DJK CFL, Light Punishment, Piling On Jantz

• DJK in Canada? He tells me he's agreed to play for the Montreal Alouettes in 2012, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him warm-up with some AFL closer to home. Hey, if he's headed to Montreal, he needs to warm-up.
• Mark Phelps' punishment for Kurt Alexander and Rayvonte Rice for admitting they stole from Scheels is just one exhibition game (vs Quincy) and one regular season game (vs Upper Iowa), plus unnamed internal penalties. Phelps defends the one real game punishment to the Des Moines Register this way, “It’s the first two games on our schedule, bottom line. There will be tickets sold and there will be fans in the stands". Phelps is a smart man. I suspect he knows in his heart of hearts that's lame. Rice is Drake's star, and he's said and done all the right things, but come on, I expect more from Drake. By the way, Drake's next game after Upper Iowa... Iowa State.
• The fundraiser at the Front Row for the Greenwood family reportedly raised $8500. That's a strong showing for a grass roots movement started by local artist Sean Thompson and taken up a notch by Hawkeye hero Rob Houghtlin flying in for the event. I asked Houghtlin if Rick Reilly was right, that Houghtlin has never had to buy a beer in Iowa since kicking the field goal that pushed #1 Iowa past #2 Michigan in 1985. Houghtlin says he has had to buy a beer, though not many. He adds he's not much of a drinker anyway.
• Like many people, I still feel awful about the death of Dan Wheldon. I know Wheldon died doing what he loved, but that must be small comfort to his wife and two small children. The kids are so young, it's unlikely they'll even remember their father, and Dan was a memorable guy. He was always so nice and so charismatic at Iowa Speedway (he won the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in 2008). Wheldon was cooler, weathier, and better looking than the guy interviewing him, but he never made you feel that way.
• Jimmie Johnson says Indy cars should never race on ovals, that it's just too dangerous. Racing has made great strides in all series' since the death of Dale Earnhardt ten years ago, but you can never make it completely safe. It's a dangerous sport, and the men and women who drive know the risks.
• Steele Jantz is taking far too much of the blame for Iowa State's ugly skid. Jantz is part of the problem---he's turning it over way too much---but there's blame to go around. There's also reality: a huge talent gap remains between Iowa State and every other team in the Big 12 except Kansas. How did Gene Chizik do at ISU? How's he been at Auburn? Talent matters more than anything else.
• Northwestern isn't a good footbal team, but that win Saturday changes Iowa's season. Plus, coming up next, Indiana and Minnesota, two awful teams. How much do you think ISU wishes those two were next about now?
• Tony LaRussa is the kind of guy you love if he's leading your team, and can't stand if he's not. He looks like a genius about now.
• Ditto Jim Harbaugh.
• I can't believe the Cardinals are in the World Series. Again.