There is plenty to be said about rushing success in the NFL beginning up front, but you still need to have a capable and diverse stable of running backs for an efficient running game. The loss of Eric Steinbach and injuries to Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, and others left the Bengals with a patchwork offensive line last season. Still, there is plenty of concern at the running back position.

The glimmer of hope could be former first round pick Chris Perry, who is finally at 100% following an ankle injury suffered late in the 2006 season.

Head coach Marvin Lewis said last week that Perry will be on the field the team opens mini-camp on Tuesday.

Perry has had a tough time staying on the field in his brief career due to a variety of injuries, but is only 26 years old and has far less mileage than current starter Rudi Johnson.  Ever since he dropped 20 pounds Johnson has not been the same back and may never be again.

The team surprised many when they failed to use one of their 10 draft picks on a running back. There was talk that they may had hometown favorite Shaun Alexander and the former NFL MVP was cut by the Seahawks. However, a deal with Alexander is unlikely from the Bengals according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

If Perry can prove healthy he can contribute to the offense in many ways and could even become the feature back. Expect Kenny Watson (793 RuYd in '07) and DeDe Dorsey to also have roles within the offense.

Like it or not Interleague Play is back again. Be sure pay close attention to it when setting your lineups. Here's everything you need to know entering Week 7:

STUDS OF THE WEEK
It's hard to imagine anybody having a better weak than Astros' OF Lance Berkman.  He batted .783 and hit three home runs while driving in eight runs to pace the team's attack. He had 18 hits in 23 at bats and added two stolen bases to boot, WOW! The Marlins are starting to reap the rewards of having the young Andrew Miller in the staff. The former Tiger spread six hits through 13 innings over his last two starts, picking up a win with each try. He's really starting to look like the ace everybody thought he would become.

DUDS OF THE WEEK
The D-Backs Eric Byrnes was given the day off on Saturday in hopes to break out his slump. Over the past week he's managed to reach base three times in 27 plate appearances. The 0:7 walk-to-strikeout ratio and 0 HRs and 0 RBIs left owners that had him in the lineup hanging.  Cardinals' closer Jason Isringhausen continues to remind us why he needs to retire. He blew both of his same opportunities this week and pick two losses in the process. To make matters worse for owners Isringhausen has asked out of the closer's role, at least temporarily, to attempt to get a brief mental break as he works through his struggles.

KEY INJURIES
Rafael Furcal (back): Hopeful to return TUE vs. HOU
Brian Roberts (foot): Questionable for series vs. BOS
Chone Figgins (hamstring): Placed on 15-day DL this week
Vernon Wells (wrist, hamstring): 15-day DL, Out 6-8 weeks
Richie Sexson (suspension): Eligible to return 5/16
Rich Harden (shoulder): Hopes to return today vs. TEX
Alex Rodriguez (quadriceps): Eligible to come off DL 5/14
Ramon Hernandez (wrist): Day-to-day, risky play this week
Josh Willingham (back): Begins rehab assignment this week
John Lackey (triceps): Could return from DL 5/14 vs. CHW

TWICE AS NICE
Here are some two-start pitchers to consider this week:

AL
Must-starts:
Erik Bedard - @TEX (Vicente Padilla), SD (Shawn Estes)
Zack Greinke - DET (Justin Verlander), @FLA (Mark Hendrickson)
Clay Buchholz - @SEA (Felix Hernandez), MIL (Carlos Villanueva)

Sleeper Picks:
Kevin Slowey – TOR (Jesse Litsch), @COL (Jeff Francis)
Mike Mussina - @TB (Edwin Jackson), NYM (Nelson Figueroa)

NL
Must-Starts:
Aaron Harang – FLA (Burke Badenhop), CLE (Paul Byrd)
Roy Oswalt - @SF (Barry Zito), @TEX (Sidney Ponson)
Micah Owings – COL (Jeff Francis), DET (Armando Galarraga)

Sleeper Picks:
Jon Lieber – SD (Randy Wolf), PIT (Phil Dumatrait)
Kyle Lohse – PIT (Paul Maholm), TB (Edwin Jackson)

WAIVER WATCH (from leagues played at CBSSports.com)
Five most added:
OF Ryan Ludwick (+31% roster change)
SS Jimmy Rollins (+28%)
RP Justin Duchscherer (+27%)
SP Vicente Padilla (+24%)
SP Rich Harden (+22%)

Five most dropped (non-injured):
SP Chad Gaudin - OAK (-20%)
SP Rich Hill - CHC (-16%)
SP Ian Kennedy - NYY (-12%)
SP Brian Bannister - KC (-10%)
SP Jonathan Sanchez - SF (9%)

GAMES PLAYED
Let's take a look at how many games each team will be playing this week:

American League
7: CHW, CLE, LAA, MIN, NYY, TB, TOR
6: BOS, DET, KC, OAK, SEA, TEX
5: BAL

National League
7: ATL, CHC, CIN, FLA, HOU, MIL, NYM, PIT, SD, SF, STL, WAS
6: ARI, COL, LAD, PHI

Here's a debut of a new weekly blog post - Gadget of the Week.  Aside from sports, one of my greatest passions is technology and the toys the come with it. We start by looking at a hot flash media player that will not only display photos, rock music, and play video that you wouldn't believe possible on something so small.

iRiver Clix Gen2 - $239

FEATURES
•Plays music, video, photos and more
•8GB internal storage
•Supports subscription music services
•Ultra-bright, 2.2?AMOLED color display
•Built-in digital FM tuner
•Integrated voice recorder
•Up to 24 hours of battery life
•Skip-free listening
•Fast USB 2.0 transfers
•1 year limited warranty

MORE DETAILS

Wired magazine says...
Remember when the click wheels found on portable media players were innovative and unique? Yeah, now they’re about as exciting as 3.5-inch floppies. Thankfully, the second generation of Iriver’s Clix foregoes this clichéd control scheme with a clickable (not touch) screen for easy menu navigation.

While it's unlikely that former Duke F/general d-bag will ever become a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he will be inducted into a hall of fame that few other basketball players can boast of: the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame!

Yes, on June 12th, the former Dukie, member of five NBA team, and current part-owner of the MLS' DC United, will be one of four athletes to be welcomed into this hall of fame, at a ceremony in Troy, Michigan, the home of the Hall, which will now house the plaques of 111 athletes.

What exactly is the National Polish-American Hall of Fame (other than a perfectly example of how there are too many hall of fames in this world)?  According to the Hall of Fame's website, the mission of the hall is "[t]o recognize and preserve outstanding achievement by individuals of Polish heritage in the field of sports and to educate the entire community with the hope of encouraging and inspiring personal excellence."

Surprisingly, there are quite a few impressive athletes that are of Polish heritage.  Members of the hall include former Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, MLB Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Carl Yastrzemski (as well as the aforementioned Zisk), Laettner's college coach Mike Krzyzewski, Super Bowl winning coaches Mike Ditka and Hank Stram, former world middleweight champion Tony Zale, and professional wrestler Stanley Zbyzsko (how his son, "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyzsko has been omitted is beyond me).

Laettner actually put together a pretty decent NBA career, scoring over 11,000 points and averaging 6.7 rebounds over his 13 years in the game.  Whether you liked him or not, you can't deny that he was one of the greatest college basketball players in history.  Of course, that would be a lot easier to appreciate had he not been so obnoxious on court, typified by his stepping on Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake in a 1992 regional final game.

Regardless, congrats to Christian on his induction into a mediocre hall of fame.  And, in celebration of that, here's a celebrity re-enactment of your game winning shot against Kentucky.

The Florida Marlins have become known as an organization that just continues to win without breaking the bank for any player. Well that has now changed, somewhat, after the Marlins and SS Hanley Ramirez agreed to a six year, $70 million contract extension. For a team that tends to let their top talent go year after year, it is surprising to see them actually put up the money for anyone. Fortunately for them, they have put their money down on a great talent in Ramirez.

As one of the top shortstops in all of baseball, Ramirez is a complete player. He can hit for average, power, and has great speed on the basepaths. Currently he is hitting .336 with eight HRs, 31 runs, 21 RBIs and 13 SBs. In just his third season, Ramirez has a career .314 average and has hit 54 HRs, driven in 161 run and stolen 115 bases. Those are solid numbers and very much worth the bargain price the Marlins paid for him.

While the $70 million price tag may seem reasonably low for a player the caliber of Ramirez by today's standards in MLB, it is actually the biggest contract in Marlins' history. With the team's track record for catching and releasing players, that's not all that surprising really. They've let great players like Gary Sheffield, Moises Alou, Carlos Delgado, Paul LoDuca, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, Dontrelle Willis, and Miguel Cabrera go and be signed by other teams. Yet that didn't stop them from winning two World Series championships in the last several seasons. Ramirez actually came to the Marlins in a trade with the Red Sox a few years ago that sent Lowell and Beckett away.

The signing of Ramirez is a smart move by the Marlins front office. The future of the team lies with Ramirez and what the team is able put around him now that they've blown their budget on one player. Does this signing mean there's a change taking place in the organization? That they're going to actually start paying and keeping their young talent? Doubtful, but Ramirez is definitely one worth holding onto for years to come.

Baseball is always full of surprises, and thus far the 2008 season has been no different. Here's a quick look at some of the teams that have surprised me most.

St. Louis Cardinals (22-15)
The Cardinals were another team that was supposed to be rebuilding in '08, but six weeks into the season they find themselves in a familiar position, atop the NL Central. Albert Pujols is doing his normal damage (.349, 7 HR, 25 RBI), but nobody expected youngster Ryan Ludwick to have already hit 7 HRs and drive in 21 RBIs while batting .347. Former pitcher Rick Ankiel continues to succeed in his transition to an everyday outfielder and the makeshift staff of Branden Looper, Kyle Loshe, Adam Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer, and Joel Piniero has combined for a 16-8 record.

Florida Marlins (21-14)
Quick, how many Marlins can you name? Exactly, this team is seven games over .500 in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The organization just rewarded Hanley Ramirez with a $70 million contract. The team has five guys in the lineup with 5+ home runs, including Ramirez, Mike Jacobs, Josh Willingham, Dan Uggla, and Jorge Cantu. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida hasn't found his power stroke, but is clearly turning the corner and beginning to live up to the hype. The no-name pitching staff, has been led by Mark Hendrickson, who is sporting a 5-1 record with a 3.56 ERA.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (19-16)
I knew they had good young talent, but they may still be a year away. Someone forgot to tell the Rays though they entered Saturday just 2.5 games back of the Red Sox and two games ahead of the Yankees. They have gotten very little from ace Scott Kazmir, but James Shields and Andy Sonnastine have combined for nine wins and new closer Troy Percival has been nearly perfect, converting 7 of 8 saves. If youngster Evan Longoria develops quickly and BJ Upton and Carl Crawford continue to hit the ball, the Rays are going to hang around all summer long.

Detroit Tigers (16-21)
The Tigers were my World Series pick entering the season. After a horrific start the team has rebounded a bit, but there is little room for error in the AL Central where 3.5 games separates first from worst. The bullpen is a wreck and the rotation has been inconsistent. Curtis Granderson missed most of April and has been slow to get his bat going and despite his decent power numbers newcomer Miguel Cabrera is batting .252.  The team has a whole is only batting .265 and misses a productive Gary Sheffield (.204, 2 HR, 7 RBIs) in the middle of the line-up.

Cincinnati Reds (14-22)
I may have been a bit overboard to pick the Reds to win the NL Central, but you can't call me a homer for thinking the team would stay in the hunt longer than 2007.  Somehow though the Reds have once again managed to lose fans interest by Mother's Day.  You would think that a new manager, a $46 million closer, and two of the best young arms injected in to the rotation in decades would have been enough to keep this team afloat in a weak division. You can't win a division in April, but the Reds continue to provide annual examples that you can lose one during the opening month.

I'll admit up front that the only time I watch the NBA is during the playoffs because believe it or not I can't stand MLB even more than the NBA, hockey and NASCAR.

But watching that slop last night was enough to make me stop watching the rest of the playoffs.

Last time I checked the following items are supposed to be a part of basketball but weren't on display last night.

1.  Defense - Are you kidding me?  Does anyone in the NBA actually play defense on a guy driving down the middle of the lane?  I actually saw defenders step aside.

2.  Passing - Other than an occasional alley oop or "oh crap" pass, do they actually understand the fundamentals of a bounce pass or chest pass?

3.  Traveing - I know that people have always complained about the amount of steps players get in the NBA compared to college but no wonder Lebron and Kobe and others score 30 points game.  When you get to take 6 steps with the ball under your arm you can get around anyone.

4.  Layups - Just checking but they are allowed to make layups right?  And they still paint the little square on the backboard don't they?

5.  Free Throws - Some of these guys should be allowed to decline taking a shot and speed up the game.  They aren't even close and then they act like "Oh man I thought I had that one" even though they are shooting like 6 percent from the line.

6.  Flops - Is this the NBA or the MLS?  Good Lord if I see one more flop from a 6-foot-8, 260 pound man who wipes his hand on his face and acts like he is looking for blood, I think I'm going to puke.

The Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb scattered six hits and did not walk a butter as he threw his first complete game shutout of the season on Thursday night to move to 8-0 on the season.  He became the first pitcher to win his first eight starts since Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and the first in the NL since Pedro Martinez for Montreal in 1997, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Webb has been nearly unhittable all season and is the clear front-runner for the NL Cy Young through the first month plus. He has logged 56 innings and allowed only 40 hits and 16 walks in that span while posting a 2.41 ERA. 

Arizona is blessed to have him and now they must try to lock him up. Webb turns 29 on Friday and after compiling a 42-18 record over the past three years, the D-Backs are going to have to buck up to keep baseball's best pitcher (sorry Johan Santana).

Webb is one of baseball's biggest bargains, or one of the most underpaid depending on the perspective, but the Diamondbacks are trying to work out a new deal.

He is scheduled to make $5.5 million this season as part of a four-year contract that originally guaranteed him $19.5 million and potentially is worth $27.5 million over five seasons. He is due $6.5 million next year, and the Diamondbacks have an $8.5 million option for 2010 with a $1.5 million buyout.

I don't what it is about sports fans, or at least Reds' fans, where someone always has to win in a trade. Too many people that follow the game think that their team can trade away all the players they don't want and get another's team coveted treasures. However, in an ideal world both parties in involved in the deal improve. I guess after years of a snake like Jim Bowden at the helm it's hard think of anything that is fair and honest.

Like Wayne Krivsky or not, you have like the fact that he was shrewd enough to make the deal to get Josh Hamilton as Rule 5 draft pick and then ballsy enough to then go and turn them in to Edinson Volquez, the top pitching prospect of the Rangers.

After five weeks of the season, the trade is working out for both sides better than even the team's themselves ever imagined. Josh Hamilton leads the majors with 36 RBI's and Edinson Volquez (5-1) leads the National League with a 1.06 ERA and leads the majors with 52 K's.

Volquez didn’t allow more than one earned run in any of his first seven starts.  No Reds pitcher had accomplished that feat since earned runs became an official statistic in 1912.

PLAYER COMPARISON
Hamilton - .292 AVG, .346 OBP, .533 SLG, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 17 R, 0 SB, 20 K
Volquez - 42 1/3 IN, 7 GS, 4 QS, 5-1, 1.06 ERA, 52 K, 24 BB, 28 HA

Texas is tickled with Hamilton and the Reds are looking like they knew what they were doing, it's just too bad Krivsky didn't get to stick around to see it.

Despite the fact Thomas Jones was out of the way last season, Cedric Benson struggled with both injuries and the ability to find holes in a dismal season for the Bears. He finished with 674 yards rushing on 3.4 yards per carry and found the end zone just four times in 11 games. The team has expressed their disinterest in Benson and took it a step further by drafting RB Matt Forte out of Tulane in Round 2 of last month's draft.

Benson was arrested early Sunday in Texas for boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He was released on $14,500 bail.

Local Chicago media is calling for his head, and they may be right.

"There's a big enough pile of evidence for the Bears to cut ties with Benson without another thought. Maybe that's the real positive of his water-logged weekend, Mike Mulligan wrote in the Sun-Times. Benson has one leg out the door and another on a banana peel anyway after the draft last weekend, when the Bears effectively replaced him by using a second-round pick on Matt Forte."

The organization would have to take a $6 million salary cap hit to cut the former No. 4 overall selection. However, the hit would be $2.5 million if they designate him a post-June 1 cut.

Chicago needs to extend the contracts of Tommie Harris, Robbie Gould, and Devin Hester's and will need that cap space to do so, that likely means that Benson is going nowhere. The worst part of it is that Benson isn't a viable reserve because he doesn't pass block, play special teams, or help on third downs. He could be low on the depth chart.

The Reds have been rumored to be shopping players, amongst them Ken Griffey Jr.  It is pretty clear the Reds are not going to get much in return for the 38-year old right fielder, but anything is better than nothing.  The team has a $16 million option for 2009 with a $4 million buyout. Trading if nothing else will save the club the buyout money.

While Griffey is always an injury risk and his skills are diminished, he still is capable source of left-handed power and a hitter than many pitchers still fear. If it wasn't for the fact that they play in NL Central the Reds would already be out of the race and if they can't turn it around soon they will be by next month at this time anyway. Trading Griffey makes to much sense.

Let's take a quick look at some teams that would make good fits:

MARINERS
Seattle is the most logical choice. After watching the reception in a brief three-game visit last year the Mariners' fans love this guy. There is not a better place for him to finish his Hall of Fame career than the city where most of his Hall of Fame accolades were earned. Junior would immediately step in and help pick up the slack left by the disappointing Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre. Not to mention the man will sell some tickets.

CUBS
Lou Piniella is screaming for left-handed pop and let's face it Felix Pie doesn't appear to be ready. If the Cubs are serious going to make a pennant run like so many of their fans claim, they better beef up that line-up a bit.

INDIANS
At 14-17 Cleveland is off to a disappointing start. The team is 24th in MLB in runs and desperately needs some offense. Griffey could take over in left field for Dave Delluci or in right for Franklin Gutierrez. Jason Michaels has fizzled too and the Tribe needs to score to compete in the AL Central.

TIGERS
The future of Gary Sheffield is in doubt and it's not like Marcus Thames is ripping the cover off the ball. Griffey would nicely in the middle of the Tigers' right-handed thump of Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, and Sheffield if he plays. If I'm the Reds I trade him straight up for Brandon Inge, and maybe even include Josh Fogg in the deal.

Despite the fact that he is mired in a bit of a slump, the Rockies' Clint Barmes is worth a look.  Even after going 3 for his last 19, Barmes is still hitting .280 on the season and with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki out 4-8 weeks and maybe longer due to a torn tendon in his left quadriceps, the middle infielder will shift from second base to shortstop.

He had already beaten out Jayson Nix to nab the second base job in Colorado, but now he will move back to the spot that once belonged to him. This dual position eligibility only increases his value and makes him a savvy middle infielder option in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues.  The recent slump has dropped him down to either 7 or 8 in the order, which obviously is not as good as hitting in front of Matt Holliday, Todd  Helton, and Garrett Atkins, but I still expect Barmes to snap out of the slump and put up respectable numbers in an above average Rockies' lineup.

The guy is not going to be a star, however, I do expect him to be a nice stop gap option for the short-term and one that is showing up more and more on the fantasy radar.

That's going to leave a mark...

Lost in all the talk about Eight Belles and claims from many outsiders that the horse racing industry is brutal punishment to the thoroughbreds is the fact we have a real triple crown contender in Big Brown.

Many have compared him to last year's Triple Crown colt Curlin, who in my opinion is the best horse in the country right now. It is easy to see the comparisons though both horses are huge specimens and remarkable athletes. The biggest difference between the two though is the fact that there's no horse that is comparable to Street Sense or Hard Spun to challenge this year's Triple Crown hopeful.

The overpowering victory by Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs, in which he got a Beyer Speed Figure of 109, left no doubt as to his superiority over the current crop of 3-year-olds. He was so dominant that, as of Monday, just one of his beaten rivals in the Derby was even under consideration to challenge him again at Pimlico, according to DRF.com.

With so few Derby horses headed to Pimilico for the Preakness, it appears as if Big Brown is going to grab the second leg of the Triple Crown he will have to beat a fresh batch of horses.

"It just wasn't a strong Derby field other than our horse," said Big Brown's trainer, Richard Dutrow Jr.

"I don't think I'll be as confident," said Dutrow, who was extremely confident before the Derby. "I really do like training a horse up to a race, and I can't do it now. It looks like he's the best horse in the Preakness. I don't like coming back in two weeks, but I've got no choice."

I was scared off Big Brown in the Derby because of the fact he drew the #20 hole, but the run he made and the lack of fire from the other contenders, leaves me to think we have a great shot to have our first Triple Crown horse in 20 years.

Shaun Alexander completed his visit to Cincinnati on Monday and now its up to the Bengals to decide if he can be a fit to their mix at running back. Just two years removed from being the NFL's MVP, Alexander was cut by Seattle on April 22.

The team is mum on their interest and offered no comment over the weekend regarding the veteran or his visit. The Enquirer is reporting that the "discussions are very preliminary, and no real direction has been set by either side." 

NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports that  Alexander is also scheduled to meet the Saints Wednesday.

Alexander played in 13 games with 11 starts last season, missing three games with a sprained left knee. He played through a left wrist fractured in Week 1. In 2006, he missed six games because of a severely bruised left foot that eventually resulted in a fracture. At 31, it remains to be seen how much gas he has left in the tank.

The Bengals are his hometown team and will likely get him at a discount should they decide to make a move.

The team did not draft a running back and currently has Rudi Johnson slated as the starter. Former first round pick Chris Perry is finally 100% after nearly two years of injuries and will be ready for mini-camp later this month. Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey both should enough last season to warrant roles. Last year's second-round pick Kenny Irons will not be ready for training camp as he is still dealing with his ACL injury suffered last preseason.  It is interesting that the Bengals are even talking to him.