Manning, Greinke, Singletary, and 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:

---Right now, Manning is the best quarterback in football. The only question is, which Manning? Eli Manning spoiled the regular season debut of the new Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night, orchestrating a tremendously impressive final drive that buoyed the Giants to victory. The very next night, on Monday Night Football, brother Peyton stunned the Dolphins in the final seconds with a clutch drive of his own. So who's better? I say Peyton.

---There is no doubt that Eli has evolved into one of the NFL's top tier quarterbacks, but his older bro remains the cream of the crop. With apologies to the great Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning will go down as the greatest quarterback in Colts history, and one of the greatest QB's of all time.

---And no, I have not forgotten about Tom Brady. It goes without saying that Brady is an all-time great, and a strong argument could be made asserting Brady as the best QB in the game. However, he looked awfully shaky in Sunday's loss at the Jets. All the credit for the Jets win belongs to Mark Sanchez and coach Rex Ryan, and the Jets were clearly the better team. But something is a little off about Brady, who is fresh off a major knee injury that kept him sidelined last season. If Brady does not return to top form in 2009, the Pats can kiss goodbye to their Super Bowl hopes.

---Goooooooooooooooo 49ers!!!!! My Niners have gotten off to a superb start, with consecutive divisional wins over the Cardinals and Seahawks. Shaun Hill has been very consistent behind center, Vernon Davis has been an effective force at wide receiver, and Frank Gore further established his reputation as one of the game's most dangerous players in the win over Seattle. But it has been the ferocious defense that has bolstered the Niners to an undefeated start. Patrick Willis, Nate Clements, Dre Bly, Manny Lawson, Dashon Goldson, and company have held the opposition to 26 combined points in two games.

---And it is great to see Coach Mike Singletary receiving so much national attention. He is one of the most passionate and exciting coaches in all of sports.

---Whether or not the Jets tampered with Michael Crabtree is irrelevant to me. I have had enough of this Crabtree nonsense. If he persists in his stubborn ways and winds up re-entering the draft next year, Crabtree will go down as one of the dumbest athletes ever. End of discussion.

---Here come the Minnesota Twins. Jim Leyland's Detroit Tigers have been rolling right along in the AL Central for most of the season, but they have been slowly but surely coughing up their divsion lead down the stretch. Meanwhile, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of Joe Mauer, Ron Gardenhire's Twins are only 2.5 games back with two weeks to play. The Twins and Tigers play four games at Comerica Park next week, and those four games will determine which team will be playing October baseball. I'm going to go out on a limb and pick the Twins to catch the Tigers, marking the most egregious September collapse since the 2007 Mets.

---Okay, I concede. The Rockies are just too damn good. Guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, and Seth Smith keep getting clutch hit after clutch hit, and the pitching, led by Ubaldo Jimenez, has been nothing short of stellar. Jim Tracy deserves to win NL Manager of the Year for righting the ship in the aftermath of the Clint Hurdle firing. My Giants have had an encouraging year, but our playoff hopes are all but dead. It's time for us to just tip our cap to the Rockies.

---If the Rockies meet the Phillies in October, I like their chances. But I'm not sure Colorado has what it takes to defeat the Cardinals. As long as Carpenter, Pujols, and Wainwright are healthy, the St. Louis Cardinals are the favorites in the National League.

---The argument for who should win the AL Cy Young is a fascinating one, with three deserving candidates: The Yankees' CC Sabathia, the Mariners' Felix Hernandez, and the Royals' Zack Greinke. A case can be made for all three, but I think the award belongs to Greinke. When you consider the fact that he plays on a lackluster team, Greinke's numbers are simply staggering.

---Down go the Trojans! Steve Sarkisian's Washington Huskies scored a hugely impressive upset over USC last weekend, and now USC may very well be dethroned in the Pac-10. The battle for Pac-10 supremacy will be decided on October 3 in Berkeley, when USC meets Cal. With a productive outing from Heisman candidate Jahvid Best, Cal will assert itself as the team to beat in the Pac-10.

---Ladies and gentleman, The U is back. Miami's resurgence has been led by the superb quarterback Jacory Harris. Harris has displayed remarkable cool in pressure-packed situations, and he has serious NFL potential. Look for Harris to lead the Canes to a BCS bowl win.

---I'll finish by giving my thoughts on Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame acceptance speech. I know I'm late to the controversy, but I thought His Airness came across as petty and bitter, looking to silence his doubters rather than thank those who helped him get to the top. I love Jordan, but his speech was a colossal disappointment.