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:

---Brett Favre says that he might retire. Whatever you say, Brett.

---Looks like we're in store for yet another summer of will he or won't he nausea.

---Favre will have a lot of time to ponder his future, because it does not look like the Jets will be playing in January.

---The AFC East is now essentially a two team race between the Dolphins and Patriots. As great as Matt Cassel and the Pats have been playing, I think Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins will be division champs.

---What a turnaround season in Miami, from one win to potentially eleven. Bill Parcells deserves praise for his work in the front office, but the head coach receives the most credit. Tony Sporano undoubtedly deserves Coach of the Year honors.

---Meanwhile, the never ending saga in Dallas continues. Their playoff hopes are in doubt following Saturday's loss to the Ravens in the final game at Texas Stadium.

---The Cowboys still have a shot at the playoffs, but does anyone seriously consider Dallas a legitimate threat?

---The AFC West comes down to the final week of play, with the winner of the Broncos-Chargers game taking the prize. Denver may have already lost the game. They look like one defeated team right now.

---After Sunday's NFL action, one thing is clear: The four teams to beat are the Giants, Panthers, Titans, and Steelers.

---I don't think I've ever seen a team limp into the playoffs quite as noticeably as the Arizona Cardinals. I know they've already clinched, but their last two efforts against Minnesota and New England were embarrassing. Ken Whisenhunt better get his team in line.

---Sapp'o'Claus handed out gifts during the NFL Network pregame show Sunday morning. Warren Sapp's greatest gift? A gun holster for Plaxico Burress.

---The Detroit Lions. Oh, my. They are headed for the history books, one loss from record awfulness. I wonder if Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow will deliberately throw five interceptions in the national championship game, just to ensure that they don't go number one in the NFL Draft to the Lions.

---I like Rob Parker, but the Detroit News columnist went a little too far in his hard line of questioning to Lions coach Rod Marinelli regarding Detroit's defensive coordinator, Marinelli's son-in-law.

---The Lions are the annual punching bag in the NFL, but Marinelli is a good guy, and it was almost painful to see his reaction to Parker's comments. He was clearly hurt.

---A great comeback win for the Niners yesterday. Granted, it was against the Rams, but Mike Singletary's team displayed impressive grit and resiliency in the fourth quarter. As a Niner fan, I think that Shaun Hill has earned the starting job next season.

---Congratulations to 49er wide receiver Isaac Bruce. Bruce reached a couple of career milestones against his former team on Sunday. He is now second on the all time receiving yards list, and fifth on the all time receptions list.

---I cannot wait until Christmas Day. The very special holiday is heaven for NBA fans everywhere. Celtics-Lakers is obviously the must-see attraction, but there are four other games that are also worth your attention. I'll preview all five Christmas Day games on Wednesday.

---Boston's eighteen game winning streak and 26-2 record has sparked some debate: Is this Celtics team going to win 70 games? I say yes. Doc Rivers' team shows no sign of slowing down, and the Big 3 are being aided by the superb play of Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis. This Celtics team is remarkably deep, conjuring memories of the Bulls teams of the nineties.

---With Michael Jordan and a phenomenal supporting cast of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, John Paxson, and many others, the Chicago teams of the nineties were unstoppable, with the '95-'96 Bulls winning seventy-two games.

---With all due respect to the Celtics, there are two teams that could very well pose a serious threat to Boston in the playoffs: Cleveland and Orlando. LeBron James, for the first time in his career, is playing with an outstanding team around him, featuring the likes of Mo Williams, Sasha Pavlovic, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and a steadily improving Delonte West at the point guard position. The Magic could also make a run for Boston's money. They have the best center in basketball (Dwight Howard), a solid point guard (Jameer Nelson), and two of the best pure shooters in the league (Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Reddick).

---Also, overlook the Atlanta Hawks at your own peril. They are for real.

---Mike Woodson's team may have lost to the Celtics two times this season, but in both losses they proved that they are completely removed from the futility of the past decade.

---I love Don Nelson, but as a Warriors fan, I was disheartened by what I read in the San Francisco Chronicle regarding tension between Nellie and rookie Anthony Randolph. Randolph has star potential, but he needs the confidence of his coach if he is to reach that potential.

---I don't blame the Angels for withdrawing their eight year offer to free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. Teixeira is a magnificent player who would shore up problems at the plate and in the field for any team. But eight years is way too big of a commitment.

---It's good to see the Orioles and Nationals in the bidding war for Teixeira. Whether they land Teixeira or not, it is clear that both teams desperately want to win, and that should be enough to rekindle fan interest.

---My Giants are looking to sign Randy Johnson. Not sure how I feel about that. Johnson was an incredibly intimidating flamethrower in his prime, but he is well removed from his prime. If Brian Sabean does sign Johnson, I hope we get the Big Unit who dominated in Arizona, not the Big Unit who languished with the Yankees.

---What an exciting weekend of college basketball. I was especially impressed by three teams: UConn, Duke, and Michigan State. The Huskies win against Gonzaga in Seattle proved that Jim Calhoun's team can win in a hostile environment against a high-caliber opponent. Duke's convincing defeat of Purdue served notice that they have every intention of challenging North Carolina for the ACC crown. And Michigan State's win at Texas was a resounding wake-up call to all of college basketball that the Spartans are a force to be reckoned with, despite their recent struggles.

---Stephen Curry may have had a tough weekend, but he is only human. He remains the best player in college hoops, and he plays on a Davidson team that could very well make another deep NCAA tourney run. He is going to be a star in the NBA.

---I don't give the NHL much love, but the outdoor game at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day should be fun to watch. I will be tuning in.

---Last year's outdoor game in Buffalo was fun. Commissioner Gary Bettman is very smart for scheduling games outdoors. It's an effective way of building interest for the NHL, which has never recovered from that devastating strike a few years ago.

---I'll leave with a new award, which will make recurring appearances in the confines of TJB's Sports Universe. The award is analyst of the week, and the winner goes to...................Trent Dilfer. The former NFL quarterback is doing a thorough job of breaking down the action on ESPN.