The BOSTON GLOBE reported yesterday that fully half of the gray hooded sweatshirts sold through the NFL are adorned with the Patriots logo, a fairly obvious by-product of Bill Belichick’s “hobo coach” look.

(Doesn’t he look sharp? Or homeless?)

It seems strange that such an image-unconscious look has caught on in spite of itself, but we got to thinking: this isn’t a new phenomenon. Through the decades of NFL history, in fact, successful coaches have shaped popular fashion, usually without even trying. Let’s take a look back, shall we?

Read more…

Sasha Vujacic’s final shot gave grief to gamblers? You can bet on it!

• Don Shula wonders if new Dolphins prez Bill Parcells is so good, why does he keep changing jobs?

• Best not to block Big Brown during the Belmont, or his trainer’s gonna shoot somebody.

• A high school wrestling coach has been let go after his assistant was trying to suplex Muslim students into Christianity.

• Good to see Jenna Jameson staying in practice for her profession.

• A letter intercepted in jail may help solve the murder of Denver Bronco Darrent Williams.

Read more…

The SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL transcribes part of a recent radio interview by Evan Cohen of Don Shula on West Palm’s ESPN 760am about the current state of the Dolphins (which reminds us, we need to book a night at Shula’s *resort* before we move back to L.A. … in-room coffeemakers!).

(No superior room with ocean view for Parcells?)

And in a stunning development, Shula backhanded Parcells while talking about the impact he would have on the franchise. Read more…

• Michael David Smith of AOL FANHOUSE dresses down Qatar for making Maria Sharapova wear long tights underneath her skirt.

• FAN IQ’s 100% INJURY RATE uncovers a doozy of an Olympic sex scandal - complete with nude pics of opening ceremonies singers and gangsters threatening to cut off arms.

• Barack Obama has Greg Oden’s vote.

Read more…

PATS STAY PERFECT, MUCH TO DISPLEASURE OF OLD FISH: Don Shula was less than a minute away from popping the champagne, but New England kept a cork in it, as Brady & the boys bested Baltimore 27-24 on Monday Night:

The Patriots now move to 12-0, and are only 4 games away from clinching the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since Shula’s 1972 Dolphins.How badly do the old Finsters want to keep the record to themselves? Shula took a seat in the Monday Night Football booth for several minutes, and spent his time rooting for the Ravens.

And CONSTRUDA notes that Mercury Morris is still pissed about the Pats possibility for perfection. When asked before Monday night’s game if he would welcome New England to ‘72 Dolphins status, Morris replied, “No. Hey, listen, a husband always needs a wife.”As for the actual on-field play, there was no love lost between the two AFC foes - or was there? AWFUL ANNOUNCING found Ravens coach Brian Billick blowing smooches to Pats safety Rodney Harrison:

WRITER ARGUES SHULA’S OWN TEAM DESERVES ASTERISK: Don Shula shouldn’t be tossing out talk of asterisks when his own 1972 team could have one:

Jim Litke of the ASSOCIATED PRESS argues that the former Miami Dolphins coach should speak for himself when it comes to criticizing New England’s possible perfect run.Before bumming it on South Beach, Shula was in charge of the Baltimore Colts. After the 1969 season, then-Dolphins owner Joe Robbie talked with Shula and convinced the coach to head to Miami.

However, the NFL didn’t like the discussion, and charged the Dolphins with tampering & gave their first-round draft pick to the Colts. Three seasons later, Shula had his Super Bowl ring & undefeated season.

As for critics calling out the Pats for running up the score, Litke points out that one of Miami’s wins during their perfect drive was a 52-0 thrashing of New England.Litke believes that if the Patriots’ “Spygate” scandal deserves a little star mark on a 19-0 record, then Shula’s move south should result in “17-0*”.

But it’s hard to see Litke’s assessment as more than just homerism for the Boston boys, after reading his thoughts on a Pats penalty last week.

During the 2nd quarter of the Indy-NE game, Pats tackle Matt Light leg-swiped Colts defender Dwight Freeney, resulting in a personal foul call.Litke proudly wrote, “It was one of those win-at-all-cost maneuvers that few people would have admired more than Belichick and Light’s teammates would have admired.”

We’re pretty sure Belichick & teammates wouldn’t admire getting pushed back 15 yards because of a dumb penalty.

SHULA: PATS’ PERFECT RECORD SHOULD HAVE AN ASTERISK Rather than scare out anything interestingly current, Gary Myers of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS rouses the NFL’s most famous assisted-livers, the 1972 Dolphins, for a throwaway column featuring an embarrassingly embittered Don Shula.

Shula tells Myers that because of the Patriots’ illegal video activity record by the NFL earlier this season, if New England goes undefeated there should be an asterisk affixed to the mark.

The Steakhouse: “I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds’ home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No.1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment.”

If the Patriots’ offense was so serious, serious enough to note it in the final NFL record book, then why wasn’t Bill Belichick suspended for one single second of NFL play?And unlike the Bonds’ affair, which still has more legs to it than Beyonce, the league has since closed the book on the investigation of the Patriots *nefarious* activities.