FanNation - The Republic of Sport

   A few thoughts from high atop a mountain in New Hampshire:

   * People are still picking the Patriots to win the Super Bowl? I''m not so sure they're a playoff team right now. Yes, 0-4 in the preseason doesn't necessarily indicate disaster once the bell rings (we still remember the 4-0 '81 preseason, followed by a regular season which landed the Pats the first pick of the '82 draft), but this team has problems well beyond Tom Brady's alleged health or injury. The offensive has been a catastrophe, with Matt Light just getting back on the practice field Monday, Stephen Neal out at least the first six games, and last year's opening day starter Ryan O'Callaghan out for the season. While the Pats effectively reloaded at linebacker in the draft, the sceondary hasn't shown me much yet. And the past four weeks have given us a look at what happens if Brady ever goes down. Face it...the Pats will be more screwed than Jennifer Jason Leigh at the end of "Last Exit to Brooklyn," if you know what I mean (and I think you do).

   * Those Tampa Bay Rays have been just as injury-riddled as the Red Sox, but damned if they don't keep winning (and Evan Longoria and Troy Percival may be back this week. And after surviving a career-threatening illness and other injuries, did Rocco Baldelli (frommmmm Bishop Hendricken high School, Warwick, R.I.) make it back to the majors in time to be eligible for Comeback Player of the Year? On the other hand...a city that turns out less than 13,000 fans for a home game Wednesday night doesn't deserve a playoff team.

   * Still, the Sox hang in there, even if just for the wild card. After being road fodder all year, they pulled together a 6-3 road trip with no Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell or J.D. Drew. Even better sign: after seven winless starts at Pawtucket, 21-year-old Michael Bowden wins his big league debut against Chicago tonight.

   * I'm not getting a good vibe about Michael Phelps hosting SNL in two weeks. Olympians do not have a good track record here (unlike Peyton Manning, Brady or Charles Barkley, to name three). Missed Johnny Moseley in '02, but Nancy Kerrigan in '94 may well be the worst performance by any SNL host NOT under the influence.

   * Speaking of show biz, yes, I am hoping Misty May-Treanor represents my game well on "Dancing with the Stars." But I am REALLY looking forward to seeing Warren Sapp hoof it.

   * Didn't get to see much college grid action today (I'm on vacation, after all), but Alabama gets my Team of the Day award. After the drilling the Tide gave Clemson, we may not be shouting "Schadenfraude!" at Nick Saban for awhile.

   * One benefit from Hurricane Gustav Baton Rouge police can be thankful for: LSU had to tee it up with Appalachian State at 10 a.m. Impending forced evacuations really cut into prime drinking time for tailgaters, eh?

   * LPGA players forced to learn English? Who's running that league now, Bill O'Reilly or Lou Dobbs?

   * Think Thursday night's cheering was louder than any that will be heard in Mile High Stadium (as if Invesco officials bundled max contributions for Barak Obama - ha!) this fall?

   * Sill having trouble imagining American League playoffs without the Yankees? They're still more relevant than the PGA without Tiger Woods.