When you log on to vote for the players you'd like to see in the 2010 Pro Bowl, you'll notice the NFL alphabetizes the candidates by their first names instead of their last.

So, for example, Denver's Andre' Goodman tops the list of eligible AFC cornerbacks instead of Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha. Or in the case of NFC quarterbacks, your choices begin with Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers rather than Drew Brees -- a good thing in my book, because Rodgers needs the help.

Through the midway point of the season, a number of NFL analysts agree that the top four quarterbacks in the NFC have been Brees, Rodgers, Tony Romo and, of course, No. 4. And though all four have comparable stats, Rodgers appears to be the one with the longest, hardest road to Miami, where the Pro Bowl will be played this season.

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On Wednesday, we asked Page 2 readers to send in their best bogus appplication letters for the Vice President of Finance position with the Chicago Cubs.

Thanks to all who played along. Here's our favorite:

"I have five top qualifications for my future position as V.P. of Finance for the Chicago Cubs:

• I live at home with my parents at 28.

• Instead of moving out, I recently bought an overpriced muscle car that has been underperforming.

• Winning isn't everything to me -- it's how many women show up to watch and drink beer.

• I still agree that the Cubs were better off without Greg Maddux. He really wasn't worth a big contract.

• I hold a Little League record for walks and have a keen eye to spot similar talent.

See you soon at Wrigley,
-- Patrick O'Connell, Chicago

Is Sammy Sosa trying to look white?

If you've seen recent photos of him, it's a fair question. The last time most of us saw Sosa, his skin was the color of mahogany. Now it looks like he dipped his face in baking powder.

Photos of Sosa at the Latino Grammy Awards last week floated from inbox to inbox and blog to blog, arguably causing as much controversy as his dishonest performance at the congressional steroid hearings in 2005.

And just as I didn't believe then that Sosa was steroid-free, I don't buy now that Sosa's drastically lightened skin is merely the result of a skin rejuvenation process and an illusion caused by bright TV lights at the awards show.

According to Sosa, who addressed the skin controversy with ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas, he is using a cream that "whitens" his skin. Mostly, Sosa said, it's a skin softener.

Yeah, and using that corked bat was a "mistake."

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Mass death. Widespread destruction. The single biggest "I told you so" of Darren Daulton's life. If the ancient Mayan calendar has things right -- which is to say, the ancient Mayan calendar as interpreted by the make-busy screenwriters and midnight oil-burning CGI artists behind the new film "2012" -- the world soon will end, not with a bang, but with John Cusack attempting to outrun an imploding glacier.

Lucky for us, prognosticators almost always blow it. Especially when it comes to sports.

As a nod to the film, Page 2 looks back at 12 of the least-prescient athletic predictions of the past half-century. And you thought your local weatherman -- pardon us, meteorologist -- was inaccurate:

Page 2 is celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Sesame Street" with a story about athlete appearances on the popular children's program.

This got us wondering about which athletes equate to selected "Sesame Street" characters.

Grover : Dwight Howard
Both have superhero alter egos and experience similar results.

Kermit the Frog : Aaron Rodgers
It's not easy being green, especially under a pile of opposing 300-pound linemen.

The Count : Roger Goodell
We just think it would be cool to hear the commish speak like the Count. "He's suspended two games. He's suspended four games. That's six games! Ha, ha, ha, ha."

Snuffleupagus : Alex Rodriguez
The questions about both being invisible on the big stage have finally been answered.

Bert and Ernie : Peyton and Eli Manning
Admittedly, the comparison would be better if the Muppets' expressions were even half as goofy as those of Peyton and Eli.

Big Bird : Chad Ochocinco
From Wikipedia: "a slightly quirky outlook on the world, he represents a 6-year-old child who questions everything." Applies to both, no?

Guy Smiley : Dick Vitale
Boundless exuberance.

Oscar the Grouch : Bill Belichick
Safe to say neither were John Denver's muse for "Sunshine on My Shoulders."

Amazingly, it took six people to write this item: Julie Turner, Kurt Snibbe, DJ Gallo, Toby Mergler, Cam Martin and Thomas Neumann.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett is hardly a wallflower.

The second-year pro out of Texas A&M; is outspoken -- sometimes to a fault, as Jemele Hill pointed out in July.

So what did Bennett have to say when Kelly Webster of ESPNDallas.com met up with him for ice cream and candid conversation? Click below to find out.

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Things are not going well in Chicago for Jay Cutler -- and it shows. The guy's body language is terrible. A team needs its leader, its quarterback, to exude confidence. Cutler is not doing that.

Take a look at this image from Thursday night. Shoulders slumped. Chin down. Eyes looking at the ground. That sort of attitude kills a football team.

Or this one. Cutler is just sitting on the ground. His uniform is in disarray. He's completely defeated.

Or this one. Face pressed against the ground. His hands holding his helmet. It almost looks like he's praying to be anywhere else than on that field playing football.

And most damning of all, this image. His head up. His eyes fixed downfield. His arm cocked, ready to throw. Depressing. Horrifying even. There's no way his teammates can see that and hold onto any hope.

Random observations from Thursday night's UFL game in East Hartford, Conn.:

• New York Sentinels coach Ted Cottrell burned two timeouts less than five minutes into the game.

• "Welcome to the Jungle" was played no fewer than eight times over the PA system. Obviously, someone forgot to bring the "Jock Jams" CD.

• Several "Let's go Whalers" chants could be heard more than 12 years after the NHL's Whalers left Hartford. Never mind that this wasn't a hockey game.

• Florida Tuskers punter Todd Sauerbrun booted a ball 25 yards into a trash can on the sideline. No wonder he showed up to his first NFL training camp with the vanity license plate "HANGTIME." You, sir, are a cool customer.

• Sentinels punter Scott Player still rocks the single-bar facemask, pulled down too low.

• Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger (19-of-27, 215 yards, two touchdowns) could start for the Raiders.

• Announced attendance: 5,201. That's being generous.

• The Tuskers, 5-0 after Thursday's 24-6 victory, already have clinched a berth in the first UFL championship game. Their roster is loaded with talent, and they should lock up their GM with a long-term deal.

• The 0-5 Sentinels don't have the players to compete in this league. Their GM needs to be fired immediately.