You bet.  In a hilarious blog entry on NBA.com, the Washington Wizards guard (and Racine Park legend) opens up about beating his addiciton to Mountain Dew this summer.

I lost 11 pounds this summer by giving up Mountain Dew. That's right Mountain Dew. A lot of people don't know I'm a Mountain Dew addict so I guess this is my confession.

To try and give this up was CRAZY for me! I was going through withdrawals. I was in the bed sweating. My wife would turn over in the bed and ask "Are you OK?" .Honestly, those first two weeks without The Dew was the roughest two weeks of my life. I'm talking headaches, sweats and everything. Before that I drank at least six 12 ounce Mountain Dews a day.

It was so bad at one point that I had to have a cold one right there at the night stand before I went to bed. I had to get the coasters and let it drip a lil' bit and just have it waiting on me. Come 2 a.m.., I'd wake up out of my sleep, I'd pop one open and hear the fizz sound...and just down it!  Then I always had to have another one in the morning when I woke up. Before practice I had one too and before games I would knock back two.

Oh. My. God.  Caron might be the Lindsay Lohan of soda.  How exactly did he get back to sleep after downing a Mountain Dew before going to bed and then another at 2 a.m.?  And how exactly does he have any teeth left?

I'm personally disgusted by this revelation.  If one of the NBA's brightest young stars is addicted, what sort of message does it send to our nation's children?  Because of this, I predict that "doing the Dew" or "climbing the Mountain" will explode in popularity among impressionable youngsters.  It starts with the occasional can, but quickly escalates into 64-ounce bottles, and before long these poor kids are snorting lines of Kool-Aid powder.

In this outraged writer's humble opinion, as part of his recovery, Butler should enter NBA-mandated rehab and submit to random caffeine tests.

In all seriousness, though, caffeine (like pretty much anything) in excess is quite unhealthy, so here's hoping Caron kicks his habit permanently--I just hope he's still as amped-up on defense since I've got him in my fantasy league! 

Packers fan Justin Douglass has come up with a creative take on the Thompson vs. Favre saga that he set to the tune of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues."  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "THOMPSON'S PRISON BLUES!"

Nice work, Justin.  Nice work.  You can find more of his music online HERE. 

Ryan Grant ran for 148 yards, Aaron Rodgers wasn't sacked, and the Packers' defense surrendered just a field goal in an absolute dismantling of the Cleveland Browns.

So why are some fans still upset?

But it was the Browns! They're the worst team since, well, last year's Browns. They shipped off their best player because he got in a fight with a member of LeBron's posse, for heaven's sakes! This obviously isn't a good team or a particularly well-run organization.

No, no it isn't. And neither are the Detroit Lions, whom the Packers blanked in what was likely the most-lamented shutout win in franchise history.  It's not as if Green Bay has to impress the Selection Committee with a high strength of schedule, people!  It's not as if their BCS rankings are taking a hit because they're  beating up on creampuffs.

These aren't the Washington Redskins, who only seem to play (and beat) winless teams.  These Packers are hungry, talented, and getting more confident by the week.  

So why aren't their fans?  Just what is it about this year's Green Bay Packers that fails to engender confidence? Is it the stupid penalties (of which the Packers had eight yesterday)? Is it the shoddy pass protection (which has led to Rodgers spending more time on the grass than Jerry Garcia)?

Whatever the reason, some fans can't seem to accept that the Packers are 4-2 and have been downright dominant in their last two games. No matter the quality of the opponent, Green Bay has played quite well (sometimes in spite of itself) this season.

Will any of it matter to some of the naysayers? Of course not, at least not until the Packers beat Brett Favre....

It's safe to say Rick Peterson has forgotten more about the science of pitching than most of us will ever know.  I talked to him on Brewers Weekly and was amazed at his deep appreciation for the mechanics of the throw and his plan for rebuilding a Milwaukee staff that ranked last in the National League in ERA.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

If LeBron James could dunk on anyone in the world, it would be former President George W. Bush.

"If it doesn’t have to be a basketball player, George W. Bush," The King told Maxim Magazine.  "I would dunk on his a**, break the rim, and shatter the glass."
 

Okay, 'Bron.  Just Hope W. doesn't have this guy on his team:

America's economy is struggling to emerge from a crippling recession, our soldiers are waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Ahman Green is with the Packers.  2003 is back, baby!

But will Ahman impact Green Bay's fortunes in 2009 the way he did six years ago?  In a word, no.  He's no longer the powerful north-south runner with lightning-quick east-west elusiveness, making him far less likely to pull defenders out of the box to take pressure off of the Packers' passing game.

Yet Green still might be the most valuable trade-deadline acquisition the Pack might have made because of what I am terming the "Ahman Effect."  Green's value extends far beyond his contributions on the field; he is a natural leader on a team in desperate need of a veteran presence.  For what feels like the tenth consecuvtive season, the Packers are the youngest team in the league and it shows.

From penalties to missed blocks to what appears to be a general lack of focus, Green Bay is showing its age in this young season, and an established leader in the locker room might be just what itneeds.  No, The Ahman Effect won't rush for 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns or completely dominate games, but it will (hopefully) instill a quiet confidence in players struggling to justify massive preseason hype.

The Ahman Effect won't force defensive coordinators to rethink their game plans each Sunday, but it will be able to guide young teammates through the drudgery of Monday-Saturday.  And that might be just what they need.  

Well THIS should make things interesting for this Sunday's Packers-Browns game (from the Associated Press):

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns have been sacked by the flu.
     Coach Eric Mangini said 12 players, including Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and five other starters, are home with flulike symptoms and he plans to adjust his practice on Wednesday as the team prepares to face the Green Bay Packers this weekend.
     Mangini is taking precautions to make sure his players get more rest and the team is taking extra measures to make sure others don't get sick.
     He implied that the players had not yet been tested for H1N1 virus.
     "We're trying at the first signs of any kind of illness to get the guys home and out of the building," Mangini said. "We're working as hard as we can to promote things to prevent the illness and impressing the importance of things like sleep. It's that time of year and unfortunately we have quite a few guys who are dealing with it. We'll adjust practice, we'll work around it and continue to move forward."
     The Browns' sick players are: Rogers, running back Jerome Harrison, center Alex Mack, cornerback Anthony Madison, safety Brodney Pool, tight end Robert Royal, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik, defensive end Brian Schaefering, fullback Lawrence Vickers, defensive end Corey Williams and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.

Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt is asking fans to come up with tasteful ways for the city to welcome Brett Favre back for the Packers-Vikings game on November 1st.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

Remember, these have to be tasteful, so don't request a giant statue of Favre being impaled by a block of cheese or anything like that.  My personal favorite suggestion thus far?  Renaming Brett Favre's Steakhouse Brett Favre's Wafflehouse.

One might forgive the Packers for feeling a bit like Rodney Dangerfield today.  Even after a dominating shutout, they still don't get no respect.  With all the hand-wringing about shoddy protection and sloppy penalties, a casual observer might have thought the Packers lost 26-0. 

In spite of those 13 penalties and five sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers rolled out 435 yards of total offense and controlled the ball for a stunning 40 minutes.  Their defense nabbed three interceptions, limited Detroit to just 71 passing yards, and hit their quarterbacks a bone-crunching 12 times (including five sacks).

Against any other team, any one of the abovementioned stats would have been cause for celebration, but because they came against the hapless Lions, Packers fans and reporters alike are accentuating the negative.

"They'd never be able to do this against a real team," one caller to a Green Bay-area postgame show ominously intoned.  "They were lucky they were playing Detroit 'cause just about anyone else would have beat them the way they played today."

Perhaps, but the Packers did beat a divisional rival to move into second place with a 3-2 record and, in so doing, kept the undefeated Vikings in their sights.  The road to the playoffs is still a long one, but after Sunday's win the Packers are one step closer, and ultimately that's all that matters.   
 

Absolutely stunning.