- DEADSPIN says that Brett Favre was a dealbreaker in the Bill Cowher-to-the-Jets talks. [DEADSPIN]

- KISSING SUZY KOLBER (great name for a blog, btw) has unearthed some old footage from Morten Andersen’s television show back in 1994 (where he interviews a few NFL cheerleaders), complete with snarky, blow-by-blow commentary. [KISSING SUZY KOLBER]

- SPORTSbyBROOKS gives all the gory details about Charles Barkley’s recent citation for DUI. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

- BOOSH MAGAZINE has a list of the not-so-spectacular athletes from 2008. [BOOSH MAGAZINE]

- In the wake of the Mike Shanahan firing, IN GAME NOW has a collection of funny expressions from Skeletor (a.k.a. “Rat” Shanahan). [IN GAME NOW]

- THE LOVE OF SPORTS has video of Reggie Evans being called for a technical after slapping Kyle Korver on the tookus. [THE LOVE OF SPORTS]

- SPORTSbyBROOKS reports that swimmer Michael Phelps can’t decide whether or not he has a girlfriend. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

Today I launch a campaign that is essentially doomed from the start. It’ll never get off the ground because the people in the position to make the campaign work are completely incompetent of making sound decisions. That said, I feel it’s my duty to take on this mission, regardless of its pending failure.

Today, I launch the Official Mike Shanahan to the Detroit Lions Campaign, or OMSDLC for short.

The Detroit Lions are beyond a disastrous situation. They need a freaking team of thousands working around the clock to try and revive the sinking ship they call a franchise. And with the news of owner William Clay Ford Sr. promoting Martin Mayhew to general manager, the situation might be bleaker than ever.

Forget Mayhew, Bill – Mike Shanahan is your guy. You want to be loyal to a fault? Hire a guy that is coming off 10-plus years of experience in one job and won two Super Bowls. Hire a guy that has the fortitude and know-how to build a winning football team. Hire a guy that comes from a winning organization – don’t promote someone in Mayhew that had a hand in making Matt Millen the worst general managers in sports history.

Give Shanahan complete control. Allow him to bring in the free agents he wants, draft the players he wants and then coach said players. Don’t stand in his way, don’t question his moves and most of all – don’t give anyone else (Mayhew, Tom Lewand, etc.) the power to have their voice heard. Turn the keys of the franchise over to Mike Shanahan and then get the hell out of the way.

This is only part one of OMSDCL. There will be more to come in future weeks.

Here’s a look at what some columnists are saying in the wake of the Denver Broncos firing head coach Mike Shanahan:

- With Shanahan out of the picture, Dave Kreiger speculates that the Broncos could turn to John Elway as their next head coach. (Rocky Mountain News)

- Jason Cole notes that Shanahan would be a perfect fit for the dysfunctional Dallas Cowboys. (Yahoo! Sports)

- Woody Paige throws out the names of Bill Parcells, Bill Cowher, Steve Spagnuolo, Jim Schwartz, Rex Ryan, Raheem Morris, Josh McDaniels, Mike Leach and Pete Carroll as possible replacements for Shanahan. (Denver Post)

- Tom Curran writes rather bluntly: Shanahan deserved to be fired. (NBC Sports)

- Arash Markazi writes that Shanahan is currently unemployed because in the end, he couldn’t meet his own goals. (SI.com)

In a rather shocking development, NFL.com is reporting that the Denver Broncos have fired head coach Mike Shanahan.

The blockbuster of the coaching season just came in: The Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan.
Shanahan had three years and upwards of $20 million remaining on his contract.

Shanahan, who just completed his 14th season at the helm of the Broncos, was the longest tenured coach in franchise history. He also held the title of executive vice president of football operations.
The two-time Super Bowl-winning coach guided the Broncos to nine winning seasons, seven playoff berths and three conference championships. The Broncos finished 8-8 this season, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Wow. Along with the Jets and Buccaneers, the Broncos had one of the biggest collapses in 2008. But it’s not Shanahan’s fault that the defense couldn’t tackle anybody and gave up 30 points a game. Is this a move in effort to bring in Bill Cowher? Why fire Shanahan with what will be available this offseason in terms of coaching candidates?

This surprising to say the least, but if you’re a Brown, Jet or Lions fan, you’ve got to love the fact that Shanahan is now available. Holy crap.