Sports

It's good on principle to give people a second chance, especially if they've demonstrated genuine remorse and a willingness to learn and grow. Still, there's something off-putting about President Obama's championing of Michael Vick:

In the preposterous analogy of the day, Aaron Sorkin notes Sarah Palin's killing of a caribou on her TLC travelouge and goes ballistic. Sorkin admits to enjoying meat but thinks it unseemly that Palin seems to enjoy the hunt:

Turn out the lights, the party's over:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team, died Sunday. He was 72.

There may be a more depressing way to start the week than staying up past normal bedtime in order to watch your football team get the crap kicked out of it, but right now I can't think of one. This Indy Star writer has a pretty good handle on the bad season we could have (or should have) seen coming from a long way off:

Just in case we forgot that "fan" is short for fanatic:

A disgruntled Indianapolis Colts fan could be to blame for $2 million in damage to a Jacksonville, Fla., hotel that happened hours after the Colts lost there a few weeks ago.

Florida authorities said the San Marco Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn were damaged when someone tampered with two water valves, unleashing thousands of gallons of water onto five floors on Oct. 4.

[. . .]

Brett Favre is alleged to have e-mailed a photo of a certain part of his anatomy to three women. Junior Seau drove his SUV off a cliff after being accused of domestic battery. Ben Roethlisberger is back in the starting lineup after his suspension for sexual assault allegations. Micahel Vick served prison time for running a dogfighting ring.

My favorite cartoon of the week, because it's both true and not political:

Talk about a good deal:

The Indianapolis Star's Matthew Tully writes about a panel discussion on the lack of civility in politics. The basic idea, apparently, is that politicians should take a lesson from sports about how to play nice:

"What matters is whether the country respects the process," Leach said. "If you respect the process, you pull together."

The Super Bowl is going to help turn Indianapolis into a paradise!

A soaring blue hotel altering Indianapolis' skyline. Freshly paved streets. A struggling neighborhood seeking renewal.

All are transformational projects taking place in anticipation of the city hosting the 2012 Super Bowl.