October is off and running...

A busy October and it's only the 9th! The 2010-11 NHL season has begun, the MLB playoffs have begun, the 2010 NFL season is a quarter over... some big trades have gone down and we already have a Heisman frontrunner in the college football ranks. Let's take a look.

The Likely Reunion
Randy Moss made no secret at the start of the year that he was unhappy having to play for a contract in New England. Probably because he knew, having looked at how Bill Belicheck and the Patriots do business, that his services were not going to be retained after the year. Whether he became a cancer in the locker room or not, we'll never know. But something was definitely amiss for the Patriots to unload him for a 3rd-round draft pick - especially to a team they have on their schedule. But make no mistake - the Patriots think they're better off and if there's any team that can be successful spreading the ball around to a group of mostly-unknown receivers, it's the Patriots. They won a Super Bowl that way. Meanwhile, Moss becomes an immediate upgrade to a reeling Vikings team. Say what you like about the reasons why, but Favre is struggling mightily. Maybe it's age, maybe it's unfamiliarity with his receiving corps. What I see is an older quarterback who can still heave it, but needs help. Part of what made Sidney Rice so important was that he had a guy who was physically dominant and could go get the ball when he chucked it up there. No one on the current Vikings roster can do that - until now. And I imagine every quarterback feels more comfortable with a guy he knows will actively go get the ball and doesn't need it thrown between the numbers each time. And for only a 3rd-round pick? The Vikings definitely got the better part of the deal. But make no mistake - this also means Favre has no excuses now. He's got his guy - he's clamored to play with Moss for years. If he continues to struggle, it's firmly on his shoulders alone now.

The Best of the Mediocre?
Much has been noted this week about how parity reigns this year in the NFL - most teams are 2-2. There is only one undefeated. There are only four winless. Moreso than any other year recently, it is hard to pick winners. Teams that seem reliable drop easy wins. Teams that look hopeless pick up wins. I've seen several games where the dominant team somehow loses. It's been an odd start to the season, but make no mistake - it keeps things exciting. There are a lot of teams that are better than their records, I think. Many divisions are going to be wide open past the halfway mark of the season. Buckle up, folks, because this is going to be a crazier year than any of us thought. But I will tell you this - the class of the league is in the AFC. Baltimore, Pittsburgh and the NY Jets all look poised to smoke anyone in their way. As far as the NFC goes, I was high on Green Bay, but they're not impressing and, quite frankly, there's no team stepping up and crushing their competition the way the Steelers, Jets or Ravens are in the AFC.

Thank you, Atlanta Braves...
For actually giving us an MLB LDS series worth watching. Seeing the Yankees dominate the Twins yet again has been unspeakably disheartening, since this looked like the Twins' year and they should be taking advantage of homefield, well, advantage, but they didn't and now they continue to prove their postseason ineptitude against the Yankees. The Rays are similarly playing letdown baseball against a Rangers team that I, personally, don't think is better. The Phillies are dominating the Reds, but that's no surprise to me. Meanwhile, the Braves are thankfully putting on a series against the Giants - perhaps the most even matchup of the playoffs so far. Personally, if the Twins lose, I'm rooting for the Braves, because how sweet would it be to see Bobby Cox win another World Series as he walks off into the sunset? Still, right now though, I wonder if anyone can really beat the Phillies.

Can the Spartans tie up Shoelace?
The marquee college football matchup of the weekend is, unquestionably, Michigan State vs. Michigan. No, this isn't home bias on my part. Well, maybe a little. But make no mistake - Denard Robinson is the most electric player in college football right now, but he also hasn't faced a serious defense yet. He will today against Michigan State. Until now, he's separated himself by leaps and bounds from the rest of the pack insofar as the Heisman race goes - he's accomplishing feats that are simply unbelievable. But the question remains, can he do it against a credible defensive unit? While this game isn't likely to have huge bearing on who plays in the BCS Championship in January, it will be an entertaining matchup between two unbeatens in an in-state rivalry game and it is a huge benchmark game for Denard "Shoelace" Robinson. If he can light up the Spartan defense, I say the Heisman race ends today.

And the NHL season begins...
And it already seems like a season to remember. In the first night of play, we had the first fight of the year, in which Steve MacIntyre of the Oilers knocked out Raitis Ivanans of the Flames with a blow that, reportedly, might have resulted in some brain damage (Ivanans had to be helped off the ice). In the second night of play, the Atlanta Thrashers' goalie, Ondrej Pavelec collapsed unexpectedly while play was stopped at the other end of the ice. Meanwhile, on Friday, the Red Wings notched a most dominant win, 4-0 against the Anaheim Ducks. In a most remarkable way to start the year, the Wings see Jimmy Howard notch a shutout in the first game of the year, see hometown newcomer Mike Modano score a goal on his first shot in the Red and White, and see one of their best players - Pavel Datsyuk - record a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist, fight), a rather unlikely event for a man who's won four straight Lady Byng Trophies (for sportsmanship). As coach Mike Babcock and fellow star Henrik Zetterburg joked after the game, it probably won't be a fifth straight this year now. I've said it since the Wings signed Modano - the magic is with this team this year and Friday night's win to open the season has not changed my mind. Lord Stanley's Cup is coming back to Detroit in 2011.