My Final BlogPoll Ballot This Week

Here is my final ballot for the week; the final group BlogPoll ballot comes out on CBSSports.com shortly found here. More on the importance of the CBSSports.com deal later. (Here is BlogPoll administrator Brian Cook's intro post about it.)

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma	1
2	Missouri	3
3	Texas	1
4	Alabama	3
5	LSU	2
6	Penn State	--
7	Brigham Young	--
8	Texas Tech	1
9	Vanderbilt	14
10	Southern Cal	--
11	Utah	1
12	Boise State	1
13	Georgia	2
14	Florida	3
15	Ohio State	--
16	Oklahoma State	4
17	Ball State	4
18	South Florida	10
19	Kansas	3
20	Tulsa	5
21	Michigan State	3
22	Northwestern	4
23	Georgia Tech	3
24	Cincinnati	2
25	TCU	1

Dropped Out: Auburn (#14), Wisconsin (#18), Fresno State (#19), Connecticut (#22).

Wednesday 10/08 A.M. Quickie:Rays, Red Sox, LCS Picks, Elgin, Oden

Rays in 7. That's the pick for the ALCS in today's SN column. (Quickie jinx, be damned.) Why? Home-field advantage? Perhaps. But how about the fact that the Rays proved in August that they can win at Fenway -- even take 2 of 3.

Obviously, the playoffs are another story -- and I'm already inclined to pick defending champs to repeat (especially in pro sports), let alone the Red Sox, who are the preeminent franchise in baseball (and perhaps all of sports).

But I can't shake the Rays bandwagon -- the Rays' season-long Cinderella story. They may not even win the World Series, but to vanquish the mighty Red Sox would alone be monumental.

Meanwhile, I pick the Dodgers in 7, although I have to confess that I flip-flopped a few times before finally settling in on the belief that the Fates are ultimately out to hurt Phillies fans. (It's not SABR-friendly analysis, no, but I presume the SABR community would make exceptions for this.)

Big big news in the NBA: Greg Oden made his debut. Don't expect him to be the next Olajuwon or Ewing. I think his impact will be similar to what happened for him in college: His presence was simply so disruptive that he made the team around him infinitely better. That may or may not show up in the box scores (eventually, perhaps), but you'll see it in the standings.

Meanwhile, longtime Bullets fans will recognize the pattern: Star signs big contract; star gets injured. We'll see what the story is with Antawn Jamison's knee, but at that price, it can't be good. Kornheiser used to call it the "Le Curse of Les Boulez."

Quickly:
*OKSt-Mizzou will be more fun than Oklahoma-Texas.
*Tebow turning pro? Why not: QB who can "Wildcat"
*Elgin Baylor: Nice guy, terrible GM. For like 20 years.
*"Bull Durham" should never get a sequel.

My final version of this week's BlogPoll coming later this morning. (Yes, I nudged USC up, per your comments.) The full group's final BlogPoll will be up later today, too.

Complete SN column here. (Note: No SN column -- or blogging -- from me tomorrow during the day. I'll be observing Yom Kippur.)

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/07 A.M. Quickie:Rays, Red Sox, Reggie Bush, Big 12, More

In the lead of today's SN column, I put the newly minted ALCS showdown in the starkest -- and most culturally relevant -- terms:

The Rays represent hope; the Red Sox represent the status quo.

With that kind of choice, how can you NOT vote -- oops, ROOT -- for the Rays?

Meanwhile, the Angels totally blew it -- SABRmetrically and otherwise -- with that suicide squeeze attempt. Remains to be seen if they take their payroll to new levels in the offseason.

The White Sox actually exit the playoffs with their heads held high: They won not one but two "play-in" games to make it, and unlike their cross-town rivals, actually won a game (a home game, no less).

Only one team can win a championship and usually, the other playoff teams go home incredibly disappointed; I think the White Sox can go home content -- compare that to the fates of Cubs and Angels fans (or even Brewers fans, who mortgaged the future on an '08 run).

Meanwhile, I'm as impressed as everyone else at Reggie Bush's 2 punt-return TDs. But it begs a question: Doesn't this confirm that Bush is merely a really good...punt returner?

What happened to the transcendent, NFL-offense-revolutionizing playmaker? He is a mediocre runner, and his reception totals are misleading. He is Devin Hester with more crippling cap implications. (If ever there was a candidate for a direct-snap "Wildcat" formation, isn't it Bush?)

There is an incredibly strong class of Bush-like players coming to the '09 NFL Draft: Jeremy Maclin (a draft-eligible redshirt sophomore), Percy Harvin and Derrick Williams, to name the Top 3. Will the "Bush-like" label help or -- to bring it back to the '08 Election -- hurt?

Meanwhile, you know what? Coming off his NBA preseason debut, Kevin Love is going to be a very effective NBA player. I can't believe there was ever any doubt about this.

And Plaxico Burress is a bit of a d'bag: You are surprised by this?

More later. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

Big BlogPoll News: CBSSports.com BlogPoll

There it is, listed right alongside the AP and the Coaches. Here is the stand-along BlogPoll page, including links to every single blogger who votes, which I think is amazing for transparency and legitimacy. Much more on this later. I'll have some time tonight to collect my thoughts. -- D.S.

Monday 10/06 A.M. Quickie:Phils, ALDS, Skins, Fins, Oklahoma, More

The usual Monday craziness in today's SN column.

As bad as I feel for Cubs fans, I feel great for Phillies fans -- last year's "Why bother?" depression turns into this year's "That's why" motivation.

Meanwhile, I'd like to see both the Red Sox and Rays win their series, but how can you not love the idea of needing a do-or-die Game 5 to make it happen?

I grew up in D.C. hating the Redskins, which settled into more of an ambivalence in adulthood. But their wins the last two weeks have made me take notice -- a drop-off is inevitable, but you can be sure Skins fans are enjoying the now.

Meanwhile, I am slightly obsessed with the Dolphins' successful "Wildcat" formation, and now I'm even more convinced that some team can draft Tim Tebow and just have him run that -- hell, as an RB. (In fact, why can't Vince Young run something similar? Oh, right: The Titans don't have the imagination. And I know it's crazy to say that about a 5-0 team.)

You can check out my CFB posts from the weekend, below, but I put Oklahoma into the No. 1 spot, with Missouri and Texas right behind. It almost doesn't matter -- the Oklahoma-Texas winner will be No. 1 on my ballot next week...as they should be for every voter.

I will say: How can you not love the Vanderbilt story. It reminds me a lot of Northwestern in 1995. Vandy has a ways to go before they reach potential BCS status.

Again, I think back to when Northwestern was 5-1 in 1995: All we really thought about was bowl-eligibility. VU fans need to keep their expectations in check: First, just get into a bowl. Then, ponder which bowl that might be.

More later. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

CFB BlogPoll Ballot 1.0: Bama Out, Okla In

As always, let me know what you think. Very impressed by what I saw from the Big 12 yesterday -- particularly Mizzou. Oklahoma-Texas winner will be next week's No. 1.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma	1
2	Missouri	3
3	Texas	1
4	Alabama	3
5	LSU	2
6	Penn State	--
7	Brigham Young	--
8	Texas Tech	1
9	Utah	3
10	Vanderbilt	13
11	Southern Cal	1
12	Boise State	1
13	Georgia	2
14	Florida	3
15	Ohio State	--
16	Oklahoma State	4
17	Ball State	4
18	South Florida	10
19	Kansas	3
20	Tulsa	5
21	Michigan State	3
22	Northwestern	4
23	Georgia Tech	3
24	Cincinnati	2
25	TCU	1

Dropped Out: Auburn (#14), Wisconsin (#18), Fresno State (#19), Connecticut (#22).

(Note new BlogPoll branding. More on that tomorrow.)

Sunday 10/05 (Very) Quickie: Cubs Lose

I can't believe that it was less than 5 days ago that we were talking about whether it was good or bad for baseball if the Cubs won the World Series.

Here is what we know for certain: It is terrible for baseball that the Cubs get swept out of the NLDS in 3 games.

Even more than the Phillies' phurious surge a year ago, this becomes the gold standard for "Why'd you even bother?" Especially given that the Cubs finished with the NL's best record.

It's enough to make even the most die-hard Cubs fan question the value of the entire season.

On the other side, college football was about statements:

Vanderbilt: Beats Auburn and goes to 5-0 for the first time since anyone bothered to pay attention.

There is the validation at the top of the Big 12: Mizzou at Nebraska? Rout. Texas at Colorado? Rout. Oklahoma vs. Baylor? Rout. The only clarity between these three will come when they play each other, starting with Oklahoma-Texas next week.

USC earned a measure of payback against Oregon -- and earned back a measure of respect against a team that was purported to be USC's closest challenger in the weak Pac-10.

Ohio State made a statement, winning in Madison -- but it wasn't pretty. Ohio State may yet win the Big Ten (although I don't think they are nearly the team Penn State is), but they aren't particularly great. (Although Terrelle Pryor sure seems to have the ability to make the big play.)

Brewers stay alive -- would be fun to see this one go 5. Meanwhile, the Red Sox go for the sweep today, as do the Rays. Let's just get right to the epic Rays-Red Sox ALCS, can't we?

More later.

-- D.S.

College Football Saturday Tracking

VANDY! Story of the year in college football, no question.

Evening Update: Wedding Anniversary dinner out cancelled. We're both too tired to bother. There's a preview for those of you without spouse or kid yet. Good news: The TV is on and we're flipping between all the good games. Looks like Vandy and Auburn will stay close to the finish -- Vandy will have problems scoring the 13 that Auburn has at the half.

Late-Afternoon Update: Does Alabama deserve to maintain their No. 1 spot on my BlogPoll ballot for a 17-14 escape (at home) over Kentucky? Where was the team that destroyed Georgia in Athens? Is Kentucky that good? Was UGA that overrated? Or is Bama simply more inconsistent than we had previously thought?

Meanwhile, how many first-place votes will Oklahoma pick up, simply from a big score and spread against Baylor, while Alabama was in a typical SEC grinder? Last week, the percent split was roughly 66/33 -- I'm betting it's at least 80/20 this week.

So much for Michigan's resurgence last week. Illinois went into Ann Arbor and throttled them. (Juice Williams: 431 yards of combined passing and rushing, including 121 rushing. Amazing. Maybe his best full-game performance of his career -- although his 4th quarter at Ohio State last season remains his single greatest performance.)

How does Ole Miss go into the Swamp and beat Florida, then go home to the Grove and lose to South Carolina? Seriously!

Does Virginia Tech deserve to be considered for the Top 25 again? Not yet. (How about Cal? Ditto.)

Wrong about Notre Dame again! (D'oh.)

Early Update: Well, today left me feeling a hell of a lot better than last weekend, but Florida's offense just doesn't seem that dynamic -- unlike other teams that consider themselves Top 10. They have some gamebreakers besides Harvin (Demps, Rainey), but that was against Arkansas, not - say - LSU next week. That said, Florida tends to play up against good comp. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I give Penn State a ton of credit for winning in West Lafayette -- even more for shutting down a very good Purdue offense. PSU isn't just the Spread HD -- it's D, too. The Top 5 is pretty crowded and Penn State was sitting at No. 6 on my ballot last week; who would I bump? (A loss in the Top 5 tonight would make things really easy for me.)

Here's a statement about the rising state of Duke football: I actually give Georgia Tech credit for its 27-0 win. A year ago, it would have been "Oh, who COULDN'T beat Duke like that? (Aside from Northwestern...yeah yeah, I know.)"

It's college football Saturday (thank god)...

It can't possibly be worse than last weekend, right? (Interesting: Would a loss at lowly Arkansas the week after a season-crushing loss to Ole Miss at home be worse than the original season-crushing loss at home to Ole Miss? Not. Even. Close.)

What I'm watching today:
12:30: Florida at Arkansas (GamePlan)
(Tabs on: Penn State at Purdue)
3:30: Kentucky at Alabama (CBS)
(Tabs on: TX Tech/K-State, Ill/Mich - ABC, both)
6: Auburn at Vandy (ESPN)
(Tabs on: Texas/Colorado at 7 - not on TV?)
8: Oregon at USC - ABC
(Tabs on: Ohio State at Wisconsin - ABC)
9: Mizzou at Nebraska - ESPN
(Tabs on: 4th quarter in LA and Madison)

Wait, wait: I'm taking my wife out for dinner tonight to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

Hmm, let's see: If we strategically eat at 7, I'll catch the end of the 3:30 games, but be back at home in time for the end of Auburn/Vandy and most of the second half of all of the 8 p.m. games.

And the reason why I'm so lucky to have married her: She's totally on board with the plan, specifically so she can watch the college football too. THIS is how you make a marriage work.

-- D.S.

Saturday 10/04 (Very) Quickie

K-Rod chokes away Angels' chances of winning their ALDS series: I know that, beyond his record saves total, K-Rod's stats weren't the best of the AL closers. But still: He had that all-time saves mark, along with a $72 million minimum for his services after this season.

Of course, now his record-breaking season is even more clearly defined by his series-blowing choke yesterday.

I said this about the Cubs yesterday: In a 5-game series, a team simply can't lose the first two games at home, then expect to win 3 straight when the next 2 are on the road. The Angels are as done as the Cubs -- remarkable in that the teams with the best records in their respective leagues won't make it out of the LDS round. Hell, they might not win a playoff game. (We'll have to see how the Cubs do today; I'm quite sure Cubs fans have all but given up.)

Here's the postseason motto: Your regular season was meaningless.

(Unless, of course, you are a team like the Rays, which is doubling-down on their Cinderella season in the playoffs: 2 games at home; 2 wins. Man, I like this team. They are playing with confidence that belies their franchise's utter playoff inexperience. Who cares? More than enough room still available on the Rays bandwagon.)

Today: The Cubs try to stave off oblivion with their mid-season pickup Rich Harden. If he can't stop the bleeding, no one can. Meanwhile, the ageless, how-can-you-not-root-for-him Jamie Moyer tries to lead the Phillies to a close-out win in Milwaukee. I picked the Brewers to win the series, but I find the Phillies fans incredibly compelling and would be happy for them if they advanced (if only to set up even more crushing disappointment when they eventually lose).

CFB: BYU wins 15th straight. Now they can sit back and watch the rest of the Top 10 face far more daunting challenges than Utah State -- I fully expect (but was not ballsy enough to actually predict) that there will be at least one loss in the Top 10 today (beyond USF on Thursday). Conference play is just too much of an X-factor, particularly with the matchups today. (On the flip side, ranked teams who perform well should get a rankings boost.)

Wisconsin suspends marching band: Hazing? Drinking? Sexual inappropriateness? With absolutely no joking intended: Does this actually surprise you? The fairly under-the-radar culture (or cult) of the college marching band is rife with all of these things -- hey, just like the culture (or cult) of a college football team. It would make an amazing documentary (as if any school would allow you the access -- they know what's going on).

NFL: Brian Westbrook looks ready to go tomorrow against the Redskins. That makes the game that much more interesting (it already was one of the Top 3 games of the week).

NBA: I don't know what a "torn iris" is, but it sounds painful. Sorry, Amare. And just when his appearance on Yo Gabba Gabba made him one of my 10 favorite NBA players! (Quickie jinx, indeed. Or maybe the Yo Gabba Gabba jinx!)

Meanwhile, the Heat signed Shaun Livingston -- it's a low-risk bet. If he never comes back, he never comes back. But if he recovers, the Heat suddenly have a terrific backcourt partner for Dwyane Wade -- just in time for Wade's free-agent summer of 2010. It's not like he's staying in Miami. (Oh, you thought that kind of talk was just reserved for LeBron? Please: LeBron, Wade, Bosh -- they'll all leave their current teams.)

Candace Parker named WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year: It's an impressive double, and indicative of the instantly center-stage place Parker has in the league. They are making the entire thing revolve around her -- makes you wonder what they did without her (struggle, actually).

Wow: OJ is actually going to go to jail. There IS justice in the world.

-- D.S.

BW's Top 100 Most Influential Sports People

Business Week launches its list: Tiger at No. 1? No way. Let's see: Tiger has been off the radar for nearly six months, and the sports world has thrived -- Golf? not so much. But that wasn't the list.

Other highlights: Michael Jordan at No. 9? Is this 2008 or 1998? (Most athletes in general -- LeBron at No. 17? -- are overrated. Lance Armstrong on the list? Totally. At No. 15? Hmm.)

Bob Bowman, CEO of MLB Advanced Media, at No. 83? That's absurd. He could be Top 20. The list shows a fundamentally lacking weight placed on folks leading the way in emerging media.

(I'll say the same thing I said last year, with a new name: The Deadspin editor, AJ Daulerio, should have made the list, even as a token at No. 100, particularly given the outsized influence of a site considered outside the mainstream.)

In the end, lists like this are meant to be ego trips for the people and organizations listed on them -- and fodder for debate for sports-business wonks like me or Rovell.

-- D.S.

CFB Week 6 Top 25 Preview and Picks

Last week totally freaked out my sensibilities. I had no upsets picked; upsets abounded.

Now, I'm too much of a wuss to actually pick any big upsets, but I'm perfectly unconfident enough to label "Upset Special?" for Bama, Missouri, Texas, Penn State and Texas Tech. (And, of course, I'm off to a great start by having picked South Florida over Pitt. But really: who didn't?)

Bama -- my newly crowned No. 1 team -- is a stretch, as they play at home; the rest all play on the road, against totally inconsistent conference opponents, so contender beware.

Catch you all day tomorrow.

(1) Oklahoma over @Baylor
(2) Alabama over Kentucky -- Upset Special?
(4) Missouri over @Nebraska -- Upset Special?
(5) Texas over @Colorado -- Upset Special?
(6) Penn State over @Purdue -- Upset Special?
(7) Texas Tech over @Kansas State -- Upset Special?
(8) BYU over Utah St -- Friday
(9) USC over (23) Oregon
(10) South Florida over Pitt -- locked Thursday WRONG.
(12) Florida over @Arkansas
(13) Auburn over @(19) Vandy -- Game of the Week!
(18) Wisconsin over (14) Ohio State -- GOTW Jr.
(15) Utah over Oregon State -- locked Thursday RIGHT.
(16) Kansas over @Iowa State
(17) Boise State over LA Tech -- locked Wednesday RIGHT.
(20) VA Tech over Western Kentucky
(21) Oklahoma State over Texas A&M
(22) Fresno State over Hawaii
@UNC over (24) UConn

Other games of interest:
@Georgia Tech over Duke (3-1!)
Stanford over @Notre Dame
@Michigan over Illinois
@Tulsa (DS.com-ranked) over Rice

Friday 10/03 A.M. Quickie:Cubs, Longoria, Phils, USF, Utah, NHL

Will anyone really dispute the lead assertion of my SN column today that the Cubs are basically finished in this postseason? You lose two straight at home to open a best-of-5 series and you practically deserve to get ousted.

I'm wondering where this particular one will rank among Cubs fans as far as hurt goes. Given the NL-best record and the home-field advantage? Probably way way up there. (Not: "You might as well have not even made the playoffs" level, like the Phillies last year, but close.)

(UPDATE: A friend who is a Cubs fan emailed me to disagree: "The Cubs are just like Philly last year. What was the point of this season? Ugh.")

Meanwhile: Evan Longoria! Again: If you don't have a horse in the race, how can you NOT be rooting for the Rays? Especially in these troubled economic times, how can you not love a team with the 2nd-lowest payroll in baseball?

Good for the Phillies! And good for their fans. And I'll leave it there. But they took down my guy CC -- and you know what kind of credit I'll give them for THAT.

CFB: South Florida joins the ranks of the beaten. (Really: How does Dave Wannstedt DO this? First West Virginia last December, now USF in Tampa?) Utah narrowly survives, but at this point, it looks like Oregon State is a damn good team (and Penn State looks even better). All eyes on the Big 12 this weekend, when conference play starts and at least one upset has to happen, right?

NBA: Tim Donaghy acted alone. Or so the NBA insists through the legitimizing effect of a "report." In the SN column, I make what feels like an obvious suggestion: Make any/all gambling -- illegal or legal -- off-limits to refs, players and team execs. Period. The NBA may be focusing on illegal gambling, but it's the legal stuff that leads to the illegal stuff.

NHL: If you see today's column's "Last Word," you'll see my homage to NHL. I will continue to argue that it is a "niche" sport, but it is an amazingly successful one -- attendance is up; revenue is up.

Casual interest may not be up (except for the Outdoor Game at Wrigley!), but that's not what a niche sport needs. A niche sport needs a total devotion to its core fans, and the NHL seems to have embraced that.

I'll continue to push my advice for any niche sport, and that includes the NBA: Don't ask too much of the casual fans. Give them a couple of concrete, finite things to get excited about your sport -- a novelty game, a YouTube clip. Over time, it will work.

Complete SN column here.

- D.S.

Rays-White Sox Game 1 Day-Game Mania

All I have been hearing is that no one will tune in to watch the Rays. Here's my question, again: Worst-to-first success stories (particularly ones who didn't "star-import" their way to success like the Celtics) are among the most compelling in all of sports. How has the entire nation not adopted this team as their own? If the locals won't do it, why not make them America's Team? -- D.S.

UPDATE: Longoria! (No, seriously: I know I can't apply LDS performance to award ballots, but in addition to locking up AL Rookie of the Year, is it insane to promote Longoria for AL MVP? He's at least in the conversation, right? Not ludicrous, right?)

Paying Freelance Opportunity in NYC

Based in NYC and have 40 hours a week to spare right now during this "lull" in the economy? Well, I'm hiring, at least! My company has a short-term (2-4 week) project I could use some help on, immediately. Paid, obviously, and I've got enough to keep you busy for 40 hours a week, if you can spare it. Underemployed journalists encouraged (I sympathize), but smart, reliable independent workers with good writing/editing skills should apply. NYC-based folks only. Shoot me an email if you're interested. Could have you up and going as early as tomorrow or Monday.

-- D.S.

Thursday 10/02 A.M. Quickie:Bay, Manny, Hamels, Rays, Boise, More

It's hard to call yesterday's baseball playoffs openers unexpected. Sure, the Red Sox and Dodgers won on the road -- in a 5-game series, no small thing -- but the fact that Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez played heroes? Unsurprising. In fact, kind of obvious. See today's SN column.

(With the Phillies, especially with last year's NLDS flame-out, you never know, so a series-opening win -- even at home -- seems sort of surprising and far less obvious than a Bay/Manny HR binge.)

All we know is that the Cubs are suddenly in a hole, and it's up to Carlos Zambrano to help them out of it. The Angels are in a hole, too, but they get today off to think about it. Meanwhile, if anything would focus the playoff-novice Rays, it was yesterday's results.

Meanwhile, it's back-to-back nights of BCS-busting goodness: Last night, Boise State thumped LA Tech -- the Broncos are a good bet to go unbeaten. Tonight, Utah has a challenge in Oregon State (and you thought the Utes' challenge was the season-finale vs. BYU...).

Here's the thing: Rather than the friendly confines of Corvallis, OSU plays at Utah. And rather than facing an overconfident, overrated conference foe it owns in USC, the Beavers will play a scrappy BCS-wannabe that won't possibly take OSU lightly.

As I point out in today's column, most pollsters still put Utah behind USC. But a convincing win tonight might flip that: It's not pure Transitive Property (Oregon State is on the road, not at home), but it's close enough to make a difference, particularly with lazy poll voters. (Where the laziness works FOR us, not against us, for once!)

More later. Who else is counting the hours until the Biden-Palin debate tonight? It's going to be crazy, although you are nuts if you think Palin is going to implode. The format is tailor-made for vague, simplistic, rehearsed answers heavy on the folksy -- that's Palin's wheelhouse. Given the low expectations, she doesn't have to do much to be considered a "winner." Don't discount that.

Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

This Week's Final Group CFB BlogPoll Ballot

Find it here. Majority No. 1 Oklahoma tops my No. 1 pick, Alabama, 44 1st-place votes to 31. USC cracks the Top 10, with UGA and Florida, in that order, directly behind at 11 and 12. (Northwestern cracks in at No. 25 for what I believe is the first time in BlogPoll history.) -- D.S.

MLB League Division Series (LDS) Picks

NLDS: Cubs in 5. Brewers in 4.
ALDS: Red Sox in 4. Rays in 5.
Quickie Jinx in full effect, presumably.

Wednesday 10/01 A.M. Quickie:LDS Mania, Thome, Kiffin, Non-Scandals

Aaand, we're back. This morning's SN column allowed me to flex two of my more favorite theories:

(1) You should root for the Rays because a team going from worst to first in a single season is one of the most incredible things that can happen to baseball.

(2) As long as the Cubs are in the World Series, it doesn't matter which AL team they are playing, because the ratings will be HUGE regardless.

Those are the two big things on my mind as the playoffs start today with that tripleheader. You can start by following it at work, then move home for primetime, then see if you can stay up for the late one. (I certainly won't be able to do all three.)

Meanwhile, I think Jim Thome just got his career-defining play. Of his prodigious home run total, none will be bigger or more memorable than last night's.

(For his part, Ken Griffey's run-/game-saving throw to the plate was pretty amazing; it is a sidebar -- but entirely worth tracking -- that he earns an end-of-career playoff shot.)

Meanwhile, four things came out yesterday that should make you say: "Well, no shit." (Excuse the swearing...)

(1) Lane Kiffin was fired and it got ugly quickly.
(2) Ricky Williams thinks about smoking pot.
(3) Tony Mandarich used steroids.
(4) Alonzo Mourning experienced NCAA recruiting violations.

I'm sure you're just shocked -- shocked -- to hear all that.

Complete SN column here.

Tuesday: Off for the Holiday

Longtime readers know that I take off for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana (tomorrow), which I and others (like Ryan Braun!) will be observing.

The talented Spencer Hall will be pinch-hitting my Sporting News column tomorrow, so please be sure to check it out and enjoy.

Back Wednesday, bright and early.

-- D.S.

Taking Your Kid to Their First Sports Event

So a month ago, I took my 2-year-old to the Swamp for Florida's season opener. Big mistake. That said: I finally thought it through enough to try to take some lessons from it, and it turned into a potentially valuable advice column for the site I help run in my alternate identity. The column is hopefully useful for parents of toddlers and kids who are thinking about taking their kid to a sports event for the first time. Check it out (and be sure to read all 4 pages!)

-- D.S.

Monday 09/29 A.M. Quickie:White Sox, Favre, Skins, Titans, Bama, More

It must be the end of the baseball regular season if a Monday column leads with baseball ahead of the NFL and college football.

But the end of this baseball season is even better, because the White Sox have to win a make-up game against the motivated-or-phoning-it-in Tigers, and -- if they win -- THEN play the Twins. Regardless: It's a weekday day game of playoff implications -- who's doing a live-blog? (Who's NOT?)

Meanwhile, today's SN column exposes that Week 4 in the NFL is generally where 3 weeks' worth of assumptions about the season fall apart: Favre sucks? Perhaps not. LJ/Chiefs suck? Not yesterday. (Corollary: Broncos unstoppable? More like: Mirage.) Titans and Bills can't possibly sustain it? My god: Kerry Collins is 1/4-Season MVP (and Chris Johnson is 1/4-Season ROY).

And then there's the "Monday Morning After" in college football. If you dropped by the blog on Saturday, you saw how I reacted to Florida's loss to Ole Miss (My "Worst. Loss. Ever.") Let's focus on the positive: Alabama is the No. 1 team in the country, and I am mystified that 2/3 of AP voters have Oklahoma ahead of them -- or that the Coaches have them at No. 4(!)

Ranking this weekend's top CFB accomplishments:
(1) Oregon State beating USC.
(2) Bama rolling at Georgia.
(3) Ole Miss winning at Florida.
(4) Michigan's comeback at home vs. Wisco.
(5) Northwestern 5-0 for first time since 1962.

Check out my complete BlogPoll (Take 1) for this week and give me any feedback before I file tomorrow's final version.

More later. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

CFB BlogPoll Top 25 Week 5 Ballot, Take 1

Let me know what you think. Giving an early preview this week. Not sure I've dealt with USC, UGA and Florida correctly. No, the lack of 5-0 Northwestern isn't some form of self-loathing.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama	9
2	Oklahoma	2
3	LSU	2
4	Texas	3
5	Missouri	1
6	Penn State	6
7	Brigham Young	1
8	South Florida	3
9	Texas Tech	--
10	Southern Cal	8
11	Georgia	8
12	Utah	1
13	Boise State	2
14	Auburn	3
15	Ohio State	3
16	Kansas	3
17	Florida	12
18	Wisconsin	4
19	Fresno State	1
20	Oklahoma State	5
21	Ball State	1
22	Connecticut	1
23	Vanderbilt	--
24	Michigan State	2
25	Tulsa	1

Dropped Out: Wake Forest (#16), TCU (#24).

Sunday 09/28 (Very) Quickie

Alabama gets my vote as the No. 1 team in the country, after the way they beat Georgia in Athens last night. Just because Oklahoma was ahead of them doesn't entitle OU to anything.

BlogPoll Top 10 initial pass: (1) Alabama; (2) Oklahoma; (3) LSU; (4) Texas; (5) Missouri; (6) Penn State; (7) BYU; (8) South Florida; (9) Texas Tech; (10) USC (begrudgingly... 5 weeks in, and we're already down to less than 10 teams that deserve a spot in the Top 10.)

The Big 12 replaces the SEC with a "Big Three": Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri (and Texas Tech, simply by having a bye to avoid the upset bug, will make it 4 in the Top 10 for the Big 12).

And I don't think it's unreasonable to add Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford to Daniel at the top of the Heisman list -- Knowshon Moreno isn't up there anymore.

Penn State looked similar in beating Illinois to Missouri. They should be ranked accordingly. (Derrick Williams had a 3-R game of his career: TD rushing, receiving, returning -- reminding me why he was once considered the best offensive recruit of his high school class.)

Florida didn't lose because of the missed extra-point or the inability of Tebow to get that 1st down on 4th and 2 -- they lost because of 3 turnovers that resulted in 10 Ole Miss points. (You can read the multiple posts below for my post-loss reaction. Um, reactions...)

Hell of a win for Rich Rodriguez; hell of a loss for Tommy Bowden.

As much as I dislike people talking about Northwestern as if they were the woeful program of the 70s and 80s and early 90s -- not the halfway decent program of today -- 5-0 is a big deal.

Congrats to the Phillies on their NL East title.

NL Wild Card: It all comes down to today! (No, wait: Unless it comes down to tomorrow! Either way: It's a must-track today.) Um, can Johan Santana pitch on NO rest? How about 1 day?

AL Central: Twins clinch with a win Sunday combined with a White Sox loss. In any other scenario, we get the couldn't-be-more-awesome Monday make-up game between Chicago and Detroit, which is remarkable in that Chicago would have everything to gain and Detroit nothing. Which Tigers would show up?

How much must it irk Roger Clemens that Greg Maddux moved past him on the all-time wins list? And Maddux didn't even need PEDs to do it.

New World Record: Men's marathon, by Haile Gebrselassie, breaking the 2h4m barrier.

RIP, Paul Newman: How big was Newman's presence in the history of sports movies? He was in arguably 3 of the Top 20 greatest sports movies ever -- Slap Shot (Top 10), The Hustler (Top 10), The Color of Money (Top 20, but he won an Oscar for his performance).

-- D.S.

Post-Loss Update, Cont'd: Then Again...

Then again, I could be a Georgia fan.

On second thought: Nah. Florida took it worst today.

-- D.S.

Post-Loss Update 5: Madness Sets In

After the game, I had taken off my Tebow jersey (yes, I own one -- two, actually... 3 if you include the quasi-jersey "jersey-as-a-T-shirt") and put it in a crumpled mess back in the closet, wondering if it was too tainted to wear anymore this season.

Now, I have put the jersey back on and am about to go walk the streets of my neighborhood (actually, going on an errand, but still...), ready to shoulder any/all mockery that might come my way -- because for some reason I feel like I either deserve it or should have to take it.

(At this rate of manic reaction, I cannot wait to see what I am doing in an hour or so...)

-- D.S.

Post-Loss Update 4: Worst Loss Ever?

With 2 hours to continue to dwell on it, I would rank this as the most disappointing loss of my 8-year Florida fandom.

Last season's loss at LSU was tough, but it was to a national champion team in their house.

The loss to Georgia last season was a shellacking -- it was hard to say "Shoulda won."

The season-killing loss in '01 to Tennessee? In my rookie year, I don't think I knew enough to suffer as much as the moment merited.

The losses of the Zook Era? Eh: Hard not to say, "Eh, sort of unsurprising."

The loss to Auburn in 2006 was about as bad as I've ever felt about a Gators loss -- but in hindsight, the national championship wiped that one clean.

This one, though? Gut-wrenching. No. 1 on my list.

(Yes, this will continue...)

- D.S

PLU 3: Self-Help vs. Self-Medicating

I don't know what stage I'm in, but here's where my head is at right now: Dwelling on Florida's final play:

Heading into Florida's last play, it was 4th and 2 on the 31 with 55 seconds to go, down 1. They could try a 48-yard FG with either the kicker on the field when the game-tying XP was blocked or an untested true freshman kicker with a cannon leg. OR, they could go for "Tebow Time" and let Tebow go for the 2 yards they'd need for 4 more downs and inevitable better field position, for either the winning kick or a winning TD.

At the time, I was adamantly for the Tebow play -- give it to your best guy (well, besides Harvin) and let him make a play. Of course, Houston Nutt knew this too. And, now, I'm wondering if they shouldn't have tried the FG. Now, if they had missed the FG, I would be saying, "They should have gone with Tebow." So, in the end, I'm comfortable with the decision, but still struggling with the final result. In watching the replay -- ad nauseum -- sending Tebow up the middle was the mistake, because if he had bounced to the outside, there was no way a single Ole Miss defender was going to stop him from getting the 2 yards. Up the gut, however, it was 1 on 8.

(What happened to "Back Monday" you ask? Meh: Self-help through blogging rules.)

-- D.S.

Post-Loss Update 2: Bargaining

Now, I could make an argument that Florida's BCS title-game hopes aren't entirely shot. But after watching this game, the idea of a 12-1 season with an SEC title -- having to still beat LSU, Georgia and the SEC West champ -- seems ludicrous.

Not to take anything away from Ole Miss or diminish Florida's 3 turnovers (their first 3 turnovers of the season, incredibly -- which, naturally, turned into 10 Ole Miss points). But let's be real here -- this bearishness is what I'd project if I wasn't a Gators fan.

(No, I have not been able to stop blogging, as promised above. It's therapeutic, I guess. Cripes, I remain so freaking disappointed.)

-- D.S.

Post-Loss Update 1: Nevermind

The post below was a cop-out. I deserve your schadenfreude. I will post your comments, of course. Cripes, I feel awful.

Florida Loses to Ole Miss at The Swamp

Yes, I'm devastated.

I will follow my own protocols: BCS championship hopes? Over.

Back Monday. Maybe.

-- D.S.

Saturday 09/27 Quickie/CFB Live-Blog

CFB Saturday ramping now: God bless ESPN Game Plan. Florida-Ole Miss will keep me busy from 12:30-4, then skimming around the country, then the biggies in primetime.

MLB Playoff Push: Brewers take lead for Wild Card, Mets choking it away, Phillies close in on NL East, Rays win AL East (!), White Sox can't take advantage of Twins loss.

Mariners GM search: Kim Ng? I'm so totally backing this. First woman GM in major pro sports? Now THAT is a barrier being broken.

So much for Kevin Johnson's bid for mayor of Sacramento...

NBA: Jason "White Chocoloate" Williams is retiring? Already? He is one of the most exciting -- if limited -- players of the last decade in which he was a pro.

CFB Last Night: UConn survives Louisville, barely. Enough to keep them in the Top 25? Perhaps not...

So wait: Lance won't come back in January?

-- D.S.

NFL Week 4 Preview and Picks

Tied for 69th out of 175. Still upper half!

BENGALS (-3.5) over Browns
Vikings (+3.5) over TITANS
Broncos (-9.5) over CHIEFS
49ers (+6.5) over Saints*
Cardinals (+2.5) over JETS
Packers (+1.5) over BUCS
Falcons (+7.5) over PANTHERS*
Texans (+7.5) over JAGUARS*
Chargers (-7.5) over RAIDERS
Bills (-8.5) over RAMS
COWBOYS (-11.5) over Redskins
Eagles (-3.5) over BEARS
Ravens (+7.5) over STEELERS*

* - Pick to actually win the game.

College Football Week 5 Preview and Picks

It will be hard to top the USC shocker. BTW, this is must-read analysis on USC in context. (And still more, from the CHFF crew.)

(1) USC over Oregon State -- HAPPY TO BE WRONG.
(2) Oklahoma over (24) TCU -- Prove-It Game.
(3) Georgia over (8) Alabama -- Game of the Week
(4) Florida over Ole Miss
(5) LSU over Mississippi St
(7) Texas over Arkansas
(9) Wisconsin over @Michigan
(12) Penn State over (22) Illinois -- GOTW Jr.
(13) South Florida over @NC St
(14) Ohio State over Minnesota
(15) Auburn over Tennessee
(16) Wake Forest over Navy
(17) Utah over Weber State
(20) Clemson over Maryland
(23) East Carolina over Houston
(25) Fresno State over @UCLA

Other Interesting Games:
UConn over Louisville -- Friday
Northwestern (4-0!) over @Iowa
Miami over UNC
Colorado over @Florida State
Purdue over Notre Dame

Friday 09/26 A.M. Quickie:USC Lost! USC Lost! USC Lost!

Forgive my glee. But, come on: How can you NOT find last night's USC loss at Oregon State -- killing USC's BCS hopes in one glorious primetime weeknight meltdown -- to be utterly amazing?

I don't want to hear "USC" and "BCS" again this season -- unless you are commenting how USC ain't gonna be in the BCS [title game]. (Quite a 180 from "USC and Everyone Else" after the OSU game.)

Speaking of that, I end my SN column today with what I think could be one of my more thoughtful points -- because I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks ripping both Southern Cal AND Ohio State.

Ohio State takes a lot of crap -- a LOT -- for losing in the big games to the best teams. Maybe that's fair criticism.

But USC loses in the small games to the mediocre teams -- they have done it for three years running (Oregon State last night, Stanford in 2007, UCLA in 2006 -- Oregon St in 2006, too.)

And, I would argue, USC's failure is FAR more humiliating and diminishing than Ohio State's. It's not even close, actually.

At least Ohio State has MAKES the title game before getting beat. USC can't even get that far, because they're choking on the chicken wings that make up their schedule. (Oregon St beating USC doesn't prove the Beavers/Pac-10 are good as much as it proves USC was not great.)

Truly: This has to be the end of USC's season, as far as consideration for the BCS title game goes. They didn't lose to a fellow power -- they lost to a 1-2 team that lost to Penn State by 30. That lost to Stanford.

I know there will be plenty of "Hey, at least they lost early in the season!" No. No. No. Even if the Big 12 or SEC champ finishes with 1 loss each, both will have a stronger BCS claim than USC. Others will, too, obviously depending on who their 1 loss was to.

But -- there I go -- presuming that an 11-1 USC is even relevant, is even deserving of being discussed at all, let alone as a contender. (Or presuming they'll go 11-1.) Here's the reality:

USC is a 2-1 team that is 0-1 in its conference, with one win over a terrible Virginia team that will likely lose to Duke tomorrow and a then-overrated Ohio State team that may be only the 3rd-best team in its own conference.

But if Ohio State was overrated, what does that make USC? Not just overrated.

Over.

At least for this season.

Complete SN column here.

UPDATE: I swear I didn't see Doc Saturday's late-night post about this very topic until just now. Great minds? Meh: He says it more eloquently. I am just content with an original thought.

-- D.S.

Why USC Can't Win Tonight

If USC dismantles Oregon State (as they should), it's easy for people like me to point to and say it was because the Beavers sucked, just as much as it was USC being awesome -- more proof that USC's schedule is too easy to legitimize their place in the BCS ahead of a Big 12 or SEC champ.

But if it's a close game, then USC can't put away the puff-pastry on their schedule; more evidence that they are hardly a "lock" to be in the BCS title game in the event there are three unbeaten conference champs between USC, the Big 12 and the SEC.

Obviously, USC will try to rack up style points. But it's a real conundrum.

-- D.S.

White Sox Scheduling Question Answered

How will the Twins and White Sox reconcile the extra game that Chicago needs to play to have a full 162-game season?

From Adam Solarz: "Hey Dan- Just thought I'd let you know that in the awful event that the Sox continue choking this thing away and the race is within a half game after Sunday, Detroit will come to US Cellular for a one game road trip. It's intirguing to think if Detroit will either have the "our playoffs" attitude or if Miggy will stuff his face with pizza, Granderson will have a family reunion, and Kyle Farnsworth will duplicate his legendary Wrigleyville parties.

"Also of note, if the Twins & Sox are tied after all 162, the White Sox won the coin flip for home-field in the one-game playoff (enormous considering the Twins are 7-1 against us in the HHH Dome and we are 7-2 against them at the Cell)."

Love the rapid-response.

-- D.S.

Thursday 09/25 A.M. Quickie:Mets, Twins, USC, Millen, Yo Gabba, More

My knee-jerk reaction is that last year's Mets collapse is infinitely more brutal than this season's drip-drip-drip into oblivion. But I'm not so sure. What do you think? I'm legitimately stymied.

This didn't make today's SN column, but it's one of this blog's most recurring Big Topics:

Would you rather be a fan of a team that is a consistent contender but consistently falls short, or a team that wins a couple of championships over a decade, but otherwise stinks?

I never get tired of this discussion, and I'm not sure it ever gets resolved. I see the points of both sides -- but I also use it as a defense of the Marlins as one of the best-run teams in baseball.

Anyway, I should know this but I don't: How will the Twins and White Sox reconcile the extra game that Chicago needs to play to have a full 162-game season?

It's a moot point if the White Sox win tonight, then win 2 of 3 in their season finale this weekend. But based on the last two nights, that's no guarantee.

Meanwhile, USC gets the national stage to itself tonight -- yeah, sure, keep arguing that Oregon State is not to be dismissed as yet another cupcake on USC's conference schedule.

You got my insta-take on Matt Millen yesterday. I'm sure Lions fans still can't believe it's true.

Finally, Amare Stoudemire immediately jumps into my "Players I Root For" list, if only because he made a guest-appearance on my favorite toddler-TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba, yesterday.

Here is the complete SN column. More later.

-- D.S.

Alabama on Georgia: Best Trash-Talk Ever

"They are going to a MF-ing funeral." -- Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran, on why Georgia's "blackout" styling this weekend will be apropos.

God bless you, YouTube, for bringing what would have otherwise been unseen footage to the laptops of fans everywhere -- particularly in the state of Georgia. I cannot wait for this game.

Spencer's alter-ego, Orson, of course, has the perfect take-out on it.

BlogPoll Week 4 Results: I Am Not Alone

Here are the Week 4 BlogPoll results from the entire group, combined. As it turns out, I was not the only one to vote LSU at No. 1 -- there was one other hardy soul.

Worth noting:

- USC reigns supreme (again), with my No. 1 choice (LSU), coming in at No. 5.

- The group consensus agrees with me that Mizzou falls behind the SEC trio.

- Look at Vandy at 19! (As always, "Dr. Saturday" Matt Hinton's ballot is worth looking at.)

- East Carolina gets the pity vote at 25 (I had them unranked). Meanwhile, Clemson earns their way back in.

- BCS-Busters: BYU 11 (tad low, imho); Utah 16 (tad low again); Boise State/TCU 20/21 (not bad at all).

- Looking ahead: Georgia/Bama? Something's gotta give. Oklahoma actually could bolster its cred with a win over TCU, which would be OU's first real quality win of the season. And if they lose? (What: At home? Wow, that would be kind of awesome.)

-- D.S.

Dolphins, Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat

Because all things have to come back to Tim Tebow...

I was pondering Ronnie Brown's performance on Sunday -- he scored 4 TDs (3 run, 1 pass) from 6 direct-snaps (then added another rushing TD from a standard formation).

(1) I'm wondering if we'll see this pop up as a mini-trend in the NFL. Certainly McFadden and LaDainian can pull it off, as can some other RBs. If it baffles Belichick, it makes sense to try.

(2) I'm wondering if this is suddenly Tim Tebow's place in the NFL. I think he can be an every-down QB, but I appreciate that many of you disagree with me. Let's stipulate to it then.

Isn't it possible that Tebow could be installed as a "red-zone specialist," able to either run it in himself (much like Brown, either between or around the tackles) or make the pass?

Now, I'm not sure how many QBs want to specialize in being a "Between-the-2os" QB, giving up the TDs and red-zone opportunities to another guy. (But Pennington sorta did, right?)

Tebow may not reinvent the QB position -- at least not the full-time QB position. But what if he reinvents the position by turning "Red-Zone QB" into a skill-position of its own? (And imagine his fantasy value...)

Let me throw this theory out there, then we can all laugh and file it away for later: I have long suspected that Bill Belichick wants to draft Tebow, (a) because he's tight with Urban Meyer and (b) because as the consummate Xs and Os guy, Belichick is intrigued by the potential described above. Maybe not every drive that lands inside the 20, but often enough to make a difference.

I suspect that after what Ronnie Brown did to his defense this weekend -- over and over and over again -- Belichick will be even more keen to make a move to somehow acquire Tebow.

(But, cripes, can you imagine if the Patriots drafted Tebow? Oh god: Then I'd have to become a Patriots fan. See: Now I'm sure this is going to happen, if only to provide the maximum schadenfreude for the rest of you.)

-- D.S.

Matt Millen Fired: Great Day For Fans

Matt Millen was fired. Or finally fired, I guess you might want to say. Makes you wonder why today versus last week versus last month versus any one of the last few seasons.

But the important part is that he's gone. "Fire Millen" is now a pleasant widespread grassroots memory. As for Millen, I'm sure there is a cushy TV gig waiting for him.

Lions fans, your team may not be much better. But the future looks brighter.

-- D.S.

Darren Rovell Tries To Avoid Game Result

This is Darren Rovell's story. I can relate.

Wednesday 09/24 A.M. Quickie:Yankees, Red Sox, NL East, Lance, More

Yes, we can cheer the Yankees not making the playoffs after a 13-season run, as I do in the lead of today's SN column. But that's the thing about schadenfreude:

Ultimately, it comes from a place of begrudging appreciation. Loathing something so much that you create the energy to celebrate its misfortune? Cripes: Some people would call that respect.

This is something that teams should aspire to -- it transcends mere championships. You are so relevant that people cheer your failure. People bother to cheer your failure, I should say.

And so Yankee-haters will laugh today. Yankee fans will mutter "Call me when your team goes to the playoffs 13 straight times...."

And we'll all agree to hate the Red Sox.

The worst thing that could happen to the Yankees is not that they miss the playoffs -- but that they become irrelevant. They just took their biggest step yet in that direction.

(Damn: I kind of wish I used the above lead item as the actual lead item in my SN column today. I must have needed it to marinate for a few hours, to reach true clarity.)

Meanwhile, you won't be able to escape Lance Armstrong's official return today, announced at the Clinton Global Initiative.

(I didn't mention this earlier this week: I was at a midtown hotel two nights ago and actually walked in 10 steps behind Bill Clinton -- it was a hell of a star-sighting. Oh, and then I believe I was sitting 10 feet from Wade Boggs, who was at the hotel bar. At least I think it was Wade Boggs.)

The Mets need Johan to pitch on no-day's rest for them to close out a playoff spot for themselves; isn't that what CC Sabathia is about to do for the Brewers? (Essentially. Obviously, I'm using hyperbole in both instances.)

Meanwhile, the Twins need to win tonight or tomorrow (or, ideally, both nights) to make this weekend interesting. If they lose tonight, the pressure is on them, not the White Sox.

The Rays' ALDS games are sold out. See: The fans might not show up for the regular season, but they know something as special as the playoffs when it smacks them in the face.

(BTW, see the column for my argument that the Rays have officially completed the greatest regular-season turnaround in sports history. Not just MLB, but -- even if you think the Celtics are the greatest NBA turnaround ever, again, for a regular season -- all of sports.)

I don't really care about Beanie Wells' status for Saturday. Can't they just let Terrelle Pryor have Beanie's carries, just like he's taken Boeckman's throws?

Meanwhile, of course USC is saying they are taking Oregon State seriously -- they need to try to artificially inflate their creampuff conference schedule as much as possible, to deflect the reality that their schedule isn't nearly as difficult as the one the Big 12 and SEC champ will survive.

A couple of other posts coming throughout the day, including the reveal of this week's BlogPoll results (not my ballot, but the entire group) -- along with an examination of the Ronnie Brown "Wildcat" phenomenon and its implications.

Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

"Why Is Michael Vick In Jail?"

Chris Rock on Michael Vick and Sarah Palin (by way of Hillary Clinton). Hilarious.

BlogPoll Top 25 Week 4 Final Version

Aside from questions about ranking LSU ahead of USC (which I'm not changing), I didn't see any strong arguments to change my original ballot this week, which means I'm (a) doing something right; (b) swaying you into buying into my arguments; or (c) lost your attention completely.

One item: Penn State. Depending on the result of this weekend's game vs. Illinois, Penn State has a spot for itself in the Top 10 -- especially given that the Georgia-Alabama loser will inevitably fall out of the Top 10. I rank USF ahead of Penn State on the strength of the Bulls' win over Kansas. The biggest knock on Penn State is simple: Who have they played?

-- D.S.

Tuesday 09/23 A.M. Quickie:Chargers, Phillies, AL Central, Merkle, More

I'm not sure "The Chargers are back!" After all, they WERE playing Brett Favre's Jets, who are hardly world-beaters at this point.

But I'm not above advancing a fairly flimsy theory in today's SN column that between the last-second loss to the Panthers and the last-second screw-job against the Broncos, the Chargers are energized.

More energized than they would be if they entered last night's game at 2-0. Energized enough to ride a Hochuli-sized chip on their shoulder all the way to the AFC title.

Two words: Antonio Cromartie. (I have to relate this, so if you hate hearing about other people's fantasy teams, skip down. I was down 40 points in my fantasy matchup last night, heading into the game. I had Cromartie and my league scoring earned me 36 points from him -- I went from blowout to oh-my-god-I-might-win to damn-losing-close-hurts-worse-than-getting-blown-out. That said: I am more than happy to argue Cromartie as the NFL's best defensive player right now. UPDATE: As one Commenter pointed out, I am blindly biased -- Cromartie was torched by Brandon Marshall -- another of my fantasy players -- in Week 2.)

Meanwhile, the Phillies feel like a lock for the playoffs. The Mets feel like chokers, but the Brewers' own chokery may be just enough for the Mets to back into the Wild Card.

You have to love a head-to-head match-up for the lone remaining contested AL playoff spot in the Central -- White Sox at Twins, with Minnesota in a precarious position: They have to win 2 out of 3 to even make this weekend a small hope. Now: Sweep all 3, and all of a sudden things get interesting. But even if the White Sox win once, Chicago is in a great position.

Bill Ford Jr. should earn a ton of credit from Lions fans for publicly crapping on Matt Millen. But give me a break that he can't influence the decision to actually get rid of him.

Merkle's Boner: There. I said it. Get your giggity-giggles out, then appreciate the magnitude of a screw-up so epic that its footprint lasted 100 years. (Consider: In 2103, will fans still be talking about Steve Bartman? As large as the name looms now, I don't think so.)

Last call to weigh in on this week's BlogPoll ballot, found in the post below. I'll post my final edition around noonish.

Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.