Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll: Hook'em Horns

What a week in college football and it just seems to keep on giving. Now Tommy Bowden is fired and there was such a shake up in the Top 25, that Walker-Sports just had to share their new poll with all the readers out there.

1) Texas Longhorns: No we are not trying to be like the AP and ESPN. Texas jumped to the top spot in this week’s poll because we had Missouri and LSU ranked behind OU. Despite all that, Texas is the number 1 team in the land and there is a huge target on their back now as they attempt to navigate the Big 12:

2) Alabama: Being idol can kill you. That’s what happened to the Tide. They had the weekend off, and because of that, they were unable to best the performance Texas put on in the Cotton Bowl. Don’t worry Bama fans, I don’t think the Longhorns will be riding on top very long.

3) Penn State: The destroyed Wisconsin on Saturday. I’m not sure if Wisconsin has just fallen apart that bad or what their deal is. What I do know is this is by far the best Penn State team I’ve seen since the 1990’s. They will be representing the Big 10 in the BCS.

4) Florida: Talk trash, come to the swamp and you will become Gator bait. That’s what the Florida Gators showed the world Saturday night. Urben Myers crew put on a clinic Saturday against LSU (a team I had ranked at #2). The Gators are right back in the hunt, and you better believe Saturday’s game was a statement game.

5) Texas Tech: The Nebraska Cornhuskers gave the Red Raiders all they could handle on Saturday, but somehow Texas Tech pulled through. This team is a fraud, but till someone can prove that Texas Tech is fraudulent they will remain a top ranked program.

6) BYU: Just win baby. Stay focused and don’t let a 3-5 team upset what could be a very special season.

7) Georgia: Don’t look now but the Bulldogs are back. UGA and company handled their business against a Tennessee program that is counting the days till Fulmer is fired. All Georgia has to do is make it to the SEC Title game. It’s in their backyard and they can make good things happen.

8) Oklahoma: Tough lost on Saturday. Not only did the Sooners lose the Red River Shootout for the third time in four years. The lost to Texas just added fuel to the fire that Bob Stoops cannot coach in the big games.

9) Oklahoma State: He’s a man! He’s 41 and he has one damn good football team. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the real deal and they showed everyone just how good they are by knocking off Missouri on Saturday.

10) Ohio State: Why is it not surprising that as the season rolls into it’s second half Ohio State have weaseled its way back into the Top 10? This team is as good as Beanie Wells will allow them to be. As long as he provides protection and takes the pressure off Pryor the Buckeyes will be just fine.

11) USC: A solid dominating win over Arizona State Saturday night. They didn’t blow them out, they didn’t put up the gaudy numbers, but they showed the rest of the Pac 10 that all roads still run through USC.

12) Utah: Just like their cross state rivals, just keep plugging away and don’t become so obsessed with BYU that you over look someone else on the schedule.

13) Missouri: Tough break against a good Oklahoma State team. Now, the Tigers must put Saturday’s lost behind them because they have a chance to fix everything next Saturday when they take on the top ranked Texas Longhorns.

14) Kansas: The Jayhawks are a solid team with a great QB. As I’ve said multiple times this year, they aren’t as good as last year. Nor are they amongst the elite in the Big 12, but that won’t stop them from making noise all year.

15) Boise State: The kings of the WAC just do what they do best and that’s win games on the blue turf and just wait for someone to give them a shot at the big boys.

16) LSU: I doubt that the LSU Tigers will be talking trash and making bulletin board material for anyone in the upcoming weeks. All it did last week was set themselves up for failure and knock them out the top 10.

17) Virginia Tech: After an average performance against Western Kentucky the Hokies had the week off. Now they have to face the rest of the ACC. Virginia Tech is just a solid team that will more than likely play for an ACC Championship.

18) North Carolina: UNC got their first national exposure of the season and they made the best of their 10 minutes of fame by knocking off Notre Dame. The Tar Heels are quickly becoming the team to beat in the ACC. Next week they will be put to the test against a suddenly resurgent Virginia team.

19) South Florida: This is the highest ranked team in the Big East. Now what does that tell you about that conference? The Bulls are hoping they can make keep afloat and make an appearance in a BCS game in January.

20) Wake Forest: Wake got the win over Clemson on Thursday night, and they can go down as the straw that broke Tommy Bowden’s back and cost him his job.

21) Vanderbilt: The bubble seems to be bursting on Vandy. However, this marks the fourth week Vanderbilt has been ranked and that is a first for the school.

22) Michigan State: plunking and lumbering away, with a running game like theirs, the Spartans can remain a factor in any game they play.

23) Ball State: All this team has done is go out and win and win. They are doing all they can to remain viable and just make a showing.

24) Pittsburgh: Who would have thought that Pitt. Would find their way into the Top 25. Dave is coaching for his job and right now he is doing a good job with it.

25) Cal: Cal has climbed their way back into the top 25 after their embarrassing lost earlier this season that left the Bears losing their lunch.

Columbus Day Daily "Linkin' Logs" (10/13/08)

Last night it appeared as though the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Douchbags...err...Dodgers reached a fever pitch as far as fighting. L.A. won 7-2 via a 5 run fifth off of normally steady but playoff unready Jamie Moyer. The Phillies still lead the series 2 games to 1.

If you haven't been paying attention, the anger started in game 2 on Friday where Phillie Brett Myers appeared to toss one behind Manny Ramirez, unprevoked and without cause. Manny promptly struck out after that pitch but not without having words with Myers who appeared to be admitting that the ball simply slipped. Given the way I've see Brett throw, the Phillies lack of attack (in that manor) this season and the way the ball flew out, I have a tendency to believe him.

Back to Sunday. Hiroki Kuroda tossed a lofty one just above the head of tiny Shane Victorino. Vic took exception to such a pitch, pointing at his head and then his gut, to suggest to Kuroda that he'll take a pitch, just don't try to kill him by giving him one in the noggin. Head Doucher...err...Dodger Russell Martin didn't think Victorino was being to considerate and decided to give Vic a piece of his mind. Chase Utley then stepped in (with the umpire) and cooler heads prevaled. But as Victorino grounded out and Kuroda then decided that was the appropriate time to respond, the benches cleared with Manny Ramirez having to be held back and Mariano Duncan and Davey Lopes almost dropping the gloves.

Now, as a Philly fan, I can appreciate moxey. I'd love to see any one of our guys go toe-to-toe with any of their tofa players any day of the week, but I don't think any of these guys realize, the Phillies simply aren't the type of team to retaliate. Just look at Chase Utley, who's the new Craig Biggio, taking hits left and right for the sake of a free base. The Phillies respond the right way...with their bats.

Now, I'm not done yet. What sickens me most about all of this is the verbally felatio given to the Dodgers by Fox. I'm absolutely baffled that any network (actually its, Fox, why am I baffled?) would go so far as to clearly support one team over another. I just wish I had DVR so I could time the thing and listen to the radio via my MLB.tv subscription. I didn't think Buck had any clue the Phillies never retaliate and as I've mentioned before Tim McCarver went through an entire season before someone finally told him how to say Carlos Ruiz's name. These guys are down right criminal and if this series somehow manages 7 games with a Dodgers win there will be little doubt in my mind.

Baseball is fixed

• Even Jayson Stark's a Dodgers fan.
• T.J. Simers suggests that a Manny-led Dodgers team is the best...ever...ever. On that note, does anyone know is the L.A. Times has a quota to reach for handicapped writers because it appears as though Simers is colorblind (and baseball blind).
• If you didn't watch it yesterday, you truly missed out on the stunning choking of the Arizona Cardinals followed up by their stunning victory via a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.
• Steve Adams over at MLBTradeRumors takes a look at some stunning hot stove rumors involving, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, C.C. Sabathia and Jake Peavy
• Did the Philadelphia Eagles save their season? Hardly, but its a start.
  
• Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer ponders Jamie Moyer and the 46 year old's boyish dream (that quite honestly, we'd all have and we all probably do have anyway)
• Texas upset #1 Oklahoma. That and this picture are all you need to know
• Apparently the Rays could sell more tickets to their playoff games...they just don't want to.
  
• And finally, EC, in honor of our opening column, gives us their thoughts on the manliness of baseball fights.
  

Surprising Saturday Daily "Linkin' Logs" (10/11/08)

The rarest of the rare; a Saturday "Linkin' Logs"

Last night, I'm sure many of you watched Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched 7 innings of no hit baseball, leading the Boston Red Sox to victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. From some accounts, it would appear as though "Dice-K" pitched a gem; spraying 4 hits over 7 innings with 9 strike outs and none earned.

Fact of the matter is, it wasn't quite that amazing; with Matsuzaka laboring early in the first and walking as many men as he allowed hits (8 baserunners in all) over the span of the game, it was the oddest playoff near no-no in my recollection.

The Red Sox and Rays will meet again for game two. Should the sox, and ace Josh Beckett pull this one out (and its looking pretty possible) they should put a stranglehold on the Rays and the AL crown. But given the young bucks of the Rays, I don't see them going quietly.

• Gene Wojo provides some excellent insight on the boorish celebrations already occuring in clubhouses this year. I agree with him, its too much. I think the Rays celebrating their first AL crown after 10 years of losing is fair, but the Red Sox or White Sox or Phillies need not apply. While, I agree with Wojo that these teams have so much more to accomplish, in the cases of the Rays' division crown, or the Phillies last year, or the breaking through of the current Dodgers youth movement, I can understand. But once you've been there, I can't really see a point again.
• This champage thing...and the Dodgers got me thinking. I'm sure if you're a Dodgers fan, you already know, but Clayton Kershaw, the L.A. Rookie reliever is age 20. And if you're familiar with America, that'd mean he's not of legal drinking age. A few google searches revealed little opinion of these events...So I can only conclude little was thought of it. Look, I don't wanna be a narc, I honestly think the drinking age is ridiculous, but if we're gonna have a rule, shouldn't it be enforced? Maybe they should just arrest Manny Ramirez...
• The Phanatic Pantomimes the Phillies line-up....I have to admit, when he got to Brett Myers, I was curious as to whether a woman would come out and the Phantic would pull her hair and slap her...it didn't happen...
• Like any BigLead link, Its only for the picture...and seriously, what the hell?
• And finally...this is sports related, I guess, via EC (From Break), the next Lance Armstrong
  

NFL Division Power Rankings

Alright, so football has been just amazing all around both the college and the pro game have put on unbelievable performances every weekend out this season. So while I was breaking down some college film earlier this week I of course came across the debate of which is the best conference in college football today. Well, that idea got me to thinking about what is the best division in the NFL? If you have to rank the divisions how will they break down? For those who ever wondered, I have the answers right there.

1) NFC East: Best division in football. The NFC will have three representatives and the fourth team will more than likely be .500 or better.


New York Giants: The defending Super Bowl champs are not a fluke, and they have proved that to this point of the season. They have steamrolled everyone they played this season with the exception of the Cincinnati Bengals.


· Washington Redskins: The hottest team in football, and they are now the darlings of the NFL. They should be able to maintain this pace as long as Jason Campbell remains flawless.


· Dallas Cowboys: Their preseason star has faded with a couple of lackluster performances. Nonetheless this is still a great team that will make the playoffs.


· Philadelphia Eagles: I have lost all faith in this team. And till Andy Reid is removed as head coach they will continue to be an underachieving 8-8 or 9-7.


2) AFC East: Since 2002 this division has been dominated by the New England Patriots. Now with Tom Brady’s injury, the arrival of Brett Favre and the emergence of the Bills, this division has become a solid conference from top to bottom.


· Buffalo Bills: The Bills suffered their first lost of the season on Sunday. However, the bigger lost was Trent Edwards suffering a concussion and missing the majority of the Sundays game and now he will be day to day going into the future.


· New England Patriots: The New England Patriots are without Tom Brady, but they are a solid team, and probably still a playoff team. It will be interesting to see how this team reacts to a season full of adversity.


· Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have found life. They are playing with pride and they are playing hard because they know that Bill Parcells will fire them if they don’t. I also love the Wildcat offense and I think it provides an amazing wrinkle to a game plan.


· New York Jets: Brett Favre is here, and this team is about as up and down as anyone in the NFL. They are much improved from last year, but the Jets still have plenty of work to get done if they want to be an elite squad.


3) NFC South: The NFC South is a difficult division to read. However, at this point it has more teams playing at a high level and therefore beats out its AFC counterpart.


· Carolina Panthers: Jake Delhomme is back and healthy and it is making a world of difference. Add in the fact that the Carolina Panthers have put together an impressive duel threat coming out of the backfield and you have a good NFC team.


· Atlanta Falcons: This team has bounced back from everything last year and they are playing good football with Matt Ryan at the helm. They won’t stay at the top of the division all season, but at this point they are a heck of a good choice.


· New Orleans Saints: The Saints are 2-3 but they have too much talent to be as bad as they are. Stupid mistakes have cost them two games already this season. Once they eliminate those errors this team will be back in the saddle.


· Tampa Bay Bucs: I just don’t like this team. They have problems at quarterback. Brian Griese is not the answer, everyone else and their brother is in the Gruden doghouse. It looks like Chuckey’s magic is failing.


4) AFC South: This division has the ability to jump up the rankings very quickly and that mainly hinges the possibility of the Indianapolis Colts getting their act together.


· Tennessee Titian: The Titians are a very good team. Their defense is amazing. And as long as they are playing and executing at this level on both sides of the ball, then Vince Young needs to stay on the bench and out of the way.


· Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags are struggling to get things together, but they are on the cusp of being something special. Any team that has a defense as good as there is and a balanced running attack they need to be considered a threat.


· Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are injured and they are getting old. Its official this is a team that goes old in front of us. They may have another run left in them, but I would not bet on it.


· Houston Texans: This team has been a horrible disappointment. In addition they are holding this entire division back.


5) NFC North: This division is the perfect example of mediocrity. No team in the division is standout, but they are all pretty good.


· Chicago Bears: In typical Chicago fashion, this team manages to win games and get the job done despite having a bad offense. Matt Forte has had a couple good games though.


· Green Bay Packers: They are in the midst of a three game skid, and Aaron Rogers is trying to establish himself. I just have a sneaking feeling that his shoulder injury will end up haunting the Packers all season.


· Minnesota Vikings: They had a great gutsy win on Monday Night Football. And the Vikings are trying to figure everything out. They will likely miss the post season, but at least they will know going into April that they need to draft a QB.


· Detroit Lions: This team is horrible. The coach is horrible, the owners are horrible and the players are horrible.


6) AFC North: If there was ever a division that I would predict to drop on this list, I would have to say it is this one. Even the top team in this division is weak due to injuries.


· Pittsburgh Steelers: This team is being held together by athletic tape and Big Bens heart. While that is good, I just don’t think it can take you all the way.


· Baltimore Ravens: I actually like this team. Flacco is going to be a good quarterback. The defense is still strong. They just need some experience on both lines.


· Cleveland Brown: Well I guess Derrick Anderson remembered who he really was. And I doubt that Brady Quinn will be any better.


· Cincinnati Bengals: Palmer is hurt, they have no running game, and Chad Johnson seems to have lost all interest in football. Nice!


7) NFC West: This division just barely edged out the AFC West. For the past five years the only thing propping this division up has been the play of the Seahawks and now that has gone down the toilet.


· Arizona Cardinals: As long as they are at home and don’t have to travel to the East Coast this is a dangerous team. Too bad that won’t happen.


· San Francisco 49’ers: They need a quarterback. Lucky for them they play in a bad division and are able to hide many of their true flaws.


· Seattle Seahawks: The running game fell out the bottom on this team a few years ago, and now the rest of the team is following. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Holmgren is on his way out and could care less.


· St. Louis Rams: Well there’s always next year. Maybe then they will actually take rebuilding this team seriously.


8) AFC West: This division was once one of the best in football, and now it sits at the bottom. Mainly because the two bottom feeder teams are horrible.

· Denver Broncos: The Broncos are the biggest fraud in the NFL today. Their defense is horrible. Hopefully for them, last weeks performance is a sign of a new beginning and they can begin to turn things around.


· San Diego Chargers: This team is different. Something is not right with them, and it starts with L.T. He is not the back that he was just a few short years ago. It seems that he has caught a cause of Sean Alexander syndrome.


· Oakland Raiders: As long as Al Davis runs the team, this team will continue to be a bottom feeder and hold the entire division back.


· Kansas City Chiefs: At this point I just believe that Herm Edwards is not a very good coach. Also what happened to Larry Johnson? 190 yards one week, 7 the next, how does that happen?

Is it Time to Believe?

It feels just a little odd. I sat there, 5 or 6 High Lifes deep, in all my bloated and buzzed glory, confident, with two men on, in the top of the 9th facing a respectable Matt Kemp and just one out. Brad Lidge, a fatefully perfect 41 for 41 in save situations this season, and 3 for 3 in the post season, was desperately trying to nail down the win. The Phillies were in what can only be described as defense (Brunlett in left, Feliz at third, replacing Burrell and Dobbs respectively) trying to protect Lidge as much as possible.

I was confident. Fat. Happy. Fine with the outcome. Fine with the situation.

That isn't Phillies baseball. That isn't Joe Carter, that isn't Rolen to Morandini to Brogne, that isn't Dougie deep in center...But that's the old Phillies, that's old Baseball

That's The Vet.

I'm absolutely stunned. A series many predicted to be a classic. A series many are expecting (even Phils backers) to go seven games is yielding a 2-0 Phillies lead. Maybe I'm just falling into their trap. Maybe I'm being suckered into a Dodgers 3 game sweep at home, before the Phillies take game 6 and we watch a helluva battle for the 7th game.

Or maybe it's just time to *gulp* believe...

TGIF Daily "Linkin' Logs" (10/10/08)

If you're like me, you just watched the market open lower than Carlos Ruiz's batting average and are thinking "shit, there goes retirement." As a financial professional (of some kind) myself, I admit it's disconcerting, but my layman's suggestion is to keep in mind the trader's mantra: "buy low and sell high." In case you didn't know already, things are pretty low right now and odds are you'll be able to sell higher later. Obviously, I have no amazing stock tips, but I can tell you that many companies are severely undervalued and folks like Warren Buffett, who just dropped $5 Billion into Goldman-Sachs know it.

In other, better news, the Philadelphia Phillies snuck up on the Dodgers and stole a 3-2 game, on the power of a 2-run Chase Utley bomb and a solo shot by Pat Burrell in the sixth. What's most interesting about this Phillies run is that they keep doing it against the best pitchers. Offensive teams do now thrive in the playoffs. Sure they got hot here or there (see last year's Colorado addition), but generally those teams walk off with a wimper in the biggest spots when they need the biggest hits. But these Phillies seem to be able to hit 'em off the big guys; Grand baller Gallardo, untouchable Sabathia and now sinker baller Lowe have all yielded runs and the biggest (Sabathia and Lowe) devestating long balls to the Phillies boppers, namely Pat Burrell.

Out of all of this, Pat is the most unique character. Once a maligned streaky hitter who faded in the brightest lights, Pat the bat is now ramping it up at the biggest moments of his career and the Precarious Pat Problem seems like a distant memory (and maybe something I was a little wrong about...sorta). Of course, Should Burrell continue this trend and maybe even lead the Phillies to a world series you have to wonder where Burrell, a future free agent, will sit. With Ryan Howard bopping league leading home runs and RBIs and Cole Hamels anchoring a staff that has pitched incredibly well when it counts bothup for arbitration this offseason (and both probably due large pay days) Burrell simply doesn't fit in the Money Pit's plans. For once, Phillies fans may actually want Pat to stay in reverse of all of those years of asking him to leave.

On a quick side not, what's the deal with McCarver and Buck totally making fun of Carlos Ruiz. First I heard McCarver saying "He's really good at sucking up balls" and later Buck adds "He's a really good receiver." Look, he's batting .219, I get it, but you don't need to make fun of the guy too. What's more distressing is Chris Coste, he gets little to no playing time behind the plate; its like he banged Charlie Manuel's wife of something.

• Long Live Sarge...and his sweet hats
• Awful Announcing sits down with Curtis "I'm not in the playoffs...but I am on TV!" Granderson
• Poetry about fall baseball...like Arizona Fall League Baseball...I guess...
• I'm actually just curious of Goodell will spin this to somehow keep Adam Jones all nice and shiny for his boss...Jerruh Jones...
• Even Billionaires are effected by this Financial issue. Mark Cuban thinks the Cubs are overvalued (and we all know they are...duh!)
• TheBigLead's hockey roundup...now with more Red Wings Mocking
• Dusty Baker finally found a pitching staff he can handle
• And Finally, via Deadspin, 2 guys who think Magic Johnson faked AIDS (Not HIV, but full blown AIDS) Everyone knows he cured them with money...duh
  

Rare October Baseball Daily "Linkin' Logs" (10/9/08)

Its been a busy few days for me, so again, I apologize for lateness. Just links today, because the Phils are on, but tomorrow, I'll put together something good.

• Gina Carano (Or Crush) takes it off...takes it all off. As a Deadspin commenter put it, I really have to give credit to the guy on the (our) right. To stand their, professionally, and not sneak a single peak is ridiculously impressive.
  
• The700level gives us the thoughts of numerous intelligent folks (and Steve Phillips) on the Phillies and Dodgers. T.J. Simmers need not apply.
• BryantWrestling gives us a thoughtful meeting with former NCAA champion, Minnesota Golden Gopher and Current WWE wrestler Sheldon "The Gold Standard" Benjamin. And no, there isn't any stopping him now.
  
• Dennis Eckersly, Mullets, hilarity...just click it
• Honestly, the only reason to go to TheBigLead is pictures...not that that's a bad thing. Then again, all we ever have is my bullshit and pointless links so you don't have to type in http://www.stupidblogireadanyways.com
• The State of the Seahawks? Yeah, its bad
• Like Meech.one suggested, the best part about all of this is Burgos is wearing a White Sox Cap to his hearing.
  
• And finally, via Deadspin, Joe Biden puts the Devil in Devil Rays...no, that's literal.
  

Introducing...(non-"Linkin' Logs") Weekly "10 Things I Think Smell Like Shit." (10/8/08)

You might have noticed the lack of Daily "Linkin' Logs" today. That was partially intentional (and partially laziness). But I decided earlier this week, to try to mix up the links for the week. Frankly, it gets a little stale (and sometimes I don't have a good lead article) and I need some touch-up ideas. If you've got other suggestions for weekly additions, e-mail me at Justin@badnewsbloggers.com (or if you want to call me a jackass).

Anyway, "10 Things I Think Smell Like Shit" will be a weekly (hopefully Wednesday) replacement for the links where I will list 10 things that...well...have a fresh coating of shit...

1. Chad Johnson. I sweat the man's the daffiest receiver this side of the Ohio (T.O. shotgunned the left coast). Torn Labrum and all, I would still take Johnson as a #1...for like a year...maybe
2. "Pacman" is back. Well, that didn't take long. If you haven't heard, apparently Adam "Pacman" Jones was involved in a fight in a hotel in Dallas. Few details are known and the hotel isn't commenting. Needless to say, BNB isn't surprised at another Jones transgression. Duck Fallis.
   
3. Puck Dropping Palin. Talk about a risk taker. Politically, Palin is trying to help her running mate capture another chunk of my home state, Pennsylvania, but frankly this looks like a stuck gun ready to backfire. Palin is sure to hear more than enough jeers down Broad Street.
   
4. Sad Guys of the Trading Floor. So I'm a finance guy. I admit I'm a bit concerned, but I do take a bit of joy in this gift an AGMer sent me today. Yes, we can all now chuckle at some of the world's best brokers holding their heads...its ok...they lost your 401k money, you can do it.
   
5. Eager with the Slash. Former Flyers goon Ben Eager was suspended 3 games by the NHL Commish. Normally, we wouldn't be surprised at a big, vicious and probably illegal Ben Eager hit. But this one just can't be missed. Eager swung his stick (missing) from the bench at equally ruthless Sean Avery in the 3rd period of a Blackhawks-Stars exhibition game. He missed. The NHL suspension? Not so much...
6. McNabbulous Accountability. The Eagles currently suck. Donovan McNabb knows this. He thinks they're better (so does Clinton Portis). They'll do better...or its McNabb's ass...seriously
7. Manning better than Manning. Deadspin's Rick Chandler thinks the whole concept is rather inane, but more to the point, ESPN can't be serious...can they? I guess we should just ignore statistics, consistency and common sense and just got with the guy who has...the same number of rings? Its ridiculous to compare the two. Peyton is just better. Unless Eli starts putting up Pro-Bowl after Pro-Bowl season, then its Peyton. Eli should start with being the best QB in the division, then we can start comparing him to the best in the league.
   
8. Red Sox B.J. While we're on an ESPN tangent, let's just finish 'em off. Seriously, what is this. Look, I get it. It's the ALCS and you're announcing playoff starters. Seems reasonable? But if you asked the casual baseball fan/ESPN reader who the game 1 starts of the NLCS was (Something I never saw an ESPN article on...nevermind top of the news, front page), they'd probably say something about Hole Camels. To which we think...thanks ESPN...I hope MNF tanks.
9. Chicago. Talk about falling off the map. The Cubs, arguable the best team in the majors throughout the entire season had as many post season wins as...well...me. Extending their curse another year and making me really glad I'm not a Cubs fan...though the Cubs do less than 10,000 losses. As for the White Sox? Hey, at least they broke their losing streak.
10. Marvin's Handgun. Lost in the Manning mess, the Colts struggles and the disappear Peyton Manning is the fact that Marvin Harrison was recently invovled in a "shooting." (I say "shooting" because the facts are murky at best and he has not been charged or really connected beyond the gun itself). Now the alleged victim is suing an uncharged Harrison claiming Harrison shot him. And yet our criminal court hasn't handled this yet? Inspiring.

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of 10 Things...Look forward to more next week and "Linkin' Logs" are back tomorrow (probably...maybe...kindasorta)