10/07 Quickie: Halladay, Mo, Lee, Favre

Today's Names to Know: Roy Halladay, Don Larsen, Mo Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Delmon Young and Greg Golson, Cliff Lee, Bengie Molina and Victor Cruz, James Shields, Randy Moss, Max Hall, Shaq and Amare, Lakers, Capitals, Dwight Howard, Ken Jeong, mini-giraffes, Brett Favre and More.

Honestly? I'm still just a bit flabbergasted by Roy Halladay's no-hitter.

There is the history: The first no-no in the playoffs in the 50 years since Don Larsen.

There is the fact that this was Halladay's first-ever playoff start.

There is the fact that Halladay was the best pitcher in the NL this season, if not all of baseball.

There is the fact that this instantly becomes the defining moment of the 2010 MLB season.

And there is the fact that it was one of the most remarkable collective experiences of the past year -- one of those things you remember because EVERYONE is watching, talking about it.

We are all fans of our own separate teams. But for this one moment -- well, except if you're a Reds fan -- you considered yourself a Phillies fan.

Or, more accurately, a Roy Halladay fan. And we celebrate with him and all Phillies fans.

*****

Yankees win Game 1: Mo Rivera was, typically, shut-down, and Mark Teixeira bashed the lineup's way around CC's ineffectiveness, but let's talk for a second about Delmon Young's "hit" (actually caught by Yankees OF Greg Golson).

If that had been the decisive play of the game -- say, if it had led to the game-winning run -- I think that we would have seen radically expanded in-game replay installed in MLB by next spring. Yes, because of the Yankees. The "What if?" alone should still inspire reform.

Rangers put Rays in a hole: No one is saying the Rays are done, but things sure don't look good today after they ran into the Clif Lee buzzswaw (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 10 K). Is it really up to James Shields to stave Tampa from LDS oblivion?

*****

More:

Randy Moss to Vikings: The Pats had to do it. Apparently, things had devolved with Moss to the point where he was going to be almost entirely ineffective (at best), and a distraction (at worst). The Vikings had to do it. Their window is as wide as the remainder of Brett Favre's career. And Moss will be a lot more comfortable back in Minnesota -- where the fans still love him -- than he would have been in a less familiar city.

(Do the Patriots need to flip that 3rd-round pick -- or some of their other 2011 Draft stockpile -- for an elite receiver, like Vincent Jackson? I don't think so. Let's see what happens first. Bill Belichick has done more with less before.)

Darrelle Revis vs. Randy Moss: Revis says that Moss quit on the Pats in the Jets' Week 2 win over New England. (If winning is what happens when Moss quits, could quitting be so bad?) Anyway, it layers a new intrigue on the Jets-Vikings game on Monday night.

Who is Max Hall? One of the handful of players out there who get to call themselves "starting quarterback in the NFL." Even if the Cardinals are installing him out of desperation -- or lack of a better choice -- more than anything else.

NBA Preseason: Shaq scores 8 in Celtics' debut; Amare scores 11 in Knicks debut. In the case of the former, not exactly the dazzling display everyone was expecting.

Heat Advisory: On the one hand, Dwyane Wade's hamstring problem -- keeping him out 2 weeks (for now) -- is an ominous foreshadowing that the Heat's success is dependent on getting through the season with no injuries to the Big Three. On the other hand, they could sleepwalk through the regular season; as long as LeBron, Wade and Bosh are healthy for the playoffs, the Heat will be fine. (Then again, without the time to create on-court chemistry, doing it on the fly in the playoffs is more of a challenge.)

John Wall Watch: Back in action tonight vs. the Cavs, who without LeBron are no longer a Wizards rival. (Odd one: Has a rivalry ever been based around a guy, not a team or city?)

NBA GMs pick the Lakers to win the title (I agree); pick Kevin Durant to win league MVP (I agree); and pick John Wall to win Rookie of the Year (I agree). Boring.

NHL regular season starts today: As always, I won't offend the hockey fans by attempting analysis. I am rooting for the Caps, hoping that they don't epically choke like they did last year. I agree with SI's prediction the Caps will win the Cup and think that last year's utter failure will motivate them to go all the way this year.

Video of the Day: "Fast Don't Lie" featuring Dwight Howard and the hilarious Ken Jeong (from "Community"), not entirely unreminiscent of the DirecTV ad with the rich Russian guy, whose "kissing the miniature giraffe" has become its own meme.

Speaking of viral, if you're seeing "I Like It On..." in your Facebook feed, it's about where women like to leave their purses when they get home, with a construction intended to raise visibility for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

And projecting today's meme of the day: "Brett Favre dong," courtesy of Deadspin.

-- D.S.