The Week That Was Week 8 in the NFL

Where's the outrage? Where's the public outcry? Where's the demand for justice?

ESPN reports that eight NFL players tested positive for a banned substance. All eight will probably be suspended. But, no one cares. Well, I should say, no one cares as much as if this happened in baseball.

What fueled baseball's steroids purge was that marquee names, and not just any marquee names, but the biggest names in the sport (McGuire, Bonds, Clemens) were all caught or made to look unfaithful and untrustworthy by the entire steroids saga the last six years.

Here, the biggest name to get caught so far with any type of performance enhancer was the San Diego Chargers' Shawne Merriman. That was two years ago. Merriman admitted fault, took his suspension and came back to the Chargers without any fanfare.

No one cared.

And maybe what makes baseball's steroids scandal more glamorous is the fact that those stars of the game have vehemently denied any allegations. For the most part, in the NFL, anyone who's tested positive has taken his suspension.

So, the NFL has eight players who just tested positive and no one cares.

To the rest of the week:

• Aaron Rodgers > Favre, for this week (and only because Rodgers had a bye and Favre threw three picks).
• Ugh...the Patriots are back in first place.
• Welcome back Brian Westbrook.
• Boy does Dallas (and T.O.) miss Tony Romo.
• The West Coast team's need to learn how to suck it up when they're on the East Coast.
• Drew Brees is good.

Extra point:

I'm tired of waiting for the Chargers to turn it on. Actually, I'm waiting for that defense to turn it on.

Did Wade Phillips really mean that much? Did Merriman really mean that much? Apparently so.

The team has played uninspired under defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. It might be the same scheme, but something just isn't clicking.

Added with the loss of the firey Merriman, the defense looks awful.

The Bolts have eight games left. The team is 3-5. To match the record they had last year means they'll have to go undefeated after their bye week. To win the division, I imagine, they'll have to win seven more games.

What happened to this team? All the talent in the world and it plays as if they've proven something already. It seems like they go through the motions, especially on defense.

The Chargers are still electric on offense. Hopefully, this bye week recharges San Diego's defense.