entitled, Natures Way to Fidelity in Marriage.

EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE AND EVERY STEP YOU TAKE..EVERY PASS YOU FAKE, EVERY THROW YOU MAKE, I’LL BE WATCHING YOU ~ According to ESPN’s Ron Jaworski, "I watched every game of his college career, every throw he made, and based on game performance I had him rated No. 1 amongst the quarterbacks in this draft."

Jaws isn’t talking about Leinart, Young or even his personal favorite of everyone’s top 3, Jay Cutler.  No the “he” in this equation is Oregon QB Kellen Clemens.

Jaworski added in an interview with The New York Post saying, "I looked at one game and put my evaluation down and then looked at another and another, and as time went on I was blown away.  I saw nothing but upside. I had him at No. 1.” 

Jaworski did throw up some red flags due to Clemens’ broken left fibula which forced him to miss several games last season but that didn’t stop him from quacking up about this Duck: "All the intangibles are there.  I talked to a number of coaches that worked him out and put him to the chalkboard and they were blown away by him. Seven or eight NFL head coaches said, from the neck up, this guy is best guy in the draft."

I bet he has a great personality too.

ONCE THAT YOU’VE DECIDED ON A KILLING…FIRST YOU MAKE A STONE OF YOUR HEART ~ After vowing to find the real killer of his slain former wife Nicole, O.J. Simpson is now making a mockery of her life in his new farce of a reality series appropriately called “Juiced.”

In a recently taped episode Simpson pretends to sell the Ford Bronco that he used during the televised 1994 slow speed police chase.  Simpson in explaining the vehicle’s virtues claims, "It was good for me -- it helped me get away."

The hour-long program is airing on pay-per-view this month, and a DVD offering uncensored material will be made available soon, according to executive producer Rick Mahr who also says that Simpson was not paid for the program.

Right, like why should he want money?  He then might have to pay Nicole’s family who won a $33.5 million civil judgment against Simpson.

"Basically O.J. Simpson has decided to do this because he wants to do it, and he wanted to have fun with it," Mahr said.

Gee, what a guy!