The Oakland Raiders finished the season with the worst record in the NFL, which means that they’ll get the first pick in April’s entry draft. Some analysts are speculating that the franchise might select Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn with their pick.

For some reason, I just can’t see Quinn donning the black and silver and playing in Oakland. He’s such as clean-cut kid that it seems like he wouldn’t fit in with the whole Raider image. He comes off as more of a Boy Scout than anything else and even if that’s mostly an act put on for PR purposes, I can’t imagine him playing alongside Randy Moss and his negative attitude.

Who knows, hopefully, the Raiders will go after a different guy instead!

When I was younger, I always wanted to have a basketball backboard of my own to practice on. Our driveway was too small, however, so I had to go a couple houses down to a neighbor’s yard and hope that a) their cars weren’t parked there at the time; and b) they wouldn’t mind if I just started shooting hoops.

Now that I’ve got a house of my own and a sizeable concrete section in the backyard, I’m thinking about finally getting my own basketball hoop. Of course these days, the equipment is much more sophisticated than the simple wooden backboard and metal rim that I grew up playing on. For example, I was checking out a really nice looking backyard court basketball hoop called the Hoop Pro Dunk Diamond.

There are several features of the Hoop Pro Dunk Diamond that separate it from the competition. The one I like best is the fact that this system has a 5′ extension arm that allows for a nice overhang. This is a safety precaution that reduces the chances of players crashing into the pole during the game. As my son gets older, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of kids coming over to play ball in our yard, so safety is my number one concern here.

This particular basketball hoop also has a 72″ NCAA glass backboard, breakaway rim, and comes with free padding for the pole. Looks like a great setup, so this particular model is very high up on my list right now. Check it out!

Well, Rex Grossman and the Chicago Bears looked god-awful once again yesterday in their 26-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 regular season finale. I don’t really want to go into all the mistakes the offense made (six turnovers — 3 interceptions and a fumble for Grossman, two interceptions for Brian Griese) or all the passing yards the defense allowed. Instead, I want to talk about Brett Favre.

I hope this was his last NFL game. Don’t get me wrong — I like and respect Favre as much as any other football fan, and would love to see him play forever IF he could keep playing at a high level. Yes, Favre is still good enough to start in the NFL, but he’s not Brett Favre anymore. If he keeps playing, he’s going to dull his accomplishments just a bit. I mean, he’s already become something of a fantasy football joke for all the interceptions that he throws. I don’t want to see things get even worse.

He’s won Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, and MVP awards, has broken numerous records, and will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So what’s left to prove? Move on and let Aaron Rodgers take over. It’s time.

(Photo Credit: AP/Morry Gash)

I’ve been shopping online for a long time now, so I know that Ebay is a great place to go for some unbelievable bargains. Of course, since it’s an auction site, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the products you want at a price you’re comfortable with.

I’ve found that I always have better luck winning an item when I place a bid as the auction is winding down. I’m not talking about sniping, exactly; just bidding in the final hour or so of an auction. That’s where a site like Lastminute Auction can come in handy.

Lastminute Auction tracks thousands of Ebay auctions that are in the final hour of bidding. What’s more, all the auctions listed on Lastminute Auction are for items priced at $1.00 or less (excluding shipping charges), making it a great resource for those looking for true Ebay bargains.

I was particularly thrilled to see over 700 listings in the video games category alone because my husband buys so many of these titles. We’ll definitely be checking through this site before making our next purchase!

Now that we’re officially into 2007, I guess it’s time to post my resolutions. I don’t have very many, so hopefully this will increase my chances of keeping them. I typically don’t do well with resolutions and can usually find myself reverting back to my old habits by the time February rolls around. Maybe this year will be different!

1. Lose 10 pounds through a combination of healthier eating and regular exercise.
2. Increase my online earnings by 10% this year.
3. Check into GRE preparation programs and sit for the exam by the end of the year.
4. Donate at least $500 each to my two favorite local charities.
5. Read one article per day on HowStuffWorks.com to improve my general knowledge.
6. Read at least 2 books per month.
7. Send at least one personal email per month to everyone in my address book.
8. Keep my house cleaner and more orderly on a daily rather than a weekly basis.

There are more, but these are the only ones that I feel like sharing!