Sport and Cinema.com

Director Morgan Spurlock, who exposed the fast food industry in his documentary Super Size Me, sets his sights on the ultra-competitive world of professional sports agents in ESPN Films’ new documentary, The Dotted Line, premiering on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Eagles bolstered their defense in particular signing linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins as well as top flight backs Dominique Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha. With six of their first nine opponents coming off losing seasons, Michael Vick and company should get a comfortable division lead early and ride that into the playoffs. Pressure’s on as expectations are much greater this season

With the flurry of programming announcements from NBC at the Television Critics Association (TCA) conference in Los Angeles touting mostly new dramatic, comedic and reality series, perhaps the most important was revealing plans for the highest rated prime time show in all of television, Sunday Night Football and using the powerful platform of Super Bowl XLVI to promote its new shows.

National Football League owners and players have agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement ending the 136-day old lockout, the longest labor stoppage in league history.

The road to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas gets more treacherous as the league enters the playoffs where it is lose and you’re done time. No rest for the weary (except for those that earned a bye – Steelers, Patriots, Bears and Falcons, but as recent history has proven the higher seeds aren’t locks for a Super Bowl berth.)

The curtain has fallen on a new and compelling “television film festival”. ESPN has just concluded its opening run of thirty engaging and provocative movies, premiering 14 months ago. Meticulous and sharply observed, this “30 for 30” project has been as ambitious an undertaking as anything the network has done.

He has been called by Dallas Cowboys’ all-pro punter Mat McBriar as the “Godfather of Australian punting”. Bennett, a native of Sydney, followed a brilliant career Down Under in Aussie Rules football (AFL) to help pioneer a path for Australians by succeeding in the NFL.

The former full forward for the Melbourne Demons, who went on to excel for the San Diego Chargers and was named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team, is credited for the introduction into the NFL of the “Aussie Rules kick” or “Drop Punt” as it is known in Australia. The technique was instrumental in the advancement of Australians into the NFL. Currently more than half of the punters in pro football make use of the Aussie Rules punt in pooch-punt situations.

From their early days as a new expansion team in the early 60s under tempermental hall of fame quarterback-turned-coach Norm Van Brocklin and the glory days under Bud Grant with led by their Purple People Eaters on defense to some of the most brilliant offense in NFL history with Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Randy Moss and Brett Favre with Adrian Peterson, Viking fans have enjoyed an exciting half-century of pro football in the Twin Cities including several Super Bowl appearances.

The 14-2 Colts, ending their fine year with a 31–17 Super Bowl XLIV will use the same formula for success this year, despite some personnel changes. Behind the arm and mind of four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning is a feeble running game of Joseph Addai and Donald Brown (32nd-ranked).

But it is through the air Indianapolis makes their mark. Led by Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, the offensive line allowed a franchise-low 13 sacks and management picked up some younger and bigger bodies to continue in that mode. Manning’s receiving corps of Reggie Wayne, one of the game’s best, and youngsters Pierre Garçon and Austin Collie is a talented trio. Of course, tight end Dallas Clark is highly productive.

Wow, flying around in the off season and bringing in wide receivers Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin to go with veteran possession receiver Derrick Mason is a huge score for a team that many feel will represent the AFC in the next Super Bowl.