When In Rome
Twins Sign Jim Thome
The Twins have inked the 40-year-old Thome to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He can earn an additional $700,000 in incentives. This is not a bad signing at all by the Twins. They get a power hitter with clubhouse experience for a cheap price. He hit .249 with 23 homers last year so he still has a little pop left in his bat. It is likely he will be in the lineup mostly as a DH. Thome has 564 homeruns in his career.
Athletics Sign Ben Sheets
Oakland signed pitcher Ben Sheets to a one-year, $10 million contract. He can possibly earn $12 million with incentives. The 31-year-old former Brewer was stellar early in his career, but injuries have plagued him the last few years. He sat out all of 2009 while recovering from elbow surgery. The A's must have liked what they saw last week in a bullpen session and it was enough to get the deal done. If Sheets can return to his old self, this could be one of the better signings of the offseason.
Tejada Returns To Orioles
Baltimore brought back Miguel Tejada with a one-year, $6 million contract. Tejada turns 36 this season and may be well past his prime as a MLB caliber player, but he is sure an upgrade offensively over what the Orioles had last season.
CD
Animal Collective - Campirefire Songs [reissue]
Basia Bulat - Heart of My Own
7dayBinge - 7dayBinge
Beach House - Teen Dream
Jason Castro - Jason Castro
Citay - Get Together
Evacuate Chicago - Veracity
Joe Firstman - El Porto
Fredrik- Trilogi
Four Tet - There is Love In You
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Irm
Gorevette - Lustfully Yours [EP]
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Locksley - Be In Love
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
Jennifer Lopez - Love?
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
The Magnetic Fields - Realism
Never Shout Never - What is Love?
Patrick & Eugene - Altogether Now
Evacuate Chicago - Verasity
The Silent League - But You've Always Been The Caretaker
Three 6 Mafia - Laws of Power
DVD
Michael Jackson: This Is It
Pontypool
Surrogates
Bright Star
Whip It
Saw VI
Little Ashes
Give Me Your Hand
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell
The Boys Are Back
Soul Power
St. Trinian's
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
3:00 p.m. ET CBS
Peyton Manning and his Colts host a surprising Jets team that has one of the most dominating defenses in the league. Led by the best cornerback in the league, Darelle Revis, the Jets will try to limit the best quarterback in the league, Manning. The Colts will go as far as Manning can lead them and if I was a betting man, I wouldn't bet against him.
Knox Animal Pick: Colts
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
6:40 p.m. ET FOX
Brett Favre and company invade the Superdome to take on the Saints in the second game of the day. Favre has his team rolling and on the other side Drew Brees and the Saints are tough to beat at home. Both teams are use to playing in domes, so the home-field advantage may not be as great as it usually is for the Saints in this one.
Knox Animal Pick: Vikings
Extraordinary Measures
A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder. (Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford)
Legion
CD
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Cold War Kids - Behave Yourself (EP)
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening
Eels - End Times
Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life Is Not Cool
Missy Elliott - Block Party
RJD2 - The Colossus
Spoon - Transference
DVD
Gamer
The Invention of Lying
Pandorum
Whiteout
Dallas at Minnesota
1:00 p.m. FOX
The Cowboys are the hottest team right now. The Vikings have been the best team all season. This has the makings of a great game. Minnesota will need to establish its running game with Adrian Peterson. Favre has magic, but he doesn't have enough to do it alone. The Vikings defense will have its hands full. Covering Jason Witten will be the key if the Vikings want to keep this season going.
Knox Animal Pick: Minnesota
NY Jets at San Diego
4:40 p.m. CBS
San Diego is one of the most underrated teams this year. They have been solid throughout and they will try to knock off one of the AFC's hottest teams. The Jets have had an up and down year, but have been impressive as of late. Cornerback Darelle Revis is the best I have ever seen and he will blanket whoever he is matched up against. If rookie Mark Sanchez can limit his turnovers, the Jets will have a good shot at winning this one.
Knox Animal Pick: San Diego
Arizona at New Orleans
4:30 p.m. FOX
This could be Kurt Warner's last game. The veteran quarterback has hinted that he is on the verge of retiring and his team would like to get him one more championship. Similar to the way Jerome Bettis went out with a championship as a Steeler, Warner hopes to do the same as a Cardinal. New Orleans has been overrated in my eyes all season, but they are tough to beat in the dome.
Knox Animal Pick: Arizona
Baltimore at Indianapolis
8:15 p.m. CBS
This game depends 100% on Peyton Manning. The Colts need their gun-slinger to have a hell of a game to get past Ray Rice and the surging Ravens. The Colts are not as good as their record and without Manning, they wouldn't have made the playoffs by a long shot. If Baltimore can slow Manning down and force a couple turnovers, the Ravens should knock off the Cots.
Knox Animal Pick: Baltimore
The Book of Eli
Former University of Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer released the following statement about Lane Kiffin and the current state of the program. The statement was released through CBS, the network that he currently does analysis work for.
Read more..."Over the last 24 hours I have been contacted by friends, great fans and media members, and I feel it is important to comment, as a man who loves the University of Tennessee deeply and shares this love with millions of great Volunteer fans and friends. Recent events have been painful and an embarrassment to all of us who care about UT. I love the University; I am loyal to my alma mater and am ready to help as the University makes one of the most important decisions in the history of our football program. However, to prevent any misunderstanding, I am not seeking to be a candidate for the head coaching position. I am looking forward to embracing the next coach and have some strong beliefs about the kind of man he should be. He must embrace Tennessee's culture and traditions, be mature and of good character, and demonstrate integrity and leadership to our young men who desperately want to be shown the way. He must deserve, earn and keep the trust of our young men -- both present and future. Tennessee football has been successful for so many years because it has been rooted in values and traditions. We can't take those values for granted – if we do not guard them carefully, we will lose them." - Phil Fulmer
Baltimore at New England
1:00 p.m. ET CBS
Belichick's boys have struggled at time this season. Tom Brady has been solid for the most part, but still is not back to being where he was before the injuries. He is now nursing "broken ribs", which came up in the news this week when Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said that he and the Patriots are bluffing about the injury. The Ravens will bring all they have after Brady, but the question is will it be enough.
Knox Animal Pick: Baltimore
Green Bay at Arizona
4:40 p.m. ET FOX
Arizona has been relatively steady this season. Their high powered offense can put points on the board, but Green Bay is solid. The Packers have a lot to prove and so does quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He will forever be compared to Brett Favre in Green Bay and how great would it be if he had the opportunity to face-off again the legend later on in the playoffs? This is one of the more intriguing games of the Wild-Card Weekend.
Knox Animal Pick: Green Bay
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
4:30 p.m. NBC
It's a rematch of last week's game between the two teams. Prior to the last game, Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco opened his mouth about being able to have a big game against Jets badass corner Darelle Revis. That did not happen. If the Bengals want to have any chance in this game, they will need a few big plays from Ochocinco.
Knox Animal Pick: New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
8:00 p.m. NBC
Another rematch from last week and I have a feeling this one will turn out differently and here is why. Last week, the Cowboys dominated the Eagles because Philly dumbed down their schemes so they wouldn't be giving anything away. This week, the Eagles will want revenge and will definitely look a lot better than last week. In addition to that, you need to think about the Cowboys past postseason struggles and you gotta think that the Eagles will win this game. Everybody is picking the Cowboys, that is exactly why I am not.
Knox Animal Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
Daybreakers
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind. (Jay Laga'aia, Ethan Hawke)
Leap Year
A woman who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition (Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow)
Youth in Revolt
CITI BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Randy "The Big Unit" Johnson announced his retirement on a conference call Tuesday evening, bringing an end to his impressive 22-year career. Johnson was a five-time Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star during the span. He threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and ranks second on the career strikeout list with 4,875. The 6-foot-10 southpaw finished his career with a record of 303-166.
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL
No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
8:00 p.m. ET FOX
This game may not strike you as being an incredible-must-see game, but it could actually prove to be a great match-up when it is all said and done. Georgia Tech has the offensive firepower to light up a scoreboard, where Iowa has the defense to shut down almost any offense in the country. It's a battle of strengths and later, we will find out who is stronger.
Knox Animal Pick: Georgia Tech
CD
Flying Lotus - DJ Kicks
Ke$ha - Animal
Katherine McPhee - Unbroken
The Octagon - Warm Love and Cool Dreams Forever
Kanye West - VH1 Storytellers (Live CD/DVD)
DVD
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The Final Destination
Lorna's Silence
The Ministers
Trucker
Kanye West - VH1 Storytellers (Live CD/DVD)
