Couldn't we have had even a few hours off between the end of baseball and the start of the NBA?

• Chris Berman will conduct one-on-one interviews with both Barack Obama and John McCain that will be aired at halftime of the next Monday Night Football broadcast. Oops, sorry, that’s “Barack It Up, I’ll Take It” Obama and John “McCain Mutiny Court Martial.”

• The Phillies beat the Rays 4-3 last night in the oft-delayed Game 5 to win the World Series. There hasn’t been such a stirring champion from Philly since the first Rocky movie. Wait, what?

• Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels won MVP honors. Really, where does a guy like Hamels go from here? He’s only 24 and he’s already won 38 games in the bigs, earned World Series MVP honors and married a reality TV vixen. Might as well hang 'em up.

• A Virginia judge ruled today that Michael Vick will have to appear in person to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges rather than on videoconference from his federal prison in Kansas. Oh well, I guess the courtroom isn’t sold out. Can’t fight those NFL blackout rules.

• Or can you? A group of 13 Senators has written to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell requesting more game broadcasts on free TV. On the other hand, the congressman representing Detroit wants the NFL off the air altogether, so it’s kind of a wash.

• Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says this week that he has been distracted before past games at FedEx Field because the Redskins have allowed their cheerleaders to stretch out in the opponent’s tunnel. Hey, at least now Kari knows where to find the little hussies to club them with her cane.

• Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is guaranteeing that the 0-8 Bengals will win at least two games this year. Hopefully he’s putting up a few of the letters in his surname. Just typing that once nearly ruined me in my weakened state.

• John Daly was held overnight in a North Carolina jail over the weekend after he passed out drunk at a Hooters. A chastened Daly admitted that he told himself he came for the wings, but he stayed for the cleavage and 27 beers.

• The Chinese government reportedly kept tabs during the Beijing Olympics on nine U.S. athletes and one coach that it had pegged as possible troublemakers. And yet somehow they allowed that ruffian Alicia Sacramone to roam free. I'm telling you, those Commies are going soft.