With the Packers’ defense getting set to take the field, one brave fan in the stands was looking to get in on the action, so he made his way onto the field and proceeded to race across Lambeau’s frozen tundra.  While most of the fans in the stands appeared to be enjoying his antics, Packers linebacker Brad Jones didn’t feel like waiting for the cops to capture the field intruder, so he decided to lend them a helping hand, as he demonstrated how to properly wrap and tackle a ball carrier(or in this case, a drunk fan).

I understand the fact that networks broadcasting sporting events do not like to show field intruders because they believe it will only influence more individuals to take part in the act, but I’d argue that witnessing Brad Jones bear-hug this field intruder and throw him to the floor would likely deter most aspiring field intruders.

If you’re traveling to a city for a sporting event, a great game will only get you so far. Watching your team trounce its rival is good for something, but before and after, there has to be a scene that further validates your trip in a way that athletic accomplishment can’t. Where’s the party? If one game falls flat, are there other games going on that can salvage the weekend? If the game doesn’t fall flat, will all hell break loose with revelers after the win? A great sports town shouldn’t just have great teams, but great experiences to offer fans outside the realm of athletics, especially if they’re just in town for a few days. Here are a few of the towns that do it best.

11. St. Louis
While St. Louis doesn’t fit the description of either “college town” or “big city,” it does have perhaps the richest baseball tradition of any city in the US, making Cardinals games one of the best baseball experiences in the country (despite the fact that the stadium is built about 12 feet away from an elevated highway. It may not be the biggest party town, but this is one city that baseball fans treat like Mecca, and the resurgence of downtown St. Louis has helped craft an atmosphere that becomes remarkably party-like even after a regular-season Cards game.

10. Nashville
Nashville is in the enviable position of straddling the line between pro sports town and college town. While Vandy hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut in recent years, a night out in this country-music mecca has a very distinct college vibe in everything from the live music to the cheap food to the thousands of kids bombing around the bars will early morning. If college sports aren’t your thing, get over to a Titans game on Sunday. As bizarre as the combination of Nashville and hockey sounds, the scene at a Predators game actually is something to behold. Falls in Nashville are not to be missed as a sports fan.

9. Athens
The entertainment factor of a college town on game day can’t be overestimated. You’ve got thousands upon thousands of passionate fans, geographic isolation (usually) that directs everyone’s attention to the task at hand (drinking and cheering), and a cultural experience that can’t be duplicated not even in the biggest of cities. So naturally, the home of both the Georgia Bulldogs and R.E.M. will get most anyone’s attention. The college music scene in Athens is historically one of the strongest in the country so after the pilgrimage to a Bulldogs game, don’t be in such a hurry to get to Atlanta.

8. Montreal
The lowly Expos may be gone, but don’t feel too bad for this town. The Canadians have a history in the NHL that cannot be overestimated, while the city itself has the enviable reputation of being a cleaner, nicer, New Orleans, which could be a pro or con, depending on how much you like the grime of the Big Easy. However, with the French influence in Architecture, music and food, a trip to Montreal offers an experience that you’re probably not going to find at a Tampa Bay Lightening game. Finally, the strip clubs are supposed to be killer as well. So there’s that.

7. Ann Arbor
Half the cities on this list are huge cities boasting historic pro teams. The other half are college towns with no pro teams, but a collegiate atmosphere that makes a trip in an October weekend an electric proposition. Ann Arbor certainly isn’t Boston or Philly, but the killer dining options mesh well with tailgating and recovery from a night well spent. Michigan’s focus at the moment lies squarely on football, as the Fab Five have long since come and gone, but the stadium experience is one for the record books and you’re never too far from Detroit if you want to get shot or stabbed because you’re missing the big city.

6. New Orleans
New Orleans has a vibe that clearly lends itself to celebration nicely, so the recent success of the Saints has proven that this party town is also a pretty sweet sports town, especially given the events here in the recent years. Rarely has America seen a city so invested in its team as a source of hope and happiness. Honestly, even if the Saints were losing, NO would get a name check, but with their recent success, the vibe has gone from party town to sports party town, which may sound semantic, but makes a difference.

5. Milwaukee/Green Bay
There isn’t too much going on in Green Bay beyond the stadium experience, but a few miles away lies Milwaukee, one of the most underrated party towns in America, especially in the summer. Once teeming with European immigrants, this was the house that beer and brats built, so your typical Brewers home game in July turns into a tailgating extravaganza. I am comfortable in making the assumption that when a city has bitter cold weather for much of the year, they tend to make the most of the few summer months they get. And Milwaukee fans make the most out of every game. If you’re planning a trip up there, try to make it concurrent with Summer Fest, the largest outdoor music festival in the US.

4. Madison
Yeah, Wisconsin gets two entries on this list. Despite being geographically disparate, Madison and Austin share a lot of similarities, both being big, progressive college towns with both cultural touch-points as well as die-hard fans. Madison also has the reputation for being on of the most drinkin’-est cities in the US, especially while the Badgers are playing. If you’re visiting though, try to make it before the weather changes and the cold sucks out all your enthusiasm for both beer and sports. It could happen.

3. Austin
While Austin may not have a pro team to its name, the entertainment value o the city, coupled with the strength of the athletic program, make this entry a no-brainier. Austin is in the enviable position of offering the best of both worlds to residents and visitors alike. It’s known for being a progressive, alternative city, while at the same time being a kick-ass college town in the traditional sense, with 6th Street, live music, and an abundance of BBQ, Mexican food, and beer.

2. Chicago
Like Boston, there’s almost no way to go wrong on a sports trip to Chicago. The city is fairly compact, so getting around is a breeze, and outside the realm of sports, there are about a million things to do between Millenium Park, Navy Pier, and the museums. Outside of the cultural pursuits, the sports experience in Chicago is an embarrassment of riches, with unique experiences across all four pro sports and histories to match. Heading the list would almost certainly be an afternoon Cubs game in Wrigleyville, which is probably as lose as you can get to a college football experience in a big city in June.

1. Boston
Regardless of where you stand on the rivalry between NY and Boston, or even what you think of Boston fans, there are few greater sports cities in America. All four of their pro teams have a rich history, and, with the exception of the Pats, are very centrally located to downtown. The relatively small size of Boston makes it a sports fan’s paradise when more than one team is playing on the same day, turning your average Sunday into an all-you-can-drink buffet for most of the city. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s an experience worth checking out at least once in this historic city.

Whats more amazing is that they will still have another two games to play against New Orleans and Green Bay.  If they lose the rest of their games their record will be 0-16, and that is something to be excited about, not if your a Lions fan.

It is not often in sports that a team does something so amazing that it is remembered for years to come, in this case, something so embarrassing that it will surely be remembered by many.  You might not remember Matt Millen (already fired), Rod Marinelli (soon to be fired), or the names of players (soon to be CFLers) on the team, but just remember where you were on the day Lions lost them all, because I sure will.

Use these Fantasy Football Draft tips to help build yourself a monster fantasy team.

1. Good players from good teams

This is one of my number one rules because it can be the difference between your team winning or losing this upcoming season. Focus on trying to get the best available players from the teams that you think have the best offense. By trying to avoid players on the teams with offenses that you think are not very good, you will be saving yourself some anxiety down the road. The Chicago Bears for example, have a crappy offense yet this year rookie running back will Matt Forte will be drafted high in most drafts because he is the so called “starter”. I say who cares because that does not change the fact that the Bears stink on offense, this is the type of situation you should try to avoid because he is an unproven player on a team with a bad offense.

2. Don’t follow the crowd

Let’s say that you have the seventh overall pick and there has been 6 RBs selected so far then a good idea would be take a QB. By taking a QB at this spot chances are you are getting an elite player as compared to an average RB. This is a trend that you could expect to see throughout the draft with different positions. This will help you land the best possible player instead of simply drafting for need.

3. Kickers and Defenses last

Each year there is so much turn over and changes that it hard to predict which kickers and defenses will have standout seasons. During most drafts there will be people who take kickers early because they had a good season the previous year. The same goes for defenses, so instead of using picks on them early wait to the later stages of the draft and use the other picks to stock up one the skill positions. This will give your team more depth and also a good chance to be a contender. The last time I checked kickers and defenses don’t win fantasy championships.

4. Beware of the running back by committee formula

This is a fantasy nightmare for owners who draft running back only to them split carries with another player. The only player who is part of a committee who I would love to have on my team is Maurice Jones-Drew. Even though he loses carries to Fred Taylor he has a superb ability and puts up numbers year after year. A player to watch out for this year is Willie Parker, all of a sudden he has found himself in a crowded back field with Illinois rookie Rashard Mendenhal and veteran Mewelde Moore. Other committee based teams to steer clear of are Denver, Houston, and the New York Giants.

5. Don’t draft players from your favorite teams

This is one of the hardest rules for many fantasy players to follow because many fans love their respective team’s players. It also kind of fits in with rule number 1, only select good players from good teams. If your team has a high octane offense, like the Pats or Colts, then this rule does not apply to you. Let’s say your favorite team is the Bills there is no reason for you to draft Trent Edwards, in fact the only player with any significant value from the Bills is Marshawn Lynch, sorry Lee Evans. Remember to pick with your head and not with your heart if you really want to win.

These simple Fantasy Football Draft tips are an easy way to increase your win rate in any fantasy football league.

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Another day, another stupid rumor about Brett Favre returning to the NFL. I’m getting sick and tired of this ongoing is he or isn’t he, crap. Instead of coming out and having a press conference and admitting that all the rumors are untrue, he is standing around not doing anything but sending text messages to the Packers. I hate when athletes don’t stay retired, because most of the time it never really works out for them. Remember the Chris Carter comeback to the Miami Dolphins that was a disaster.

Another thing that gets me mad is when pro athletes stick around well past their expiree date, like Emmit Smith. In all sports when its time for you to retire, then you must go. This is especially true for football as it significantly reduces the quality of ones life. The sad fact is there have been only a couple good examples of players leaving the game when they are still on top.

One of the most famous ones was John Elway who after winning two Super bowls in a row, decided to call it quits. Recently, Jerome Bettis did the same after the Steelers won the big game. Perhaps, the most interesting case of retirement from pro football was by Barry Sanders. Sanders left the game with a shot to break the all-time rushing record, but he decided it was his time to go. He still had a lot left in the tank, but made his decision and stuck by it. There wasn’t any maybe he’s coming back talk because he is retired, unlike other players.

So Favre, spare you team/fans anymore embarrassment and announce that you are retired and that you don’t have any intention of returning. Anyways, wouldn’t you like to spend more time with your grandkids?

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