I'll be taking the day off, as I consider Halloween to be a major holiday. This should only happen today, New Year's Day and the day after my birthday. That's right, I'm the kind of guy that blogs on Christmas but needs all of Halloween off. I'll come back tomorrow with my thoughts on NBA's opening night, the NFL lines, and more than likely a 500 word rant about how there were no kids trick-or-treating, due to over-protective parents and irresponsible media. Yeah, it'll happen.

NBA Preview 2007

With baseball behind us and any significant football games way ahead, it is a perfect time for the start of the 2007 NBA season. Most of the preseason headlines revolved around Kobe Bryant and his quest to lose in the first round of the playoffs in a different city. As I've mentioned over and over, going to Chicago would be horrible for both parties, as the Lakers wouldn't get near the same value and Kobe would be on yet again another talentless team. And now with Phil Jackson publicly criticizing Kobe and his lack of commitment, and seems like a trade has to happen, though nothing is on the table that Jerry Buss could possibly want to sign. As far as fantasy in concerned, the idea that Kobe might not play until he's traded, or at least not play up to his abilities, has got to have owners shaking in their moonboots. Same goes for Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant owners, who are fearing injury. So, while we're talking about fantasy, let me show you my lineup before we get to the actual NBA.

PG Chauncey Billups

SG Ray Allen

G Tony Parker

SF Kevin Garnett

PF Jermaine O'Neal

F Rasheed Wallace

C LaMarcus Aldridge

Util Stephen Jackson

BN David Lee

BN Darko Milicic

BN Raja Bell

BN Jason Williams

Yeah, as much as I want to root against Boston teams, I have Garnett and Allen, so not only do I have to become a Celtics fan this year, but I also have to root for KU alum Paul Pierce to be unproductive, forcing my two guys to add more stats. Oh well. We'll see how this year goes. Now, let's talk basketball.

We'll start at the top, with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Most of the crap that is being referred to as "conversation" about the Spurs revolves around the fact that they've won their championships in alternate years (2003, 2005, 2007) and that's why they won't repeat. This is about as scientific as Noah's Ark, and is believed by roughly the same amount of people. It's not like the Spurs have mailed it in during even years. They were one overtime win away from reaching the finals in 2006, you might remember. However, they are not my pick for the 2007-08 champs, but it's not their fault.

It's Dallas' fault. They just got unlucky last year, facing a bad matchup against their former coach who had Avery Johnson's number. What makes me confident in the Mavs is that I believe that Johnson knows that he got out-coached, realizes that he should have never changed lineups, and has learned from his mistakes. They were clearly the best team last year, and if it wasn't for landing Golden State in Round 1, they probably would have won it all. I don't like the Suns against Dallas because of an unhappy Shawn Marion and an aging Steve Nash going up against Dirk Nowitzki, who is going to go on a blitzkrieg this year. Dallas also has a nice mix of role players, who won't exactly light it up, but know what they have to do to make this team successful. Another reason I like them is because of Avery Johnson making this a good defensive team, which is critical in the playoffs. No other teams in the West can really compete, with the possible exception of Houston, who have the ability finally win a playoff series this year, but probably not much else.

The team to watch has got to be Seattle. I'm going to be glued to all three of their games I'll get to watch this year, watching Kevin Durant every minute, even when he's on the bench. I'm absolutely amazed by his talents, not to mention his Garnett-like intensity and love for the game. And while the SuperSonics might not be the most talented team, they are surprising deep. Their offseason moves were a desperate attempt to keep the team in Seattle, but regardless of the motive, the Sonics have acquired a plethora of role players. They could be a surprise team this year.

The reason I'm picking the Celtics in the East isn't because I have two of their top three players on my team, rather, I have two of their top three players on my team because I'm picking the Celtics. I'm sorry, but look at the East. You have Detroit, who is aging and lost to the LeBron 5 in last year's conference finals. You have Chicago, who is still too inexperienced and might be the Kobe 5 by the end of the year. They have two more superstars than the Cavs. There isn't one team in the East that could possibly play good enough defense against Boston to stop the three-headed monster. And here's the X-factor: NBA teams routinely take games off, as it is a long season, but Kevin Garnett never takes a minute off. He is the most intense player on the court during every game, an attitude that will rub off on hungry Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, and it has already rubbed off on their coach. Now add the fact that this team was practicing before everybody else, they're already appearing in commercials together, and the crazy African ubuntu "unity" thing that they're making up, and you got three all-star players who are hungry, determined and who are coming together like a band of brothers, and you got the Eastern Conference champions.

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What, did you think I was going to pick the Knicks?

NFL Week 8: Running With The Devil

If you're searching for a Halloween costume, go as the scariest thing a defense coordinator can imagine: Bill Belichick. Everyone was up in arms this morning about his running up of the score during Sunday's 52-7 massacre against Washington. I, for one, have no problem with it. It is real simple, if you don't want a team running up the score on you, then don't let them. If you can't stop them, then guess what, they are going to score on you. It works that way from quarters 1-3, and it doesn't cease during quarter 4. The only problem I would have is if I were a Patriots fan, fearing an unnecessary injury to Tom Brady or Randy Moss during garbage time. As it stands, my sister is killing me in my fantasy league due to Brady's 100 points a game, so I welcome it with open arms. Oh, and if the Patriots end up destroying the Colts as well, don't even think about Belichick running the ball in the second half. If it means Wes Welker getting meaningless touchdowns that propel me to a fantasy win, so be it.

On to the games...

Cleveland at St. Louis, 27-20, 24-20

Steven Jackson promised me that he would do well, and he was, before he got injured. Again. As I said last week, trade trade trade Derek Anderson. Well, unless you have no other decent quarterback. His next three games are against Seattle, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Can the Browns seriously keep playing this well? OK, they aren't playing that well, considering they might have lost to the winless Rams if Jackson stayed on. Did anyone watch this game, by the way? I had Cleveland covering the -3, and they won by 7.

Indianapolis at Carolina, 31-7, 30-14

It's still hard to believe that the Colts defense is really this good. I mean, it's the Colts! I think what is worth noting about this game was that Marvin Harrison was out, and Peyton Manning still had 255 yards, 168 of which were to Reggie Wayne. I also saw a new Manning commercial, which by my count is the 372nd different one. But let's face it, what everyone wants to see is next week's showdown against New England. And did you know that Indy is called "The Amateur Sports Capital of the World"? Just saying. I has Indy covering the -7, as did everybody else.

Detroit at Chicago, 16-7, 27-18

No really, the Bears aren't any good. Nobody (including Vegas) seems to understand this fact. And when Brain Griese is your quarterback, it is indeed a fact. I was actually impressed by both defenses, expecting a higher score than this. But another division lost for Chicago is making their already deep hole harder to get out of. Detroit, however, is 3-0 in division games, though they are giving up more points than they've scored this season. I had Detroit covering the +5, and they did.

NY Giants at Miami, 13-10, 35-17

A lot closer than most people thought this game would have been. It just goes to show that you can not predict how players will to react to the long flight, the new country, the neutral field, the London rain, and so on. I still find it funny that we sent over the worst team in the league and the "other" Manning. It was also reported that most of the fans in attendance were actually Americans, either ones who lived there and were just happy to see a game or guys rich enough to make the flight. Oh yeah, Europe loves us. I had the Giants covering the -9.5, and they only won by 3.

Oakland at Tennessee, 9-13, 17-14

Alright, let me explain: when I made this pick, Kerry Collins was thought to be starting. It all worked out though, since Tennessee failed to cover the -7 spread. Vince Young lit up LP Field with an outstanding 42 yards passing. He had 6 pass completions and 7 rushes. But you know what, he still wins these games. Don't ask how, he just goes out there and puts the Ws on the board. And that's what it's all about.

Philadelphia at Minnesota, 23-16, 17-21

This game really surprised me. Minnesota is a decent team, even better at home, and Philly has been awful. But as the song says, it just goes to show you never really can tell. The Eagles defense actually found a way to stop Adrian Peterson, a feat that seemed almost impossible. At least Brad Childress limited Chester Taylor's carries to only 6, but I fear the loss will force him to keep splitting the carries 50/50, which would be a huge mistake. Stick with Peterson, coach. I had the Vikings covering the +1, and they loss by 7.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 24-13, 30-27

I hated this, since I had Cincy covering by half a point, which they did not. Here's what T.J. Houshmandzadeh had to say about the game, "Good teams put it in the end zone. Teams like us kick field goals". And Carson Palmer about the season thus far, "I never would have guessed it. I never would have thought it". Apparently I'm the only one who thought the Bengals were no good. Time to call Bill Cowher.

Buffalo at NY Jets, 13-3, 14-20

I waaaay overestimated the Jets' offense. Apparently, so did Eric Mangini, who announced today that he will be benching Chad Pennington for Kellen Clemens. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Jets are 1-7 since Mangini's Sopranos cameo. Plus, they only have one more game against a team with a losing record, which is December 2nd at Miami. OK, so they'll go 2-14. I had the Jets covering the -3, and they lost by 10.

Houston at San Diego, 10-35, n/a

No prediction on this one for obvious reasons. Let me say this though, I am officially on the Chargers' bandwagon. Yeah, I know, later than most. But the way they were able to focus and just lay a beat down on the Texans was extremely impressive. And the only competition they have in the AFC West is the Chiefs, who we still aren't totally sure how good they really are. And my advice to play Rosenfels wasn't that bad, since he did have a touchdown, and it was a stingy day for quarterbacks.

Jacksonville at Tampa Bay, 24-23, 10-14

Well, I started off strong. The fact that Tampa Bay lost at home to a Jags team led by Quinn Gray is just staggering. I really feel as if Jon Gruden will lose his job after this year if they can't pick themselves up. With New Orleans regaining 2006 form, they cannot afford to be losing these kind of games. Hats off to Jacksonville though. It looked as if the loss of David Gerrard would be too much, but they came through with a huge win. I had Tampa covering the -3.5, and they lost by one.

New Orleans at San Francisco, 31-10, 24-15

This one was quite obvious. The other neck-tied coach in the NFL, Mike Nolan, can't overcome his injury problems. What a disappointment they have been. And what a disappointment the Saints were, until coming back with three straight wins. They are right in the mix in the NFC South. I get the feeling that Drew Brees and Reggie Bush have decided to carry this team, realizing that they are New Orleans only hope. What a duo those two have become. I had the Saints covering the -2.5, and they for sure did.

Washington at New England, 7-52, 10-30

I knew it was going to be bad, just not this bad. There's nothing more I can say that hasn't already been said. I had New England covering the -16.5.

I went 6-5 this week, not counting tonight's game. That makes me 31-30-2. Finally over .500!

A-Wrong

The other big story over the weekend was that Alex Rodriguez has opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees, leaving $72 million in the dust. The common consensus is that he's an egotistical jerk who thinks he is better than the game. This charge has been led by, amongst others, writers such as Peter Gammons and Buster Olney. The fact that his opting out became news during Game 4 of the World Series, which then became the deciding game, has everyone painting him as selfish. But I, for once, am ready to defend A-Rod on his leaving, and yes, his timing.

First off, let's look at A-Rod's decision just to leave. Why wouldn't he? When it comes to key players like Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, their futures are uncertain. Take away just one of these players from the Yankees' roster and they are a substantially worse club. The Yankees could have addressed this sooner, but did not.

Then you have the fact that A-Rod has made it apparent for a long time that he does not like New York. For a guy who is supposed to be so addicted to the limelight and wants everything to be about him, he doesn't seem to enjoy it all that much. This whole debate about why he let the news out when he did comes down to two words: Scott Boras. Who do you think leaked that information? Who do you think craves the spotlight more? Did A-Rod even know that is was getting released? Think about it.

Everything about the 2008 season screamed for Rodriguez to leave. The players are getting old, the manager position was in limbo, even the owners had changed. It seems as though he wants to go somewhere like San Francisco, where nobody will see his games and he can be left alone, much like Barry Bonds, the man who currently hold the record that A-Rod is chasing. And with all of that tabloid front pages, constant criticism and unrivaled prodding into his privacy, can you blame him?

2007 World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox

2004 was no fluke. Alright, even Tim McCarver could tell you that (and he did, repeatedly), but what does 2007 really mean? It means that the new dynasty has arrived. As if Boston sports wasn't doing well enough, they now can add another World Series to their ongoing list of accomplishments. And there will be more. Bostonians are no longer cursed, they are blessed. This new century is starting off remarkably close to the last one, as now the Red Sox are again the team to beat in the MLB. Sweeping the Colorado Rockies on Sunday night with a 4-3 win, the Sox used outstanding pitching, timely offense and perfect managing to gain their second championship in four years. They were dominate.

The Unknowns

Josh Beckett. David Ortiz. Manny Ramirez. J.D. Drew. Curt Schilling. Dice-K. Jonathan Papelbon.

We know these names. We know what positions they play and what their faces look like. We are familiar with their careers and their accomplishments. Then, you say these names:

Dustin Pedroia. Jacoby Ellsbury. Mike Lowell. John Lester. Kevin Youkilis. Hideki Okajima. Bobby Kielty.

Otherwise known as "Who?", these were the players that brought the Red Sox their trophy. These were the heroes of the 2007 World Series. While the Boston superstars predictably did their part, it was these no-names that pushed the Sox over the edge, and into the history books. Pedroia hit a home run in his first World Series at-bat, Kielty provided the pinch-hit homer that became the winning run in Game 4, Youkilis hit four homers in the postseason, Ellsbury hit .360 in the postseason, Lester became the first pitcher since 1950 to win the deciding game of a World Series in his first postseason start, and Okajima pitched 8.5 innings of relief without allowing a run. Mike Lowell? He's the World Series MVP.

How's that for production?

The Superstars

Beckett is becoming a postseason legend before our eyes. He pitched 30 innings this postseason with a 1.20 ERA, winning all four of his starts. Ortiz and Ramirez hit four homers each, Schilling and Papelbon were dazzling as always, and Dice-K won when it mattered. The surprise? J.D. Drew and his 11 RBIs. He increased his RBI per at-bat ratio from 13% in the regular season to 21% in the postseason. His batting average went from .270 to .314. He hit a grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS. The city of Boston was ready to let him go after his first year in a Red Sox uniform, but now he is a hero with the rest of them. His flip-flop from a bad regular season to a tremendous postseason makes him the anti-Alex Rodriguez. What more could you ask for?

The Manager

Terry Francona is the best manager in the majors. Period. Every move he made, from starting Ellsbury to bringing in Kielty, worked like a charm. He kept his guys loose, was never caught out-thinking himself, and has as much class as anyone in the league. He was the guy who brought the end of The Curse, and now he is at the forefront of the next dynasty in baseball. On the other hand, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle just about blew it. He shifted his infield the wrong ways. He went to the wrong pitchers at the wrong times. He refused to alter his lineup in a way that it demanded. He stopped having fun. Colorado got to the World Series by having fun, but from Game 1 it was apparent that the players were pressing. Still, they could have never got there without him, so in that sense he should be congratulated.

The X-Factor

The Red Sox took a page from the Rockies' book by being the loosest team I have ever witnessed. This became apparent on Sunday night, were cameras showed David Ortiz sticking bubblegum on Dice-K's hat, ending with laughter and a choreographed handshake once the Japanese pitcher figured it out. The Sox were in the most important game in their lives, and here they were playing jokes on each other. You had Papelbon's Riverdance and the bullpen drumline. And of course, there was Manny Ramirez, possibly the loosest player of all time. Other teams, take note: this is how you win championships.

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, winners of the 2007 World Series.