08/25 (Fantasy) Quickie

I'm in two longtime fantasy leagues -- one is a keeper, the other renews annually. The latter is today, and I'm the No. 2 overall pick in a 14-team league. So I guess I'm locked into taking either Adrian Peterson or Arian Foster, whoever the No. 1 guy doesn't take. (And if he doesn't take either, I'm not sure what to do -- Peterson, I guess.) But I dread that wait from No. 2 until No. 27 for my 2nd pick. I'll boom or bust off of picks No. 27 and No. 30.

Speaking of which, I'll set up the Daily Quickie Readers (or perhaps Quickish Readers) NFL and CFB pick 'em leagues by the end of the week.

More:

*RIP Mike Flanagan. I grew up in the DC area and went to a lot of Orioles games as a kid -- Flanagan was a staple of the O's rotation; I don't have quite the recollection of the '79 season where Flanagan won the AL Cy and the O's went to the World Series, but I certainly remember in the early 80s, including the World Series title in '83. If you read the tributes, Flanagan was beloved.

*Is Mike Vick the biggest individual story of the NFL season? Yes, so it makes all the sense in the world that ESPN would dedicate its entire NFL preview issue to Vick. It's a bold idea.

*LLWS: I'm entirely comfortable jumping on the Montana bandwagon after last night's walk-off HR put them into the US championship game.

*Kerry Collins: Really? Anyone who thinks that Peyton Manning is going to be OK this year is going to be very disappointed.

*Steve Jobs resigns: Is Jobs the greatest CEO of the past century? That we can even say "arguably" puts him in a pretty rarified place.

*Bleacher Report gets $22 million in new funding: Huge congrats to that team, which is killing it right now. $22 million is a war chest -- not to mention the foundation of a $100 million valuation (which means that any potential acquirer will pay a premium on top of that).

(I'm moderating a panel in NYC next month at the 4th annual Blogs With Balls conference and B/R co-founder David Finocchio is on the panel. Get your pre-sale tickets here.)

Give Quickish a try today!

-- D.S.

08/24 (Summitt) Quickie

Very very sad news about Pat Summitt having Alzheimer's disease. The columns expressing admiration for her -- and assurance she'll fight like hell to battle it -- have been amazing. See a Quickish selection here. Thoughts are with the coach, her family and the entire Vols community.

More:

*I'm coining a new phrase: "Tebow trolling." It's when sports-media folks say crazy things about Tim Tebow because it gets them a ton of attention. If there's anything that defines the Tebow phenomenon, it's the idea that there has never been a 2nd- (or, ok, 3rd-) string QB in the history of the NFL who gets more attention (and wouldn't get it if fans didn't want it). I fall much closer to Peter King's analysis than Boomer Esiason's "analysis."

Much more all day long at Quickish. Sorry for the short post today. Scrambling a bit on various things.

-- D.S.

08/22 (Midday) Quickie

*If I'm GM of a crappy team, I'm using a 4th-round pick on Terrelle Pryor.

*Angels lock up Jared Weaver: Can't believe Scott Boras let this happen before he hit free agency. Speaks to Weaver's commitment to the team -- he's worth the money.

*I'm not a big watch-full-MLB-games-on-TV person during the regular season -- I'll watch highlight shows or tune in during notable moments like no-hitters, etc. -- but I'm seriously considering watching Justin Verlander against the Rays tonight. He's on pace for a Cy season, but the Rays have given him fits this year.

*I love that Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted out that he is in Favre's hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, sending the sports-media world into a frenzy. Look: If he's effing with everyone, he's a genius. And if he actually recruits Favre to back up Peyton Manning? It's bonkersville.

*I'm starting to work on my Week 1 ballot for the College Football BlogPoll. Readers know I love this ballot -- I'll have a draft here for your reactions and improvements, then submit the full thing.

*The Super Bowl battle between the Pats and Packers and Falcons and Steelers and Eagles will be great. I'm almost as intrigued for the battle among bottom-feeders to tank for Andrew Luck.

*The Broncos are totally screwing it up with Tim Tebow. (Even if they don't want him, why bury him in 3rd string and kill his trade value?)

*Congrats to longtime friend of the blog Holly Anderson on her new gig as lead college football blogger for SI.com. Check it out!

*More congrats to blog pals Josh Zerkle, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Levy and Dan Rubenstein on their new gigs with Bleacher Report, an entirely fascinating company making very smart moves.

*Give Quickish a try today! (And tell a friend!)

-- D.S.

08/21 (Very) Quickie

Don't miss the Quickish highlights of last night's Goodman League-Drew League feud summer-league hoops game in DC.

*Cards pay Larry Fitzgerald a ton: He is the face of their franchise (not to mention the best WR in the league). Unclear if any WR deserves as much as Fitz is getting, but if any do, he does.

*The simplest solution to the "should college football players be paid" debate: Create a pro league for players during the three years between h.s. and being eligible for the NFL draft. I have been advocating this for a decade.

What that does, as much as anything, is account for what the "pay college football players!" doesn't: Andrew Luck deserves a ton of money; the 100th guy on the roster doesn't. There are roughly 150 players per college year with any hope of making the NFL.

A pro league for 18- to 21-year-old pro prospects ensures that the most pro-worthy players get paid well above anything a "pay college athletes" model would offer. (My favorite is that pro-pay advocates seem to think that $50K a year is somehow a good deal for the biggest college stars.)

It allows the market to dictate who deserves to get paid (and roughly how much they deserve). And it allows the most pro-worthy players to focus exclusively on preparing for the NFL, which is in the best interests of both the player AND the NFL.

If you choose to play college football, you are doing it because you want the free education and because you love playing football -- if you stay and happen to develop into a pro prospect (not already claimed by the pro development league), all the better for you. Otherwise, the current incentive system is fine for you.

College football will survive without its most pro-worthy stars: The sport has always been about the tradition, the schools themselves, the pageantry, the results -- not who is playing. They will still pick a Heisman winner. (It's not like that was ever indicative of pro potential anyway.)

In this way, it is modeled on the pro clubs of European soccer, which remains the fairest and most efficient way to train and reward pro potential.

-- D.S.

08/20 (Very) Quickie

(1) Oklahoma is AP preseason No. 1: Hard to believe that 36 so-called college football experts who make up more than half of the AP college football poll actually believe that Oklahoma would beat Alabama in the national title game. Because that's what ranking OU No. 1 ahead of Alabama says.

(2) Peyton Manning's neck? Uh oh. If it's bad enough that Jim Irsay is tweeting about it and that Manning might miss the season opener, it's MUCH worse than you think it is.

(3) Get on the Beckwagon! Journeyman-to-starter Redskins QB John Beck might be the most intriguing player in the NFL this season.

(4) Oregon RB Lache Seastrunk -- at the heart of its recruiting scandal this summer with Willie Lyles -- has been granted his release to transfer. Both Oregon and Seastrunk are better off for it.

(5) So I was in DC last night but didn't go to the Nats game -- so I missed Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies...

...And I left this morning -- so I'm missing the "Capital Punishment" summer hoops showdown between the stars of DC's Goodman League (featuring Kevin Durant and John Wall) against the stars of LA's Drew League (featuring Brandon Jennings and James Harden), which is going to be one of the most unique basketball experiences of the past decade.

-- D.S.

08/18 (Better Late Than) Quickie

(1) Day 2.5 of the Miami scandal. I'm less convinced they'll get the death penalty than yesterday; the fact that it's still remotely in the conversation remains staggering.

(2) NFL lets Terrelle Pryor in, but bans him for 5 games: This is kind of appalling. I'm with Craggs: In an ideal world, Pryor sues the NFL and makes them go to the mat on this. Then again, I'm so anti-NFL draft-eligibility rules as it is, I'm way too biased on this. But most seem to think this is absurd.

(3) Mike Vick article in GQ: The NFL denies they steered Vick from a starting gig in Cincy or Buffalo to 3rd-string (but more stability) in Philly. But Vick seems pretty happy with how things turned out -- as has Philly and Eagles fans (and, frankly, most of the rest of us).

(4) Georgetown brawl in China: Wha???

(5) Tim Tebow laughs at the Miami bounties on him: Of course he does.

More tomorrow a.m. Catch up on all the best of the day at Quickish.

-- D.S.

08/17 (The U!) Quickie

Yikes.

The scope of the news about Miami's runaway booster is jaw-dropping, but the real damage is in the details -- specific payouts, favors, bar tabs, hookers and more. Dozens upon dozens of players. (Coaches!) Not just "many players were involved" but 70-odd players specifically named, each with a page of specific details.

I never thought that the NCAA would be able to toss around the word "death penalty" again after the SMU debacle of the mid-1980s, but the conventional wisdom is that it is at least worth mentioning in the wake of last night's story being broken.

Mostly, it seems ludicrous that something this institutional could merit the old "reduction in scholarships" or "bowl ban" or "vacated wins." You have to wonder what the NCAA thought as they went through the allegations and evidence (or what they are thinking today).

(Quick sidebar: You also have to wonder what the Miami beat reporters have been doing for the past 10 years. It's not like Nevin Shapiro wasn't the most ostentatious booster around the program. He had a fight with the compliance director in the press box, for god's sake. I would make a point about recruiting "reporters" and how they had to have known, but they are closer to part of the problem than a watchdog keeping things honest.)

The point is that it's a really big story and it will likely subsume the storied Miami football program. If someone asked me for a percentage, I'd put it stronger than 50/50 that The U. gets the death penalty. Partly, it's because it's warranted; partly it's because the NCAA -- under so much fire from so many different angles -- will feel pressure to do it, to satisfy the blood lust from some corners for a poster program for the largely lawless excesses of college football.

It may take a season for everything to pull together -- and oh what a brutal season Miami is in store for, with every mention of the team being paired with "scandal!" -- but the hammer will come down.

(I've been trying to think of a way for the program to avoid a flat-out "your program is shut down" -- maybe a voluntary move to 1-AA for some number of seasons? God: Imagine what happens if they shut the program down and current Miami players are allowed to transfer to other schools without sitting out a year. Talk about a recruiting frenzy.)

Anyway, there's a ton going on -- over at Quickish, we're trying to help you keep up by curating out the best takes, columns and tweets and anything else, all day long. Pop by!

-- D.S.

On Jim Thome's 600th HR

There's something I've been dabbling with over the past few years -- it's sort of like a "bucket list" for athletes: The ones I really want to see in person before they retire.

It started a couple years ago when I was in Denver and had the chance to see Allen Iverson play in person for the first time.

Now, AI was at the tail end of his career -- it didn't matter, he was still mesmerizing in person. The Nuggets were playing the Cavs and even LeBron didn't captivate me like watching Iverson.

Jim Thome is one of those legendary players -- and whose legend will only increase with time, as fewer and fewer players join the "600 HR Club" -- I didn't appreciate until recently. I certainly appreciate it even more now that he has hit that 600th.

I just tweeted out a link to an SI cover story by Posnanski from last September about Thome (here it is). That helped, as great sportswriting often does.

I didn't come to appreciate Thome until far too late in his career - a career that might be over relatively soon. I'd like to see him play in person.

There is a list of baseball players I'd like to see play in person. Many/most are (or could be) eventual Hall of Famers. Some I have already seen -- Jeter, Chipper, Papi, Tulo.

Other players who make the list:

*Albert Pujols
*Roy Halladay
*Tim Lincecum
*Justin Verlander
*Lance Berkman
*Prince Fielder
*Adrian Gonzalez
*Ryan Braun
*Joey Votto
*Robinson Cano
*Justin Upton
*Jose Reyes
*Cliff Lee
*CC Sabathia
*Felix Hernandez

I think there are some -- like Pujols, possibly Berkman, probably Lincecum and Verlander -- that we can all agree on. Otherwise, lists like this get very personalized. You want to see Chase Utley and couldn't care less about Justin Upton -- more power to you.

I'd love to see them -- particularly the pitchers -- at the height of their powers, rather than the downside. For some, that's a multi-year window; for others, it's closing. And for others, like Berkman, I just want to see before my opportunity to do so evaporates with their retirement.

But for now, I am thinking about Jim Thome, the gigantic number that is "600" and how I wish I had caught him in person along the way.

-- D.S.

PS: Scanning the list of potential "600" club members in the future, Pujols obviously could make it (437 career HR). Adam Dunn looked like he might have had a shot (365), but not after this season. Mark Teixeira is over 300 and is "only" 31 -- that means he has to hit as many HR between age 31 and 40 as he did between age 22 and 31... yikes. Ryan Howard is only at 279 and is already 31. Miguel Cabrera is at 270 and is only 28 -- he has a shot. Prince Fielder has 219 and is 27; it is crazy to think that if he hits 35 HR a year for the next TEN years, he still falls 30 short. Ryan Braun is 27, too, and has "only" 150 career HR. Matt Kemp is 26 and has 117. Jay Bruce has 94 and is 24; let's see if he can put up 30 a year for the next three years and put himself around 200 by age 27. For half these guys, they'll be impossibly lucky to hit *500.*

The lesson is clear: You need to start your career early, hit home runs often and have a career that lasts until you are 40. You need longevity just as much as you need power: 30 home runs a year for 20 years. Absurdly, beyond Pujols and Cabrera, the most "realistic" candidate is Bryce Harper, who has 30-HR-a-year power and could make the majors at age 19. All the others simply fall off the pace too quickly, either from their age or lack of production or both.

It's when you look at the current prospects that you gain an even greater appreciation for Thome entering that "600" club (or even guys in the 500 Club, like Frank Thomas and Gary Sheffield, or not-quite-500 Club, like Fred McGriff, who had 493, or Carlos Delgado, who had 473. And it makes Pujols' 437 that much more awe-inspiring. Might have to go see Pujols play a few times.

-- D.S.

08/14 (A&M) Quickie

I just can't get agitated ("aggie-tated?") about the idea of Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, even if it triggers all sorts of other things that impacts conferences all over the place.

I'm not sure why the fixation on college football as some sort of runaway train mis-managed by conference commissioners suddenly happened now.

Why not last summer, when Nebraska, Utah and Colorado all moved? Why not when the ACC poached BC and Miami from the Big East? Why not when the Big 12 was formed? Why not when Penn State joined the Big Ten? Why not when the SEC created a playoff game?

The folks who seem aghast at the latest like to fall back on decrying the end of college football "tradition." But nothing has been more core to college football's tradition than the loose confederation of conferences basically doing what is in their best interests, whether that means poaching teams or creating playoff games or creating their own TV networks or schmoozing with corrupt bowl committees or creating a championship cabal. That IS college football tradition.

When you look back on all the "us-first" moves over the past 20 years, almost all of them have actually been pretty good for fans and pretty good for the game (at worst, value-neutral).

Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The Longhorn Network doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The SEC poaching a 14th (or even 15th and 16th) member doesn't erode the fabric of college football. Anymore than Ohio State or USC's scandals eroded college football.

The game is so much stronger than that, and it is surprising to see so many really smart college football pundits so bearish about the game, when historical precedent -- not to mention last season's TV ratings -- prove otherwise so conclusively.

Is it a shame if Texas and A&M stop playing each other? Sure. But that result appears to be from Texas pouting, more than anything else; its alums should DEMAND the annual game against A&M continue. Is it kind of ironic if A&M gets walloped in the SEC? No one will cry for the Aggies.

I just can't stress this enough: In reality, college football is better than it has ever been. The elite teams are awesome. The mid-tier teams are competitive. The best players are thrilling. The coaching is phenomenal. The TV numbers are huge. The games are fun. And the system -- for all its flaws -- still means that every week matters in a way that is unique in sports.

Conference realignment -- Texas A&M to the SEC, specifically -- is a distraction, maybe, at a moment when we should be entirely focused on the upcoming season. But it is hardly the signal of some larger infrastructural problem with the sport. Not when it is more popular than ever.

(UPDATE: SEC folks met and decided against extending an offer to Texas A&M... for now, at least. All the more reason for people to just chill out that the sky is falling.)

-- D.S.

Time for SEC to "SEC-ede" From BCS

Here's what I'd like to see. It's very simple:

(1) SEC expands from 12 to 16 teams.

(2) SEC withdraws from the BCS cabal.

(3) SEC sets up its own 8-team end-of-season conference playoff, running over three weekends: The quarterfinals run the 1st Saturday of December, usually reserved for the SEC title game; the semifinals are on New Year's Day. The title game is a week later, directly competing with the BCS title game.

(4) SEC sells the 7-game playoff package to a TV network for $500 million dollars, keeps all of the revenue for the conference (rather than giving away BCS millions to the other leagues). Option open to split the package between current TV partners CBS and ESPN.

(5) SEC crowns its playoff champ, implicitly defying the anti-BCS AP pollsters to nullify the SEC's playoff system by picking a different, non-SEC, BCS team as national champ.

Only one conference -- the SEC -- has the credibility, clout and commissioner to pull this off. And they should.

This post is the evolution of an idea I first suggested in November 2008.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: Predictably -- and as they did three years ago -- lots of people hate the idea. (But I'll bet SEC commissioner Mike Slive doesn't necessarily hate it!)

08/13 (Very) Quickie

*Texas A&M to the SEC: It's going to happen, even if nothing is official yet. It should happen Monday. The SEC will be deliberate in adding a 14th team (and perhaps, down the line, No. 15 and 16). VA Tech says they don't want in, but you know if asked, they'd want in.

*Big Ten & Pac-12 OK with "Plus-One" CFB playoff format? If you thought there was an outcry finding the Top 2 teams in the country -- and, let's be honest, it's been way easier than not -- you cannot imagine the shitstorm when trying to distinguish between No. 3-4 and Nos. 5-8+. Critics don't think it can get worse than the current system; it can get worse.

(UPDATE: Apparently, Big Ten commish Jim Delany is NOT down with the "Plus-One," as he hasn't been for forever and which made the story kind of sketchy to begin with.)

*NFL last night: (1) Julio Jones is going to be very very good... (2) The Bengals are going to be terrible (and Andy Dalton looks like he'll have a rough go of it this season)... (3) If the choice is Team Rex or Team Beck, I'd like to see Grossman start for the Redskins. More fun, if nothing else.

*Tiger misses the cut: Didn't think his malaise could get worse? This is the worst yet. If people hadn't already written him off, this would be really humiliating.

*Dan Uggla streak hits 32: I'm rooting for him to continue it, if only because it only feels like it'll get interesting once he hits the 40s.

*Carlos Zambrano wants to retire: Meh, let him.

*Hoop Hall inductions: As expected, Rodman stole the show, but more for his heartfelt speech than his typically freaky appearance.

*Bryce Harper hits a walk-off HR: And the incident at home plate earlier this week is instantly forgotten. (Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg looked good in another rehab assignment.)

*Ravens trade for Lee Evans: Predicting the huge year we've all been predicting for Evans for season after season after season...

If you're out having fun today, pop by Quickish and we'll be sure you are caught up on anything big/fun that happens.

-- D.S.

08/12 (NFL is Back) Quickie

Yet another unintended consequence of the NFL Lockout: Last night's preseason openers were more widely anticipated and embraced than any preseason games in NFL history.

*The Eagles looked good, which only affirms the expectations for them.

*Tim Tebow didn't fail, which only shows that when his critics create low expectations for him, it only makes it that much easier for him to exceed them. (TimTeblog analysis here.)

*Otherwise, it was just enough football to make fans giddy over the real games starting in a few weeks.

More on the radar:

*Texas A&M to the SEC? It's absurd this didn't happen a year ago, but that was pre-"Longhorn Network," which was apparently the final straw for TAMU to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC.

From here, the SEC will need another team to add in (Oklahoma? Unlikely. Missouri? Maybe, but unlikely. Florida State? Not if Florida has any say. Virginia Tech? Possibly.)

As for the Big 12, they will have to scramble to fend off what will inevitably be a strong push from the Pac-12 to snag Oklahoma (and OK St, plus others).

*Basketball Hall of Fame: Fun class tonight, headlined by Dennis Rodman, the greatest rebounder in NBA history -- and one of its top 5 most interesting characters.

*Justin Verlander wins 17th: It's neck-and-neck between he and Weaver for the AL Cy race. But, wow, Verlander is on the short list of players that you really should see in person so you can say you did when he's a Hall of Famer.

*Tiger stinks: It's worth repeating -- Tiger struggling is vastly more interesting than Tiger dominating. We're all rubber-necking at this point.

*Ohio State faces NCAA panel today for Tressel infractions: Don't hold your breath that the NCAA will come down hard on OSU. Can't wait to hear the way Tressel slithers in and out of his answers to the committee.

Should be a fun day -- and weekend -- on Quickish. Pop by!

-- D.S.

08/10 (Good Reads) Quickie

It's surprisingly slow in sports today -- presume that picks up tonight with Klinsmann's debut with the USMNT and tomorrow night with the first NFL preseason games -- but there are a bunch of really good reads from this week's SI that I recommended on Quickish yesterday and today:

*The story about the Auburn trees at Toomer's Corner.

*A profile of Dustin Pedroia.

*A profile of fascinating MLB prospect Trevor Bauer.

All three are great -- worth bookmarking or Instapapering for reading at lunchtime or downtime or over the weekend.

Unrelated to sports: As always, you've got to read Michael Lewis in Vanity Fair writing about the economy -- this time, about Germany.

More on Quickish all day.

-- D.S.

08/09 (Bearish) Quickie

A few extraneous thoughts while the U.S. economy collapses (again)...

*Just can't get outraged about Steve Williams somehow overstepping his bounds. On the contrary: Isn't it refreshing to have someone trash-talk Tiger so openly?

*Here's the thing about Roy Halladay and the Phillies: All the regular-season success in the world won't mean anything if the Phillies don't win the World Series (and I think they know it).

*Love that CFB practices are underway. (Obviously, I had a very high tolerance for all the love for Florida on ESPN yesterday.) Working on my Top 25 and my unifying theory of the season.

*FWIW, Lions rookie RB Mikel Leshoure was going to be one of my lock-solid fantasy football sleeper picks (which always includes my fetish for undervalued rookie RBs and WRs).

*How about Ricky Williams on the Ravens? That team has consistently brutalized fantasy GMs -- you think Ray Rice is The Guy, then one of the RBs gets all the touches near the goal-line.

*Tim Tebow listed at No. 2 on the Broncos' QB depth chart: Should include a caveat "(For now.)"

*Oh, is it really so bad that Real Madrid signed a 7-year-old? Let's put it this way: It is more economically and strategically irrational to have artificial age-limits than it is NOT to.

*Here's a slow clap for 61-year-old Diana Nyad, who had to give up her attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida after the seas wouldn't give her a fair shot.

Be sure to check out Quickish today, all day long!

-- D.S.

08/08 (Monday) Quickie

Steve Williams seems like kind of a dick, but I can't help but appreciate him tweaking Tiger Woods yesterday after he carried Adam Scott's bag to a WGC title. (No one else has the wherewithal to insult Tiger, so to me, this feels refreshing, even if it's coming from a jerk.)

Great Football HOF ceremony -- the Sabol intro video, the emotional Sharpe speech, Deion's showmanship (including tying that bandana to his odd-looking HOF bust).

Red Sox solve Rivera, beats Yankees in 10: I just can't get too worked up about any result between the Yankees and Red Sox in August -- not when both teams feel like locks for the playoffs.

Stephen Strasburg Watch: 4 Ks in a bit less than 2 IP. He gave up a HR among three hits allowed, but no walks. It's going to be fun watch him get back up in September.

Oscar Pistorius has been picked to participate in the track and field world championships in late August: Not the Paralympics -- the one for able-bodied athletes, becoming the first disabled athlete to run in a mainstream world championships. Predicting this will be a huge "must-see" moment for sports fans.

Atlanta Hawks sold: The presumption here is that the team will inevitably get moved, no matter what the new owner says about their intentions. That franchise is stuck: It won't break into the East (let alone NBA) elite, but has too much invested in its top-tier players to rebuild.

ESPN "all-access" at Florida today for football practice? Yes, please.

Today feels like a "dog days of August" moment -- rooting for something interesting to break.

Keep up with all the interesting stuff at Quickish.

-- D.S.

08/06 (Very) Quickie

*Pro Football Hall of Fame induction: I went through a period in the mid- to late-90s where I really didn't like the NFL.

The story that won me back? The first year of the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams, featuring Kurt Warner -- the greatest individual story in NFL history -- and Marshall Faulk.

Faulk was such a good fit with Martz's system, it's hard to think of a better fit in NFL history (OK: Montana and Walsh's West Coast Offense). I don't mean to suggest Faulk was a "system" RB -- simply that it maximized his extraordinary talents.

*Prime Time... Prime Time... Prime Time...: No greater showman in NFL history. And, by the way, one of the Top 5 most brilliant athletes that ever played football.

*Now loving the Phillies/Giants rivalry. (Way more interesting than the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry.)

*Yankees beat Sox, now in 1st: I live in New York, and still I'm left wondering: How did that happen?

*Tim Tebow issues clarification: Mainly because of the standard overreaction to anything Tebow.

*Tiger: I think most people were waiting to see how he'd do in the third round of his comeback. It's one thing to play well on Thursday or even Friday. Let's see how things go today.

*I grew up a massive Bears fan; I'm very happy for Richard Dent.

-- D.S.

08/04 (TeBron) Quickie

Standard caveat about Tim Tebow coverage...

We can have a reasonable debate about the "Should Tim Tebow or Kyle Orton start for the Broncos?" The latest conventional wisdom: Orton will be QB1 to start the season; inevitably, the Broncos will fall out of playoff contention, at which point Tebow will get his reps.

Orton is the more polished QB now; Tebow needs the reps to move up the learning curve, if only so the Broncos can evaluate whether he is their answer long-term at QB. (I think he can be, but that's actually not the point.)

Then Merril Hoge had to step in with inflammatory Tweets yesterday morning: "Sitting watching tape off bronco offense from last year! Orton or Tebow? It's embarrassing to think the broncos could win with tebow!!" He went on TV and said much of the same thing.

Now, Tebow commands massive -- massive -- fan and media interest. Hoge saying the same thing about, say, Chad Henne simply wouldn't get remotely the same traction. I call it the "It's Tim Tebow" phenomenon, and it has consistently proved that Tebow topics, big or mundane, ALWAYS become a big deal.

I suspect that some of Hoge's trolling was because he wanted the attention that comes with ripping Tebow -- there are lots of fans out there that support Tebow no matter what and flinch at any criticism; Hoge is undoubtedly in the "if they're ripping me, they're talking about me" school. (I'm sure other folks agree with him, by the way.)

Last night, Tebow tweeted out: "Hey Merril...... 'ppreciate that" -- now, you have to understand that Tebow doesn't traffic in sarcasm or snark. Like, at all. These are moments that Tebow-watchers consider rarities (see his taunting penalty in the 2008 national title game). It was kind of fascinating.

Even that engagement would have moved the story into today. But then things got weirder: LeBron weighed in, via Twitter: "Listened to Merril Hoge today on SC and he was just blasting Tebow. The man hasn't even play a full season and its only his 2nd year in. Guys get on that TV and act like they was all WORLD when they played. How bout encouraging him and wishing him the best instead of hating!!"

LeBron's participation almost assuredly means the story goes a bit nuclear today (even if it isn't much of a story); it is the No. 2 headline on ESPN.com.

Tebow stories are big enough on their own; LeBron stories are big enough on their own.

Combining them? Just prepare yourself.

More on the radar today:

*Tiger tees off at 1:40 today at the WGC: I never thought I'd say this -- it's a must-follow, if only for the "train-wreck" factor (if Tiger plays well, all the more interesting).

*A-Rod and the poker thing: It's not the poker -- athletes gamble constantly. It's the association with unsavory characters around the gambling scene. (SportsGrid's Tim Burke made a similar point.)

*The NFL "league year" starts at 4 today: Formality.

*CFB: The top QB recruit committed to Florida State. Damn, Jimbo Fisher is crushing it. I'll dig into this later this month, but Oklahoma-Florida State in mid-September is a de facto national championship qualifier, with the winner having an inside track. It's going to be the official coronation of the Fisher Era at FSU when the Noles run OU off the field.

*RIP Bubba Smith: "Police Academy," yes, but his Miller Lite ad is a classic.

More on Quickish all day.

-- D.S.

08/03 (More Durant) Quickie

I can't help it: I'm obsessed with the bootleg videos of Kevin Durant schooling folks in New York City this week. Two nights ago it was Rucker Park. Last night, it was another Pro-Am.

I'm no fan of baseball's "code": That Tony LaRussa was more interested in throwing at Ryan Braun (twice!) with the game still in the balance than actually winning was absurd. I don't think the Brewers meant to throw at Pujols' wrist; the Cards very much meant to throw at Braun -- twice.

Name to Know: Paul Goldschmidt, the D'backs rookie vaulted from AA to starting 1B, who hit his first career HR last night (off Tim Lincecum, no less) to help Arizona pull even with the Giants.

Eagles sign Ronnie Brown? Why not?! I'm no Eagles fan -- alas, I remain team-less as it relates to the NFL (except for rooting for ol' what's-his-name in Denver) -- but I love the talent stockpile; it makes them the most interesting NFL team in years, if only for the layers and layers of storylines they include.

This week in facial hair: Tiger's little chin-hair thing looks ridiculous. And I'm pro-facial hair almost always. In this case, though, it just looks like he's trying too hard.

Keep up with Quickish today!

-- D.S.

Classic Quickie: Moss Moons

In honor of the retirement of Randy Moss, from the Daily Quickie, January 10, 2005:

Two Words For You:
MOON. LANDING.

Call it "Wardrobe Function." Moss' "Moon" move to celebrate his game-clinching TD catch in the 4th quarter was more than crass; it was the boldest celebratory gesture of the season (take that, T.O.).

Ugly? Hardly: It was awesome!

More important, it was catharsis for a team given no chance to stumble into Lambeau and glide out with the biggest upset of wild-card weekend.

He didn't just turn a cheek at the Packers' end-zone fans. His move was for the haters in the media, the doubters in Minnesota and the fans of top-seed Philly, suddenly a little more nervous.

Sure, he'll be fined and undoubtedly excoriated everywhere in the media -- except here. (Hey, it's not like he actually dropped his drawers.)

Here's the NFL's dirty secret: If you make plays, you can do what you want. And Moss delivered a TD. And another. And, as a bonus, the most telegenic hair in football.

There's a new rallying cry for the Vikings:

'Fro the ball to Randy!

******

You have to remember that the very next morning after the mooning, the conventional wisdom in the media was squarely behind Joe Buck's "disgust," when -- in reality -- the vast majority of fans were much closer to where I was coming from: It was hilarious (and even more devastating in that he earned it with how well he played). Over time, the "hilarious" camp won out and the "disgusting" line became arguably the defining moment of Buck's career (and not in a good way).

08/01 (August Already?) Quickie

Let's be clear: The NFL's condensed sprint for player moves was the best version of the NFL offseason (not the Draft, just the free-agency stuff) in the history of the league.

The "offseason champs" are, clearly, the Eagles: Nnamdi Asumugha was merely the capper to what was, overall, a spectacular haul of incoming talent.

(Again, it's unclear they have done enough to unseat the Packers as the ultimate Super Bowl favorites, but they will certainly make the season more interesting, especially if they keep calling themselves a "dream team" and comparing themselves to the Heat.)

Good inside scoop on the Asumugha deal in Peter King's MMQB column today, but there's another note tucked in the column:

ESPN is launching a new stat to replace the traditional (and mystifying) "QB Rating" called "Totall Quarterback Rating" that will be fascinating to see -- QB Rating was desperate for a refresh, and I love the idea of something new with a big platform to get fans to buy into.

MLB Trade Deadline: There seems to be a consensus of two big winners -- the Rangers added two top-flight middle relievers who will become lights-out if the Rangers take a lead past the 6th inning in the playoffs (which is the only reason to make these moves, right?) And the Braves didn't have to overpay to get a huge upgrade at CF in Michael Bourn, who gets huge thumbs-up from the more analytical folks out there. (Far more than Pence gets for the Phillies.)

The Yankees stood pat: This appears to be a problem. That said, unclear how many folks actually think the Yankees can win the AL pennant anyway. The Red Sox got Erik Bedard, and -- not unlike the Patriots -- you totally expect him to start dominating with his new team (even if his recent history shows that to be a sketchy thesis).

Tons more on Quickish today. Give it a look! (This weekend, we crossed 10,000 tips since launching in January. Fun milestone.)

-- D.S.