1.a?

How can a man of so few words and of such soft-spoken demeanor create so much chaos and disorder for any defensive back he faces? With hardly any commercial exposure, Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson has quietly blown his way to elite status in the NFL among players at his position. With a 6 foot 3 inch frame and weighing 225 pounds, the seven- year pro has led the league in receiving three of the last four seasons. The twenty-eight year-old Johnson suffered a knee injury in week one of '07 in which he caught 60 passes for 851 yards with 8 touchdowns in just nine games. No one has led the league in receiving in consecutive seasons since 1993 when the San Francisco 49ers' Jerry Rice planted his flag three seasons in a row. Miami native Andre Johnson may very well complete the calmest route to the Hall of Fame in professional football history, with barely uttering a sound.

All About the Kids

The largest school system in southern Alabama has things figured out, apparently. Inflated graduation rates and selective attendance records have taken priority to the actual learning process of  students. Sound confusing? Join the club, take a number, and stand in line. According to the Mobile County Public School System, 95% of total students enrolled have to be in attendance around the beginning of October in order to get credit for the SAT, which is  not taken until April. If students do not meet a percentage requirement in attendance, their SAT score more than likely won't be counted - passing or not. This is commonly known among teachers as 'making AYP'(Annual Yearly Performance). There are several other contributing components to insuring AYP is made, but whether or not a child is in school in October should not determine if  he or she gets credit for an exam that's taken many months later. Meanwhile, positions are currently being cut and classrooms are getting more and more crowded.

Not extraordinary. Just spectacular.

Longevity is said to help build one's reputation. As for New York Jets running back Thomas Jones, falling foward when being tackled for three-yard gains and displaying above average pass blocking ability has made him the NFL's most underrated player at his position. Steven Jackson is the only RB that will have rushed for at least 1,000 yards each of the last five seasons other than Jones, including this one. So far this season, the Virginia alumnus has rushed for 1,167 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns with only two fumbles lost. Jones is not at the top of a lot of experts' lists of running backs, but compared to the flashier backs, he is just as good, or even better than most.

Star Power

Let's take a stroll down Nostalgic Boulevard for a moment, shall we? In the year of 1996, so many memorable events took place. Here's a few:

Java program language was created.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley got divorced.
The Olympics were in Atlanta.
Nintendo 64 was released in Japan.
Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Gas was $1.22 per gallon.
Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators won the National Championship.
Yasser Arafat was re-elected president of the Palestinian Authority.
Peyton Manning was at Tennessee.
EBay was launched.
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson were rookies.
Bill Clinton began his second term as President.
Tupac's All Eyez on Me was released.
Minimum wage was raised to $5.15/hour.
The film Independence Day was released.
The Fugees released The Score.
Wannabe by the Spice Girls was the number one single.
LeBron James was ten years old.
And the Dallas Cowboys won a playoff game!!
Were these good 'ol days just distant memories? Will they ever reoccur or should we just hold fast to dated snapshots etched in our cerebral cortex and accept that these events will never happen again?