We're back...

Hey everyone!

We're baaaack! But first, allow me to apologize for the lack of activity on this blog for the past few weeks. But with last week's vacations (boy did those feel good) and the ever time consuming activity that is my relationship with the soon-to-be-met-by-most-of-you Kerry, there hasn't been much time to be online.

That being said, much has happened since the last post. For those of you looking for the rest of my NFL preview, do not worry: my NFC east and north and AFC west and south divisions are all one team away from being complete. So look for that in the coming days.

On the pitch, it looks like a promising season in the English Premiership. Chelsea, the favorites to win again this year, will face tough competition from bitter rivals Arsenal. This weekend, Arsenal won 2-1 on a Peter Crouch marker with 10 minutes left in a pre-season friendly. It looks like these 2 teams will fight until the very end. Also, Manchester United figures to be in the mix as well. All this comes as a bit of a surprise with the acquisitions Chelsea made during the summer. One would figure that after bringing in Shevchenko and Ballack, the Blues would dominate the league. But lately, things haven't being going so well for Jose Mourinho's team. Hernan Crespo and Asier Del Horno have both left the Champions in the last few weeks. Also, William Gallas has fallen out of favor after missing part of training camp to extend his vacation. There are also rumblings that Claude Makelele is worried about his role with the arrival of Ballack. And what seemed to be a done deal, the transfer of left back Ashley Cole, has now hit a wall, with the Blues and the Gunners millions apart. Add to this the knee injury to Joe Cole, and what you have is a Chelsea club that is not as strong as it seems it was going to be. I still feel that they will take the Premiership crown for a third year in a row, but it won't be easy this time around.

A couple of weeks back, some were fortunate enough to witness the maturation of one of sports' biggest names: Tiger Woods. At the 2006 British Open, Woods mysitified everyone when he tucked away the weapon that sets him apart from the rest of the field, his driver, and won the tournament decidedly by playing safe, mistake-free golf. I only saw the highlights, but seeing him get on the green with 2 iron shots on par-5's was quite amazing. Woods is still the best golfer in the world, there is no doubt about that. And while guys like Mickelson, Els, Goosen and Singh work hard to achieve distances that match Woods', he just keeps refining his game and evolving into not only the most talented player on the course, but also the most intelligent one. Look for more of these masterful performances this year...

Finally, the world of music has dropped a couple of gems on us in the last month or so. First, there's Ani DiFranco's newest offering, Reprieve. DiFranco still has so much to say, as she has during her whole career. Her lyrics have always been at the forefront of her music, and it is no different here. But her approach is a little bit more subdued than her earlier work. This is a more mature DiFranco. She is still very opiniated and political, and she lashes out at the Bush administration and at the mainstream media and their "network yes men". She talks about 9/11 and terrorism, New Orleans and, of course, Patriarchy and feminism. This girl can still rock, as shown on songs like Decree and Half-Assed, but most of her work here is quieter, calmer. She doesn't seem as angry as she once was, and the music benefits from it. We hear a bit of jazz on this record, especially on the first 4 songs. This is definitely one of her best records to date, and that is saying a lot considering the extensive catalog that came before this release.

A few weeks before, one of the best bands North America knows too little about, Muse, released Balck Holes And Revelations. Oh this release, their lead-singer still sounds like Thom Yorke, but the music has taken leaps. Muse uses sometimes U2-ish guitars, Queen-like theatrical grandeur, rapid-fire drumming and orchestral and electronica elements to create their very own blend of hard rock and it works to perfection. Check out the songs Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Satellite and City of Delusion. Those are all excellent tracks. As far as I am concerned, this is a definite album of the year candidate.

Well, that's it for now people. But check back later this week, as I will post my NFC East preview. After that will come my AFC West preview...

See ya soon,

Dwarf out