Pro Football observations: I've been watching Bengal QB Carson Palmer since he was a kid at Rancho Santa Margarita Catholic High School in SoCal where he was only amazing. Never have I seen a high school kid throw a long pass as far and as accurately as he could. I guess his pro career has finally taken off and all of you are about to see a passer at least as good as Manning. What? Yes, at least as good as Manning. When he was at USC, once Pete Carroll showed up in 2001, after Palmer had served under one of the worst coaches Division I has ever seen, he became the terror of the Left Coast. Prediction: Duh Bengals are gunna be good for the next eight to ten years.

College: I made the observation before the season started that UCLA was running an underground football enrichment program in a lead lined cellar in Westwood and that they were going to be real real good this season. They are real real good this season. How good? Well, they have a cream puff sked til the end of the season (unless Arizona State turns around) when they play USC so we'll all find out in late December, but they have a big and nasty defense of young guys who can only get better each week.