The Indians' Shelley Duncan Made Leaping Catches At The Wall Three Straight Times Last Night

Your morning roundup for Sept. 15, the day we learned we're going to Mars. Photo via Big League Stew. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors.

What we watched: Actually, you're going to want to see what we have on-deck today. In just a few minutes, A.J. has the strange story of a surfer grifter who ran up a rather large hotel bill in Vegas. And because it's Thursday, get ready for Week 2 of Drew's NFL Jamboroo. Let's get to it, shall we?

Which pretty much answers the question: "Rams quarterback Sam Bradford practiced yesterday and made all the throws, alleviating concern that the bruised right index finger on his throwing hand would keep him out of Monday's game against the Giants. Bradford looks like he will start, and the Giants won't be shy about seeing if the finger is going to be a problem. Asked if the Giants would target Bradford's finger, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said, ‘I plead the fifth.'" [ New York Post]

Bounties for high school football players: "An assistant coach for Morrisville's football team has resigned amid allegations that he placed a bounty on a specific New Hope-Solebury player during the matchup between the two teams last weekend. Defensive coordinator Jason Bresnen, a Morrisville Bulldog football player in the mid-1990s, was accused of telling his team that he would pay $100 to anyone who knocked the player out of the game during New Hope's 29-6 win last Saturday afternoon." [ PhillyBurbs]

Your Hang Gliding Interlude:

Urlacher mourning his mother: "Urlacher has been excused from the team to be with family. His status for the game Sunday in New Orleans has not been determined. ‘Hopefully, we'll have Brian ready to go this week,' Bears coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday, while expressing concern and sympathy for Urlacher and saying he could take whatever time away he needs." [ Chicago Tribune]

Schlichter pleads guilty: "Former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter is resolving multiple state and federal theft and fraud charges with plea agreements that will allow him to leave jail temporarily before beginning a multiyear prison term. Schlichter was expected to plead guilty to state theft charges today, and to plead guilty soon to federal charges of bank and wire fraud and filing a false tax return, according to court documents and one of Schlichter's attorneys." [ AP]

Merch: Managing editor Tom Scocca and contributing editor Drew Magary have both written books. You can buy Scocca's Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future here, and Magary's The Postmortal here. Now do it.

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