• Jason Taylor is still alive on “Dancing With The Stars” - and he’s using ESPN THE MAGAZINE to tell you how he’s doing.

(Taylor likes what he sees in dance partner Edyta Sliwinska)

• What to do when your team’s not in the NBA playoffs? Well, COLLEGE ON THE RECORD catches Greg Oden partyting down at Penn State.

• Redskins TE Chris Cooley reminisces to SHUTDOWN CORNER about how his own draft day went.

• DEADSPIN cuts to the chase, as Terrell Owens has been cropped out of an incriminating photo.

• PRO FOOTBALL TALK reports that the NFL has reached a deal with videophile Matt Walsh.

Read more…

Warren Sapp & Brett Favre had spent a fair share of their NFL years engaged in a trash-talking but respectful feud. So it would figure that on the day the Packers QB was calling it quits, Sapp would have to steal some of the spotlight and make his own retirement official.

The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that the 13-year veteran had previously said he was finished playing at the end of his 2007 season, “but did not file the paperwork.” In January, Sapp posted a two-word message on his website, QB KILLA, which simply said, “I’m Done!”

Sapp apparently made the official announcement on the Raiders’ official website. However, when we checked out the team’s front page, no Sapp-y stories were in sight. Read more…

• SIGNAL TO NOISE believes Redskins owner Dan Snyder is the second coming of Al Davis.

• Darren Rovell of CNBC bets how many times Peyton Manning’s name will be invoked at the Super Bowl.

• Meanwhile, BRAHSOME gambles on what tunes will be in Tom Petty’s halftime repetoire.

• BULLZ-EYE dribbles up a nice chat with Curly Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters.

• WITH LEATHER gets an eyeful of Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner posing nude.

• AOL FANHOUSE learns Gilbert Arenas is a big fan of Will Leitch’s new book.

• Michael Smith of ESPN rings up some stories behind certain Super Bowl jewelry.

Read more…

Must have been just another one of Al Davis’ senile mood swings. The Raiders are now denying reports that they wanted to kick out Lane Kiffin.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Friday that Kiffin was asked to resign, but refused to do so. Now the ASSOCIATED PRESS reports the Silver & Black are taking it back. Oakland exec John Herrera retorts, “There is no issue here. There was never an issue here. There’s nothing to it.”

Kiffin himself told the Worldwide Leader, “I’m not going to comment on anything that has transpired in the past three weeks.” Sounds like Lane isn’t going to let the rumors ruin his wonderful weekend in Mobile, Alabama, coaching the Senior Bowl.

It’s no surprise that the Raiders are denying the whole thing, since it’s rather embarrassing - especially considering Kiffin refused to step down. So we aren’t about to enroll Mort into the Kirk Herbstreit school of reporting coaching moves.

Like Shaq in the Champagne Room last night, SbB limps to the finish …

• ESPN has apparently now embargoed any Dana Jacobson news.

• Al Davis wants to derail Lane Kiffin’s Raiders coaching career.

• Jim Spanarkel used to be a sexy (Blue) Devil - now he’s a sexy Pirate.

• If a Ray Lewis lie detector test falls in the woods…

• Tony Romo ended his relationship with Jessica Simpson - to marry his college sweetheart?

• The latest LaDainian Tomlinson action figure features the Chargers RB with his end on the bench.

• A college basketball coach goes barefoot to end the agony of poor kids without shoes.

• The Pistons brawl starter ends his freedom with another drunk driving charge.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports this afternoon that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis “sent a letter to Lane Kiffin recently asking for the coach to resign.”

Kiffin then told Mortensen that he had refused to resign.

Davis is reportedly also, SURPRISE, “considering Dennis Green as a potential replacement, sources close to Kiffin and the team said.”

How low can go when you’re referred to as a “source close to Kiffin“? Might be time to look for another line of employ when that happens. Read more…