TOP TEN- 12-4-06

Everybody has a Top 10. NS is no different. But rather than focus just on college basketball or the NFL, we’ve decided to throw every sport –volleyball, racquetball, kickball- into the same pool and simply fish out the best athletes/teams each Monday. Let the debating commence…

1. Ohio State- So, the men’s hoops team can’t make it past one week at the top spot. You would’ve thought they’d have taken some notes from a football team that’s been resting at the top spot since Labor Day. Gainesville, y’all ready?
2. UCLA Bruins- Bad news first: The men’s and women’s soccer teams lost in the national semi finals. The good news: The top-ranked men’s b-ball team isn’t going anywhere. The great news: USC won’t be playing for the national title.
3. Texas NBA teams- Though the Dallas Mavs’ 12-game winning streak’s come to an end, there appears to be no end to the Lonestar State’s dominance over the NBA. Texas teams are an amazing 36-15 so far.
4. San Diego Chargers- The incomparable LaDanian Tomlinson needs three TDs to break Shaun Alexander’s one-year-old record for most scores in a season (28). Your favorite AFC team needs to pray it doesn’t have to face the Bolts in the playoffs.
5. ACC women’s hoops- How good is this conference? Well, aside from the obvious (Maryland, UNC and Duke are in the top 5), there’s the interesting note that five other schools got votes to be in the top 25.
6. Florida Gators- The only thing in the world capable of curing a basketball loss to rival Florida State was an invite to Arizona for the national football championship…. Ahhhh, all better now.
7. Michigan Wolverines- The playoff argument picks up a lil’ steam with Michigan’s non-invite, yet not enough to get excited about. But is it just me or is this Wolverines/Trojans Rose Bowl looking more tantalizing by the minute?
8. Buffalo Sabres- “Although we have had some key injuries and lost a lot of our depth, we've still been able to maintain our winning ways,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. NHL, be afraid. Be very afraid.
9. Utah Jazz- Now comfortably into December, the Jazz’s bandwagon is starting to fill up. While NS isn’t completely on for the ride just yet –“Carlos Boozer” and “all-star season” just doesn’t go together, does it?- we are thinking about buying a ticket.
10. Indianapolis Colts- The Tennessee Titans’ last-second win may have been a fluke, but the fact this team allowed an inferior opponent to even have a chance was not. Simply put: Indy’s got lots of work to do if it’s going to Miami.

Almost Made The Cut: baseball free agents (Vincente Padilla? $33 million?!), North Dakota State (beat then-No. 8 Marquette), California colleges (UC-Santa Barbara won men’s soccer and Cal-Berkeley won men’s water polo titles)

Three WORST: the NFC (Honestly, a .500 team might get a home playoff game), Arkansas Razorbacks (one-time BCS threat has lost two straight), Kansas Jayhawks (lost to DePaul) and USC (let one get away…)