ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

There were no surprises this morning when the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll came out. The top five looks about right: Kansas, Michigan State, Texas, North Carolina and Kentucky, in that order.

You've got the teams with the most returning talent at 1 and 2; two teams (Texas and UNC) with the combination of uber-talented newcomers and big-time youngsters ready to fill bigger roles; and perhaps the biggest wild card in college basketball this season (Kentucky) rounding out the group. I am a little surprised that Kentucky didn't move to No. 3 like they did in the AP Poll -- I fully expect the media to fawn over the super freshmen that John Calipari trots out in Wildcats blue.

Furthermore, what does the top five say about the Big 12? Texas and Kansas play one epic showdown at Texas later this season. Oklahoma may have a say in the Big 12 title before all's said and done. And Oklahoma State and Missouri, while they probably won't challenge for a conference crown, can certainly make some noise and challenge the Big Three.

Now, last year, it was the Big East that easily took the cake as the best conference. This year, not so much. And being the type that likes titles and grandiose names for inconsequential things, I'd like to name this year's "It" conference right now: the Big Ten. And it's only by a hair, because the Big East is solid (again) from 1 through about 11, the Big 12 has some great teams and the ACC still exists.

Yes, it pains me to say it because the Big Ten plays the worst style of basketball anyone could ever see. But this year's group is pretty damn good, from legitimate national title and Final Four contenders Michigan State and Purdue to the really, really good groups at Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State and maybe even Illinois. That's six teams already, and Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin aren't exactly light years behind the top six. By my count, that's nine solid, competitive schools.

So, what gives the Big Ten the edge over the Big East for me? I just think the overall clout of Michigan State and Purdue outweights the clout of 'Nova and West Virginia. That could change, but starting out this season, I'd say those two teams have a better shot at No. 1 seeds and/or Final Four appearances than anyone in the Big East.

But anyway, the rich get richer. Here's a breakdown of teams in the Top 25 by conference. Oh, and before I list them, just remember: I use the AP Top 25 all year, so this is as much (digital) ink I'll give the ESPN poll this year.

Teams in the Top 25
ACC: 4
Big East: 6
Big Ten: 5
Big 12: 3
Pac 10: 2
SEC: 3

Team of the Decade?

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick has a story up today about deciphering the Team of the Decade. He says the 2009 World Series will go a long way toward deciding things. If the Yankees win, he says there's no doubt they are the Team. But then he goes on to talk about the Phillies having a shot if they win.

That's where he gets a little lost.

Look, the Phillies are a great team. If they win this year, they'll have won back-to-back World Series for the first time since the Yanks won three in a row to end the 90s and start 00s. But seriously, before last year's run, the Phillies were a middling team that nobody cared about. They were just one of the teams fighting for the NL East division title like all the other 86-win teams that play in that division.

There, I said it. Don't deny it. It's true.

But let's back up a second and talk about what it takes to be the Team of the Decade. I even thought about this the other night, so I'm glad that Crasnick took it on.

I used the following criteria for my inner discussion: World Series titles, championship series appearances, playoff appearances and overall wins.

Titles. So, whoever wins this World Series ties with the Red Sox, who, in case you forgot, swept the World Series in 2004 and 2007. And, as much as I want this year's World Series to just be canceled, there has to be a winner.

World Series appearances. I'm counting years in which that team won it, and years in which they lost it. Yanks have been there three times. Sox, Phils and Cards twice. No one else more than once. That takes us to the next tiebreaker: Championship series appearances. That silence you hear is from Philadelphia (shocking that they're quiet, I know) because the Phillies' argument for Team of the Decade just ended.

LCS appearances. In college hoops, making the Final Four is enough of an accomplishment that it (almost) doesn't matter how you do there -- as long as you aren't embarrassed (looking at YOU, 2003 Marquette Golden Eagles). I'm not entirely sure that teams feel that way in baseball, but it's a similar feeling. It's a sign of accomplishment.

In the 00s, the Yankees made five league championship series. That's the most of anyone. That's the tiebreaker for the Yanks if they win the '09 World Series and tie up the BoSox. The Red Sox have made four league championship series, and split two of them with the Yankees.

The only other team that has a shot at winning this tiebreaker would be the Cardinals, the team I thought would be in the World Series this year representing the National League. St. Louis made four NLCS trips this decade. If they won another World Series this decade, they'd be right there with the Red Sox and Yankees (assuming the Yankees win in 2009).

Playoff appearances. We'll continue the tiebreaking even though we know the answers. The Yanks have made every postseason except for one from 2000 to 2009. The Cardinals have made seven. The Red Sox, Braves and Angels have made six appearances. The Twins and Athletics finish the decade with five. The Phillies have made three postseasons since 2000.

Overall wins. Mr. Crasnick gives us the win totals for 2000-2009. Yanks have the most; BoSox second; Cards third.

The bottom line here is simple: The Phillies are a great team this year. They were last year, too. But they don't deserve Team of the Decade status. They've had some above average teams that barely made the playoffs (2007) and a lot of average teams that didn't. Crasnick brings up a fine point -- the Phils have won 80 games more times in the 2000-2009 span than any other NL team. But still, as Crasnick writes, the Phils are 11th in baseball in overall wins since 2000.

Look, it's safe to say that they are the premier powerhouse in the NL now. That's fine. If the Phillies win back-to-back World Series, they enter the discussion for Team of the Decade. But even still, once you step back from the consecutive titles and think about it, they just don't stack up over the whole decade.

Gibbs Not the Answer in D.C.

Seriously, who started these rumors? Rumors that Joe Gibbs is coming back to the Redskins, either as a coach or general manager.

Who asks these questions?

When I used to cover Pitt sports, I hated -- hated -- when some radio or TV guy would ask, in the middle of a post-game press conference, some question that had nothing to do with the event they were covering.

Seems like this happened in Martinsville.

But anyway, and more to the point, why the heck do people always think things like this would be a good idea? Joe Gibbs? Really? Dude's like 7,000. I hate the notion that "so-and-so was great, let's bring him back and he'll just repeat his success."

Sure, Gibbs coached the Skins to a 31-36 record over his four-year return from retirement. Sure, they made the playoffs twice. But that team never looked like a Super Bowl team. He would need a team ready to win now, not a group that he can mentor. And that's what the Redskins need to do -- build from the bottom up.

Hire a young coach. Not a relic. Bring in some fresh faces and a new mindset. A return to the early 90s won't do anything to save your franchise. Get serious.

The L.A. Jaguars?

So, Ahnold signed a bill today that will allow construction on a new football stadium in Los Angeles pick up momentum. The Los Angeles Times reports that the stadium will seat 75,000 and cost a cool $800 million. Ahnold's John Hancock on legislation that exempts the stadium from California's environmental laws is all that the construction company needed to get things moving.

Which brings us to our next question: Who's going to play there?

You'll notice the headline of this post is "The L.A. Jaguars?" and the photo is just a giant Jaguars logo. That's because the Jags are one of the seven teams mentioned in the Associated Press article discussing the bill's signing. The other teams listed? Buffalo, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco.

Now, the most important part of this process isn't which teams are bad and which teams are good, although competitiveness does (obviously) play a major role in how well a team does financially. But let's just toss Minnesota, San Fran, Oakland and San Diego out right away. Why would any of those franchises do that?

There's this line in the AP article:

The firm has said the teams are in stadiums that are either too small or can't be updated with luxury box seats or other revenue sources an NFL club needs to thrive.

But I'm not buying the Vikes leaving MPLS. No way. The Twin Cities love their sports too much to let that happen. The three California franchises are so entrenched in their identities that I can't see them moving to L.A. Plus, the Raiders have already done it 17 times. Why would they want to do it again?

I think we'd see the host cities of those teams build or renovate stadiums before we'd see those teams move, especially in Minnesota, San Diego and San Francisco.

That leaves us with the soon-to-be-coachless Bills, the worst-team-possibly-ever Rams and the no-one-who-lives-in-Jacksonville-even-knows-they-are-in-Jacksonville Jaguars.

But again, we aren't going by records. If we did, the Lions would be in San Antonio by now.

Look, people in Buffalo love the Bills, good or bad, and show up at games. But the Bills are barely hanging on in Buffalo. I spoke to a sports media member in Buffalo two years ago and he said he'd be shocked if the team was still there in 10 years. Ralph Wilson's 91, and who knows what the mindset of the Bills' next owner will be. And that decision could come sooner rather than later.

The Rams are still new to St. Louis, but a bigger factor in this is that they are up for sale, at a cool cost of more than $900 million. If a deep-pocketed owner comes along and buys the team, who knows if they'll want the team ... and a new city.

And then we have the Jags. They are always the first team mentioned when people talk about NFL franchises moving. And although I realize it's not the first or last place you should go for information, the Jaguars' Wikipedia page isn't too promising. Low ticket prices, lower fan interest, blackouts in the region and slow business growth in and around Jacksonville all have major parts in possibly undoing the Jags as a Jacksonville-based franchise.

So, that's why the Jags seem most likely to move Los Angeles. The Bills will end up being the Toronto Bills soon. The Rams ... well, who knows what will happen to them. We'll find out, I guess.

Just don't expect the Jags to be a smash hit in Los Angeles, either. Seems like teams have trouble sticking around ...

The 2009-2010 Big Least

After an epic 2008-2009 season that saw UConn, Louisville and Pitt earn No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament and UConn and Villanova make the Final Four, the Big East may take a step back this basketball season. Not that a step back by the Big East is enough to make it a non-factor in college hoops this year, but it is enough to allow the Big 12 and possibly the Big 10 to step into the spotlight as the best two conferences this year.

Last October, it was hard to figure out a better group of teams than North Carolina, Pitt, Louisville and UConn. Sure, teams like Michigan State, Texas, Oklahoma and Duke looked tough, but it was obvious which teams were above the rest of the pack. The season played out as expected, with the four of the preseason top five getting No. 1 seeds and three of the preseason top six making the Final Four.

It was the same in the Big East conference standings, where everyone knew the top three, and the rest had to fight for scraps. But I'm not quite sure that'll happen this year. With only paper versions of teams formed so far, it's clear who the teams with the most potential are: UConn, Villanova, West Virginia and Georgetown. The "rest of the pack," as if these teams aren't heavyweights of their own, includes Syracuse, Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame. And four teams have a wild-card look to them: Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Providence and Marquette.

But still, nothing is set in stone like it was last year.

First of all, I don't see a top seed out of that group. Not because UConn, Nova or even West Virginia aren't good enough to play their way into a No. 1, but because the pecking order ahead of those three is pretty significant. There's no doubt in my mind that Kansas and Michigan State can be penciled in now for a No. 1 seed. Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue and Texas will battle it out for the other two slots.

We're essentially left hoping that a weakened ACC bloodies UNC, Kentucky isn't all its cracked up to be, Purdue struggles with injuries again and Texas's young talent doesn't pan out. But all of those things are less likely to happen than (a) UConn not quite finding its groove with Jeff Adrien, AJ Price and Hasheem Thabeet out of the picture, (b) Villanova relying too much on young big men to pick up the slack left by Dante Cunningham and (c) West Virginia not having enough help for its stars to eclipse any of the aforementioned teams.

Of course, on the flip side, it seems like Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker are primed to break out of the shadows of UConn's Big Three. Villanova is extremely high on Mouphtaou Yarou and Jay Wright has more quality guards and wing players than ever. West Virginia's duo of Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks are top-tier guys, and if a healthy and non-fighting-cops Joe Mazzulla returns to form, he could be one of the top guards in the conference.

With all of this said, let's break down the whole conference, shall we? Even if these teams aren't significant members of the top five, there are still a few that can really do some damage in March.

I've listed the teams in order of how I think they'll finish ...

1. Villanova -- I'm willing to buy into the Villanova staff's love of Yarou enough to say the Wildcats will be the best team in the league this year. Scottie Reynolds has ball-handling and distributing talent around him so he can revert to what he really is -- an undersized 2. This team will have some serious mojo after its Final Four run, and with a roster that's about 37 deep, Jay Wright's team is the one to beat in the Big East.

2. UConn -- I've always thought Stanley Robinson can be a big star. Not just in college hoops, but in the pros, too. Dude's got great size and athleticism for a 3, and at 6-9, he is a matchup problem every time he's on the court. I'd like to see Kemba Walker learn how to use his speed and explosiveness a little better this season. If he can harness his boltiness like Ty Lawson did for UNC, Walker can be one of the best lead guards in the game.

3. West Virginia -- Like I said above, if Mazzulla returns to form, WVU is gonna be tough to beat. But I don't like the roster much after the first three I mentioned.

4. Louisville -- I will probably catch some heat for this but I have this unshakeable feeling that Rick Pitino and his team, despite all the distractions, can still be counted on for 12 conference wins and a fourth-place finish. I think Peyton Siva will be a star. And I like that Siva gets to work with the Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles backcourt. That's a lot of experience. And above all else, Louisville's style will always be a handful for teams of comparable or lesser talent, and everyone below the Cards on this list fits into those two categories.

5. Georgetown -- I've said it for a few years now: Georgetown's playing style prohibits its extraordinarily talented lineup from flourishing. I wish JT3 would open up his offense and run. I'm just not sold on the Hoyas yet. I need to see them do everything that they didn't do last year (post-UConn of course) before I put 'em any higher.

6. Syracuse -- This team is quietly talented enough to sneak into the top four of the conference. Andy Rautins might be the best shooter in the league. We'll see who emerges as a leader, but I like the talent that Jim Boeheim has put together.

7. Pitt -- I don't really think Pitt will be very good this year. Not 30-5 good. Not No. 1-in-the-country good. But you knew that already. This team doesn't have the toughest makeup. Who knows what they'll get from Dante Taylor up front. The reports I read from Pittsburgh's summer league implied that he needed a lot of work despite a ton of raw talent. Jermaine Dixon isn't a go-to guy on offense and he's not a leader, but they're asking him to be both. Gilbert Brown is probably the most frustrating 6-foot-6 wing in hoops, and he won't even play until January. Those are the three best players on Pitt's roster. Nonetheless, I do love Ashton Gibbs and his development. There are a few blue-collar, younger guys who can contribute enough to keep the Panthers tournament-worthy, but nothing more than that.

8. Notre Dame -- It's hard to pick the Irish any higher than this after their 2008-2009 debacle. Looking at the preseason top 25 from last year, where ND was a consensus No. 9, it's amazing how colossally this team sucked. They couldn't defend a broom dribbling a basketball. But the positive from last season is that it's over, and Luke Harangody is back for one more season with Mike Brey and friends. Harangody is always a triple-double threat (you know, double digits in points, rebounds and complaints to the refs). Can Tory Jackson be the leader Brey needs him to be? Who will be the third cog in the offense -- Tyrone Nash maybe?

9. Cincinnati -- This is a team that could surpass both Pitt and Notre Dame and end up in the NCAAs. There's enough talent to finally help Deonta Vaughn, who seems like he's been in the Big East forever. We'll see how the Lance Stephenson Project works out. If Lance lives up to the on-the-court hype and avoids the off-the-court issues, he could be a major stud, but you knew that already.

10. Providence -- I'd like to see the Friars do a few things this year that they didn't do last year. You know, like not give up 80 points a game and absolutely fall apart at critical points. Seriously, how many times did the following happen last year: Opponent scores six unanswered points, PC's guards freak out and either (a) hurl up a 40-footer or (b) turn the ball over on 10 consecutive possessions. Poof, PC's down 10 and has no shot at coming back. I want to see them NOT do that before I put them any higher.

11. Seton Hall -- Not buying the hype. It's Seton Hall.

12. Marquette -- Buzz Williams coaching "his guys" sounds a lot like Buzz Williams coaching his team to a 12th-place finish. Lazar Heyward or no Lazar Heyward.

13. St. John's

14. Rutgers

15. South Florida

16. DePaul

Ready for October?

I hope you're ready for this, the best month of the year that isn't March. What a thrilling start to what should be a great postseason. The Twins never-say-die attitude got them this far, and now they're the eighth team in a stacked playoff that will decide your 2009 World Series champ.

It wouldn't be J. Greer Sports if we didn't dish out some predictions, now would it? But I'll let you in on my thought process for these prognostications: I'll give what my brain (and logic) tells me, and I'll give you what I have in my gut. Sometimes those two will match, but there are two series that don't match those feelings up. Let's get to 'em.

Red Sox vs. Angels

My head and gut both tell me that the Sox win this. I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone. I just don't think the Angels can get out of their own way in the playoffs these days. And I don't think it's that crazy to say Jon Lester or Josh Beckett steal a win in Anaheim and the Sox protect their house at Fenway. I'm taking the Sox in four.

Yankees vs. Twins

On paper, the Twins have no shot at winning this series. They could win one game, but logic just says no shot in hell for Minnesota. They arrived in New York at 3 a.m. this morning to play a 6 p.m. game agains the Yanks. The Yankees are a regular murderer's row of hitters -- although we'll see what A-Rod has in store for this postseason -- and C.C. Sabathia seems primed to shake his past postseason demons. But the difference is that A-Rod isn't going to be relied on to deliver all of the punishing blows. Mark Teixeira is about as good as it gets, and nobody is more clutch in the postseason than Derek Jeter. My head tells me the Yanks win in four.

But there's this feeling in my gut that I can't shake, and maybe it's because I was rooting for the Twins yesterday (and I've been rooting against the Yankees since I came out of the womb). A lot of that has to do with some stats I've seen since last night (typical ESPN stat, by the way): Of the four teams who have come from behind to win in the ninth inning or later in one-game playoffs, all four reached the World Series. The most recent, of course, being the Rockies in 2007. There's just something about a hot team like this that makes you hesitate, especially when it's billed as David vs. Goliath. So my gut says Twins in four (gotta win it at the Dome).

Phillies vs. Rockies

Cliff Lee hasn't been very good recently (save for back-t0-back starts against the Nats and the Braves in mid-September). And he's never thrown in the postseason. Doesn't seem like Cole Hamels is as good as we thought -- or maybe he just had an off-year (by the standards we all set for him). Brad Lidge is the most terrifying closer in baseball this year (he's 2009's Joe Borowski). So, that has to make you nervous. But -- and that's a big but -- the Phils have the experience of winning it all and a great lineup. We'll see if that's enough to overcome what I suspect will be a shaky postseason pitching staff. My head tells me the Phils in five.

And my gut tells me Rockies in four.

Cardinals vs. Dodgers

The Cardinals have an incredible one-two punch in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. I read a stat somewhere that said the Cardinals, as a team, have hit .233 against lefties this year. Still, I'd like to see any team's batting average against Carpenter-Wainwright. Therefore, my head -- and gut -- give the Dodgers about a 5 percent chance of winning this series. I'll take the Cards in four.

Whining Starts at the Top, I Guess

As if Ray Lewis blaming his team's inability to win and his teammate's inability to catch a pass on the officials was bad enough, John Harbaugh went one step further. The Ravens coach is planning to submit video of the Patriots-Ravens game, complete with complaints about "preferential treatment" of Tom Brady and tear stains on the paperwork.

Really? Shouldn't the Ravens be focusing on their next game? It's already Tuesday. The game ended more than 48 hours ago. I hope that Harbaugh spent more of that time teaching Mark Clayton how to catch a football and the Ravens' secondary how to stop a pass than he did looking for Brady getting preferential treatment.

But really, the rules have been like this for a few years now, ever since Kimo von Oelhoffen jumped on Carson Palmer's leg in the 2005 playoffs. The rules became stricter when Bernard Pollard did the same thing to Brady last year. We know how the whole thing unfolded. So why are the Ravens making an issue of it now?

Seems like sour grapes to me. Every other team in the NFL could complain about this, too. Surely they'll express them at future league meetings. In the meantime, play football, Baltimore.

Twins-Tigers: Who Ya Got?

ESPN is reporting this morning that Brett Favre has saved humanity with a good performance in Week 4 and the entire network will now spend the rest of the week showering Brett with superlatives and breaking down his every move, from screen passes to breathing. There's no truth to the rumor that he will go to Copenhagen and try to get the Olympics for Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Let's talk about today's big news: The Twins and the Tigers will play one game to decide who goes to the playoffs and who doesn't. Talk about crunch time. That Dome will be rocking. I've already been asked who I'm taking in this game, so let's break it down.

The Twins' bats are smoking hot. Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer and Joe Mauer have 44 homers since the All-Star break. Denard Span, Matt Tolbert and Delmon Young are hitting .300 or better since then. So, it's going to be tough for Rick Porcello to make bats miss tonight, and that means he'll need some nice bounces and a good defense behind him. With that Dome-field advantage, I'm not sure he'll get that.

Can Miguel Cabrera get it together? Dude was drunk -- three times over the legal limit -- the night before the Tigers' biggest game of the season. He got home at 5 a.m. and promptly fought his wife, roughing her up in the process. So that begs the question, where's Cabrera's head going into tonight's game? Tonight has become the biggest game of the season for the Tigers, replacing their matchup against the White Sox on Sunday. And they're going to desperately need his bat and improved defense at first if they want a shot at winning.

Which young pitcher will have more nerves? The Twins' Scott Baker, a 27-year-old righty, has become the de facto ace for Minnesota (sorry, Carl Pavano). If he can get off to a quick start and pitch with a lead, he'll be more aggressive in the strike zone with the Dome crowd giving him a boost.

Rick Porcello is about as good as a rookie pitcher can get. The 20-year-old has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but this game may not be one he can win. I don't see his team's offense doing much, and there has to be a long ball or two from the Twins' big boppers.

Plus, who doesn't love Joe Nathan closing it out?

I'm taking the Twins tonight, and I don't think it'll require any late-inning heroics.

NFL Reactions

Seriously, all I hear is "Wah, wah, wah," Ray Lewis. The loudest player in football needs a tissue for his latest issue: The officials lost the game, not us. Typical Ravens whining. The new rules for quarterbacks are in place, so you have to play by them. You should've complained or commented when the rules were changed, Ray. But you were probably busy fighting people at clubs.

So, here's some advice, Ray: Don't give up 27 points next time. Just sayin'.

OK, let's run down all the games from Sunday ...

... The Lions keep putting up a fight each week. Not saying they are making the playoffs or anything, but they are definitely better than the Rams, Browns, Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, Raiders and maybe even the Panthers. The Bears are enjoying the early returns on Jay Cutler, who after a disastrous first-week performance has made quite the impression on his new team. But really, I don't need to hear any more "John-Elways-esque" comments when watching the highlight of him diving into the end zone.

... Can't the Browns catch one break, God? Please? I'm not a Browns fan by any stretch, but watching Cleveland play and inevitably lose is like watching the 1,876,237,867 times that the antelope doesn't escape the lions chasing it. You know the poor thing is gonna get caught and devoured, but you hold out hope that the Discovery Channel cameras will catch on tape the one time the antelope escapes. And then six lions pull down the antelope from every direction, disappear below the tall grass and reappear minutes later with blood all over their faces. But hey, at least that antelope doesn't have to watch Derek Anderson.

... Can we give up the Seahawks-as-NFC-West champs babble now? The Colts are a great team, yes. They look like one of the top five teams in football so far. But they just destroyed Seattle. Don't let 34-17 score fool you. It was way worse.

... The Giants are major contenders for the NFC title this year. No question about it. But people are freaking out about Eli Manning's foot. Really? Eli's foot? The New York Daily News went so far as to say Eli's is the most famous foot in the tri-state area. Ask Brandon Jacobs what he thinks about that. Or Mark Teixeira. Or Derek Jeter. Or C.C. Sabathia. I can think of about five other guys in the New York City area who are more important than Eli Manning. Sure, he's good and all, but not that good. You really think a heel injury that keeps him out two games and forces David Carr to hand the ball off to Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw about 40 times is that problematic? The Giants would be fine without Eli for a few games. So relax.

... God, I am sitting here scrolling through the games and posting reactions and, lo and behold, I reach the Redskins-Bucs game.

... The Titans are in serious trouble. Winless in their first four with Indy and New England on deck. Rough start. And I don't see them as anything but 0-6 before their bye week. Meanwhile, the Jaguars, a team that really struck me as terrible after Week 1, is 2-2 and breathing better. And with Seattle and St. Louis on deck, the Jags could be 4-2 going into their bye week.

... Oakland is just ... just awful. JaMarcus Russell is 43 of 108 so far this year. That's 39.8 percent.

... We already talked about the "We Never Actually Lose" Ravens. So let's talk about the Patriots. After losing to New York in Week 2, it was time to write the obituary for the dynasty. Not so fast. A solid, grind-it-out win against Atlanta and a great win against a very good Ravens team has New England at 3-1 and feeling confident. The passing game looked better, but it was the defense that played extremely well in this one. The secondary has meshed well with its new pieces.

... The Saints are the best team in the NFL right now. Yeah, I said it. I have never thought the Jets were as good as everyone talked them up to be. Sure, they'll be good this year, but not talk-smack-every-week good like they were acting. And don't think for one second that New Orleans is a pass-heavy, no-run-game, no-defense team. This is a well-rounded Saints club that is the cream of the crop in the NFC.

... The Bills and Dolphins played this weekend.

... Are the Broncos really that good or are the Cowboys just a mediocre 9-7 team with a great PR crew? (Think of the Cowboys as the Mitt Romney of football.) I think it's a little bit of Broncos being good and a little bit of the Cowboys being average. Denver gets its first real test next week when the Patriots come to the Mile High City. With their defense looking as good as any, the Broncos have a great opportunity to warn the rest of the AFC next week.

... The 49ers' defense single-handedly crushed my buddy Ken's fantasy team this week. I guess that's what happens when you face Kyle Boller and the Second Team to Go 0-16 in Two Seasons.

... Was there any doubt in anyone's mind that Jeff Reed would ice the games for the Steelers last night? Dude's got the entire city thinking the world is about to collapse when he steps onto the field and calmly drills the game-sealing kick. You had to know that was coming. There was no way the Steelers were losing that game, at home, on the brink of falling to 1-3. No chance. And they held on. And I won $5, too.

NFL Power Rankings (worst to first)

32. St. Louis
31. Tampa Bay
30. Kansas City
29. Cleveland
28. Oakland
27. Washington
26. Detroit
25. Carolina
24. Buffalo
23. Miami
22. Tennessee
21. Seattle
20. Houston
19. Arizona
18. Dallas
17. Jacksonville
16. Cincinnati
15. San Diego
14. Atlanta
13. Pittsburgh
12. Chicago
11. Green Bay
10. San Francisco
9. Philadelphia
8. Denver
7. New York Jets
6. Baltimore
5. New England
4. Minnesota
3. Indianapolis
2. New York Giants
1. New Orleans

J. Greer Is Back!

This comeback is bigger than Ma$e's. Well, maybe not. But still, I figured it's been long enough. The people are hungry, and I'm the man with the goods. So instead of all the usual welcome backs and catching up, let's just do what we do best: BS.

A few thoughts about the world as we know it right now ...

... First of all -- with the full realization that this will upset a LOT of my readers -- there is NO way, no chance, that the Phillies repeat. It's too difficult. And you need to have a bullpen situation figured out before you get to the playoffs.

... I can't wait for Where the Wild Things Are. And while I haven't seen Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, I'd like to. Can't say the same for Surrogates, though. God, Bruce Willis is just weird. Has anyone else noticed how hard he tries to be funny these days? It just falls flat. And this movie looks like a typical action film with a twist -- Bruce Willis in a weird-ass wig.

... I've said it before and I'll say it again: George Lopez is not funny. He will never be funny. So, why has TBS given him a late-night program? And why is TBS using Lopez as its latest version of "Extremely Irritating C-List Celebrity to Promote the Baseball Playoffs"?

... Doesn't get much more embarrassing than Hull City's 6-1 loss to Liverpool and Burnley's 5-0 abomination against the Spurs. Looks like the usual suspects will roam the top of the standings in the Premiership this year. No surprise there.

... I've had a debate with about five different people about this, but I think Joe Mauer is worth as much as Manny Ramirez and A-Rod. His contract runs out after 2010, and like Albert Pujols, Mauer's next contract has to be a huge one. I've read that the Twins like a seven-year, $120 million deal. I don't think that's enough. And it amazes me that Pujols doesn't make $30 million a year. He will soon. Who pays these guys? I don't know, but both are incredibly dedicated to their current clubs. And because they both seem to be nice guys to boot, they might take a discount to keep playing in Minnesota and St. Louis.

... It's October 1, and that means college hoops season is closer than you think. My buddy Jake and I were floating around No. 1 seed predictions today. I'm going with Michigan State, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas. Villanova will be the first 2 seed.

... Sure, the Dodgers are the best team in the National League, but in a league with teams that boast one-two punches like Carpenter-Wainwright and Lee-Hamels, the potpourri of question marks that forms LA's starting rotation is enough to have me worried.

... The Yankees look great as the season ends. But do they have the starters to match the lineup? That's the biggest question.

... Notice the early theme here? Pitching wins titles. Just ask the Phillies how important it was for Brad Lidge to dominate at the back end of the bullpen and Joe Blanton providing a fourth-starter spark.

... I'm reading Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains With the Smith Center Redmen by Joe Drape. I highly recommend it. Next up: Game Six by Mark Frost. Yup, you guessed it: It's about Game Six of the 1975 World Series.

... OK, OK, we can't avoid football for so long. Here are some 3-0 teams that won't make the playoffs: Denver and the Jets. Yeah, I said it.

... Here are teams with losing records that WILL make the playoffs: Pittsburgh and Arizona. Yup, the Super Bowlers from earlier this year. Not really taking much of a risk here.

... Drew Brees is the best fantasy player this year, and I'm not even sure he's the best QB in football.

... Joe Flacco's early-season success is nice, but it won't last. Color me skeptical.

... Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great part of the country. Spent a week there in September and already want to go back.

... I've been on a big SI.com kick lately, and this article is just one reason why. They have lots of staff and lots of good stuff on that site. Not anything new to many sports fans, but I'm just sayin'.

... Uh, delete everything off a phone before you get rid of it. Just an idea.

... Seems like Jermain Defoe is the better option next to Wayne Rooney with England than Emile Heskey.

... Last but not least, follow me on Twitter.