TOP TEN- 10-2-06

Everybody has a Top 10. NS is no different. But rather than focus just on college football or Major League Baseball, we’ve decided to throw every sport –NASCAR, WNBA and the MAC- into the same pool and simply fish out the best athletes/teams each Monday. Let the debating commence…

1. Ohio State- Hostile environment, schmostile environment. The Bucks went down to Iowa City and put it on the Hawkeyes. The nerve of any AP voter who still gives his top vote to any other school.
2. Indianapolis Colts- That ending wasn’t quite Cal/Stanford but it was wacky enough. Peyton “Mr. 4^th Quarter” Manning and his 4-0 Colts weren’t amused.
3. New York baseball- NS has loved the Detroit Tigers for most of the season, but we think they’re on borrowed time vs. the Yanks. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have that zip, that swag, that just might be enough for the Mets.
4. West Virginia- Sports Illustrated ran a story on Mountaineer RB Steve Slaton in last week’s issue. They’re only about 10 months late. The rest of the free world will catch on after WV’s Big East clash with Louisville on Nov. 2.
5. Chicago Bears- Last week’s No. 5 was Seattle, the team the Bears simply embarrassed on a national stage on Sunday night. Rex Grossman and a stifling defense that gives up zilch are the reasons there’s a new No. 5.
6. Carolina Hurricanes- Yeah, we know you don’t care, but the ’06-07 NHL season does face-off for the first time this week. Until someone shows that these defending champs don’t deserve to be here, they’ll rest comfy.
7. NL West- Dang, we hate Felipe Alou’s gone in San Francisco, but man do we love the clutch play of L.A. and how San Diego made the postseason without a guy anywhere near 30 homers or 100 RBI.
8. Garrett Wolfe- Heisman usually only makes times for the kids in the Pac-10 and Big 12. He’ll have to make an exception for this star tailback at Northern Illinois who’s already rushed for 1,181 -1,181!- yards this season.
9. Minnesota Twins- Oakland was 5-1 in the Metrodome this year. So what?! Their NLDS opposing Twins have baseball’s two most slept-on MVP candidates (Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer) and its obvious Cy Young winner (Johan Santana).
10. Detroit Tigers- Dammit, until AL Manager of the Year Jim Leyland’s boys go home (and they probably will this week), they’re going to stay in this top 10! Great season, fellas...

Almost Made The Cut: Baltimore Ravens (4-0, with the best D in the AFC), Georgia Tech (jumped six spots to No. 18 in poll), Tiger Woods (won his 6^th straight PGA event by eight strokes), Chris Simms (Tampa QB cleared to go home)

Three WORST: Tennessee Titans (have scored just 47 pts in four losses), Duke Blue Devils (shut out in three of four defeats), my fantasy football squad (stunk it up this weekend)