Bike-sharing programs are expected to spread USA

According to reports the Minneapolis will become the second city following Denver to carry out bike-sharing programs. By carrying out the programs, the two leading cities expect more cities to join them to give the car-crazy America a relief from obesity, traffic jams and air pollution.

The plan will go like this: 700 bicycles will be placed in 65 kiosks for citizens to use. And riders can use a keycard to pick up a bike and return the bikes to any kiosks available and convenient to the users. By so far, Minneapolis is one of the largest cities carrying out this program, but if Washington and Arlington also join the programs, the title would be taken away. Never mind, though, what’s important is that many Minnesota Vikings fans may choose to ride to the Metrodome on bicycles for Vikings games. Imagine how wonderful it would be as you can judge who are your fellow fans simply by seeing what jerseys they are wearing. If riding a car, you surely cannot see whether the driver and passengers are wearing Brett Favre jerseys. Riding a bicycle is not only a way to make the city cleaner but also a method to improve people’s communications with each other.

However, there are still a few problems to solve. One of the most urgent is on how to prevent the bikes from being lost, stolen or vandalized. Some people have proposed to use standardized bikes and lock them in a kiosk, and only a rider with a keycard can unlock it. Hope it works well and helps improve the plan.

Favre could learn from coeval NHL player Lidstrom

With the NFL season coming in three months and the new NHL season is much farther away, the Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, however, made decision much earlier than Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Brett Favre, who is expected to return for his 20th NFL season but still keeps things intriguing.

Also at age 40, Lidstrom announced yesterday that he was returning for his 19th NHL season, eliminating a lot of doubts on his capability, while Favre is still playing around by releasing pieces of information now and then but never giving a whole version of what he is thinking about or whether he is to wear back the No.4 Favre jersey. On this point, he really needs to look at the reports on Lidstrom, who is as famous in NHL as Favre is in NFL. Fans for the Red Wings cheered for Lidstrom’s return and were happy that their beloved players did not hold them to wait for long. By comparison, the Vikings fans have been making efforts to force a fast decision from Favre but never received any positive response.

Favre should also learn from Lidstrom on what attitude he should hold toward the team he is playing for. While Lidstrom described himself as only a tiny feather of a giant Red Wing, Favre takes the Vikings a good team that could help him win a second Super Bowl ring.

Packers’ veteran CB Harris is eager to return

Even suffering a major knee injury in his thirteenth NFL career, the Green Bay Packers veteran cornerback AI Harris still has no plan to quit football. Actually he is planning to achieve what Brett Favre has managed to do and would play football for a few more years.

Harris had to end the 2009 season abruptly because of the injury suffered during a game against the San Francisco 49ers. A season-ending surgery was operated a few days later and a lot of people doubted that the 35-year-old cornerback could not return to play his fourteenth NFL season. However, Harris appeared for the Packers’ offseason workouts last month with great confidence that he is still able to do his job better after the surgery.

The veteran said that he did not like watching his beloved teem be defeated and would try his best to help the Packers win more games in 2010 season. He also expressed his eagerness to see Favre back in the Vikings style of Favre jersey so that he could help the Packers revenge on the betrayer quarterback and his current team Vikings, who beat the Packers twice during 2009 season.

Favre’s possible return caused twitter fight between Saints and Vikings

Brett Favre’s surgery on his left ankle turns out to be more than a process to repair some parts of his own body, but also a sign to possible power ranking changes to two teams, the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. As the surgery indicated the possible return of the quarterback in No.4 Favre jersey, the Saints will reschedule their defense to stop the quarterback from passing, and the Vikings will have to get a better plan to protect Favre from attacks.

But it’s still three months before the real rematch happens, and players from the rival teams are already fighting, through twitter talks, for their respective own teams’ scheme. Saints safety Darren Sharper began the quarrel by saying that Favre’s ankle is already a marked target of Saints’ defensive men. That reminded the Vikings of the hits Favre received from Saints defensive players in last season’s NFC championship game. They surely won’t allow the same thing to happen in rematch, and Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe responded soon to say that Sharper should take care of his own knee as the recently surgically repaired part of Sharper’s body is also a marked target of Vikings’ offensive men.

The fight continued with Sharper’s tweet back and other Vikings’ counterattacks. We may predict that more Saints players would join the trash talk to keep it going on unless officials think it inappropriate and call for a stop.

Favre’s ankle now allows him to play

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre recently had a surgery on his left ankle and is planning to spend the whole offseason on testing the ankle’s workability. Actually, according to reporters who contacted Favre’s doctor, the surgery was had successfully and Favre’s ankle will allow him to play football in four to six weeks.

Favre got the injury during last season’s NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints. Some defensive players of opponent team gave Favre’s several heavy blows and caused him to fumble and have an interception during the overtime. Consequently, the Vikings did not score first to win the NFC championship, and Saints made it in next session and went on to the Super Bowl XLIV and returned home with finale champion title. With frustration and aches on body, Favre initially told reporters that he was unlikely to play again for 2010 season.

However, Favre never made official announcement on his retirement during the offseason and never told anyone he would go to undergo the surgery to repair his injured ankle. So when people got to know the news the day following the surgery, they were surprised and took it as a Favre’s confirmation for return. If the repaired ankle recovers well enough to allow the 41-year-old quarterback to play on field again, we surely have more reasons to believe that we will see the man in No. 4 Favre jersey leading the Vikings to another winning season.

Vikings fans send piles of gifts to Favre’s grandson

According to someone familiar with the star quarterback’s family, Brett Favre and his family have received a lot of presents sent by Minnesota Vikings fans, but recently most of them have been sent to the new member of the family, Brett Parker, Favre’s first grandson.

Tools and toys are most seen in the gifts, and other popular choices for gifts include football tool, statue of Brett Favre and even some different colors of Brett Favre jerseys for toddlers. Of course, by sending their good wishes for the potential star of future, some fans also sent their wishes to Favre himself by making notes that they wanted the 40-year-old quarterback to return with them for 2010 season. There have been so many gifts from fans that Favre has to employ a housekeeper to sort out them. Keeping only a few gifts they received, Favre and his family send most of the gifts to charity organizations. I guess the gift senders won’t mind that and just love their quarterback even more.

I believe most fans who sent presents to Parker have no intention to ask for anything in return, but deep in their hearts, they must hope Favre could reward them with a soon decision on his playing status in 2010 season. Will Favre do that? No one could answer, just stay tuned for latest updates.

Dez Bryant acknowledged he was Michael Irvin’s fan

Since receiving the number 88 from the Dallas Cowboys, rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant has been mentioned very often and always compared with Pro Football Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin, who wore the same number during his NFL career as the Cowboys leading receiver.

However, Bryant himself has been somewhat silent about the comparison and we always only heard Irvin talking about Bryant and his responsibility for wearing number 88. Recently, Bryant finally said something about himself and Irvin, not publicly but to some close friends, that he grew up as a Cowboys fan and Irvin had been one of his idols for a long time. Bryant even showed his friends his collection of Irvin jerseys he bought when he was attending elementary school and high school with the money he earned through part time job.

Bryant’s friends always praise him as a humble and hard-working man with great personalities. The rookie does not like talking too much about himself and is always nervous while facing reporters, so he prefers to stay away from media and concentrating on his own workouts, but he has good relations with most people around him, I guess that’s why the Cowboys officials have so much confidence with the rookie and gave him the legendary number.