First Cuts has new video of the new Madden NFL 10. And by the looks of it, they added a gang tackling feature.

“Pro Tak — This all new animation technology provides unprecedented control over the outcome of every play. Drag defenders towards the first down marker, including up to 9-man gang tackles, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and evade the rush with all-new quarterback avoidance actions. Enhanced play at the line of scrimmage features a new blocking system that allows the quarterback to step into the pocket and gives the defensive line more control over the rush.”

All these new features seem great, but it is a little too complicated for me. I am an A and B button kind of guy.

Trainer of Musket Man, Derek Ryan feeds his Kentucky Derby entrant a Guinness beer every morning.

“The first-time Derby trainer has a good explanation why he does it, “…mellows him out I hope. Nah, it gives him a good appetite. They say a Guinness a day is good for you. So far it’s worked.

Ryan has a horse that has been stellar in races; he’s won five out of his six starts, Best temperament of any horse I’ve ever had. Nothing bothers him. He goes with the flow.

Being undefeated at Derby’s (with wins at Illinois and Tampa) and at great odds of 20-1, he most likely will be sitting in some exotic plays for King Ing. One thing to worry about is the horse getting boxed in at the 2 hole.

DeGags will have his Derby preview tomorrow. And if I focus and do some more research I might have one out as well.

Friends of professional athletes usually get great seats to the game. But if you are buddies with Derek Jeter you get your own private box.

“Derek Jeter has so many friends and family who want to see him and his teammates play, the Yankee captain leased a luxury suite for the season in the new stadium. A team spokesman said the box was big enough for 12, but wouldn’t say how much it cost. But he said that Jeter, one of the highest-paid players in the Major Leagues, paid full price for a suite of its size, which range in cost from $600,000-$850,000.”

What other athlete do you know that would actually do that?

The best thing I have ever done for a friend was…actually I can’t think of one good thing. King Ing is a bad buddy.

Leave it to the Brits to let a horse grow a mustache. According to the Telegraph, the “10-year-old Shire-cross, is said to flee if he thinks he is in danger of getting even a trim. The horse also refuses to let staff at the stables in Bitton, Gloucestershire, into his stall there for fear that they will remove his whiskers.”

I don’t think we’ll be seeing any horses with mustaches at the Derby this weekend, but if there was one, I’d definitely put my money on him.

I wonder what Kevin Garnett could be asking Ben Gordon?

FSN has a great show called “Sports Science” which attempts to show us just how freakish these athletes in today’s professional world are. This particular episode breaks down something everyone has always wanted to try: The Happy Gilmore swing. Padraig Harrington attempts this and as you the video shows, he gets a little more length on his drive with the run up. Although he isn’t guaranteed to hit it spot on everytime, I would love to see him attempt this in an actual event.

-H/T Devil Ball

Today marks the 100th day of the Obama Presidency. While cable news will be full of wall to wall coverage of the political ramifications of this cultural sea change, it is up to SportsCracklePop to provide you with the sports ramifications. Below are some of the issues and organizations which have changed as a result (directly or indirectly) of the new President.

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Joe Talamo, the jockey of the current Derby favorite (I Want Revenge) is shooting daily updates on Twitter. Follow Joe here.

Will this 19 year-old Californian will be the first jockey to send a twitter update during a triple crown race? I’m taking bets — and the odds are at 10-1. Make our your checks out to “cash” please.

It looks like David Beckham can add fashion designer to his resume. WWD has the first photo of the new line in which he collaborated with James Bond, the owner of Undefeated sneaker-freak boutiques. Their new collection was created for the Adidas Originals by Originals.

“Their design approach was to update classic American sportswear with fashionable silhouettes and details. The apparel range features materials such as leather, cashmere and silk, while the footwear builds on iconic Adidas styles. The duo also developed accessories and thermal layering pieces.”

Don’t expect Beckham to be modeling the line. Adidas claims that all his efforts will be behind the scenes.

And let us hope that this collection sells better than Victoria’s jeans line, as dVb is now showing up at Loehmann’s.

Between considering a move to a school that will let him compete for a starting quarterback job and now this picture, it seems that whatever Greg Paulus does will forever be in the spotlight. 850TheBuzz has a pic of the former Duke point guard wearing Carolina Blue while holding a baby in a Tyler Hansbrough jersey. Actually that could be a 00 or a 30. I really can’t tell.

This was part of an ACC barnstorming tour down in Fayetteville where the players all wore the North Carolina warmups. Can someone explain to me what exactly a barnstorming tour consists of?