Shane Evans

Do you hear that? That faint noise in the distance? Well, that's Alex Rodriguez, formerly of the New York Yankees, laughing all the way to the bank as he prepares to sign a new contract somewhere in the region of $35 million a year. Yeah, that's right.35 million dollars to play baseball for one year.

No matter how many years Eagles fourth year tight end enjoys playing in the top tier of competitive football, the National Football League, he'll never forget his roots at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. "Whatever school you come from, you should always be proud of that," Smith said of his four years at Rutgers.

Last season was supposed to be the "off" year. It was supposed to be the year the team suffered from the Super Bowl hangover. It was supposed to be due to the myriad of injuries and the headaches. It was only supposed to be one year. After stumbling and staggering and scraping through a 6-10 season that left questions to be answered and decisions to be made, the Eagles were primed to revitalize the franchise going into the 2006 season and bring Philadelphia back to the Super Bowl.

There are many things that are synonymous with the United States and American culture. Things like apple pie, Ford and Chevrolet, Coca-Cola and baseball. They are part of what makes us American and are things that many other cultures around the world try to emulate.

What do you do to fix a team that at the end of their last season looked to be in total disarray and was considered one of the biggest underachievers in the league in the last five years? Well, there is a lot that can be done. Trade away the player who has been the face of the franchise for the better part of a decade and move in a new direction? Rebuild around him for the umpteenth time with a supporting cast that will lead the team back to the promise land with unselfish play and good defense? Or maybe try another head coach for the fifth time in less than five years? Or they could decide to do nothing to change the team and go into the 2006-07 season exactly the same way they exited the last one.

It was a long and painful off season for the Philadelphia Flyers. The 2005-06 season didn't go the way they had planned, and an early exit in the first round of the playoffs was evidence of that. Before last season began, the Flyers were predicted by many to capture their third Stanley Cup title and their first since 1975, an agonizing stretch of 31 years.

The Louisiana Superdome reopened its doors to the NFL and its home team, the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 25, for the first time since the end of the 2004 season, some 13 months ago. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina left the Superdome in total disarray.

They call it the beautiful game. Millions and millions of fans across the globe obsess over their favorite clubs and players. Their every move studied with a huge microscope that is never lifted or adjusted. The sport is constantly the focus of nations of people.