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Ladies and Gentlemen we have 64 days remaining until the kickoff of the NFL season with the American Bowl game in Japan. The pre season starts five days later, and the regular season is only 97 days away! Here are some of the top stories from this week in the NFL:Chiefs part ways with receiver MortonNFL applauds 49ers' response to media training filmSeahawks cut twoEagles RB Westbrook ends holdout, signs tenderRavens RB Lewis released from prison, hopes to attend minicampUnrestricted & Restricted NFL Free Agent Signings Statement from NFL Spokesman re: 49ers' Media Training VideoStingy is good: Jets hand Henderson...

Ben Roethlisberger can take it full circle today against the Ravens. Back on Sept. 19 in Baltimore, the rookie quarterback was flung into the NFL's high seas, sink or swim. Today, he can skipper the Steelers to the AFC's treasure island, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. "That first game, he got his feet wet,'' receiver Hines Ward said. "He's in the water now." Roethlisberger went from "some little young kid who's just out of college" -- Alan Faneca's infamous description -- to royalty in Pittsburgh in the past three months. He's 12-0, a Pro Bowl alternate, Dapper Dan...

Mixed in with all the beatdowns and battles that dominated sports this past week was this little action by the NFL - Indianapolis Colts tight ends Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark were each fined $5,000 for the "jump-and-bump" routine the two had taken to performing after scoring a touchdown.

*** USELESS VANITY THREAD *** And thus begins the official end to the season of 20 NFL teams as the 12 survivors jockey for their post-season slots this weekend. AFC East Team W L T Miami 9 6 0 N.Y. Jets 8 7 0 New England 8 7 0 Buffalo 7 8 0 AFC North Team W L T y-Pittsburgh 9 5 1 Cleveland 8 7 0 Baltimore 7 8 0 Cincinnati 2 13 0 AFC South Team W L T y-Tennessee 10 5 0 Indianapolis 9 6 0 Jacksonville 6 9 0 Houston 4 11 0 AFC West Team...

[sigh] Well, it is now obvious why I don't win office pools. Of course, it would have been easier had I known that Denver was only going to play the last two quarters.