Power rankings

Who's hot this week in the world of sports ...

1. USF Bulls. Friday night'ss game didn't even matter. The Bulls already were on the college football map.
2. Scott Kazmir. D-Rays lefty likely will win strikeout crown despite limited pitching down the stretch.
3. New York Yankees.  Four months ago, they were dead in the water. Now, they might be World Series favorites.
4. Tampa Bay Bucs. Okay, they haven't beaten anyone good, but at least they're hammering teams good teams are supposed hammer.
5. Prince Fielder. The sweet swinging lefty continues to set the single-season homer record for the Brewers.
6. Carlos Pena. The sweet swinging lefty continues to set the single-season homer record for the Rays.
7. Milton Bradley. Padres outfielder was so hot, he’ll miss the season with a wrecked knee after being restrained by his manager from going after an umpire.
8. Delmon Young. He likely won't win it, but he should be the AL rookie of the year.
9. Cleveland Indians. Win AL Central for first time since 2001, and with that pitching is dangerous in a best-of-five playoff.
10. U.S. Davis Cup team. Not that anyone noticed, but it moved into the final, which it hosts Nov. 30-Dec. 3 against Russia.

Who's not hot this week in the world of sports ...
1. Greg Ryan. U.S. women's World Cup coach goes stupid overnight and benches his starting goalie before 4-nil loss in semis to Brazil.
2. Brianna Scurry. Hero of 1999 World Cup suddenly forgets how to play goal in loss to Brazil.
3. Hope Solo. Sure, she should've started against Brazil, but then to pop off by saying she would've made all the saves? That's some classy team player.
4. Pennant chokers. Biggest time of the year and the Brewers, Mets and Cubs decide to go into the tank. That's clutch, baby.
5. Steve Downie. Trying to make Flyers roster, he cheap-shots classy vet Dean McAmmond of Ottawa and now McAmmond is out with a concussion.
6. Florida State. Some 23 student-athletes might have cheated on tests. Disgusting.
7. Michael Vick. Now comes word that banished Falcons QB fails drug test. Way to start turning your life around, Mike.
8. Dan Boyle. His house nearly burned down a few years ago, now a skate falls from the sky and slices his arm. Talk about bad karma.
9. Mike Winters. Major-league ump apparently deserved to be suspended after shooting off his expletive-filled mouth in an argument with San Diego's Milton Bradley.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates. Ah, my beloved Pirates. Another losing season — the 15th in a row since Barry Bonds left after 1992 season.

I love Derek Jeter

I love Derek Jeter. Not the leave-my-wife-and-kids-and-run-away-with-him kind of love. But a I-could-watch-him-play-all-day-and-feel-good-about-it kind of love.

It didn't used to be that way. I used to hate Derek Jeter. I hated the Yankees and Jeter represented everything I hated. Too good. Too perfect. Too ... too ... Yankee.

I hated how he jumped out of the way of an inside pitch even though I swear half the time the pitch was actually a strike. I hated how he stood on the top step of the dugout to greet a teammate because I was convinced he only did it to get on TV and have everyone say, "See what a good teammate Derek Jeter is?'' I hated how he would arrogantly pump his fist after a victory.

Then it all changed. Like any great love affair, I can't exactly tell you what it is that made me fall head over heals -- well, in a baseball sort of way -- with Jeter. It just happened. Suddenly, I just realized that we're watching one of the greatest players of all time. He can field, run, hit, hit in the clutch, lead. And, really when you think about it, he's a class act on the field, never showing anyone up or hot-dogging or loafing.

But, more importantly, he has been a class act off the field. Even though he's young, single and living in the Big Apple, you never hear any junk about him. He doesn't get drunk and start fights in nightclubs. He doesn't get caught going 95 in a 55 mph zone. He hasn't been in rehab. He doesn't have member of his entourage getting busted for carrying guns or any of that. I'm not even sure he has an entourage. Sure, he dates a ton of women, it seems, but he IS single and you never hear any of his former girlfriends trashing him in the tabloids.

Even though he plays for the most famous team in sports (at least in this country) you never hear any controversy. He doesn't run his teammates down to the media. He doesn't complain about the manager or the fans. He doesn't complain about anything, at least not publicly. Even during the days when there was an alleged feud between him and A-Rod, you never heard anything coming out of Jeter's mouth.

Then I realize all the obligations he has -- to the fans, to the media, to the league, to New York, to baseball in general. He handles it all with a smile. And with class. Jeter is one of the most recognizable athletes in the country, but he doesn't act like a big shot. In the end, you realize Jeter acts on and off the field like we would like to believe we would all act if we were lucky enough to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. He acts like you would like your son to act if he played professional baseball: with a passion, with success, with class. We should all love Derek Jeter. Even you, Red Sox Nation.

A road game at home

Over the weekend, the obnoxious Red Sox fans came out in full force to the Trop to watch their team play the Devil Rays. Now it's the obnoxious Yankees fans filling up to the Trop to watch a Rays "home'' game. It shouldn't be this way. It's embarrassing for a home team to have three-fourth of its fans rooting for the visitors.

But don't blame the fans. As disgusting as some members of Red Sox Nation can be and as arrogant as some of those transplanted New Yorkers can be, it's their right to root for whatever team they want to root for. That becomes a right as soon as any fan whips out his wallet or her purse to plop down their hard-earned dough for a ticket. As long as the obscenities at left at home, a fan should be able to cheer or boo anything they want.

Remember years ago when Packers and Bears fans would fill up Tampa Stadium and cheer against the Bucs? Remember in the early days of the Lightning when Red Wings, Flyers and Penguins fans would make up most of the crowd at Expo Hall or the ThunderDome or even the then-Ice Palace? When the Bucs and Lightning got good, all that stopped. As soon as the Devil Rays get good and start filling the stands with their own fans, we'll have to continue putting up with all the Big Papi and Jeter jerseys. After all, cheering for the Red Sox or Yankees is a right that simply can't be denied.

Shooting from the lip

Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Best local shoutout
ESPN College GameDay's Lee Corso had high praise for the USF Bulls: "West Virginia better look out for next (Friday). They go to Tampa and play South Florida … They really got to play well to win that game.'' By the way, each week, the GameDay crew makes predictions for the "game-changing performance.'' Host Chris Fowler selected USF quarterback Matt Grothe.

Best shoutout II
The Gators struggled a tad against Ole Miss, but again, the College GameDay gang has jumped on the Gators bandwagon.
Lee Corso: "Florida is so good, they're getting scary. I didn't think they were going to be this good.''
Kirk Herbstreit: "I think the Gators are better this year than they were last year when they won the national championship.'' However, it should be noted that Herbstreit already has USC penned in as one of the teams in the national championship game.

Most interesting point
USF really has hit the big time. The Bulls seemed right at home Saturday on ESPN against North Carolina. Sideline reporter Rob Simmelkjaer, however, made a thought-provoking point about playing at Raymond James Stadium instead of an on-campus stadium: "As big teams like West Virginia and other Big East teams start to come in, I wonder whether, at some point, they're going to want to have a little more of a homefield advantage than they have here at Raymond James.''

Most honest assessment
On ABC's NASCAR Countdown, analyst Brad Daugherty perfectly summed up Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "I'm really looking forward to next season with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and giving him a fresh start as a fan because I think this opportunity gives him the chance to maximize his potential as a great race car driver. He's a great talent, and he has got a ton of potential. He's a fan favorite. But he has yet to emerge as a great race car driver''

Best use of a stat
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb caused a ripple last week, saying African-American quarterbacks still come under more scrutiny than their white counterparts. That might be true. But during halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan State game on NBC, Sports Illustrated's Peter King pointed out that part of McNabb's problems might start with the fact that since he led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, he was 9-12 as a starter heading into Sunday.

More McNabb
All the NFL pregame shows talked about Donovan McNabb's comments, but the best exchange came on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown.
Analyst Tom Jackson: "Am I surprised that when Donovan McNabb started to assess his situation that it might have a hint of racism to it? No, I am not. And I would tell anybody, walk in his shoes before you see the path that he's going down.''
Keyshawn Johnson: "Donovan McNabb lives in Philadelphia. He plays in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a tough city to play sports in. They have a washed-up journeyman boxer as their idol and as their folk hero. On the other hand, if Donovan was playing in a city like Atlanta, where there's Hank Aaron and Dominique Wilkins, things would be different for him. His opinion would be different.''

Best show of class
Here's what one football analyst said about Green Bay’s Brett Favre tying Dan Marino’s NFL record of 420 touchdown passes: "The thing about it is that he did it in a fashion where he came from behind, which he has done many times, in pure Brett Favre fashion to tie the record, which is outstanding. … To tie the record in that fashion, you have to feel good for him since he's such a great competitor.''
Which football analyst said that? Dan Marino.

Best hustle
ESPN's Chris Mortensen gets high marks for this piece of information: Apparently, Jets coach Eric Mangini is taking some heat for breaking the code of coaches by blowing the whistle on the illegal videotaping by the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick. But according to Mortensen, "three or four'' other teams complained last year about the Patriots cheating. It was only this time that the NFL had proof.

Strangest pairing
Did you see where Michigan coach Lloyd Carr has become buddies with actor Russell Crowe? It's true. ESPN's College GameDay did a piece about how Carr used clips of Crowe's Cinderella Man in pregame pep talks. Crowe heard about it and invited Carr to his home country of Australia to speak to the pro rugby team he recently purchased. Crowe then showed up last week to help motivate Michigan for its victory against Notre Dame. Carr and Crowe. Isn't that the most bizarre friendship you could imagine?

Most tired story
We're all pretty much tired of this Patriots "Spygate'' case, but now all the talk is how the Patriots are more motivated. Fox's Terry Bradshaw correctly pointed out that "the worst thing that could have happened to the rest of the league was 'Spygate' because now they are so focused.'' Let's see if I have this all straight. The Patriots do something illegal and now they feel persecuted? I don't get that.

Best comeback
On ESPN's Sports Reporters, Mike Lupica used a conversation about college football to once again rip the BCS and how there is no playoff system. "I can't wait for the tournament,'' Lupica deadpanned. But host John Saunders had a nice comeback: "The tournament started Sept. 1.''
Saunders is right. The regular season is the start of the tournament, and each week, teams are eliminated until you have two teams meeting for it all. The lack of a playoff system makes the regular season all that more meaningful. Just ask teams such as Penn State and Alabama, who likely were eliminated from a national title with losses on Saturday.

Most forgotten event
What in the heck has happened to tennis' Davis Cup? Time was, it was one of the most significant sporting events in the world. Okay, granted that "time'' was like 40 years ago. Still, it has pretty much faded away from the sports culture — at least in this country. Bet most of you didn't know it was on television over the weekend.

Most disturbing story
ESPN's Outside the Lines did a solid piece on the trouble brewing in Jena, La. That town has become the center of racial tension after nooses were found hanging from a tree on the high school campus. Days later, a white student was beaten by several African-American students, one of whom was originally charged with attempted murder even though the beaten student didn't even spend a night in the hospital. Last week, tens of thousands of African-Americans, including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, marched in Jena. What made the piece so troubling is that it appears nobody is blameless and there seems to be little in common to bridge the divide.

Most bizarre moment of the weekend
Did anyone catch Mike Patrick’s bizarre swerve off the road during Saturday's ESPN broadcast of the Georgia-Alabama game? In overtime, with Georgia taking over the ball and down by three, the crowd going wild, Patrick turned to partner Todd Blackledge and said, "I've got an important question.''
Blackledge: "Go ahead.''
Patrick: "What's Britney doing with her life?''
Blackledge: "Who?''
Patrick: "Britney.''
Blackledge: "Britney who?''
Patrick: "Spears. What's she doing with her career?''
Blackledge: "Why do we care at this point? Is she here?''
Patrick: "I don't think so.''
Blackledge: "Is she a football fan?''’
Patrick: "Oh, I'm sure she is.''
And that was it. On the next play, Georgia scored and won. Perhaps it was Patrick's attempt to lighten the mood at a critical, pressure-filled moment of the game. Or maybe he was trying to be funny. But we took it the same way Blackledge did. That was essentially to say, "Whaaaaaaaat?'' Patrick is a solid announcer, one of the best in the business. Here's hoping he doesn't do something so goofy like that again.

Biggest curses in sports

The poor Portland Trail Blazers. Even when they look like they're doing the right thing, the move backfires and kicks them right in the teeth. The NBA team won the draft lottery, selected the consensus No. 1 pick — Ohio State center Greg Oden — and now comes word he will miss the 2007-08 season with a knee injury. That begs the question: Is the franchise cursed? Maybe. Just maybe. Here's a look at 10 notable sports curses. Of course, not included is the Curse of the Bambino because, as Red Sox Nation will tell you, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.

Portland Trail Blazers
They did have some success. Bill Walton'ss bunch won an NBA title in 1977. But in 1984, the Blazers had the second pick in the draft and took Kentucky center Sam Bowie, passing on some kid named Michael Jordan. Bowie's career was plagued by injuries, while, of course, Jordan went on to win six NBA titles with the Bulls. Portland's NBA titles remain at one.

Boston Celtics
You're talking about one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, so it can't be too cursed. But, isn't it hard to believe that Boston's last title was 21 years ago? That is when the curse, in the form of tragedy, began. Len Bias was supposed to bridge the gap between Larry Bird's Celtics and another dynasty. But less than 48 hours after he was drafted second overall in 1986, Bias died of cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from cocaine use. With new additions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics hope to return to glory this season.

Chicago Cubs
Of course, the most cursed team in baseball, having gone  100 years without a World Series title. This is the stuff of legend: Curse of the Billy Goat, the Black Cat Collapse of 1969, blowing a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five National League Championship Series in 1984 and, of course, interfering-fan Steve Bartman helping the Cubs blow the 2003 pennant. Sweet Lou Piniella has been brought in to reverse the curse.

Andretti curse
The Andrettis are, perhaps, the most famous and successful family in auto racing. Except when it comes to the Indianapolis 500. Five Andrettis spanning three generations have competed 58 times in one of racing's most illustrious events. And only once has an Andretti won. That was Mario all the way back in 1969.

City of Buffalo
Maybe we should change the name from Buffalo to Bridesmaid. The city has two major North American sports teams — the Bills of the NFL and the Sabres of the NHL, but neither has won a championship despite numerous appearances in the title round. The Bills lost four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990-93, including Scott Norwood's infamous miss of a field goal in Tampa in Super Bowl XXV. The Sabres are 0-2 in the Stanley Cup final, including Game 6 in overtime of the 1999 final when, to this day, Buffalo fans swear Dallas' Brett Hull was illegally in the goal crease.

Astrodome curse
The Astros played 15 seasons in the Astrodome before making the baseball playoffs, and it wasn't until they moved onto a grass field at Minute Maid Park that they made it to the World Series, which they lost in 2005 to the White Sox. Meantime, the Oilers played 29  seasons in the Astrodome and never went to a Super Bowl. Although, the Oilers' trouble might have to do more with the Super Steelers of the 1970s than the Astrodome. Still, the franchise did make it to a Super Bowl after the team relocated to Tennessee.

San Diego curse
It is one of the nicest cities in the world, but people don't live there for the sports. Despite having an NFL team, a major-league baseball team and, for a while, an NBA team, San Diego has never won a major sports championship unless you count a 1963 American Football League title. Last year is a prime example. The Chargers went 14-2 and were favored to win it all, only to get knocked out in their first playoff game. By the way, San Diego State has never won an NCAA men's basketball tournament game and the football team hasn't won a bowl game since the 1969 Pasadena Bowl.

Sports Illustrated jinx
One of sports' most famous curses says anyone who appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated is sure to run into bad luck. The curse supposedly started with the first issue (Aug. 16, 1954) when Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews appeared on the cover then injured his hand a week later. About five years ago, SI looked back over its 2,456 covers (at that time) and determined that 37.2 percent of the time something "unhappy'' happened afterward. Still, Michael Jordan was on the cover a record 49 times and his career went pretty well. But 37.2 percent? Thats a pretty significant number.

Curse of Muldoon
Chicago Blackhawks coach Pete Muldoon put a curse on the Hawks when he was fired in 1927. Since then, they have won three Stanley Cups — 1935, 1938 and 1961.  Speaking of 1961, no current NHL team has gone longer without winning the Cup than the Blackhawks.

Madden curse
The John Madden NFL video game curse really does seem real. Check out these cover boys:
Garrison Hearst: The running back who appeared on certain versions of Madden '99, broke his ankle in a Jan. 9, 1999, playoff game and missed 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Barry Sanders: The running back who shared the 2000 cover with Madden, stunned the Lions by retiring before 1999 training camp.
Eddie George: The running back who dominated the Madden 2001 cover, finished 2001 with a then career-low in yards and TDs, partly because of a nagging toe injury.
Daunte Culpepper: The quarterback's 2001 season ended after 11 games because of a knee injury. In those 11 games, he threw 14 TDs and 13 interceptions.
Marshall Faulk: The running back  missed two games in 2002 and five in 2003 with ankle, knee and hand injuries.
Michael Vick: The quarterback broke his leg in the preseason and missed the first 11 games of the 2003 season.
Ray Lewis: His Ravens missed the 2004 playoffs after winning the division in 2003, and the linebacker played in only six games in 2005 because of a hamstring injury.
Donovan McNabb: A year after the 2004 Super Bowl, the quarterback suffered a sports hernia midway through the season.
Shaun Alexander: After missing one start in his first 64 games, the running back missed six games in 2006 with a broken foot.
How real is this curse? Well, put it this way. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson refused to be on Madden '08. Tennessee second-year quarterback Vince Young is on the cover. So we'll wait and see.

Shooting from the lip

Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Biggest story
The NFL pregame shows were all over the Bill Belichick scandal, and for good reason. The news that the Patriots coach was videotaping the other team's signals is serious stuff. And the excuse that "all the other kids are doing it'' (and CBS's  Bill Cowher said many NFL coaches try to steal signals), it doesn’t make it right. Of all the talk and banter, CBS's Dan Marino summed up best why this is simply wrong: "To a quarterback, if you know the signals ahead of time, that's a huge advantage. If you know where the blitz is going to come from, what coverage that they're going to be in … it's arrogant. It's wrong. It's cheating.''

Best point
Will the spying scandal taint the legacy of Bill Belichick? ESPN’s Mike Ditka thinks so."The one thing he said — that (this) is behind us, you're wrong,'' Ditka said. "This is not behind you. It will never be behind you. It is part of your legacy whether you like it  or not. I don't make the rules. I'm just telling you, you will always be remembered for this, more than the great things you've done on the sidelines.''

Best hustle
Fox reporter Jay Glazer gets the best hustle award for obtaining a copy of the actual video obtained by the NFL from the Patriots in the spying scandal.

Best hustle, runnerup
ABC's Bonnie Bernstein reported that Demetrius Jones, who started at quarterback in Notre Dame's first game this season, left the Irish and was enrolled in classes at Northern Illinois. Sounds like she found out almost as soon as Irish coach Charlie Weis did.

Worst use of a plug
I'm sick of watching the ticker on ABC's college football games and having to wade through promotions for upcoming shows before I see what Penn State (or Ohio State or LSU or whomever) is doing.

Best quote
After nearly getting bit by the upset bug when UCF opened its new stadium Saturday, Texas coach Mack Brown was asked what he learned about his Longhorns. Brown said, "That we shouldn’t open up anymore stadiums!''

Biggest insult
Don't expect to see Fox baseball analyst Mark Grace showing up in the Baltimore Orioles clubhouse anytime soon. Grace was less than graceful in tearing into the O' pitching staff during Saturday's Fox pregame show. "They're embarrassing a very good man and very good manager in Dave Trembley,'' Grace said. "And ever since he got the job, the pitching staff decided, 'Well, we’re just not going to get anybody out.' ''

Weirdest story
ESPN's College GameDay did a story on how Washington has come up with a unique postpractice drink to hydrate players: chocolate milk. They have to drink it. Coach Ty Willingham makes them. That just sounds gross. Here's a thought for the Huskies who don't like drinking chocolate milk after practice: the next time you win, instead of dumping Gatorade on Willingham …

Worst team
You hate to keep picking on Notre Dame football, but geez, did anyone ever believe this team could be this bad? After three games, the Irish still don’t have an offensive touchdown. "USC could beat them by 100 points,'' Stephen A. Smith said on Sunday’s Sports Reporters on ESPN.

Detroit Free-Press columnist Mitch Albomon the same show, spoke for many when he asked how this could happen: "The school could close down and a dozen (high school) All-Americans would sign up for next season. I don't understand this lack of talent all of a sudden. You can't use graduation or departure to the NFL as a reason. … I have never seen a team look so discombobulated and offensively inept. … Astounding.''

Another Irish insult
While going over the highlights of Notre Dame’s 38-0 loss to Michigan, ESPN analyst Mark May said, "Would it be fair to say the wheels have come off?'' To which host Rece Davis said, "That would be unfair because that would imply they had wheels at some point.''

Funniest line
ABC/ESPN NASCAR analyst Dale Jarrett, talking about Budweiser sponsoring Kasey Kahne: "Good fit, I think. He does a great job on the racetrack and a terrific job off the racetrack, so I think this is a wonderful fit. Yes, he will have to carry his ID with him. He might not look 21, but he can represent Budweiser well.''

Best prediction
This goes back before the weekend, but the work of Devil Rays color analyst Joe Magrane needs to be complimented. During the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game, the Rays were up a run against Boston. The Red Sox had a man on and David Ortiz up. Pitcher Al Reyes threw several outside pitches. At that point, Magrane not only predicted Reyes would come inside, but that if he did, it would be a huge mistake. Magrane was dead-on. Reyes came inside and Ortiz hit the pitch into the rightfield stands for a walkoff homer.

Best show of class
Normally, when ESPN's College GameDay goes into a college town, fans of the local team jeer when the show runs a feature on the opposing team. That's half the fun of the show. But Nebraska fans in Lincoln — site of Saturday night's USC-Nebraska game — showed incredible class and respect when GameDay ran a story on Mario Danelo, the USC kicker who was found dead at the bottom of a California cliff a few days after last season's Rose Bowl. Not only did the fans in Lincoln sit in respectful silence, they gave polite applause after the piece.

Best moment
The best moment of every week during college football season is when Lee Corso of
ESPN's College GameDay makes his final prediction of the show and puts on the gear of the mascot of the team he is picking. It's especially great when he does what he did Saturday: talking up how great Nebraska is in front of the Cornhusker fans and then … putting on the USC Trojans outfit in front of outraged fans.

Worst moment
You had to be up until midnight Saturday to see it, but a  Colorado woman who didn't know she was on TV giving a one-finger salute after the Buffaloes' kicker who missed a field goal against Florida State was either really funny or really shocking. We're guessing her parents were thinking the latter.

Best analyst
The best part of all the NFL pregame shows? ESPN's 10-year-old Jason Krause, who does a weekly commentary for Sunday NFL Countdown. His commentary included this gem: "At the end of last season's Patriots-Chargers game things got a little ugly. But as bad as that display was, LT (LaDainian Tomlinson) didn't exactly take the high road to his postgame press conference. Come on, guys, your supposed to be role models for kids my age, not act like kids my age. As for Coach Belichick, looks like he might have been up to some pretty funny stuff last week against the Jets. I know in my school I get detention if I cheat. I wonder, does it work the same way in the NFL? So guys, let's play fair, have fun and no matter who wins the game this time, leave the dancing to the experts.''

Line of the day
"Chokin' freakin' dogs.'' That's what golf analyst Dottie Pepper said Saturday after the U.S. Solheim Cup team let the European team come back and tie several matches. The problem? Pepper thought she was off the air. Uh, she wasn't, and her line went out over the airwaves. The chokin' freakin' dogs came back to win the event Sunday.

Power rankings

Who’s hot this week in the world of sports

1. USF. Biggest win in school history might land Bulls in Top 25 by next week.
2. Rocco Baldelli. Close to being healthy for a couple of hours in a row.
3. Roger Federer. Another U.S. Open championship.
4. Justine Henin. Another U.S. Open championship.
5. Notre Dame/Michigan. After three weeks, whoever wins finally will be hot.
6. Sidney Crosby. Pens superstar delivers season tickets to people’s homes. Isn’t that cool?
7. Kevin Everett. Thank goodness the injured Bills player might actually walk again.
8. Dario Franchitti. Wins IndyCar race in what could be his final turn before joining NASCAR next year.
9. Tim Tebow. The new Gators QB is off to a rockin’ start.
10. Hockey fans. Training camp is under way!

Who’s not hot this week in the world of sports:
1. Bill Belichick. Cheating scandal another reason not to like this sourpuss.
2. Greg Oden. NBA career (and knee) slips off track before it even starts.
3. McLaren Racing. F1 racing team fined $100-million for spying.
4. Devil Rays bullpen. No lead is too big for this group to blow.
5. Notre Dame/Michigan. Loser of this game is really not hot.
6. David Boston. So much talent. So much waste of that talent.
7. Florida State. When you’re giddy about beating UAB, something is wrong.
8. The Bucs. Seriously, based on Sunday’s performance, can this team win five games?
9. Minnesota Twins. GM Terry Ryan, one of baseball’s “good guys,’’ resigns.
10. NFL. Michael Vick. Player arrests. Steroids. Bill Belichick cheating. Man, it hasn’t been a good year.

My favorite Jewish sports figures

Al Rosen, the legendary third baseman for the Cleveland Indians in the 1940s and 1950s, once said, "When I was up in the majors, I always knew how I wanted it to be about me. … Here comes one Jewish kid that every Jew in the world can be proud of.''

Well, with Rosh Hashana beginning today at sundown, it's time to honor a list that all sports fans can be proud of. Here is my list of my favorite Jewish sports figures:

Amy Alcott: Won 29 times on LPGA Tour, including five majors.
Lyle Alzado: Two-time All-Pro, 1977 NFL defensive player of the year.
Red Auerbach: Perhaps greatest basketball coach/executive in NBA history.
Brad Ausmus: Three-time Gold Glove catcher with the Astros.
Max Baer: Former heavyweight champ and father of Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies.
Gary Bettman: NHL commissioner since 1993.
Lou Boudreau: Seven-time baseball All-Star, 1948 American League MVP, Hall of Famer.
Ron Blomberg: Claim to fame? Major-league baseball's first designated hitter.
Larry Brown: Only coach to win NCAA and NBA title.
Sasha Cohen: Figure skater won silver at the 2006 Olympics.
Mark Cuban: Mavs owner gets our vote for most outrageous owner in sports.
Ben Davidson: Raiders great might be scariest football player of all time.
Bill Davidson: As owner, won Stanley Cup with Lightning and NBA titles with Pistons.
Al Davis: Raiders owner gets our vote for most controversial owner in history of sports.
Theo Epstein: Youngest GM in baseball helped Red Sox break World Series curse.
Mitch Gaylord: First U.S. gymnast to score a perfect 10.00 in the Olympics and won four medals at 1984 Games.
Sid Gillman: Longtime football coach a pioneer in the modern NFL passing game.
The Glazers: Bucs owners since 1995. Also own Manchester United soccer club.
Marty Glickman: Olympic sprinter and All-America football player. Also, noted broadcaster.
Robbie Gould: Bears kicker hit 24 straight field goals last season on way to All-Pro team.
Shawn Green: On the list of Jewish players, only Hank Greenberg has more homers.
Hank Greenberg: Five-time All-Star. Two-time MVP. Four-time homer champ. Hall of Famer.
Bud Greenspan: Master documentary filmmaker of the Olympics.
Ken Holtzman: Southpaw was a two-time All-Star and member of the A's dynasty in the early 1970s.
Red Holzman: Legendary NBA coach led Knicks to titles in 1970 and 1973.
Sarah Hughes: The 2002 Olympic figure skating champ. Older sister of skater Emily.
Zab Judah: Former welterweight champ was among best pound-for-pound boxers a few years ago.
Sandy Koufax: Three-time Cy Young winner and seven-time All-Star. Perhaps greatest Jewish athlete ever.
Jerry Krause: GM of one the NBA's best-ever teams: the Bulls of the 1990s.
Nancy Lieberman: On the short list of the greatest female basketball players of all time.
Marv Levy: Coached the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls.
Sid Luckman: Old-time quarterback in Hall of Fame, both college and pro football.
Shep Messing: Most famous goalkeeper of the old North American Soccer League.
Josh Miller: Hey, got to have a punter on the list.
Ron Mix: Hall of Famer, one of NFL's best offensive linemen ever.
Art Modell: Legendary owner of the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens.
Bobby Nystrom: Mr. Islander scored Cup-winning goal in 1980.
Gabe Paul: Baseball exec who served as Yankees GM during the glory days of the 1970s.
Corey Pavin: Golfer won the 1995 U.S. Open; member of three Ryder Cup teams.
Morgan Pressel: Only 19 and has already won a golf major.
Jerry Reinsdorf: Owner of White Sox and the Bulls. Greatest glory: the Michael Jordan era.
Al Rosen: The 1953 American League MVP was a four-time All-Star .
Bud Selig: Major League Baseball commissioner since 1992.
Mark Spitz: Arguably greatest swimmer ever. Won seven golds at 1972 Olympics.
David Stern: NBA boss generally considered one of sports greatest commissioners ever.
Steve Stone: Former Cubs announcer won 1980 AL Cy Young.
Kerri Strug: Best remembered for her vault on a severely sprained ankle in 1996 Olympics.
Stu Sternberg: Devil Rays owner the past two years and in danger of falling off our list if he doesn’t get some bullpen help!
Steve Yeager: Co-MVP of the 1981 World Series while catching for the Dodgers.

Women's World Cup: Five to watch

Group of death
That moniker is earned by the group considered toughest in soccer draws, and in this World Cup there’s no debate. The Americans, ranked No.  1 by world governing body FIFA, play in Group B, which has two other top-five teams, 2003 runnerup Sweden (No.  3) and North Korea (No.  5). The fourth is Nigeria, the African champion. The group is identical to 2003, when the Americans and Swedes advanced.

(Pictured: U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo. AP photo.)

Show that again, please
Since the tournament is in China, the games are on at 8 a.m. Eastern — except for the really early ones which are at 5 a.m. For instance, the first U.S. match is today at 5 a.m. in Chengdu against North Korea. So unless you picked up the Times right as it hit your doorstep, you might have missed it. Not to worry, it’s on again at 5 p.m. on ESPN Classic and at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. ESPN will rebroadcast games throughout the tournament.

Flying Solo
The likely starter in goal for the U.S. team is Hope Solo, who has had most of the starts the past three years but is making her World Cup debut. She played 18 matches last year and was 14-0-4 and at one point had a streak of 1,054 minutes without allowing a goal. Should she falter, Brianna Scurry, one of two remaining players from the 1999 champions, is also on the team.

Rivalry carryover?
If this were the men’s World Cup, the Fleet Street tabloids would be salivating. England, which qualified for the first time since 1995, was drawn into Group A with two rivals that tend to rile up fans on the other side of the Atlantic — Germany and Argentina. Germany is the defending champion to boot.

(Pictured: Fireworks are displayed over the Hongkou Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Women's World Cup Monday in Shanghai, China.)

China at last?
China was supposed to host the 2003 World Cup until the SARS outbreak forced officials to hurriedly move the event to the United States. China has experienced a little of everything in World Cup history — hosting the inaugural event in 1991, fourth place in ’95, runnerup in ’99 — except for one thing: winning the trophy. Are the hosts as resilient as their nickname, “The Steel Roses,” would indicate?

U.S. schedule, Group B
vs. North Korea, 5 a.m. Monday, Chengdu
vs. Sweden, 5 a.m. Friday, Chengdu
vs. Nigeria, 8 a.m. Sept. 18, Shanghai

-- Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer

Shooting from the lip

Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...

Just a thought
College football fans might disagree, but is it possible that there are too many games on television?
More than 20 games were aired Saturday, including what should have been several intriguing matchups: Michigan-Oregon, Notre Dame-Penn State, Georgia-South Carolina and Virginia Tech-LSU. Yet doesn't it seem almost impossible to keep track of all the games? And when you can't keep track, isn't it that much more difficult to enjoy? Maybe it's me. And yes, in the end, it is better to have too many games than too few. Yet even with a choice of practically every decent game being played, it's almost better to focus on one than try to watch eight at a time.

USF coverage
Former NFL quarterback Dan Fouts has made the smooth transition from color analyst to lead play-by-play announcer as evidenced by his solid work in Saturday night's game against Auburn on ESPN2. In football circles, not many have made that jump. Pat Summerall and Frank Gifford come to mind and not many others. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't realize Fouts is an analyst turned lead announcer. Oh, speaking of the USF game, no surprise that Bulls coach Jim Leavitt is taking some heat from fans on the Pinellas side of Tampa Bay. After his Bulls upset Auburn, Leavitt said it was a big victory for "Tampa.''
USF alum and Clearwater resident Dick Briske wrote into the Times to say, The city of Tampa is not the only supporter of USF in the area and beyond. We get enough of the 'Tampa' Bucs that we don't need USF snubbing the rest of the bay area, too.''

Worst scheduling
True, the WNBA's audience probably doesn't cross over to football audiences. Still, you have to wonder why the league would put Game 2 of its finals, the league's premier event, head to head against college football. Game 2 was Saturday afternoon. Maybe it wouldn't make a difference, but doesn't it seem like a smarter idea to put games on at night in the middle of the week, when the only competition is baseball instead of the weekend, when the competition includes baseball, golf, tennis and about 3,000 college football games?

Local reference
On ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, analysts Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson and Tom Jackson picked the Bucs' Gaines Adams to win NFL defensive rookie of the year honors.

Strongest quote
Art Schlichter, the former college football great, was featured on Sunday's Outside the Lines on ESPN. The star quarterback at Ohio State saw his NFL career and life sabotaged by a gambling addiction, which eventually landed him behind bars. Today, Schlichter tours the country speaking about the dangers of gambling. "It's like crack cocaine,'' Schlichter said. "They say that once you've gotten that first high, you'll never find the next high. It will never be as good.''

Best conversation
ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown looked at the NFL's reputation in light of knuckleheads such as Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and Michael Vick.
Analyst Tom Jackson: "When you start talking about money, which I think is the key issue, as a player you can make so much money that no one can tell you what to do. But it does not mean that you get the chance to do anything that you want.''
Former Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who is off to a strong start at ESPN, said: "I played for Coach (Tony) Dungy. We respected Dungy in Tampa, and we knew not to do anything wrong. As far as Bill Parcells, we respected him. And if you didn't, he will hit your pockets. You'll be gone, and you won't be able to feed your family. I think that's the only way. If you’re going to get to these players in the NFL, it is by doing those things.''

Best song
Best pregame of the weekend? Hands down, legendary singer-songwriter Carole King singing God Bless America with the Songs of Solomon Choir from Harlem before the women's final of the U.S. Open. The time has come, by the way, to replace the Star-Spangled Banner with God Bless America before all sporting events.

Best cameo appearance
Frank Caliendo, the guy on Fox's pregame who does an absolutely scary dead-on impression of John Madden, was brilliant as usual Sunday. But the star of his segment was a surprise guest. In a little cross-promotion, NBC's Bob Costas joined the segment, telling Caliendo, "I know John Madden. I work with John Madden. Frank, you don’t measure up.'' The piece ended with Costas knocking out Caliendo in a fight. "Frank got his butt kicked by a preschooler,'' Fox's Howie Long said.

Funniest moment
CBS pregame analyst Dan Marino wore a "Spit Shield'' because he will be sitting next to former Steelers coach Bill Cowher this season. "It was a gift from Ben Roethlisberger,'' Marino said.
Cowher, by the way, made a strong debut and even made a comment about himself. "There’s no doubt,'' Cowher said in all seriousness, "that Roethlisberger is going to have more leeway (under coach Mike Tomlin).''
Partner Boomer Esiason said, "It must be good for Ben Roethlisberger to actually have a coach that will trust him.'' Cowher and Esiason are shaping up as playful adversaries, which is what makes Fox's Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long work so well together.

Best athlete
If Roger Federer can put together one more big year — and there's no reason to think he won't — he should finally be recognized as the greatest tennis player ever, if he isn’t already. On ESPN's Sports Reporters, New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said, "Federer isn’t just the best tennis player of his era and probably any era by the time he is through. He is the best of sports right now. I believe he is better at what he does than Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning or LeBron.''

Best reporting
Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer had a nice little scoop about Chiefs star Tony Gonzalez being affected in the offseason by Bell's Palsy. But an even more interesting tidbit was how much the Falcons players dislike quarterback Michael Vick. Glazer claimed Falcons players used to hold contests to guess which quarter Vick would fake an injury. "That locker room is not sad to see him go,'' Glazer said.

Biggest "huh?'' statement
CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said, "Certainly, the Chargers have the best player (in LaDainian Tomlinson).'' Certainly? As in, "no doubt about it?'' Tiger Woods is certainly the best golfer in the world. Roger Federer is certainly the best tennis player. Tomlinson is good. He might even be the best. But to dismiss Peyton Manning? Tom Brady? It's certainly not a given.

Best shout-out
Most underrated and underappreciated athlete in the world today? Justine Henin, who won her second U.S. Open and seventh major on Saturday. "Justine Henin is the female Roger Federer,'' CBS analyst John McEnroe said. Tennis legend Billy Jean King added, "Pound for pound, the best athlete I've ever seen.''

Worst team
Michigan or Notre Dame. Flip a coin. At least Notre Dame has been beaten by two good I-A teams, Georgia Tech and Penn State. In fact, Penn State looks to be very good. Lou Holtz, a former Notre Dame coach and current ESPN analyst, believes the Irish can win eight games even though their next six are against Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, Boston College and USC. College GameDay’s Lee Corso said, "They'll be lucky to win one of those games.''

88 reasons to love the NFL

The 88th NFL season is in full swing today. To celebrate, here's a look at 88 things I love about the league.
1. Tony Dungy
2. Cheeseheads
3. NFL Films
4. Sudden death
5. Tailgating
6. The Steelers' emblem on only one side of their helmets
7. Soldier Field
8. Redskins vs. Cowboys
9. Gene Deckerhoff (enthusiastic whether Bucs are up by 20 or down by 20)
10. Chad Johnson. Seriously, this guy is a blast.
11. The charity of the Lions to continue to employ Matt Millen
12. Tom Brady
13. The Chargers' lightning bolt
14. Games can't be rained or snowed out.
15. Reggie Bush
16. The Hogettes in Washington. (Who was the first guy who said, "Hey, let’s wear dresses!'')
17. Philly fans booing everyone — even their own team
18. Dan Rooney
19. Joe Horn's cell phone
20. Turkey with the Detroit Lions
21. Shared revenues (take notice, baseball)
22. The Swashbucklers (I guess they're now officially called the Bucs Cheerleaders)
23. Cowboys' Ring of Honor
24. John Madden and his own language
25. The fish taco at San Diego’s stadium
26. LaDainian Tomlinson
27. Steelers vs. Browns
28. Fox NFL Sunday
29. Bill Belichick. He's about as exciting as a cardboard box, but he can coach.
30. Chris Berman yelling, "Rumblin', bumblin', stumblin' '' on ESPN’s Primetime
31. A September snowstorm in Denver
32. The two-minute warning
33. Michael Vick isn't in it
34. "Upon further review … ''
35. Steve Smith
36. Peyton Manning commercials (Cut that meat! Cut that meat!)
37. Michael Strahan's smile
38. Joe Gibbs. Come on, you got to like old Joe Gibbs.
39. Fans in Baltimore are still ticked about losing the Colts.
40. Terrell Owens, Warren Sapp and Randy Moss
41. San Francisco's Mike Nolan wears a suit just like his daddy.
42. One game a week
43. There's a Bill Bidwell to make every other owner look good.
44. NFL Sunday Ticket
45. Hines Ward throwing a block
46. Football can heal. Just ask the city of New Orleans.
47. John Lynch
48. Jon Gruden's scowl after a Bucs QB throws a pick
49. Brett Favre will start. No matter what.
50. Cleveland kept the nickname "Browns.''
51. A 60-year-old man sees it entirely appropriate to wear the jersey of a man half his age.
52. We can hope some team goes undefeated so those geezers from the 1972 Dolphins will go away.
53. Jets fans at the NFL draft
54. Every Super Bowl ring looks different. And really cool.
55. Derrick Brooks
56. Temperature at Lambeau Field: minus-2
57. Pretty obvious, but still: the Super Bowl
58. That guy who dresses up like a Viking in Minnesota
59. Quick turnarounds. You can go 4-12 one year and 12-4 the next.
60. NFL Network (for the six people who get it)
61. The Cowboys' star
62. Warrick Dunn giving houses away
63. Chiefs vs. Raiders
64. Mack Strong (Seahawks fullback has best name in the NFL)
65. The horseshoe on the Colts helmet
66. The pirate ship
67. Fans without shirts in December at Buffalo
68. The Packers Hall of Fame (better than the Pro Football Hall of Fame)
69. Self-appointed Super Fans
70. Theme to Monday Night Football
71. The Bears' uniforms. Dark blue. White. Simple.
72. Jimmy Hoffa is buried underneath Giants Stadium.
73. HBO's Inside the NFL
74. Everyone watching at home is a coach.
75. Tedy Bruschi
76. The Terrible Towel
77. As bad as the Raiders are, that one guy still dresses like Darth Vader.
78. Two seconds left. Adam Vinatieri lining up.
79. A-Train whistle (please, Bucs, keep that thing going)
80. Packers vs. Bears
81. Saturday games late in the season
82. Roar of the crowd as the coach throws the red hanky
83. The crunch of dog biscuits in the end zone at Cleveland Stadium
84. Hail to the Redskins
85. Best stadium song: Welcome to the Jungle
86. Clevelanders still hate Art Modell
87. Everyone hates Al Davis
88. Marvin Harrison

Ludzy responds

So, on this blog yesterday, I wrote about Chris Gratton and how he was traded by the Lightning in 2000 after an incident involving former coach Steve Ludzik and former player Dan Kesa. Ludzik and Kesa got into a confrontation on the team plane after a game in Ottawa, Kesa was booted off the plane and left on the runway. Gratton then tried to talk Ludzik into letting Kesa back on the plane and then after the plane took off (without Kesa), Gratton and Ludzik had a long talk with Gratton trying to explain why Ludzik was wrong to do what he did.

Then on Friday, I got an e-mail from none other than Steve Ludzik. I should mention here that Ludzik was and remains one of my all-time favorite people in hockey. He and I got along extremely well during his stint in Tampa Bay and I enjoyed covering him. He's a good guy. Anyway, his e-mail didn't come off as angry, but he did want to clarify a few things about that infamous night on the runway in Ottawa. So, in fairness, here are some of the points Ludzik wanted to stress.

1. Kesa was being sent to the minors the next day anyway. That's why Ludzik called Kesa to the front of the plane. Why did he chose to tell him then? According to Ludzik, he got the call from GM Rick Dudley on the way to the airport. He was going to wait until the team arrived at its next destination (Raleigh, N.C.), but because the plane needed to be de-iced and was going to be late taking off, the plane wasn't going to arrive until, perhaps, 3 in the morning. Kesa's flight to the minors the next day was at 7 a.m. and he thought Kesa would want to know well before 3 in the morning that he had a flight at 7.

2. Kesa, according to Ludzik, was angry and hurled a few insults and what Ludzik, who did some shouting of his own, took as a challenge. (A few days later, the two did apologize to one another for flying off the handle.)

3. The two never did throw any punches. (That is true.) But did exchange some, um, unpleasantries. Kesa was kicked off the plane. Ludzik doesn't dispute that.

4. Here's Ludzik's big point: He claims that night had nothing to do with Gratton being traded. In fact, Ludzik said there were other reasons Gratton was traded, but he did not go into specifics.

5. Finally, Ludzik said Kesa is one of his all-time favorite players. And I can back up that claim. In fact, Kesa would appear in a Lightning uniform after his near fight with Ludzik. The two were very close, almost like brothers and it's not unusual for brothers to yell and fight now and then. The two remain close to this day.

So there it is -- Ludzik's side of the story.

The True Hollywood Story: Chris Gratton

Chris Gratton is back with the Lightning for the third time and it got me thinking about his first two stints in Tampa Bay. I covered Gratton through both stretches and how he left was always more interesting than how he arrived.

We all remember the first time he left. That was when he signed an offer sheet with the Flyers and then-GM Phil Esposito said he could not read the offer sheet because his faulty fax machine left a smudge over how much the Flyers were offering to pay Gratton. That's still one of the all-time classic Lightning and Espo moments.

The second time Gratton left never got a whole lot of attention, partly because he was traded late at night (a bit after midnight if I recall) to Buffalo in a deal that brought defenseman Cory Sarich to Tampa Bay. But why was he traded? That is the interesting part.

A few weeks before the trade came one of the most bizarre scenes in franchise history. The hapless Lightning had just been blown out in Ottawa and was boarding a charter flight to Raleigh, N.C. around 11 p.m. As player Dan Kesa passed by coach Steve Ludzik, Ludzik said something about Kesa's play. Kesa shot back with a smart-aleck comment and it was on. The two had to be separated from literally fighting on the plane.

At that point, Ludzik kicked Kesa off the charter. In the strangest sight I've ever seen in hockey, Kesa was left standing on the runway as the plane backed away from him.

Gratton, at the time, was the team's captain. At first, he tried to talk Ludzik into letting Kesa get back on the plane. When that didn't work, Gratton returned to his seat. Later in the flight (I'm guessing about 24,000 feet over the American-Canadian border), Gratton walked up to first class, took a seat next to Ludzik and the two talked for the better part of an hour. As any good captain would do, Gratton tried to explain to Ludzik why it was wrong to leave Kesa behind. The conversation never grew into yelling, but clearly the two men had different points of view.

While no one would ever admit it and while the trade did turn out to be a good one for Tampa Bay, I'm convinced that night when Gratton stood up for one his teammates to Ludzik was the beginning of the end for Gratton in Tampa Bay. Ultimately all of the Lightning leaders -- Gratton, Darcy Tucker, Mike Sillinger -- were traded because under Ludzik there was one way to do things: His way. Gratton was one of those who dared to question Ludzik's authority and it was part (and maybe ALL) of the reason he was shipped out of town.