Following the NFL draft, the Lions improved their chances of winning the Super Bowl. I kid you not. Their odds went from 40/1 to 35/1. Those are the same odds as the Vikings, Texans and Chiefs. Fourteen NFL teams have better odds with Green Bay and New England at the top of the list at 7/1.

A few more interesting odds, thanks to Bodog.com, reganding the Lions. RB Mikel Leshoure is 12/1 to win offensive rookie of the year while WR Titus Young is 14/1 in the same category. Cam Newton is the favorite at 5/1.

The Lions first-round pick, DT Nick Fairley, is tied with Von Miller with 13/2 odds to win defensive rookie of the year. CB Patrick Peterson is the favorite at 6/1.

Interesting, eh?

Now all we need is a season.

(Folow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)

In the next 10 days leading up to Super Bowl XLV expect to hear much about a possible NFL lockout. No negotiations are scheduled between the owners and the NFLPA with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on March 3.

It’s a very distinct possibility that there could be a lockout. It could be relatively short or it could impact the 2011 season. Of course no one knows for certain. The owners want more of the pie. They’ve also talked about adding two regular season games to bring the total to 18.

Some think the players won’t feel the pinch until September because they get their paychecks during the 17-week season. But that does not include free agent signing bonuses.

On Thursday NFL officials met with 10 NFL writers, including Gregg Rosenthal of ProFootballTalk.com, to explain their side.

Here’s an interesting tidbit, per Rosenthal: “By the league’s estimate, 569 players will be affected in March by a lockout. Of those, 495 players are scheduled to be free agents in 2011, with the assumption that the league goes back to a system where four accrued seasons are needed to become a free agent. That number includes 170 starters and 70 Pro Bowl players.

“It will be the biggest free-agent class ever, and it will have the highest percentage of starters available ever. They also counted 74 players with roster or option bonuses due in March, which have a total of $143.5 million due to those players.’’

In other words 569 players will feel the pinch sooner rather than later.

It’s going to be interesting to see it all unfold. A New York Times profile on Sunday of NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, started out with the words: “We are at war!” That’s how Smith addressed 20 NFL players who had been elected to represent their teammates at the beginning of a recent meeting, according to the Times.

If you’re an NFL fan those are not exactly the words you want to hear before negotiations heat up.

Watch this blog for updates as the process unfolds.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)

Lions safety Louis Delmas makes plenty of noise on the field, but now he will be recognized for his work off the field.

Delmas wil be honored at the inaugural Unsung Athlete Awards Gala on Feb. 3, the Thursday prior to the Super Bowl in Dallas.

Fifteen NFL professional athletes, current and retired will be honored for their inconspicuous yet outstanding service provided through their individual charities. Braylon Edwards of the N.Y. Jets, who played at Michigan, will also be honored.

“I am very honored to be recognized for my achievements off the field, and to be selected with an elite group of current and past NFL athletes makes me appreciate the award even more. Although I play in the NFL, I will never forget about my struggles before getting to where I am today, and to receive an award for something that comes naturally is greatly appreciated” Delmas said.

The awards gala has been coordinated by TPM Charity Events Management and the Retired Professional Football Players of Dallas to honor and celebrate the community efforts of NFL players off the field.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)

This shouldn't come as much surprise to Lions fans, but the NFC North is tied with the AFC West for least representation in the Super Bowl since the divisions were realigned in 2002.

Chicago represented the NFC North in 2006 while the Raiders made an appearance in 2002.

That's pretty pathetic in these days of NFL parity. Don't you think?

Perhaps that's why the Packers at Chicago for the NFC Championship is such a huge deal in these parts and across the country -- all the way to Washington, D.C.

President Obama, who calls Chicago home, predicts the Bears will beat the Packers 20-17. So much for those 10 electoral votes from Wisconsin. Think Packers fans will forget? Probably not.

If the Bears do make it to the Super Bowl in Dallas on Feb. 6, Obama plans to attend which will lead to a logistical nightmare at the beautiful Cowboys Stadium.

Perhaps we should add an amendment to the Constitution that no sitting president is allowed to attend the Super Bowl because of the security details and the sure-fire traffic tie-ups.

Just saying.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)