Monday 11/19 A.M. Quickie:Brady, Carr, BCS, A-Rod, Celtics, More!

Today's Names to Know: Tom Brady, Chester Taylor, Terrell Owens, Matt Schaub, Lloyd Carr, Kansas vs. Missouri, Tim Tebow vs. Chase Daniel, Michael Beasley, A-Rod and More!

Pats 19-0 Watch: Pats run record to 10-0 after steamrolling the Bills, 56-10.

New England scored TDs on their first seven possessions, and they have found a way to make blowouts interesting. "How badly will the Pats destroy THIS week's opponent?" is the reason to tune in.

Tom Brady had another 5 TD day (with 0 INTs), still tracking for the greatest season for a QB in NFL history. Cripes: It's like the Bye made them even better.

NFL Wrap: (1) Heckuva job, Browns! There isn't a more feel-good story in the NFL this year (including Brett Favre and the Packers) than the Cleveland Browns; they are this year's Saints, without the sociological undercurrents. Phil Dawson's crazy kicking exploits only serve as ideal symbolism...

(2) So given Chester Taylor's numbers, was it really Adrian Peterson or was it the Vikings' offensive scheme? Probably a little more of both than we all wanted to believe...

(3) For once, Terrell Owens has the right to gloat after that 4-TD performance. It's worth asking if it was the best game of his career...

(4) Any remaining doubts that Matt Schaub was worth trading for? What a difference getting over a concussion makes...

(5) Upset of the Week: Who had the Jets beating the Steelers?...

(6) Dolphins 0-16 Watch: At least the Fins opened up a 2-game advantage for the first overall draft pick on the Jets, 49ers and suddenly sizzling Rams...

(Meanwhile, would you rather be a Dolphins fan, where you kind of KNEW you would suck and the epic ignominy of 0-16 is a distinct possibility, or a Chargers fan, where you thought you'd be a contender but your team is utterly disappointing? The Fins fans have it tough, but I think Chargers fans take the "Sucks Worst to Be You" Award among NFL fans.)

CFB: Lloyd Carr to announce retirement from Michigan today. The question, of course is: Who replaces him? The obvious pick is LSU's Les Miles, but that puts Miles in the awkward position of trying to lead the best team in the country to a national title, with an eye (and everyone else's) on a coaching job he seems to want more than his current one. If you're an LSU fan, do you indulge him for the next six weeks in order to get your national title? Or do you put it to him now and say: If you'd rather be at Michigan, get out now.

Other contenders? I'd put WVU's Rich Rodriguez and Cincy's Brian Kelly on my short list. I'm sure others would push Cal's Jeff Tedford; after the way Cal has collapsed since the Oregon State loss, I wouldn't. Is Michigan still one of the Top 5 jobs in college football? Probably not (USC, Texas, Florida, Ohio State, LSU, with FSU and Michigan on the outside looking in). That means if Les Miles does leave LSU , the intrigue over who takes over the LSU job will be even more interesting than the job situation at Michigan.)

UPDATE: Let me clarify. I'm talking about the Top 5 college football coaching jobs TODAY. "History" only matters as it relates to resources and recruiting, which are the two biggest factors in the ranking.

A third would be "opportunity to play for national championships," which is really a function of the first two. Michigan has a relatively easy path to the national title (one brutal game, Ohio State, and whatever Big Ten team is having a particularly and anomolously good year), but you just don't get the sense that the resource intensity is there to the extent that it is at the other 5 I mention.

Why do you think Michigan is defacing the Big House in the face of all that griping about "tradition" from its octogenarian alumni base? Because that's part of the calculation that goes into success on the field.

I'm not saying it's not a great job. It is. It's just not in the Top 5 anymore. Top 10? Totally. Top 5? Sorry, but no.

CFB Weekend Wrap: Down to four, max. It's fairly simple: Only four teams really seem to have any shot at playing in the national title game. LSU and the KU-Mizzou winner have the inside track, but the KU-Missouri winner has to beat Oklahoma or Texas in the Big 12 title game. (And LSU has to win the SEC title game, by far a less daunting concept.)

If either stumble, West Virginia should be there to take their spot, provided the Mountaineers finish off UConn next week in a de facto Big East title game, then beat Pittsburgh at home in the season finale.

If WVU can't (or both LSU and the KU/MU winner stumble), Ohio State would be in position to back into the title game, actually using the two-week layoff at the end of the Big Ten season to their advantage. (Nice role-reversal from last year's scenario.)

Beyond the BCS title game, the intrigue lies in which teams will be the BCS at-large selections. If the Hawaii-Boise winner is in the BCS Top 12, they get an automatic bid (which would be a shame, last year's performance by Boise State notwithstanding). Hawaii is so overrated, I fully expect Boise State to throttle them, but ultimately be left out of the Top 12.

Given the way things are shaping up, I could see traditional powers who don't win their conference's automatic BCS bid (USC, Texas or Florida, among others) jumping more qualified teams ahead of them in the rankings. All should be within the BCS' at-large qualifications of 9 wins and a Top 14 BCS ranking.

Kansas vs. Missouri, the Lead-Up: The story that will bubble up this week is that this was supposed to be a home game for Kansas, but KU AD Lew Perkins sold the "home" rights to Arrowhead Stadium for $2 million. I'm sure he made the calculation based on Kansas being merely bowl-eligible (and not BCS-contending), but there's a great example of selling out the team and the fans for a few bucks. If Kansas loses the game, Jayhawks fans can and should assign some of the blame to the AD.

This week's BlogPoll ballot: I flip-flopped from last week. LSU is No. 1, followed by Kansas, then Missouri. Obviously, that 2/3 situation resolves itself next Saturday, and the winner of that game will be No. 1 on my ballot, regardless of what LSU does. As mentioned above, I have West Virginia and Ohio State perched at 4 and 5, ready to move up as things shift at the top.

Heisman Watch: It's hardly typical Shanoff homerism to say that Tim Tebow is the front-runner, especially after he became the first player in college football history to run and pass for 20 TDs each.

That said: If Chase Daniel can lead Missouri past Kansas and through the Big 12 title game into the national championship, he would get my vote. Though, under that theory, if Kansas QB Todd Reesing can do the same thing, he would deserve my vote, too. (And, if that happens, he'll get it.) If WVU ends up in the BCS title game and Daniel and Reesing both stumble, I could see the Heisman going to Pat White, too.

Regardless, it's time to bring back the tradition of bringing five candidates to New York for the ceremony, up from three. In the case of the Heisman, "it's an honor just to be a finalist" IS a big deal, and opening that up to a few more players wouldn't hurt anyone.

CBB: When the new polls come out today, I would put Memphis ahead of UNC at No. 1.

Beasley Watch: Meanwhile, if you thought Kevin Durant put up dominant, eye-popping numbers for a freshman, you really need to follow Kansas State's Michael Beasley, who had 28 and 22 in K-State's win over Western Illinois on Saturday. He's averaging 30 and 20. (Yes: 30 and 20.) For those of you old enough to appreciate the reference, it's like Waymon Tisdale two decades later, including the Big 12 orientation.

NBA: The Celtics FINALLY lost. Now, they only lost by 2, the game was in Orlando and the Celtics thoroughly dismantled the Magic in the second half, but still – a loss is a loss.

Amazingly, the Magic won by being out-rebounded 41-28; the difference appeared to come at the free-throw line, where the Magic were 31/44 and the C's were 18/26.

Boston fans didn't REALLY think that the Celtics were going to run the table, did they? Although if the Celtics can win 8 of every 9, they will be just fine; that's a pace for a 72-10 season.

How about the Magic at 9-2, with a win over Boston on their resume? They are showcasing their own "Big Three" -- Dwight Howard (24 and 6, with 3 blocks), Rashard Lewis (22 points), and Jameer Nelson (18 points, 6 assists). Definitely the surprise team of the season so far.

Meanwhile, the Bulls playing the Lakers was a nice moment to second-guess the Bulls for not pulling the trigger on a deal to bring Kobe to Chicago. I guess John Paxson thought that the Bulls would be, y'know, competitive. As they aren't, the missed opportunity is on him. By all accounts, that window is closed.

MLB Awards Season: Today, A-Rod will be crowned AL MVP in what should be a runaway. It was arguably his best individual season yet, though the accomplishments were/are once again diminished by the lack of postseason success and – this year – the inelegant way his contract opt-out was handled by Scott Boras. The only redeeming situation was that A-Rod seemed to minimize Boras' impact in doing his new deal with the Yankees. Needless to say, it is unlikely that this is A-Rod's final MVP award.

MLB Hot Stove: Tom Glavine gets a homecoming with the Braves for 1Y/$8M. Too bad Greg Maddux signed his deal with the Padres, or we could have a full-on mid-90s reunion in ATL.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson wins second straight Nextel Cup title. Under Shanoff definitions, that qualifies him as a NASCAR dynasty.

-- D.S.

Sunday 11/18 Quickie: Oh-No!-klahoma

Here's how the title contender list reads today:

Oklahoma

It's pretty simple, actually: If LSU wins out, they're in the BCS title game. The Kansas-Missouri winner, should they win the Big 12 title game, are in, too. That's the cleanest version.

If the KU-MU winner loses in the Big 12 title game (or LSU stumbles), the other spot(s) will either go to West Virginia or Ohio State.

Five teams for two spots (with that number dropping to 4 as soon as we have a KU-MU winner next Saturday). That's what we've come down to. All hail the Red Raiders.

-- D.S.

Saturday 11/17 (Very) Quickie

College Football Saturday! Watching today: A logjam at noon-ish -- Northwestern at Illinois on ESPN, Ohio State at Michigan on ABC, Florida hosts Florida Atlantic on GamePlan. Definitely tracking the Big 12's Big 3 (Kansas, Mizzou, Oklahoma).

CFB Last Night: Any poll voter who includes Hawaii in their Top 25 should have their privileges revoked, even with Hawaii's last-second win to remain unbeaten. If they end up in the BCS simply for being unbeaten after 12 games -- with that ridiculously easy schedule that makes Kansas look like they've played LSU for 10 weeks -- THAT would be the BCS' biggest crime ever.

Oregon's Dennis Dixon out for the season: That's really a shame. Can you remember the last time a Heisman front-runner was injured like this this late in the season (or national-title contender who lost their best player this late in the season)?

NBA Last Night: Celtics still unbeaten (beating the Heat, with more value as symbolism than in the standings), but to me, the best story was Kevin Durant hitting a buzzer-beating 3 in a second OT to carry the Sonics over the Hawks.

CBB: Memphis racks up another quality win, beating UConn in the finals of that tournament at MSG in NYC. They've done more than any other team this early in the season to prove they are worthy of being ranked No. 1 (not that CBB rankings mean anything). In the most interesting result of the night, unranked Providence absolutely smoked No. 18 Arkansas in Puerto Rico. PC underrated? Hogs overrated? A little of both?

Barry Bonds to turn himself in on Monday: What an underreported story THAT will be...

-- D.S.

Friday 11/16 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, Oregon, A-Rod, Ricky, Picks, More!

Today's Names to Know: Barry Bonds, Oregon Ducks, Dennis Dixon, The Big Game, Lloyd Carr, Alex Rodriguez, Ricky Williams, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Grant Hill, Derrick Rose, Jimmie Johnson and tons More!

Barry Bonds indicted: OK, who else is already sick of this story? I'm going to quickly move on.

Is Bonds' baseball career over? Possibly/probably (though those definitive pronouncements by TV analysts within minutes of the news made me laugh that anyone ever actually labeled me an instant-history hysteric), but to be honest, that would be too bad. I was actually interested to see him on a new team next season.

I will only add one of my favorite scandal maxims I've been spouting since the Quickie's earliest days: It's always the cover-up, never the crime.

Far more intriguingly...

Oregon is OUT of the BCS hunt! The Ducks were rocked on the road, losing under the lights by an inspired (and unranked) Arizona team.

Perhaps we should have seen it coming (5th No. 2-ranked team to lose this season), but regardless, it's yet another wild twist to the college football season (and, personally, perhaps redemption for me from the abuse I took for ranking Oregon No. 3 in my latest BlogPoll).

Amazingly, after all the upheaval we have seen this season, the BCS title game sets up rather cleanly: LSU versus the survivor of the Big 12's virtual playoff among Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Done.

(On the outside looking in is West Virginia, but as you'll see below, I have WVU losing at feisty Cincinnati tomorrow anyway. And, of course, things get crazy again if LSU stumbles in the SEC Championship Game and/or the Big 12's Big Three lose unexpectedly.)

Heisman Watch: Meanwhile, with Oregon's loss, QB Dennis Dixon (injured in the first half) is effectively bounced as the Heisman front-runner (if not because Oregon lost, then because he simply didn't play).

UPDATE: It has been mentioned in the Comments, fairly, that the above opinion was callous, particularly about a player leading the Heisman race. Upon further reflection, that's right: It's a shame that a player as dynamic as Dixon was KO'd from the game and the Heisman race (along with his team's title hopes), and I certainly wish him a full recovery and a shot at an NFL career.

That presumably makes Tim Tebow the new front-runner, but I still think Missouri's Chase Daniel makes a run if the Tigers beat two Top 5 teams (Kansas, Oklahoma) in back-to-back weeks and play their way into the national-title game.

CFB Preview and Picks: It's all about jockeying for BCS positioning. LSU must win, obviously, but winning with style wouldn't hurt. Same goes for Kansas, Oklahoma and Mizzou, all still on a collision course to combine to crash the BCS.

And last year's Game of the Year – Ohio State/Michigan – is merely a game to determine the Big Ten champ. That's all fine and good, but it's not like playing for a spot in the BCS title game, like last year. Oh, and it could be Lloyd Carr's final shot at beating Ohio State, so there's that.

1 LSU over Ole Miss
3 Kansas over Iowa State
4 Oklahoma over Texas Tech
5 Missouri over Kansas St
22 Cincinnati over 6 West Virginia (Upset Special)
21 Michigan over 7 Ohio State (Game of the Week)
9 Georgia over 23 Kentucky
10 Virginia Tech over Miami
12 Florida over Florida Atlantic
15 Clemson over 17 BC
16 Hawaii over Nevada
18 Boise State over Idaho
19 Illinois over Northwestern
20 Tennessee over Vanderbilt
24 UConn over Syracuse
25 Wisconsin over Minnesota

NFL Preview and Picks
Top 5 NFL Storylines
1. Pats 19-0 Watch: Streaking to 10-0
2. Fins 0-16 Watch: Beck Era begins!
3. Tomlinson: 10K Watch
4. Packers flying to 9-1?
5. Old Browns-New Browns: Must-win?

NFL Picks:
Bucs over at Falcons
At Bengals over Cards
At Lions over Giants
At Packers over Panthers
At Colts over Chiefs
At Vikings over Raiders
At Eagles over Dolphins
At Jags over Chargers
Browns over at Ravens
At Texans over Saints
Steelers over at Jets
At Cowboys over Redskins
Rams over at 49ers
At Seahawks over Bears
Pats over at Bills
At Broncos over Titans

A-Rod back with Yankees for 10Y/$275M: I love it: "agree to the outline of a deal." Who gets that kind of treatment? The intrigue, of course, is less about A-Rod and more about Scott Boras rumored to have been cut out of the negotiations. What a public come-uppance for that guy.

Meanwhile, I love the rumor of a contract clause that gives A-Rod a huge bonus if he breaks the all-time home-run record as a Yankee, rumored to be something like $25 million, which Hank Steinbrenner wouldn't call a performance clause, but instead a "historic-achievement bonus." (via NYT) Let's hope they included a "historic achievement" clause that would come with A-Rod actually winning a World Series.

MLB Awards Season: Jake Peavy wins the NL Cy Young, unanimously. Not much more to add to that, now, is there? MVPs coming next week, and the AL side is going to dovetail nicely with the A-Rod contract story. On the NL side, it's Rollins vs. Holliday.

More MLB: Derek Jeter doesn't want to pay his fair share of taxes. Tough spot for the Captain: Either he's a tax cheat or he hates New York.

It is ludicrous for him to live and play in New York City 7 months out of the year – claiming his loyalty to the city of New York, but yet claim he's not a New York resident, a status which would open him up to paying his fair share of taxes to support the city's operations.

God forbid the multi-millionaire who has built his career on the backs (and greenbacks) of the loyalty and support of millions of New Yorkers rightfully pay taxes on the income he earned while living in New York and taking financial advantage of that support.

NFL: Ricky Williams to rejoin Dolphins on Monday. The stat to track, obviously, is what percent of fantasy football owners, desperate for a running back, pick up Ricky. (Um, I know I will. Hey: Why not?)

More about Ricky: I was thinking yesterday how in today's NFL, where we increasingly see arrests and steroid busts seemingly every week, how quaint it seems that Ricky Williams simply had a problem with smoking pot.

I'm not saying that wasn't wrong or idiotic or against league policy, but just that I feel like fans will have a lot greater tolerance for Ricky these days than even a year ago.

I mean: Compare Ricky to, say, Pac-Man Jones. Ricky is the doddering stoner you can root for; Pac-Man is the douchebag criminal you can't.

More NFL: To his credit, Tom Brady calls out any Pats teammates who don't want to deal with the 19-0 thing. "If you don't want to be in that position, you might as well quit the game. Because if it's too much that you're winning and all of a sudden that's pressure, this probably isn't the right sport for you." Damn straight.

NFL Pro Bowl Voting: Brett Favre is the leading vote-getter, and even as a confirmed Favre-hater over the years, I think that's pretty impressive. Equally impressive, leading the votes among all running backs? Rookie Adrian Peterson. NFL fans are voting right this year.

NBA: The Stud of the Night was Grant Hill, who had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in leading the Suns to their 4th straight win (over the increasingly hapless Bulls, who must be regretting their decision not to trade for Kobe when they had the chance). Hill's resurgence is one of the great stories of the season; what a reminder that a player's success can and does often hinge on the system he is playing in and who he is playing with.

(I will lift my ban on talking about the Mavs until they make the second round of the playoffs long enough to remind everyone that a regular-season win by Dallas over the Spurs is utterly meaningless. The Spurs are the defending champs; the Mavs are the defending chumps.)

College Hoops: Memphis picked up a quality win against one of the solid teams on their brutal non-conference schedule, beating Oklahoma by 10 at Madison Square Garden. Derrick Rose led the Tigers with 17. (In another quasi-quality win, Georgetown beat Michigan.)

Meanwhile, add another super-frosh to the growing list of ones to watch: NC State's JJ Hickson had 31, the second-highest scoring total for a freshman in school history. The No. 21 Wolfpack also won the game.

NASCAR: The biggest problem with the points championship system is that this weekend's finale has zero drama. Jimmie Johnson will win the title, barring catastrophe. (Now, if a bitter rival intentionally knocked Johnson out of the race, giving the title to Jeff Gordon? Now THAT would be dramatic.)

Strat-O-Matic 1986 Update: The Expos' Vance Law clubbed my Cubs for 5 RBI (including a grand slam) and we lost our second game in a row, dropping to 3-4 on the season. Adding insult to injury, Montreal is managed by league commissioner and Strat god Bernie Hou. At some point, I think this entire league is his own personal experiment to re-live the 1986 season with the Expos winning the division, NL pennant and World Series.

-- D.S.

Thursday 11/15 A.M. Quickie:A-Rod, P-Jax, Dixon, Ricky, UNC, More!

Today's Names to Know: Alex Rodriguez, Bob Melvin, Jake Peavy, Dwayne Wade, Phil Jackson, Dennis Dixon, North Carolina, Ricky Williams, Dwight Howard and way More.

A-Rod and the Yankees are talking about a deal: This shouldn't surprise you at all. The highest-paid player in baseball was never going to eliminate the freest-spending team in baseball from the discussion – even if he just opted out of playing for them. The odds-on bet is still that A-Rod returns to the Yankees.

UPDATE: The hot rumor is that it's a done deal – 10 years for $275 million, which represents a small increase from his previous deal (and a substantial increase in what portion of that salary the Yankees are paying), but certainly more long-term security for the player.

If this rumor holds up, A-Rod will likely retire a Yankee, break Barry Bonds' career home-run record as a Yankee, hit No. 800 as a Yankee, wear a Yankees cap into the Hall of Fame – but it remains to be seen whether he will win any championships as a Yankee. If he is there for 10 more years, given his previous success with the team, I'll put the over-under on A-Rod/Yankees World Series titles at one. (And the over-under on Red Sox World Series titles within the same decade span at two.)

MLB Awards: Your managers of the year are Eric Wedge (a rare correct preseason pick from me) and Bob Melvin (who no one saw coming). I was surprised Colorado's Clint Hurdle finished 3rd. Between Hurdle and Tulowitzki, I guess voters didn't put much stock in the Rockies' late-season surge. We'll see if it impacted the biggest award race: NL MVP.

Meanwhile, today is NL Cy Young, and you have to imagine it will be Jake Peavy, even with his unclutch performance in Game 163 (but, apparently, voters aren't really taking that game into consideration – or at least giving it more weight than the previous 162… which they should. Yes, when it comes to awards, some regular season games are more important than others.)

Dwayne Wade returns, Heat still stink: I mean, they even lost to the Sonics, sorry Seattle's first win of the season. And the game was in Miami! (Wade had 15 points on 5/9 FG shooting in 25 minutes.)

Phil Jackson's "Brokeback" scandal: Normally, I think Jackson is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful sports figures out there. I think this remark was just plain dumb, rather than maliciously intended.

CFB: Heisman Watch – It's Dixon and Tebow down to the wire. That's how Heisman Pundit is calling it, after doing another (rather unscientific) poll of the Heisman pollsters. (h/t: Fanhouse) I still think that Chase Daniel can come from behind if he puts on spectacular performances while leading Missouri past both Kansas and Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks.

Totally related: Oregon on national TV tonight. Dennis Dixon gets the national stage all to himself tonight, as Oregon takes on Arizona in yet another must-see ESPN Thursday Night game. The matchup itself might seem like a dud, but here's a chance to watch one of the Top 2 teams in the country, up-close, along with the leading Heisman contender.

If Dixon stumbles, he could lose ground to Tebow or Daniel. Far more important, Oregon can go a long way toward shoring up their support with human BCS pollsters by winning decisively and impressively; however, if they look shaky (even in victory), that's going to open the door for both Oklahoma and Kansas to potentially jump ahead of the Ducks. (Pick: Oregon)

North Carolina is NOT No. 1 in college hoops: Hard to take them seriously at the No. 1 spot when they are barely getting by Davidson (by 4). Now, Davidson is a really good mid-major (see their Tournament performance a year ago vs. Maryland), but still: If you're going to claim a team is No. 1 (and that's the "experts," not Roy Williams himself), they should win a little more impressively, shouldn't they?

(Meanwhile, for an example of a real early-season throttling, check out Tennessee's 57-point win over D-II Arkansas-Monticello.)

NFL: Ricky Williams is back! I don't think the winless woeful Dolphins are in a position to sniff their nose at ANY player that they have the option to use, including one who hasn't played in 18 months – and particularly a running back. What I won't understand is if Ricky isn't in the best shape of his life; something tells me, though, that he didn't spend the last 18 months preparing to resume his NFL career.

NFL Notes: Is it really that big of a deal that Dwight Freeney is done for the season? It's not like the Colts were/are going to win the AFC... John Beck starting at QB for the Dolphins, and, yes, on several of my QB-starved fantasy rosters, I picked him up and will start him, too… Speaking of starting, Rex Grossman is back… Interesting to see the NFL showing its 8 NFL Network games online. Unfortunately, it's not available everywhere online, but just to certain Verizon DSL subscribers…

More NBA: The Celtics are 7-0 for the first time in 35 years. Yes, that's better than the legendary 1986 team started… What a duel between the East's best wing player, LeBron James (34 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists), and its best post player, Dwight Howard (35 points, 16 rebounds). Howard's team won the game, and if you had to choose between investing long-term in the standings success of LeBron's Cavs or Howard's Magic, you would have to seriously consider favoring Howard's Magic… Looking for scoring help for your fantasy team? Perhaps you have Tracy McGrady and will see him out the next week (or more) with an elbow injury. Try Minnesota's McCants (if he's even still available)... Stephon Marbury is back with the Knicks, and $180,000 poorer for it…

College Hoops Recruiting Signing Begins: Florida may be in a rebuilding year, but they are leading the nation with the No. 1 a Top 5 (my bad) recruiting class, led by two stud post players. UCLA picked up a great PG (Jrue Holliday), and Georgetown got arguably the best big man (Greg Monroe). "Official" signings continue today.

New CBB postseason tournament: I'm all for this third-tier postseason tournament, which is subordinate to both the NCAAs and the NIT. The market will decide if fans are willing to show any interest in the teams involved, but for the fans of those teams, it's a chance to participate in a postseason – any postseason – and extend their season. No one is claiming that the team that wins this tournament is particularly good; the organizers just recognized that college hoops fans of teams not in either of the main postseason tournaments have an appetite in March, too. Count me interested, College Basketball Invitational.

Sports Media: Mike Golic admits he used steroids: And that's just the steroids he was WILLING to admit he used. He tried to explain himself, but I think it's a little disingenuous that he has been commenting on the radio and TV every day through the years of the various steroid scandals in baseball and the NFL while keeping this particularly relevant personal detail to himself.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 11/14 A.M. Quickie:Lloyd Carr, Paul Pierce, CC Sabathia, More!

Today's Names to Know: Lloyd Carr, Les Miles, Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Paul Pierce, Stephon Marbury, Kevin Love and More!

Michigan's Lloyd Carr to retire after this season? That's what the excellent Brian Cook at MGoBlog is reporting (let's see how many mainstream sports media outlets give him the credit he deserves for being the first to have it). Let's quickly move into: Who should replace him?

LSU's Les Miles is the obvious front-runner, setting up the incredibly awkward situation of Miles' current team being the front-runner for this season's national championship. Beyond being a distraction, how weird would it be if Miles won the national title, then immediately left his powerhouse to go back to Ann Arbor? A coach leaving a national-title team to go coach another college team.

So maybe Miles will give up his dream job and stay in Baton Rouge. If that's the case, I know Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is being mentioned, but can I nominate Cincinnati's Brian Kelly:

Kelly was successful coaching in Michigan (if not AT Michigan). He is one of the brightest Xs and Os guys in the country – he has managed to install an entertaining and powerful spread offense while still developing a stout defense. And, by all accounts, he's a positive, congenial presence. If Miles passes, Michigan should go for Kelly. (Huge hat-tip to Brian Cook on the Carr scoop. His post yesterday titled "Heat" is a must-read. Can't grab the permalink for some reason.)

MLB Hot Stove: The Yankees are said to be offering Mariano Rivera a 3Y/$45M deal to stay with them, which I'm sure he will accept. Locking up Posada and Rivera is key to keeping a foundation of vets to go with the youth movement. (More Stove, still in New York: Are the Mets going to sign Rockies C Yorvit Torrealba?)

MLB Awards: CC Sabathia edges Josh Beckett for AL Cy Young. It's refreshing to see Boston sports take one on the chin for once, because since, say, Labor Day, that hasn't really happened. I personally would have taken Beckett, but then again, I personally would like to see the postseason count when considering awards.

Today's Award: Manager of the Year. You've got to give it to Clint Hurdle in the NL for the way the Rockies surged at the end of the season. In the AL, eh, the way Joe Torre guided the Yankees from dregs to playoffs was impressive enough, I guess.

NBA: Celtics are 6-0 for first time since the late 80s. No guarantees how they'll do against the best of the West (particularly in a 7-game series), but for now, they are easily the best in the East – and, amazingly, living up to the larger-than-life hype. In the Big Three merry-go-round of performances, Paul Pierce was the star: 31 points (including, at one point late, 13 in mere minutes), 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Heat stink: On the other end of the spectrum, the Heat lost…again. Champs two years ago, Miami is now one of the weakest teams in the league – obviously, that's without Dwayne Wade and with Shaq a shadow of his former dominant self. Pat Riley should have quit while he was ahead.

Where is Stephon Marbury? He walked out on the Knicks. Under any other management, he would be severely punished – perhaps even waived. Under Isiah, it's "I got permission to leave." Really? (Despite his summer freak-out, he's still riding a net-positive wave of pub for his sneakers; why would he mess with that by doing this?) The Knicks lost to the Suns, as you would imagine. The best outcome here is that Marbury never comes back, resurfaces in Italy (as he has said he would) and becomes a Euroleague icon. Isiah could then use Marbury's salary hole to overpay Yorvit Torrealba.

Kevin Durant Watch: Ugh. 10 points on 4/13 FG shooting, with 4 turnovers, yet only 1 rebound and 0 assists. Seattle is 0-8, fairly awful, probably with one eye on the move to Oklahoma City and the other eye on drafting Michael Beasley next June.

College Hoops: Kevin Love, yet another spectacular freshman, had yet another great game: 19 and 9 in a UCLA rout. His fellow frosh, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, couldn't match his 28-point debut from Monday, but he did coolly nail an NBA 3 in the final seconds to carry the Cuse over pesky St. Joe's. (Meanwhile, Arizona won their season debut without Lute Olsen; still waiting on the reporting of why he is not coaching.)

Good news for Seattle fans: No, the Sonics aren't staying in town (despite rumors yesterday that there was a chance). But in 2009, you WILL be getting an MLS franchise. Can they use the Sonics name? That would be cool (No? Oh. Well, it's not like the Oklahoma City guys want to keep it.)

CFB Coach of the Year Update: All season long, I have been doing a partnership with Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, maintaining a blog for them tracking the LMCOY race. This week, I praise Sylvester Croom and reveal my latest Top 10 rankings. Check it out, post a comment if you have an opinion and don't forget to vote. I've got to still go with Mangino. The site can be found at coachoftheyear.com.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 11/13 A.M. Quickie:A.I., Eric Gordon, Ryan Braun, NFL, More!

Today's Names to Know: Allen Iverson, Eric Gordon, Jonny Flynn, Adrian Peterson, Jorge Posada, Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia, Mark Messier, BlogPoll Top 25 and More!

Who is on your list of athletes you would really like to see play in person? Mine is a fairly short list, but there was one player who has been on it for more than a decade: Allen Iverson.

I finally got the chance to see him last night in person, and he didn't disappoint, scoring a season-high 37 (with 8 assists), turning in an NBA Stud of the Night performance. AI is so much more mesmerizing when you watch him in person than when you see him on TV.

This is an interesting discussion point: Which active athletes are on your must-see-in-person list?

I would imagine the top criteria includes legends before their career is over, college players (in college) before their relatively short college careers are over or simply too-talented-to-miss players whose skills have to be seen in person to truly appreciate.

(This is different than the list of players you regret never seeing live, which we will save for another day.)

College Hoops: The freshmen continue to impress. Eric Gordon made his Indiana debut and scored 33 points. Want another sick frosh to watch? Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, who had 28 points and 9 assists in his Syracuse debut.

By the way, I totally whiffed yesterday in not pointing out Michael Beasley's debut for Kansas State, which –frankly – dwarfed Kevin Durant's debut for Texas a year ago. (And I'm not even mentioning Florida's impressive combo guard Nick Calathes, who UF fans have already anointed their new favorite.) If you thought last year's freshman class (Durant, Oden, Conley,etc.) was either talented or dominant (or both), this year's class is even better.

I might be prematurely wrong (go figure) that Derrick Rose is the best player in college hoops; it likely will turn out to be Beasley. (Do the K-State fans call him "Beastley" yet?)

But what does it say that the nation's best guard - whoever it is - AND best inside player are both freshmen? (It means that David Stern's dastardly age limit might artificially keep NBA-ready talent out of the NBA for a year, but it sure livens up college hoops.)

Based on what has happened so far with Rose, Beasley, Mayo, UCLA's Kevin Love (team-high 21 last night), Calathes and now Gordon and Flynn, the freshmen class could field a team that could thump the other classes put together.

NFL MNF: Seahawks blank 49ers in Seattle. Didn't watch the game, but can only imagine it was the ugliest MNF outcome possible.

Adrian Peterson Injury Watch: Out at least the next game. At least. Karmic payback is a beee-otch.

NFL Scandal Watch: Will a new steroids bust bust open a PED connection in the NFL? (Steroids in the NFL!? Say it ain't so!?) Worth tracking, although the league is pretty good at tamping down any sort of PED outrage you see devouring baseball. (h/t: MDS at Fanhouse)

MLB Awards: Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia win Rookie of the Year awards. Hard to argue with either, though I know Tulowitzki fans in Denver are disappointed (but hoping that means voters split their ballot in Colorado's direction, giving Holliday the MVP). As most of you would guess, I am quite excited about Braun's win – as I have been excited about him since his debut in the spring. He might have just overtaken Morgan Pressel as the reigning active "Best Active Jewish Athlete."

(Although Duke's Jon Scheyer DID lead the team with 22 points last night. How conflicting: I loathe Duke basketball but root for Scheyer's success. By the way: Note how I emphasize Duke hoops; Duke football, on the other hand, I couldn't be rooting for harder against Notre Dame this weekend. Yes, even though a humiliating early-season loss to Duke football effectively ruined the chances of now-bowl-eligible Northwestern to actually participate in a bowl. Yes, I'm still allowed to talk about Northwestern.)

MLB Hot Stove: Jorge Posada staying with Yankees: All it took was 4Y/$52.4M, which I'm sure was far more than any other team was offering. What price continuity? Meanwhile, free agent signings officially happen starting today. It's a pretty weak class, aside from A-Rod (and who cares about A-Rod?) How about some big trades?

CFB: After thinking it over, I think I'm going to adjust my BlogPoll rankings and move Kansas out of the No. 1 spot. If they beat Missouri in two weeks, maybe. If they beat Missouri and then beat Oklahoma, in back-to-back weeks? Definitely. But it was premature for me to put them there. I was projecting my personal enthusiasm for their story. I am strongly considering LSU-Kansas-Oregon, though I can understand Oregon fans saying, "Hold on!" and demanding KU be put third until after the Mizzou game.

Hockey: Hall of Fame inductees. I became a huge fan of Mark Messier when he led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup. Not that I liked the Rangers. I just was blown away by Messier's leadership skills, enthusiasm and will to win. There's that iconic image of him madly celebrating with the Stanley Cup in '94 that EA used in a classic ad to promote their sports games a few years ago, and that to me was the quintessential vision of success in sports.

-- D.S.

Monday 11/12 A.M. Quickie:NFL, BCS, Heisman, MLB Awards, More!

Today's Names to Know: Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Fred Taylor, LSU and Oregon, Big 12, Tim Tebow, OJ Mayo, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki and More.

NFL Roundup: OK, so of COURSE Adrian Peterson had to have a terrible injury-plagued game following last week's jaw-dropper. That's just how things are supposed to work, aren't they? Doesn't mean that he's not the best RB in the NFL -- just means that he's a rookie. (And maybe fragile: More Billy Sims than Eric Dickerson.)

Pack wins (again): Over the last half-decade, I've been pretty rough on Brett Favre. But I'm the first to say: Wow. This is a hell of a season he's having, both individually and leading the team to unexpected success (even the most optimistic Packers fan couldn't have thought it would be THIS good).

So the Cowboys very well could be the best team in the NFC, but this season, with a resounding loss in Dallas to the Patriots already in the books, does that mean anything? (As long as the NFC is a sacrificial lamb in the Super Bowl this year, I'd rather see the Packers make it.)

Chargers hold on against Colts on Sunday Night: Peyton was picked six times. Wow. And the Chargers built a 23-0 lead. Wow. And San Diego was wearing those dazzling powder-blue jerseys. Wow. And yet, they still almost blew the game. Wow.

NFL Milestones: Fred Taylor reaches the 10,000-yard mark, still without a Pro Bowl appearance. Is he a Hall of Famer? Is he destined to be the Art Monk of running backs?

CFB Weekend Wrap: Who's the idiot who took the under on the Navy-North Texas game?... Congrats to Colt Brennan for breaking the NCAA's all-time record for TD passes... I am no Mark Richt fan, but his decision to go with the black unis was inspired...

CFB BCS Update: LSU is No. 1. Oregon is No. 2. Kansas is No. 3. But the computers have Kansas ahead of Oregon, which means that the survivor of the Big 12 three-way has a great shot at jumping into the Top 2.

BlogPoll: I have Kansas at No. 1, followed by LSU at No. 2, Oregon at No. 3 and the Big 12 one-loss posse of Oklahoma and Mizzou at 4 and 5. I gave KU the final push because they finally silenced doubters who claimed they haven't beaten anyone. LSU gets a nod over Oregon because (1) Oregon was idle (sorry), and (2) because LSU's loss was on the road in multiple OTs to an insanely hot team, while Oregon lost at home (and Cal is even more of a disappointment since that win than Kentucky has been since the win over LSU). Meanwhile, Oregon is in trouble if you look down the road at what's brewing in the BCS rankings. See my Deadspin CFB post later today for more.

Here's the full ballot.

Heisman Watch: Believe it or not, I have hesitated to put Tim Tebow at the top of the list all season long. He's certainly valuable and is arguably among the best players in the country, but I stopped short because the Gators aren't a championship contender.

But Tewow's performance on Saturday (7 TDs, 424 total yards) won me over. As loaded as the Gators are, there isn't a more valuable player to his team, and while "best" or "most talented" is certainly debatable, Tebow is in that conversation, too. Good enough for me.

Current Heisman Ballot
1. Tim Tebow
2. Dennis Dixon
3. Darren McFadden
4. Todd Reesing
5. Pat White/Chase Daniel

NBA Update: Hmm, who else let Brandon Roy (career-high 32 in a Blazers W over Dallas) slip by in their fantasy drafts?... Same could be said for Leandro Barbosa: Might not get you anything more than points, but boy can he rack up the points... The Celtics are even better than people thought; the Bulls are way worse...

CBB Update: Guess what? OJ Mayo ain't all that, if winning matters over style. If people thought his mere presence at USC would turn the Trojans into contenders, they were sadly mistaken. USC lost to mighty Mercer in Mayo's debut. He did have 32 points, and looks every bit like the real deal. But, like Kevin Durant a year ago, he is a spectacular talent unlikely to carry his team particularly far in March. (However, I may have to add Mayo to my preseason All-America team: Derrick Rose, Chris Lofton, Tyler Hansbrough, Stephen Curry and OJ Mayo. Does that look right?)

MLB Awards Season: Today is Rookie of the Year. In the AL, the winner is expected to be Dustin Pedroia (which would be more obvious if they allowed voters to factor in the postseason), with Delmon Young a strong second.

The NL is a wild debate: Ryan Braun vs. Troy Tulowitzki, both of whom established themselves as two of the best young players at their positions in the game. You know I'm partial to Braun because "NL Rookie of the Year is also Jewish" isn't a phrase you hear particularly often. That said, as the Rockies surged, I found myself increasingly impressed with Tulo. I would prefer a tie, but if I had to pick one...

Yikes: To be honest, I really can't decide, which given the lead I gave Braun all the way into September, should probably indicate that Tulowitzki surged ahead in Game 163, much like Matt Holliday did over Jimmy Rollins for NL MVP.

Sports Media/Navel-Gazing: As the year-end awards start to roll in, at least one blogger thought my Reilly/Leitch piece was one of the Top 20 sports-blog posts of the year. Much appreciated.

-- D.S.

Shocker: Ohio State Loses to Illinois!!!

Offered without further comment, because -- frankly -- no further comment is necessary. Ohio State will not be playing for the national title this season.

They will not be ranked in the Top 2 again this season. They lost -- at home -- to an unranked team, with a clear path to the BCS title game. OSU fans can talk about "beating Michigan" next week, winning the Big Ten, going to the Rose Bowl -- but it just isn't the same.

Meanwhile, what a win for Illinois: You have to put Ron Zook in contention for Coach of the Year after this hugest of program-defining wins. What a great win for the Zooker, for Illinois, for Isiah Williams -- and for college football.

Will it be LSU and Oregon in the Top 2? Or will Kansas pull off a win tonight and, as the lone remaining unbeaten team among BCS-conference teams, finally get into the Top 2? (Or will KU feel the heat at Oklahoma State and get tagged with their first loss?)

What a season this has been.

Saturday 11/10 (Very) Quickie

Wow, early November Saturdays are a perfect time to just sit on the couch and watch college football all day. (Wait: Isn't that "parenting?" No?)

CFB Games I'm Watching/Tracking Today (thank you, GamePlan): Michigan-Wisconsin, Arkansas-Tennessee, Illinois-Ohio State, Auburn-Georgia, Kansas-Oklahoma State and, of course, Florida-South Carolina. Rooting for that insane three-road-win SEC East parlay...

Yao vs. Yi in China: Want to know why David Stern, LeBron, Nike, ESPN and everyone else is so obsessed with China? Because in all likelihood, more people watched the game between Yao's Rockets and Yi's Bucks than watched the last four Super Bowls...combined.

A-Rod Watch: Joe Torre says he's open to A-Rod joining the Dodgers. I think this kind of public statement (along with the Dodgers' unique capacity to handle A-Rod's salary requirements) instantly makes L.A. the front-runner to sign A-Rod.

I think it will come down to the Angels and the Dodgers, which will make Scott Boras happy: When two teams from the same market battle, there is a zero-sum outcome that will naturally drive his price up.

NBA: Yes, the Celtics are the NBA's best team, and they have the unbeaten record (the last unbeaten record in the league) to prove it. Sure, you could question their schedule softness so far, but the Hawks are an up-and-coming team (that beat the Suns, no less), and the Celtics just destroyed them.

-- D.S.

P.S.: Remember in August when I put Tim Tebow at No. 2 on my Heisman Watch list, and everyone mocked me? While I'm not going to bust out the "Told you so" about Ohio State, I don't mind doing it about Tebow. Yesterday was arguably his best game yet: 5 rushing TDs and 120 rushing yards, 2 passing TDs and a career-best 304 passing yards. 7 total TDs. 424 total yards. Wow. No question: He's a system QB -- a bulkier Alex Smith -- but you can not be a Tebow fan but still respect the way he's executing that system.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Would you even want to?

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.

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

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

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

Oregon? LSU? Kansas? Oklahoma? West Virginia?

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

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

-- D.S.

Nnnnaaaavvvvyyy!!!!

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

Saturday 11/03 (Very) Quickie

Tons of college football to settle in for...

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

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

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

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

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

-- D.S.