Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---The Cubs will always dominate the headlines in Chicago, but now that Barack Obama has been elected the next President of the United States of America, Obama's White Sox will capture more attention in the Windy City.

---Former Notre Dame star Brady Quinn was good but not great in his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos. The Browns lost, but Quinn is clearly the quarterback of the future for the Browns.

---With very little shot at reaching the playoffs, if I were Romeo Crennel, I would make Quinn the permanent starter from hear on out. With all due respect to Derek Anderson, he is not in the long-term interest of the franchise.

---Games of the week in the NFL: Giants-Eagles and Colts-Steelers. New York and Pittsburgh will win. After this loss, the Eagles and Colts will be faced with an uphill climb the rest of the season.

---This is also the week where the Titans lose their first game. Tennessee is much better than the Bears, but this is one of those trap games for Kerry Collins and the Titans.

---My other Week 10 picks: Patriots, Packers, Falcons, Panthers, Jets, Jaguars, Dolphins, Ravens, Chargers, Niners.

---That's right, I picked the Niners. Did you expect me to do anything different?

---My bold prediction of the week: Mike Singletary will keep his pants on during Monday night's game against the Cardinals.

---I'm hoping that the defeat of Arizona Senator John McCain in Tuesday's election will somehow affect the Arizona Cardinals, but I'm not sure the two are related.

---Thoughts on the Iverson-Billups trade: The deal is a win-win for both sides. The Nuggets get a former Finals MVP and proven leader who runs the show brilliantly well at the point. Chauncey Billups will work well with Carmelo Anthony, and he's an instant asset in George Karl's system. The Pistons, on the other hand, get one of the most prolific scorers in recent NBA history. Ultimately, I give the slight edge to Detroit in this trade.

---Time will tell whether The Answer is the answer for the Pistons, but I applaud Joe Dumars for making this risky move. Billups was no doubt the most important player on Detroit, but by aquiring Allen Iverson, Joe Dumars is sending a clear message to Michael Curry's team that he expects nothing less than a championship.

---This fascinating experiment in Detroit may fail, and the Celtics remain the best team in the East. But it will be exciting to see A.I. play in a Piston uniform.

---But just so you know, A.I., you're in for a loss when you visit Oracle Arena next Thurdsay.

---My Golden State Warriors are off to a 2-3 start, with a home game tonight against O.J. Mayo and the Memphis Grizzlies. Judging by Wednesday's excellent win against Denver, which featured a fantastic performance from Brandan Wright, we appear to be hitting our stride.

---Memo to Al Harrington: You are an important part of this team when you play with motivation, and we would love to have you remain in a Warrior uniform. But if you continue to show little effort amidst your demands to be traded, we have no use for you. If you want more minutes from Don Nelson, play like the talented, energetic player that you are.

---Last night on "Inside the NBA", Charles Barkley joked that he didn't know there was still basketball at Golden State. Not surprising, since the Warriors serve as the annual punching bag for the Chuckster. I love Charles Barkley----he's my favorite analyst in all of sports----but I look forward to proving him wrong once again.

---Spectacular game in Portland last night between the Rockets and Blazers, a game that featured a dizzying finish in the final seconds of overtime. I remain a skeptic on the Blazers, but there is nothing trivial about the talents of Brandon Roy.

---The University of Washington alum is one of the most exciting players in the league. He was money down the stretch in last night's Blazer victory. Sorry Greg Oden, but Roy is the face of the Portland sports scene.

---After seeing Tony Parker, one of the most underrated point guards in the league, put up explosive numbers Wednesday against the Timberwolves, I envied the life of Mr. Parker. Think about it: After every game, he gets to go home to the jaw-droppingly sexy Eva Longoria. Guys across the nation, including myself, are hopelessly jealous.

---Huge college football matchups tomorrow. Oklahoma State-Texas Tech. Alabama-LSU. Cal-USC. Ohhh, baby, what a lineup.

---I'm pulling for Cal, and I think Nick Saban and top-ranked Alabama will be victorious in Saban's return to Baton Rouge.

---As for Oklahoma State-Texas Tech, look for Mike Gundy's Cowboys to pull off the upset in a superb, hotly contested battle. This will throw another wrench into the disastrous BCS system.

---College Basketball is around the corner, and I can already hear the sound of the great Dick Vitale hootin' and hollerin' "It's awesome, baby". Lots of things to look for this year in the world of college hoops, including the two new coaches at Cal and Stanford.

---Mike Montgomery spent many successful years roaming the sidelines at Stanford, but he is now calling the shots at Stanford arch rival Cal. Former Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins has learned a lot over the years from Coach K, and he takes over the reigns at Stanford. This marks the beginning of what will surely be a coaching rivalry that will continue for many years.

---In Hot Stove news, the Dodgers offered Manny Ramirez a two-year, $45 million deal. Please, Manny, I beg you. Either come to the Giants, or get the heck out of the NL West. For all your carefree, laughable, occasionally irritating antics, you truly are one of the most remarkable hitters the game has ever seen. So please, leave the Dodger blue behind.