Big smile, now

Somewhere, you know Shoeless Joe Jackson has a grin on his face.

Taking a look at the landscape

You know you all have been waiting for this ...

1. The Indianapolis Colts will lose one game this season, a Monday night affair Nov. 28 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is growing up as a football player before our eyes. Check out his game-winning touchdown pass Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

3. The Norwich Navigators are no more -- the San Francisco Giants' Double-A team will now be known as the Connecticut Defenders. Silly name, sillier logo.

4. Bird flu has made it to Britain. It will be in the U.S. before the year is over.

5. Professional football will no longer be played in New Orleans. The NFL for the longest time has wanted to put a pro team back in Southern California and Hurricane Katrina has given them the perfect out to do so.

6. If New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin thinks his city will get the "Cleveland plan" when it comes to the Saints, guess again. Sad to say, but I think it will be a long time, if ever again, before pro sports is seen in the Crescent City.

7. The NBA's Hornets will eventually end up in Oklahoma City or, more likely, Kansas City for good.

8. White Sox in six. Shoeless Joe Jackson can rest in peace when it happens.

9. Biggest fraud in college football: Texas Tech. Way for the Lubbock Leaches to show up against Texas Saturday.

10. How many days until Bush leaves?

Battle lines drawn

No miracles in St. Louis this year, I'm afraid. The Astros shook off Pujols' blast in Game Five to win the National League Championship Series in six games and face the White Sox in the World Series.

I grew up in New York watching both the Mets and Yankees -- and thanks to the advent of sports talk radio in the 1980s, listen to their fans explain why each other's teams suck.

Here in Chicago, from what I can tell anyway, the dislike between Cubs fans and White Sox fans is there, albeit in a silent sort of way.

My problem with Yankees fans is with 26 championships to their names -- and a mad owner willing to spend more than Zimbabwe's GNP on his players -- they all believe the World Series belongs to them as a matter of divine right.

In that case, baseball fans, the season will now end the first week of April. Did you all get the memo?

Mets fans -- not all of them, but a huge bunch of them -- whine about how they get no respect. They feel they get the short end in everything (ever been to Shea Stadium on say a cold Thursday night in September when the Mets are long out if it and facing a team like Pittsburgh or Milwaukee or Colorado? Think morgue.)

The Mets' ownership will say they spend responsibly -- which is a nice way of saying, "We have 'x' dollars in our budget and are not going to go past that regardless.' -- well. combine that and traffic on the Grand Central and it's a miracle anyone will play for them.

If both sides would just dial it back a little, baseball in New York might be fun again. It's a game. It's not life or death.

What do you think? I'd like to know.

Phat Albert

"Man that ball got outta here in a hurry. I mean anything travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it, don't you think?" -- Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), "Bull Durham," 1988.

The Wizard. Gibby. Hendu. Add Phat Albert to the list.

It was one of those things that when someone asks me 40 years from now where I was when the Cardinals' Albert Pujols hit the home run that saved St. Louis' season. I'll know exactly when and where: I was sitting in the newsroom on the phone with one of my best friends -- and lunatic baseball fan -- watching Astros pitcher Brad Lidge get ready to deliver Houston's first pennant.

"Wouldn't it be funny if he hit it out," friend says from two time zones away.

"Nah. It's over," says me of no faith.

The Cardinals are cooked. Two out, bottom of the ninth inning, two on, there is no way they're coming back. A 100-win season shot to Hell in the NLCS.

I don't think I could duplicate the sound that came out of my mouth when Pujols turned on the pitch. I have walked outside Minute Maid Park in Houston, never been in it, but from what I can tell, there are train tracks that run above the left field stands and glass panels that stretch above that.

Pujols' shot slammed into the glass about two-thirds of the way up. I heard on the radio Tuesday that the three-run homer which forced Game Six of the NLCS later tonight, measured at 412 feet.

Damned if that ball was not still rising when it hit glass. No glass -- out of the park.

A tide-turner. Maybe. Smith's homer in '85 did it for the Cards. Dave Henderson in '86 put the Red Sox in the Fall Classic and forever doomed Donnie Moore's soul. Gibby on one half of one knee brought the Dodgers back from the brink in '88.

Who says miracles don't happen.

What do you think? I'd like to know.

The streakbuster

Last year at this time, I was in Norwich, Conn., listening to every Red Sawx fan cackle when they beat my Cardinals for their first World Series win since 1918.

This year, I am in Chicago where the White Sox -- yes, the Grinders, Pale Hose, South Siders, whatever -- have won the American League pennant. Is that Hell freezing over? Collective Cubs fans' hearts dropping into their stomachs?

Yeppers.

Now, the Cardinals are down three games to one and it looks like the White Sox will meet Houston in their first World Series appearance since 1959.

They are four wins from exorcising the ghosts of 1917 -- the last time Chicago has seen a World Series winner.

Think it's going to happen? Tell me what you think. I'd like to know.

A helluva ballot

And, no, I am not talking when G-Dub and the Cabal are replaced.

Brett Hull called it an NHL career this afternoon, one week after the Phoenix Coyotes "unretired" the No. 9 the old Winnipeg Jets raised to the rafters honoring "The Golden Jet," Bobby Hull.

Brett Hull was a brash kid when he broke into the league with the Calgary Flames in 1986. He was just as brash now 20 years down the road. He finishes third all-time in scoring behind Wayne Gretzky -- ironically, the last coach he plays for -- and Gordie Howe.

No question: "The Golden Brett" is headed to the Hall of Fame.

Four years from now, the NHL Hall of Fame class is shaping up as the best group to be enshrined at one time in ANY sport. Yes, you read that right.

Consider: Mark Messier -- Captain Clutch ... helped the New York Rangers put to bed the ghosts of 1940 when helped bring the Stanley Cup back to Manhattan ... a 6-time Cup winner.

Ron Francis -- one of the most consistent players of his era. ... 23 seasons with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto. ... 1,249 career assists ... two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Al MacInnis -- Perhaps the hardest slapshot in league history (I believe he broke Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Jocelyn Thibualt's finger with one of those drives) ... finished with 340 goals and 934 assists in his 23-year career. .. won a Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1986.

Scott Stevens -- Concussions ended his 22-year career with Washington, St. Louis and New Jersey ... Named MVP in 2000 ... blueliner led the Devils to three Stanley Cups and was considered the face of the franchise ... a 13-time All-Star.

Vincent Damphousse -- Spent 18 seasons with Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and San Jose .. finishes with 442 goals -- including 12 hat tricks -- and 773 assists ... helped the Canadiens in 1993 to their 23rd Stanley Cup. ... Played in 1,378 career games.

The lockout took a year away from these players. Except for Hull, it's too bad they will not get a chance to play in the new-look league.

See ya in Toronto in four years.

The Golden Brett

Apparently, Brett Hull will don No. 9 for the Phoenix Coyotes after all.

According to the team's Web site, Hull will wear the number that was retired by the Winnipeg Jets in honor of his father and NHL legend Bobby Hull.

"My brothers and sister and I grew up watching my dad, while wearing No. 9, have success and love life as an NHL player," said Brett Hull. "My children have seen those same images of their grandfather and his passion for the game. Thanks to my dad today, I look forward to my kids being able to see me play with that same passion while also wearing No. 9. I’ll wear it proudly."

Hull will unveil his new number Saturday when the Coyotes play host to Minnesota.

Opening night observations ...

Just some things I've noticed NHL-wise tonight ...

1. Brett Hull, now playing in Phoenix, wearing No. 16. His father, Hall of Famer Bobby, wore No. 9 for the Winnipeg Jets (for you kiddies, that's where the Desert Dogs were from originally) and the 'Yotes offered to unretire the number for Brett to wear. Classy move by the younger Hull, though.

2. Sure, it's only one game, but Washington's Alexander Ovechkin looked real good scoring twice in a win over Columbus -- a team expected to turn the corner this season.

3. Sidney Crosby had just one assist in Pittsburgh's 5-1 loss in New Jersey. I say he scores 55, adds 100 assists. Maybe a reach, but it will be fun to see him try.

4. Why hockey doesn't belong in New Jersey: they can't even sell out for one of the best prospects to come down the pike in a long time.

5. Maybe the Rangers' Jaromir Jagr is happy being 'the man' on a team. Two late goals against the Flyers is an impressive start.

6. Mmmmmm...shootouts.

7. Opening-night collapse anyone? L.A. squanders 4-goal lead, lose to Dallas, 5-4.

8. Classless move by Bruins fans, littering the ice with replica Stanley Cups after losing 2-1 to Montreal on a goal in the final minute. I don't think I have seen a sight as pathetic as goalie Andrew Raycroft crouched in the net waiting for fans to stop throwing the giveaways.

9. Nikolai Khabibulin may have gotten his ring and a big contract, but I think he's going to find success hard to come by in Chicago.

10. Potvin sucks.

Drop the puck

MORTON GROVE, Ill. -- You knew the boycott would not last long.

I know ... I swore up and down on a stack that when the NHL came back after the lockout, they would do so without me.

So what am I doing? Sitting in a new newsroom, a 13-inch television on my right hooked up to DirectTV with the Penguins-Devils game on.

If I am bored with watching the Sid & Marty Show, I can move on to the Red Wings-Blues game -- just in time for Pavel Datsyuk to light the lamp for the first time this season.

'Canes-Bolts. Caps-Jackets. Isles-Sabres. And anyone who knows me understand I will be watching the Edmontons, Vancouvers and Calgarys of the hockey world with much interest.

They're all back.

Yes, the 301-day lockout angered me, infuriated me because it took away one of the few things I actually care about.

But having it back, well, you know what they say ... bygones will be bygones. And it's a fairly safe bet that I will be going to games around the country -- San Jose almost certainly, maybe Denver and Edmonton as well. Living in Chicago now, there is almost no way I could say no to Detroit and St. Louis, too.

Welcome back, Hockey. Don't do this again.

Big Mac, fried

SKOKIE, Ill. -- Growing up in the shadows of both Shea and Yankee Stadiums, I felt the need to be different: I rooted for the Minnesota Twins. Hosken Powell. Lyman Bostock. Paul Thormosgard. Mike Cubbage. And so on.

Then there was the improbable World Series win in 1987 over the Cardinals. Gary Gaetti -- my favorite baseball player of all time from the moment he hit two homers to start the '82 season. Kent Hrbek -- everyone loves Herbie. Kirby Puckett, Tim Laudner, Tom Brunansky. And so on.

And just to show it was no fluke, fast forward to 1991 against Atlanta. Jack Morris' 10-inning thriller. Dan Gladden crossing home with the winning run. Both championship teams led by the dry-witted Tom Kelly. He's not a native Minnesotan, but the sense of humor is all White Bear Lake Avenue.

Suffice it to say there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Twins, but the love affair lasted until 1998. I was tired of owner former Marquette Bank head Carl Pohlad -- net worth: at least $2 billion -- doing little to improve the team and Major League Baseball doing everything it could to kill off the team. Remember when 'contraction' was the buzzword around the majors?

I started following the Cardinals. My father has been a fan since the days of Pepper Martin and The Gashouse Gang in the 1930's. He would tell me of Enos Slaughter's mad dash home from first in the '46 Series. I think part of the reason I started following St. Louis was not just that the team was good, but the fans are amazingly loyal -- check out Busch Stadium anytime during the season and it's a sea of red. And while the team will do what it needs to improve, but they go about it the right way by building their farm system (Albert Pujols, anyone?) and making deals for integral parts (Larry Walker? Jim Edmonds?)

In the late 90's, there was Mark McGwire. In a midseason deal in 1997, Big Mac was picked up from the A's for some guys named Ludwick and Stein and a bag of balls, apparently. The stats don't lie: 51 games, 44 hits -- 24 homers.

History would be made a year later.

Remember 1998 and the back-and-forth march by Mac and Chicago's Sammy Sosa to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record? Talking about that was almost like talking in church during Mass -- spoken in quiet, hushed whispers.

I went to Montreal that season to see a pair of Cardinals-Expos games. Sitting behind the plate before batting practice, I watched players go through their routines. They all stopped when Mac stepped in the batting cage and he did not disappoint, parking six balls in the top deck of Olympic Stadium, each one seemingly longer than the last.

Ironically, the record-breaker was very un-Mac-like: a cue shot that barely made it over the left-field wall at Busch. He finished with 70 that season and followed that up with a 65-homer campaign in '99.

It was all a sham. Anyone who saw Mac at the Congressional hearings into steroids earlier this year -- remember, he was not there to discuss the past -- and the appearance Friday at Busch has to look at what's in front of their eyes. McGwire, who looked absolutely Bunyan-esque during his home-run binge, now looked like a man who would be at home in a nondescript office. Thank Steve Wilstein looking at a bottle of andro for Mac's downfall.

At the hearings, Mac would not admit the obvious. Was it andro? Stanozolol? Some other high-powered illegal drug? One person knows for sure, and you can bet he is not talking.

"I've moved on from it and I wish the media would," McGwire told The Associated Press. "I've made my statement in Washington, that's my statement, and when I left Washington that's the last time I was ever going to talk about it, and that's really about it."

McGwire told Congress he'd be interested in speaking out against steroid abuse. Now he said he isn't interested in discussing the steroids issue anymore.

Well, it seems the Cardinal Nation has moved on. With the closing of Busch coming up after this season, fans selected an All-time Cardinals team and silently convicted the man who for almost five seasons was the toast of the Gateway City.

Pujols -- just finishing up his fifth season -- got the nod at first.

What do you think? I'd like to know.