The Big Ten might make itself at home at Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field, historic home to the Green Bay Packers, might also soon be home to the Big Ten's title game. Big Ten officials will meet in early August to talk about it, and Packers president Louis Murphy(notes) said he'd be on board.

The Big Ten is a "conference" in the NFL's minor league, which calls itself "college football." College football is very similar to the professional game we're all familiar with, except receivers only need one foot inbounds to make a catch, players don't get paid, and they don't bother to crown an actual champion in any given year.

There are other sites under consideration, all of them also pro venues: Ford Field, home of the Lions, Soldier Field, home of the Bears, and Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Go with Lambeau, Big Ten. I say this as a completely uninterested observer, too. I'm not a Packers fan, and I don't care if the Big Ten lives or dies. But if you want your game to seem special, like a truly unique college football event, then Lambeau's your place.

I don't expect it to happen, because the people in charge will probably put a pretty high value on the accommodations and appeal to tourists held by a city like Chicago or Detroit (I think Detroit still has some appeal, though I'm not sure). And I get that. I'm not saying it's a bad reason.

But if the goal is to make the Big Ten championship game a unique and special event, you have to go with Lambeau. Even on television, and even in the NFL, where corporate interests have sucked most of the uniqueness out of everything, Lambeau still retains a special kind of old-school football charm.

Related: Louis Murphy, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers

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CFL fan using a wheelchair rolls onto the field

By MJD

Here in America, we have a certain way of handling things when a fan bursts onto the field of play. Either security or an actual player will tackle/clothesline/assault the unruly fan, we'll all have a good laugh, then go on with the game.

But what happens if you try it in Canada? And the fan is a gentleman using a wheelchair? Let's see.

Oh. You get politely wheeled away, and all the pretty cheerleaders smile at you.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. If you can elude security and get onto a field of play (let alone while doing it in a wheelchair), I think you've earned the right to get tackled by someone.

You've also earned some attention from police, and possibly a fine or a small amount of jail time, sure. But you've also earned a story, and that story isn't complete without a climax like, "And then (insert name of fierce Canadian linebacker here) came out of nowhere and drilled me, breaking three of my ribs and destroying my wheelchair. It was awesome."

You need to rectify this, Canada. Get that guy back out there, and have someone blast him. He deserves it, just like anyone else.

Gracias, Deadspin, via Orlando Kurtenblog.

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Kenechi Udeze is still a winner off the field

Former USC and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze(notes) is one person who didn't bail on the rest of his life because his primary dream didn't work out the way he wanted. Selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2004 draft, Udeze lived up to his standing as the nation's top prospect at his position for a while, registering five sacks in his rookie year and coming back from injuries to get five more sacks in his final NFL season of 2007.

Then, the bad news hit Udeze like a ton of bricks. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia -- cancer of the blood and bone marrow -- in February of 2008. He received a marrow transplant from his brother and began the long road back to health. Amazingly, he was able to take part in a few minicamp snaps in 2009, forging hopes of a comeback, before numbness and sensitivity his feet - a side effect of his chemotherapy - put an end to his NFL dreams once and for all.

That would have crushed a lot of people, but Udeze has always been intent on proving that he's not like most. He went back to USC, got his degree in sociology, and he's now working as the strength and conditioning coach for former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian at the University of Washington. He's now in remission and living life as a father and husband.

"I think I had too many of those," Udeze said in a recent radio interview with a Seattle sports talk station, when asked if he'd ever had any "Why me?" moments. "From the day I stepped on the USC campus, I broke every record in the weight room. I lost 100 pounds just to start playing football. And to say that this would happen to me ... I just didn't understand. But with every day that goes by, and working with the kids here at the University of Washington, that my life is so much more meaningful and has so much more purpose now that I can affect so many more lives than just performing as a football player."

Now associated with Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG foundation, Udeze will take part in the LIVESTRONG challenge in Seattle on June 19th and 20th. "Over the past 13 years, the LIVESTRONG organization has raised more than $60 million for the fight against cancer," Udeze said. "When I was diagnosed, I was all for it - I would do all kinds of charity events. I try to do all that I can, because I feel that anyone who goes through what I had to deal with, and so many others have to, you feel that it's a duty and a responsibility. So, what we're trying to do is to inspire and empower individuals - families, friends, and co-workers - to come together and be united in this fight against cancer."

Kenechi Udeze always impressed as a player, but it's pretty obvious where his true strength lies - it's in his heart and soul, and in his need to help and inspire others as he has been helped and inspired. His is a remarkable story which becomes even more special as he finds himself further and further on from the playing field.

Related: Minnesota Vikings

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Nashville flooding leaves Titans' field underwater

By Chris Chase

Weekend storms that dumped 13 inches of rain on the Nashville area have led to severe flooding in the city, including inside LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans.

Water inside the stadium covered the field and nearly rose to the first row of seats before receding a bit late Monday night. The cause of the stadium flooding wasn't from the overflowing Cumerbland River, which sits adajacent to the Titans' complex, but from a power outage that resulted from the flooding and caused the stadium's pumps to shut down. The field, which is at the lowest point in the complex, flooded quickly.

The rapidly rising waters have damaged much of Nashville's historic downtown, including the Grand Ole Opry House. Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators, was also flooded on Monday.

Ten deaths in the city have been blamed on the storm and officials fear the death toll could increase as the flooding recedes on Tuesday.

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