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Dave Dameshek Podcast
Dave runs through all his picks for Week 9 in the NFL, with the help of his good buddy
The Sass. Podcast
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Jemele Hill
Betrayal and backbiting -- that is what Magic and Isiah have come to. That's just wrong. And sad. Jemele Hill
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Sam Alipour
Sam Alipour hangs out on the set of "CSI: Miami" with Lakers center Pau Gasol.
Sam Alipour -
Jim Caple
With the World Series ending in November, Jim Caple (and Scott Boras) see room for improvement. Off Base
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Gregg Easterbrook
The Colts and Saints both won't go undefeated, but would make a fabulous Super Bowl pairing. TMQ
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
12 things I'd be surprised by in Week 9:
• I'd be surprised if … the Texans weren't as loose and confident as they have ever been before a big game. At dinner at a steakhouse near the Galleria in Houston on Thursday, fullback Vonta Leach ended the meal with everyone in stitches after singing "Happy Birthday" to himself.
• I'd be surprised if … Bill Belichick hasn't spent the bye week cooking up all kinds of corner blitzes to short circuit the Mild, er, Wildcat.
• I'd be surprised if … there is anyone left out there who didn't e-mail me to say that, during my rant against special teams in this week's halfway column, I forgot that there were a handful of kickers drafted early. And, by the way, keep those stories about your Thanksgiving turkey bowl family football games coming.
• I'd be surprised if … the Eagles didn't become 43-1 when Donovan McNabb has a passer rating better than 100.
• I'd be surprised if … the Cardinals win their fourth-straight road game to start the season, something they haven't done since 1982.
• I'd be surprised if … Kyle Orton's less than explosive arm strength doesn't start making his downfield options predictable and easy to pick.
• I'd be surprised if … Our grandkids aren't all playing the A-11 offense created by the pioneer coaches at Piedmont High School in California who, using this revolutionary scheme, have qualified for the state playoffs for the third year in a row.
• I'd be surprised if … the Seahawks don't get a third shutout at home against the now 2-29 Lions.
• I'd be surprised if … Cedric Benson doesn't break his career season-high in rushing against the Ravens -- he only needs 27 more yards.
• I'd be surprised if … the Chiefs don't introduce us to RB Jamaal Charles against a Jaguars defense that gave up almost 7 yards per carry last week.
• I'd be surprised if … we don't see a full cratering in D.C. in the second half. The Redskins next eight opponents are more than twice as good (.662) as the group they faced in the first half of the season.
• I'd be surprised if … there was anything more out of place than the Halloween display (a life-sized cow, pig, horse and scarecrow) set up in the Texans' weight room. My question: Did they use Andre Johnson for the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time)?
-- David Fleming
MAN OF HONOR
Deon Taylor made his mark on the Bronx, just like his beloved New York Yankees. Kieran Darcy
HALLOWEEN BRACKET
Page 2 rigorously analyzes the best outfits for this year's spooky season with an ultimate costume bracket. Patrick Hruby and Kurt Snibbe
Kurt SnibbeVARSITY TAILGATE
DJ Gallo provides all the information you need to enjoy your Saturday in Page 2 fashion. Varsity Tailgate
WELCOME TO MSG!
Page 2 gives a behind-the-scenes peek at how the Knicks welcomed LeBron James to NYC. Kurt Snibbe• Hruby: LeBron's itinerary
GET SMART, COACH
So Flip Saunders says Gilbert Arenas has a "high basketball IQ." How smart is that? Not very, Flip.LZ Granderson
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
The New York Yankees are back on top of the baseball world, so Page 2 ranks their 27 championship teams.David Schoenfield
• Our 27 Fall Classic factoids
• Gallo: World Series captions
WHY SO SILENT?
Why isn't David Stern speaking out about the damage Donald Sterling is doing to the NBA? Jemele Hill
STAR GAZING
If you looked down on the field during the World Series, you saw many more stars than just the baseball players. Laura Lane• Lane: A day with Laura Posada
NFL AT THE HALF
At the NFL's halfway point, David Fleming has some half-baked observations. David Fleming
Page 2 Columnists TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
THIS WEEK ON PAGE2 (October 31 - November 6)
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED on PAGE 2
- Behind the Highlights: The greatest competition ever
- Jim Caple revisits the classic 1975 tug-of-war between the Vikings and Steelers.
- Behind the Highlights: Orange Crushed
- Thomas Neumann investigates an amazing YouTube clip featuring Earl Campbell.