Friday 11/09 A.M. Quickie:Weekend Picks, MLB Stove, NBA, More!

Today's Names To Know: Pat White, Brian Brohm, Pats vs. Bye, Clinton Portis, David Stern, Tyrus Thomas, Sam Hornish, A-Rod Johan Santana, CFB and NFL Weekend Preview and Picks and More!

College Preview and Picks: BCS Watch: Kansas faces its toughest test yet of the season (not saying much, given KU's schedule) when it visits Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, LSU does nothing to help its strength of schedule when it plays Louisiana Tech, and Oregon plays mighty "Idle." Could a strong win by Kansas at OK St put the Jayhawks in the No. 2 spot?

Michigan needs to win at Wisconsin to deliver next week's latest Game of the Year, in Ann Arbor vs. Ohio State (note how I have no doubt OSU will beat Illinois?)...

And for those of us desperately hoping for a bank-shot that allows Florida to back into the SEC East title, there are three games to watch: UF at Ol Ball Coach, Auburn at Georgia and Arkansas at Tennessee; we Gators fans need a three-road-win parlay -- no easy feat.

The Picks:
1 Ohio State over Illinois
2 LSU over LA Tech (BCS-points killer)
4 Kansas over Oklahoma State (Game of the Week)
5 Oklahoma over Baylor
6 Missouri over Texas A&M
8 BC over Maryland
9 Arizona State over UCLA
19 Auburn over 10 Georgia (SEC's 2nd Best Bowl?)
11 VA Tech over Florida State
12 Michigan over Wisconsin
Cincinnati over 13 UConn (Intrigue Game of the Week)
14 Texas over Texas Tech
15 Florida over South Carolina (Rivalry Game of Week)
16 Hawaii over Fresno State
17 USC over Cal (Woulda-Coulda Bowl)
Miami over 19 Virginia
20 Boise State over Utah State
21 Clemson over Wake Forest
22 Alabama over Mississippi State
23 Penn State over Temple
Arkansas over 24 Tennessee (Heisman Watch Game)
25 Kentucky over Vanderbilt

CFB Last Night: West Virginia out-guns Louisville to stay in the hunt for the BCS national-title game (but they are on the outside looking in). I will say that WVU's yellow-on-yellow look was by far the uniform of the year in college football. Something about the yellow jersey and yellow pants under the lights at night. Dazzling.

(Pat White might not be on the Heisman radar anymore, but I'm not sure there's a more mesmerizing player in college football, with the possible exception of Percy Harvin. Meanwhile, Brian Brohm did nothing do hurt his status as the No. 1 QB of next spring's NFL draft – and possibly the No. 1 overall player taken.)

NFL Preview and Picks: This week's Top Storylines. The only thing that can stop the Patriots is... the Bye Week. Next thing you know, Don Shula will be claiming that because the Pats couldn't beat the Bye, they technically didn't go undefeated. But that's because Shula is a senile crank.

Top Storylines:
1. Adrian Peterson's Encore
2. Dallas-NY battle for NFC East
3. Fins, Rams Oh-Fer Watch
4. Are Saints Revitalized?
5. Titans-Jags: Playoff consequences?

The Picks:
At Packers over Viking
Jaguars over at Titans
At Chiefs over Broncos
At Dolphins over Bills
At Saints over Rams
At Steelers over Browns
At Redskins over Eagles
At Panthers over Falcons
At Ravens over Bengals
Bears over at Raiders
Cowboys over at Giants
Lions over at Cards
Colts over at Chargers
At Seahawks over 49ers

Finally, will Clinton Portis' return to characters – "Choo-Choo" the dance instructor – inspire the Redskins for a season-ending run? Let's all hope so. The world needs more Clinton Portis characters.

NBA: David Stern makes a big threat. If Seattle lets the Sonics leave, they won't get a replacement team. Although I have a hard time understanding how if Seattle gets their own Clay Bennett, who buys a team in another town and insists on moving them to Seattle, how he can stop them. Anyway: He's the Commish, and the NBA looks all but dead in Seattle, a once-proud NBA city reduced to irrelevancy.

NBA Last Night: The Mavs beat the Warriors... oh, look at that: It was a game that didn't matter. Where was that win last spring in the playoffs? (I have broken my ban not to talk about the Mavs until after they get out of the first round of the playoffs, because of the natural post-script to last year's playoff debacle that yesterday's win should have reminded all fans of.)

Hey, look at that: The Bulls finally won a game. Maybe they shouldn't be so quick to dangle Tyrus Thomas as trade bait after his best game as a pro: 19 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the rival Pistons (who got 36 from Rasheed). Meanwhile, the Wizards are still winless. Yikes: This is the Worst. Example of the Quickie Curse. Ever.

College Hoops: If UConn is going to rebound from last year's disappointing season, they'll need a huge year from AJ Price. Price had a career-high 24 in last night's win over Buffalo in the 2K8 Tournament.

NASCAR: Sam Hornish joins parade of Indy Car racers to move to NASCAR. Be interesting to see how he does once he makes a full transition. For those of you who recognize that NASCAR numbers define drivers more than any jersey number in any other sport, Hornish will wear No. 77 for Penske and his lead sponsor will be Mobil.

MLB Hot Stove: A-Rod is reportedly going to start meeting with owners of teams courting him. If you were an owner, what would you ask A-Rod? How about: "Would you make your $30 million contingent on our team winning a World Series?"

(Meanwhile, I love the little rumor that GMs are colluding to keep A-Rod's price down. Hell: They should! But, ultimately, they will do what makes the most economic sense for their team, whether that means overpaying or passing. If they all were smart and NO ONE bid on him, the price would naturally come down. One team would come out with a bargain over the others – Prisoner's Dilemma, anyone? – which will eff up the process, but it's interesting. What if they all said: NO THANKS.)

Finally, in the hottest part of the Hot Stove, is Johan Santana on the trading block? If the Yankees could get him, it would be worth trading any of their Big Three young pitching prospects. I would even say TWO of the three. (For Santana? SANTANA?! Totally.)

-- D.S.

Thursday 11/08 A.M. Quickie:Gardner Webb, AD, Rocket, BlogPoll, More!

Today's Names to Know: Gardner Webb, Adrian Peterson, Chris Henry, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Al Horford, Deron Williams, Mike Modano and More!

College Hoops: Kentucky stunned in a loss to Gardner Webb. No, seriously: Gardner Webb. By 16. In Lexington.

Be honest If Tubby Smith had still been UK's coach and lost to Garner Webb – Gardner Webb – he would have been fired this morning.

New coach Billy Gillispie gets a little more wiggle room in only his second game, but it can't possibly be comfortable right now. This ain't losing to Tennessee or Florida.

For the record, Gardner Webb was 9-21 last year, with a stirring 7th place finish in the mighty Atlantic Sun Conference.

(Hell, no more jokes about either Gardner Webb or the Atlantic Sun: Not when they can waltz into Lexington and walk out with a win.)

But one can only imagine how Ashley Judd is feeling this morning. No, seriously, take a few minutes and imagine....

NFL: More on Adrian Peterson, in a must-read from Darren Rovell.

NFL: Chris Henry was involved in ANOTHER problem? Ironically, it was right before his 8-game suspension was supposed to be lifted. It's like spitting in the face of the parole board the night before your release from prison.

Looks like Roger Clemens is ready to retire: His agent told the Astros that he wants to pursue his personal-services deal with the team. Presumably, if the Astros were contenders next season, Clemens would contemplate coming out of retirement (for a price, of course).

MLB Hot Stove: Is Tom Glavine going back to the Braves? That would be kind of cool, actually.

A-Rod Watch: The Angels admit they are interested, and simultaneously somewhere else in America, Scott Boras adjusts himself.

The Yankees' new Boss makes a statement: Hammerin' Hank says that the Yankees' "Big Three" of young pitching (Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy) are untouchable in trades. What a difference a generation makes.

CFB Tonight: Louisville at West Virginia. I said this in my Deadspin post this week: Remember in August when you looked ahead to this game and thought the winner was going to be a lock to be one half of the national-championship pairing? Louisville kind of mucked that up, but it still represents a big game: If UL pulls the upset, it pulls WVU from the BCS discussion for good; if WVU wins, even though UL isn't exactly a high-quality opponent this year, beating them has the cachet of a high-quality win. Pick: West Virginia.

Meanwhile, this week's BlogPoll Top 25 analysis was posted by BlogPoll executive Brian Cook of the great MGoBlog and AOL Fanhouse.

Reminder: Head on over to my blog at coachoftheyear.com (a special partnership between me and the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award) and have your say as the LMCOY race heads into its final stretch. Do you agree with my assessment that Mark Mangino should be leading the race right now? Go to the LMCOY blog and leave a comment.

NBA Wrap: Hey, maybe the Hawks' solid preseason WAS foreshadowing of a team on the rise. Atlanta beat Phoenix (Phoenix! Albeit without Amare), attributed mainly to strong rebounding (if so, give credit to rookie Al Horford, who had 15 rebounds and already looks like a top rebounding power forward).

Meanwhile, the Celtics' Big Three is every bit as good (and dominant) as fans had thought (even expected) them to be. Another night, another win. Plus: Deron Williams is Utah's hero against the LeBrons.

Durant Watch: 17 points on 3/17 FG shooting (ouch!) and yet another Sonics loss. Good thing it's not about the wins and losses this year for Seattle, just developing Durant and getting ready for the move.

NHL Milestone Watch: Mike Modano breaks the all-time scoring record for US-born players. I'm still trying to figure out how/why this matters, aside from highlighting that hockey isn't really a US sport.

Olympics: So China says that, in fact, Bibles will NOT be banned in the Olympic Village next year. That's nice to know.

Strat-O-Matic '86 Update: No game last night. Series resumes against the Cardinals tonight.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 11/07 A.M. Quickie:NFL Awards, Shula, Stove, NBA/CBB, More!

Today's Names to Know: Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, Don Shula, MLB Replay, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Guillen, Matt Williams, Paul Byrd, Peja and Paul, Kevin Durant, Findlay, Kentucky, Strat-O-Matic and More!

NFL Midseason Awards: These are as obvious as the fact that the Pats are en route to another Super Bowl title, whether it's 19-0 or otherwise. There's a certain comfort to this much dominance:

MVP: Tom Brady
Rookie: Adrian Peterson
Coach: Mike McCarthy/Romeo Crennel

Must-Read: Matt Ufford's guest-post over at Free Darko about Peterson.

As far as awards go, it would be more interesting to debate the runner-up for MVP (Brett Favre?) and Rookie (Marshawn Lynch?).

Don Shula is a crank: As if you didn't have enough reason to disdain the 1972 Dolphins, their coach Don Shula said a perfect season by the Pats would be "tainted" by their cheating scandal. Ridiculous.

Roger Goodell won't reduce Pac-Man Jones' suspension: Because Pac-Man is JUST that big of a fool.

MLB GM Meetings: Replay rules. The GMs have recommended that baseball adopt a limited instant replay system on boundary calls, mainly related to home runs. I'm all for replay, so this is a start. Now, it's just up to the owners to approve it (along with the players' and umps' unions). Let's hope no one pulls out the "slippery slope" argument.

MLB Hot Stove: If the Marlins are shopping Miguel Cabrera, who's buying? (Hmm: The Yankees have a big gaping hole at 3B, but presumably don't want to give up one of their young arms to fill it.)

MLB Scandal Watch: Jose Guillen bought HGH. I can't hear Guillen's name without thinking of the climactic scene in Sam Walker's amazing book "Fantasyland" (which, if you haven't read, is a must-read sports book – one of my Top 5 favorite sports books of all time).

Matt Williams linked to steroids, too: Honestly, at this point, the bigger question is who WASN'T involved?

MLB Free Agency: It isn't nearly as dramatic as the first time, but Curt Schilling signed (re-signed) with the Red Sox, giving the team a veteran presence to go with all that youth... and presumably giving new life to one of the great athlete blogs in sports (certainly the best in baseball).

Meanwhile, the Indians picked up an option on pitcher Paul Byrd, and you have to wonder whether they picked up the option on his now-tainted reputation involving the league's steroid scandal. (His early ALCS performance presumably overrides that.)

NBA Last Night: The Hornets are totally for real, putting up 118 in a 16-point rout of the Lakers. Peja had a team-record 10 3's and Chris Paul had a team-record 21 assists. I think fans and experts underestimated the Hornets in preseason projections.

Meanwhile: Dwight Howard vs. Al Jefferson matched two of the Top 3 young post players in the NBA (and two poster-guys for the absurdity of not allowing players to enter the NBA directly from high school). Howard won the battle and the game, with 28/16. Jefferson had 25/10.

Kevin Durant Watch: 27 points (11-22 FG), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 turnovers in a 6-point loss to the Kings, dropping the Sonics' record to 0-4. At this rate, they will be in a position to draft high for a complement to Durant in Oklahoma City (Rose? Gordon? Mayo? Hibbert?)

CBB: Ohio State is not the same without their Big Three freshmen. Missing NBA'es Oden, Conley and Cook (but with a terrific recruiting class behind them), the Buckeyes lost to D-II Findlay. I will avoid the easy joke about OSU; any self-respecting Buckeyes basketball fan will either be lamenting the loss or simply muttering, "Yeah, but look at our football team."

(It's been a rough start for Big Ten hoops: Michigan State lost an exhibition game to D-II Grand Valley State over the weekend.)

Kentucky's Gillispie Era opens with a big win. Joe Crawford scored 20, and needs a rebound season after an up-and-down season a year ago. Meanwhile, another win for Memphis (Derrick Rose: 21 points).

CFB: Bill Callahan says he won't resign at Nebraska before the season is over. This is going to be one awkward finish.

NHL: Eric Lindros expected to retire. Wow, remember when that guy was going to be THE next big thing?

Strat-O-Matic '86 Update: Heart-breaking season-opening loss! I lost my 1986 Cubs season-opener 5-4 on a walk-off pinch-hit single. As expected, my feeble bullpen (before games get to Lee Smith) is going to kill them/me this season. And check out yesterday's bonus post about Strat if you haven't had a chance.

Sports Media: The Basketball Jones rules. If you are an NBA fan and you are not listening to the Basketball Jones podcast every day, you are not an NBA fan. Tas and Skeets are fantastic, and it's the best sports podcast you'll find online. Go to the Basketball Jones to listen, or just subscribe via iTunes and make it easy on yourself.

NYC Readers: Tomorrow night, Varsity Letters returns with another great lineup that features ESPN's Bruce Feldman reading from his new book about college football recruiting, "Meat Market"; Steve Friedman reading from "The Agony of Victory"; and John and Rick Wolff, father and son, reading from "Harvard Boys." It's at 8 p.m. tomorrow night at Happy Ending (302 Broome). As always, it's free. Here is a link to all the info. Hope you can make it.

-- D.S.

Roots of Fandom, Cont'd: Strat-O-Matic '86

When I was growing up, the Chicago Cubs were my favorite sports team. How that came to happen and why my once-diehard fandom atrophied are stories for another time.

But if you subscribe to the idea, as I do, that one's formative years of fandom come roughly between the ages of 11-13, the year 1986 -- when I was 13 -- ranks as one of the biggest fandom years of my life (in addition to being my bar-mitzvah year, but – again – that's a story for another time).

At the same time, I have no problems talking about the fact that I was hugely into Strat-O-Matic baseball during those same formative years. I'd say it probably started when I was 11 and lasted consistently (and obsessively) all the way until I was about 15, unsurprisingly, the long, wretched gap between the start of puberty and when I finally "got" girls.

("Got" meaning "understood," not "got" meaning "got," though "understood" was something I believed at the time, and in hindsight seems incredibly funny, given that I barely understand women now, 20 years later.)

Anyway: Strat-O-Matic. Loved it. Lived it. Some of you might have done the same. It's one of those things that, if you played it, you understand. If you didn't, you just think I'm even more of a tool. That's fine, either way.

Earlier this year, I was approached by The Sporting News' Strat impresario, Bernie Hou, who made me an offer I couldn't accept fast enough: TSN was going to replay the entire 1986 baseball season, through Strat-O-Matic Online, with various "guest managers" running their favorite teams.

I would get to manage my once-beloved Cubs (not unlike Jim Frey, John Vukovich and Gene Michael, who all handled the job that season), perhaps rekindling some of the memories and passions of the 13-year-old me that have undoubtedly been adulterated over the decades since.

Before I checked Baseball Reference, I tried jotting down the starters; I found I still knew them by heart: Jody Davis, Leon Durham, Ron Cey, Shawon Dunston, Keith Moreland, Bob Dernier, Gary Matthews, and – of course – my favorite player of all time, Ryne Sandberg. The pitching was a mess, but I had those names down, too: Rick Sutcliffe, Scott Sanderson, Steve Trout, Dennis Eckersly (as a starter), closer Lee Smith and two young pitchers: Jamie Moyer and 20-year-old Greg Maddux (2-4 in 5 starts with a 5.52 ERA).

The other managers in the league range from the random to the semi-famous to the famous-for-the-sports-blogosphere to the really famous. For example, I am starting the season with a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, coming off their NL pennant year, managed by uber-fan Will Leitch. Most intriguingly, the Strat-head managing the Boston Red Sox is Curt Schilling. (I had Terry Francona on my roster specifically to trade to Schilling, but I had to waive Francona in a roster crunch.)

The premise of the league is totally intriguing: Replay the 1986 season, seeing if things would turn out any differently. That begs a very important question:

Would you even want to?

After all, many (including me) think that the 1986 postseason was the greatest in the sport's history: Red Sox vs. Angels in the ALCS; Mets vs. Astros in the NLCS; then the Mets over the Sox in 7 games in the World Series, including the most famous baseball game of the last half-century, "Game Six."

Still, as far as intellectual exercises go, it's fantastic – and something I'm really excited to be a part of. TSN is really blowing it out: Among other awesome details, they're having actual "beat writers" covering the season as it unfolds. I have included a permanent link to TSN's coverage on the right-hand side, so you can follow the league if you're curious. I'll try to provide regular updates in the a.m. blog post.

Otherwise, here's the link. The season begins this week. Junior high was a pretty bad experience for me (as it probably was for most of you, too), but to be able to go back to this particular year, this particular season and this particular time of my formative development as a fan sounds like the greatest ride I could think of.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 11/06 A.M. Quickie:Pats-Colts, Big Ben, Schilling, Strat, More!

Today's Names to Know: Pats-Colts, Ben Roethlisberger, MLB Instant Replay, Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux, Derrick Rose, Dennis Franchione, Jason Terry, Steelers fans and More!

Sports Media: The Pats-Colts game drew the highest TV rating for a Sunday afternoon game since 1987, which is as far back as CBS' records go. This could confirm that Pats-Colts 2007 was not just the Game of the Year in the NFL, but the regular-season Game of the Century (this or last). In an era of extreme consumer fragmentation, this is one of the most remarkable statistics I have seen in a long time.

The Colts deny they artificially create noise in the RCA Dome: Sure they deny it. Wouldn't want to ruin that pristine image by admitting that they cheat. (The NFL cleared the Colts of any chicanery. Of course, the NFL has a vested interest in maintaining the facade that the Colts are the league's golden boys, in contrast to the Pats, who are the new Raiders.)

Steelers thump Ravens: I think Pittsburgh has established itself as the 3rd-best team in the NFL. Which makes them as likely to win the Super Bowl this season as my college intramural team. Big Ben ends up as the Fantasy QB of the Week, throwing for a Steelers single-game record 5 TD passes.

MLB GM Meetings: I can't understand the resistance to instant replay. They're talking about home-run "in-or-out" calls foul-line "in-or-out" calls. That's a start. (They need plays at the plate, but that will never happen.) Regardless, I can imagine this as a clusterf--- waiting to happen, because you know the implementation will be brutal. (Here's my think about instant replay: If it's good enough for the NFL and college football -- and even the NBA, at end of quarters -- then I'm not quite sure how it's not good for MLB.

MLB Hot Stove: Curt Schilling returning to Red Sox? That makes sense. (Plus, he's managing the Red Sox in the Sporting News' Strat-o-Matic recreation of the 1986 season, in which I'm managing the Cubs. Here's a link. The season starts today, and my Cubs begin with a series against their rival St. Louis Cardinals, managed by one of their most prominent fans.)

Greg Maddux IS returning to the Padres: 1Y/$10M, to extend his Hall of Fame career. Get to the ballpark to see this legend while you still can.

College Hoops: The Derrick Rose Era has begun. It will be a one-year stop in Memphis, but he's off to a great start: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists in his college debut. He won't be as dominant as Kevin Durant, but Rose is the best player in college hoops.

The "official" AP preseason All-America team was announced: Hansbrough, Hibbert, Lofton, Neitzel, Collison. I would agree with Hansbrough and Lofton (and maybe Collison), but I'm not so sure about the rest.

CFB: Texas A&M won't fire coach Dennis Franchione... yet. They said they would wait until the end of the season. And then, of course, they'll fire him.

More CFB: I/we will blissfully take a break from analyzing the BCS rankings. (But here is my weekly Deadspin CFB post, if you haven't seen it yet.)

Who will be the CFB Coach of the Year? In the latest week of blog posts I'm creating in partnership with the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, I make the case for Kansas' Mark Mangino, who has turned the Jayhawks from a punchline into a powerhouse. Check out the site (coachoftheyear.com) keep up with my blog and leave your own analysis of the Coach of the Year race.

NBA: Are the Rockets this year's breakout team? In a game against their in-state rivals from Dallas, they proved that they might not be ready yet. Jason Terry: 31 points.

Business: The Steelers may have been bumped from the top as America's favorite NFL team, but they are the kings of an even more impressive list: The Steelers are the "strongest team brand in their local market," and while many/most local fans are faithful, Steelers fans are at another level.

-- D.S.

Monday 11/05 A.M. Quickie:Pats, Peterson, BCS, McFadden, NBA, More!

Today's Names to Know: Adrian Peterson, New England Patriots, Adrian Peterson, Antonio Cromartie, Adrian Peterson, Terrell Owens, Adrian Peterson, Ohio State, LSU, Kansas, Navy, Darren McFadden, Lute Olsen, John Russell, Adrian Peterson and More.

Pats dismiss Colts in Indianapolis: The Colts' reign as Super Bowl champs effectively ended last night, when the Pats left Indianapolis with the Colts' soul.

Now, the Pats have a clear shot at 16-0, and with home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, it would be an upset if they DIDN'T go 19-0. What: Like the Colts are going to be able to beat the Pats in Foxborough in January?

Sure, the Pats didn't win as decisively as they had in the previous 8 weeks. But they beat their closest competitor -- if "closest" or "competitor" have any meaning relative to the Pats this season -- on the road and down late in the game.

UPDATE: Yeah, I missed the most interesting subplot of the game: That the Colts apparently piped in crowd noise. By the way, that's cheating. So let's end the holier-than-thou comparisons between the Colts and the Pats... or the Colts and everyone else.

More NFL: Rookie Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the NFL, and he set the single-game rushing record (296 yards) to prove it. (Oh, and he dominated his head-to-head match-up with LaDainian Tomlinson, if that symbolism could be any greater.) He also became the first rookie in NFL history with two 200-yard rushing games.

If you were starting a franchise today and could pick from any player in the league to start your team, there's a very good chance that Peterson would be the No. 1 overall pick -- which makes the fact that he was the No. 7 pick in last year's draft seem kind of strange.

More records: Antonio Cromartie set the NFL record for the longest scoring play in history, 109 yards on a TD run-back of a missed field goal. (And speaking of field goals, Sebastian Janikowski came thisclose to setting a new NFL record with a 64-yard try that hit the post.)

T.O., Cowboys beat Eagles: How nice was it to see that this game really didn't hit the radar, eclipsed by the Colts and Pats. TO had a huge game: 174 yards (on 10 receptions) and a TD.

Welcome back to relevancy, Jamal Lewis: The RB had 4 TDs in the Browns huge OT win over Seattle. By the way, it is no longer a joke: Derek Anderson is totally going to go to the Pro Bowl... and the Browns may have wasted a first-round pick on Brady Quinn.

Speaking of rookie RBs, how about Marshawn Lynch, who did it with his legs AND his arm? (If not for Peterson, Lynch would probably be the leading Rookie of the Year contender.)

CFB BCS Watch: Ohio State is 1, LSU is 2 and Oregon has a case worth griping about: Like the Ducks couldn't take on Ohio State on a neutral field and beat them handily.

Meanwhile, it's nice to see Kansas crack the Top 4, even if human pollsters continue to put Oklahoma ahead of them. What part of Oklahoma's resume do they point to: The Sooners' loss to unranked Colorado? The close win over Big 12 bottom-feeding Iowa State? The win over a Texas team that could barely survive Oklahoma State? Or maybe that early-season win over a Miami team that has proven to suck? The bottom line: Kansas has looked better than Oklahoma, particularly of late. (Despite KU's atrocious strength of schedule.)

CFB Weekend: That Navy win over Notre Dame was the most thrilling ending of the year. I was standing on my couch, rooting for Navy to pull it off.

BC and Arizona State are no longer contenders for the national title: On the other hand, how can you deny that Kansas is on the short(er) list?

My BlogPoll Top 25: I have LSU and Oregon at 1-2, with Ohio State at No. 3. Compare the schedules: LSU has no less than five wins that would be considered "stronger" than Ohio State's BEST; Oregon can say the same thing about three of their wins, minimum.

I appreciate that Ohio State is doing everything it can do, but that doesn't make them the best team in the country. I sort of hope they make the national title game against either LSU or Oregon, so we can see them exposed... but we already saw that last year. Why should Ohio State get to take up a valuable place in the national-title game again, when they aren't one of the top 2 best teams in the country?

(Ohio State fans, seriously: When you take a look at LSU or Oregon, do you really think you would win a game against either? Really? You do?)

Heisman Watch: Darren McFadden's candidacy was done, the victim of the Razorbacks' weak start to the season. But he single-handedly lifted himself back to the top with his performance Saturday night: 323 rushing yards, an SEC record. (Three team losses? Who cares?)

My current ballot:
(1) Darren McFadden
(2) Dennis Dixon
(3) Mike Hart
(4) Percy Harvin (yes, over Tim Tebow)

NBA: Ray Allen had 33 and a ton of 3s, including the game-winner in OT, showcasing that on any given night, any one of the Celtics' "Big Three" could explode as the star... Meanwhile, how far behind have the Cavs fallen as an NBA power (if they ever were)? Even without Amare, the Suns still beat them.

CBB: Why has Lute Olsen taken a leave of absence from Arizona? Is there a sketchier reason than "unspecified?"

MLB: Pirates to hire John Russell as manager. Extra points to any of you whose first reaction was "Who?"

MLB Hot Stove: Do you think anything will happen when the GMs meet in Orlando?

NYC Marathon: Radcliffe (6 months after having a baby!) and Lel win NYC Marathon, which will always be best-known to most people for the cameo in Seinfeld: "You're all winners!"

-- D.S.

Sunday 11/04 (Very) Quickie: Who's No. 2?

The question of the day in college football: Who's No. 2?

With Boston College losing, the door is open for a new contender to reach the BCS Top Two. The presumption is that Ohio State will be No. 1 (although many -- including me -- don't think they should be there). So who will it be... and who SHOULD it be?

Oregon? LSU? Kansas? Oklahoma? West Virginia?

The list is narrowing, and every one of those six contenders has a red-letter game against a very tough opponent -- including Ohio State, which should make no presumptions about a spot in the BCS until they beat a Michigan team that is seemingly on a mission.

For the record, my top two this week on my BlogPoll ballot will be LSU and Oregon, in that order, with Ohio State at No. 3 and Kansas at No. 4. Like most of the nation, I didn't watch the Buckeyes play, but I did watch both LSU and Oregon and both are better than the Buckeyes.

-- D.S.

Nnnnaaaavvvvyyy!!!!

Glorious. That is all.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Saturday 11/03 (Very) Quickie

Tons of college football to settle in for...

NBA: KG leads Celtics' Big Three to a season-opening win over Wiz. They're for real. More stars: Hey, looks like the Hawks' preseason wasn't a fluke! And how about Chris Kaman! And, of course, LeBron's 45, which doesn't intrigue me nearly as much as those first two.

Sonics owner taking the team to Oklahoma: Not unexpeccted, but still a punch in the stomach for Sonics fans in the Pacific Northwest, and any NBA fan that appreciates the great basketball fandom in Seattle. (No offense to Oklahoma City NBA fans: The last two seasons, I think they were the NBA Fans of the Year in a runaway. They showed they deserve a team. And in Big 12 country, Kevin Durant will get a nice reception.)

UNC tops AP College Hoops Top 25: Not surprising, but I don't think they'll win the national title. I would pick UCLA, Georgetown and Tennessee all ahead of the Heels to win it all.

Yankees keep Bobby Abreu: Without A-Rod, they'll need him.

A-Rod Watch: Boras wanted Yankees to pay $350M...minimum: Talk about managing expectations.

-- D.S.

Friday 11/02 A.M. Quickie:CFB/NFL Picks, Bonds, Torre, Hingis, More!

Today's Names to Know: Pats, Colts, Arizona State, Oregon, Barry Bonds, Joe Torre, Martina Hingis, Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Durant, Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Andy Reid, Pro Football Talk and More!

Intro: This is a huge weekend in sports for marquee games: Friday, The NBA regular-season debut of the Celtics' "Big Three." Saturday, college football's Game of the Year, arguably. Sunday, the NFL Game of the Year. In today's Quickie post, we'll start with college football, hit the NFL preview, recap last night's NBA and then get into everything else you want/need/have to know for today, including Bonds' boycott, Torre's intro, Hingis' "retirement" and more...

CFB Preview and Picks: Arizona State at Oregon, in both foresight and hindsight, may turn out to be the Game of the Year in college football.

If Arizona State wins, they claim the biggest single win of the season by any contending team. They also deserve consideration as a Top 2 team.

If Oregon wins, they claim the biggest single win of the season by any contending team, to go along with wins over Michigan (more impressive now than then) and USC, with only that fumbled-away loss to Cal (looks worse now than then). They would arguably become the top one-loss team in the country and arguably deserve consideration as a Top 2 team.

(If the season ended today, Ohio State and BC would play for the national championship, and the two best teams in the country -- LSU and Oregon -- would not.)

To get you to that 6:40 ET kickoff, I recommend you check out LSU at Alabama at 3:30. LSU playing for a very quality BCS-impacting win -- not to mention the SEC West lead (and perhaps division title). Oh, and there's a little thing about Saban vs. his old team...

The Picks:
1 Ohio State over 21 Wisconsin
2 Boston College over Florida State
17 Alabama over 3 LSU (Upset Special!)
5 Oregon over 4 Arizona State (Game of the Week)
6 Oklahoma over Texas A&M (BCS Impact Game)
8 Kansas over Nebraska (Unbeaten Game)
9 Missouri over Colorado
10 Georgia over Troy
12 Michigan over Michigan State
13 Connecticut over Rutgers (Intriguing)
15 Texas over Oklahoma State
16 Auburn over Tennessee Tech
Cincinnati over 18 South Florida
19 USC over Oregon State
20 Florida over Vanderbilt
22 Boise State over San Jose State
24 Wake Forest over 23 Virginia
25 Clemson over Duke

Last Night: Virginia Tech rebounded from that season-gutting loss to BC by throttling Georgia Tech in Atlanta. (Sorry: Should have totally mentioned the VT players' jerseys going missing, with Sean Glennon wearing a white GT jersey with his name HANDWRITTEN on the back. Seriously, did they need to add his name in this instance?)

NFL Preview and Picks: Here are my Top 5 Most Intriguing Storylines for the Weekend:

1. Pats-Colts
2. Pats-Colts
3. Pats-Colts
4. Pats-Colts
5. Pats-Colts

I started out doing that list tongue-in-cheek and planned to fill in five more (real) storylines, but then I reconsidered: This IS the Game of the Year in the NFL, the true barometer of how far ahead of the rest of the league the Patriots are. Nationally, everything else is totally eclipsed.

49ers over at Falcons
Bengals over at Bills
Broncos over at Lions
Panthers over at Titans
Packers over at Chiefs
Chargers over at Vikings
Jags over at Saints
Redskins over at Jets
Cards over at Bucs
Seahawks over at Browns
Pats over at Colts (by 30+)
Texans over at Raiders
Cowboys over at Eagles
Steelers over Ravens (MNF)

(You read that right: I pick every road team playing on Sunday to win.)

NBA Tonight: Celtics' Big Three debut against my Wizards. I (with every other lazy bandwagoneer) have picked the Celtics to win the East this season, although I don't think many others agreed with me in picking Kevin Garnett as the runaway NBA MVP.

"Big Three's" are the new hotness in the NBA, and it's not like the Wizards have a weak Big Three of their own (Arenas, Butler, Jamison). Gilbert guaranteed victory a few months ago in his blog. We'll see...

NBA Last Night: Tracy McGrady tops Kobe for individual season high with 47... The Pistons' Tayshaun Prince (career-high 34 pts, 12 reb) isn't being traded anywhere... Kevin Durant scored 27 in his second game, displaying a quick ride up a steep learning curve... You can book Comeback Player of the Year right now: Grant Hill (13 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast)...

Barry Bonds will boycott Baseball Hall of Fame...: ...If they display his 756 ball with the asterisk branded onto it. "There is no such thing as an asterisk in baseball." I can see his point -- many baseball purists who loathe Bonds agreed that so-called populist branding of the ball was an insult to the game and its fans.

But now that it's done, and the HOF is in a position where they HAVE to display a ball of such historic importance, why would he make a fuss? He even said he'd skip his induction ceremony. (Anyone who argues that Bonds won't get into the Hall of Fame should be reminded: Crack is wack.)

Dodgers hire Joe Torre: I'm sure the Dodgers are excited, given Torre's track record and the fact that he's one of only a few managers in baseball who brings buzz with him -- especially because this is an NL pennant that is wide open for the taking. (I can only imagine the lure of the Dodgers for an old Brooklynite like Torre. I used to go jogging right past the old Torre house.)

(Meanwhile, I kind of like that Joe Girardi has chosen No. 27 as his uniform number; that's the number of titles the Yankees will have won... as soon as Girardi wins one.)

Tennis Scandal: I put this on my still-evolving Twitter feed yesterday afternoon, but is it wrong that I find Martina Hingis WAY more interesting now, just as she is -- sniff -- retiring.

Kobe Trade Watch: Bulls GM John Paxson says that Kobe won't be going to the Bulls, which is either a feint – or it really looks like Kobe won't be going anywhere. You know the Lakers won't trade him within the West, and no other East team seems to have the pieces to get Kobe to give up the no-trade clause.

(I'd dispute that: If the Nets offered Vince Carter AND Richard Jefferson, don't you think the Lakers would be better off? Meanwhile, Kobe could play with Jason Kidd and big man Nenad Krstic in a major market in the East, and the Nets would be better off, too.)

More reasonably, it's time for the Lakers to recognize that between Kobe and Phil, it's time to play to win now. Trade promising young center Andrew Bynum and get a win-now talent in return.

Soccer: Carlos Valderrama gets the prize for best ref-arguing skills. The former star turned assistant coach was ejected from a game for arguing with a ref... by waving cash in his face. Can't wait for the first NBA fan sitting courtside to try the same thing.

I feel incredibly bad for Andy Reid, whose son obviously has massive problems. That said: Without being overly proscriptive, it seems awkward at this point that he would continue coaching the Eagles, when his family is so obviously messed up. Cripes, the judge called Reid's home a "drug emporium."

Congrats to Pro Football Talk on its seven-year anniversary. In what might be the biggest news to hit the sports blogosphere of the year, PFT announced what many of its long-time fans have been waiting for: Permalinks on all individual Rumor Mill posts, along with (gasp) an RSS feed. Can't wait for that.

(I really like the new PFT logo, too. Hmm: Maybe it's time for a DanShanoff.com logo. Sorry, an NBA- or MLB-style silhouette of me slurping other bloggers isn't feasible.)

-- D.S.

Thursday 11/01 A.M. Quickie:Durant, Mavs, Bush, Hot Stove, More!

Today's Names to Know: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Rashard Lewis, Reggie Bush, Al Jefferson, Torii Hunter, John Beck, Jon Kitna and More!

Two huge games this weekend in the NFL and college football -- arguably the biggest regular-season games in each sport of this season: Pats-Colts and Arizona State-Oregon. Complete coverage coming tomorrow.

I know a lot of you don't care very much about the NBA. My focus on game results probably won't continue beyond tonight, when I'll go with a more MLB-style "Studs" and "Duds" each morning.

Kevin Durant's NBA debut: 18 points, which is respectable, but it took him 7/22 FG shooting to get there. (He added 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block.)

More notably, he was the third-leading scorer on his team, which might foreshadow that with a focus on Durant, he'll make his teammates better. Delonte West (19 pts, 5 ast) seems like a beneficiary. By the way, the Sonics are going to be terrible. The Suns, playing with fresh legs, are going to destroy them tonight in PHX's season debut.

(By the way, Carmelo and Iverson combined for 57 points and Camby had 15 rebounds and 5 blocks; if that's the way it's going to be this season, the Nuggets will be a solid contender.)

The Mavs routed the Cavs, but can anyone take the Mavs' regular-season success seriously anymore? I'm tempted not to talk about them until they reach the second-round of the playoffs.

(Meanwhile, LeBron was terrible: 10 points on 2/11 FG shooting, with as many turnovers as assists. Rough start for many experts' MVP.)

Rashard Lewis is a great fit in Orlando: Lewis had a game-high 26 and the Magic crushed the Bucks, flashing a new-look 3-point-shot-heavy offense. Hey, whatever works...

The Hornets start strong, with a win over the Kings (Chris Paul: 22 and 12 assists). Still a feel-good story, particularly with the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans this season...

The Wizards are off to a slow start if they are going to have the best record in the East as I said they would. (Arenas had 34 though, including a buzzer-beating 3 to send the game to OT...)

It's closing in on Reggie Bush: The skeevy marketer he worked with is going to give the NCAA what sounds like conclusive proof that Bush himself was paid during the 2005 season. Even the NCAA can't bungle this one.

That means: There's a good chance the NCAA will turn all of USC's wins into "L's" (though they can't take away Texas' brilliant win in the Rose Bowl). It remains to be seen whether the Heisman group feels pressure to take back their trophy. I'm not quite sure fans would have a problem if they stripped it from Bush and gave it to the runner-up, Vince Young, who ultimately proved more worthy of the award.

(The real intrigue is whether any of this bleeds into 2004, when the NCAA would actually face the idea of stripping the national championship from USC.)

Meanwhile, there's still the whole idea of a punishment for the top-tier Trojans program. The ultimate penalty in this day and age would be not allowing them to play on TV for a season.

More NBA: The T'wolves gave new franchise cornerstone Al Jefferson a huge contract extension. (Of those who did NOT get an extension: Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Andre Iguodala.)

MLB Hot Stove Pre-Heat: Torii Hunter will meet with the White Sox next week.

Meanwhile, the biggest value yet from Curt Schilling's "inside-baseball" blog came out: He listed the 12 teams he would be interested in signing with. (The Yankees were notably missing.)

The new A-Rod storyline is that he could very well return to the Yankees, which totally makes sense if you understand that Scott Boras wants to maximize the size of his clients' contract and that the Yankees, still, are the market-makers for contract size.

(Or perhaps it should be phrased that A-Rod could very well return to New York... with the Mets. GM Omar Minaya said he would talk with David Wright about how he would feel about a position change. Hmm... the Mets are one of the few teams that could afford A-Rod.)

Oh, and where's the World Series ball? Because Jason Varitek doesn't have it.

NFL: I don't feel like adding to the Pats-Colts build-up (until tomorrow, when I will pick the Pats to win by 30). In other NFL news, is it John Beck time in Miami? I'm sure Dolphins fans hope so.

Meanwhile, Jeff George may be interested in the Vikings, but the feeling isn't mutual. (And why should it be? The guy hasn't played since the turn of the century.)

Oh, and I think that Jon Kitna is infinitely more likeable and cool for having dressed up as a naked guy at a fast-food drive-through, like the team's assistant coach Joe Cullen.

Finally, Pac-Man Jones' lawyer says he'll apply for reinstatement after the Titans' 10th game in mid-November. Good luck with that.

College Hoops: A 5-8, 125-pound 14-year-old combo guard from Las Vegas verbally committed to Rutgers. Seriously: REALLY? Meanwhile, exhibition seasons are heating up. Two-time defending champ Florida takes on Flagler tonight.

Thursday Night College Football: Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech? Meh. VT lost their relevancy when they lost that lead a week ago tonight.

CFB Top 25: Here's this week's BlogPoll analysis from Brian Cook. (h/t Fanhouse)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 10/31 A.M. Quickie:Kobe's 45, Spurs Win, Girardi/Torre, More!

Today's Names to Know: Kobe Bryant, David Stern, Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Baron Davis, Grady Little, Joe Torre, Reggie Bush, Hawaii, Woody Paige, Halloween and More!

Happy Halloween, everyone (especially those of you with kids who will be entering the trick-or-treat mayhem tonight).

Kobe booed by Lakers fans in loss, then scores 45: Seriously, WTF is up Kobe and the Lakers? In last night's season opener, Kobe was booed... by his own fans. Yes, Kobe opened the season with 45 (18 in the 4th quarter) and by the end, they were cheering him, but still... (Meanwhile, Yao may be an injury risk, but if healthy, he's going to dominate.)

Quote of the Day: David Stern on the Knicks. "They're not a model of intelligent management." Leave it to the Commish to put it as well as anyone has ever put it about Isiah, Dolan and Co. What more needs to be added to that? We all vigorously nod our heads in agreement.

NBA Season Openers: Spurs get rings, win opener. Duncan: 24/13. Parker: 19. Ginobili: 16 and 8 assists. As far as "Big Threes" go in the NBA, you can have KG-Allen-Pierce; I'll take the defending champs. How, exactly (if they even make the Finals), will Boston top that?

Breakout Watch: LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 27 for the Blazers in their loss to the Spurs. He's going to have a monster year, and that's BEFORE Greg Oden returns from injury.

Golden State starts on a losing note: Then again, isn't that how the first 2/3 of their season went a year ago? (Baron Davis: 25 points, 10 assists, 5 steals... fantasy wow.)

The Jazz look good. I probably underrated them in my West playoff projections. As far as "Big Threes" go, Deron Williams (24/8a), Carlos Boozer (32/15r) and breakout prospect Ronnie Brewer (18/4s) are pretty impressive. And that doesn't even count Paul Millsap (16/10r).

Tim Duncan signs 2Y/$40M extension with Spurs: Duncan is the anti-Kobe. Unassuming, team-friendly, low-profile, content... and, currently, a winner. Any doubt that the Spurs will get at least one title from those two years?

(Meanwhile, when LeBron James asked for help, do you think he meant the team re-signing Sasha Pavlovic to a three-year deal? Umm... no.)

Yankees hire Joe Girardi: To recap this week's analysis, the good news is that a Northwestern alum got the job; the bad news is that I suspect he won't have the job a year from now. But who knows?

Grady Little leaves Dodgers, looks like Torre is a done-deal: Look, the last time a team fired Grady Little, they went on to win two of the next four World Series championships, so things are looking good for the Dodgers (especially if they hire Joe Torre and Don Mattingly).

MLB Hot Stove Pre-Heat: Are the Phillies interested in Curt Schilling and Mike Lowell?... Are the Yankees and Mariano Rivera ready to deal?.. Will Jorge Posada stay in New York – to play for the Mets?...

Marketer sues Reggie Bush and his family for $300,000 in cash and prizes the player received during college: And yet the NCAA can't make any headway with an investigation? How ludicrous.

CFB Must-Read: Sunday Morning Quarterback had an unbelievable take-down of Hawaii on Monday that you have to read. Once you do, you will never even CONSIDER putting them in your Top 25, let alone the ludicrous position in the human polls in the low teens.

Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year: As part of my ongoing partnership with the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, be sure to check out my blog at coachoftheyear.com. DS.com CFB fans are encouraged to weigh in on the Coach of the Year race in the comments section. Should the front-runner be BC's Jeff Jagodzinski, Kansas' Mark Mangino... or someone else?

Soccer: Can you imagine a more fun World Cup setting than Brazil in 2014?

Prep Football: Two-a-Done. Hoover (Alabama) High coach Rush Propst will leave the team at the end of the season after a scandal-fueled (if successful) career. I'm quite sure he'll end up elsewhere, turn the team into a USA Today Top 10 powerhouse, then be outed (and ousted) as a cheater there, too.

Anyone watch "Around the Horn" yesterday? I got a tip from TBL that I got a totally random name-check from Woody Paige, although I presume it was done for mockery value. In my illustrious and erstwhile ATH career, for all of its debacle-ness, Woody was genuinely nice to me. Hey: Maybe he just wanted to add a little blogger cred to the show. Erik Rydholm and Aaron : Call me! (Making phone hand-sign)

R.I.P., Robert Goulet: I was remiss in not talking about this earlier. He will always be beloved by sports fans for his incredible ESPN college hoops promos, quite possibly the best non-"This Is SportsCenter" promos the network ever created.

Varsity Dad vs. Halloween: At what point (if ever) is it OK to dress your toddler as a sports hero for Halloween? My kid has a Percy Harvin jersey, but that ain't happening: He's going as a monkey.

(Brooklyn parenting is a bit of a scene, as I expect this evening's trick-or-treating to be. For example, our local kids' parade is led by Dan Zanes, who lives nearby. For parents with kids, they'll know who I'm talking about. Needless to say, I don't think it's a crowd that would appreciate the spectacularness of a kid costumed as Harvin.)

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/30 A.M. Quickie:NBA, Torre, Favre, Brady, More!

Today's Names to Know: NBA, Joe Torre, Kevin Garnett, Brett Favre to Greg Jennings, Tony Romo, Kellen Clemens, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, Joe Girardi, Alex Rodriguez, Trinity-Millsaps video and More!

Torre reportedly to be hired by Dodgers (and taking Mattingly with him): Now THIS is a big "F-You" to the Yankees and a huge splash for relevancy by the Dodgers (who could use some). What a way to steal the spotlight from the Yankees' own managerial search.

New NBA Season Starts Today: Lots of intrigue. How will the Celtics' "Big Three" do? Is this the Suns' year to finally break through to a West title? How good can Kevin Durant be right out of the box? Where (if anywhere) will Kobe get traded? If LeBron and Scrubs can win the East, who else might? Who are this year's Warriors (and will we even know until the first year of the playoffs)? How badly will refs be taunted in a post-Donaghy Era?

That's all in play as the season tips off tonight. I'm picking the Spurs over the Celtics in the Finals (though if I had my choice, I'd much rather see the Suns than the Spurs in the Finals, given last years Finals debacle).

So if the Question of the Season is: How will the Celtics do with their new "Big Three" lineup, my answer is: Matching the hype.

I think they'll finish with one of the best records in the East and, more importantly, win the East title behind league MVP Kevin Garnett. (How has his name not come up more often as a candidate? I see this as a slam-dunk.)

However, Boston will fall short of an NBA title, losing to the Spurs in the NBA Finals. The question then becomes: Is anything less than an NBA title for this Celtics team considered failure?

Here are the rest of my picks (* = Div Champ):
East: 1. Wiz* 2. Celtics* 3. Bulls* 4. Pistons
5. Cavs 6. Raps 7. Heat 8. Bucks
East Finals: Celtics over Wizards

West: 1. Suns* 2. Spurs* 3. Mavs 4. Nuggets*
5. Jazz 6. Warriors 7. Rockets 8. Blazers
West Finals: Spurs over Suns

(I congratulate Chris Sheridan on picking the Wizards to be No. 2 in the East, going against the grain of virtually all of his colleagues, including John Hollinger, who picked the Wizards to finish 13th. Before the injuries last year, they would have finished with the best record in the East and probably won the conference title. Everyone has to stay healthy, but with a better bench, they're a better team. Meanwhile, looking over my playoff picks after a few more cups of coffee, I think I'm overlooking the Nets -- who have their own Big Three, plus a return-from-injury for Krstic -- and the Magic, who only have the best young big in the East. In the West, I will re-evaluate the Lakers if/when they do a Kobe deal, and if I had to pick a Warriors-style freak, it's the Grizzlies.)

Here's another look at my Awards Predictions:
MVP: Kevin Garnett (2nd: Gilbert Arenas)
Rookie: Kevin Durant (2nd: Al Thornton)
Coach: Doc Rivers (2nd: Eddie Jordan)
Fantasy Breakout: Al Jefferson

MNF: Favre to Jennings for 82-yard TD on first play of OT leads Packers to win over Broncos in Denver.

First of all, if it wasn't for the Pats, Favre and the Packers would be the NFL's most incredible story in years.

Second: Wow, Denver sports fans really used up all their mojo in getting the Rockies an NL title, didn't they?

Tony Romo signs 6-year, $67 million extension with the Cowboys, including $30 million in guaranteed money. Not bad for an undrafted QB out of Eastern Illinois. Teams might want to keep that in mind as they eye the loaded College QB Draft Class of 2008.

I love this debate over the Pats' sportsmanship or "classlessness" in the wake of their path of destruction this season, most notably this past weekend against the Redskins.

I say: Hell, as long as you're trying to break the spirit of the league (as Belichick seems intent on doing), you almost have to pour it on. But then there's this meme, highlighted at PFT (and kind of started by KSK a few weeks ago with their "Brady Bounty") and elsewhere, including the normally genteel Michael Wilbon, who all but demanded it:

At what point will a frustrated opponent, frustrated that Brady is in the game late in a blowout, simply KO the QB with a shot to the knees? (Cripes, talk about sportsmanship; how about taking your beatings like an adult?)

The Pats have every right in the world to continue marauding through the NFL, but they would be crazy not to expect blowback from a rogue opposing player.

Kobe Bryant-for-Gilbert Arenas trade debunked by Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld: As a Wizards fan, I had no interest in this trade anyway.

First of all, I'm not sure Kobe makes the Wizards that much better than they are with Gil (see my East predictions).

Second, Arenas is the most entertaining player in the NBA (factoring in on- and off-court entertainment). That's not worth giving up.

World Series Hangover: The resounding meme among fans and analysts seems to be that the Red Sox didn't just win their second title in four years, but have the foundation to continue to win championships through the rest of the decade and beyond. "New Yankees?" Only if "New Yankees" means "championship dynasty."

Will Joe Girardi join the Yankees? I presume so. How long will he last? Let's set the over-under at Halloween 2008.

Where will Alex Rodriguez end up? I have been saying the Angels for a while, but how about... the Yankees?

MLB Trade: SS Edgar Renteria goes to the Tigers from the Braves.

Jets to start Kellen Clemens at QB: The Chad Pennington Era is effectively over.

CFB: Here's a great story on the student play-by-play announcer who called that wild Trinity-Millsaps D-3 finish this weekend, the best play of the year in college football (and perhaps sports). This is an inelegant analogy, but this was college football's "J-Mac" moment.

BTW: This week's Deadspin column.

-- D.S.

Monday 10/29 A.M. Quickie:BoSox Champs! A-Rod Opts! Pats Roll! BCS Yes!

Today's Names to Know: Boston Red Sox, Mike Lowell, A-Rod, Joe Girardi, Tom Brady, Ohio State and Boston College, NBA Awards and More!

Red Sox sweep Rockies for World Series Championship, Boston's second title in four years. Man, the Red Sox sure know how to suck the drama out of a World Series, don't they? Two straight sweeps, eight straight wins.

Anyway, congrats to baseball's Team of the Decade, the first to nab two championships in the 21st Century, doing it with an ideal combination of scouting and SABR, guts and gobs of cash, pricey free agents and home-grown youngsters. They are (gack) the model franchise.

Thus is won the first component of what could be known as the Grand Slam of the Apocalypse: Boston teams winning titles in baseball, college football, pro football and pro basketball -- all way too possible. If that happens, the rest of us might have to either quit being sports fans or force the Boston teams (and fans) to secede from the rest of us.

As for the Rockies, it was a "miracle" run that ended miserably. Was it that 8-day layoff between NLCS and World Series that turned the hottest team in MLB history into a limp, lifeless loser? It doesn't matter: Colorado's fantastic finish goes up there with the '95 Seattle Mariners, among others: Locally, fans will remember how amazing it was forever, but without the championship, it will be lost to history.

A-Rod opts out of his contract: The savvy observer might note that Scott Boras' announcement during the World Series that A-Rod would opt out of his contract is the closest A-Rod has ever gotten to the World Series.

Did Boras think he was doing his client a favor with that classless move? Sure, we're all talking about him today (as Boras would say is all that matters), but all people will be saying is how douch-ish it was to co-opt the World Series for A-Rod's personal gain. It was right out of the WWE textbook.

So: What next for the player presumably about to win the AL MVP – and more than arguably the best player in baseball?

Where: Will the Yankees go back on their earlier sentiments and try to re-sign him? Will he go to a would-be contender like the Angels? Will he go to a team that desperately needs a superstar (San Francisco)?

How much: Will anyone be willing to pay him the payroll-crippling $30 million a year that Boras is demanding?

You know where A-Rod is a perfect fit, right? Boston. And you just KNOW they're thinking about it. (It's not like they haven't before.)

But, as they proved last night, the Red Sox hardly need A-Rod: Why, when they have World Series MVP Mike Lowell playing 3B? What an amazing pair of symbols: Boras interjecting A-Rod into the World Series, while Lowell smacks a HR to lead the Red Sox to a Series title, just before Lowell himself goes into free agency.

I can understand the lure of A-Rod (the tantalizing prospects of him in the lineup must make the SABR contingent get very excited), but despite the massive payroll, the Red Sox won this title using financial brains, not just brawn. As much as I'd like to see the Red Sox sign A-Rod, if only for the entertainment value, unlike most every other team in baseball, they don't need him (even if they are one of the very few that can afford him).

Meanwhile, the Yankees are set to announce their managerial decision today, and speculation is hot that it will be Joe Girardi.

UPDATE: The offer's been made. I know you all think I necessarily must renounce all Northwestern-related interest, but I have to say that it's exciting to see a fellow NU alum get that kind of job. (My favorite NU Girardi story: In the football weight room, where all athletes worked out -- me, too...imagine that scene! -- there are lists of weightlifting records, and the only non-football player ANYWHERE was in the squat, where Girardi was the all-time king. Northwestern loyalty won't make me root for the Yankees (save your snark), but it's nice to see it working out for another NU person.

NFL Wrap: Pats roll on to 8-0, and it's arguable we have just witnessed the most dominant first half of a football season ever (including the '85 Bears, who would be my gold standard for a first half). Tom Brady accounted for 5 TDs (again), with 2 on the ground for himself this time. So for those of you who have Brady in your fantasy leagues, you might get those extra points for rushing TDs (not that you need them, with Brady -- is he having the most dominant fantasy season for a QB ever?)

UPDATE: There's definitely a lot of talk about sportsmanship and the "classiness" (or not) of the Pats seemingly running up the score. Screw that: It's the NFL. I think it makes the Pats infinitely more interesting that they are not just winning, but ripping the soul out of the opponents, the rest of the league and the game itself as they go.

NFL in London: It was a great piece of ambassadorship, if the story we wanted to export was "The NFL sucks." Makes it hard to argue that the NFL is better than the EPL when the game features roughly as much scoring as a bad EPL game.

Rams, Dolphins remain oh-fer-season: It's a race to see who wants the top pick in the NFL draft. But in a QB-heavy draft, neither team really needs help at QB, and both teams already have very expensive "franchise" RBs, so a draft featuring Darren McFadden doesn't help much either. I suppose they're both playing to draft LSU's Dorsey.

Chargers lift up San Diego's spirits with a blowout home win: As long as the Chargers are scoring 35 in a half, can I get at least 1 TD for Tomlinson?

Random Notes: The Colts' 7-0 start (3rd straight season of that) has been complete eclipsed by the Pats. Good thing we'll have the Game of the Year next week when New England goes to Indy... Is Derek Anderson headed for a Pro Bowl appearance?... So who's picking up Quinn Gray as a fantasy QB?... Welcome back, Drew Brees and Marques Colston. Is it too late for a second-half surge to the NFC title I predicted them to win?

CFB BCS Rewind: Ohio State, Boston College remain 1-2, with BC the computers' favorite and OSU and Arizona State tied for 2nd by the PCs, after all four BCS-conference unbeaten teams claimed "prove-it" wins this weekend.

Arizona State rides the PCs to No. 4, while Oregon gets more love from the human pollsters. Given that they play next weekend, something has to give. If ASU beats Oregon, I would eye them for the Top 2, but that's a huge "if" I don't think will happen.

Of intrigue, unbeaten Kansas is still stuck at No. 8; Georgia is the highest-ranked 2-loss team (No. 10) and look at that: Michigan is sitting there at No. 12. (I am much more bullish on UConn than the various polls; I have them in my Top 10.)

My 1-2 this week are BC and Ohio State. I know I had Ohio State at No. 1 last week, so it looks like I'm dropping them from 1 to 2 after thumping Penn State in Happy Valley, but I think that BC's win at Virginia Tech was more impressive. At least I didn't put them behind idle LSU, too.

(It's not worth griping, OSU fans: You don't have to worry. OSU is a lock to play in the national title game if they win out, and I'll be ready to put them there as soon as they finally play – and beat – a really good team, which based on their schedule wouldn't come until the season finale in Ann Arbor.)

NBA Preview: Awards Predictions!
MVP: Kevin Garnett (Obvious)
(2nd: Gilbert Arenas; 3rd: Steve Nash)
Rookie: Kevin Durant (Zzz...)
(2nd: Al Thornton; 3rd: Al Horford)
Coach: Doc Rivers (Whaaa?!)
(2nd: Eddie Jordan; 3rd: Mike Woodson)
Breakout: Al Jefferson

Your NBA awards picks in the Comments.

-- D.S.

Sunday 10/28 (Very) Quickie

World Series: It's (as good as) over. Red Sox go up 3-0. The end could come as early as tonight, sparing us a drawn-out situation on Monday or later in the week when the Red Sox inevitably clinch the title. (Yes, inevitably.)

CFB: We didn't get the shake-out among the unbeatens that we were hoping for, but there were certainly a couple of "prove-it" peformances from both Arizona State (beating Cal at home, which Pac-10 rival Oregon couldn't) and Kansas (stifling Texas A&M on the road). Ohio State? Eh: I'm just not quite sure the win doesn't simply perpetuate their schedule is soft and the Big Ten is weak. Penn State was barely a "Top 25" team, and didn't look particularly impressive (regardless of how good the OSU D is).

Here's how my Top 10 is shaping up for this coming week (ballot to be completed tonight): (1) Boston College, (2) LSU, (3) Ohio State, (4) Arizona State, (5) Kansas, (6) West Virginia, (7) Oregon, (8) Oklahoma, (9) Missouri, (10) UConn (which is a one-point loss at a team ranked in the BCS Top 15 last week from being undefeated). For the record, I have Michigan at No. 11 and ready to re-crack the Top 10, a mere 10 weeks from being ousted altogether. More mulling to come today...

UPDATE: Upon further reflection, I am putting Ohio State at No. 2 over idle LSU. All four unbeatens came up with significant "prove-it" wins this weekend (even if I don't think Penn State is particularly good, I liked the way that Ohio State beat them). I am also considering putting UConn ahead of West Virginia, given that UConn just beat South Florida and USF beat WVU (although UConn beat USF at home, and WVU lost to USF on the road).

-- D.S.

OK, So About the Gators' Loss...

What he said.

Saturday 10/27 (Very) Quickie

Rainy day = Zero guilt about sitting in front of the TV from noon to midnight watching college football and Game 3 of the World Series.

CFB Today: West Virginia at Rutgers in a nooner, Cocktail Party at 3:30, Ohio State at Penn State in the night game, with an eye on unbeatens Arizona State and Kansas, as well as that huge USC at Oregon game. That covers most of the remaining BCS contenders playing today.

W.S. Game 3: Papi will start at first base, with Youkilis on the bench. It's a tough choice, either way. I suspect this is the right way to go, with Youk available off the bench to pinch hit and be a defensive replacement at 1B in the later innings.

Chargers to host game vs. Texans in San Diego: Good. The region could use the distraction.

Genarlow Wilson freed: Justice delayed, but at least it was justice eventually.

NBA Preseason finales: Kevin Garnett goes triple-double on the Cavs (21-13-10), in a nicely symbolic victory by the Celtics, foreshadowing his 07-08 MVP season and the Celtics' inevitable dethroning of Cleveland as the Eastern Conference champs. (Oops: I just gave away the two big headlines of the remainder of my NBA preview on Monday and Tuesday. A special bonus for readers who bother to check the blog on weekends.)

Injuries: Mike Bibby out up to two months with a thumb injury, a hazard of playing stars during the preseason.

Feel free to track the day's college football events in the comments section...

-- D.S.