It’s time to stop all the talk about preseason rankings, training camp holdouts, and Brett Favre’s annual “retirement.” This week on Only A Game, we talk real NFL and college football. Plus, Karen Given looks the unusual partnership between NASCAR and BET, and Bill interviews the authors of a book that examines the Washington football team’s scandal-ridden 2000 season.

When the University of Washington won the 2001 Rose Bowl, Husky fans celebrated their underdog team rallying to beat the odds behind young coach Rick Neuheisel. Years later, Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry published newspaper reports that showed Washington players had been under investigation for rape, assault, and other serious infractions while University officials and members of the Seattle community chose to look away. Armstrong and Perry turned those articles into the new book Scoreboard, Baby – and Bill provides his thoughts.

Many MLB division races are over, with playoff-bound teams ready to coast into October. If your team is already waiting ’til next year, Bill Littlefield suggests you throw your support behind the Chicago White Sox and unpredictable slugger Manny Ramirez.

If you’ve ever thought road races could be improved with flames, barbed wire and free beer – and who hasn’t? – tune in to Only A Game on Saturday to hear Kim Green’s report on the Warrior Dash in Georgia. Also, Only A Game’s Doug Tribou will look at some of the best teams ever to represent the USA as this year’s batch of Americans prepare for the World Championships.

The Warrior Dash is not your run-of-the-mill road race. Costumed runners brave obstacles like “The Black Forest” and “The Junkyard Jam,” then enjoy snacks and free beer after the race. Check out Only A Game’s Kim Green’s photos from the event.

Every week we tell you what songs you heard during the show and share some witty observations about the music we picked. This week Only A Game Technical Director John Perotti blogs while Senior Producer Gary Waleik vacations.

In his new book Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in Southern College Sports, Professor Charles Martin describes the SEC’s long resistance to recruiting black athletes, and the “gentleman’s agreement” with other schools and conferences that allowed the practice to continue for far longer than it should have. Bill Littlefield shares his thoughts on the book.

Minor League baseball teams are always coming up with strange ideas to bring fans out to the ballpark. Recently, the Montgomery Biscuits held a “ladies night” promotion that caught the eye of Bill Littlefield. Bill explains in his commentary why the Biscuits might be on to something.