Faulk couldn’t beat rap

Bernard Pollard fan clubs have popped up across the country this week to honor the Kansas City Chiefs safety whose Week 1 hit ended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's season.

But Pollard isn't the only one who can be blamed -- or praised -- for the injury.

Pats' haters also might want to consider starting a fan club for rapper Lil' Wayne.

You see, had longtime New England running back Kevin Faulk not been arrested for possession of pot at a Lil' Wayne concert this summer, he wouldn't have been suspended for Week 1. He probably would have been playing in place of Sammy Morris and might have blocked Pollard from planting his helmet into Brady's left knee.

"Did you ever think Lil' Wayne would be directly involved in the murder of a Patriots season?" wrote ESPN.com's Bill Simmons.

• WEDDING CRASHED -- Simmons, a huge Boston sports fan, described Brady's injury as the "Left at the Altar Loss," when you're waiting for months and months for the season to start (like planning a wedding), then you have your fantasy drafts (the bachelor party), then you have the rehearsal dinner the night before (making your starting fantasy lineups, making your bets, figuring out which games you'll watch Sunday), then you go to the church for the actual wedding (getting in front of the TV for the games) ... and as you're standing on the altar, you find out your bride either changed her mind or got run over by the limo driver. That was me and every other Patriots fan Sunday."

• HOPELESS IN SEATTLE -- In his all-Brady mailbag this week, some of Simmons' readers tried to cheer him up, and Seattle sports fan Dan Gomez actually managed to do so, writing, "It could be worse -- you could be a Seattle sports fan. Let me break it down for you: The Mariners are struggling through one of their worst seasons ever. Our Sonics, the only team to win a professional title in Seattle, moved the team to Okla-friggin'-homa and stuck us with the Storm. And the Seahawks -- in (Mike) Holmgren's final year, mind you --- are now without their TOP FOUR RECEIVERS! Imagine losing (Randy) Moss, (Wes) Welker, (Jabar) Gaffney AND Kelley Washington. Plus our quarterback is having back problems and our best running back left last week's game with an injury ... Oh, and the travesty that was the excessive celebration call on Washington's Jake Locker ... Be thankful you don't live in Seattle."

• CRANKING CARROLL -- Southern California football coach Pete Carroll has been known to play practical jokes on his players. But in this week's Pac-10 conference call, the joke was on him.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that, about 20 minutes into the call, an imposter identifying himself as "Steve Marsh from College Blog" peppered Carroll, in a garbled, almost drunken, voice with several sex-themed queries.

In a transcript from CBS Sports, Carroll replied, "I can't understand what you're saying, dude. What are you saying about Britney Spears?

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY REVIEW-JOURNAL