5. Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher working as a studio analyst: He's honest, he's a great communicator, and by September he may be stir crazy enough to travel once a week to a New York or Los Angeles studio. Take a shot, somebody.

6. NBC thinking outside the box for Football Night in America: With Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth and Peter King, NBC already has plenty of substance. Now it's time to get some sizzle. What FNIA needs (along with a better acronym) is someone interesting, dare we say even dangerous, to bring some energy and unexpectedness to the set. Tiki Barber in place of Sterling Sharpe would help but it's not a solution to the problem of competing against the conclusion of late games. ESPN actually had the right idea (in theory) a couple of years ago when they hired Rush Limbaugh for NFL Sunday Countdown. He raised ratings and created interest before he went off the tracks. My suggestion: Hire a smart and preferably humor-inclined personality as a full-time member alongside the football wonks. The ideal person would be Chris Rock -- a huge sports fan. Other interesting possibilities: Lewis Black or Dave Chappelle. A dream longshot? Bill Clinton.

7. Veteran broadcaster Ron Franklin getting some love: Reader Jim Carswell of Charleston, S.C. was one of a half-dozen or so readers who inquired about the ESPN veteran broadcaster. "What happened to Ron Franklin? Carswell wrote. "To me, he had become the voice of college football (after Keith Jackson's retirement), but I never see him anymore. Why is ESPN so dumb to decrease Ron Franklin's profile?" Well, that's an interesting question, and, I must admit, I was surprised to receive any e-mails on Franklin. Last fall he was dropped from ESPN's College Football Primetime Saturday broadcast after 15 years in the slot. (He was replaced by Mike Patrick). All was not lost: Franklin got a raise, a new contact (he has another year on his deal and an option), and was reassigned to ESPN2's College Football Primetime. He called a couple of bowl games on ESPN Radio (including the Fiesta Bowl) and is now calling Big 12 basketball on ESPN and ESPN2. With his deep Mississippi pipes that scream Southern football, Franklin is a favorite of some bloggers. No argument here. The guy is as solid as oak. SI.com tracked him down last week in Manhattan, Kansas prior to broadcasting the Kansas State-Texas Tech game. "You don't do something as long as I did and not miss it," Franklin said of switch from ESPN to ESPN2. "I've taken the high road on this and I really haven't said anything negative to anybody. I really don't want to start now. But I don't know if that opportunity will afford itself again." For Franklin fans, the good news is that he doesn't plan on hanging it up anytime soon. "I'll be 65 in a month," he said, "but I'm a long way from wanting to retire."

8. A lifetime ban on life-size caricatures of your favorite ESPN personalities racing during the halftime of pro football games. Why? Click here.