Question: Is Craig T. Nelson being cast on CSI: NY just another big star guest turn or could it be something more important? We don't know the answer yet, but I suspect that booking the Emmy-award winning TV star for three episodes could be a lot more significant than just pumping up the ratings during February sweeps with a meaty story arc.

What we do know is that the popular actor will be on CSI: NY as an antagonist to Gary Sinise's character. Nelson will play Robert Parker, a high profile, powerful publisher who has an ax to grind with Mac Taylor.

To say they're going to butt heads is an educated guess, but I think that's the direction they're going. You can see Parker using his media outlets to attack Mac and his department, you know, those great New York tabloid headlines.

So, that's what the CSI: NY angle is, but what about the possibility that CBS is testing the waters with Nelson to see if he still has the high Q-rating appeal that made him a TV star in two different series? He was a sitcom hit with Coach, as well as the star of The District. The latter, a CBS crime drama, was one of those shows that kicked around for a few seasons and never found the right spot to really take hold and become a major player for the network, but it sure had the potential to take off. I recall it languishing in time slot roulette.

Now, this may just be wild speculation, but could this arc lead to Nelson being asked to step into the NCIS spin-off I wrote about recently? Maybe after playing a nemesis to Mac Taylor, Craig will be checking in to NCIS and ticking off Jethro Gibbs, too, all on the way to creating a new show for himself?

That would be fine with me because I like Craig T. Nelson in both comedy and drama. And as the voice of Bob in The Incredibles, he was fantastic. Just keep him away from DirecTV commercials that are in bad taste. Of course, Jason would like Craig back in a sitcom following his hilarious turn on My Name Is Earl.