MIKE & MIKE

The Cowboys have the horses. Still, Mike and Mike wonder if they'll carry them all the way to the big roundup.

GREENY: The Cowboys are one of those teams, like the Yankees, that thrives on controversy. They like a slightly chaotic atmosphere. So I don't think that whatever circus surrounds Adam "Don't Call Me Pacman" Jones, Terrell Owens or Tony Romo's girlfriend will bother them. Of course, the question remains whether they're the best team in the NFC.

GOLIC: They're talented enough to be the best, but they have to put it together; they can't underachieve like they did last year. In the AFC, you can rattle off a number of teams with talent, but in the NFC, there are only a few. The Cowboys are strong offensively, defensively and on special teams with Pacman returning punts for them. But Minnesota has a lot of talent, and you have to respect the Giants because they won the Super Bowl. You can't just say Dallas is the NFC team to beat.

GREENY: Outside of the usual suspects in the NFC, my team to watch is the Cardinals. I love Ken Whisenhunt and the toughness he and Russ Grimm brought to that team. And I believe Kurt Warner will be their starting quarterback. He still has enough in the tank to make a difference.

GOLIC: If I'm going to pick a team out of the ordinary, I'll pick the Rams. Marc Bulger was nicked up a lot last year, and Steven Jackson, presuming he plays, is still a fantastic back. Plus, they picked up Chris Long and have Leonard Little, so they have some bookends on the line on the defensive side of the ball.

GREENY The NFC West is not a tough division, which is why the Cardinals will make a real run.

GOLIC I agree about the division. Seattle is good, but often they're atop the NFC West by default. This year, the Rams make some noise.

PREDICTIONS SURE TO BE WRONG

GOLIC: The Dodgers' acquisition of Manny will make my preseason prediction come true: LA wins the NL West.
GREENY: The Red Sox will miss Manny before all is said and done—and will miss the playoffs, too.

THE MIKEs ON...NBAers GOING TO PLAY IN EUROPE

GREENY: It's fine; there's more than enough talent to keep the NBA thriving. There are only so many spots in the NBA, in any case. That means the guys the other leagues will be throwing money at will be NBA-caliber; they'll no longer be guys who can't play here.

GOLIC: It all comes down to what players want. The best basketball in the world is in the NBA. If your goal is to play at that level and you're able to make it, then great. If your goal is to make the most money and that opportunity exists outside the NBA, so be it. It's not wrong or right. I worry only that any talented players who go abroad because they don't have the test scores to get into college—like Brandon Jennings—won't come back to the States.


Our NCAA PRESEASON Top 5
1. USC
Reloading, not rebuilding.
2. OHIO STATE
Until Sept. 13, when they play the Trojans.
3. Oklahoma
Schedule looks favorable.
4. Georgia
Needs to keep its guys on the field.
5. LSU
Les Miles made the right decision.

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