Eric Johnson Gets A Nice Retirement Package

Eric Johnson was a tight end for the 49ers and Saints. He was from my hometown (Needham), and man did he get one well of a retirement package....

Looks like Jessica Simpson is back in the dating game -- with another football player.

The singer, who dated Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo for two years, is dipping back into the NFL dating pool, seeing former San Francisco 49ers tight end Eric Johnson.

"It's true," a source close to Simpson confirms to PEOPLE, adding that the pair have been dating since May (CNN.com).

Good for him man. I don't care that she put on a couple pounds, she is still fucking gorgeous. I would do anything to wake up next to her everyday, and she still has to have tons of money, so it looks like Johnson gets a solid retirement working on his golf swing, and banging Jessica Simpson.

Top Thanksgiving Day Rivals

Well for Massachusetts at least...

Boston Latin at Boston English, 10 a.m. – These two teams have been battling since 1887. It is the oldest continuous rivalry in the country. Despite the age of the rivalry, it has been one sided for a while. Boston Latin leads the series 73-36-13 and has won 27 of the last 29 meetings including 12 straight.

Needham at Wellesley, 10 a.m. – Needham and Wellesley first met on Thanksgiving Day in 1882. It is the oldest public school rivalry in the nation. Wellesley leads the series 58-54-9. If Needham wins this year, the Rockets will go to the playoffs.

Malden at Medford, 10 a.m. – Malden and Medford have been battling since 1889. Malden holds a slight lead in the series, 57-54-10 and with a victory will climb to .500 this season.

Beverly at Salem, 10 a.m. – The 111th installation of “The Game” is for bragging rights. Beverly leads the series 53-50-7.

Barnstable at Falmouth, 10 a.m. – This is one of the more hotly contested rivalries around. Barnstable leads the series by a game, 56-55-8.

New Bedford at Durfee, 10:15 a.m. – The rivalry between these two schools started in 1893. It is the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry on the South Coast of New England. New Bedford leads the series 68-39-10.

Waltham at Brockton, 10 a.m. – While this isn’t one of the oldest rivalries, it is one of the most intense. The two have met 75 times, with Brockton winning 44 times. The winner of this year’s match will have bragging rights forever because the two won’t renew the rivalry next year.

Framingham at Natick, 10 a.m. – The 105th meeting between the two teams holds a lot of meaning. Framingham needs a win to stay in the Bay State Carey race while Natick is looking to avenge a loss to the Flyers in last year’s edition of the rivalry. Natick leads the series 68-30-5.

Whitman-Hanson at Abington, 10 a.m. – This is the 99th meeting between the teams. Whitman-Hanson holds the edge in the series 56-39-3.

East Boston at South Boston, 9:30 a.m. – East Boston holds a one game lead in this close series 43-42-6.

Have to give a shout out to Needham for having the oldest football rivalry in the nation. Should be a great game this year, since if Needham wins they are in the playoffs, but I won't be attending because it is in Wellesley and that is just too much effort on Thanksgiving...

NHLPA Fires Paul Kelly

This could be really bad news for the NHL...

"Paul Kelly is out as executive director of the NHL Players Association. The union announced at its annual meeting Monday that its executive board voted "overwhelmingly" to remove Kelly. The executive board is made up of one player from each of the 30 teams. Kelly held the job for less than two years. The NHLPA didn't give a reason, saying that after a review of the "overall operation of the NHLPA, it was decided that Paul Kelly should no longer continue to serve as executive director." The union said it would immediately form a committee to find a replacement (Sportsline)."

At first when I read this I thought maybe Kelly really fucked up (he is a Needham guy), but as I have read more sites it sounds like this could be a much larger problem. There are rumors going around now that the NHLPA is going to dig in their heels and really fight for a better bargaining agreement (which is coming up soon). This could lead to another lockout, so keep an eye on who they pick to replace and what that means for the next bargaining agreement...

Heated battle at Kicker for Ravens

"The Baltimore Ravens will have a kicker not named Matt Stover this season, the first time that's been the case since their move from Cleveland in 1996. According to the Baltimore Sun, it's still a dead heat between Steven Hauschka and Graham Gano.

Hauschka, the Ravens' kickoff and long-range specialist last season, spent just one season kicking at N.C. State as a grad student following his time at Middlebury College. Gano has quite a different pedigree, earning the Lou Groza award -- given to college football's top placekicker -- for his efforts at Florida State. Both men have been above 80 percent on their field goals so far, but if neither impresses the team enough, the Ravens have not ruled out a return for Stover (ESPN)."

Sorry, I have to give some props for Needham. Hauschka is from my hometown, and I know a lot of kids pulling for him (as am I). It sounds like this is going to be a real close battle. I know Hauschka can kick the ball far, but I don't know about his accuracy. He will have to prove himself, but just wanted to give a shout out for the kid making it this far....