Weight gain means lower gas mileage

10/25/2006, 4:49 p.m. ETBy LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Want to spend less at the pump? Lose some weight. That’s the implication of a new study that says Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gallons of gasoline each year than they did in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines. Simply put, more weight in the car means lower gas mileage.

Using recent gas prices of $2.20 a gallon, that translates to about $2.2 billion more spent on gas each year.

“The bottom line is that our hunger for food and our hunger for oil are not independent. There is a relationship between the two,” said University of Illinois researcher Sheldon Jacobson, a study co-author.

“If a person reduces the weight in their car, either by removing excess baggage, carrying around less weight in their trunk, or yes, even losing weight, they will indeed see a drop in their fuel consumption.”The lost mileage is pretty small for any single driver. Jacobson said the typical driver — someone who records less than 12,000 miles annually — would use roughly 18 fewer gallons of gas over the course of a year by losing 100 pounds. At $2.20 per gallon, that would be a savings of almost $40.

Outside experts said that even if the calculations aren’t exact, the study makes sense.

“If you put more weight into your car, you’re going to get fewer miles per gallon,” Emory University health care analyst Kenneth Thorpe said Wednesday.

The same effect has been seen in airplanes. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that heavy fliers have contributed to higher fuel costs for airlines.

The obesity rate among U.S. adults doubled from 1987 to 2003, from about 15 percent to more than 30 percent. Also, the average weight for American men was 191 pounds in 2002 and 164 pounds for women, about 25 pounds heavier than in 1960, government figures show.

The study’s conclusions are based on those weight figures and Americans’ 2003 driving habits, involving roughly 223 million cars and light trucks nationwide.

Schnide,Shnide,Scheid Whatever It Is Get Off It

Once again your faithful fan planted himself in front of the television and hoped for a bargain Monday Night Football. I really wanted to see what the hype was all about in regards to a new stadium and I was impressed. Well spent $450 million to put a new bird in a new cage. Cards being 1-4, even though being at home did not look promising since they were playing the number one team in the NFL Chicago Bears. The atmosphere right from the start favored Arizona with the noise level that would match any stadium in the nation. It looked like a giant pizza spread with sauce and a few patches of sausages here and there representing the Bear fans. The roof was open and the birds were ready to fly, and fly they did. To everyone’s surprise they shut out Bears in the first half leading 20-0 with Leinart throwing for two TD’s and defense with 4 turnovers. I am sure everyone in America including the players themselves never imagined being up by 20 on the only undefeated team left. I hung out before running to the fridge to see the Jay-Z video (YAWN). Looked liked just another semi educated rapper that got together with some powerful Jews and learned the corporate ropes, but that is another article all together. Besides listening to Tony Kornheisers babble, who most likely couldn’t make the girls cheerleading squad in high school, tell me about football.

Back from the fridge and looked like I didn’t miss much at all, same people still rambling on about things that have nothing to do with the game or football. What a team they have assembled. I can get passed the two ladies doing the sideline interviews with players. I mean, since they have so much experience playing the game of football or paying with football players why wouldn’t you hire two lovely women to work “the sideline”. Anyway here comes the second half and this is where the bird’s wing broke .

Mr. Green started to work the clock without realizing there is still 30 minutes left in the game. I am not sure why you would go away from a game plan that gave you a 20-0 lead and start running the ball with a running back is known to fumble in key situations. Gee, you think Colts let go of a 1000-yard rusher because they hate to run?

                                       Gms     Fumbls

1999 Indianapolis Colts 16        8

2000 Indianapolis Colts 16       5

2001 Indianapolis Colts   6        3 
2002 Indianapolis Colts 14       4

2003 Indianapolis Colts 13       5 
2004 Indianapolis Colts 16       6

2005 Indianapolis Colts 15       2 
2006 Arizona Cardinals   6       1

TOTAL                           102    34

As you can see there is a history of Mr. James fumbling in key situations which is about roughly 30% of the time. Not the guy you want running the ball when you are trying to run out the clock. Green as a coach has been known for his conservative nature and maybe that is the reason why he is in Arizona and Vikings are 3-2. I wish he had put some of that anger on the field and channeled it to his player rather then the press after the game. I don’t think green will be with Cards next year, mostly because of his decisions made during the Bear game. This was a perfect chance to show the fans that there is hope with a new QB and some star additions on the team birds will fly some day. Instead they turned into salmon that was too weak to make it up the stream and got eaten by the big bad Bear.

One Way to Support Our City Finest

Three fast-food restaurant workers were taken into custody Sunday evening after two police officers discovered that the hamburgers they had ordered had been sprinkled with marijuana.

The Isleta Police Department officers were had eaten about half of their burgers from a Burger King restaurant in Los Lunas before realizing that something was wrong. Opening the burgers, they discovered marijuana sprinkled on top of the meat.

“One of the officers, when he was eating his hamburger, he said, ‘This thing tastes like it has marijuana in it,’” said Lieutenant Joseph Sanchez of the Los Lunas Police Department. “And that’s when he opened it up to see what was inside.”

The officers used a field test kit, which confirmed that the green, leafy substance was pot.

Officials say that the officers began acting odd after ingesting the marijuana and their sergeant sent them to a hospital for a medical evaluation.

The three Burger King employees were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and aggravated battery on an officer, which is a felony. They’ve been identified as 19-year-old Justin Armijo, 21-year-old Robert Nuckols and their manager, 33-year-old Joseph Ledefma.

NFL’s Seven Deadly Sins

They are the lessons of avoidance that are supposed to keep us on the path. Stay virtuous, live right and avoid the seven deadly sins: Lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, envy, pride and sloth.Applied to the NFL landscape, they are merely seven vices that shape the league and fill the sports pages. And believe it or not, each year they shape the Super Bowl chase. So in honor of the vices that sort out the pretenders and contenders, we give you a list of teams that have committed sins that are bound to shape the postseason.

Starting with everyone’s favorite …

The sin: LUST (otherwise known as unwholesome morality)
The sinner: Cincinnati BengalsWe know about all the arrests (six different players in the last year), the league discipline (Odell Thurman dismissed for the season), and the recent benching of wideout Chris Henry (leader in the clubhouse with four arrests in the last 12 months). What we don’t know is how all of the off-the-field issues are going to come home to roost. But for those who are seeking a good example, Sunday’s blowout loss to the Patriots was a perfect illustration.

Cincinnati has issues against good running teams, resulting in its standing as the league’s 26th-ranked rush defense. Only the Titans and Jets have given up more rushing touchdowns (eight apiece) than Cincinnati (seven), and no team in the league has surrendered more first downs via the run (39). What does that have to do with Cincinnati’s offseason problems? It has plenty to do with the loss of Thurman, who was the team’s leading tackler in 2005. His improvement was supposed to accentuate the run-plugging abilities of offseason addition Sam Adams.

Without Thurman, the Bengals have been reduced to a group of chase and tackle linebackers – a significant problem when you consider the strength of several Super Bowl contenders in the AFC – San Diego, Baltimore and New England – will be the running game. Worse yet, the season-ending injury to David Pollack had already left their overall depth at linebacker thin, and losing Thurman (who also had five interceptions last season) takes away another playmaking element. Clearly, the margin of error for Cincinnati’s players has shrunk off the field. The only question now is whether the uncontrolled lusts of some of guys like Thurman and Henry will cost them too much on it.

The sin: GLUTTONY (otherwise known as overindulgence)
The sinner: Atlanta FalconsNot to beat a one-dimensional horse, but the Falcons’ current dominance in the running game is going to become a problem. Maybe not now or through Week 17, but when the playoffs come around, someone is going to solve the option attack that has lit up opponents to the ridiculous tune of 234.2 yards per game. Yes, for the third straight year, the Falcons are leading the league in rushing. And for the third straight year, they are trolling the depths of the league in passing offense (31st overall), after finishing 27th and 30th the last two seasons.

We can celebrate the Falcons’ vaunted defensive aggression all we want. Certainly that and the running game should be enough to vault Atlanta into the playoffs once again. But the single-dimension offense promises to be the franchise’s postseason undoing yet again, just like it was in the 2004 playoffs. It should be remembered that Atlanta destroyed St. Louis en route to the NFC championship game, rolling up 327 rushing yards. Then the Falcons encountered a defense that had one goal: hem in quarterback Michael Vick and the running game, and force the Falcons to throw the ball. The result? Atlanta rushed for 99 yards, and Vick completed 11 of 24 passes with one interception and no touchdowns. Oh, and the Falcons lost 27-10.

And yet, somehow, this postseason might be different? Not likely. Not with two of the league’s best rushing defenses, Chicago and Seattle, expected to stand in the way. And not with the Falcons already showing in the loss to New Orleans that when they fall behind and need to move via a passing attack, the results aren’t pretty. Perhaps the answer is a quarterback rotation with Matt Schaub. It sounds unconventional and far-fetched, but so is winning a Super Bowl while relying on the option attack.

The sin: GREED (otherwise known as overriding need for wealth)
The sinner: Indianapolis Colts

Greed ended the partnership of Manning (left) and former teammate James.

Quarterback Peyton Manning called it a bittersweet day when he lost running back Edgerrin James this offseason. And yet, when James was asked why he left Indianapolis, he intimated that it really came down to one thing: The Colts weren’t willing to pay him. Why? The team was already looking at being cap strapped with a massive amount of cash tied up in Manning, wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, defensive end Dwight Freeney and defensive tackle Corey Simon. The spectacular amount of cap room invested in those players meant James couldn’t be afforded.

Now, all those players should keep their checkbooks in mind when they are struggling to establish a running game while facing their most difficult Super Bowl trek in years. Yes, business is business. That’s understandable in this league. But there is a reality for highly-paid superstars in the salary cap era, too. If you truly want a ring, you have to be willing to forgo some of your own financial gains if you want your franchise to retain some cornerstone teammates. If Manning wanted to win a Super Bowl, he and some of those other stars should have found a way to free up the cap space to keep James a Colt while the Super Bowl window is still open the next 2-3 seasons.

Consider this: James is going to make roughly $5 million a season the next three years. Meanwhile, the extension Manning signed in 2004 pays him roughly triple that – about $15 million annually. Maybe it’s inconceivable to expect a player to take less than his maximum value for the good of the team. But New England quarterback Tom Brady (ahem, three time Super Bowl winner) did it when he signed for about $8 million less in guaranteed money than Manning, and almost $11 million less than Michael Vick.

The sin: WRATH (otherwise known as vengeful feelings toward another)
The sinner: New England PatriotsPerhaps wide receivers Doug Gabriel and Troy Brown, and tight end Ben Watson will be able to fill the void left behind by Deion Branch. But clearly, the Patriots’ passing offense is feeling the pains of the offseason beef that ended with a divorce from Branch. Say whatever you want about financial logic and rules. The bottom line: the Patriots have plenty of acreage under the salary cap and could have afforded to keep Brady’s favorite target without destroying the precious balance of the franchise’s checkbook. Instead, the team took a hard line stance and basically told Branch they didn’t think he was worth what the open market would dictate.

Make no mistake, the Patriots took it personally when Branch held out. And the suggestion that he pursue a trade was a vengeful ploy that blew up in their face. It certainly wasn’t the first financial low blow attempted, either (see: Lawyer Milloy’s last-minute release in 2003). The reality is, every offseason there is some kind of tiff with a player who wants to be paid. Disagreements that tend to end the same way: with New England incurring its roster-trimming wrath and talent leaving in a huff.

In reality, the Patriots came with an unnecessary iron fist this offseason and alienated a valuable player. Branch was a Super Bowl MVP who also happened to be the team’s most dependable receiving option, and whose impact was bigger than just numbers. You can bet New England’s militant fallout with Branch has plenty to do with Brady posting arguably his least efficient four-game stretch in his career. And you can bet his loss will loom large when key plays are needed for a Super Bowl run, too.

The sin: ENVY (otherwise known as an insatiable desire for love or success)
The sinner: Dallas CowboysYou can look at this two ways: the endless need of Terrell Owens to be in the spotlight, or Dallas’ desperate attempt to inject itself back into the league’s hype machine. Make no mistake, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has no regrets about the buzz of controversy that has swirled around his franchise since acquiring Owens. Dallas is relevant and entertaining again, just like it was during the ongoing soap operas that marked the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer eras. But by tying themselves to Owens, the Cowboys have cast their lot with a player who has shown unparalleled and destructive jealousies throughout his career.

Forget the attempted suicide/accidental overdose/rogue publicist fiasco. Owens’ need for attention was a problem from Day 1, with the gristmill churning release of his book on the eve of training camp. The donning of the Tour De France style jersey during training camp; skipping voluntary workouts in the offseason; oversleeping and missing meetings – it has all perpetuated an ongoing circus of attention that Owens and the Cowboys have embraced.

But we know the end of this story. Whether it’s Drew Bledsoe’s recent comments that Terry Glenn is the best receiver he’s ever thrown to – or something else along the way – the marriage between Owens and Dallas is due to fracture. It may be in the form of the typical T.O. sideline tongue lashing. Or it may be with Parcells walking away from the drama this offseason. The only question is whether the Cowboys can win a Super Bowl in spite of the circus they craved, because it certainly won’t be because of it.

The sin: PRIDE (otherwise known as Vanity)
The sinner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Porter (center) and the Steelers might have become too cool for their own good.

Remember the blue collar, hard hat mentality that typified the Steelers? It’s fading. If you haven’t noticed, the Steelers spent the offseason loving themselves on multiple levels. There were the “we’re-too-smart-for-our-own-good” personnel moves like failing to complete a trade for bruising back T.J. Duckett in favor of finding a short-yardage guy within the roster (the attempt failed). And lest we forget, at a time when every team in the league had red-flagged draft prospect Santonio Holmes, the Steelers tabbed him as the guy who would soften the loss of wide receiver Antwaan Randle El (it might take a few seasons).

But for real moments of vanity, you had to hear coach Bill Cowher’s mocking comments of Cincinnati’s “Who Dey” chant, or see Joey Porter’s “I’m the biggest badass you ever met” sunglasses routine at the White House ceremony. And of course, there was Ben Roethlisberger’s bulletproof biker mistake. Roethlisberger’s accident and lack of work with his receiving corps in the offseason are costing Pittsburgh plenty. Not to mention the defense’s consistent woofing during games, something that seems to have become an outgrowth of Porter’s pre-game routine at the 50-yard line.

What made Pittsburgh great last season was that it stuck to its core run-first belief and developed a sense that it was an underappreciated team. Values that were supposed to stick after the Steelers made the mistake of integrating a pass-first mentality in 2002 and 2003. Cowher vowed to always remember the core values once Roethlisberger became the starter. And for two years, Pittsburgh made good on the promise. Now? The Steelers are 11th in the league in rushing and Roethlisberger has thrown 71 passes in his two starts (including an unthinkable end zone interception from first and goal on the Cincinnati 6-yard line). Hype, glitz and woofing won’t deliver another Super Bowl. Core blue collar values and discipline will.

The sin: SLOTH (otherwise known as laziness)
The sinner: Chicago Bears? Baltimore Ravens? Philadelphia Eagles?It’s hard to say there can be anything lazy about an NFL player or franchise, but at the end of the season, complacency and a penchant for sitting stars always seems to cost someone.

Last year, look no further than the Indy’s Manning, who threw a grand total of 14 passes his final two regular season games, then sat through a bye week in the playoffs and came out looking terribly rusty against an aggressive Pittsburgh defense. The same could have been said for Chicago, which sat quarterback Rex Grossman in the regular season finale against Minnesota – despite the fact that he had only two games (and one start) under his belt.

The Bears paid dearly for that mistake, with Grossman going 17-of-41 passing and looking out of synch in a home playoff loss. And guess what? Chicago might be the biggest candidate for this sin yet again, considering they play in the NFL’s weakest division and have a schedule that could lead to 13, 14 or even 15 wins and a cruising mentality heading into the postseason. There’s no telling which teams will lock up their playoff berths the earliest and then start getting overly protective with their players. But you can count on it happening. And if there is anything to be learned from history, it’s a sin that will surely alter the Super Bowl chase.

Interesting study

A study conducted by UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the
kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on
where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with scissors lodged in his temple and a
bat jammed up his ass while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected

Shootout At The Philli Coral?

By Pat Kirwan NFL.com Senior Analyst (Sept. 30, 2006) — Two weeks ago, Brett Favre discovered the old Brett Favre and the results have been impressive. Two straight games of 340 yards passing with six touchdown passes and just one interception suggests the ole’ No. 4 still can play this game at a high level — and he loves Monday Night Football. On the other side of the field in Monday night’s Packers-Eagles matchup will be Donovan McNabb and the league’s No. 1 offense — 436 total yards per game. This matchup should be full of big plays and lots of scoring, especially when you drill down into both defenses. The Eagles defense can get after the passer with pressure, but the secondary hasn’t held up well against the pass. The Packers defense will face Philly’s no-huddle offense, which will exploit a Packers secondary that struggles and gives up big plays. SOME FAST FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU LIKE THE EAGLES 1. The Eagles have defeated Green Bay eight straight times in Philadelphia. 2. The Packers defense gave up 24 points to Detroit. 3. The Eagles defense has 16 sacks in three games and it has forced seven fumbles. 4. Last week, Eagles RB Brian Westbrook had 164 total yards on 12 touches. 5. Packers RB Ahman Green had a fourth-quarter fumble in the last two games. 6. Philadelphia is 7-0 against NFC North teams since the realignment in 2002. SOME FAST FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU LIKE THE PACKERS 1. Favre has thrown 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions in his last seven MNF games. 2. In Favre’s last 91 pass attempts, his O-line has only given up two sacks. 3. In the last two weeks, wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings have combined for 20 receptions and 351 yards. 4. Favre completed passes to 10 different receivers in Week 3. 5. The Eagles defense has allowed five TD passes and opponents completed 65.5 percent of their passes. 6. The Eagles defense has surrendered 250-plus yards passing per game and no picks. WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL Eagles coach Andy Reid and his high-powered offense will come right out of the blocks at home with an aggressive attack that is more pass than run until he gets a solid lead. Facing McNabb will be the 31st-ranked defense that will absolutely struggle to slow the Eagles down. McNabb will make sure Westbrook gets most of his plays to keep his 140 yards-per-game average. But the place McNabb wants to go is up top.   Donovan McNabb and the top ranked Eagles offense will look to exploit the Packers’ porous defense.     The Packers defense gives up big plays and opponents have averaged seven explosive pass plays per game. The Eagles’ L.J. Smith has the most receiving yards for NFL tight ends so far this season and the Packers safeties will be his prime targets. Receiver Donte Stallworth should be ready to play, which means Charles Woodson better have his ‘A’ game. The Eagles always seem to be under criticism about their running game, but the truth is they average 129 yards per game behind a massive offensive line. If and when the Eagles take a substantial lead and want to utilize the ‘four-minute package’ to eat up some clock to keep Favre off the field, I have two concerns: 1) Do the Birds have the big back to pound the running game? And 2), is there any truth to the idea that coach Reid’s conservative game plans late in games have led to recent comebacks by opponents? My response is they still need a big back to move the chains and the play-calling is just fine. The Packers defense only has eight sacks and the Eagles have only given up five. Green Bay is looking at a QB who gets taken to the ground just once in every 23 pass attempts. Packers coordinator Bob Sanders might have to consider some more blitz pressure if he wants to disrupt McNabb’s flow. Only one Packer sack is from a non-defensive lineman. WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL As well as Favre is playing recently and his outstanding MNF record, the Packers must still establish a running game to keep the Eagles offense off the field. The problems are Green Bay averages 3.2 yards a carry, it doesn’t have a rushing touchdown in three games and the offensive line has a number of rookies starting. The problem the Packers O-line faces in this game is that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will rotate four defensive tackles all game long and keep the pressure on the run game. The Birds defense keeps opponents under 4.0 yards a carry and hasn’t allowed a rush for over 22 yards. It will not be long before coach Mike McCarthy is forced to surrender the running game and a balanced attack for the passing game on a steady diet. Keep in mind, Favre had to throw 55 times last week to beat the Lions.   Brett Favre looks to have another spectacular night under the spotlights of Monday Night Football.     Favre had great success with the short passing attack against the Lions, especially from the shotgun and his teammates made a lot happen after the catch. No better example than the 75-yard touchdown reception by rookie Jennings, which was little more than a 5-yard completion. I’m all in favor of the quick pass attacks in this contest to keep Trent Cole (five sacks) and his teammates from forcing Favre into a series of bad decisions. As long as the Hall of Fame QB doesn’t turn himself into the ‘gunslinger’ he used to be, the less trouble his team will get into. Green Bay will still give the ball to Green 20 times and hopefully he has worked on his fumble issues this week. I’m not sure drills eliminate fumbles, but an attitude about ball security, especially with the Eagles defenders trying to strip the ball, is a necessity. CONCLUSION I’m looking forward to an offensive shootout as Favre inches closer to Dan Marino’s touchdown record and McNabb brings his team back to the NFC East title and a playoff run. Neither team had any success on MNF last season with a combined record of 0-6. One team will stop the losing streak at three, while the other team makes it a fourth straight loss on the national stage. McNabb told me this summer that he’s prepared to run when he has to move the chains and score in the red zone. Westbrook doesn’t practice very much these days, but he performs at game time and this game will be no different. Green Bay’s scoring has gone up every week — from 0 to 27 to 31 — and the Eagles convert a very impressive 48.7 percent of their third downs. I like the Eagles to win this game with close to 30 points and the Packers to hang around by putting up close to 24 points. Three or four lead changes wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Don’t fall asleep on the couch during this one.