The "Hot Topic" — Not like the emo music apparel, but …

Here’s what [should] be up over the course of the coming ten weeks (and it’s hardly an exhaustive list):

1. NFL holdouts: This league is notorious for contract disputes in the off-season.  In some cases, a highly touted rookie may be at the center of the controversy, whereas in others, an established veteran may be involved.  These situations are inevitable; there are no “ifs” here, just “who.”  Watch for such circumstances to develop as the summer builds toward the preseason, which begins in mid-August.  (NOTE: Brett Favre, ever the model of consistency, continues to stoke the fire with the Minnesota Vikings.  Few football stories, if any, have matched the utter lunacy of this during the past decade; this, which includes Favre’s first comeback during the 2008 off-season.  Although this issue doesn’t qualify as a “contract holdout,” the intrigue revolving around his desire to reutrn to the NFL a second time is, quite simply, attention-grabbing, and it will be covered here.)
2. The MLB steroid scandal: It’s the topic that has tarnished a sport, and more and more athletes are being busted with the passage of time.  The latest big name to fall: Slammin’ Sammy.  Players, both great and small, will undoubtedly find themselves battling allegations and dealing with positive drug tests throughout the season.  Such news are the reputation killers killer of Major League Baseball.
3. NBA Cares: Not all is lost on the dumb.  NBA Cares, the social outreach arm of the National Basketball Association, is a heavily promoted and recognizable charity in professional athletics.  With the season over, watch for some star hoopsters to make good headlines off of the court through their work in the program.