From the confines of his wheelchair, Wizards owner Abe Pollin sits only a few feet off the ground. But to sports fans and D.C. officials, he is still a giant.

The city and team today celebrated Pollin's 84th birthday by honoring his role in boosting the economy of D.C.'s downtown through his financing of the Verizon Center arena 10 years ago.

"This is the man who is responsible for the vision not only of this building but of the revitalization of this area and the city itself," D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said during a ceremony from Verizon Center's Acela lounge. "There is no end to the words and sentences that express the gratitude this city has for Abe Pollin, his family and the loyalty and accomplishments they've provided to the District of Columbia."

After Fenty read an official document proclaiming it "Abe Pollin Day" in the District of Columbia, he directed the more than 100 guests to turn their attention to the massive high-definition video board hanging above Verizon Center's floor. The screen showed the unveiling of a new street sign designating the block of F Street in front of the arena as "Abe Pollin Way."

"I'm humbled and honored by this wonderful, wonderful surprise," Pollin said. The octogenarian, who has been slowed physically by a pelvic injury that has been slow to heal, went on to recount how the city had originally agreed to pay for most of the arena's construction before it ran into financial troubles.

"I had the choice: do I do it myself and pay $200 million or do I say forget it? And there were a number of advisors who suggest I forget it," he said. "But then I looked at the situation and I said, ' You know what, this is the number one city in the world. The best city in the world, the most beautiful city in the world. Someone has to step forward and make a difference.' And I looked at the mirror and said, 'Abe, that's you.'"

D.C. Council member Jack Evans, who was also on the council when Verizon Center was built, recalled a decade ago watching the arena go up in a neighborhood that no one would dare frequent.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to be here 10 years after," Evans said. "The significance of what Abe Pollin did for this city can not be understood by looking at what is there today. Ten years ago, the neighborhood was so dangerous we had to put a police substation where Tony Cheng's restaurant is now. It was a neighborhood that had fallen on very, very, very hard times. What has happened since then is nothing short of a miracle."

I spoke to Pollin for several minutes -- he shook my hand and did not let go during the entire conversation -- and asked him about his fondest memory of Verizon Center.

"Um, well, I would guess probably today!" he said.

"And what if you win a world title?" I asked.

"Well, that'll top it. That's the ultimate goal."

I went on to ask Pollin about some of his charitable endeavors. He said he's working with the city on a initiative to fund more affordable housing and plans to donate money to high-performing schoolteachers in D.C.

"This city has been very, very good to me, and my hope is that whatever I can do to help this city, I will do."

My father-in-law is one of those people that loves Coke but despises Pepsi. If he goes to a restaurant and they only have Pepsi products, he'll drink water.

Apparently, NASCAR is the same way.

Coca-Cola announced today that it has extended its long-time sponsorship of NASCAR for another 10 years, and will now be the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider of the racing league through 2017. It was previously announced that the Pepsi 400 will be renamed the Coke 400 for this season.

The sponsorship follows a similar exclusive deal with International Speedway Corporation. Coke will have an exclusive presence at 12 race tracks in 2008, expanding to 17 tracks by 2012.

Coca-Cola has partnered with NASCAR on one level or another for 40 years, becoming an official sponsor in 1998. The company sponsors a horde of drivers, including Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Petty, Elliott Sadler, Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip. It also sponsors the Coca-Cola 600 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the longest continuous sponsorship of any NASCAR race.

-- Tim Lemke

Dennis Green evidently follows the philosophy that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach is seeking to trademark the phrase "They are who we thought they were," the centerpiece of one of the most memorable NFL coaching tirades.

According to his application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Green filed for the right to use the phrase on "Hats, caps, baseball caps, knitted caps, golf caps, sports jerseys, t-shirts, polo shirts, sport shirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts, sweat bands, sweat pants, jogging pants."

Coach Green is clearly an entrepreneurial genius, and we can't wait to buy his products, particularly the jogging pants and sweat bands. And by the way ... this kind of thing is not unprecedented. Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley trademarked the term "three-peat" back when he was coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. His team never won three straight titles, but Riley cashed in when the Chicago Bulls did so a few years later and Riley licensed "three-peat" for use on all kinds of merchandise.

- Tim Lemke

The city often referred to has "Hockeytown" is having trouble filling seats for Detroit Red Wings games, the Free Press reports today.

The newspaper reports the Red Wings are drawing 18,044 fans per game through 15 home dates, representing 90 percent of capacity at Joe Louis Arena. That may not seem like a big problem, except that the Red Wings had sold out 396 consecutive home games before this season's opener. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets are on pace for a more dramatic drop in attendance this year.

Out of the NHL's 30 teams, five are averaging the same attendance as all of last season, 15 have experienced a decline and 10 have seen an increase.

The Blues, Islanders and Devils have been big gainers this year, while the Red Wings, Panthers, Blue Jackets, Avalanche and Capitals are among the biggest attendance losers.

The Capitals have drawn an average of 13,203 fans per game this season, down from an average of 13,477 through the same number of games in 2006 and 13,929 for all 41 home games last season.

-- Tim Lemke

The idea of a soccer stadium for D.C. United east of the Anacostia River isn't dead, but it's not exactly thriving, either.

A big crowd of D.C. residents and city officials jammed themselves into a sweaty school auditorium last night to see presentations by four groups vying for the rights to develop Poplar Point, a 150-acre swath of land across the river from the Nationals new ballpark.

The development teams spoke in generalities about their proposed vision for the area, each suggesting millions of square feet of office, residential and retail space, plus hotels, community centers and parks. A new soccer stadium for D.C. United at the site was proposed by two teams, which saw the facility as an option, but not necessarily a focus of the development.

If you recall, Mayor Adrian Fenty earlier this fall abandoned a plan to partner with D.C. United owner Victor MacFarlane on building a soccer stadium at Poplar Point, preferring to hold a competitive bidding process for redevelopment of the site instead. In asking for bidders, Fenty did not require a soccer stadium to be included in plans, and MacFarlane, who owns a prominent real estate development company with large holdings in D.C., declined to submit a bid.

A team comprised of developers Archstone Smith and Madison Marquette proposed two plans for Poplar Point. The main proposal included plans for retail, parking and a movie theater just north of the Anacostia Metro Station. An optional plan called for a new soccer stadium to be built there instead.

Clark Realty Capital also proposed an "optional" soccer plan, that called for a new stadium to be built just northeast of the Anacostia Metro, right along the edge of the riverfront.

The city is expected to make a final selection of a developer by the end of this year. Even then, that selection would only guarantee the company the right to negotiate with the city on a plan for the site. The city is also in the process of acquiring the needed land from the federal government, which could take as long as 18 months, and official estimate that construction can't begin on the site until 2010 at the earliest. A deal for a soccer stadium for D.C. United would likely require an additional negotiation involving the team, the city and the site's developer.

Meanwhile, D.C. United officials have had early discussions with jurisdictions outside the District about about building a soccer stadium, including Prince George's County in Maryland and Loudoun County in Virginia.

Apparently Kelly Ripa doesn't have enough to keep herself busy, so she's entering the sports world.

ESPN announced today that the disturbingly perky Ripa and her dreamy husband Mark Consuelos will produce a one-hour documentary called "The Streak" about the wrestling team of Brandon High School in Tampa, Fla.

Brandon high school is currently in the midst of a 451-0 streak.

"From the start, Kelly's and Mark's enthusiasm for this project has been as much a selling point as the jaw-dropping record of the Brandon High wrestling team," said Joan Lynch, ESPN executive producer and vice president ESPN Content Development. "Great stories like this one need to be told and can be enjoyed by sports fans and non-sports fans alike because of the personal storylines and drama behind the team's amazing success."

The documentary will follow Brandon High's 2007-08 season and will be produced by Ripa's and Consuelos' Milojo Productions, in conjunction with Hock Films. It will air in October of 2008.

-- Tim Lemke

The Mitchell Report apparently has had little effect on how Major League Baseball is viewed on Wall Street.

Fitch Ratings today affirmed the league's "A" rating for nearly $1.4 billion in debt, citing the league's long-term contracts with broadcasters.

The ratings agency gave the "A" rating to the Major League Baseball Trust, which consists of a $978 million variable funding note and a $389 million term note.

An "A" rating is generally seen as a positive indicator of financial stability. Fitch's ratings range from a high of "AAA" to a low of "BBB."

I'm not a financial expert, but I learned a bit about debt and credit ratings when writing about the city's financing of the new Nationals ballpark. And from what I've gleaned, Wall Street ratings agencies are really only concerned about one thing: how capable are you of paying back what you owe?

In the case of the Nationals ballpark, the city earned a "AAA" rating on the $535 million in ballpark bonds by ensuring that most of the debt would be paid back using a ballpark fee on businesses that would collect far more than what is required. Also, the city paid for an insurance policy on the bonds.

In baseball's case, Fitch was clearly unconcerned by the potential effects of the Mitchell Report, instead pointing to the billions of dollars it will receive from Fox, TBS and ESPN in guaranteed television contracts that run through 2013.

- Tim Lemke

At the moment, it looks like the Dec. 29 Giants-Patriots game will be stuck on the NFL Network, which is available to less than one-third of TV households. That means the Patriots' shot at going 16-0 will be unseen by millions of football fans.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is making some last-ditch moves to try and convince the nation's largest cable carriers to distribute the network to more customers. Goodell today sent a letter to Glenn Britt, the CEO of Time Warner Cable proposing a "baseball-style" arbitration process that would call for a third party to determine how much Time Warner should pay for the channel and the tier on which the company should carry the channel. (Major cable companies have refused to carry the network except on a premium sport tier, claiming the NFL is charging too much for carriage.)

Goodell said last month that he would not consider moving the Giants-Patriots game off of the NFL Network if the Patriots entered the game undefeated.

Meanwhile, 21 members of Congress have written a letter to Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, urging him to support a measure that would allow for similar "baseball-style" arbitration in disputes between cable companies and carriers.

"This proposal would not pick winners or losers, but instead creates a mechanism to address a market failure that has prevented consumers from having access to popular programming including the NFL Network, about which our constituents have expressed much concern,” the lawmakers said in a statement.

Last month, Martin tabled such a measure prior to an FCC vote, citing lack of support among commission members.

The full text of Goodell's letter:

Dear Glenn:

In an effort to end the NFL Network's carriage dispute with Time Warner as quickly as possible so that our fans and your customers are able to watch our network -- including the December 29 Patriots-Giants game -- I am now reaching out to you directly with a new and specific proposal to resolve our impasse in a way that will put the interests of our fans, and your customers, first -- and do so in time for the December 29 game.

I have attached a term sheet for a binding final-offer, “baseball style” arbitration process into which NFL is prepared immediately to enter with Time Warner. The objective is to have a neutral third party determine the price and tier for NFL Network distribution on Time Warner systems, based on the fair market value of the NFL Network program service.

Because we recognize that final-offer arbitration pursuant to the attached proposal will take time, we will allow you to provide NFL Network to all Time Warner customers immediately upon your written agreement to participate in the arbitration process and to be bound by its result.

You should know, Glenn, that we do not view this proposal as a way to "force" NFL Network carriage "on our terms." We view it as a way to make sure that your customers can view our programming on fair terms -- which the arbitrator could decide are those proposed by us, or those that Time Warner proposes. Either way, however, consumers -- including our fans -- will be the winners.

We are prepared to leave this arbitration offer open through December 28. I will be available to discuss it at your earliest convenience; my office has standing instructions to get a hold of me whenever you call.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Sincerely,

Roger Goodell

UPDATE (Friday morning)

Time Warner has rejected Goodell's arbitration proposal, urging the the NFL to move the Giants-Patriots game to a different network.

"Over the years we've been able to successfully reach agreements with hundreds of programming networks without the use of arbitration," Britt wrote. "We continue to believe that the best way to achieve results is to privately seek a resolution and not attempt to negotiate through the press or elected officials."

The NFL's decision to simulcast the Giants-Patriots game on NBC, CBS and the NFL Network was a fantastic development for football fans. But it's also a surprising one: The league appeared perfectly willing to use the historic game as a bargaining chip in efforts to convince cable companies to carry the NFL Network or give it wider distribution.

With the Patriots looking to be the first team ever to go 16-0, it will be a long time before we see a regular season game of this magnitude. And the NFL will likely never have as much leverage in their negotiations.

From a pure business standpoint, the NFL may regret having blinked first here. It's hard to see the cable companies budging now. But the league will win the public relations battle, which is not an insignificant consideration. (No company wants to be viewed as more evil than cable companies.) The Giants-Patriots game will likely go down as the most-watched regular season football game in league history, and it will be interesting to see whether cable companies continue to insist that the NFL Network's product isn't worth the 70 cents per subscriber that the NFL is asking.

The NFL may have lost some leverage by deciding to simulcast the Patriots game, but it will gain some exposure for its network. (Chances are, the game broadcast will feature a small graphic with the words "call your cable operator.") And with ratings likely to be off the charts, everyone will be making money here.

The NFL may not have won the war with cable companies yet, and in fact it may appear the league retreated a bit. But the league also won a few battles that could pay dividends down the road.

Let's just hope that Belichick and Coughlin don't sit their starters.

I'm a bit of a junky for survival and adventure stories. I love hearing those tales about people who miraculously survived in the desert on just a half a bottle of water, or the explorers who crossed Antarctica for the first time. Recently, I've been getting into this show on the Discovery Channel called "Survivorman," about a guy who goes out into the wilderness with only a few basic tools and films himself trying to survive for seven days. It's fascinating, perhaps because I am mildly entertained by watching the guy suffer, but also because he's doing things that I probably could never do.

One of my favorite stories, which I read about in a book last month, is about a mountain climber named Jean-Christophe LaFaille. In 1992, the diminutive LaFaille and fellow climber Pierre Beghin were climbing Annapurna, one of the most challenging peaks in the Himalayas. Beghin tragically fell to his death off a ledge high on the mountain, taking nearly all of their equipment with him. LaFaille, who had broken his arm on a falling rock, was forced to climb down without a rope on a steep ice face at an altitude of 23,000 feet. It is widely regarded as perhaps the most remarkable self-rescue in mountaineering history.

My fascination with survival was piqued this week when ESPN sent out release about this weekend's episode of "Outside the Lines." The network plans to air a documentary commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the so called "Andes Flight Disaster," which forced 16 members of Uruguayan rugby team to live for 72 days high in the mountain range, battling freezing temperatures, starvation and dehydration. The survivors were forced to eat the flesh of the dead passengers in order to avoid dying of hunger.

"In the face of society's greatest taboo, they sliced strips from the bodies," Connelly said in the documentary to air this Sunday. "And those strips would be eaten."

I recall as a kid reading about this story in a book called "Alive" written by Piers Paul Read, and it's still my favorite survival story. The book was later made into a movie by the same name, and survivor Nando Parrado recently wrote his own account, "Miracle in the Andes."

For "Outside the Lines," ESPN correspondent Chris Connelly and producer Danny Aruda interviewed several survivors and revisited the site of the plane crash, high in the Chilean section of the Andes mountains. They also interviewed Sergio Catalan, the simple farmer who found two of the survivors that had made a remarkable trek to the Andes foothills. The documentary explains how several of the survivors last year helped him obtain a much-needed hip replacement.

"He's a part of the team," survivor Roberto Cannssa said. "If we're not helping him. We're not helping ourselves."

-- Tim Lemke