Each Wednesday I share links to good articles/columns from recent happenings – with added insights and musings – from around the sporting world.  If you come across good articles, videos, etc. – please pass them along, I’d love to take a look.

Since today is National Signing Day for the 2011 recruiting classes I focused most of this week’s post related to the subject.  I  have also included links to several sites that should have all the recruiting news and information throughout the day tomorrow along with some EPL transfer news, a Blake Griffin piece, & another contest win for John John Florence.

College Football – National Signing Day News and Information:

Photo via buzzybloggers.com

Free news and information will be in abundance on the following websites: Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, FOX, and ESPN (mostly free – some articles require insider – as usual).  If you’re looking to step your game up, here are the pay sites (some articles can be read for free) with more information than you could ever ask for: Rivals, Scout, and 247 Sports (an up and coming recruiting site – don’t have info for all schools yet).  And for those with access to a TV today – ESPN U will have Signing Day coverage from 5:00 AM ET to 3:00 PM ET. If you know of another good recruiting site pass it along and I’ll be happy to put it on here.

College Football – National Signing Day 2011:

The Solid Verbal has ten Rules for the Recruiting Enthusiast – a good read for recruiting addicts and those that follow it a little less closely.

Ever wonder what a National Letter of Intent looks like? CNBC’s Darren Rovell was kind enough to share – high schoolers across the country will be signing these today.

While many of us get excited and lose sleep over National Signing Day, here are ten reasons the NLI sucks.

If you have ESPN Insider – Bruce Feldman caught up with the #1 High School football recruits of the past 25 years as each explain what it’s like to be the best.

Despite struggling to a 5-7 record this season and having to rebuild the coaching staff – Texas is still killing it on the recruiting trail. That shouldn’t surprise anybody…

Dr. Saturday shared the best recruting classes of the last decade based on production – not hype.  It’s good to see a couple non-BCS teams made the list.

Boise State typically finishes the season ranked among the game’s elite teams but on NSD the Broncos are nowhere to be found in the Top 25 of recruiting classes. Here’s a look at how the Broncos recruit and succeed despite the low-rated recruiting classes.

English Premier League:

Fernando Torres is headed to Chelsea after Liverpool agreed to a transfer fee of 50 million pounds ($79.5 million). The Reds and Torres have been struggling all season so this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.  It will be interesting to see if Torres plays alongside Drogba, inplace of Drogba, or wherever/however Carlo Ancelotti decides to deploy him.

U.S. International Michael Bradley (son of Head Coach Bob Bradley) joined Aston Villa on loan yesterday for the rest of the season. This should be  a good move for Bradley if he can earn some playing time in the best league in the world.

Surfing:

Eighteen year old John John Florence won the Volcom Pipe Pro last week beating a handful of Pipe veterans along the way.  The win gives John John two in a row at his home break after winning the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout at the beginning of January. Here are highlights from the Final day:

National Basketball Association:

What’s it like to be dunked on by Blake Griffin? Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated wrote about Griffin from the perspective of those he’s dunked on.  Read it – you know you want to.

Here’s to hoping your team signs all their verbally committed recruits and perhaps a couple surprises – Happy Humpday Everyone!