Monday 10/22 A.M. Quickie:BoSox, Byrd, Brady, Bironas, B.C., More!

Today's Names to Know: Josh Beckett, Dustin Pedroia, Paul Byrd, Tom Brady, Rob Bironas, Brian Griese, David Garrard, Boston College, Strat-O-Matic, More!

ALCS Game 7: Red Sox clobber the Indians, come back from 3-1 deficit with 3-game winning streak to take AL pennant and return to the World Series for the first time since way back in 2004. (Two World Series appearances in four years? These ain't your pappy's Red Sox.)

Congratulations to the team and to Red Sox Nation: It was gutsy as hell to be down 3-1, then win three straight games. After already claiming status as the first MLB team to come back from being down 3-0 in a series, they became only the 11th team ever to come back from being down 3-1. Big performances all around (Game 7 stud: Dustin Pedroia, who had 5 RBI), and I think Boston's big bats and suddenly virile pitching should make them the favorite in the World Series.

World Series Glimpse Ahead: Sox vs. Rox, which is catchy, if nothing else. I'll do more on the series tomorrow and Wednesday, but the ultimate question, of course, is whether the Rockies can maintain their sizzling pace, particularly after an 8-day layoff.

Based on the way they've won 21 out of their last 22, including 7 in a row in the playoffs (8 in a row if you count the Game 163 play-in), I have a hard time imagining the Rockies losing 4 of 7 games at this point. Then again, the way the Red Sox have won 3 of their last, um, 3, I can't imagine them losing either.

On paper, Colorado should get crushed. But what the Rockies are doing right now defies any sort of "paper" analysis. I have spent a lot of time out in Denver this second half of the season, and what's going on there is freaky. They don't comprehend losing anymore.

Kiss-of-Death Prediction: Rockies in 6, with Boston winning both of Beckett's starts (obviously), but losing the other games.

(On a side note: Man, it must be tough to be an Indians fan. Now there's a fan base that deserves our sympathy and our support.)

MLB PED Scandal: Add Paul Byrd to the list. His masterful performance in Game 4 of the ALCS is now the SECOND-biggest thing he is famous for, after 'fessing up to ordering HGH back during the apex of the scandal, from 2002-2005 (when, seemingly, EVERYONE was doing it).

The news cast a pall over the Indians' ALCS run, but it goes to show that HGH penetrated the core of the sport, from the selfish superstar sluggers to the devoutly religious super-likeable journeymen pitchers to the blindly ambitious minor-league rehab success stories. And, I'm sure, much more.

His money quote: "I have nothing to hide," which may be true, admirable or both. But, usually, quotes like that just end up as irony. He says he used it to treat a tumor and that a doc prescribed them. But he says he was in contact with the Indians and MLB about it, but the team and league wouldn't (or couldn't) confirm that.

NFL Wrap: The Pats just keep rolling. Just when you think they can't do anything more (like, say, going on the road and crushing the NFC's top Super Bowl contender), they take on their nemesis and absolutely obliterate them. I know the Dolphins aren't the Dolphins this season, but they weren't particularly good in previous seasons when they beat the Pats, either.

Tom Brady: 6 TDs. One week after throwing a career-high 5, he goes one better, giving him 27 for the season (in only 7 games... the single-season record is 49 by Peyton Manning). The greatest season for a QB in NFL history continues, and it will be all the more spectacular when the team goes 19-0.

My favorite part of yesterday's game was the way that Belichick brought Brady back into the game, off the bench, to throw No. 6. Between that and the last-minute TD the Pats scored against the Cowboys, which was meaningless beyond rubbing in the ass-kicking, it's clear that Belichick wants to punish the rest of the league this season.

More NFL Milestones/Fantasy Player of the Week: Rob Bironas has the greatest day ever for a kicker. He hit an NFL-record 8 field goals, including the game-winner as time expired. So: Who had Bironas on their fantasy team (and if they didn't, will he be the "most added" player of the week?)

More NFL: If there was ever reason to confirm Brian Griese as the Bears' QB, his game-winning two-minute drill without a radio signal in his helmet was the one... How many more last-second wins does Jason Elam have in his foot this season?... Cowboys back on track with a home win over Minnesota, whose sensational rookie RB Adrian Peterson was held to 63 yards, 160 fewer than a week ago (I think the Vikings should give up on this season and target a top QB in the draft to complement Peterson, say Kentucky's Andre Woodson?)... Byron Leftwich looked good in his Falcons debut (that is, until he got hurt... surprise)... Are the Dolphins going to fire first-year head coach Cam Cameron after their first 0-7 start in team history? Should they?

MNF: Colts at Jags. As a Jaguars fan (nominally), last season's blowout win over the Colts represented the best moment of the season for the Jaguars (and made the end-of-season collapse that much more painful). Not sure if the teams match up the same way this year, but this is a real test if the Jags truly are a Top 5 NFL team this year. (Not that it matters, in terms of winning a Super Bowl; the Pats have that locked up.)

CFB: Ohio State, B.C. top the BCS, with LSU at No. 3. Interestingly, the BCS computers have BC and LSU at 1-2 with Ohio State on the outside looking in. Do the PCs know something the humans don't? (Yeah: You can't let the brand name "Ohio State" blind you to things like "Who have they beaten?") By the way, BC is losing at Virginia Tech on Thursday night, just as surely as you could see South Florida's loss at Rutgers last Thursday night coming, too.

Arizona State is No. 4, and Kansas is No. 9, even though the Jayhawks have the most impressive single win of any of the five remaining unbeatens. Other details of note: Florida is the highest-ranking 2-loss team at No. 11 and Virginia has crashed the party at No. 15, on the strength of the No. 6 ranking in the computer polls.

This Week's BlogPoll Ballot (Temporary): As I mention in today's Deadspin post, putting it together was an exercise in self-loathing as I filled it out. (I'm already making changes based on reader feedback. Reader Nick questioned how I could have South Florida where I did, particularly behind USC. This is right on, especially because USF was my No. 1 team a week ago. That's a hell of a drop. I have moved them up to No. 11. That's probably still low, especially since they are a spot behind 2-loss Florida, with the Bulls beating Auburn at Auburn and the Gators losing to Auburn in Gainesville.)

NBA Scandal: Have six refs been disciplined for breaking the league's anti-gambling rules? I wouldn't doubt it, but the league and the refs' union aren't confirming anything.

Fantasy: I have a longer, stand-alone post about this for either later today or tomorrow, but I'm participating in a re-creation of the 1986 baseball season through Strat-O-Matic online, managing the Chicago Cubs. Here's a link to the league.

-- D.S.

Sunday 10/21 (Very) Quickie

ALCS headed to a Game 7 tonight: All momentum (and a wild home-crowd advantage) is with the Red Sox. Curt Schilling came up big last night; the much-maligned JD Drew came up even bigger. Tonight: Let's see if Boston's $103 million spent on Dice-K Matsuzaka pays off. Game 7s, particularly in baseball, are among the best moments in sports. Pick: Boston.

CFB Saturday: South Florida's loss on Thursday was the big shake-up at the very top; either BC (idle) or LSU (beat No. 17 Auburn) will be in the No. 2 spot. I'm still not sure I buy "because they're undefeated" as a reason to rank ANY of the five unbeaten teams in the Top 2.

The biggest loser was the SEC: Both Kentucky and South Carolina lost, the Gamecocks most humiliatingly, at home to Vanderbilt (which most fans and experts won't see as a signal of the strength of the SEC, but rather of the weakness of South Carolina).

Oklahoma was a big loser, too: In the jockeying among 1-loss teams, you can't come up so wimpishly against a 1-win Iowa State team. Of course, that isn't as bad as Cal, which simply lost, for the second straight week.

Looking ahead, up to four unbeatens could lose in this upcoming week, starting with Boston College, which I'm predicting will lose at Virginia Tech on Thursday night (which has become THE game of the week). That means the 1-loss teams are all in play. I put three ahead of the rest: Oregon, LSU and West Virginia. We'll see if the polls bear that out.

Meanwhile, in the Heisman race, when I listed Tim Tebow at No. 2 on my preseason ballot, I was widely mocked. Now, it looks like Tebow is the front-runner, even as a sophomore in his first year of starting -- and even for a 2-loss Florida team. (Danielson said it yesterday on the TV broadcast: Tebow is Vince Young-like in his uniqueness. It's an interesting comparison that I want to dig into next week.)

-- D.S.

Saturday 10/20 (Very) Quickie

Rick Reilly leaving SI for ESPN: See end of post.

ALCS Game 6 in Boston: Do or die for Red Sox. And they've got Schilling on the mound, in what could be his final performance in/for Boston. (There's a Shanoff-Schilling connection to announce, coming Monday.)

Torre has his say, and he's "insulted": And the Yankees lose the PR game, in the same way they've lost in the playoffs the last seven seasons.

Royals hire Trey Hillman as manager: Sorry, but "Who?"

UConn beats Louisville: Sorry, but UL's Kragthorpe should be fired, not just for the many losses this season, but specifically for not yanking his team off the field after the "Fair Catch TD." It cost the Cards the game. (Side note: How is a fair-catch signal NOT REVIEWABLE?! Biggest myth in CFB propagated by TV announcers: "Every play" is reviewable. That's absolutely inaccurate.)

CFB Today: 3:30 ET is a big time slot. Florida at Kentucky on CBS, Michigan State at Ohio State on ABC. If/when Kentucky beats Florida, would you rank them as the top 1-loss team? I would.

NBA: Would you trade Dirk for Kobe straight up, if you were Mark Cuban? I know he's loyal to Dirk, but the Mavs have gone as far as Dirk can take them. I would do this in a second. Why would a marketing mind as savvy as Cuban's turn this down?

(And it is a great deal for the Lakers, too: It's easier to find a guard to complement Dirk than a big man to complement Kobe. On the other hand, maybe Cuban thinks Dirk is more valuable than Kobe; not quite sure how he comes to that conclusion, however. I guess because he's built the rest of his team around a versatile big man, not a scoring guard.)

NHL: Are the Columbus Blue Jackets the NHL's Colorado Rockies? Not until they take that fast start, put it at the END of the season and streak through the playoffs.

Rick Reilly leaving SI for ESPN: I know ESPN has coveted Reilly for years, so this is a big deal, because of his name and formerly hallowed place among sports-media types. But do they really need him? Does Reilly really move the needle with consumers under the age of 30, as he does with consumers over the age of 40? That's debatable.

The question, of course, is how ESPN will use him. Obviously, he's leaving for the TV opportunities. Will they give him his own show? Put him on "Around the Horn?" A guest-sub on "PTI?" On "Monday Night Football" halftime? On "E:60?" Online video, like "Riffs of Reilly?" Most assuredly on ESPN.com (Page 2?) and ESPN the Magazine (front-of-the-book column?) Or maybe not, if The Big Lead's accounts are right. Probably an ESPN Books deal and a Disney movie deal thrown in for fun. Gotta reach that $2 million figure somehow.

And what next for SI? If they were smart, they would take advantage of the opportunity to turn the back page of the magazine into the amazing, must-read spot it was BEFORE Reilly was the permanent guy there: Rotate the columnists each week, with each one offering something truly provocative. Make it online-friendly -- turn it into a hub of SI.com. (But it certainly steals the thunder from the Dan Patrick signing. Memo to SI: A notable -- cough -- "other" Dan is still available! And cheap!)

It's going to be a feast of sports-media navel-gazing and inside baseball. Just so you're prepared. (h/t Big Lead, Neil Best, Sandomir)

-- D.S.

Friday 10/19 A.M. Quickie:USF Loses! BoSox Win! Torre Era Over! More!

Today's Names to Know: South Florida, Boston College, Josh Beckett, Joe Torre, Michigan State, Patriots, Matt Schaub, Adrian Peterson, Byron Leftwich, Javon Walker, Priest Holmes, Bill Callahan, StubHub, Dan Patrick and More!

South Florida loses at Rutgers: There will be many doubters and haters who are giddy today at No. 2 USF (No. 1 in the BCS computer polls) losing at Rutgers. I lament it.

The Bulls were THE story of college football: The representation of everything that was wacky and out-of-balance about the season. USF was this year's Cinderella; they were, by far, the most compelling remaining unbeaten team.

Now, USF has virtually no shot at the national title game. Even if they end up 11-1, there will be so many other 1-loss teams that the Bulls will be squeezed out.

Of far more consequence to the rest of the country, one of the two coveted BCS slots is now open -- there for the taking. Presumably, No. 3 Boston College (playing vaunted "Idle," which would finish in the top half of the ACC this season) will back their way into the position, in the biggest "win" of the week. Yes, there's nothing like "earning it."

It's also a warning shot to BC, Ohio State, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii – the five remaining unbeatens: No team is safe... not even Cinderella.

(Losing at Rutgers, a very tough team, particularly at home and particularly playing their own Game of the Year, is hardly a shame, like losing at home to an unranked team; any of the five unbeatens above would have lost at Rutgers on a Thursday night at this point in the season. And, yet, USF still had their chances to win.)

On a navel-gazing note, it's nice to get off the schneid for my fall predictions track record, which had been previously miserable before picking RU over USF. I will now resume my pick-sucking.

MLB: Red Sox crush Indians in Game 5, bring series back to Boston down 3-2. First, let me just say that Josh Beckett affirmed, once again, that he is the greatest postseason pitcher of our generation.

Not only did he dominate the Indians (8 IP, 11 K, 1 BB, 5 H, 1 R) in a must-win game for Boston, but he stared down the pressure of performing in front of his ex-girlfriend, Danielle Peck, who sang "God Bless America." (He had more trouble, actually, with Kenny Lofton in the 5th, which didn't turn out to be more than preening.) Beckett's legend grows...

Meanwhile, we now have a situation unique to the 7-game format: One team is down 3-2, facing elimination in either of the next two games, but coming home to play those two games (having already lost 1 of 2 games played with that home-field "advantage").

And, yet, all momentum, confidence and presumption of victory resides with that team. Forget previous expectations: The upset now would be if Boston lost the series.

Joe Torre turns down Yankees' offer: I can understand Torre not wanting to take the pay cut, but he still would have been the highest-paid manager in baseball -- if he reached his incentives, which weren't particularly draconian, given his inability to win any championships since 2000. I thought that based on Torre's recent performance, the deal was fair. If he didn't want to take it, that's on him, not the team management.

Torre Era is over: What next for the Yankees? They've got to find Torre's replacement, hardly an easy seat to fill. Will they go with the presumptive in-house heir (Mattingly)? Will they go for a more experienced manager who can take this veteran team back to the World Series? Another day, more drama.

What next for Torre? I'm betting a nice deal with ESPN. But if Fox was smart, they would sign him up to provide World Series analysis. (And if Torre was smart, he'd do it.)

College Football Preview and Picks

After the last three weeks (Massive upsets in the Top 10, USC loses to 41-point underdog, teams ranked 1-2 both lose), I cannot possibly see how things could get any crazier. Then again, I've said that in each of the last two weeks.

The wildest outcome, of course, would be that Ohio State loses at home to Michigan State. MSU is unpredictable, but Ohio State is just too tough at home.

All eyes on the five remaining unbeatens: I think that, of the five, No. 13 Kansas is in the most tenuous position, playing at Colorado (who already beat Oklahoma in Boulder).

The Game of the Day is Florida at Kentucky: The Wildcats are coming off that epic biggest-in-program-history win over LSU. The Gators are coming off a bye week following two straight SEC losses. It's a must-win for both teams, if they want a shot at the SEC East title. (Yes, I'll slurp the SEC for a sec: In what other conference does a DIVISION race involve FOUR teams in the Top 25?)

The Picks:
1 Ohio State over Michigan State (Hmmm...)
4 LSU over 17 Auburn
5 Oklahoma over at Iowa State
6 South Carolina over Vanderbilt
15 Florida over at 7 Kentucky (Game of the Day)
9 West Virginia over Mississippi State
10 Oregon over at Washington
12 Cal over at UCLA
Colorado over 13 Kansas (Upset Special)
14 USC over at Notre Dame
24 Texas Tech over at 16 Missouri
Maryland over 19 Virginia
21 Tennessee over at Alabama
22 Texas over at Baylor
23 Cincinnati over at Pitt
25 Michigan over at Illinois

NFL Preview and Picks

Five Storylines Of Interest:
(1) Pats 19-0 Watch: vs. nemesis Dolphins
(2) Colts at Jags on MNF: Game of the Week
(3) Matt Schaub: Make Texans fans forget VY?
(4) Adrian Peterson: NFL's most "must-see"
(5) This Week's Testaverde: Byron Leftwich

The Picks:
Ravens over at Bills
At Lions over Bucs
Pats over at Dolphins
At Saints over Falcons
At Giants over 49ers
At Redskins over Cards
At Texans over Titans
At Bengals over Jets
Chiefs over at Raiders
At Cowboys over Vikings
Bears over at Eagles
At Seahawks over Rams
Steelers over at Broncos (SNF)
At Jaguars over Colts (MNF)

Javon Walker out indefinitely: More bad news for a Broncos team that is full of it this season.

Priest Holmes returning this Sunday? It's possible. No, I wouldn't drop an active player from your fantasy roster to pick him up... yet.

Bills want to play home game(s) in Toronto: I'm all for expanding your fan base (and the NFL's appeal internationally), but with only 8 precious home games, this totally screws their die-hard fans, which are among the best in sports.

Bill Callahan doesn't like Tom Osborne: At least that's what a student sports reporter says in a new book (self-published), in which he reports Callahan calls the Nebraska legend "crusty" and "old" and attaches those words to an expletive. Osborne graciously sets it aside, but you just know he's filed it away to beat Callahan with later.

Pats are evil geniuses, Part Nth: In a move far more insidious than spying on the football field, the Pats will get the names of their season-ticket-holding fans who (re-)sold their tickets on StubHub (presumably to punish them for not letting the team re-sell them).

I'm no fan of price-gouging (or the ticket brokers who mostly engage in it), but I'm even less of a fan of a team's invasions of privacy against its fan base.

(The best system is where leagues, fans and a company like StubHub collaborate to let fans re-sell their unused tickets; I recognize this works a lot better in a sport like baseball, where there are 81 regular-season games and a season-ticket holder who can't attend might just want to make back their original ticket cost. Or more, when the game is meaningful.)

Still, the main point is that this is an iffy issue, but alienating your fans by threatening them generally isn't a good policy – even if you are in total control because there are only 8 home games and the wait-list for tickets is decades long.

Now, I'm not saying the Pats fans who scalped on StubHub don't have their own issues: If you're a season-ticket holder in it to make a lot of money off your tickets through the secondary market, you shouldn't get them -- there are plenty of fans out there who would kill to pay for (and attend) all 8 home games.

To summarize:
Privacy-infringing team: Bad
Price-gouging ticket-holders: Bad

Dan Patrick teaming up with SI: SI.com could use the relevance. DP could use the audience.

-- D.S.

Thursday 10/18 A.M. Quickie:South Florida, ALCS, Leftwich, Ohio State, More!

Today's Names to Know: Jim Leavitt, CC Sabathia, Byron Leftwich, Sammy Morris, Ohio State, Ron Zook, LeBron, KG and More!

South Florida at Rutgers: College Football's Game of the Week, and it's tonight in prime time. Here is USF's chance to put on a show, on their own separate day, for the entire country in primetime. (They did against West Virginia, too, but that was a Friday night, not a Thursday.)

Now, this is the Bulls' toughest remaining game. If they win this – convincingly or otherwise – they will be on track to maintain their Top 2 BCS ranking through the end of the season. (It would give South Florida 3 quality wins compared to, say, Ohio State's 1.)

On the other hand, as USF's toughest remaining game, they could very well become the latest unbeaten team to lose. After all, the game is on the road, against a Rutgers team that knows a WEE bit about being a national sensation.

I had RU pegged as a Top 5 team in the preseason; they are actually better than they were a year ago, when they were simply an 11-2 Cinderella story. I'm sure they would like nothing more than to show this year's Cindy what a clock striking midnight sounds like.

Pick: Rutgers. (And you all know I'm on the USF bandwagon this season. I just think Rutgers is very tough, and the game is on the road. I'm sure BC fans and Oklahoma fans and LSU fans are the biggest Rutgers fans outside of New Jersey today.)

ALCS Game 5: The Indians can close out the Red Sox tonight. Can I ask a presumptuous question, and it's not supposed to be anti-Sox:

How is Boston not making the World Series any less of a complete dud of a season than the Yankees not making the World Series... except perhaps that the Red Sox had even MORE expectations of making the World Series than the Yankees did.

Short series, anything can happen in the playoffs, the Indians are really good, yada yada yada: The fact is, a loss tonight and the Red Sox have underachieved based on the expectations for the season, which were that anything less than an AL title is a bust.

(BTW, I just can't see the freak-out over Manny Ramirez's "Who cares?" quote. If ever there was a symbolic statement of the cliche'd "Manny being Manny," this was it.)

UPDATE: This Danielle Peck/Josh Beckett "God Bless America" story is amazing. I know it's coincidence, but -- as gamesmanship goes -- this has to be up there with the best of them.

Yankees have no decision on Torre (yet): OK... not much to say about that. Are they obligated to have an answer by yesterday? Hardly.

Byron Leftwich, a DS.com favorite, will get the start this weekend for the Falcons. If only he was wearing his old jersey No. 7...

Pats RB Sammy Morris out for up to 4 weeks (or more): He was one of the more pleasant surprises of the season, particularly if you were savvy enough to pick him up for your fantasy roster at the end of preseason, when word started circulating that, at the very least, Morris would get Maroney's goal-line carries. (But now where does that leave us?)

Speaking of fantasy: So who is so hard up for a wide receiver that they're going to pick up newly reinstated Koren Robinson?

CFB: This week's complete BlogPoll, with analysis from poll director Brian Cook.

OK, so is Ohio State overrated or not? I think they are. Judging by the response I got Monday from Ohio State fans, some think they aren't. Pete Thamel lays out both sides, but at least is a mainstream media writer who acknowledges that the debate exists.

Ron Zook gets a contract extension: Of course he does! When you take a school with 6-6 aspirations and deliver, you get an extension pretty quickly (that, and he's a Top 10 recruiter, even if the program ain't.) Now, obviously, he'll suffer the "Contract Extension Jinx" this weekend for the Illini's home game in primetime against Michigan.

NBA Preseason: LeBron owns China, but the Magic beat the Cavs in Shanghai. Still: LeBron owns China.

Celtics' "Big Three" make debut in Boston: Newcomers KG (13 and 8) and Ray Allen (13 points) undoubtedly amped up the expectations even further. So: What SHOULD those expectations be? NBA title? East title? East finalist? Making the playoffs? Is anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals a total disappointment? (NBA Preview coming next week, by the way.)

Jason Kidd accused of groping a woman: Tracking...

-- D.S.

Wednesday 10/17 A.M. Quickie:Indians roll, Kobe rumors, NFL glory, More!

Today's Names to Know: Paul Byrd, Kenny Lofton, Pats-Cowboys, Kevin Everett, NFL Draft, Tiger Woods, Gatorade, Al Jefferson, Kobe Bryant, Chris Chambers, Tom Osborne, Mike Hopkins and More!

MLB ALCS: Indians put Red Sox in 3-1 hole, heading into Game 5. I did enjoy, however, the back-to-back-to-back home runs by Boston. Though not as much as the Indians' 7-run 5th. (Am I wrong to sense that Boston fans are kind of like, "Eh, we'll take it or leave it this year… how about those Patriots! And KG!" Indians fans, meanwhile, seem generally ecstatic, which probably comes from not winning a World Series in multiple generations.)

Milestone Watch: Kenny Lofton became the all-time playoff steals leader (34), breaking Rickey Henderson's old record.

MLB NLCS: Least-watched LCS series in history! (That's a shame, given the unprecedented way the Rockies have been playing for the last month.) I know most of you find talk about TV ratings to be pretty lame. I have stopped really being blown away by "lowest ever" ratings like we saw in the most recent NBA Finals (or this upcoming World Series). We get it: Fans' attention span is fragmenting… We need to set our expectations bar lower… we… WHAAAA?!

NFL: Pats-Cowboys rout was the most-watched TV show of the fall season so far -- and CBS' highest-rated game since they got the NFL back in 1998. OK, so "highest ever" ratings numbers, in this day and age, is pretty freaking remarkable. (h/t Sports Media Watch via Fanhouse)

Kevin Everett standing, with a walker: Best news of the NFL season.

NFL Trading Deadline: Chris Chambers sent from Dolphins to Chargers. At this point, this is a win for both teams: The Chargers could use the WR (Chambers could use a situation where he is the 3rd option, at best). The Dolphins could use the extra draft pick.

NFL Draft first round going from 15 minutes per pick to 10 minutes per pick? This is a fantastic development, even more so if it means that the draft's first round is moving from Saturday afternoon to Friday night. (h/t PFT)

Some traditionalists may lament either or both switches, but with the way the NFL Draft has become one of the landmark sports events of the year (arguably behind only the Super Bowl and, perhaps, the college football national championship game – oh, and apparently a Pats-Cowboys regular season game) and this makes it even more accessible and even more of an "event."

NBA: Kobe to be traded to the Mavs? Who else is getting tired of the 24/7 Kobe Trade rumors? Wake me when he's in his Bulls jersey.

NBA Preaseason: I think Al Jefferson is going to be a superstar. The centerpiece of what the T'wolves got in return for KG had 20 and 15 last night, yet another great preseason performance in a lead role… I'm a Wizards fan, but you don't have to be bullish on the team to see that they are totally overlooked in the East, a conference they were poised to finish first in last season before injuries decimated their chances. Keep an eye on the Wiz rookies (Pecherov, Young, McGuire), who have helped turn the Wizards' second-unit into a strength, rather than a liability. (Yes, the Wiz were routed by the Bulls last night.)

Golf/Business: Gatorade to partner with Tiger Woods and launch a new line of drinks, "Gatorade Tiger." I love Gatorade (Best. Hangover Cure. Ever.), and I pride myself in being enough of a mindless lemming to know I'll definitely try the stuff. Otherwise, Tiger is rumored to be getting $100 million in the licensing deal.

Meanwhile, there is one person out there who knows Gatorade and sports business better than anyone: Darren Rovell's post on this story is a must-read.

Fantasy: MLB and the players' union lost another ruling to the fantasy folks about owning player names and stats. Presumably, under the ruling, I could create my own fantasy game without having to pay a licensing fee. If only I wasn't so lazy...

CFB: Tom Osborne is returning to Nebraska as interim AD. Sure, he was in charge of the football team during its heyday (and, arguably, the greatest single season any team has ever had, in 1995), but there was some serious sketchiness that went along with that success that people either never heard about (or just don't talk about).

CFB: Jimmy Clausen is benched. So much for being the greatest QB prospect since whenever. (Wait: Why am I talking about Notre Dame? What a waste of time.)

CBB: Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins officially anointed as Jim Boeheim's successor. That's the type of continuity that can really help a program. In some teams' cases, I like the idea of bringing in a new regime; in the case of Syracuse, they are better off with an extension of Boeheim (whenver the transition happens).

More CFB: Don't forget to check out my guest-blog over at CoachOfTheYear.com, this week to be updated with praise for Kentucky's Rich Brooks, a look at the latest standings and another round of reader comments – they sure do like that Jim Leavitt. Feel free to leave your own comments, analyzing the latest developments in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award race. Special consideration for DS.com commenters, of course. (As should be plainly obvious, but I'm happy to affirm: I have a business relationship with the folks behind CoachOfTheYear.com.)

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/16 A.M. Quickie:You Cannot Stop the Rockies

Today's Names to Know: Colorado Rockies, Matt Holliday, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Roger Goodell, Steve Pederson, Bill Stoneman, Trent Green, Marc Bulger, Brandon Lloyd, Don Mattingly, Michael Bennett, Michael David Smith and more!

MLB: Rockies sweep D'backs, win NL pennant: Oh, and don't forget it was their 7th straight playoff win (8th if you count the play-in game) and 21st win in their last 22 games. What a story. Totally unprecedented.

I was lucky enough to be at Coors Field last night. (I should call it the "frozen tundra of Coors Field.") Great atmosphere, with fantastic fans who had such a sincere appreciation for what was going on – it was very different from a winning scene in New York or Boston (or even any other team who has a tradition going back beyond 1993). Congrats to the Rockies fans.

The win itself was typical: Unknown starting pitcher delivers, bullpen-by-committee (with Fuentes as the only shaky member), the team/league/playoff MVP with a big game (Holliday HR that was an amazing in-person experience), and a key contribution from an unlikely source (PH Smith's 2-RBI dink to shallow left).

The only thing that can stop the Rockies now is time: They have an 8-day wait until the World Series starts. If they maintain their momentum, it won't matter who wins the ALCS.

(Don't know if you stayed up to watch it. Will Leitch did, for his sensational NYT baseball playoffs blog. Here's another must-read post. Jumping off a point he made: Given the unexpectedness of the Rockies' run over the last month -- let alone last 3 months, let alone last 12 months – it should ramp up expectations among every team's fans that their team, if run right, can contend immediately.)

ALCS: Indians beat Red Sox in Game 3, 4-2. Important win for Cleveland to hold serve in this first game at home and really put the pressure on Boston to get a game-winning performance out of the rested (or is that rusty?) Tim Wakefield tonight in Game 4. Game 3 starter Dice-K was more Dud-K, giving up all 4 runs in 4.2 IP. (I thought he was supposed to be the ultimate big-game pitcher? Yikes.)

Super Bowl in…London?! Yes, because nothing reflects the most American of events like "Toodle-pip!" I am stunned that NFL Commish Roger Goodell would even suggest this. I'm neither a jingoist nor a nativist, but talk about a U.S. outsourcing crisis!

Giants beat Falcons on "MNF," 31-10 in an entirely forgettable game. Eli was iffy, but connected with Burress on a TD, for those of you who needed the fantasy points.

Nebraska fires AD Steve Pederson: I'm not sure the football team's recent struggles are as much the AD's fault as they are Callahan's. Is the rest of the athletic department such a mess? (Wait: At Nebraska, why am I bothering to ask?)

Angels GM Bill Stoneman leaving the team: Could owner Arte Moreno want to make a play for free agent Walt Jocketty? (Would Jocketty go anywhere without Tony Larussa?)

Vince Young is day-to-day: Pretty disappointing season for the sophomore. Go ahead and say it, if you haven't already: "Madden jinx."

Trent Green wants to play again: That guy should get his head examined. No, not for physical damage, but to see a shrink – he is insane to want to keep playing after his most recent concussion. Let it go, man.

Marc Bulger returning to Rams: Psst…it won't make THAT much of a difference.

Brandon Lloyd should step carefully: The WR probably thinks he is gaining some sort of upper hand by bringing up old rumors about Troy Aikman's sexual orientation, but he really just looks and sounds like a jerk. Does he really want to be the NFLPA's version of Skip Bayless?

Torre Watch: Don Mattingly reportedly told members of Steinbrenner's family that he's not ready to be the Yankees manager yet. What a refreshingly candid assessment (and probably not a little bit supportive of Joe Torre's future).

Did you know today is the NFL trading deadline? Unlike baseball and the NBA, it's just not that big of a deal. Do you really care that Michael Bennett was traded from the Chiefs to the Bucs? (Well, maybe if you're desperate for an RB and Bennett isn't claimed in your league.)

Must-Read: The indefatigably talented Michael David Smith is interviewed by sports-blogger Larry Brown. Great way to get to know one of the sports blogosphere's biggest talents. (And I want to thank him for his compliments in Question 10. He raises an interesting point: Maybe I'm less of a traditional blogger than a writer who blogs. Damn you, One-Post-Per-Day format addiction!)

From an email from reader Michael M. just before I published this post: "no update as of 9am + shanoff at rockies clincher = shanoff probably in jail. now thats a story i wanna read about in the quickie."

-- D.S.

Monday 10/15 A.M. Quickie:Pats Rout, Rox Roll, AP Runs, USF Rules!

Today's Names to Know: Tom Brady, Yorvit Torrealba, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, LaDainian Tomlinson, Devin Hester, Vinny Testaverde, South Florida, Greg Monroe, Kelvin Sampson and More!

NFL: Pats rout Cowboys, 48-27. There is very little to say about this game, except that it was yet another statement that the Pats are out to absolutely eviscerate the rest of the league en route to 19-0. They just took the best team in the NFC and destroyed them in their own house. (I love how some people think the Colts are right there with the Pats as the NFL's clear-cut best. Right now, I think the Pats would beat the Colts worse than they beat the Cowboys.)

Sunday's NFL Stud: Tom Brady, who threw a career-high 5 TD passes and became the first QB ever to throw at least three TD passes in each of the first six games of a season. (Take that, Peyton.)

MLB Playoffs, NLCS: Rockies beat D'backs in Game 3, one win away from a sweep. So add "rain or shine" and "cold or warm" to the list of conditions – now most properly described as "any" – under which the Rockies will win.

20 of their last 21. Three in a row in the NLCS. Six in a row in the playoffs. Led most recently by mostly anonymous players with mythical-sounding names like Yorvit Torrealba and Josh Fogg.

And I will be at Coors Field tonight for Game 4, rooting like crazy to witness a pennant-clincher. Franklin Morales vs. Micah Owings (known more for his bat than his arm.) More tomorrow on the game tonight.

ALCS: Indians, Red Sox tied 1-1 with series moving to Cleveland: Despite Boston's Game 1 clobbering, I had targeted Game 2 as the quasi-"pivotal," whichever-team-wins-this-wins-the-series event. The momentum belongs with the Indians, heading into three straight games in Cleveland.

Where to start with Game 2? Eric Gagne pooped the bed (in a "didn't-he-used-to-be?" performance that will linger in the memory far longer than his record-breaking season just a few seasons ago); Trot Nixon enjoyed a moment of ironic revenge; and Papi/Manny combined to go 1/6. (Tonight: Matsuzaka vs. Westbrook.)

More NFL: A handful of notes that won't come close to doing the day justice.

(1) Adrian Peterson is amazing: It's not just that the NFL might as well engrave the Rookie of the Year trophy with Peterson's name; it's that Peterson is arguably the best running back in the NFC right now, rookie or otherwise. Yesterday, he set the record for rushing yards by a Vikings RB (again, rookie or otherwise).

(2) Maurice Jones-Drew is back: 12 carries for 125 yards and 2 TDs, and the TD celebration of the day: Karate Kid, which out-did his flip into the end-zone. And with a solid game from QB David Garrard, the Jaguars are suddenly looking like one of the top non-Pats teams in the AFC. Next week's MNF game against the Colts will be the true test (not that last season's Jags throttling of the Colts meant anything in the larger scheme of either team's long-term fortunes).

(3) Vinny Testaverde is ageless. If Tom Brady didn't steal it from him, Vinny would have been this week's stud, for being the oldest starting QB to win a game in NFL history – a week after being signed, no less. He threw a TD pass, the 21st consecutive season he has done that, which strikes me as a record damn near unbreakable. Unless you're a Cardinals fan or playing against the Panthers, how can you NOT root for Vinny T?

(4) If you don't like Brady Quinn, you can't possibly help but like Derek Anderson.

(5) Welcome back LaDainian. (You, too, Larry Johnson.) 4 TDs is exactly why you were the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy football pick.

(6) And, apologies to both LT and AP, but Devin Hester is the most exciting player in the league right now.

(7) The Rams are absolutely utterly awful. The Dolphins aren't far behind, but if you were forced to pick the worst team in the league, the Rams would be it.

(8) Is it NBC's Football Night In America or Watch For Plummeting TV Cameras Night? Either way, it was good for the Saints, who won their first game and got 141 yards out of Reggie Bush and a solid game out of Drew Brees.

NFL Milestones: Tony Gonzalez set a new record for career TDs by a tight end. Enough to get him into the Hall of Fame? I don't think so.

MNF: Giants-Falcons? Ugh. Maybe if Michael Vick was playing (or even just in attendance), this would be something to watch. Otherwise, I'm glad I'll be in Denver at the Rockies-D'backs Game 4.

CFB: First BCS standings revealed. Ohio State and South Florida are in the driver's seat at 1-2, with USF set to leap OSU if/when the human pollsters ever lose their insane bias against them to match the computers, who rank USF at No. 1 (as I do -- see this week's BlogPoll ballot).

I think it's an embarrassment that Harris Poll and Coaches Poll voters – who are supposed to be so-called EXPERTS in college football – don't know anything about South Florida; discount their season's accomplishments because they don't have a brand name as established as other teams in the Top 5; and otherwise plead ignorance.

In a season as insane as this one, it's key to see who this year's Florida might be: The 1-loss team in the best position to capitalize should the (dwindling number of) unbeatens (continue to) stumble.

That 1-loss team with the inside track is LSU, with a healthy margin ahead of the next-highest-ranked 1-loss team, Oklahoma. And the Sooners are just a smidgen ahead of South Carolina, which assuredly benefited from beating Kentucky (which beat LSU).

CFB Weekend Wrap: You know it's an insanely great season when, after three straight weeks, you can't decide which had the wildest result:

(a) Three weeks ago, when all those upsets in the Top 10 happened;

(b) Two weeks ago, when preseason and presumptive national-title favorite USC lost at home to a 41-point underdog in the biggest regular-season upset in modern CFB history;

(c) This past weekend, when the No. 1 team lost, then the team presumptively poised to take over the No. 1 spot lost (at home to an unranked team on an insanely boneheaded game-ending play).

You'll forgive me if I don't take the BCS too seriously right now: Of the remaining BCS-conference unbeaten teams:

Ohio State: Will lose at Michigan.
South Florida: Will lose at Rutgers.
B.C.: Will lose at Virginia Tech.
Arizona State: Will lose at Oregon.
Kansas: Will lose in the Big 12 CG (if not sooner)
Hawaii: Will lose to Boise State.

Meanwhile, the most highly regarded 1-loss teams have both remaining gauntlets of their own (South Carolina and Kentucky still have to play Florida) or have fatal flaws (i.e., USC and Cal lost at home to unranked teams, Oklahoma lost to an unranked team).

If I had to make a prediction now, I would say that no team will finish the season unbeaten, and that the national-title match-up will be LSU vs. Oklahoma, with a third team earning half a national title on a playoff-protest vote by the AP voters.

College Hoops Recruiting: Georgetown was already poised to repeat their 2007 Final Four appearance next March. Now, it looks like they may be a presence there for even longer, after getting a verbal commitment from 6-10 star Greg Monroe, the top player in the 2008 high school class.

By the way, I would like to modify my preseason pick of UCLA to win the national title to include my entire Final Four: UCLA, Tennessee, Georgetown, UNC.

More CBB: Indiana to punish coach Kelvin Sampson for more illegal recruiting calls. Given that he was already being punished for the same violation, I find Indiana's punishment of a $500,000 raise and a scholarship to be inadequate. He brokes the rules originally, but then compounds the problem now by SNUBBING the rules. I don't care if Indiana was being proactive -- cripes, isn't this what the NCAA is for?

MLB Offseason: Reds hire Dusty Baker. Meh.

More CFB: Boise State beats Nevada in 4 OT, 69-67. The reason we don't have to talk about Hawaii crashing the BCS is because the Broncos are going to beat them in Hawaii in the season finale.

-- D.S.

Kentucky Shocks No. 1 LSU: Implications!

UPDATE (10:40 p.m. ET): Perhaps you thought that two weeks ago's Day of Upsets was the wildest college football could get. Maybe you revised that after last week's upset of USC by 41-point underdog Stanford. It couldn't possibly get crazier, could it?

Yes, it can. It did: Not only did No. 1 LSU lose, but just minutes ago, the team presumed to take over at No. 1 -- Cal -- snatched defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least an OT-forcing tie with momentum and home-field advantage), with the most bone-headed and costly game-ending -- season-ending -- mistake of the year.

Cal's utterly shocking home loss to an unranked Oregon State surely spikes Cal's chances of making it to the coveted 1 or 2 spot in the first BCS poll that comes out on Sunday, let alone a spot in the BCS title game three months from now.

So let me revise the original post below:

The biggest beneficiary of tonight's pair of shocking results: Ohio State, which will surely take over as No. 1 in every poll, including the initial BCS ranking. (Though Ohio State may go through most of the rest of the regular season unscathed, who could possibly not see a season-ending loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor coming?)

But closely behind the Buckeyes: South Florida and Boston College, which have seen one more unbeaten competitor fall to the wayside.

However, let me throw out one more crazy scheduling detail: South Florida plays at Rutgers this Thursday night, in a spoiler game the Bulls could very well lose to last year's Cinderella. And BC plays at resurgent Virginia Tech the Thursday after that, in a game the Eagles could lose.

In just under two weeks, there will very well likely be no BCS conference team left undefeated, creating an insane scrum among multiple 1-loss teams, including those who saw their season crumble tonight (LSU), a week ago (USC), 10 days ago (South Carolina), two weeks ago (Oklahoma) and a host of others, any of whom could have a legit claim.

Friends, no more foreshadowing needs to be experienced: We are headed for a BCS Apocalpyse the likes of which have never been seen. Not one unbeaten with several 1-loss teams competing for the second spot. Not three unbeatens with one unfairly left out.

No: In all likelihood, three (and probably far more!) 1-loss teams, with no real (or certainly fair) way to distinguish between them, perhaps aside from comparing the teams they lost to (which would favor the SEC teams, but not the Pac-10 or Big 12 teams).

The ultimate BCS implosion. It's coming. The end is near.

ORIGINAL POST:
The wildest season in college football history just got wilder: Kentucky just knocked off No. 1 and presumptive BCS favorite LSU in 3 OTs. What a game: Best of the season so far.

For LSU, the path to the BCS title game just got much tougher: They now sit behind the unbeatens, and have to hope to pull off something similar to what Florida did a year ago.

For Kentucky, as legit a claim as anyone to "Best One-Loss Team" in the nation. Next week's game at home against Florida suddenly looms as large as this week's was against LSU. (Oh, and restore UK QB Andre Woodson as the Heisman Trophy favorite, and -- while you're at it -- as the top QB taken in the 2008 NFL Draft.)

The biggest beneficiaries: Cal and Ohio State, who project to be in the 1-2 BCS pole position on Sunday, with South Florida and B.C. close behind.

But, given the way things have played out at the top over the last few weeks, it's easy to see any or all of those four losing between now and the BCS title game.

Saturday 10/13 (Very) Quickie

Rockies go up 2-0 with 2nd win in Arizona, 5th straight in the playoffs (5-0), on a walk-off WHOOPS bases-loaded walk in extra innings -- yet another ending that makes you think Colorado is destined to advance. (I'll be at Coors Field for Game 4. I would love to see a clincher.)

Red Sox beat down Indians in Game 1: But, regardless of that outcome, I think the winner of Game 2 -- Carmona vs. Schilling -- will win the series.

CFB Today: Man, Illinois looks like they're simultaneously experiencing a let-down game after last week AND looking ahead to next week. Meanwhile, you cannot possibly take Hawaii seriously as a non-BCS BCS-bowl contender after they had to rally to beat San Jose State.

More tomorrow a.m.

Friday 10/12 A.M. Quickie:NLCS! ALCS! NFL! CFB! Midnight Madness! More!

Today's Names to Know: Jeff Francis, Justin Upton, CC Sabathia, Josh Beckett, BCS, Chase Daniel, Glenn Dorsey, Vinny Testaverde, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Grant Hill, John Schuerholz, Dennis Franchione, Kobe Bryant, Midnight Madness and More!

MLB Playoffs: NLCS. Rockies take Game 1 in Arizona, win 18th of 19. On the road or at home. In the regular season or the playoffs. Against sizzling teams or struggling teams. Against East Coast opponents or intra-division rivals. Against spot-starters or Cy Young winners. With or without bottles thrown on the field. It doesn't matter. The Rockies roll on.

Stud: Jeff Francis, who out-pitched Brandon Webb. The Dud was either Justin Upton, for that iffy slide ruled interference that triggered a double-play and the ire of previously flaccid Arizona fans, or to Larry Vanover for making the controversial call. Not sure it would have mattered. Not sure the D'backs can do ANYTHING to stop the Rockies right now. (How about that fan revolt after the Upton play? I think they were just channeling their frustration at not being able to keep up with the sizzling Rockies.)

MLB Playoffs: ALCS. Sabathia vs. Beckett in Boston. I'm not picking against Beckett in the postseason.

Yankees' decision on Torre pushed back to next week: So much for speculation that they would let him go immediately after the playoffs ended for the Yankees. (That's all I have to say about that; let's try something different and not talk about the Yankees today.)

CFB Top 25 Preview and Picks: After the last two weeks, I think fans need/deserve a break. Some sort of low-upset weekend where the top teams simply win – and we all wait for the insanity of the first BCS poll to come out after the weekend.

Presuming no upsets (iffy), the question is this: Which team will join LSU in the uber-coveted first two spots in the BCS poll? It's either going to be Cal or Ohio State, depending on their wins. Cal would appear to have the inside track, taking on a conference foe, while Ohio State takes on a non-BCS team.

(Two other teams deserve consideration for that No. 2 spot: South Florida and Mizzou. If Mizzou can beat Oklahoma on the road, that would be as impressive as Cal beating Oregon on the road, which -- so far -- is the most impressive win of the year. Unfortunately for BC, beating Notre Dame – even in South Bend – just ain't what it used to be.)

Of other particular interest: Does LSU suffer any kind of let-down after the huge Florida win at Kentucky? How badly does BC beat Notre Dame? Is South Florida in for a shocker over in-state directional rival UCF? What does USC look like after the Stanford loss? Can Illinois keep it going? And, in the game of the week, will Missouri come out of Norman unscathed? (If they do, they should be in the Top 5.)

1 LSU over at 17 Kentucky
2 Cal over Oregon State
3 Ohio State over Kent State
4 BC over at Notre Dame
5 South Florida over UCF
11 Missouri over at 6 Oklahoma (Game of the Week!)
7 South Carolina over at UNC
9 Oregon over Washington State
10 USC over Arizona
12 Virginia Tech over at Duke
14 Arizona State over Washington
15 Cincinnati over Louisville
16 Hawaii over at San Jose State
18 Illinois over at Iowa
19 Wisconsin over at Penn State
20 Kansas over Baylor
Arkansas over 22 Auburn (Upset Special)
23 Texas over at Iowa State
24 Georgia over at Vandy
25 Tennessee over at Mississippi State

Here's a fun preview from EDSBS' Orson Swindle, now writing weekly for the Sporting News.

Meanwhile, Glenn Dorsey for Heisman? It's not a crazy thought, with even the most talented offensive player (Darren McFadden), most valuable offensive player (Tim Tebow), most NFL-prized offensive player (Brian Brohm) and the standard whoever-is-playing-QB-for-USC all having their own flaws. The NYT's influential Pete Thamel makes the case. If it was ever going to happen, this would be the year.

Last night: Wake Forest beats FSU. I'm not sure why I had FSU at No. 23 on my BlogPoll ballot this week. I must have been on something. Needless to say, I won't be making the same mistake again.

(Remember when FSU losing to Wake Forest seemed like an insane proposition? Congrats to Jim Grobe for keeping last season's momentum going at Wake this season. As for FSU, they REALLY need to move on from the Bowden Era. Rich Rodriguez would look good on the FSU sidelines, though I'm sure they'd make a play for Bowden protege Mark Richt at Georgia.)

NFL Week 6 Preview and Picks

Everything else on Sunday and Monday is a distant second to the huge battle of unbeatens: Patriots at Cowboys. But here's the thing: The Pats are going to wax them, just like they've waxed everyone else. Even more so, I'll bet, because thumping the next-best team in the league sends an even clearer message that we're witnessing 19-0.

At Bears over Vikings
At Browns over Dolphins
At Packers over Redskins
Bengals over at Chiefs
Eagles over at Jets
Titans over at Bucs
Jaguars over Texans
Ravens over Rams
Cardinals over Panthers
Pats over at Cowboys (GOTW)
Chargers over Raiders
Seahawks over Saints (SNF)
Giants over Falcons (MNF)

Oh, wait, there IS an intriguing storyline beyond Pats-Cowboys: Will Vinny Testaverde start for the Panthers on Sunday, just days after the 43-year-old joined the team? That is awesome, and infinitely more interesting than seeing David Carr start with that sore back.

John Schuerholz resigns as GM of Braves: I didn't particularly like his philosophy when I read about it during his book tour earlier this year, but I certainly respect the way he put together all those titles. (Sorry: Division titles. Wouldn't want to confuse him with a guy who won multiple World Series championships.) He will remain the No. 2 guy in the franchise, which should make his replacement, Assistant GM Frank Wren, a little uneasy. Can't imagine Schuerholz will let it go.

Texas A&M doesn't like Dennis Franchione's secret email newsletter to boosters: I give him points for creativity (with points docked for sheer stupidity – either he was stupid to think he wouldn't get caught or stupid to think it wasn't a big deal). Apparently, he has violated his contract; if A&M wants to oust him, this is their opportunity. It also makes me wonder if I could make any money with my little online "newsletter"...

NBA Preseason: Grant Hill made his preseason debut with the Suns, and he finished with 17 and 8 as a starter playing 24 minutes. He's in for a Renaissance... Al Horford led all rebounders in Atlanta's win over Charlotte... LeBron's new running buddy Devin Brown had 10 and 10 in a Cavs win over Detroit... Marco Bellinelli had 18 points, and if he gets enough minutes (and shots), he could be Kevin Durant's top challenger for Rookie of the Year.

Trade-Kobe Watch: Meanwhile, off of yesterday's news that Jerry Buss would (or is that "will?") trade Kobe, what is a reasonable offer? The Lakers can't get equal value back in terms of talent, but I argue they can get better.

(Maybe not better enough to contend in the West, but they weren't going to contend in the West with Kobe anyway. On the other hand, any East bubble team that might get Kobe could easily turn into the conference-winning spoiler. As LeBron proved a year ago, you don't need more than a single superstar to win the East.)

Today's Must-Read: Whenever The Big Picture comes out with another blogger interview, it's a must-read. Today: Brian from Awful Announcing, one of the most popular and talented bloggers out there.

College Hoops: Midnight Madness! Is it me, or is Midnight Madness not the "event" it used to be. It used to be a lot more "underground" and fun. I loved the live look-ins on TV, the weird dunk contests, the novelty of students and fans going crazy at such a weird hour. (Hat-tip: Lefty Dreisell.) It's a little bit more of a slick production now, with a lot of teams dropping the whole "midnight" part, which consequently guts the "madness" part.)

Anyway, is it too early for Final Four predictions? (No, I'm not taking Florida to three-peat. Although they will be better than predicted by "experts," who don't have them ranked in the preseason Top 25.) But let me make a tangential Gators reference anyway:

Without their Final Four nemesis of the past two years blocking the way, this year's national champion will be...

UCLA.

Basketball Prospectus launches: Congrats to Ken "KenPom" Pomeroy and John "Wonk" Gasaway on the launch of Basketball Prospectus this week. (I guess their own version of "Midnight Madness.")

Here's the link, and it should immediately go into your daily rotation. Here's their tip-off link and a link to their ACC overview.

-- D.S.

Thursday 10/11 A.M. Quickie:NLCS, KG, Vinny, Wie, Gipp, More!

Today's Names to Know: Jeff Francis, Brandon Webb, Mariano Rivera, Jerry Buss, Allan Houston, Kevin Garnett, Rashard Lewis, Vinny Testaverde, Andy Reid, Suzyn Waldman, Michelle Wie, George Gipp and More!

MLB Playoffs: NLCS! Colorado at Arizona, Game 1, Francis vs. Webb. The only team to beat the Rockies in the last 18 games was the D'backs (and that was only once, mind you).

The Rockies have become the most compelling team not just in the MLB Playoffs, but in all of sports right now. It's hard to imagine them losing their mojo, but a Game 1 loss might throw them off-track. Meanwhile, the D'backs are the SABR version of a freakshow: They have been outscored by 20 runs on the season, which defies the classic baseball "Pythagorean Theorem."

ALCS: Oh, so now LeBron LIKES the Indians. (Allow me to pre-empt the easiest joke: LeBron makes my own fairweatherness look reasonable.)

Torre's Future, Cont'd: Now Mariano Rivera says his future with the Yankees (or lack of one) will be tied to Joe Torre's fate. I wonder if Derek Jeter would be saying the same thing if he was a free agent?

Lakers owner Jerry Buss on Kobe trade deals: "I would listen." That's huge. If the Lakers aren't playoff contenders by February's trade deadline, I could definitely see the Lakers dealing him. What a midseason blockbuster that would be.

Allan Houston returning to the Knicks? For a team where stupid news comes more frequently than wins, this ranks up there. Why would they entertain this silly charade, when they really should be focusing on their core of young talents? How can any Knicks fan support this (beyond the ironic value the rest of us see)?

KG vs. the T'wolves: 9 points, 6 rebouds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals in a Celtics win over his old team. Maybe he took it easy on them out of a sense of nostalgia. (Ray Allen did the damage, with 28 points.)

Magic's Rashard Lewis sprains his ankle: When did you see this coming –the day he signed his mega-deal with the Magic? Oh, yes.

Vinny Testaverde is a Panther: He's 43. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1987 draft. Yes: 1987. It was that long ago. And for those of you, like me, who remember it as a memorable moment of early-teen fanhood, yes, you are that old. (Put that in context: No fan under the age of 30 remembers it, and 20-year-old fans were just being born.) I love the fact that a career that was defined as being a huge bust will ultimately be replaced by the fact he had an insanely long career.

Andy Reid denies rumors he's quitting: That doesn't mean he won't be gone as Eagles head coach by the time next season rolls around.

NFL Fantasy: OK, so who has picked up Gus Frerotte as their starting QB?

NFL Expansion: Something to file away -- Toronto could be a leading candidate to get an existing NFL team to relocate.

CFB: The rumor has it that ABC might put Cincinnati-South Florida in primetime on Nov. 3. If both teams are still undefeated, this will have national-title implications. Forget the "names" involved: This would be a unique "Cinderella-ish Bowl" that CFB fans would want to see.

Sports Media: I'm late on this, but what do you think about Suzyn Waldman's on-air crying about Joe Torre and the Yankees? It was shocking because it came from mainstream media, it came from the kind of "homer" announcer fans have always known are anything but impartial and, of course, because it came from a woman commentator.

Gender is the biggest factor in this. I personally think that she seemed more bloggish – more sincerely passionate, devoid of the faux "objectivity" that guts most sports media – than most any other announcer I'd ever seen. It was only shocking because we see sincere emotion from mainstream media so rarely.

Scandal Watch: Should Marion Jones' relay teammates (presumably clean) get to keep their Olympic medals won in the relay? I say yes, though it is murky.

Michelle Wie is 18: You lecherous fans no longer have to hide.

George Gipp's corpse exhumed: Digging up legendary sports heroes is the new hotness! Who's next? Lou Gehrig?

-- D.S.

Wednesday 10/10 A.M. Quickie:A-Rod, LCS Picks, Leinart, Durant, More!

Today's Names to Know: Scott Boras, A-Rod, Joe Torre, Matt Leinart, Michael Vick, Mark Sanchez, Reggie Bush, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant, Joe Paterno, More!

The Fate of A-Rod: Scott Boras all but announced yesterday that A-Rod is going to opt out (and the Yankees reiterated they won't get in a bidding war to re-sign him).

I think A-Rod ends up with the Angels, although that $30M annual salary for the next decade will be tough for even the most free-spending owner.

What next for Torre: The sympathetic media spin is that the Yankees are leaving Torre "twisting." Has anyone asked Torre if he even WANTS to com back? I suspect he doesn't.

Who should manage the Yankees next: Girardi? Piniella? One Philly columnist suggested Larry Bowa. How about Tony LaRussa?

Meanwhile, here's a must-read take about Torre from Deadspin's Will Leitch, writing on his NY Times blog about the MLB Playoffs. If you haven't read it, you don't have to be a Yankees fan (or hater) to appreciate.

LCS Picks (Updated):
Indians d. Red Sox in 7
Rockies d. D'backs in 5

NFL: Matt Leinart out for the season with a broken collarbone. Who doesn't believe in karmic boomerangs?

Arbitrator rules against Vick: Falcons can continue to try to collect $22M in bonus money from him, which an arbitrator said he owed the team. Still waiting on the intrepid reporter to find out just how much Vick's net worth is right now.

(Speaking of USC QBs, looks like Mark Sanchez will start for USC over injured incumbent/Stanford-loser John David Booty this weekend.)

Wellington Mara doesn't like the "ice the kicker" time-out: I have no problem with it. Sure, it seems like it is being abused by coaches this season, but it is within the rules and I'd qualify it as "gamesmanship."

Cowboys-Bills was the highest-rated Monday Night Football game of the year, affirming Dallas' restored place as the most popular team in the country. Having them be undefeated and that game's thrilling finish doesn't hurt either (but fans who tuned in early didn't know it was going to be a crazy ending). (h/t: MDS)

Reggie Bush Scandal, Cont'd: One of the sports marketers allegedly involved in payoffs to Reggie Bush will work with NCAA investigators. Now, most of the time, I think those investigators are pretty ineffective, but this is a gift-wrapped package placed in their hands. They can't possibly screw this up, can they?

I still anticipate that USC will have to forfeit all of Bush's games in 2004 and 2005 and the Heisman group will face pressure to take back their trophy (and award it to Vince Young – fascinatingly, I'm not sure most fans would gripe).

NBA Preseason: Haven't talked much about the NBA preseason, but today is a pretty intriguing game: KG and the Celtics vs. the T'wolves in London. Not the same as Boston's trip to Minnesota during the regular season, but still interesting. (BTW, KG's C's debut was very solid.)

Kevin Durant makes NBA debut: Scores 12 on 5-9 FG shooting with 3 turnovers and 3 rebounds. But it's important to note that he was guarded by Ron Artest, who probably took the assignment rather seriously. In that context, 12 ain't bad at all for a first game.

(More NBA Rookie Debuts: Javaris Crittenton had 18 in a Lakers loss... Yi struggled in 15 minutes for the Bucks, fouling out with only 3 points... Joakim Noah: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 23 minutes. I could see him averaging 8/6/4/2/2.)

CFB: Were you wondering why Tim Tebow made the "call me" signal with his hand after he scored that TD against LSU? It's because LSU fans got his cell phone number and were obliterating it with calls. (One blog reader actually sent Tebow's number to me, but I didn't call it.)

Was Joe Paterno involved in a bit of a road-rage incident last weekend? He wouldn't talk about it at his weekly news conference, but any other coach would be Gundied.

NHL: The Islanders started their blogger experiment, and I have been waiting for Eric McErlain's take. Here it is.

BCS Preview: Anyone catch Brad Edwards' BCS projections? No surprise at the top, but, intriguingly, South Carolina was the top-ranked 1-loss team at No. 7. Undoubtedly, I have them ranked too low (11). (Yes, I have Florida ranked too high at No. 8, even if I do think they showed more ability in defeat than they have in any victory.)

Texas Tech bans "Vick 'Em" T-shirts: They are in poor taste, but they were produced by a Tech frat guy, for gosh sakes. What else would you expect? But I'm sure Tech honchos have never sat in the stands and shrieked (or even muttered) "Kill those M-F'ers!" about the Aggies before. Nope, never. I'm not condoning the T-shirt; I'm just saying that expressions of painful death for the opposing team (or mascot) is a long-standing tradition in most sports.

Finally: Have you added your own CFB analysis over at my guest-blog at CoachOfTheYear.com? Head on over, put in your vote for LMCOY, then check out the blog (link at the top of the page) and post on one of the entries with your take on where the CFB Coach of the Year race stands right now. A bunch of you already have. If you are a college football fan, I'd love to see your opinion in that blog's comments.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/09 A.M. Quickie:Yankees Out! What Next For Torre?

Today's Name to Know: Joe Torre. (And then there's everyone else.)

MLB: Indians oust Yankees at the Stadium in 4 Games. Congrats to Cleveland (and I'm rooting that they oust Boston in the ALCS), but the story today is about the Yankees. What next?

No, seriously: WHAT NEXT?!?! (That's supposed to reflect the pain and confusion within Yankees Nation.)

Will Joe Torre get fired? Should he? (I personally think few managers could do better, but despite the massive investment, he has failed to produce a title in the postseason since 2000. It's been a while. Also, despite going 6-0 against the Indians in the regular season, he and the team went 1-3 when it mattered.)

Anyway, Steinbrenner will "fire" Torre, then get crushed in the media, despite the fact that playoff success has eluded the manager for seven seasons, including the most epic playoff collapse in sports history. Here's the deal: MAKING the playoffs simply isn't enough when you're the Yankees (or when you're spending as much as the Yankees are spending).

I question whether the Yankees can find another manager better equipped to deal with the pressure and the players enough to win a championship (Girardi? Piniella?), but it's not like Torre has been winning titles recently himself. I know some fans would like to see him named "Manager For Life" (or whenever he wants to retire), but that's not how it works.

The Yankees are entering a new era -- the post-Boss era (and, sure, the post-Torre era, too) -- and they probably need a new manager to go along with it.

Will A-Rod return to NY? Should he? (I think he'll opt out, and I think he should. It hasn't been a good fit, despite his best-ever season at the plate. He is better off elsewhere, and the Yankees can use the $25 million a year it would take to keep him elsewhere, too.)

Will the Yankees become financially prudent? Not exactly. I think the era of the $20M Clemens signings is over, especially with the young arms the team has developed. They could use some lineup pop to replace A-Rod, though.

Mark Cuban really wants to buy the Cubs: And if MLB was smart, they would let him. (They never will, of course; he's a little too outspoken.)

MNF: Bills give Cowboys a game, but Dallas eke out a W. Congrats to the Bills for putting up as good of a fight as possible on national TV in primetime. They obliterated the previous Tony Romo magic (5 INTs, including 2 INT-TD) and gave Dallas all it could handle. A loss is still a loss (and, for Dallas, a win is still a win), but even in crushing defeat, there's a smidgen of moral victory, considering most fans figured that the Bills would get embarrassed.

Jake Delhomme out for the season: With David Carr as the next-best option and Delhomme's future shaky, the Panthers join the growing list of teams that could use a QB from the 2008 Draft's amazing group.

Marion Jones returns Olympic medals: It was the right thing to do, and of all of the athlete reactions to being involved with PEDs, Jones' reaction was the smartest, most honorable and reputation-helping.

USC QB Controversy: John David Booty vs. Mark Sanchez. I know Booty has the broken finger and is Carroll's guy, but given that Booty lost to STANFORD (at home!), effectively ruining the Trojans' season, I'd say there's no downside to giving Sanchez the job.

CFB BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot: USC No. 25.

CoachOfTheYear.com This Week: Zook! Harbaugh! The latest standings! I invite you to check out the site, my guest-blog and leave your latest analysis in the comments about which coach or coaches are emerging as the top contenders for this year's Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. (And don't forget to vote!)

-- D.S.

Monday 10/08 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Short one today, unfortunately. Much more tomorrow a.m.:

MLB Playoffs: Swept away. I'm a huge fan of the Wild Card, but if they're all going to be sweeps, let's just go back to the two-division-per-league LCS format.

Meanwhile, was that Johnny Damon? Wow: Finally proving worthy of that contract. Wouldn't surprise me to see the Yanks win Game 4, either.

Rockies Mania, Cont'd: I seriously wonder whether these extra days off before the NLCS begins will cool down Colorado's sizzling state.

NFL: Charging Back. Just a week after total disarray, who wants to play the Chargers now? (Stud: Michael Turner) Meanwhile, did we just witness the end of the Packers' mojo?

CFB Top 25: I find it astounding that USC remains in the Top 10. In my latest BlogPoll ballot, I put them at No. 25, where they deserve to be.

More tomorrow, including (hopefully) a new Comments system. -- D.S.

Sunday 10/07 A.M. (Very) Quickie: UPSET!

Stanford shocks USC: Forget any other result, from this season or previous. THIS was the biggest upset in modern college football history. (And there are 41 reasons why.)

MLB: Rockies, D'backs sweep. Wow, that was fast. It's like the Phillies' last-gasp vault-the-Mets surge and the Cubs' tantalizing possibilities never happened.

More on Monday a.m.

-- D.S.