I enjoy watching American Idol as much as the next guy, but there are some folks who take it too seriously. Along with messageboards filled with juvenile rantings over the contestants, there are the usual fan websites & even one called DialIdol which gives viewers the ability to easily vote for their favorite singer multiple times.

When it would be announced that 47 million folks voted, I often wondered how many of those were multiple voters. I would assume most folks are like me: they'll watch the show if they get a chance, but would never pick up a phone to vote (no matter how good looking Katherine McPhee is!).

I hate to sound like the rest of the kooks that claim football is fixed, NASCAR is fixed, etc. But I do wonder about the legitimate results of AI.

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It took seven hours yesterday for the NFL Players Union & reps of the Tennessee Titans to present their respective sides in the ongoing dispute over Steve McNair & his use of team facilities during the offseason. It could be weeks before the arbitrator makes his decision.

Regardless of the politics behind the scenes of this dispute, there is hardly a way the Titans can emerge from this unharmed, even if they win their case. After all, it was the team that agreed to the contract that they are now wanting to re-work.

McNair will likely be in a Baltimore uniform this fall.

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L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant will try his hand at being a studio analyst on TNT tonight. The invite comes after he got upset over comments by Charles Barkley in the Lakers game 7 playoff loss to Phoenix. Barkley claimed Kobe was selfish by not shotting the ball: "I think he stopped shooting so he could say, 'Those guys didn't help me.' "

Bryant used the 2006 method of responding to smacktalk by sending Barkley 20 text messages disagreeing with him.

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It seems everyone is taking shots at NASCAR lately. The big debate in 2006 has been the so-called "BuschWhackers" in the Busch series. (For those that don't know, a "BuschWhacker" is term some apply to Cup drivers who also drive a Busch car.)

Now with more Saturday night races on the schedule that ever before, local tracks scattered around the country say that's hurting their attendance. But driver-turned TV analyst Darrell Waltrip tells Larry Woody of The Tennessean, "TV represents competition, certainly, but competition is part of any business, and you have to learn to deal with it. Track promoters have to be creative. There used to be a time when they could just open the gates and sell tickets. Those days are over."

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Memphis basketball coach John Calipari was adamant last year that the new & weakened Conference USA needed only 14 conference games each season... and at least for one year he got his wish. But Cal tells Gary Parrish in the Commercial Appeal, "There was some talk about keeping it at 14 games, but I think what's happened is that it's just so hard for some of these schools to get non-conference games. I understand what some of these other schools are going through, so it's hard for me to sit there and argue with them ... even though I did because it could hurt me. But I'm fine with it, and we'll be fine."

It seems there was a five-hour debate over the issue yesterday as the conference's spring meeting continues in Destin, Fla. The NCAA is allowing schools 29 regular season games & there was concern from some schools in the league that they would have a hard time attracting opponents or afford to pay for buy games.

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Guard Brandon Patterson, forward Mike Smith & center Marquis Young will not return to the Mississippi basketball team next season. The three asked for & were granted releases by new head coach Andy Kennedy.

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