FanHouse Mike

He'll put you in the wall, wreck your cart at the supermarket, and wreck your motorized boat. And he's easily one of the most-recognized drivers on NASCAR TV right now.

Yes, I'm talking about GEICO's newest pitch man who doesn't pitch the product at all, Lauren Wallace. First, for a video refresher:



I know that Lauren Wallace has made his way into my Top-5 driver list (who couldn't resist cheering for a driver that says "Lauren Wallace is made of lightning!") but unfortunately the Richmond Times-Dispatch has revealed that Lauren is just an actor. Sigh.

From the Times-Dispatch:

The toughest, coolest, most ruthlessly ambitious driver in motorsports was born in Richmond, resides in Chicago, doesn't have a driver's license and is more familiar with the nuances of Hamlet than those of Denny Hamlin.

Let's face it. Heading into last Sunday, not many Seahawks fans expected to come out of Kansas City with a win, and none expected Seneca Wallace to throw for three touchdowns in the game.

It was the classic "no pressure" situation, with very low expectations on the Wallace-lead Seahawks, and a lot of help from the sloppy play of the statistically superior opposition. And after having a ride on the emotional roller-coaster that was the last 6 minutes of that game, I almost would be happier if Kansas City won in a blow-out, like they should have.

Deep down, I'll be Seneca Wallace does too.

Now, the tables have turned 180-degrees, and given the "near miss" in KC, there's nothing but great expectations on Seneca Wallace heading into the Monday Night Football game with the Raiders.

Considering the cast of characters you have in Baltimore, one might have expected the preseason to be a little more exciting. Not too long after the end of last season, Ray Lewis took his dispute with the Baltimore front office public, something that was good for at least one Sunday Conversation on SportsCenter. Jamal Lewis was wounded because he felt disrespected by the team after a less than stellar performance last season. With Steve McNair arriving in Baltimore, there was always a risk that the recently demoted Kyle Boller might kick up some dust in camp. Of course, there's Brian Billick, who up until this season was always one quote away from another public skirmish with a reporter.

Instead, things have been awfully quiet. Lewis is back from an injury, and while he isn't the same player he was even three years ago, he's still an elite linebacker. Lewis was mollified early on with a new contraction that he didn't expect to get, and didn't complain when the Ravens brought in former 1,000 yard rusher Mike Anderson to back him up. As for Boller, he's stayed quiet, though he had little choice in the matter. Apparently, he had little support on either the coaching staff or in the locker room, and making a stink while playing behind McNair would probably be a big mistake. Something tells me if Boller ever did cause any trouble, McNair would take care of it right away, and in a manner that would be as final as it was private. And just yesterday we told you all about the "new Billick". And when it came to competition on the field, the only battle was for the slot for the third wide receiver, a spirited fight between Devard Darling, Demetrius Williams and Clarence Moore that ended with all three making the team.

Instead, the Ravens have worries that plague a number of teams: Questions on both the offensive and defensive line. Excuse me while I stifle a yawn.