House of Cards

Score one for the underdogs. Just like no one gave David Eckstein a chance to be an everyday starting shortstop in the major leagues - let alone to be the World Series MVP - no one gave the Cardinals a chance in hell of winning this series. It was all Tigers, all the time.

But Eckstein - that's him over there chugging some Cuervo, and he's probably got his arms wrapped around some porcelain right about now - didn't give up and neither did his team. Eighty-three wins doesn't matter if you happen to be playing your best ball of the season in late October. The Cards were, and the Tigers most definitely were not.

In the end, it's a Series without many Defining Moments. It will be remembered first and foremost for pine tar, pitchers doing political stem cell research ads, Tigers falling, flailing and making error after error, and that heinous Chevy ad that made me want to join Eckstein around the toilet.

But despite all that, I haven't missed a World Series celebration in the last 30 years and I wasn't about to miss this one. Call me a softie, but something about the on-field celebration gets me all choked up.

Happy 2nd Anniversary

I Hate John Mellencamp, and Won't Be Buying a Chevy

* You know you're in trouble when the biggest story from this particular World Series is when a number 3 pitcher makes headlines because he's against stem cell research. Keeeee-rist.

* The Buckner Error happened 20 years ago yesterday, and the guy still doesn't think he did anything wrong. You didn't murder anybody, Billy, this much is true. But you sure in hell bleeped up in a very large way. Very large. And you pissed me and my frat buddies off big-time and killed our buzz. Now multiply that by every single person's heart you broke that night and tell me you didn't do anything wrong. In case you haven't noticed, we take our baseball pretty seriously around these parts.

* This isn't Red Sox jealousy shining through, but I can't believe these are the two best teams in all of baseball. Boring series so far, but you know something great will happen... eventually... like maybe in November when this series ends.

* I... can't.... take.... the.... John.... Mellencamp.... Chevy.... ad/song.... any....longer.... please.... stop

* Whether it's the fact that he's running around with concrete boots - or his offensive line is just plain bad - how in his right mind can Drew Bledsoe still believe he gives the Cowboys the best chance of winning? I respect everything Drew did for New England, but sometimes you just gotta be honest with yourself. The guy will never lead a team to the holy grail. That's just the way it is.

* An honest-to-God item from the Globe's Mike Reiss' Patriots blog today: "The print media was present for stretching." Wow - slow news day.

* Remember a couple years back when the NHL was on strike? (Chris Farley voice) That was awesome.

* The Celtics, on the other hand - I think we at least may enjoy watching them a bit more this year. We haven't had a guy like Sebastian Telfair running the show since Tiny Archibald was working in these parts. At the very least, it's going to be fun to watch him play with Pierce and Wally.

* I'm looking forward to seeing how the Patriots react Monday night in what should be a pretty tough game against the Vikings. After Minnesota, they've got Indy and then it's back to the exhibition schedule for a while until they play the Bears Thanksgiving weekend. As Tony Kornheiser said, the Patriots are 5-1 and flying under the radar right now, which isn't a bad thing. If they beat the Vikes and then the Colts next week, more pundits will start paying attention. It's been a weird NFL season so far - I'm still not sure who the really good teams are. I'm not completely sold on those Bears.

Sunday Night Musings

This pretty much sums it up: "Ladies and Gentlemen, a former United States Marine and a former contestant on American Idol..." That's the intro the Tigers PA guy gave the person who sang "God Bless America" tonight. God bless America, indeed.

Kenny Rogers is on some kind of roll, but he's acting like a jackass. Shouting at himself, dancing around on the mound, doing little twirls after Cardinals hitters make outs. I mean, I understand the guy's postseason record sucked going into this series, so maybe he's trying to do something different - but jeez, act like you've been there before.

I hate the Jaguars and the Seahawks. How many people got bounced from suicide pools this weekend because of these two lame-ass teams?

My beloved Patriots, on the other hand... I know it's only the Bills and all but you gotta like what they're doing. Looks like Brady is starting to gel a bit with Caldwell, Gabriel and rookie Chad Jackson - who caught a TD pass today - and Dillon was his usual outstanding self. No one dishes out a stiff arm quite like Corey. The Pats have three tough games left - at Minnesota next Monday night, and hosting Indy and Chicago - and the rest is easy street. The game against the Colts should be a doozy - fans won't have any trouble getting up for that one.

Boston sports fans will hopefully concur when I say how sick and tired I am of listening to the one sports talk radio station in this town. WEEI has been at the top of the ratings heap for a while now, but the quality of the shows has really gone downhill. I can't listen to Dennis & Callahan in the morning anymore because it's become a 75% news show, 25% sports. Callahan is a lightning rod, and I understand that's part of the schtick, but if he's like his on-air self, he's a complete dickhead. These guys are making big coin, and they've got absolutely no reason to try and actually improve the show and keep getting better. Fat and lazy. Oh how I wish I had the financial wherewithal to start up a new station - with a signal that doesn't make it sound like you're broadcasting from inside a trash can.

Continuing with the 'EEI rant, the only way they'll get the message that we don't like the product anymore is if we stop listening. Unfortunately, like Red Sox fans, it seems etched in stone that people are going to keep listening. As for me, I've been switching over to WBZ or just plugging my iPod in. Came across a decent alternative with the "New Sports Huddle" on WTTK. Sean McDonough, Kevin Mannix and Eddie Andelman are the hosts. Not a big Eddie guy, but I'll give it a chance. And I wish I could listen to Mike Felger - one of the more knowledgeable Pats guys around - more often. He's on ESPN 890 but the signal is weak.

(Yeah, I don't get out that much anymore...)

By the way, one last thought on Kenny Rogers - bet he doesn't mind cameramen now, eh?

The Giants-Cowboys game tomorrow night should be a good one, though you have to wonder why Giants RB Tiki Barber would announce that he's retiring in mid-season. Doesn't make much sense, especially coming from a guy who seems to be all about team.

I'm not a big fan of their BMW-driving, wide-whale corduroy wearing, red-faced alums, but kudos go to the BC football team for an impressive win at Florida State on Saturday. The Eagles should be looking at a better bowl this year than the friggin' Copper Bowl in Idaho or whatever the hell it's called. And Doug Flutie and Craig James are dynamite on ESPN's show.

We'll stay here for the end of Game 2 of the World Series. Todd Jones is on for Detroit and needs one more out to even up the series. Tigers are leading 3-0. Kenny Rogers is still dancing around in the dugout screaming like a banshee for no apparent reason. Two strikes on Rolen and the place is going berserk. Kenny's looking for a camera guy to punch out. And Rolen singles. I love when a guy silences a crowd.

Rolen's on first and Juan Encarnacion - whose swing looks vaguely like Jim Furyk's - is up. Not exactly a scary guy at the plate. And there's a groundball that eats Jones up and Juan is safe. First and third Cards, with the tying run at the plate in Jim Edmonds. Basehit for Edmonds. 3-1 Tigers, men on second and third. Verrrry interesting. Kenny's quieting down a bit...

Preston Wilson just got drilled on the wrist and the wheels are officially coming off for Todd Jones. NLCS hero Yadier Molina is up. Ball 1. Groundball to short, and the Tigers get the force at second. All square. And I'm hitting the sack.

But not before I inform you that Kenny Rogers is now crying on national TV. Jeeeezus.

October(sports)fest

This is truly the greatest time of the year - the World Series starts tonight, with the heavily favored Tigers hosting the happy-to-be-there St. Louis Cardinals. The NFL is in full swing, college football is raging, NHL hockey (not that I care) is starting up, and the NBA is on the horizon.

Before we got to the Week 7 NFL picks, just a couple of words on the scintillating Game 7 of the NLCS. The picture to the right (courtesy of Getty) tells a thousand words. The ump is in classic strike three pose, Cardinals catcher - and hitting hero - Yadier Molina is sky-high, Mets hitting stud Carlos Beltran is left to ponder the Uncle Charlie he just stared at, and the Mets fans are just beginning to let thoughts of a long, cold Northeast winter sink in. The series itself lacked a lot of defining moments, but the seventh game more than made up for it. The spectacular catch by Mets LF Endy Chavez still boggles the mind. He timed his leap perfectly, and I still can't believe the ball didn't fall out of his glove as he slung his arm back over the wall. Scotty Rolen can't believe it either. How about the pitching performances of Jeff Suppan and Oliver Perez? Before the game, it was probably the most underwhelming pitching duel in seventh game history, but both did themselves proud. Then you had the aforementioned Molina (of the Molina baseball factory) uncharacteristically popping one out of the park to give the Cards a 3-1 lead. Just a great baseball game all around, and while I think the Tigers should win it all, I'm glad the Cardinals - who could become baseball's version of the hard-luck Buffalo Bills - are there. I couldn't stand to watch one more Tom Glavine outing - watching him pitch is like watching an 80-year old pick out apples at the grocery store. Excruciating.

Okay, onto the National Football League. The record was 6-7 last Sunday, making the season mark 40-30-3. Without any further ado, here's this week's slate:

San Diego (-5) @ Kansas City: Yes, the Chiefs do boast an incredible home-field advantage, and yes, they did get absolutely blown off the field last week against Pittsburgh, so yes they should play a little better. The Chargers, however, are dramatically better than the Steelers and should lay another hurting on KC.

Jacksonville @ Houston (+9): Lots of talk over whether Byron Leftwich's balky ankle will allow him to play this one. Even if he doesn't go, the Jags have a good backup in David Garrard and they are clearly the superior team. Jacksonville will win, but look for the Texans to play tough at home and cover.

New England (-5.5) @ Buffalo: I know the Bills play the Patriots tough, but here's the deal. Give Bill Belichick two weeks to prepare for a team he's already seen once this season, and I like our chances quite a lot. The bye week hopefully gave some of the newer receivers (Gabriel, Gaffney) a chance to get more acclimated to the playbook, and the Bills can't stop the two-headed running machine of Dillon & Maroney, Inc. Pats are the call.

Pittsburgh (-2.5) @ Atlanta: The Steelers aren't as good as they played last weekend, and the Falcons may be as bad. Ron Mexico Vick has to be one of the most overrated players in the game, quite a contrast between the conservative, game-managing Ben Roethlisberger. Steelers should cover.

Green Bay @ Miami (-5): The Joey Harrington Experiment continues. When I think about this game, I just get visuals of Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas wreaking havoc on Brett Favre and the Pack's weak running game. Could actually turn into an entertaining game, but I'll take Miami. Every dog's gotta find a few bones now and then, right?

Philadelphia (-5.5) @ Tampa Bay: Some people feel as though the Bruce Gradkowski Era is underway. I say the Eagles D takes care of the rookie QB, and Philly recovers from last week's tough loss to the Saints.

Detroit (+3.5) @ NY Jets: Jets, Mets, Nets, they all suck. The Jets, in my mind, are vastly overrated and haven't won a game this year against a winning team. I know the Lions aren't a winning team, but they'll move one step closer with Jon Kitna and Kevin Jones having their way. The misery continues in New York, which is just a crying shame.

Carolina (+3) @ Cincinnati: Probably the best game on the board this weekend, which isn't saying much in the National Parity League. Carolina's been squeaking by opponents, while the Bengals have stumbled since getting blown out by the Pats in Week 4. In the end, the Panthers' D - and Delhomme, Smith, and Foster - make enough plays for the victory.

Denver (-4.5) @ Cleveland: Through five games, Denver's offense is averaging 12 points per game and the stingy defense is giving up an average of 7. Pretty incredible, and some pretty incredibly boring football. Expect more boredom, with Denver coming out on top, 12-7.

Washington (-8.5) @ Indianapolis: This one is strictly a bet on Clinton Portis. I know the 'Skins lost a tough one to Tennesee last weekend, but the Titans also played the Colts pretty well in their matchup. Call me nuts, but I'm liking Washington to cover in this one.

Minnesota @ Seattle (-6.5): No one enjoys a stronger home-field edge than the Seahawks. Vikings QB Brad Johnson will need a bullhorn to communicate with his offense, and the guess here is that they'll have an all-around miserable day. Lay the points with Seattle.

Arizona (-3) @ Oakland: Where do we start? While the Cards suffered a monumental collapse Monday night against the Bears - and Mt. Denny Green is still probably spewing lava - the one positive was Matt Leinart's performance. The kid looked good, and he'll want to impress back in California. If the Cardinals don't win this one, Green's in trouble.

NY Giants @ Dallas (-3.5): The Monday nighter should be a good, competitive ballgame, and could come down to a field goal. Dallas, though, is strong against the run which could make Tiki Barber want to retire even sooner. T.O. should get his touches. Cowboys win by six.

The Tigers Keep Waiting... and Waiting... and Waiting...

Imagine being the Tigers and their fans right now? The team is (was) on a major roll, steamrolling the Yankees and the A's, and now they're waiting for the victor of the dreadfully boring Mets-Cardinals series. The fans are waiting to see their team in the Fall Classic for the first time in 22 years. And they may be waiting for a while. Between rainouts and typical NL-style ball, this one might not be over by Thanksgiving. The Tigers will most definitely be rested.

What an entertaining/zany weekend of sports. The Miami-Florida International brawl Saturday night was atrocious, and I hope you had a chance to hear Comcast announcer Lamar Thomas as he described the brawl. Thomas, a former Hurricane, sounded like he was ready to join the fray. Today, he's out of a job. The Arizona Cardinals pulled off one of the biggest chokes in recent memory (not quite as tragic as the Yankees in 2004) and lost to the Bears Monday night, prompting Cardinals coach Denny Green to absolutely blow a gasket after the game. And Fox broadcaster Steve Lyons (above) was shitcanned for no apparent reason. What is this world coming to?

Thank goodness we've got Patriots football coming up this weekend after a bye. The Pats resume action against the pathetic Bills in Buffalo and should roll to a relatively easy win. The team signed WR Jabar Gaffney to see what he could do, and there are rumors swirling around about Randy Moss. Ain't gonna happen.

The Cubs hired that Mexican wallet-stealing Lou Piniella to be their next manager. I was just getting used to him as a color analyst.

I went 7-6 with the picks last Sunday, bringing the season mark to a respectable 41-29-3. Dr. Z this. The Saints came up big this weekend and the Bengals may not be as good as we all originally thought. Not sure I'm liking this parity thing -- makes you appreciate the Pats' consistency even more.

Are we really going to have a period of time where it's just the NHL and the NBA? It's about time the NFL went year-round (you know they want to.)

The Globe is reporting that Theo Epstein has finally signed his contract. Good, now get busy young man. As we sit here today, Kevin Youkilis is your starting 1B, we don't know is playing second, we don't know is playing short, Mike Lowell is playing 3B, Manny (we think) is in left, we don't know who's playing right, and we hope Coco is playing center. Oh, and Varitek - God love him - may have seen his best days. Have we gotten to the pitching yet?

NFL Picks, Week 6

Hey, like I said -- it's gonna be a Twins-Padres World Series. What the hell was I on? The Tigers are looking very much like a team that's on an unstoppable roll in the postseason - the kind of groove where if they beat your team and go on to win the title, it makes you feel a little bit better because you know destiny - with the old English 'D' - is riding shotgun with this squad. If the Tigers sweep today, which seems likely, they're going to have a nice, looong rest waiting to see who they'll face in the Fall Classic.

Anyway, onto the Week 6 NFL prognostications. I had a pretty good week last week, going 8-4-2, and bringing the season mark to 34-23-3.

Cincinnati (-5.5) @ Tampa Bay: A lot of media types are picking an upset here but I just don't see it happening. Is Bruce Gradkowski going to be Tampa Bay's Tom Brady and unseat the incumbent due to injury (see Bledsoe, Drew; Lewis, Mo; lacerated something or other)? Who knows? The Bengals are coming off a bye week, and the last taste in their mouths was the 38-13 shellacking the Patriots laid on them. I say the Bengals come out roaring.

Tennessee (+10.5) @ Washington: I know the Titans suck and the Redskins need this one. But I'm thinking Tennesee builds on their strong effort against the Colts last week and Vince Young has another week under his belt working as the No. 1 guy. I'm picking the Titans to at least cover.

Houston @ Dallas (-13): The Battle of Texas goes to the Cowboys. They are clearly the better team, and probably still smarting after a tough loss to Philly last week. Houston's run defense is porous, so Julius Jones may do some open-field galloping. Will we see Tony Romo in this one? Either way, the 'Boys cover.

Buffalo @ Detroit (+1): I'm not sure why, but I'm liking the home 'dog in this one. Buffalo turned in an absolute dud last weekend against the Bears, and J.P. Losman, last I knew, is still their starting QB. Detroit has at least shown signs of being competitive. A snoozer of a game, but the Lions will pull off the mild upset. Motown is on a roll.

Seattle (-3) @ St. Louis: The Rams have been a pleasant surprise for sure, but the Seahawks have a better, deeper roster and a proven head coach. They're also coming off that drubbing in Chicago. Should be a pretty entertaining game - take the over if you're so inclined - but the nod goes to Seattle.

NY Giants (+3) @ Atlanta: Another entertaining game on paper. After a week of infighting, the Jints came out last week and did what they had to do against a divisional rival. They may have some momentum going for them, and I'm just not sold on the Falcons or Mike Vick. Over-rated... over-rated. I'm going with the Giants.

Philly (-3) @ New Orleans: The Saints have been another surprise story, and they've obviously upgraded at their skill positions with Brees and Bush. Some may smell trap game for the Eagles after their emotional victory in the T.O. Bowl last week, but I think the Eagles will come to play. Saints will keep it close but Philly will pull away in the end.

Carolina (+3) @ Baltimore: Kickers be ready. Should be lots of three-point attempts in this no-holds-barred battle of top defenses. The Ravens are operating on a short week after losing a bruising game to Denver on Monday night, a game in which Steve McNair looked like he was ready to collect his pension. Carolina's the pick here, as their defense continues to be stout and their offense may be coming around now that Steve Smith has been able to stay healthy.

Miami (+2.5) @ NY Jets: I know the Dolphins stink, but I thought they looked pretty decent last week against the Pats with Joey Harrington at the controls. Wes Welker is the new Wayne Chrebet, only better. The Jets meanwhile, may not recover from the pasting they took last week at the hands of the Jaguars. Take the underdog Dolphins.

San Diego (-10) @ San Francisco: San Diego looks strong on both sides of the ball, and should feast on the young 'Niners. Marty Ball rules supreme as the Chargers take it.

Kansas City (-7) @ Pittsburgh: What's up with the Steelers? They're looking like anything but the brash, cocky squad that beat Seattle in the big game last February. Lots of reasons, but maybe they're just not that good. I'm going with the Chiefs to cover and possibly win.

Oakland (-16) @ Denver: Call me crazy, but Denver's not putting up tons of points and they may be looking past the woeful Raiders. That's what I'm thinking anyway. Oakland's the pick.

Chicago (-10.5) @ Arizona: The Bears' roll continues, and somewhere, Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti and others are looking a little more closely at their easy schedule to see if they've got a shot to go undefeated. Who the heck wouldn't take the Bears?

For What It's Worth...

- Those surprising, lovable, feisty, determined, Yankee-beating Detroit Tigers are currently leading the A's, 5-0, in the 4th inning of ALCS Game 1. For all those fools who wager on baseball, and no doubt went with Barry Zito for this one, well, you're fools. Did I mention the Tigers beat the Yankees?

- Here's hoping Lou Piniella gets a managing job before the ALCS is over and decides to quit his broadcasting career. He is Joe Morganesque in terms of uselessness. A Tiger hitter hit a deep fly ball to left that curved foul, and lead announcer Thom Brenneman said, "Well, he had the distance but it ending up going foul." Piniella, who's supposed to add friggin' color, said "Home run distance there, Thom, but it just went foul." I mean, come on. He also just said that A's 3B Eric Chavez has an "akrit" arm. The man in the White House couldn't have said it better. (Note to GW: You want to get terrorists to squeal? Put a tape together of Morgan and Piniella and have them listen to it 24/7. Oh, they'll break.)

- We know one place where Lou won't be going. Despite all the breathless reports coming out of New York, Georgie Porgie woke up today, flipped a coin, and decided to keep Joe Torre around for another year. Gee, you think maybe it was also the fact that Joe still has a year to go on his contract at $7M per? It's bad enough that George is still paying half the American League, he can't stomach the thought of having to eat a manager's salary. I bet Torre was bummed when the Big Stein called him. He had visions of collecting those checks on the 1st and 15th while sunning his ample nose in Oahu.

- Speaking of which, is it me or has there been an unbelievable rash of irreponsible sports journalism lately? I know 'responsible journalism' is mostly an oxymoron, but it started with the whole T.O. drama - where word of his suicide attempt was plastered all over the Web within minutes - and now the Torre death watch. Torre was quoted as saying about all the TV trucks outside his house that he thought he had discovered the cure for cancer. Of course, sites like ESPN just have to put the word 'report' in front of a headline (i.e., Report: T.O. Tried to Kill Himself) and they're off the hook.

- The Sports Guy, ESPN's Bill Simmons has a new column up today on Joe Torre -- oh wait, it's something he wrote five years ago. Are you kidding me?

- Did I mention how fun it was to watch the Tigers upset the vaunted Yankees? For Sox fans, it was our just rewards for an incredibly frustrating season, and makes the five-game sweep a little less painful.

- The ALCS at least has the feel of a series that could go 7. The NLCS (Cards vs. Mets) just doesn't do it for me. I guess I'm pulling for an old-timey Tigers-Cards World Series. Gimme more Jim Leyland.

- The Globe's Bob Ryan, per usual, hits the nail on the head today about the Yankees' free-spending ways. The great debate in baseball is paying a guy based on what he's done versus what he's got left in the tank. The Sox have been ripped apart for letting guys like Pedro and Damon go, but they made a decision based on current value, and have refused to hand out lifetime achievement bonuses. George, on the other hand, knows no limits and has been downright irresponsible. In my view, he deserves a huge slice of blame pie for the Yanks' disappointing ending. Why do George and Cashman skate free while a good guy like Torre twists in the wind? Just a series of bad, expensive blunders. I love it. Will be interesting to see if they change their ways going forward. (I highly doubt it. How much for the Japanese guy? $200 million? We're in.)

- And last, some people are finally starting to see through the whole charade of Derek Jeter and his intangibles. The arrogant Yankee fans call him the ultimate leader, but every chance he gets he throws his teammates under the bus. If he's so dedicated to winning, wouldn't it behoove him to, like, at least talk to the guy that plays next to him? He won't give A-Rod the time of day. Some leader. leadership.

Tha... Yankeees Lose... Thaaaaa... Yankeeeees Lose... (and Week 5 picks)

See that man over there to your left? The old guy with the Yankees hat on? He's wicked pissed off right now. His band of bazillionaires just went down feebly to the Detroit Tigers, 8-3, and will go another year this decade without winning a title. How sweeet it is. Jeremy Bonderman made sawdust out of the impotent Yankees' bats all day long, and the evening ended with geriatric manager Jim Leyland being carried off the field by his exuberant young team. What's even better? Brian Cashman, sitting with Reggie Jackson and Rudy Giuliani (what a trio - only missing Spike Lee and Billy Ass Crystal) had a great view of the proceedings as they sat in their front row box seats. A-Rod was terrible in this series, and could be on his way out of town. And Jeter? Give him the MVP - who gives a crap? The Yanks are vanquished yet again.

There will be plenty of time to dissect and analyze the offseason maneuverings of the Red Sox and Yankees, but for now let's get back to football. I didn't do so hot with my Week 4 picks, but I'll take my above-.500 mark with the way this crazy season has started. The final tally was 6-7-1, with the season mark standing at 32-26-2. Let's make that gap a little wider.

@Chicago (-10) vs. Buffalo: The Bears have been on a roll, punctuated by their dominating win over a Seattle team last week that most think will again contend for a Super Bowl. Chicago's always had the D, but now they seem to have a few more productive pieces on offense. No letdown here - Chicago wins this one handily.

@Carolina (-8.5) vs. Cleveland: May not look like it on the surface but this could be an interesting game. After a slow start, Carolina has all-world WR Steve Smith back and has eked out a couple wins. The Browns, on the other hand, have gotten better each week under Romeo Crennel. They gave the Ravens all they could handle a couple weeks back, and pulled one out against a desperate Raiders team last week. I'll go with the Browns and the points.

@Minnesota (-6.5) vs. Detroit: After their nice win to start the season on the road against the Redskins, Minnesota has been one big heap of disappointment. Look for lots of points to be scored in this one, something like a 31-27 game. Vikes win, but Detroit covers the six and a half.

@New England (-10) vs. Miami: These two teams couldn't be going in more different directions. The Pats finally beat up on a quality team last week, winning easily at Cincinnatica, while the Dolphins continued to circle the drain, losing by two to Houston. Miami has good skill players (Chambers, Brown, McMichael) and a tough defense, but they're missing the most important skill player of all: a good QB. Daunte's all done, and there's word that Nick Saban may tap Joey Harrington to start (shouldn't he be called Joe at this point?) Either way, the Dolphins QB is going to get plenty of looks at the cloud formations over Gillette Stadium. Pats are the pick.

St. Louis (-3) @ Green Bay: The bullets are few and far between in Brett Favre's gun these days. He'll have his moments, but he's mostly going to look like he did last Monday night in Philly - tired, old, and confused. The Rams have always been known for their aerial attack, but they've also improved on the defensive side of the ball. Rams in this one.

@New Orleans (-7) vs. Tampa Bay: I'm not ready to jump off the Saints bandwagon, as they played Carolina pretty tough last week. But Reggie Bush has to do more. Tampa Bay was off last week, so this will be our first glimpse of Bruce Gradkowski as the starter. Sounds more like the guy sitting next to you at the bar. What the hell - I'll go with the Bucs to cover.

@Indianapolis (-18.5) vs. Tennessee: Well, the Titans won't have Albert Haynseworth stomping around for this one. The Titans are a terrible team this year and the Colts - looking ahead to their bye week - should shred them with ease. This one - like Haynesworth's despicable act last Sunday - could get ugly. Colts win, 77-7.

@NY Giants (-4.5) vs. Washington: When last we left the Giants, they were a team in turmoil. Jeremy Shockey openly questioned Tom Coughlin's coaching prowess after being drubbed by the Seahawks, and the New York tabloids were having a field day. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Washington won a spirited game against the Jaguars last weekend (I hate the NFL overtime process, by the way - it should be closer to what college does - shouldn't come down to heads or tails) but they will bow to the revitalized Giants. Lay the points.

Kansas City (-3.5) @ Arizona: The outlook seemed dire for the Chiefs after Trent Green was almost beheaded by the Bengals, but former Pats backup Damon Huard has actually done a pretty nice job. Of course, it's always a bit easier when you have Larry Johnson in your backfield. All signs indicate that Matt Leinart will start this game for the Cardinals. KC should take this one with relative ease.

@Jacksonville (-6.5) vs. NY Jets: Jacksonville always seems like they should be better than they are; the Jets, meanwhile, aren't as good as they appear. The one concern with the Jags this week is the injury list, which is longer than usual and includes several good skill players. For the Jets, Chad Pennington has been their early-season MVP, establishing a nice rapport with Jerricho Cotchery and others. Still no real running game, though. Go with Jacksonville.

@San Francisco (-3.5) vs. Oakland: The battle for the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, whoever that may be (Garret Wolfe?) I thought the Niners showed promise in the first couple weeks, backed by RB Frank Gore, WR Antonio Bryant and top pick Alex Smith at QB. The shine has faded from the apple, though. The Raiders, on the other hand, are an absolute train wreck and Randy Moss couldn't care less. The Niners should win and cover.

@Philadelphia (-1.5) vs. Dallas: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. The return of T.O. to Philadelphia is must-see TV (It's like a baby New York...) ESPN reports that the Eagles will increase the security presence big-time tomorrow and will utilize undercover police to control the legendary hooligans. Can't wait for this one. Oh yeah, the game - I think Philly takes it, and maybe even knocks Bledsoe out. If the defense doesn't, maybe an errant Bud bottle will. (Will anyone be brave enough to stand next to T.O. on the sidelines?)

@San Diego (-3) vs. Pittsburgh: Another good Sunday night game, at least on paper. The Ravens took care of rookie QB Phil Rivers last week and neutralized LT. Coming off a bye, look for the Steelers to do much of the same. Plus, Big Ben's had some time to let that appendix heal. Steelers are the pick.

@Denver (-4) vs. Baltimore: And finally, the Monday nighter. Two tough defenses here. Jake the Snake will need to be mobile in this one, to avoid Ray Lewis and Co. I'll take the Broncos, the altitude and the home field edge.

Motown Magic?

We're coming to you live from Comerica Field, where the Detroit Tigers are three outs away from taking a stunning 2-1 series lead against the filthy rich Bronx Bombers. Okay, we're not really in Motown - we're really on our couch watching the game on ESPN, but it kinda feels like we're there. This crowd is LOUD.

Kenny Rogers pitched 7 2/3 of no-run ball, and now flamethrower Joel Zumaya just got A-Rod to fly out on a 102-mph heater. The momentum is clearly on the Tigers' side, even if Derek Jeter - the pseudo MVP - keeps getting gift calls from the umps with two strikes on him. At least twice in this series, I've seen him take 2-strike pitches down the pipe only to get another chance.

Anyway, this night ain't about Captain Intangibles. This night is about those faces us Red Sox fans know oh so well - the sullen, blank stares of Joe Torre and his coaches (and George, wherever the old fart is) standing on the dugout steps, pondering just what the hell is happening to their money machine. Detroit is now batting in the bottom of the 8th, one out, Ron Villone pitching for the Spanks.

If the Tigers can somehow pull this off - and we know the Yankees have the talent to come back - Jimmy Leyland's legacy will be cemented, and he'll be remembered for more than wearing that silly stovepipe Pirates hat pictured above.

We're now in the top of the 9th, with former Red Sock Todd Jones trying to close the door. Juicin' Jason just flew out to right field for the first out. Jorge Posada up - let's count how many times the cameras show the Yankees' faces. Posada pops up for out number two. The place is rocking. Strike 1 to Matsui. First bench shot of Torre and Jeter looking like they just had some bad seafood. Second shot, this one lingering longer and showing that NY has been positively futile tonight with men on base. This is delicious. Matsui K's and it's over, baby! Unbelievable. Who would have thunk that Kenny Rogers would outduel Randy Johnson?!? For the record, A-Rod is 1 for 11 in the series and has to be awfully happy that tomorrow's game isn't in front of the hometown crowd.

While we're at it, the A's swept the Twins earlier today meaning our fearless prediction of Minnesota as World Series champs was pretty stupid. I'm officially on the Tigers bandwagon now. Giddyup.

We're Not in the Playoffs, But It's Still All About Us

As the leaves turn colors and the temperatures cool here in the Hub, we've become accustomed to watching both our Red Sox play in the postseason and our Patriots continue their drive to add more hardware to their trophy cabinet. Sadly, this year's train-wreck of a season ensured that we won't have October baseball at Fenway for the first time since 2002. But fear not, Red Sox fans - we will be well represented. A ridiculous number of former Sox players and prospects are on postseason rosters this year, including at least 9 on the San Diego Red Sox: David Wells, Dave Roberts, Josh Bard (ouch), Cla Meredith (double ouchie), Mark Bellhorn, Todd Walker, Alan Embree, Rudy Seanez, and Scott Williamson. In LA, we've got Nomar, D-Lowe, Aaron Sele, and Grady calling the shots (chills); in the Bronx, Johnny Cash patrols CF and Mike Myers is the lefty specialist; David Eckstein and Jeff Suppan are on the Cardinals; Jay Payton and Justin Duchscherer on the A's; Todd Jones, Mike Maroth and Matt Stairs are Tigers, and Lew Ford's a Twin. And that's leaving out Pedro Martinez, who's on the shelf till next year. Proof positive, as Seinfeld said, that we really are just rooting for laundry.

Anyway, onto the matchups...

The AL games should be pretty interesting, as the surprising Tigers will take on the mighty Yankees, and the Twins will do battle with the A's. In the NL, it's the Dodgers taking on the Mets and the Padres (too many Sox alum to list) playing the Cardinals. How bad did the Cardinals stumble down the stretch - and how bad is the NL Central? The Red Sox' 86-76 record would have given them the division crown by 2.5 games. Let's a quick capsule look at each series and make some predictions:

Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)
The Tigers, as Dan Duquette would say, spent more time in first place than the Twins but in the end they take the Wild Card and have to face George's Gazillionaires. I've loved Detroit's pitching all year long, and they will have to stand tall against this modern-day Murderers Row. The Yanks' 6-7-8 hitters are A-Rod, Matsui, and Cano. Jeeezus. Also, Jayson Stark makes a good point today in that the Yankees were able to avoid the exhausting battles against the Red Sox of years past, and thus saved their arms and have plenty of people rested up and ready to go. The Tigers have been a great story, but they're about to turn back into a pumpkin. Yanks take this one in 4.

Oakland A's (93-69) vs. Minnesota Twins (96-66)
Billy Beane is sure as hell consistent. Either that, or the Angels and Rangers and Mariners just perpetually suck. Oakland is led by Game 1 starter Barry Zito and the resurrected Frank Thomas, who had a monster year. But the Twins will prove to much to handle, and will take advantage of having the first two at the Hefty Bag. Sure, they'd rather see the name 'Liriano' penciled in for Game 2 instead of 'Boof Bonser,' but don't discount what Bonser has done. In the end, the Twins have the superior balance of pitching and hitting, and the M&M boys (Mauer and Morneau) will wreak havoc. Twins win in 4.

Los Angeles Dodgers (88-74) vs. New York Mets (97-65)
We could have had Grady Little and Pedro Martinez on the same field for the first time since that fateful night against the Yanks in '03, but Pedro's shoulder is being held in place by twine so he's all done for a while. Still plenty of intrigue in this matchup, though, as we'll get to see if Nomar can come through in the clutch, and if Derek Lowe can continue his postseason mastery. The Dodgers have been a feel-good story, and they have to feel good about their chances against a Pedro-less Mets squad. The Mets, meanwhile, have been waiting since June for the playoffs to start and may be guilty of looking past LA a bit. Wright and Reyes will have to carry the day. This one should go the full five, and I'm torn on a winner. I'll go with the Mets.

St. Louis Cardinals (83-78) vs. San Diego Padres(88-74)
The Cardinals' fade job was legendary, and they completely backed into the playoffs thanks to Houston's last-game defeat. The Padres will win this one on the backs of their pitching. We know Jake Peavy is good. The freakishly tall Chris Young is vastly underrated, and they've got themselves a big-game hunter in Wells. Padres sweep another disturbingly lethargic Tony LaRussa-led squad.

Everything seems lined up for the Yankees to win the crown - and if they don't, it would be a hugely fun collapse.

ALCS Prediction: Twins over Yankees
NLCS Prediction: Padres over Mets
World Series: Twins over Padres in 6, as Johan Santana says f-you to all those who didn't vote him as AL MVP

Week 4 Picks

I can't get those old monster truck ads out of my head: "Sunday, Sun-day, Sunnnnn-daay - come see the Death Mobile put a hurting on the Hell Cat. 7 p.m. at Boston Arena!! Sunnnnnnn-day!!" Thankfully, we have much more meaningful things to do on Sundays, namely see how many NFL games we can pick correctly. Here goes:

@Atlanta (-7.5) vs. Arizona - I saw the white Mike Vick last night. Really, I did. University of New Hampshire QB Ricky Santos -- who's setting all sorts of records for the No. 1 in Div. I-AA Wildcats -- is one of the best runners I've ever seen. (Okay, I'm an alum of UNH so maybe that's a shameless plug - but you have to see this kid to believe it. Had to have had at least six 3rd and 12's where he broke tackles, zigged and zagged, and picked up 14 or 15.) Anyway, Mike Vick will do his Ricky Santos imitation (hah!) today all over the Cardinals, and the Falcons will avenge the beating they took last Monday night in N'Awlins. Atlanta is the pick to cover.

Dallas (-9) @ Tennessee - No shortage of story lines in this one. The Cowboys may start a guy at WR who reportedly tried to kill himself this week. And the big news from the pathetic Titans is that coach Jeff Fisher is planning to start Vince Young today at QB. My first inkling for this game was that Dallas' superior D-line would absolutely waylay Kerry Collins, but with the mobile Young now calling the shots... hmmm. What the hell - I'll take Tennessee to cover, but all bets are off if Fisher changes his mind before gametime.

Indianapolis (-8) @ NY Jets - Overshadowed by the whole T.O. drama was the unfortunate news that Colts WR Reggie Wayne's brother died this past week in a car accident. The Colts have been through their fair share of tragedy (Dungy's son last year), and should rise up. The Jets will be competitive at home, but that jackass with the fireman's helmet will be quiet by the start of the 4th quarter. Colts in a romp, with former LSU RB Joseph Addai playing a surprisingly big role.

Miami (-3.5) @ Houston - Zzzzzzzzz. I can't comprehend the fact that a Daunte Culpepper-led team is giving points to anybody right now, but these are the doormat Texans. One bright spot for Houston has been its QB David Carr, currently rated the No. 1 passer in the league. Just for kicks, let's go with the home 'dog.

@Buffalo (-1) vs. Minnesota - Take the Vikings every which way in this one. I don't care about the Bills' homefield advantage. Buffalo ain't that good, the Vikings are much-improved over last year, and they should have beaten a good Bears team last week in the Metrodome. Look for the Vikings to take this one by at least a touchdown.

@Carolina (-7) vs. New Orleans - All the classic makings of a letdown game for the Saints, who played so well in their homecoming Monday night. Plus, Carolina's D leads the league in ruptured spleens. I'm going with the Panthers at home.

San Diego (-2) @ Baltimore - The Ravens are quickly becoming the team to not even touch on Sundays. Way too friggin' unpredictable. Their D is always ready, and could make life miserable for Chargers' rookie QB Philip Rivers, but I'm going with the refreshed and re-charged Chargers in this one. Lay 'em.

@Kansas City (-7) vs. San Francisco - The Chiefs have one of the best homefield advantages in the league, but I'm not crazy about giving seven without Trent Green at the helm. The 'Niners on the other hand welcome RB Frank Gore back to the lineup today. Take San Fran to cover.

@St. Louis (-5.5) vs. Detroit - Honestly, flip a coin. Who cares? As long as Matt Millen has any say in the decisions made in Detroit, the Lions will suck. I'll go with the Rams in this one.

Cleveland (-3) @ Oakland - Think Art Shell will shed a few pounds through stress this year? Deion Sanders had a great line in Sports Illustrated this week saying Shell's going to look like Morgan Freeman come November. The Browns played admirably in their loss to Baltimore last week, and really should have won the game. Still, the Raiders have to win sometime, don't they? Oaktown is the pick.

Jacksonville (-3) @ Washington - The Jags are all riled over some comments made by Indy's punter this past week about their immaturity. What is it with kickers (Vanderjerk) and punters in Indy? Anyway, the Jaguars are a solid football team, and I'm kicking myself for not taking RB Maurice Drew in my roto draft. Wise rule - always take Fred Taylor's backup. And take Jacksonville in this one. The 'Skins are perpetually disappointing, legendary coach or not.

@Chicago (-3) vs. Seattle - Great game, bummer that MVP Shaun Alexander won't be able to play in it. The Seahawks won't have their crazed fans and that ungodly noise on their side this week. Without Alexander, it will be interesting to see what Hasselbeck can accomplish with his wideouts against a strong Bears secondary. In the end, Da Bears will win this one and cover.

@Cincinnati (-5.5) vs. New England - Very intriguing matchup, and very tough to call. On paper, Bengals QB Carson Palmer and his track team of receivers should shred the beleaguered Pats DB's. The only chance the Patriots have is for their two-headed running attack (Clock Killin' Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney) to re-emerge and play like it did the first two weeks of the season, and the vaunted D-line has to do a good job on human bowling ball Rudi Johnson. If these things happen, Brady can be a little better than he was last week and the Pats could eke out a win. My head tells me the Bengals are going to take this one, but the homer in me says take the Patriots to cover.

@Philly (-11) vs. Green Bay - Donovan McNabb is off to a sensational start, but some key Eagles (Stallworth, Westbrook, Dawkins) are questionable for this one. Still, it's the Green Bay Packers, it's Monday night, and they're in front of their psychotic fans. Cheese steaks beat the Cheeseheads and cover the 11.

Last week's record: 7-6-1
Season record: 26-19-1

Omar's Folly

A bad situation got much worse for the Mets today, and to be honest, Omar Minaya had this coming. We already knew Pedro Martinez was going to miss the 2006 postseason because of a torn calf muscle; today, we find out he needs rotator cuff surgery and will be out a minimum of 8 months, meaning he probably won't return until June of next year. Why did Minaya have this coming? Remember when Pedro signed with the Mets, and didn't want to have to go through a physical exam? He was only getting $14 million per year or whatever the hell it was - why should a doctor be allowed to make sure it was a good investment? Of course, Minaya, with visions of a chock-full Shea Stadium and little tiny Dominican flags waving in his head, relented. Bad move, Omie.

There are some positives here, though. Finally, a good call on a player by the Red Sox -- and Pedro won't miss his father's birthday party this time around. Some of the Mets bloggers were wondering if Petey will be on the bench during the playoffs. Don't hold your breath. This is the same selfish prick who didn't make the short plane ride to NYC for Game 6 in 2004 for what could have been an elimination game for his team.

HH Week in Review

Another new feature for Hardball Heaven! (Can you tell I've completely checked out of baseball season?) Every Saturday morning - or thereabouts - I'll throw up a list of links from some of the best of the Web from the previous week, mixed in with some biting, edgy commentary. Hey, if Kim Etheridge can get a job with one of the most high-profile NFL players as his publicist, I can be a year-round blogger. For the record, I do not believe T.O. That span of 24 hours encapsulated every thing that's wrong with sports in America today.

* Bill Simmons, ESPN's Sports Guy, takes a hard one on the chin from the proprietors of Kissing Suzy Kolber in this absolute must-read. (Scroll down till you see Simmons' mug) As a long-time reader of Simmons - I remember reading his live blogs in e-mail style when he was just starting out back in the mid-1990s - I have always enjoyed his skills. His old site at Digital City Boston was pioneering, and when he was on -- his Roger Clemens as the Anti-Christ story comes to mind - he was really on. But his affiliation and higher profile with ESPN has caused some problems for him. He's almost become too big for his own good - with the stupid cartoon he attempted, the recycled columns, and the frequent references to his friends and family. Bottom line - I still read the guy, but he's become a bit insufferable. Witness his painfully long ESPN chat from this past week.

* Deadspin is another daily stop, and this post regarding comments made by Giants offensive (and I do mean 'offensive') lineman Bob Whitfield is a classic laugh-out-loud example. Suzy Kolber, thanks to an inebriated Joe Namath, is officially a Web legend.

* According to the sassy gals at the Boston Herald's most popular feature - the gossip column "Inside Track" - the E! TV network is planning an expose on athletes who aren't completely faithful to their wives. Former Sox hurler Derek Lowe will be one of the subjects. Hoo ha. Think the girls at On the DL are psyched?

* Will he or won't he? The annual guessing game as to whether the mercurial Manny Ramirez will be back next season has begun. TV broadcaster Jerry Remy - who obviously spends a lot of time around the team - weighed in with some telling thoughts this week on the local sports radio station. (Scroll down)

* All this talk about Tom Brady's "body language" is killing me. The guy signed for less money to be on a winner, and now he's throwing passes to Moe, Larry, and Curly. Wouldn't you be pissed too?

* Has there ever been a bigger choke job than what this year's Cardinals are pulling off in the NL Central? Even our beloved Red Sox are exempt.

* And last but not least, type the name 'Vida Guerra' into your Google search field, click on the third link, and make sure to thank me tomorrow.

The Saints March Home

Well, most football prognosticators - including the pros and the amateurs - had a tough week with their NFL picks last Sunday. Your humble blogger went 7-6-1, with good picks on the Vikings, Broncos and Saints, and bad picks with the fraudulent Bills and the perpetually crappy Lions. That brings the season total to 26-19-1, with plenty of room -- like our beleaguered Patriots -- for improvement. New England looked positively dreadful Sunday night against the Broncos on national TV, as Denver and Belichick foil Mike Shanahan figured out a way to cut off the Pats' running game and then dared Tom Brady to go to the air. Only problem with that is Brady had no one to throw to, though Doug "Dreds" Gabriel did show some spunk toward the end. The results were predictable, and the Pats lost again to their nemesis, 17-7. It doesn't get any easier this week as they have to travel to Cincinnati to face the well-balanced Bengal machine and hot QB Carson Palmer, who has a full stable of thoroughbreds (Johnson, Whoseyourdaddy, Henry) zig-zagging all over the field. The only hope is that Corey Dillon is healthy and is out for blood against his former team, and that Chad Jackson actually, like, suits up for this one. The Patriots will be putting a pretty amazing streak on the line this weekend, as they haven't dropped back-to-back games since 2002. All good things must come to an end, I s'pose.

Great story unfolded in New Orleans Monday night, as the Saints scored a rousing homecoming victory against the hugely overrated Mike Vick and the Falcons. The Superdome, which served as a "shelter" in the aftermath of that bitch Katrina, was electric, and you know what - the Saints may actually be pretty good. Think Dolphins coach Nick Saban is kicking himself for signing Daunte Culpepper instead of Drew Brees during the offseason? Anyway, good for New Orleans and especially their fans. They needed this.

Oh hey, the Sox are still playing too. Almost forgot. The boys beat Tampa Bay last night behind a solid effort from Curt Schilling, and Big Papi cranked No. 54. Yankees, A's, Twins and Tigers are in the dance, with the Tigers and Twins still fighting it out for the AL Central title. The NL is still up in the air, as the Cardinals are currently taking the choke.

Happy Sunday

Last week was like taking candy from a baby. I went 11-5, with my best surprise picks being Buffalo and San Francisco, two of the great teams from the '80s and '90s who have fallen on hard times. That makes the season record 19-13 so far. This week's slate has a number of great games on the board, including a revenge match in Pittsburgh with the Steelers taking on the Bengals and Carson Palmer; the Bears and Vikings in Minnesota, where we'll find out if the Bears are as good as they seem; in Indianapolis, where the juggernaut Colts run into the smashmouth Jaguars; and finally, in Seattle, where the Seahawks and their crazed fans try to make life as miserable as possible for the New York Football Giants. Best of all, our Patriots play tonight against Denver, meaning we get the feeds for the Cincy-Pittsburgh battle, the Bears-Vikings, and the Seahwaks-Giants. Not a bad day of NFL watching at all.

On to the picks. Again, these are made against the spread published in my local rag.

Carolina (-3) @ Tampa Bay: The Panthers - the trendy pre-season Super Bowl pick - have stumbled out of the blocks and are winless entering this game against the Bucs. Is it because they haven't had All-World WR Steve Smith? Is it the loss of their middle linebacker Dan Morgan? Whatever it is, Carolina isn't as bad as their record suggests. They'll make Chris Simms look like Tony Eason today.

Chicago (-3.5) @ Minnesota: The whole world wants to know if the Bears are as good on offense as they are on defense, and today will give a good indication. Is Rex Grossman for real? Who is Bernard Berrian? How are they doing this? They've beaten up on bad teams in the first two weeks (Green Bay and Detroit), and the Vikings would appear to be a stiffer test, especially in the Metrodome. I may regret this, but I'm going with the Vikings to pull off an upset today.

@Pittsburgh (1.5) vs. Cincinnati: Should be a great game, with the Steelers coming off an absolutely dreadful performance last Monday night against the Jaguars, and the Bengals coming in with revenge on their minds. Cincy had legitimate playoff hopes last year until that big oaf Kimo von Oehlenwhatever rolled on Palmer's leg. The Steelers will be loaded for bear, but I'm going with the Bengals in this one. Too much firepower. Plus, Carson's on my roto team so I have to root for him.

@Detroit (-7) vs. Green Bay: A snoozer. Green Bay comes into Motown a wounded team, having lost to (gasp) New Orleans last week on the frozen tundra. Detroit, meanwhile, under offensive whiz Mike Martz, has scored a grand total of 13 points through two weeks. Take the under and the Lions to cover. Roy Williams said so.

@Indianapolis (-7) vs. Jacksonville: All sorts of intriguing angles here. Indy is missing Adam Vinatieri today, who is out of action for the first time in his illustrious NFL career with a groin problem. Those damn groins. Peyton has been Peyton, but the Jags have a better secondary than most people think. If the Jaguars want to be taken seriously this is a good place to start, but I just don't think Indy will lose at home. I'm going with the Colts laying the points.

@Buffalo (-5.5) vs. NY Jets: The Jets showed me something last week in their comeback against the Pats, but they're too one dimensional. They're entering week 3, and they still don't know who their starting running back is. Curtis Martin, where are you? Buffalo rides to victory on the back of their stout defense and hometown crowd.

@Miami (-10.5) vs. Tennessee: If the Dolphins don't win this one... but they will, even with Daunte Culpepper calling the shots. The question is will they cover the 10 and a half? I don't even remember the Titans anymore. Who plays for them? McNair? Eddie George? Or was that back in like 1998? What the hell - take the Titans and the points.

Washington (-4) @ Houston: Like the Dolphins, this is a must-win game for Joe Gibbs and the 'Skins. The Texans are one of those bad but competitive bad teams, but go with Washington in this one.

Baltimore (-6.5) @ Cleveland: Will Art Modell be at this game? The team he stole away to Baltimore takes on the city he abandoned. The Ravens have looked impressive so far, but still not sure how much improved the offense is. Then again, you don't really need an offense when your D is pitching shutout ball. Ravens win this one, 21-7.

@Seattle (-3.5) vs. NY Giants: This one has all the makings of a letdown game for the Jints. They won an emotional game against a division rival last week, and they're going into the worst (best?) noise den in the league. The Seahawks also may get a boost from Deion Branch today, which they may need with a hurting Shaun Alexander. On the flip side, young Eli continues to gain confidence. I'll go with a mild upset here and take the Giants.

Philly (-6) at San Francisco: This one could be interesting. The Eagles are banged up on both sides of the ball, but McNabb has been pretty impressive through the first two weeks. The Niners counter with their big three of QB Alex Smith, WR Antonio Bryant and RB Frank Gore. The Eagles find a way to win, and cover, but it won't be a walk in the park.

@Arizona (-4.5) vs. St. Louis: Kurt Warner goes against his old team, which bears zero resemblance to his old team. The Rams have some skill players, no doubt - with Marc Bulger, Torry Holt and Steven Jackson. They had a nice win against the Broncos in week one, but then fell to the 49ers last week. Arizona counters with Kurt, the Edge, Larry Fitz and Anquan Boldin. Take the Cardinals in an offensive shootout.

@New England (-7) vs. Denver: Another good one. Denver's gotten the best of the Pats in recent years, and that playoff loss last year still sticks in our collective craw. Win that one, host the Steelers at home in the AFC title game, and we may be looking at a 4th Super Bowl win. But hindsight's 20-20. We lost, although we'll always have that amazing visual of Ben Watson chasing down Champ Bailey and absolutely leveling him. I'm confident in the Pats' D-line and our running back play tonight; not so confident in Brady's throwing accuracy and our secondary. The key to me will be Brady. We know the D-line, Dillon and Maroney will show up, and we know Plummer and Rod Smith will connect a few times tonight. Brady needs to be sharp. Pats take it, but the Broncos cover in what may be a field goal game. Remember, the Pats don't blow anybody out.

Atlanta (-3.5) @ New Orleans: Lots of emotion for this one, with the NFL planning a big night to remember Hurricane Katrina. Two of my favorite bands - U2 and Green Day - are collaborating on what is supposed to be a fantastic song at halftime. And oh yeah, there will be some football played in the Superdome. Mike Vick. Reggie Bush. I think the Falcons will win and cover, but I'm going with my heart for this one and picking the Saints.

Saturday Morning Thoughts

* Everyone's been tiptoeing around the Manny issue, and Gordon Edes today finally takes a stand. I have to say I agree with Gordo. Nobody knows the extent of his knee injury, but it's safe to say that Manny is no warrior.

* The whole Doug Mirabelli-Kevin Towers thing this past week is highly amusing. Why wouldn't Mirabelli love it in Boston? What other town would give him a police escort from the airport to the park? Pretty ridiculous when you think about it.

* Mirabelli falls into that class of guys who act and behave like they're better than they really are. Mirabelli can't hit his way out of a wet paper bag, and yet he's the first one to bitch at an ump after he strikes out. Kevin Youkilis, to me, is a fringe player (more on this in my upcoming Sox post-mortem) and yet there he is last night cussing out the ump for a good 5 minutes after whiffing. He's always got this pained expression on his face, and he didn't do himself any favors when he called Sox fans irrational when the team was in their losing skid. We are irrational, but you have to build up your resume before you can say it. Another actor was Kevin Millar. He'd get a walk, and almost strut his way to first base like he had just done something special. Locker-room presence my ass. The guy shouldn't be starting in the major leagues (as evidenced by his crappy year in Baltimore) and he's the first one to mouth off at anything.

* What Sox fan in their right mind wouldn't give a historic home run ball back to Big Papi? Not to sound corny, but the big man has brought us much joy so it's the least we can do. And when you hear that he'd rather auction the balls off for charity rather than put them on his mantel in Wisconsin (yes, the Dominican slugger lives near Green Bay believe it or not), it's a no-brainer.

* It really blows not having any meaningful baseball games to watch. Makes for a looooong wait for Sundays.

* Nice moment at Fenway this week when Carlton Fisk helped commemorate Jason Varitek's record for most games played as catcher. Two good ones right there.

* New nickname for Johnny Damon surfaced this week, courtesy of a clever WEEI caller. Johnny Cash. Beautiful.

* My AL MVP ballot would look something like this: Johan Santana, David Ortiz, Justin Morneau, Derek Jeter. Santana, his start the other night against the Sox aside, has been unbelievable for the Twins in the second half, especially with Liriano out. As for the argument that a pitcher shouldn't win MVP, bull. It's Most Valuable Player, not Most Valuable Everyday Player. Ortiz finishes second just on the sheer numbers and clutch hits. The Red Sox would be in fourth or fifth place without him. Morneau is incredibly underrated. Check out these numbers: 33 HR, 125 RBI, .323 BA. We just don't know about him because he plays in Fargo-land. And finally, Jeets. Yes, he's a great player. Yes, I respect and admire his abilities, even though he wears pinstripes. But I've said it before and I'll say it again - if he goes down, the Yanks have the depth and money to withstand the loss. And Johnny Cash batting leadoff certainly hasn't hurt Jeter. MVP? No way. Just one man's opinion.

* And last, for all those husbands out there with long 'honey do' lists, remember this - be thankful you don't have Theo's 'to do' list. Man, does he have some work to do. No touring with Pearl Jam this offseason.

Congrats, Big Fella

Bronx Brouhaha

Very telling story in this week's Sports Illustrated about how much not only Yankee fans despise Alex Rodriguez, but also the Yankees themselves. Imagine being lectured by the HGH-ingesting Jason Giambi? A-Rod also gets a few zingers off of his own. Gotta love a little discord in that clubhouse - maybe it will derail this overpaid band of a-holes from winning their first title this decade.

The Sox, the Pats and Recapping the Handicapping

First things first, seeing as how we are a baseball blog. The big news from this past weekend is that the Red Sox were not eliminated from postseason contention, and they didn't allow the Yankees to clinch anything on their home turf. Our boys took three of four in the Bronx with the likes of Kevin Jarvis, Kyle Snyder and Julian Tavarez toeing the rubber, and got key hits from youngsters like David Murphy and Dustin Pedroia. Can't say I watched much of the action -- beautiful weekend plus college and pro football -- but I think the Sox and Tito should be very proud of how they've handled themselves over the past few weeks. They've had every reason in the world to roll over and play dead and they've continued to play hard. Big Papi hit his 49th in New York and the nation now awaits No. 50.

One other baseball note. Did you see what happened in the Red Sox West (Dodgers) game last night against the Padres? Four homers in the 9th inning to tie the game, and then Nomar cranks one in the 10th to win it, off... you guessed it, old friend Rudy Seanez. He's giving up bombs from coast to coast. Alan Embree and Cla Meredith also pitched for San Diego.

Now, onto football... since we're officially a two-sport operation here. I went a gaudy 11-5 in my pro picks this weekend, with Buffalo and San Francisco being my best upset specials. I actually thought this was a pretty easy weekend -- if I had some serious cash to blow, I would have put a lot on San Diego, Cincinnati and Chicago.

As for our Patriots, they looked terrific in the first half against the Jets, and then looked pretty bad in the second, allowing the inferior Jets to actually put a scare in them. Some notes and observations from the game:

- We all know how lucky we are to have Tom Brady as our QB, and I understand that it's going to take him some time to gel with his new receivers, but I didn't like the way he looked and played in the second half. Some of the beat writers mentioned his defeated body language at times, which I definitely noticed. He also continues to underthrow on the long ball, which he supposedly practiced all off-season (with Deion in mind, but that's another story). Just some things I've noticed - he's still the best in the game, and that drive at the end of the game was vintage Brady. He's also got this going for him...

- It was pretty funny seeing the horde of cameras and media types scurrying to mid-field after the game to capture the much-anticipated Belichick-Mangini handshake. Judging from the moment, it does seem like Belichick is pissed at his young protege for some reason. It was a very abrupt shake, 'good game', and that was it - from two guys who have spent an awful lot of time together, both coaching and away from the field. Belichick can be a supreme d-bag - he learned from one of the all-time best in Tuna - but three Lombardi Trophys make you look the other way.

- Of course, we all know how the Patriots are the Kremlin when it comes to injury news, and that all starts with Coach Bill. Did you see toward the end of the game, when Corey Dillon had to come out of the game and the CBS cameras tried to get a shot of him on the bench with the training staff? Some young peon stood up on the bench, shook his head, crossed his arms, and blocked the shot. I guess I understand it, but the pose was so smug and off-putting. Pretty lame.

- The Pats' secondary looked like bullfighters at times - OLE! - but the D-line was absolutely immense. This unit doesn't get a lot of respect, but that's going to change this year.

- Chad Jackson played his first game for the Pats and looked pretty good, catching a TD pass from Brady. Doug Gabriel also played, or was that Bob Marley back from the dead? Surprised someone hasn't yanked those dreads right off his head. Gabriel didn't have an impact, but maybe he just needs a little more quiet time with the playbook.

- Revenge game coming up this Sunday night against Denver. The Broncos are 1-1 but are struggling. They lost to a bad Rams team in Week 1, and barely squeaked by the Trent Green-less Chiefs last Sunday. Jake the Snake and the offense have scored a grand total of 19 points in two games. Doesn't bode well for what is sure to be an amped up Pats squad and a crazed Gillette Stadium crowd.