Thinking (and linking) over lunch

♦ I'm not sure I needed to know how Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry (who now seems permanently saddled with the nickname "son-in-law") found himself hooking up with a daughter of Sgt. Marinelli. But thanks to today's Detroit Free Press, we now know the story. Better that than Senior Bowl scouting reports, right?

♦ Oh wait - never mind. We got that, too. The best quote from the article is Mike Martz's answer when asked what the Lions need. "Everything," he said. "Except for a quarterback." Order your season tickets now.

I don't suppose this is one of those "smoke screens" from the Lions, is it? I hear other teams do that sometimes. Humor us and keep an eye on JaMarcus Russell, will ya?

♦ I shouldn't care about this, but how do the Dallas Cowboys bring in a new offensive coordinator before hiring a new head coach? And then they might make Jason Garrett the head coach if he can't find anyone else? What the hell... ? How many coaches would be on board with that kind of arrangement?

Okay, here's why I care: Is Jerry Jones trying to steal attention away from Matt Millen? C'mon, man - this kind of incompetence is the only identity pro football has in Detroit right now. Don't take that away from us.

♦ "Hibachi," "Agent Zero," whatever - I'm excited about watching Gilbert Arenas play the Pistons tonight. (Even if he's averaged "only" 24 points against them this season.)

And no, it's not because I think he's standing in the way between the Pistons and another Eastern Conference championship. That's just dumb. He was a fun interview on "PTI" earlier this week, he was just voted to start in the All-Star Game, and anyone who says he wants to go back to college just to pound on Duke - especially when he says he wouldn't even pass the ball - is cool with me.

Also, if Arenas gets to go back to college to play Duke, I want to live my freshman year of college over again. Couple of things I'd like to do differently.

♦ Chalk it up to speculation, if you will, but one of the writers at Sports Inferno thinks Joe Dumars might be ready to make goo-goo eyes at Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo again. Could Izzo be Joe D's guy if things don't work out with their current coach, and Flip Saunders decides that the University of Minnesota job looks good, after all?

♦ Not that it was ever any great fear for Detroit Tigers fans, but now that Carlos Pena looks ready to sign a minor league contract with the Devil Rays, do we ever have to worry about him finally realizing that potential in another city? No, I didn't think so, either. Upside, down!