FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I apologize for these hits being late - I expect a fine from the NFL in the mail.

1. Colorado -Arizona? Small ball meets long ball in what should be a great NLCS. I am happy the Divisional Series match-ups are coming to an end; I am getting sick of 5:47:35 starts. Also, I feel bad for fans of Colorado and Philadelphia who saw their team scheduled for two day games in a row this week, but the alternative may be a NBA-like first round that takes two months to complete.
2. I have never dreaded a Monday Night Football game like I have this week's Cowboys-Bills match. A win here could propel the Bills to possibly better things, but a crushing performance by the ‘Boys could make the Bills and Buffalo the butt of the nation's jokes - again.
3. If the first puck of the NHL season drops in England and no one can watch, does it make a sound?
4. The NHL needs to strike a deal with ESPN. End of story. I know Versus has made the NHL the crown jewel of their sports' programming crown, but ESPN offers more exposure through its other programming and properties, like SportsCenter and ESPN: The Magazine. If ESPN offers one primetime game on a night other than Saturday per week, the NHL should take the deal, even if it means a little less money.  
5. USC is not a bad team because they lost to Sanford. In recent years, the other PAC-10 teams see games against USC as a shot at the national spotlight, even if it is only until Wednesday of the next week.
6. I have no idea why I like ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd, but I do. He is arrogant and a jerk, but I am not looking for the world's best friend when I tune into AM sports-talk. Also, he has come a ways, especially in the last few weeks, from being just a "football guy" to a host who talks about many sports on his show.
7. I am happy for Ron Zook at Illinois. His team beat Wisconsin yesterday to go 3-0 in this young Big Ten season, and show how good of a recruiter he really is. At Illinois, where a Rose Bowl appearance would be a major triumph, I think Zook has found a place where he can develop his talented recruits without the eyes of Gainesville watching his every move.   
8. I know the New York "football" Giants have beaten some questionable competition in the last few weeks, but wins are wins in the NFL. I want to see if Eli can avoid his usual second-half swoon before I make a final judgment on this team, though.
9. If the Bills DO somehow beat the Cowboys on Monday, J.P. Losman is never getting the starting job back from Trent Edwards.
10. I am really starting to dislike the New York Rangers, and I know this dislike stems, irrationally or not, from the team signing Chris Drury this past summer. I think I really hate that this signing really hurts the Sabres' chances of winning a Stanley Cup this year while making the Rangers the favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

--K