10/23 (Giants) Quickie

Los Angeles -- I typically dislike West Coast time, but wrapping up the NLCS Game 7 by 9 p.m. last night was kind of tremendous. I understand the appeal.

I'm going to project here: Because I didn't fully appreciate the incredible run by these 2012 Giants -- down 0-2 in the NLDS, down 3-1 in the NLCS -- I assume that many other fans didn't fully appreciate it either.

The reality is that it is incredible -- as incredible of a feat as we have seen in baseball since the Red Sox came back from 0-3 in the 2004 ALCS. In its own way, it is even more improbable.

Consider that the Giants needed a career-best outing from Barry Freaking Zito. Then a career-best outing from Ryan Vogelsong. With both coming against the most pressure-tested lineup in baseball.

Matt Cain's performance in Game 7 was almost insubstantial by comparison -- at least Cain was expected to pitch well (if not THAT well).

Plus the Marco Scutaro story. Plus the Hunter Pence hit, which was one of those things that just crystallizes that -- at least through the NL pennant -- this was one of Those Years for San Francisco.

All you can ask is that your champs prove themselves somehow worthy of the title. I'm not sure I can think of a process more amazing than the one that the Giants have gone through over the past three weeks.

I know there is an inclination to root for the Tigers because they haven't won since 1984 (as opposed to just two years ago for these Giants), but the way SF has gotten here makes them the sentimental favorite to finish it off with a World Series title.

Ideally in 7 games, after some kind of insane series comeback.

More:

*Are the Bears the best team in the NFL? I wouldn't trust them to win three straight games in the playoffs (presuming they win the NFC North), but they are among the elite.

*NFL to drop Pro Bowl? Good. (Does anyone need to say anything more?)

*NBA GMs pick Heat to repeat: Of course they did. What exactly are the other options?

*CFB: Already feeling a tense lead-up to Notre Dame at Oklahoma, this weekend's marquee game. But does anyone think that ND isn't going to get drilled? (In that case, merely keeping it close will be a moral victory that qualifies ND for what increasingly looks like an inevitable 10-win slot in a BCS-level bowl game.)

-- D.S.