From the day we launched FanIQ, my brother has been asking me when he can stop going to ESPN to get his scores, news and standings.   Due to a ton of work by our team at FanIQ, I'm pleased to announce that today is the day.

Look up at the top of the page and check out our scoreboard.  The FanIQ scoreboard will not only show you the score during and after the game but it will also show you FanIQ's prediction and the number of Fan Comments from our gamepages:








You can find standings under each sport:













We've also incorporated wire news stories on the game pages, giving you the latest information about each team:










Last but not least, we launched a new feature we're calling the "mini profile" (you can see it in the upper right-hand corner).  The "mini profile" will notify you of accolades and messages and will also display your FanIQ Level (and rank if you're within the top 1,000).


Thanks again to our World Class FanIQ Team who has been working around the clock to bring you these features.  We have a ton more cool stuff coming soon.... 

Remember, this is your site, so please let us know how we can improve FanIQ.  Leave a comment below.

Ty

I hate NFL training camp holdouts, but every now and again there is one that's justified.

Rookies, who have yet to play a single down, holding out for that extra .2 million when they haven't earned a dollar yet in their career might be the most maddening yearly ritual in the NFL. It's never done anyone any good. Cedric Benson is a bum. Brady Quinn missed some time, and then had to watch Derek Anderson excel. JaMarcus Russell sure didn't look good in his time last season.

The other holdouts that rub me the wrong way are those made by veterans who are clearly on the downhill side of their careers, battling or hiding injuries, but use their loyalty to the city and love from the fanbase against the organization. In turn, the team almost always gives in to save face with the fans (see: Brian Urlacher).

However, every now and again a situation arises where a holdout is forgiven, if not mandatory. Devin Hester's qualifies as such.

The most electrifying return man the NFL has even witnessed, is set to make $445,000 this season, and $530,000 in 2009.

Bears play-by-play man Jeff Joniak would utter emphatically that 'Jerry Angelo, you are ridiculous.'

The Bears general manager worked out a deal with Lance Briggs this summer for six years, $36 million with $12 million guaranteed. He also wrapped up Tommie Harris for four years, $40 million, making him one of the highest paid at his position, despite not being one of the best and possessing some injury concerns. Then just this week, Brian Urlacher got what he wanted which was a one year extension on his current deal, worth $18 million, and a $6 million bonus on the spot.

All of these players are very valuable to the Chicago Bears, no doubt, but I'd argue Devin Hester has contributed more to Bears wins over the past two years than any other player.

Furthermore, after an offseason where the Bears failed to address their pressing needs at wide receiver and quarterback, the Bears are asking Hester to contribute even more on offense in addition to being the most feared return man in the game. As it stands today, Hester, despite not playing wide receiver much of last season, is likely the most talented player, if not the best wideout on the roster. That's not an endorsement of his receiving abilities, in case you were wondering.

Do you fear Marty Booker or Brandon Lloyd? I didn't think so. The Bears philosophy is to clearly keep stealing money from Hester and hope the defense returns to 2006 form.

They forgot one critical detail. Paying him what he deserves, or at the very least, half of what he should be earning.

What frustrates me the most is that Hester handled his frustrations admirably. He didn't embark on an immature media stunt like Chad Johnson. He didn't make his agent speak up on Sportscenter every night. He basically didn't complain at all, just expressed his earnest feelings, which is simply that based on my current contributions and what you're asking from me this season, the contract I signed as a rookie doesn't hold up in the current NFL market.

Most teams would fall over themselves to sign Devin Hester for $5 million a year. Allow me to repeat what he's making this season: $445,000. He's the single most underpaid player in all of sports.

Hester didn't need to say anymore than he did this afternoon:

"I'm not coming. I have to make a statement. I showed by going to [organized team activities] that I was a team player. But then, I just felt like they weren't taking it seriously that I wanted to get a new deal.

I can't go out and play this year making $445,000. Come on, man.''

Do your thing, Devin. The organization has no idea what they are doing, and you deserve better. This is one holdout I fully support.

The Bears shouldn't need a reminder of his services, but just in case, here's the complete Hester highlight reel:



P.S. That's just two seasons.

I'm not a big fan of cycling now that Lance Armstrong is out of the sport. Well, I've actually never been a fan of cycling, period. But if Australian Cadel Evans keeps doing what he's been doing the whole Tour de France, which is berating and assaulting the hell out of reporters, then I might just become a fan.

Let's take a look at some of his highlights from the Tour, shall we?



Cadel had crashed and hurt his shoulder a few days before this interview after stage 10 of the Tour. He, uh, wasn't too pleased when a reporter put his hand on his tender shoulder. REALLY, not pleased.




A little bit later, after losing the yellow jersey, he gave an interview while someone was apparently standing on his dog (not sure why he has his dog with, but whatever). Cadel took it in stride...by threatening to cut the guy's head off.




And after the recent 16th stage of the Tour, Cadel decided he'd had enough of a Belgian TV crew. So in the spirit of Zidane, he gave their camera a headbutt.

Don't worry though, Cadel wasn't ejected for that headbutt. He's also in 4th place, which I think is good. It'll keep him pissed off and hopefully keeps him beating up and threatening more reporters.

By the way, I realize Cadel's voice is pretty high, but they've gotta be testing this guy for testosterone injections, right? I mean, if ever a guy was giving off red flags that he's on something, it's Cadel.

Today's blog goodness

1. The only time the WNBA will ever lead off this list. Naturally, it's because of a fight.
2. Roger Goodell tells orders Brett Favre and the Packers to hurry and solve their mess.
3. Josh Childress starts the march of mediocre NBA players heading to Europe for obscene amounts of cash.
4. NFL training camps have started. So have crappy QB controversies.
5. Cubs fans should cower in fear. Bartman may be coming back to town.

Other FanIQ site goodness

1. If you had to restart the MLB Hall of Fame from scratch, who would you elect as first ballot Hall of Famers?
2. So what would you name the new Oklahoma City former Seattle Sonics? Oklahoma Rednecks is already taken.
3. Think you know your baseball nicknames? Give it a shot.

Tonight's TV goodness

We've got a pretty heated series going on between the Mets and the Phillies. The Mets looked like they were going to take the NL East lead last night, and then their bullpen exploded. Some people may say, hey, it's only July. But considering what happened last year, you know the Mets would like handle their business against the Phillies.

Boxing: Super middleweights, Jeff Lacy vs. Epifanio Mendoza, at Cabazon, Calif. (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)

Major League Baseball: Philadelphia at N.Y. Mets (ESPN, 7 p.m.)

Forbes released another highest paid athletes list, this one focusing on the ladies.

The good news is that not only are these woman closing the gap on their male counterparts, most of the millions come from tennis and golf where performance directly affects earnings. Conversely, a great portion of the men's top paid athletes were the result of horrendous contracts.

The bad news is that Michelle Wie is the top earning golfer and No. 5 overall.

Here's the Top 10 highest paid female athletes (millions): (biggest endorsers)

1. Maria Sharapova $26 million (Nike, Pepsi)
2. Serena Williams $14 (Hewlett-Packard, Nike)
3. Venus Williams $13 (EleVen - her own fashion line, Nike)
4. Justine Henin $12.5
5. Michelle Wie $12 (Nike, Sony)
6. Annika Sorenstam $11 (Callaway Golf)
7. Lorena Ochoa $10 (Audio, Lacoste)
8. Danica Patrick $8 (Motorola)
9. Ana Ivanovic $6 (Adidas)
10. Paula Creamer $6 (Adidas, Taylor Made)

This dream team has a combined 261 professional titles, and several dozen of those coming in major events.

Of course, Michelle Wie has contributed nothing to that total, yet she finds herself as one of the most "successful" female athletes of our time. I had a big problem with that. I'll sound like a crotchety old man here, but this is one of the bigger problems in sports today.

We have to stop showering young athletes with money and praise before they actually prove themselves. While Paula Creamer has had to work hard to earn her bucks, most of her $6 million has come from winning, Michelle Wie has finished last place after last place with little focus on improving her game and often laying the blame elsewhere. I applaud her decision to attend college, which is without question the only reasonable explanation for why she hasn't performed any better.

This weekend Wie will be competing in a men's PGA Tour event, because some misguided sponsor threw some money down just to watch her drive as long as the men and fail to make the cut, finishing presumably in last.

I realize this isn't ever going to change. Soon, Nike will throw nine figures down on a thirteen-year-old golfer, male or female, because they can drive as far as John Daly and we will all be certain that he/she won't amount to anything in that professional field with their life already paid for.

Let's call Michelle Wie wealthy, but let's not include successful just yet.

Top-Earning Female Athletes [Forbes]