Buried deep in an excellent column by PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE writer Ed Bouchette, a piece we found via PROFOOTBALLTALK, is one of the best articulated attacks on the NFL in the economic recession, and it’s completely cogent. According to Bouchette, NFL teams are laying off workers to hedge their profits, not because they need to in order to avoid losing money.

(Is this team losing money? Not a chance.)

He’s absolutely right. If teams like the Redskins were really feeling the crunch of the recession, they wouldn’t be spending $100 million on Albert Haynesworth. Instead, the NFL as a whole is trying to paint a dire economic picture as it heads into a standoff with the NFL Players Association because of the lack of a collective bargaining agreement.

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• Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg bust their acting chops in “Guiding Light“:

Wonder if they’ll bring Dana Jacobson along to the Daytime Emmys?

• A-Rod is pumped at the thought of his daughters marrying Andy Pettitte.

• Knicks teammates Zach Randolph & Nate Robinson exchange words - then some water & towels.

• The Big Cactus needles Kareem & Wilt The Stilt about a lack of respect.

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Indiana’s Monday night win over Purdue will likely be the last game Kelvin Sampson spends on the Hoosier bench. ESPN reports that the Hoosiers coach is expected to be suspended this week, then eventually fired.

A source told the Worldwide Leader that this scenario is “by far the most likely” to befall Sampson. Kelvin has put his collegiate employer in trouble by he & his assisants making improper phone calls to potential recruits, and supposedly lying to the school & the NCAA about it. Read more…

The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that Bob Davie would rather stay in the press box than roam the College Station sidelines again, as the ESPN analyst turned down a chance to become the defensive coordinator for Texas A&M.

It would have been a homecoming of sorts for Davie, who coached the Aggies’ D from 1989-93. It was Bob’s last stop before South Bend, where he took the DC job for ND before becoming the Irish HC in 1997 - and we all know how well that went. Read more…

DC SPORTS BOG finds who Jim Fassel really blames for losing out on the Redskins job. Dan Snyder? Jim Zorn? Vinny Cerrato?

Nope - ’twas those evil, evil bloggers.

The ex-Giants coach said on John Thompson’s local radio show that his shot at coaching the ‘Skins was scuttled by online opinionators agitated at such a scenario. Read more…

The HUFFINGTON POST picks up word from the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS that former news anchor Alycia Lane may be back in front of the cameras again - for the WWE.

Lane and Philly radio jock Chris Booker were seen together in the Wachovia Center crowd during Monday night’s ‘WWE Raw’. The next day, Booker said on his show that Vince McMahon had offered Alycia an on-camera job with his wrestling outfit. A WWE spokesman said he couldn’t confirm the offer.

Alycia’s adventures outside the anchor’s chair already make an interesting story line. The ex-anchor had reportedly sent bikini photos of herself to NFL Network host Rich Eisen. And in December, Alycia supposedly brawled with New York City police, eventually punching a female cop.

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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.

The SEATTLE TIMES snows it’s good news that Mike Holmgren will be spending one more season with the Seahawks.

The coach announced on Tuesday that 2008 will be his last season in the Pacific Northwest. (Unless he gets a job with the CFL’s B.C. Lions.) But before he decided to stick it out, Mike had to get the okay from the wife.

Holmgren stated, “Kathy and I came to a decision this weekend to finish my contract, and we’re very happy about it,” while adding, “We’re going to go after it hard one more year.”

We’re sure the little missus likes to hear that. But did Mike make the right decision in coming back for an encore?

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Sunday Jay Glazer reported on Fox-TV that the Redskins had a “mystery” candidate for their vacant head coaching position. One prominent radio talk show host followed up on that news with speculation today on who Dan Snyder may now be zeroing in on.

Chris Russo of WFAN-AM’s afternoon “Mike and the Mad Dog” show said “Pete Carroll wants the Redskins job in the worst way. With what’s going on with Reggie Bush, Carroll is seeing the USC thing beginning to crumble. But after (Steve) Spurrier, Dan Snyder is trying to decide if he wants to back (sic) the college route with Carroll.”

With Snyder being such a hands-on owner, we find it hard to believe that Carroll would go to Washington. He’s reportedly made it clear that he only wants to go to a franchise where he would have complete control over personnel and the hiring of coaches. He probably wouldn’t get that with Snyder. But as Russo said, if the Bush situation gets worse, Carroll could be looking to go just about anywhere in the league (see Atlanta).

Just posted out of Indy: “Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy will return to the team for a seventh season, sources aware of his decision told 6News on condition of anonymity Monday afternoon.

“Dungy is scheduled to announce his decision at a 4:30 p.m. news conference. 6News and TheIndyChannel.com plan to carry it live,Dungy met with team management at the Colts complex for several hours. He said last week that Monday was the day he would announce whether he would retire or stay for the final year of his contract.”

UPDATE: NFL Network’s Adam Schefter confirms the notion.

UPDATE #2: Dungy officially confirms.

Question: Has anyone noticed that Dungy’s heir apparent, Jim Caldwell, was a complete flop as head coach of Wake Forest?