The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have a lot to cheer about this year; their team is poised to go to the Super Bowl. But do they have what it takes to win it all?

If the stars are all aligned and all goes according to plan, the Dallas Cowboys could find themselves in the thick of things at this year’s Super Bowl — against the New England Patriots. Hey…it is possible. A bigger question mark, however, may be the state of Terrell Owens’ health in the post season. The Cowboys’ star receiver is currently on crutches nursing a “high ankle sprain”. Without Owens the Cowboys aren’t as dynamic. Is anyone worried? Uh…no. Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones is confident that his club can go all the way and that Owens will be playing in their opening playoff game.

“I couldn’t be going home feeling any better about how our team is playing going into the playoffs,” Jones told reporters.

The Dallas Cowboys (11/2) are right behind the New England Patriots (1/3) as favorites to win the 2008 Super Bowl.

Patriots’ QB Tom Brady and receiver Randy Moss are both aiming for NFL records this Saturday. But a perfect season would be the icing on the cake.

For the first time in the history of the NFL three networks will be televising the same game: NFL Network, CBS and NBC will all be showing the Pats vs. Giants game on Dec. 29th as Tom Brady hopes to lead his team to a first-ever (not since 1972, anyway) perfect season.

Not only is this three-way good news for the networks but it’s also great news for football fans across the country; without the deal much of the U.S. would not have been able to see the game because of the NFL’s limited cable reach.

The Pats are 14-point favorites in this matchup.

NOTE: Tom Brady will also be gunning for another record on Saturday: most touchdown passes in one season; while Pats’ receiver Randy Moss will be looking to break Jerry Rice’s record of most TD catches in one season. Brady’s 48 touchdown passes are one shy of the record set by Peyton Manning in 2004, while Moss’ 21 TD catches are one shy of the standard by Rice of the San Francisco 49ers in 12 games in 1987.

Sen. George Mitchell’s report on steroid use in baseball was long on allegations and short on punitive measures. Mitchell recommended MLB officials avoid “contentious disciplinary proceedings” and work more on cleaning up the sport.

This leaves everybody involved in a state of limbo. Commissioner Bud Selig cannot punish players (at least, not without a fight from the MLBPA) without more proof than what the Mitchell Report offers. Nor can players threaten legal action against the report, because the burden on proof would be on them to prove their innocence.

It appears the U.S. Congress is more than willing to continue this investigation. If they can prove that active MLB players broke the rules, then punishment is warranted. But whatever side of the steroids issue you find yourself on, this much is true: Taxpayer money is being spent on policing baseball, instead of things like education, crumbling infrastructure, or equipping the troops.

We’ve seen ample proof by now that athletes perform better when they use steroids. The bigger question is why they take them, even when doing so breaks the rules of their sport, and puts their bodies at risk.

Money is one answer. The difference between a journeyman major leaguer and an All-Star might actually be very small in talent, but is measured in millions of dollars. Rules are bent and broken all the time in order to grab a piece of the pie. Steroids can also prolong an already successful career by years, each year bringing top stars an eight-figure salary.
But it’s not all about money; for many athletes; “Swifter, Higher, Stronger” is a way of life. They see anti-doping policies as Puritanical intrusions into their lifestyles, obstacles to the betterment of the human body. They are on the other side of a huge philosophical divide, and it has been this way for centuries.

The Mitchell Report implicates over 80 MLB players (34 active) in the use of steroids and human growth hormone. The evidence in some cases is stronger than others; nonetheless, here is the Associated Press list of all the players in question.

• Chad Allen
• Mike Bell
• Gary Bennett
• Larry Bigbie
• Ricky Bones
• Kevin Brown
• Ken Caminiti
• Mark Carreon
• Jason Christiansen
• Howie Clark
• Roger Clemens
• Paxton Crawford
• Jack Cust
• Brendan Donnelly
• Chris Donnels
• Lenny Dykstra
• Matt Franco
• Ryan Franklin
• Eric Gagne
• Jason Grimsley
• Jerry Hairston
• Phil Hiatt
• Matt Herges
• Glenallen Hill
• Todd Hundley
• Ryan Jorgensen
• Mike Judd
• David Justice
• Chuck Knoblauch
• Tim Laker
• Mike Lansing
• Paul Lo Duca
• Exavier “Nook” Logan
• Josias Manzanillo
• Cody McKay
• Kent Mercker
• Bart Miadich
• Hal Morris
• Daniel Naulty
• Denny Neagle
• Rafael Palmeiro
• Jim Parque
• Luis Perez
• Andy Pettitte
• Adam Piatt
• Todd Pratt
• Stephen Randolph
• Adam Riggs
• Brian Roberts
• F.P. Santangelo
• David Segui
• Mike Stanton
• Ricky Stone
• Miguel Tejada
• Derrick Turnbow
• Mo Vaughn
• Ron Villone
• Fernando Vina
• Rondell White
• Jeff Williams
• Todd Williams
• Kevin Young
• Gregg Zaun

“Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball”

• Rick Ankiel
• David Bell
• Paul Byrd
• Jose Canseco
• Jay Gibbons
• Troy Glaus
• Jose Guillen
• Darren Holmes
• Gary Matthews Jr.
• John Rocker
• Scott Schoeneweis
• Ismael Valdez
• Matt Williams
• Steve Woodard

“Concerning BALCO and Major League Baseball”

• Marvin Benard
• Barry Bonds
• Bobby Estalella
• Jason Giambi
• Jeremy Giambi
• Benito Santiago
• Gary Sheffield
• Randy Velarde

Come on. Who really believes in this? Yeah, OK, knowing that a pretty girl is watching you play may be a distraction. But doesn’t that kind of crap end when you get out of high school?

Jessica Simpson had about as much to do with  Dallas’ loss to Philly last week as the price of a boob job. And we don’t mean to imply that Miss Daisy Duke is anything but 100% natural. But the main reasons for Romo’s dismal performance vs. the Eagles were the Philly defense and a sore thumb on Mr. Tony’s throwing hand.

Romo bounced back with a decent performance in a win at Carolina Saturday night. But the biggest concern now for Dallas and Romo is the health of Terrell Owens, who suffered a sprained ankle vs. the Panthers. That, as much as anything else, will have an effect on the postseason fortunes of the Dallas Cowboys, not whether some hot blond is watching from a luxury box.

Washington? Minnesota? New Orleans? The Vikings had their big chance Sunday night, and blew it. With a win over the Redskins in Minneapolis, Minnesota would have capped off a great late-season run, going from 3-6 to the postseason. But it was Washington that grabbed a victory in the Humpty Dome, and in doing so snared the inside track to a wild-card berth. And the ‘Skins got good news earlier Sunday when Green Bay lost to Chicago, which gave Dallas home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. So when Washington hosts the Pokes next Sunday, in a win-and-they’re-in situation, Dallas will have absolutely nothing to play for, and will most likely rest many of its starters, including Terrell Owens and Tony Romo.

Minnesota now needs to beat the Broncos in Denver and have the Redskins lose. And New Orleans, which, let’s face it, doesn’t deserve to still be alive but is, needs to win at Chicago and have both the ‘Skins and Vikes lose. Clinton Portis ran the ball really well Sunday night, and Todd Collins made some very nice throws, so I’ll go with Washington to beat Dallas Sunday and earn that No. 6 slot in the NFC.

Football widows, blame those Ivy League brainiacs. They started playing this game over 125 years ago. Even the term “bowl” traces back to the Yale Bowl stadium built in 1914. Over the next several weeks, 34 bowl games of note will be played: the 32 college bowls, the Super Bowl, and the Pro Bowl.

The rule of thumb with college bowls is that underdogs are prime betting targets. However, that rule should be applied more stringently as the quality of the matchups increases – which is roughly in chronological order, culminating with the BCS bowl games in the New Year. Favorites are 17-7 ATS over the past four years before Christmas Day; underdogs are 57-32 ATS after all the presents have been opened.

The BCS has messed things up a bit in recent years by plugging the International Bowl and the GMAC Bowl into the January schedule. But keep the dogs in mind for the major bowl games.

Hockeytown is alive and well. Chaos has gripped the NHL standings, but the Winged Wheel rolls on, as our latest handicapper-friendly power rankings will attest.

1. Detroit Red Wings: Seven straight victories – three of them with Dominik Hasek in net. If he rounds back into form, Detroit is doubly dangerous.

2. Boston Bruins: Alex Auld is 3-0 since joining Boston, all as a road underdog. The B’s are now 10-4-1 in their last 15 and easily the most profitable team in the league.

3. New Jersey Devils: Two losses in a row after a nine-game winning streak, but still sizzling. Martin Brodeur had a .929 save percentage in November, by the way.

4. Vancouver Canucks: Won’t last long here without Roberto Luongo, but 12-3-3 in their last 18 games.

5. San Jose Sharks: Smoke and mirrors? 5-1 in their last six with Joe Thornton carrying the team on his back.

Now I’ll leave you with an excellent Detroit vs. Colorado brawl video.

Can we finally put this thing to rest?

Suspended Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy that involved gambling and killing pit bulls. He could have received the maximum five years but District Judge Henry E. Hudson went easy on the man, adding that Vick also owed an apology “to the millions of young people who looked up to you.”

Vick said, “Yes sir. I’m willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions.”

Vick pleaded guilty in August, admitting he bankrolled the “Bad Newz Kennels” dogfighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs.