Nothing different except for the 12 screws

According to the latest Twitter post from @lancearmstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, had successful surgery to repair a broken clavicle. Everything is all tied together for Lance... with a titanium plate and 12 screws, of course. Nevertheless, Armstrong is still looking at a return in time for Tour of Italy in early May, as well as the Tour de France, which starts July 4 in Monaco.

About that initial 4-to-6 week recovery diagnosis, well, Lance told Bonnie Ford it might be a little too long.

"We'll know more in the next week," he said. "The sooner I can get on the bike, the quicker we'll know. ... Even if I went into the Giro underprepared and was riding it as preparation for other events, I'd still do it. I'd still be excited to go and do that."

In his first few months back in the saddle after a three-year retirement, Armstrong is catching up for lost time as far as injuries go. Through the first part of his career, Armstrong avoided major injuries, excluding, of course, cancer.

But Armstrong took a spill in the Tour of California last month and battled some pretty rough conditions in the early stages of that race. Then during Monday's opening stage of the five-stage Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in Northern Spain, he busted up his clavicle so that the bone was displaced and splintered.

"Lying in the ditch in that situation [Monday] ... You sort of ask yourself, 'What the hell am I doing here?'" he told Ford. "I don't feel that way today, necessarily, although I'm still in a lot of pain and ready to get this behind me. It was a shock.

"To go as long as I have without having anything like this happen is basically a miracle. ... It was bound to happen. It's not good timing, but it certainly could be worse. And I look at it from a different perspective, too, just from the curveballs my health has thrown me in the past. Laying in that ditch with a shattered collarbone is a lot better than other health scares I've had."

Putting it that way, a displaced and splintered collarbone really isn't much an injury at all.

Lance and some quick hits

TO! Lance! Brains! Olbermann! Um... Olbermann?

Anyway, here are a few quick noon-time stories we're following.

Terrell Owens (remember him? He spent a little more than a season with the Eagles a few years ago. Caught a few passes, c'mon, you remember...) has signed on to shill for something called Venom energy drink. Owned by Dr. Pepper, Owens has been named the company's "Chief Mayhem Officer," which, according to Andy Reid, is almost too perfect: "New Endorsement deal for TO" (The Associated Press)

Twelve athletes, including ex-NFL players, will donate their brains to science for a concussion study... no, not right now: "12 Athletes Leaving Brains to Concussion Study" (Schwarz - The New York Times)

MSNBC's ubiquitous talker, Keith Olbermann is writing for Sports Illustrated now. Who would have guessed that his first story would be about a boner? "The Goof That Changed the Game" (Olbermann - Sports Illustrated)

Lance Armstrong will make his official return to cycling in Australia on Jan. 20 in the Tour Down Under. The seven-time Tour de France champion will ride for the Astana team as announced in press conferences today in New York and Las Vegas. The interesting part about this is the 2007 Tour champ, Alberto Contador rides for Astana. Can you say, Quarterback controversy? "Armstrong to return to racing in 2009" (Macur - The New York Times)

Meanwhile, the great Bonnie D. Ford talked to Armstrong's directeur sportif, Johan Bruyneel about the prospects for the '09 season. Guess what? They might be pretty good: "Whatever is on Lance's list, the execution remains the big challenge" (Ford - ESPN.com)

On another note, I haven't been able to pin down any rumors regarding Armstrong's potential purchase of Team Astana or the Amaury Sports Organization's stake in the Tour de France... yeah, imagine the fallout if Armstrong buys the Tour de France.

All the hand wringing would be a cross between awesome and totally awesome.

Finally, check out the CNN interview with Lance.

Check back for more when I get to the ballpark.