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.

Friday 10/26 A.M. Quickie:BC is No. 1, BoSox are 2-0, NFL Picks, More!

Today's Names to Know: Boston College, Matt Ryan, Curt Schilling, Ohio State, London, Steven Jackson, Boston Celtics, The Starter Wife, UNC hoops, David Stern, "real" fans.

Boston College is No. 1! For the first time in perhaps the entire season, college football fans can go into Saturday with a sense of clarity over who should be No. 1 on Monday: Boston College.

Because no matter what Ohio State does on Saturday night at Penn State, the Eagles will have a stronger claim to No. 1 than the Buckeyes, after B.C. amazed in 14-10 win at Virginia Tech, which included a thrilling 14-point comeback in final minutes.

Both BC and OSU are unbeaten: It all comes down to strength of schedule and "quality" wins; B.C. has the edge, particularly after racking up the most impressive single win of any BCS contender: Winning AT Virginia Tech, one of the toughest places to play in the country.

The Eagles did it in the slop, a rainy mess, with the Hokies controlling the game – dominating – for 55 minutes before re-energized Heisman contender (dare I say "front-runner?") Matt Ryan engineered two TD drives, with a very effective/lucky onside kick in between.

It was one of those "miracle" wins where you begin to think that B.C. has a destiny this season to reach the national title game.

Come Sunday morning, B.C. will have a stronger claim to that national title game than any other team in the country. Their most impressive trick: Leap-frogging the Buckeyes before OSU even takes the field.

(The only question is whether I put LSU ahead of Ohio State at No. 2. Be honest: LSU's weekend opponent -- vaunted Idle -- seems as impressive as any previous opponent on Ohio State's soft schedule.)

World Series: Red Sox take 2-0 lead over Rockies after 2-1 win at Fenway in Game 2.

Curt Schilling pitched phenomenally, and the Red Sox tag-team bullpen of Okajima and Papelbon shut down any Rockies' mojo for a comeback in this game. It might be the last time Sox fans see Schilling pitch in a Boston uniform; if so, it's been quite a run for him with the team and the fans.

As for the Rockies, now, we're in territory that Colorado hasn't seen in a long time: Two losses in a row? They only had two losses total in their previous 23 games.

But this is the World Series, where being down 2-0 means that every single one of the three games in Denver is a must-win for the Rockies, if not technically then realistically.

CFB Preview and Picks: TWO unbeatens could go down. But which ones? I am projecting this weekend to be as crazy as the last four. Ohio State will either get its first moderately meaningful win of the season or get its first loss... Arizona State and Kansas face their first real tests of the season (and I project both will lose)... One-loss BCS contender Oregon has a make-or-break game to put a stake in the heart of USC... One-loss BCS contender West Virginia takes on a Rutgers team bent on revenge for last season... and all eyes in Jax on Heisman leader Tim Tebow's right (non-throwing) shoulder.

1 Ohio St over at 25 Penn St (OSU's first real win)
21 Cal over at 4 Arizona St (Another "And-Oh!" goes down!)
5 Oregon over 12 USC (Puts Oregon into the Top 3?)
At Rutgers over 7 West Virginia (KO's WVU's BCS hopes)
At Texas A&M over 9 Kansas (ANOTHER "And-Oh!" goes down!)
10 South Florida over at 21 UConn (USF: Another Top 25 W)
11 Florida over 18 Georgia (As usual, right?)
13 Missouri over Iowa State (Less trouble than Okla had)
14 Kentucky over Mississippi State
15 Virginia over at NC State (Hoos: BCS computer fave)
16 South Carolina over at Tennessee (Huge SEC East game)
17 Hawaii over New Mexico St (Unbeaten and... so?)
19 Texas over Nebraska (More bad news for Huskers)
20 Michigan over Minnesota (I have them much higher)
22 Auburn over Ole Miss (Tigers: CFB's best 3-loss team)

NFL Week 8 Preview and Picks: My Top 5 Most Intriguing Storylines.

1. NFL in London: Euros love footy!
2. Pats 8-0: And don't give a f***
3. Favre's MNF finale: Maybe, finally?
4. Steven Jackson returns: Rams need him.
5. 2-4 teams: On edge of playoff abyss

At Bears (3-4) over Detroit (4-2)
Steelers (4-2) over at Bengals (2-4)
At Titans (4-2) over Raiders (2-4)
At Rams (0-7) over Browns (3-3)
Giants (5-2) over Dolphins (0-7) (London!)
At Vikings (2-4) over Eagles (2-4)
Colts (6-0) over at Panthers (4-2)
At Jets (1-6) over Bills (2-4)
Chargers (3-3) over Texans (3-4)
At Bucs (4-3) over Jags (4-2)
At Pats (7-0) over Redskins (4-2)
Saints (2-4) over at 49ers (2-4)
At Broncos (3-3) over Packers (5-1) (MNF)

Today's Must-Read: The NFL is letting down its female fans. This is an example of a great post – passionate, interesting, exclusive, exhaustively researched. Kudos to The Starter Wife and the Ladies... on this terrific post.

(And TSW earns extra points from me because she emailed to say The Starter Boyfriend adopted her Steelers. Given the fact that I have my NFL allegiance from adopting the team for which I was assigned to write a Deadspin season preview, he's doing OK by me.)

NBA Preview: Top 5 Storylines
1. Celtics: After 20 years, a return to relevancy
2. Kobe Trade: Will we see a deadline deal?
3. Durant + Rookies: Big sleeper? Al Thornton.
4. Surprises: Who is this year's Warriors?
5. Refs: Fan Preview: "YOU ON THE TAKE, REF?!"

What's your top NBA storyline this season? And what's your top under-the-radar storyline this season? Coming Monday: Awards. Coming Tuesday: Playoff/Finals Picks.

College Hoops: UNC tops Coaches' preseason Top 25. UCLA, Memphis, Kansas and Georgetown round out the Top 5. This is basically what everyone thought at the end of last season.

More Top 25 notes: Two-time defending champ Florida isn't in the Top 25 (the Gators are ranked 35th)... The USC Mayos are ranked 18th, and the Kansas State Beasleys are ranked 26th... the highest-ranked mid-major is Southern Illinois at 23... Of the teams who finished unranked last season, Michigan State is the highest now (8th), followed by Indiana (9), Duke (11), Marquette (12) and Gonzaga (14)...

As a reminder, my first crack at the Final Four is: UCLA (champs), Georgetown, Tennessee (ranked 7th) and UNC. That isn't NEARLY unconventional enough, but give it time...

More NBA: David Stern won't punish all the refs – half the freaking group – who violated the league's ban on casino gambling. What was he going to do: Suspend half the league's refs?

I recognize that the rule was probably a little overwrought, except for two things: (1) The fact is, the refs DID break a rule, which is disconcerting, because it involves gambling, if legal.

(2) What's so unreasonable about asking pro sports officials to steer clear of casinos while they are employed by the NBA? Is their compulsion so great they can't put their incredibly exclusive job ahead of their need to gamble? Because if that's the case, aren't they at risk to fall into a trap where their gambling compromises their job?

(The same thing applies to players: Don't you think that Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley's severe gambling habits puts them in at least MILD risk of compromising games in the service of their psychological addiction? It's hardly a heretical point to raise.)

What makes a "real" fan: Huge thanks to all commenters who made yesterday's discussion of what makes a "real" fan one of our most interesting ever. And additional thanks to all readers who emailed me directly to share their own thoughts and stories. Enjoyed them all.

Find any blogger reaction to the post? Email the URL to me so I can link to it (whether they found the story compelling or not -- I welcome all discussion). For example, the highly esteemed Eric McErlain at Fanhouse put up this. It's a really phenomenal post by one of my favorite sports thinkers, and I really recommend you give it a read. (Here's another Fanhouse post from Josh Alper, on his brief fling with Michigan State.)

More Reactions (updating):
Sam Versus World.
FreeDarko. (Last link, with the phrasing I'd like to frame: "Shanoff's liberated fandom.")

(Ironically, the name of my first company, a start-up, was "Real Fans," an online-sports pioneer acquired by AOL. Were any of you out there AOL members back in mid-90s and remember the site? God, it was so fun. Sometime, I'll recount how crazy it was, as if anyone really cares.)

Wow, how about that: Two days this week of two-a-day posting? Could this be the start of a trend? Hmm...

-- D.S.

Fan-In-Law: One Fairweather Fan's Storyand Origins of Bandwagon Sports Allegiance

What kind of self-respecting lifelong sports nut discovers his fan-defining allegiance in the rooting interest... of his spouse?

Of the few things I am regularly and consistently questioned about (and, yes, mocked for), my fan allegiance to Florida has gotten the most visceral reaction from fellow fans. Inspired by that, I put this essay together for a prestigious mainstream publication, which – predictably – fell through. Rather than have the essay sit on my laptop, I decided to publish it here (where apparently they'll publish ANYTHING) and use it for future reference, when people ask me about my non-traditional fan allegiance.

This fall, every Saturday I will wake up with rabid anticipation, choose between a dozen different possible "lucky" outfits, then set up (or stand up) on the couch next to my wife to root on my Florida Gators football team.

Or should I say: HER Florida Gators football team.

She is the one born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida. She is the one with the lifetime of memories of going to Gator games with her family, meeting idolized players and coaches, celebrating Florida's 1996 National Championship.

I, however, am a Gator-by-marriage – a fan-in-law.

My passion for my wife's favorite team was sparked six years ago on our first date -- even before my passion was sparked for her. Actually, as soon as she started talking about her Gator fandom, I was smitten by meeting a woman who loved sports as much as I do... and particularly smitten with envy for her particular rooting interest.

I was a huge lifelong sports fan, to be sure, but I lacked that dominant gravitational, life-defining pull of a single team. Growing up in D.C., I had adolescent rooting interest as a displaced Bears and Cubs loyalist, the product of a paternal lineage to Chicago. However, when I moved to Chicago for college, my immersion into Windy City fandom actually turned me off to the teams. Meanwhile, like other incoming freshmen in Big Ten country, I immediately gravitated to my new school's football team: But Northwestern was a perennial punchline. How satisfying could my fandom be when my deepest hope was for a .500 record and postseason bowl eligiblility in the Local Yokel Bowl? After Northwestern's Rose Bowl year – the greatest season of my life as a fan – I left Chicago, and my aimless career path in sports was mirrored in my fandom.

That foundation made me vulnerable to be seduced by a winner. That was the initial attraction to this woman across the table from me on our first date. I have heard stories of people on dates with successful professionals and fantasizing themselves as spouses of a doctor or hedge-fund manager; I sat across from my date and imagined how happy I would be married to a fan of a great sports team.

In the months that followed after we met, that first football season of our courtship – 2001 – was my initial tryout as a Gators fan. I fell for them quickly: The rabid fan base, Gator Nation. The legendary stadium, The Swamp. The charismatic gun-slinging coach, Steve Spurrier. The legacy of All-American players and future NFL superstars, like Emmitt Smith (my wife's all-time favorite Gator). The never-ending selection of garish merchandise and memorabilia.

More than anything, I was instantly addicted to the expectations. It wasn't just that the team won as a basic matter of course, which they did, often prolifically. It was that they were expected to win. Even a single loss had the potential to be season-crushing. For a Northwestern fan whose idea of an extremely satisfying year included being able to count the wins on more than one hand, the acutely experienced tightrope of a season spent following a national-title contender -- where every week was a win-or-bust virtual playoff -- felt more real than anything I had ever before experienced as a fan.

But would Gator Nation even want me? More than anything As a bonus, embracing the Gators became the fastest, easiest and most palpable way I could win the approval of my future spouse's extended family. My immersion into the local media, Southeastern Conference team two-deep depth charts and next week's opponent gave way to an obsession with tracking recruiting battles, lurking on online message boards and attending the opening of spring practice. If it didn't win my in-laws over, it didn't hurt that at the same time I displayed devotion to their daughter, I showcased fealty for their sports team.

(Years later, I am still not quite sure what my wife thinks about our arrangement. She never asked me to join her as a Gators fan; I simply encroached. I can see it from her perspective: It is one thing to agree to share your life with someone, but it is an entirely different compromise to agree to share your sports fandom with someone. Despite the nature of fandom as collective, there is something intensely personal about how each person roots for their team. For better or worse, I confess to co-opting that from her.)

Given the randomness of romance – my wife and I met on a blind date – I wonder what the state of my fandom would be had my wife and I never met. Would I, like the rest of the country, mostly despise the arrogance of Gator Nation, particularly after the last 18 months of championships in football and basketball? Would another team have filled this void I felt? (I cringe: What if I had met a woman whose favorite team was... Florida State?) And what would have stuffed my closet shelves if not my two-dozen Gator-themed T-shirts?

This fall marks the start of the seventh year of my Florida fandom, pre-puberty stage by common sports-fan standards. But most other fans don't see it as positively. When I explain to them how I came to root for Florida, they usually first question my masculinity at having adopted my wife's team, quickly followed by universal agreement that I am the worst kind of fan: A bandwagoneer.

Fair enough. But in return, I argue that making an active choice about my fandom -- even pushing 30, in what some would describe as a "mid-fan-life-crisis" -- wasn't just acceptable, but arguably superior to the more traditional, passive roots of sports allegiance:

Biology: Let me guess – you root for your favorite team because it's the team your father rooted for, and he "passed it on" to you. While I agree that's a nice way for parent and child to bond, it smacks of inheritance rather than fandom earned through independent, thoughtful decision.

Geography: Another accident of circumstance. Your fandom is less about the team itself and more about having a sense of civic pride. This is how fans in cities without teams can so quickly latch on to a new team in town – stay classy, Jacksonville -- or how fans in cities like Cleveland or Baltimore, where legendary teams left town for relocation, can so quickly latch onto the replacement team. I don't question your town pride; I question why, if you live in St. Louis, you aren't still a Cardinals fan (even though they play in Arizona) and why you are a Rams fan (even though they came from Los Angeles).

College acceptance: Even with nearly two decades of perspective on it, fandom for one's college team feels artificial; you do it because you're supposed to. I appreciate that your first day on campus included learning the words to the school fight song and taking a trip to the bookstore to buy your first piece of Michigan paraphernalia. But you were one rejection letter or underperforming high school semester away from rooting for Sparty up the highway at Michigan State... or staying on Long Island and going to a state school without a football team like the one you so unquestioningly root for today.

Despite these observations, my personal experience has made me a lot less judgmental of the origins -- and sincerity -- of other people's fan allegiances. You can crow that you "care more" than other types of fans (both outside and inside your own team's base), but I'd argue that it's possible you're only projecting your own insecurities.

There might be an argument at the margins: How many "real" fans have rooted for their team to tank for draft position? Yet how many fans, however casual, would never even THINK about doing something like that? Who the bigger fan is in that scenario is up for debate. The most important point isn't who cares more (or even who has cared longer); it's that fans care, period.

I am sure most fans fall into one or more of those root causes of rooting interest. I don't question the sincerity of your devotion, and I don't question why the top criteria for your personal brand of fandom would be serendipity. I wasn't bestowed my favorite team like a birthright or boxed into it through my zip code or delivered it in a fat envelope during my senior year of high school. Undeniably, chance played a big role for me, too.

But I was 28, the sports version of a 40-year-old virgin, when I fell in love with my favorite team in the same college football season I fell in love with my future wife. I did it with a lifetime of fan experiences behind me, similar to my lifetime of dating experiences -- enough to know the real thing when I felt it.

And it is enough to drown out the jeers of "Bandwagoneer!" with my own sincere cheer: "Go Gators." (Um, right, sweetie?)

-- D.S.

Thursday 10/25 A.M. Quickie:RoxSux, Beckett, BC@VT, FreeDarko, More!

Today's Names to Know: Kobe(!), Josh Beckett, Ryan Speier, Curt Schilling, Ubaldo Jimenez, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Antoine Walker, Steven Jackson, David Garrard, San Diego, Free Darko and More!

Hot Rumor! Is Kobe about to be shipped to the Pistons?! Tracking... (But it makes this Basketball Jones post make a lot more sense...)

World Series Game 1: Red Sox blitz Rockies 13-1. Was it the 8-day layoff? The cross-country trip? The World Series stage? Going against the greatest post-season pitcher of our generation? Boston's own Rockies-esque momentum?

Whatever it was, the Rockies lost in a way they haven't since their miracle run began 23 games ago, of which they have now won only 21 of 23. It was the Rockies' first loss in these playoffs.

The story of the day will be: Was it the layoff? Not to take anything away from the Red Sox – either the dominant Beckett or the big (and patient) Boston bats. But the Rockies looked off... way off:

The normally clutch bats were silent. (Beckett K'ed the Rox' first 4 hitters of the game). The normally lock-down pitching was atrocious. (In the game's signature moment, Rox RP Ryan Speier delivered 3 straight bases-loaded walks, even after the game was well out of reach.)

I think it's fair to say that the 8-day layoff contributed heavily to taking the Rockies' glorious momentum and beating it upside the head wit a bat. Having witnessed first-hand the Rockies' last game before this and this one, on TV, they looked like two different teams.

Maybe it was not surprising that the Rockies would lose this Game 1 beyond the layoff, given Beckett (legend grows), given the first game being in Boston, given it was Colorado's first World Series game ever – even given the Law of Averages.

The true test will be: What happens tonight? The assumption (at least by me) always was that Sox would win the games Beckett started. If the Sox win Game 2, these Rox might be in trouble; if the Rockies win, reigniting the team's spark heading back to Colorado for three straight games, it's a whole new Series.

Superlative Watch: Most. Runs by a team in a World Series Game 1. Ever.

Fascinating counter-stat: Three teams in World Series history have won Game 1 by 10 runs; all three lost the Series. (Hat-tip to Tom Boswell, the best newspaper baseball columnist in the country.)

World Series Game 2 Preview: Legendary Curt Schilling versus rookie Ubaldo Jimenez. On paper, it certainly points to another Boston win. After that 21-of-22 streak entering the World Series, it seems crazy to think that the Rockies could lose two games, let alone two straight.

CFB: Boston College at Virginia Tech. ESPN's Thursday Night Football is turning into the weekly Must-See game of the week. Last week: Unbeaten BCS No. 2 South Florida went to Rutgers and lost (called it!).

This week: Unbeaten BCS No. 2 BC goes to Virginia Tech -- and will lose. VA Tech plays too well at home, they will be looking to ruin BC's season on a national stage, and a win will potentially catapult themselves into the Top 5 of the BCS rankings.

Hell, VT's only loss is at LSU: Of every one-loss team, theirs is the least offensive. (OK, I'm kind of in the bag for VT, because I picked them in the preseason as my national champ.)

A win by BC at VT affirms their worthiness in the Top 2 (putting them ahead of Ohio State) and clears the path for an unbeaten run right into the BCS title game.

Top 25 Rankings: I remain totally unsatisfied with the way my ballot this week played out on Sunday night. I decided to keep it, even though after reconsideration (and lots of really good emails from readers), I wanted to change my mind before Tuesday's BlogPoll deadline.

I stuck with it, and continue to feel like a fraud (or, I should say, more like a fraud than usual). EDSBS' brilliant ballot (and the fact that 25 other BlogPoll voters had LSU at No. 1) made me feel even worse.

I'm vowing a huge shake-up on Monday, with or without rational explanation. I'm chalking this week's lame-ass (even hypocritical) ballot decisions to the toll of the wackiest season of results in college football history. Here's Brian Cook's Fanhouse post on this week's BlogPoll.

There's a split between the Ohio State group and the LSU group. Despite my general confusion, I stand by one thing: If LSU played Ohio State on a neutral field -- tomorrow or in early January, it doesn't matter -- the Tigers would crush the Buckeyes as soundly as Florida did a year ago.

NBA Trade: Zzz. Minnesota's Mark Blount and Ricky Davis to Miami for Antoine Walker and throw-ins. I really really hope that Walker doesn't retard the development of Minnesota's young talent. He'll take much-needed shots from Foye and Brewer (though no more than Davis, I guess), although I suppose he clangs enough that he'll be good for a few more rebounds for Baby Al Jefferson.

NBA Preview Schedule:
Friday: Storylines (Quickie: Kobe)
Monday: Awards (Quickie: KG)
Tuesday: Playoff Picks (Quickie: SA d. BOS)

NFL: Steven Jackson could play this weekend. Isn't it a statement about the sorry status of the Rams that they could be getting their star player back against the Browns for a home game and most people still see them losing?

Where will the Chargers play on Sunday? The answer is coming today. Could be San Diego. Could be Dallas. Is there a Wild Card location?

NFL vs. Retirees: League adds $10 million to the retirement fun, and the money will go to joint replacement, cardio screening and assisted living.

David Garrard out 4 weeks: Too bad the Jags dumped Byron Leftwich. He'd come in handy right about now, wouldn't he? (Of course, Leftwich just had ankle surgery and will be out 3-4 weeks himself.)

Yankees Manager Watch: Could a new manager be named this week? And will it be Don Mattingly, as I suspect it will be?

Sports Blog Navel-Gazing: Huge congrats to the fellas over at Free Darko, who just announced they have landed a book deal, for a book to come out next fall before the 2008-2009 NBA season. Can't wait for that.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 10/24 A.M. Quickie:Rox top Sox, Mattingly, Durant, KSK, More!

Today's Names to Know: Colorado Rockies, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Don Mattingly, San Diego, Kissing Suzy Kolber, Kevin Durant, Free Darko, Hoover, Bizarro Sports Journalism and More!

UPDATE: Remember the (more-than-usual) self-loathing I went through during the exercise of filling out my BlogPoll Top 25 ballot (and doing my Deadspin column this week)? EDSBS' rank-what-you-see ballsiness in his poll this week makes me feel even worse. I tip my hat to you, Orson, for being the man I apparently lack the capacity to be.

MLB: World Series Rox vs. Sox, Game 1 in Boston. I made my pick earlier this week, and I'm sticking with it: Rockies in 6, with the Red Sox taking the two games that postseason legend Josh Beckett starts. The Red Sox are powerful, but the Rockies are working a momentum -- a mojo -- that has never been seen in baseball before. I'll go with the team that has won 20 of 21 and hasn't lost a game in the postseason. Speaking of which...

Must-Read 1: Rob Neyer, my favorite baseball analyst and writer of all time, ranks the Rockies' run as the No. 3 "miracle" in baseball history, behind the Red Sox ALCS in 2004 and DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak. That sounds about right. (h/t Postman E)

Must-Read 2: Rox' 21/22, cont'd. The WSJ's Carl Bialik* breaks down the Rockies' 21/22 in his Numbers Guy column. Fascinating read. (h/t Postman R)

(* - Carl took over managing the Varsity Letters Reading Series from me)

Tim Wakefield left off Boston's World Series roster after shoulder issues: Good news for the Rockies; he baffled Colorado earlier this season.

Rockies Tickets Snafu, Cont'd: Well, the good news is that the team worked out the kinks in the online sales system. The bad news is that I couldn't get in to buy tickets, nor could anyone I know or heard about. (So just who DID get tickets? Oh, wait: They're on StubHub and CraigsList.)

UPDATE: Rudy Giuliani comes out for the Red Sox. OK, I have been called a bandwagoneer and a fairweather fan in my time, but it cannot possibly compare to the Yankees' uber-fan Rudy Giuliani saying he will be rooting for the Red Sox in the World Series. For Yankees fans, I cannot imagine a greater treachery. You cannot claim "AL allegiance" -- not when it comes to Yankees fans and the Red Sox (or vice versa). I think Rudy should lose his Yankees cred entirely. Is this REALLY what America would want in a President?

Yankees Manager Watch: Don Mattingly interviews, and reportedly it went really well. That gives the Yankees a tough choice: Go with the nominally more experienced guy (Girardi) or the entirely green, never-managed-before (but coached for four years) popular choice (Mattingly). I think they SHOULD go with Girardi, but WILL go with Mattingly. It certainly is the bolder choice.

NFL: San Diego relocates to Arizona. It's Wednesday of game week. Where are the Chargers going to play this weekend's game against the Texans, because it sure seems like they aren't going to be able to do it in San Diego at their home stadium. Can they move the game up to L.A.? At least fans can easily get to the game; the diversion would be welcome, I'm sure.

NFL: It's official! The Draft's first round will drop from 15 to 10 minutes. It's a fantastic move; as popular as the Draft has become, its first round really dragged on too long. If the NBA can do its first round in 5 minutes per pick, I never understood why the NFL needed three times that amount. It's not like teams haven't prepped.

Pats 16-0 vs. Fins 0-16: Kudos to Fanhouse's Ryan Wilson for picking up on a Sun-Sentinel piece by David Hyde about whether the stunner this season would be less the Pats going 16-0 and more the Fins going 0-16. Either way, we're talking about history, but in the NFL's Era of Parity, it just might be more spectacular to see the Fins go 0-16, particularly given that it would be the perfect bookend to the Pats' other brand of perfection.

Must-Read: KSK understands me. I'm an unabashed fan of the guys at Kissing Suzy Kolber (wow, is this week about the depth of my many admirations, or what?). They had a post on Monday that might be my favorite post -- on any subject, on any blog -- of all time. When you read it, you'll know why. It's as if Big Daddy Drew entered my mind and made sense of it all.

Oh, and it's been mentioned in the Comments, but I should mention it here: You've got to see their take on Easterbrook's latest column, too, which is receiving some of the worst reviews of any column I have seen in a long time. (And people used to ding ME for overreaching...) UPDATE: Wow, that's quite a trick that Easterbrook pulled: He managed to unite New England sports fans and the universe of us who hate New England sports (and their sports fans). I never thought it would happen, but Easterbrook accomplished it. New England fans, I join you in your mockery of him! UPDATE 2: Actually, I find the Pats far more enjoyable when they are making the league their Gimp -- including the TD run-ups -- than before. As someone who traffics in superlatives, I can't help but root for 19-0. Because, let's face it: You hate the '72 Dolphins way more than you hate the '07 Pats.

NBA: Kevin Durant sprains his ankle and might miss the season opener, dampening one of the biggest storylines of the season. If Durant was hurt in any meaningful way, it would really spike this season's rookie-class potential, although in a rookie year that should be prefixed as "Besides Kevin Durant..." two rookies who seem ready to make an instant impact are the "Two Als": Horford (Hawks) and Thornton (Clippers).

NBA Preview: Free Darko rules. I'm ramping up my NBA season preview coverage tomorrow, but in the meantime, I want to point you to the latest series from Free Darko, which has produced what could go down as my favorite NBA gimmick of all time:

Those mad geniuses have produced a preview of EVERY SINGLE NBA PLAYER. And, seriously, they pulled it off. "Where Amazing Happens," indeed:

Here's A-F.

Here's G-O.

Bravo, fellas.

Prep Football: Hoover cheats? (Yawn.) So if you watched Hoover (Alabama) High School on "Two-a-Days" and said, "If there was ever a lock in my life, it's that this program is corrupt," collect your prize.

Sports Media: Bizarro Sports Journalism. This could become the next hot trend in sports media. Publishing the story with the opposite result of what the writer thought would happen. You know beat guys and columnists all do it, even if they just play around with an angle or a lead paragraph (and don't actually write the entire thing).

Given unlimited space on the internet, the never-ending appetite for blog content by traditional sports media and the guaranteed page views for such a sensationalized idea, I could see an entire industry being spun from this. Call it "Bizarro Sports Journalism." (So: Who's going to start the first "Bizarro" sports blog that deals entirely with the opposite of what is happening in reality?)

Last thought on the World Series: The Quickie/Shanoff Curse might just be the thing that brings the Rockies' run to a halt. If any fictitious force can do it, it's that.

-- D.S.