FRIDAY: FINAL THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK

Again?!

Is Greg Oden a bust?

We found out this week that Blazers center Greg Oden will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee and miss the rest of the regular season. Since being the first pick of the 2007 draft ahead of one of the best players in the league, Kevin Durant, Oden has only played in a total of 82 games for his career, When he has been healthy very rarely, he's averaged 9.4 points and 7 rebounds per game. These are not number one pick numbers, but are they bust numbers for someone who played essentially a rookie season? I'm not sure. I do know that he will never be able to live up to being picked ahead of Durant who could win league's MVP this season. Perhaps getting away from the team that drafted him and taking a few years off to fully recover is what he needs. Oden can come back in two years, still young at 25 and have a solid eight year career. There's also the chance that his body will fail him again like it has three out of the last four seasons. Either way it's a sad tale. I know he has millions in the bank for riding the pine, but it's not his fault. Oden has never been questioned about his work ethic or not practicing hard. So calling him a bust seems a bit too soon. The word bust to me encompasses more than just someone who doesn't get to play because of injury. A bust is someone who doesn't care, doesn't practice, and doesn't get conditioned for his job. Oden did all of the right things, but his body failed him. Let's not cast him off as the latest Ryan Leaf or Sam Bowie. At least, not yet.

I'm a Gun Slinger, So?

Are the Chicago Bears for real?

I'm going to say it. The Chicago Bears are a fraud. I have nothing against the Bears. I love Chicago. The city is great. It's always an exciting place to visit. The Bears are 7-3 after last night's win against the Miami Dolphins. They shut out the Dolphins 16-0. Now the Dolphins have been on my list of borderline playoff teams all year. I thought they could go 10-6 this year. But, 10-6 with a first or second string quarterback. Last night, they played with Tyler Thigpen who hasn't thrown a pass since 2008. The Dolphins play-making receiver Brandon Marshall didn't play the second half. Are you really surprised they didn't put up any points yesterday? The Bears remaining schedule is brutal. They could easily lose the next three games. First they have to play the Eagles with the explosive Michael Vick and Desean Jackson combo, then to Detroit to face a strong defensive and Calvin Johnson, followed by Tom Brady and the Patriots. They could lose all three. This is one of those times when their record doesn't show who they really are. Their defense is playing very well, but is Cutler going to make mistakes that cost the game like he always does? Will running back Matt Forte be able to continue playing at a high level or fall off like he did last year? My prediction is 9-7. Maybe it will be enough for a wildcard slot, but let's not put them in the upper echelon of the NFC, please.

Now Eva really is a desperate housewife

Are celebrity and athletes relationship's doomed from the beginning?

This is my final thought of the week. First reported and then confirmed this week, the marriage of Eva Longoria of desperate housewives fame and San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker has ended. Longoria filled for divorce citing the traditional irreconcilable differences this week. We found out it's because for the second time in their marriage, Tony has been "sexting" women other than his wife. Eva let the first incident go in 2007, only a few months after their romantic marriage in Paris. It seems two strikes of "sexting" and your off of Wisteria Lane. Did I just use a desperate housewives reference? Anyway, it doesn't help that the "sexting" occured with Parker's former teammate Brent Barry's wife. Now, that must have been an interesting locker room when the two used to suit up for games. It's not just these two celeb and athlete combos that don't seem to last. Maybe it's the travel and long-distance. Or maybe in Jessica Simpson's case, when she was seen as bad luck when coming to watch Tony Romo and the Cowboys, they couldn't handle that kind of heat. Who knows. Below are some other celebrity and athlete casualties.

Enjoy the Football this weekend. See you all Monday.

1. Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo
2. Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush
3. Kim Kardashian and Austin Miles
4. Madonna and Alex Rodriguez
5. Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez
6. Tyra Banks and Chris Webber
7. Cheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong
8. Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi
9. Bridget Moynahan and Tom Brady
10.Vanessa Williams and Rick Fox