Big weekend in sports coming up. NLCS, ALCS, NFL, College Football, BCS implications, Rivalries, Cross-town Rival High School Games (somewhere probably), tailgating, etc. Lot of action. Lot. Of. Action.

The NLCS kicked off last night with a Philadelphia Phillies 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers out-hit the Phillies 14-8, but left 10 men on base, compared to Philly’s 5. Andre Either and Matt Kemp combined to go 5-10 but only managed to score once between them.

Clayton Kershaw, 21, took the loss and Cole Hamels got the win, though he didn’t pitch much better than his counterpart. James Loney and Manny Ramirez each homered off him before he was pulled after five and a third.

Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez each homered for Philly and Ryan Howard drove in two runs. Brad Lidge came in to get the save, but not before walking one and giving up a hit.

Russell Martin and Shane Victorino jawed back and forth all game long. It is always fun when the series gets heated in the first inning of Game 1.

Game 2 this afternoon will see Pedro Martinez face off against Vincente Padilla in a 100% unpredictable match-up. Chase Utley and Jayson Werth will each be trying for their first hit of the NLCS.

Things I didn’t know before either today or last night:

Chan Ho Park can still throw 96.

The only guy in the Phillies starting line-up under the age of 30 is Victorino (except Ryan Howard, who will be 30 on November 19th). The Flyin’ Hawaiian will turn 29 in November.

If you throw the ball into the dugout on a double play try and can’t get out of the inning, Manny Ramirez will hit a home run and make you feel bad about it.

Jim Thome does a fist-pump-whoop combo when Manny homers.

Randy Wolf should wear his cleats at all-times because he just might pinch run. That’s how slow Jim Thome is. Do you think Thome even brings a baseball glove to the game?

Game 1 of the ALCS is tonight. I’m saying Angels in 7 over the New York Yankees. John Lackey versus CC Sabathia. Do you remember Sabathia down the stretch last year for the Milwaulee Brewers? Silly.

Torii Hunter, Vlad Guerrero, Kendry Morales, and Bobby Abreu will bring some power into Yankee Stadium’s launching pad that may be tempered by some not ideal weather. Derek Jeter is used to it, Mr. November has been in cold weather playoff games enough in his career. Mark Teixeira a big strong dude, but it just seems to me that he is not going to be a big fan of cold weather. I have a feeling about this.

The biggest question concerning the weather though is will Alex Rodriguez’s lady friend be sitting in the front row if it is cold, rainy, and windy? This is a commitment testing event for their relationship. The many cuts to her cheering probably make Chris Robinson (her ex-husband) Jealous Again.

Did you know Kate Hudson’s dad, Kurt Russell, was a pretty good minor league baseball player before blowing apart his shoulder and returning to his acting career?

So that’s baseball. It’s also a huge weekend in the NFL.

Spotlight on New Orleans where the undefeated Saints play the undefeated New York Giants. It bothers me when radio and TV people say it’s going to be Drew Brees versus Eli Manning. It’s not. Brees and Manning will never be on the field at the same time until they do a man hug at the end of the game.

It is going to be Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and the rest of the New Orleans offense against Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and the rest of the Giants defense.

And then it will be Manning, Steve Smith, Brandon Jacobs and the rest of the Giant offense against Darren Sharper, Charles Grant, Jonathan Casillas (yes, Casillas, I’m a homer, a little love to the Wisconsin Badgers) and the rest of the Saints defense.

The Vikings put their undefeated record on the line when they host the recently fined Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. Joe Flacco is a guy I like quite a bit, and a guy I like to call Joey Delaware but I will not wince when Jared Allen cattle ropes him. If Cedric Benson can rush for 100+ yards on Baltimore then Adrian Peterson can rush for that plus a bunch more. Hopefully for Minnesota Brett Favre will be doing his post-handoff jump throw fake thing a lot while Peterson is breaking tackles.

The Chicago Bears go to Atlanta to play the Falcons. Matt Ryan, Roddy White, and Michael Turner set the San Francisco 49er defense on fire last week. The Bears will want to see Jay Cutler find Devin Hester for some TD’s early so they can just run, run, run with Matt Forte.

The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns in what should be a close game for at least the first five minutes.

Speaking of the Steelers, check out the ESPN commercial with Snoop Dogg in the Reebok Ascent 2009 Sideline Drift Full Zip Fleece Hooded Jacket. Start looking for these and other Drift items on all NFL sidelines.

In the college game this weekend USC travels to South Bend to play Notre Dame. Jimmy Clausen and Matt Barkley are another QB vs QB favorite match-up for the guys in the studios. So is Sam Bradford vs Colt McCoy when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns go at in the Red River Rivalry. Those two teams love each other.

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide play the Ol’ Ball Coach and the South Carolina Gamecocks. My favorite college football player this season is Tide RB Mark Ingram.

Boise State already narrowly survived Tulsa and Cincinnati took care of South Florida to keep the hopes of BCS haters alive that someone outside of the Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC, Big 12, or ACC will make a run at the Championship Game.

Tim Tebow is probably receiving accolades somewhere, too.

It is a big weekend for sports. October is a terrible month for marriages and TV remote control control. This is my first October as a married guy. I think it will be important to set a precedent for future years that the MLB playoffs and the NFL and big college football games will be watched. So when I lose this battle, somebody please be prepared to link me to some highlights and provide detailed and accurate recaps.

Forget my Fansedge blogging debut – I’m done with baseball. Whether a function of my beloved Chicago Cubs ruining the sport or my poor attempt at predicting the playoffs – (enjoy your baseball-shaped bruise Matt Holliday and well-played Kevin Gregg impersonation Jonathan Papelbon) I’m tired of baseball and I absolutely do not have the patience for Chip Carey any longer.

Chip – what happened? Incorrect stats. Horrifically terrible calls. Clichés on top of clichés. I used to like you.

But back to me. If I wasn’t ready to focus all my faculties on the NFL last week, I am all-in today.

Can you believe we’re almost a third of the way into the season? We’ve already seen multiple shockers and utter disappointments.

I’d be lying if I considered myself a Clint Eastwood buff – big Gran Torino fan – but here’s my take on the NFL’s “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good

In Sergio Leone’s film, Eastwood plays Blondie – “The Good,” a bounty hunter in pursuit of buried gold. He survives numerous “standoffs,” in his successful pursuit for the treasure. In a season with arguably the largest talent gap in league history, only a select few have a legitimate shot of collecting their bounty. I call these teams…bear with me: the unbeatens. The New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and the Denver – yes, Denver – Broncos. All five of these teams remain undefeated and all five have a legitimate shot of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Miami. The Saints finally have some semblance of a defense to match Drew Brees’ arm. Add in the return of Pierre Thomas on the ground and the exciting, yet enigmatic Reggie Bush in the return game and the Saints have the pieces to go marching. Their only obstacle could be a Kardashian or two – but looks like Lamar Odom has that covered.

I don’t know what’s more intimidating to a Vikings opponent, lining up opposite Adrian Peterson or Jared Allen? The “Adonis” or the “mean mullet?” The only thing holding either player back is their equipment. Throw in a weak division and some guy named Favre – and the Vikings could rack up some serious victories.

Next up: Manning Bowl.

Licking Oreo’s ain’t the only thing these Louisiana boys do well. Eli Manning and the Giants are running over teams, literally. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are putting games out of reach by halftime. But the Giants have capitalized on a ridiculously soft schedule, so I’ll give them the next month (@NO, AZ, @PHI, and SD) to really prove themselves.

Name me an adjective that has yet to be said about Peyton Manning – I dare you. The man is putting up career numbers with guys named Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie at the line of scrimmage. And he is currently on pace to overtake Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record – by 200 yards. Wow. In related news, I hope Marvin Harrison has a great view from a barstool somewhere in Philadelphia.

What’s the more hideous Kyle Orton accessory: last week’s throwback jersey or the neck beard? Either way, nobody around Mile High is complaining about Broncos coach Josh McDaniels any longer. He may be younger than many of the players he coaches and enraged an entire fan base before ever stepping onto the sideline, but boy has his team, and Brandon Marshall in particular, responded. Has there been a better moment this season than McDaniels post-game, on-field cheer lead after the victory over New England? Can you even imagine something like that from Wade Phillips? I’d rather not.

The Bad

A ruthless sociopath, Angel Eyes – “The Bad,” is set on the murder and pillage of a nation…until Eastwood steps in. Unfortunately for the teams in this category – Eastwood has spoken.

The Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all winless. And that group doesn’t even include the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders. Can you remember a season with this many terrible teams?

I’ll keep this short and give each team the effort they’ve given their fans.

The Chiefs are improving, but Matt Cassel has a long way to go before justifying his contract. And…hello? Dwayne Bowe – he’s big, strong and fast. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

Can we please stop calling Tennessee the best winless team ever? How long can that last? If you’re a Titans fan, hopefully not as Kerry Collins grip on the starting quarterback job. Ladies and gentleman, the Vince Young era returns! Not that anybody says that’s a good thing…

The Rams have been outscored by 112 points. That is three more points than the Chiefs and Titans – combined. 112 points!

The week after Greg Olson, Tampa Bay’s second offensive coordinator this season, called Cadillac Williams a “complete player” and “every down back” – he ran for eight yards on 10 carries.

Did you see the “highlights” from the Bills-Browns game? Head coaches Dick Jauron and Eric Mangini, respectively, should be the first two coaches on the unemployment line – and deservedly so. Braylon Edwards hit the lottery and took his fumbling hands elsewhere, could Terrell Owens be next?

Which leads me to the Oakland Raiders…

The Ugly

In the film, Tuco – “The Ugly,” is a vulgar and comical bandit wanted by the authorities.

Sounds a lot like the Oakland Raiders. It’s time somebody relinquishes this team from the ageless wonder, Al Davis.

Their quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, has brought new meaning to the word “bust.” The former no. 1 overall pick is completing 40% of his passes – worst in the league. He has one passing touchdown. And has thrown for 600 yards. That’s a quarterback rating of 47.1 which, miraculously, is not the lowest in the league (Derek Anderson currently holds the honor). Making matters worse, the Raiders know he is terrible. Despite losing 44-9 to the Giants, Russell attempted just 13 passes – a NFL low for team attempts that lost by 35 or more.

Their head coach, Tom Cable, may face criminal charges for reportedly breaking the jaw of an assistant in preseason. The case is now in the hands of the Napa County district attorney. Maybe the authorities can do us all a favor and place the entire roster behind bar.

The state of California vs. the Oakland Raiders.

Poor personnel decisions and offensive ineptitude – facing charges of up to three years in prison and a potential move back to Los Angeles.

So there you have it – “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” Time to pop in a movie.The popcorn’s ready.

NFL players and coaches like to talk about the four quarters of the season. As we wrap up week 4, the first quarter comes to a close and we can start to see some emerging trends from the 2009-2010 season. Quarterbacks are running the league as usual, but defensive schemes and time share running backs are the en vogue modifications that separate winning and losing teams at the ¼ mile mark of the season.

The Role of a QB

My girlfriend and I have been together for a long time now; six years or so. We share household chores, one of which is the laundry. Despising the task, we agreed to split it up: I take the clothes into the basement and then move them around between washing machine and dryer all day. I don’t mind doing this too much, and even if I did, our roles are predestined as her allergies won’t allow her to enter the cat haven that is the basement of our 4 flat. Then I bring up all the laundry before dinner and her job is to fold it all and put it away. It’s a fair deal; you should try it. However one of my firm beliefs in life is that anything worth doing is worth doing completely. Don’t just half donkey it; commit!

Sunday night, as I stumbled into bed around midnight, wanting nothing more than to collapse into the sweet embrace of my 19 year old, perfectly broken in pillow, I was harshly greeted with a sharp pillow zipper across the face. Why you ask? Because she didn’t complete her part of the bargain. Clearly she is trying to kill me.

This relates to the NFL most aptly in the Jets semi-humiliating loss at New Orleans. Rookie phenom Mark Sanchez looked a lot more rookie and not very phenomenal as he turned the ball over four times, twice leading to scores for the Saints. The defense held the NFL scoring leaders to only 10 points, a miracle by any standards, but Sanchez’s turnovers led to the Jets first loss of the season. Coupled with the pillowcase disaster, it made for a difficult Sunday.

Defensive Indifference

Defense, like pitching, wins playoff games. But currently, it’s winning regular season games as well. Take a look at early season division leaders, and you’ll notice a shutdown defense as the common thread. The Giants continue to stifle opponenst wit ha scheme developed by current St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spaguolo. Apparently, the language isn’t translating in the Lou. The Giants dominated the Chiefs and look forward to hosting Oakland, who should springboard them to the 5-0 start they were unable to secure last year.

The Jets’ blitzing defense has given Houston QB Matt Schaub, New England QB Tom Brady, and even New Orleans QB Drew Brees, fits of rushed inaccuracy. Even after Sunday’s loss, the defense still has them atop the division.

Speaking of the Saints, their defense looks to be much improved this year. The 2009-2010 Saints look much like the 2006 Colts. Amazingly skilled quarterback, with enough knowledge of a complex offensive system to change plays on the fly and lead a team on a long run in the playoffs as well as a multi-faceted run game, multiple quality receivers and now a defense that has the speed to keep opponents off balance…this team could be the one you don’t want to face this year. Plus they have this hilarious commercial that cracks my brother up every time they play it.

Other division leaders include Ray Ray’s Ravens, who haven’t missed a beat following the Rex Ryan exodus that saw Bart Scott, Jim Leonard and the Juggs machine leave for the NY/NJ border.

Last but not least, the Minnesota Vikings put on a pass rush clinic last night in the first annual Brett Favre Homecoming Game. So much happened in this matchup that it probably deserves its own post, so I’ll just focus on the defense. The Williams wall pretty much locks down any opposing running back, as the Vikings have led the league in rush yards allowed over the last 3 seasons. Jared Allen, his mullet, and his 405 horsepower engine simply abused whichever combination of linemen, tight ends and running backs that the Packers put out there to stop him. The Vikings are another team that feature a potent running game, stalwart defense and savvy quarterback combination that frequently succeed in the playoffs.

Split Backs

Gone are the days of the 30 carry a game RB, much to the dismay of fantasy owners around the country. When our league started, San Diego Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson was the unquestioned number one player in the game. Today he splits carries with Darren Sproles. Dallas RB Marion Barber was thought to have entered last year as a primary feature back in the league. He ended up splitting carries with Felix Jones and now is in a triple time share with Tashard Choice as well. Edgerrin James was unseated by Joseph Addai from his long tenured role in Indianapolis a few years ago, and today, only four years after being drafted we see Addai splitting carries with newly drafted Donald Brown.

Ronnie Brown can’t shake Ricky Williams down in Miami, despite being probably the most effective director of the Wildcat system in the league. At least 3 guys are running the ball in Pittsburgh, after U of I standout Rashard Mendellhall’s coming out party. Heck, even the unstoppable Adrian Peterson yields occasional carries and third down responsibilities to veteran Chester Taylor.

The point is that teams understand that the most effective running game is one that never stays the same. Certain guys are better between the tackles, certain guys catch the ball better out of the backfield, certain guys pick up the blitz, and most importantly, history has shown us that only the rarest of running backs can stand up to season after season of abuse suffered at the line and the bottom of pileups. You need to distribute your carries among a bigger group of players if you hope to have any or all of them around for a prolonged period of time. It’s not fun for fantasy, and maybe it takes a little away from real life football and its records, but in the end, your team will be better served by a committee.

Not much of a recap I guess. Maybe somebody else will do a better one.

Item of the week is this that’s perfect if you’re a quarterback, running back, and especially if you’re a speedy, mulleted lineman.

And the old cowboy ambles in to dusty bar once more. Brett Favre is back and at this rate, I imagine he might actually play for all 32 franchises before it’s all said and done. Favre signed with the Vikings yesterday after months of the 3rd consecutive sold out Retirement Tour.

Favre is probably my favorite quarterback over the last 20 years; defying time and age, he plays the game with reckless abandon, has as much fun as a rookie, and all the other good cliché’s people say about Brett. They’re all true. The annual will he/won’t he saga has grown incredibly tiresome, but let’s say you could mow the grass really well—like cool patterns and perfect lines—and by the time you were 75 you might say, “I’ve had enough of this, I’m hiring a crew.”

But then spring rolls around. Beautiful green grass sprouts up. You see your neighbors with their shiny new riding mowers and what the heck, it’s just one more year, right? You can’t begrudge a man for wanting to hold onto his talent. You can however take issue if he holds a national press conference every time a thought comes into his head.

So Brett leaves Green Bay on a sour note and heads to the Jets. He leaves the Jets after one season and heads back to the NFC North. Was this all a part of his master plan to get back in the division and show the Pack what they let go? Does his addition to an already well stocked Vikings team secure Minnesota a playoff spot? These questions and more answered below in a quick peek at cold and blustery NFC North. Let’s reverse it for an incredibley exciting and potentially cliff hanger of an ending!!!

Detroit Lions—Oh Detroit, it has not been the best year in the sports world for you. The Red Wings lost the Cup. The Tigers are leading the division, but it’s a slim lead. And now the Lions are ready to take the field, and vanquish memories of the first 0-16 season in NFL history. And they will do just that, but probably only by a game or three. With franchise savior QB Matthew Stafford, the WR physical anomaly that is Calvin Johnson, and steady RB Kevin Smith, the offense will be much improved, but I called the commissioner and teams are still required to play offense and defense this season. Bummer.

Chicago Bears—My Bears friends are going to be honked off at me, but I’m serious. Jay Cutler is the best QB this city has seen since the invention of television, but they’re missing any semblance of a wide receiving core. Matt Forte is emerging as a great RB, Greg Olsen will likely be very good and Devin Hester can be a game changer, but the Bears are a grind it out type of team and unfortunately their defense isn’t able to keep them in the 17-14 range that they are accustomed to playing in during their Super Bowl season. If the coaching staff recognizes this early enough, maybe they’ll try to become a shootout kind of team, but that seems unlikely. I guess they could go 10-6, but that might not be enough this year.

Green Bay Packers—The Packers are the forgotten team in this division and I don’t get it. They have a very good quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, RB Ryan Grant has back to back impressive seasons, they have a talented core of WRs led by Greg Jennings and their defense can be good. I say CAN because sometimes the take a week off and allow 50 plus points, and look like this. In their defense however, they lost six games last year by 3 points or less. If even half of those games go the other way, they…well they still don’t win the division, but you see my point. Look for a better finish from the Cheddarmen this year. Is that a known term? Did I just make that up?

Minnesota Vikings—Let me just say that I have publicly stated that I thought the Vikings were the best team in the division before Favre signed. Even with Sage “Throw it away, Throw it away!” Rosenfels at QB, I thought they could win the division again. Adrian Peterson is one of the five best players in the game. Their offensive line is stacked. Their defense led by Jared Allen brings pressure from all sides and stuffs the run. Stopping the pass is a different story, but you can’t have it all. The Vikings are the kind of team the Bears used to be. Run the ball. Sack the quarterback. Stop the run. Now they’ve added a Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s like a rug that really ties the room together. Last year, before his right arm deteriorated into a mess of tangled tendons, Favre led the less talented Jets to an 8-3 start, defeating the rivaled Patriots and undefeated Tennessee Titans in back to back weeks on the road. There’s no reason to believe he can’t offer that same level of production in the Metrodome this season.

Vikings fans, I don’t know if you’re excited (you should be) or sickened. I don’t know what it would feel like if Tom Brady signed with the Jets. Weird is my guess. But if this little honeymoon in Minnesota works out, you can thank the Jets for drafting Mark Sanchez and handing Brett his walking papers with a plane ticket to Minnesota tucked neatly inside.

Lots to catch up on here. A bunch of baseball trades from a week or two ago. Football previews. The Health Care debate. Check back again soon as we try to catch up.

Item of the week is…you guessed it!