A cooking tip for you all: if your serrated chef's knife gets stuck in a head of cabbage, work it out slowly and with your free hand nowhere near the knife. Otherwise, your free hand may later look like this:



I will say that this looks a lot better than it did about 22 hours ago. Eight stitches will do that. I managed to cut an artery and apparently a nerve, which will require some sort of microscope-assisted surgery. Fun times ahead.

Oh, and typing with one hand? Not as much fun as you might think.

Notes on a weekend passed, which I will entitle "Of Course, I Saw the Losses in Person."

Thursday - Met the wife after work and got on the road. You can tell there was World Series madness in the air as there was an actual skywriter attempting to further thin the ozone layer with a "GO SOX" message. Only problem was that on the first pass, he drew the 'G' backwards.

We got roughly to Syracuse before stopping for the night, listening to Game 2 on the ESPN Radio affiliate out of Chicago. I've pulled in WFAN and WBAL here, though not with the sort of clarity that we were getting Thursday. We thank you, WMVP-AM, for your strong signal.

That being said, listening to Joe Morgan on the radio magnifies his inadequacy about a hundredfold. At least with TV there are the pictures and other distractions.

Friday - back on the road, and thankfully the WHTI passport rules haven't quite taken hold for driving into Canada yet, as I put mine through the wash when we got back from England. It's still perfectly legible, but I don't think I'd want to have it be the only thing between me and spending time in a Customs and Border Protection holding area.

It's also notable that we got through Ontario without the jack-booted thugs issuing us another speeding ticket.

Got into Livonia, Michigan at about mid-afternoon, at which point the wife had to do some work catch-up, scotching plans for dinner. We instead ate at the Red Robin across the street, as we'd never eaten at one and the chain was involved in a Top Chef challenge this season. I don't think the winning burger is on the menu, or they've changed it so significantly that it's unidentifiable. In any case, the food was fine but it's a loser on the value for cost principle.

Then it was off to the first of two BU-Michigan hockey games, complicated by getting lost, which I manage regularly when visting Ann Arbor. We parked downtown, leaving us a pretty significant walk to the rink. We did get to the game on time, and saw the team play better than they did against UNH, but still lose 4-2. The team still can't find the net with any regularity, and are now showing a tendency to allow odd man rushes. I hope that, by now, they realize that John Curry has graduated and will not be around to bail out sloppy defensive play.

We got a ride back to the car after the game (with thanks to Mike, who also gave us a nifty driving tour of Michigan's athletic facilities and a suggestion for parking on Saturday, important given that the hockey game was close after the Michigan-Minnesota football game).

No World Series game, so we pretty much packed it in when we got back to the hotel, though I stayed up for a while watching The Godfather.

Saturday - we slept in a bit, but eventually got over to The Henry Ford, the unusually-named historical attraction outside of Detroit whose showpiece is Greenfield Village. We didn't tour that given the rain, so we opted for the tour of Ford's Rouge assembly plant. Pretty interesting, though I'd have preferred more history about the plant. The most we got was on the "Battle of the Overpass" between union organizers and Ford security. We got to watch some assembly of F-150s, which was mostly people twiddling with hand tools. Though we did get to see robots put in windshields, which is less exciting than welding but still pretty neat to see.

Then it was back to the hotel and walk through the attached mall, which was too nice for us to buy more than a book and some ice cream. We napped, watched some football, got dinner, and headed back down to Yost.

And promptly got lost again. Turns out Ann Arbor has a Fifth Street and a Fifth Avenue, and we had directions for the wrong one. We eventually worked back to the road we'd missed the night before from our original directions, and got within three blocks of the rink, once again making it just in time for face-off.

We'd have been better off chucking the whole thing and seeing a movie, as Michigan scored in the first minute and never looked back, winning 6-2. I am not optimistic about the season, which is kind of sad given the healthy number of seniors on the team. Expect a quote from Jack about the team's lack of heart by the end of the year, earlier if they don't beat Cornell at Madison Square Garden over Thanksgiving weekend.

Sunday came early, as we were making the drive home in one shot. Nothing too amazing to report here, as we got through Ontario again without attracting enforcement from The Man. I did nearly get us impounded at the border when I misconstrued the CBP officer's question about where we came from as being general about the weekend, not specific about that morning. The glare he shot me was punishment enough.

We only caught the second half of the Pats game on the radio, as we couldn't pull it in until we were back in state. We ran across five different stations for Bills-Jets, which seems like at least four too many. I do wish I'd seen the Pats game, given the near-video game quality of the score. It's almost too bad we have to play the Colts next week, as if we had a more pliant opponent (let's say Atlanta), we'd likely put up 100.

Got home in time for the final game in the Series, though a poorly-placed nap led to some confusion when I saw the score was 4-3. There was a minimum of celebrating given the hour, so I was able to go to bed happy about the win and Mike Lowell's MVP nod (I chose not to consider free agency implications until today), and before A Rod decided all the attention on people who aren't him just wasn't acceptable. I look forward to seeing the last decade of his career unfold from San Francisco, where the fans are used to highly paid, prickly superstars on a megalomaniacal quest to break the home run record, even if it means very limited playoff appearances.

This email from the MBTA just crossed by inbox:

Dear MBTA Customer:

Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts on T-Radio. As we stated at the launch of this pilot test, MBTA riders would determine the fate of T-Radio. We have heard from a number of riders on a wide range of issues including the content and style.

Consequently, as of Thursday, October 25th, T-Radio will be suspended. While it is suspended, personnel from the MBTA and Pyramid Radio (the operator of the pilot program) will review and discuss the hundreds of emails received. Following a sufficient period of consideration, MBTA staff will present a recommendation on how the comments and suggestions might be addressed and whether a resumption of the pilot program is advised.

As always, we will continue to try and make your commute better through various means, and always ask for your feedback.

Thank you again for taking the time to write and have your voice heard. Its appreciated.

The quiet at North Station this morning was actually the sound of victory, for now at least.

BLOGALICIOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP TEN-PLUS

1. Ohio State (def. Michigan State 24-17) - this still feels fraudulent to me, so I sought out some "objective" ranking information. A straight RPI has Ohio State at number one, while the Sagarin ranking has them third. Of course, they also have Kansas second. So I suppose I'll remain part of the charade, at least for another week.

Next opponent: at Penn State

2. LSU (def. Auburn 30-24) - the only member of the SEC circle of death to win last week, so they get a reward. I look forward to their stomping of the Buckeyes in the BCS title game.

Next opponent: Idle

3. Oregon (def. Washington 55-34) - the loss to Cal takes some of the sheen off of this week's game (though perhaps not as much as if they'd lost to, say, Stanford). As with any games that hype a top offense against a top defense, it'll be the other side of the coin - the Ducks' D against the Trojan offense - that'll decide things.

Next opponent: USC

4. West Virginia (def. Mississippi State 38-13) - it still feels odd to put "key conference matchup" and "Rutgers" in the same sentence. Then again, the other key conference matchup is UConn and South Florida. Madness!

Next opponent: at Rutgers

5. Kansas (def. Colorado 19-14) - good win on the road, but College Station just seems like that much more of a hostile environment that Boulder, even if it is much closer to sea level. I can't see the Jayhawks pulling this out, but A&M is inconsistent enough to keep the door open for a KU win.

Next opponent: at Texas A&M

6. Oklahoma (def. Iowa State 17-7) - be happy I didn't drop you completely after such a lackluster performance. Take your week off and think about what you did.

Next opponent: Idle

7. Arizona State (idle) - speaking of likely frauds, the Sun Devils start their two-part exam to prove themselves this week. Luckily for them, the first part is a take-home, albeit against a team that has to be looking to take last week out on someone.

Next opponent: Cal

8. Virginia Tech (idle) - you know what needs to be done. Now please do it.

Next opponent: Chestnut Hill Barber College (10/25)

9. Missouri (def. Texas Tech 41-10) - holding the Red Raiders to 10 points is an accomplishment, especially as the lowest point total for them prior to this was 35. They've still got a ways to go, but I like the odds of a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big XII title game. This week should get them on their way. Of course, you would have thought the same thing last week for the Sooners.

Next opponent: Iowa State

10. North Dakota State (def. Minnesota 27-21) - I know it's no great shakes to beat the Gophers this year, but for a program that's in the middle of a transition from Divison II, it's well worth celebrating. Shame they're ineligible for the 1AA playoffs this year (part of the transition process, apparently).

Next opponent: Southern Utah

109. Minnesota (lost to North Dakota State 21-27) - didn't you used to not suck?

Next opponent: at Michigan

You know, I really don't like any of the Blogger templates well enough to keep one. So I'm just going to rotate for a while until one sticks. Pardon the annoyance.

Yeah, trying something different. Not sure if I like this one or not, but it was time for a change. Now I just need to figure out the archives and relinkify everyone.

THE BLOGALICIOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP TEN-PLUS

1. South Florida (def. Central Florida 64-12) - out of the remaining undefeated teams, they've played the toughest schedule, which is kind of sad, when you consider that schedule includes Elon and Florida Atlantic (who are no Florida International, but still). They've got the biggest test for undefeated teams this week, too. Which is also kind of sad.

Next opponent: at Rutgers (10/18)

2. Ohio State (def. Kent State 48-3) - the Buckeyes now face Massilon High School for the Ohio state title. But first they have to play a Spartan team that's gone 5-2 against teams that look impressive - Pitt, Notre Dame - but really aren't this year.

Next opponent: Michigan State

3-5. LSU, South Carolina, and Kentucky (Kentucky def. LSU 43-37; South Carolina def. UNC 21-15) - Circle of Death, football version. Kentucky beat LSU who beat South Carolina who beat Kentucky. Going to point differential, LSU is third, South Carolina fourth, and Kentucky fifth. But feel free to mix and match any way you see fit.

Next opponents: Auburn (LSU), Vanderbilt (South Carolina), Florida (Kentucky)

6. Oklahoma (def. Missouri 41-31) - now they get a month off before having to go to Texas Tech for the right to play in the Big XII title game. That the opponent may well be decided by this weekend's Colorado-Kansas game. I can't believe I just typed that.

Next opponent: at Iowa State

7. West Virginia (idle) - Syracuse, a week off, and then a game against Mississippi State. That's a schedule Ohio State could love, but only if the schools moved to Solon and Shaker Heights.

Next opponent: Mississippi State

8. Arizona State (def. Washington 44-20) - they're the only undefeated team in the Pac-10, and if the league is supposed to be that good this year it makes sense to rank the Sun Devils. They do have the killer stretch of their schedule over the next four weeks, but at least they have a week to bask in their appearance here without fear.

Next opponent: Idle

9. Kansas (def. Baylor 58-10) - whipping Baylor is a good way to look like you belong in the top 10. Then again, any team that's bowl eligible should be able to whip Baylor. The Jayhawks can answer at least some of the questions about their legitimacy with a win this weekend.

Next opponent: at Colorado

10. Boise State (def. Nevada 69-67) - Ian Johnson drained a 12 foot jumper at the buzzer to give the Broncos the win.

Next opponent: at Louisiana Tech

109. Rice (lost to Houston 56-48) - the Owls certainly deserve to be here, with a 1-5 record most recently marred by blowing a 13 point lead to the Cougars. But my motives aren't exactly pure here. A couple of weeks ago I had Buffalo here and openly questioned their move to divison I. They've responded with wins over Ohio and Toledo. Admittedly, not the toughest competition, but they kind of are to Buffalo.

I have Rice in a college football fantasy league, and need them to start scoring some points. So I'm hoping the shame of being here will get them into the win column. It doesn't hurt that among their remaining opponents are Marshall, Tulane, SMU, and this week's foe.

Next opponent: Memphis

Book Log 2007 #46, 47, and 48: The Hidden Assassins, The Blind Man of Seville, and The Vanished Hands, by Robert Wilson

I'd really liked the two books by Wilson that I'd previously read, so I was very happy to see a new book, The Hidden Assassins, appear at my local library.

It wasn't too far into the book that I started feeling that I was missing something. References to other cases and other characters were assuming that I knew about them, as there was little to no exposition to put them in context. But I kept reading, as I was enjoying the book quite a bit.

Of course, after I was done I did some checking and learned that I had actually read the third book in a series about Seville homicide detective Javier Falcon. So I went back and read the other two. Unlike some mystery series, it will be very helpful if you read these in order (The Blind Man of Seville, The Vanished Hands, and then The Hidden Assassins).

Falcon is one of the more interesting detectives to come along, and his personal history is as important in these books as the homicides he investigates. There is also an ongoing theme of life in a post-9/11 world, but I'm not sure I'm crazy about how that played out in the third book.

I very highly recommend the entire series.

Book Log 2007 #45: The Mind of Bill James by Scott Gray

I'm pretty conflicted about this book, as I liked a fair amount of what it covers about James's life and work, but it doesn't feel particularly whole to me. I can't quite put my finger on why.

I actually went and read some of the Amazon.com customer reviews to try to jog my memory, and I think (for once) they may have something. Each of the three "most helpful" reviews point to a lack of context. James is quoted at length, but there's not much discussion with anyone who isn't connected to James. They also point to a lack of explanation as to what he actually does. For example, Win Shares are mentioned, but not really explained.

So I guess my feeling about this book comes from it not really showing how, or even if, James has changed baseball. There should have been a chance here to give people more of an idea of what James has done and its impact on baseball. Instead, this book is a missed opportunity.

I was pretty surprised yesterday morning when, waiting for the Green Line at North Station, I found myself assaulted by the end of one of those slower Maroon 5 songs that was horribly overplayed and overused in movie trailers. Given that we've kind of moved beyond the days of the boom box, it took me a minute to figure out that the music was coming from the station's loudspeakers.

Turns out I had stumbled into the first day of T-Radio, a pilot program of what the press release calls "an expertly programmed radio format where informative news, entertainment and safety announcements are seamlessly integrated with music to appeal to Boston’s multi-cultural T-rider demographics."

Let's unpack that, shall we?

an expertly programmed radio format - I didn't know that radio for subway platforms was its own format. Are there Arbitron numbers for it?

informative news, entertainment and safety announcements - in the time I was on the platform I heard no news. The 'entertainment' consisted of the sort of funny facts you'd find on a fact a day calendar that you get in your office's holiday swap. There was one announcement, but it was just one of the "See Something, Say Something" spots that remind us that a slogan is the T's best defense against terrorism.

For what it's worth, the most interesting thing I heard from the non-musical programming was that Pope John Paul II was named an honorary Harlem Globetrotter in 2000. I assume it went something like the dream in Fletch where the Pope's height is given with and without mitre.

seamlessly integrated - OK, there were no gaps of dead air or anything, but I figure anyone with basic radio training should be able to do this.

music to appeal to Boston's multi-cultural T-rider demographics - the T is a bit of a melting pot, so this actually makes sense. I am not sure if all the ingredients in the pot will find appeal from Maroon 5, Augustana, and Edwin McCain. Clearly, we're a bechamel rather than a demi glace.

The one thing I can say in the positive about T-Radio is that everyone could hear it. It was obtrusively loud, much too loud for me at 7:45 in the morning. I'm assuming there were complaints, as today I couldn't hear it on the platform at all. I could hear it in the walkway under Causeway Street, but that's about it.

There's an emphasis on the non-musical portions of the broadcast, which is interesting given that I've heard almost nothing that wasn't music. I'm also wondering how I'm going to hear much of the programming unless I'm waiting an inordinate amount of time for a train. This will probably work better at the Airport stop than North and South Stations (the only places getting T-Radio right now).

The kicker is that this new service rolled out the same day I got stuck in the tunnel between Park Street and Boylston for about 15 minutes. I was late to work, but at least I could think about the Pope being the Clown Vicar of Basketball.

THE BLOGALICIOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP TEN-PLUS

1. LSU (def. Florida 28-24) - a close call in Death Valley, and while the defense managed to contain Tim Tebow, the most telling stat to me was LSU converting on all five of their fourth down plays. Now they just have to see if they can contain Andre Woodson at home.

Next opponent: at Kentucky

2. California (idle) - is picking last week for an off week an example of intangibles? A good week to bask in their lofty perch before a couple of interesting weeks on the road, though they may not want to be too complacent. The Beavers have won in Berkeley on each of their last three trips to town.

Next opponent: Oregon State

3. Ohio State (def. Purdue 23-7) - a win over an undefeated team is nice, but Purdue's clean slate was built on a pretty shaky foundation. Not sure if it's good or bad that OSU's schedule is so back-loaded. Good for now, I guess, as this week should serve up another solidly-played, but not particularly telling, win.

Next opponent: Kent State

4. South Florida (def. Florida Atlantic 35-23) - OK, FAU isn't that bad this season, but that's still a bit too close for a team looking to be one of the elite. Especially now that marquee match-ups with Rutgers and Louisville have lost their luster with those teams dropping out of the national rankings. A good win over a team that gave Texas a scare would help.

Next opponent: Central Florida

5. South Carolina (def. Kentucky 38-23) - good win over a nationally-ranked opponent, the second one of the season for the Gamecocks. They actually get a couple of weeks where they don't have to play a nationally-ranked team, which will be a nice break.

Next opponent: at North Carolina

6. Oklahoma (def. Texas 28-21) - winning the Red River Shootout is always a feather in one's cap, and a nice way to bounce back from their surprising loss to Colorado. If they can get past this week they've got an excellent shot at running the table, though the game at Texas Tech will be interesting.

Next opponent: Missouri

7. Missouri (def. Nebraska 41-6) - a statement game for the Tigers, who needed some street cred given their other opponents. They haven't fared well against ranked teams, or Oklahoma in general (having only won once in their last 17 meetings), so a victory here would be an additional turning point.

Next opponent: at Oklahoma

8. West Virginia (def. Syracuse 55-14) - this just makes the Orangemen's win over Louisville look that much more bizarre. A costly win given Pat White's injury, though if you're going to get injured this is a good time to do it. He just needs to get healthy for the game at Rutgers at the end of the month.

Next opponent: Idle

9. Illinois (def. Wisconsin 31-26) - it's been a good three weeks for the Illini. They gave Indian their only loss to date, and then knocked off nationally-ranked Penn State and Wisconsin. Those of you who are not including Rashard Mendenall in Heisman consideration may want to start now. Or perhaps on Sunday, as he may put up some gaudy numbers on Saturday.

Next opponent: at Iowa

10. Chadron State (def. Western New Mexico 21-0) - not only did this win keep the Eagles perfect on the season, it saw Danny Woodhead become the NCAA all-divisions career rushing leader. He broke the mark of 7,353 yards set by R. J. Bowers of Grove City College over the 1997 to 2000 seasons. Woodhead's total now stands at 7,411, and with five games to play in the regular season he seems in good shape to top 8,000.

Next opponent: Fort Lewis

109. USC (lost to Stanford 24-23) - dude, you lost to Stanford. Stanford.

Next opponent: Arizona

Book Log 2007 #44: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

Before we went Under the Tuscan Sun and everywhere after, Mayle and his wife moved from England to Provence, with plans to restore a house and enjoy village life in France. This book chronicles their acclamation to their new life, both the positive (great summers and food) and negative (the mistral and tradespeople with an even more expansive idea of time than their American counterparts).

For the most part its an amusing tale, though with the explosion in travel writing of this nature many of the themes (amusing locals, byzantine bureaucracy, etc.) a little too familiar. Still, it's an enjoyable introduction to one man's adventures in Provence.

Book Log 2007 #43: In At the Death by Harry Turtledove

The last book in the Settling Account series of Turtledove's alternative history of the US, the war between the US and Confederates (and, by extension, Germany versus everyone else in Europe) comes to a close. Both sides comes to grips with the new political reality and the aftermath of the CSA's "population reduction" program for current and former slaves.

It's another solid entry in the series, as most of the characters are given a chance to return home or otherwise tie up the loose ends in their plot line. Even with that, there is some room for the series to continue, given the number of discussions between characters about possible war between the US and Germany. Given that the two have been allies throughout the series, it's hard to think why this would be so much of a concern unless we're being set up for something down the road.

Book Log 2007 #42: The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni

You may know Dante best for his poetry, but this book introduces us to Dante the detective, as he is pressed into service to solve a murder while serving as a civil official in Florence. The killing of a master mosaicist points to a greater concern involving the Pope and the influence of Rome over Florence, which is undergoing turmoil thanks to the dispute between the Guelphs and the Ghibelines. And, of course, the Templars may be involved, too.

Can't say I was overly impressed with the book, which to me came off a bit as Umberto Eco lite. I think part of the problem is that there is some assumption that the reader is familiar with Florentine history and the Guelph-Ghibeline conflict in particular. You can read the book without such knowledge, but I don't think I got as much out of this subplot as I may have otherwise.

It's too bad, too, as this seems like fertile ground for any historical fiction.

While nowhere near the most exciting thing to come from China this year, I did get something from that country that I'd been looking forward to: my new MacBook. I was eligible for a no-interest computer loan from work, and given that my iMac is about seven years old, it seemed like a good time to upgrade. I'd toyed with the idea of moving over to a PC, but the nearly 20 years I've used a Mac won out. Going with a laptop made some sense given that the wife already has a desktop, and the added mobility would allow me to do things like blog while watching TV. Which I'm not doing now. Not at all. Honest.

It was kind of an interesting culture clash when I went to the Apple Store to buy the thing, as work required a quote so they could cut a check, but the Apple Store doesn't take checks for what was an on-line purchase thanks to a hard drive upgrade I was looking to do. A manager came up with the work-around - use the check to buy a gift card and use that to pay for the computer - and after a 12 minute delay when they had to call in and verify the check, the purchase was made.

Apparently the hard drive work was done in China, as when I went to track the shipment I found that it had started there and the went to Anchorage, Indianapolis, and Boston before getting on a truck in Peabody and winding up here. Total time in transit was less than a day.

So far so good with the new machine, trying to become more familiar with the iLife software so I can goof off more effectively. I'm also trying to figure out how to get these new Intel machines to run stuff from the Classic environment. I did find a decent web site with instructions, but I'm clearly not doing something right. I'll get it sorted out just in time to find out that there's a one step Classic emulator out there.

Now we just need folks like Blogger to support the Mac environment better. There are several buttons I get when blogging on a PC that I don't get here. I'd rather not have to keep hand-tagging links.

Book Log 2007 #41: Tales from Q School: Inside Golf's Fifth Major by John Feinstein

I've always found the idea of Q School - the PGA's tournament for bestowing tour cards on golfers who have not otherwise earned one - to be fascinating, as it's a rare look into the lives of golfers who are (excuse the pun) on the fringe. I've also always enjoyed Feinstein's books. So I figured this would be a perfect match.

But it isn't. There are too many golfers entering and exiting the story, and it seems like a fair amount of the narrative is aimed at hammering home the idea that anything can happen at Q School, and usually does. Part of me thinks that may be the point, that the book is written in a way to mimic the nature of the event. Or at least I hope it is.

All of that said, I didn't think it was a bad book. The stories are still entertaining, and there are some great insights as to what it takes to succeed on - or not succeed and keep trying to make - the PGA tour. I was also interested to find a longish section on Pat Bates, a golfer who I knew growing up. I've not talked to him in a good 20 years at least, so it was something to get to compare the person he's become with the kid I knew.

In any case, it's probably a book best left for people who are more interested in golf than me.

Book Log 2007 #40: 1824: The Arkansas War by Eric Flint

This is the second book in a series that started with 1812: The Rivers of War, in which the War of 1812 goes a bit differently and, as a result, a conglomeration of freemen and Native Americans form a sovereign confederacy in Arkansas. This book takes things to the next step, as the confederacy fights for survival against attacks from locals who see it as a threat to slavery and a US invasion spurred by President Henry Clay.

Given the usual focus on the Civil War in alternative US history, this is a nice change of pace. The issue of race is also handled reasonably well, with moments that are either too stereotypical or too optimistic balanced out by the bulk of the book that touches on the subject.

Certainly recommended for alternative history fans, and probably not a bad series for anyone interested in the period.

Book Log 2007 #39: A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss

Finally had the chance to read this, and while it's quite good, I think having read The Coffee Trader beforehand took a little bit away from this book. There are some definite similarities between the two, and I found myself making comparisons as I went, which is a distraction. Otherwise, it's a very good historical mystery and worth the read.

THE BLOGALICIOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP TEN-PLUS

1. LSU (def. Tulane 34-9) - a little sluggish in the first half, but I don't think the Tigers were used to starting a game at noon. They may have also been looking forward a bit to this week, ironic given that the bigger game may now be the tilt with Kentucky in two weeks' time.

Next opponent: Florida

2. California (def. Oregon 31-24) - that's two solid wins against top 25 opponents, which is one more than USC has. A visit to Tempe is the only thing standing in between the Golden Bears being undefeated going into their game with USC.

Next opponent: Oregon State

3. USC (def. Washington 27-24) - you get the sense that the Trojans are living on borrowed time, which is odd given all their talent. There are several teams on their schedule that would have benefitted more from all of the mistakes made by USC in this game. It's their luck that they were playing a team in Washington that's still rebuilding. This is probably a good week to work out the kinks.

Next opponent: Stanford

4. South Florida (def. West Virginia 21-13) - I know this reeks of bandwagoneering, but the Bulls did beat a top 5 team and, earlier in the season, a nationally-ranked Auburn team. That's more than the other undefeated teams below them have done, although this week tends back towards the cupcake.

Next opponent: at Florida Atlantic

5. Ohio State (def. Minnesota 30-7) - the Buckeyes had a decent win at Washington, otherwise the opposition has made it hard to tell just how good this team is. We'll get an idea this weekend, when they take on an undefeated conference foe whose schedule has been even weaker than their own.

Next opponent: at Purdue

6. Kentucky (def. Florida Atlantic 45-17) - that Louisville win doesn't look so good now, but they also have a road win at Arkansas, which again is more than some other teams have. That and the Wildcats have Andre Woodson, who is a pretty good equalizer. Not sure if he's good enough to get through a brutal three week stretch, or even the game tonight that kicks it off.

Next opponent: at South Carolina (10/4)

7. Wisconsin (def. Michigan State 37-34) - little known fact - Wisconsin now has the nation's longest winning streak at 14 games. Getting it to 15 is going to be difficult: a week after giving up more than 200 yards rushing, they get to visit the team that is sixth in the nation in rushing offense.

Next opponent: at Illinois

8. Florida (lost to Auburn 17-20) - tough week for the Gators. They have the close loss at home, one of their captains gets arrested for trying to take his girlfriend's car from a tow lot, and now they get to travel to Baton Rouge to face LSU, the first of three road games against nationally-ranked teams. It's possible the Gators will enter November at .500; I don't think it'll happen, but this week isn't going to help.

Next opponent: at LSU

9. South Carolina (def. Mississippi State 38-21) - I may be a week early with these guys, but I'll give them the spot based on a win at Georgia and a respectable loss at LSU.

Next opponent: Kentucky

10. Cincinnati (def. San Diego State 52-23) - they've played no one of note, but have at least won big en route to being undefeated and nationally ranked for the first time in over 30 years. So huzzah to the Bearcats, who get their first actual test this week.

Next opponent: at Rutgers

109. Buffalo (lost at Ball State 14-49) - well, you have your annual win against Temple. I suppose that's something. Why did you go divison I again?

Next opponent: Ohio

On this day when the Red Sox begin their quest to win another World Series, I've come to a conclusion.

We need a second baseball team in Boston.

My reasons are several:

1. It's become well-nigh impossible to get tickets to home games. With limited supply and huge demand, it's no wonder that there are increasing numbers of fans taking mini (or full) vacations around road trips, and many more who just stay home.

2. This is one of the few areas of the country where baseball is still the dominant sport. I base this off of the Sports Illustrated fan map from a few years back that showed New England as one of the few places where the top fan-supported team was not the local NFL franchise, but the local nine.

3. We used to have a second team, so there's a history there, and even a few scattered fans who never made the jump over from the Braves to the Sox. It's not as common as finding Giants fans, but they are out there.

4. The Red Sox are making a transition from team to brand, between the foray into NASCAR, non-sport TV ventures like Sox Appeal, and the whole Red Sox Nation embarrasment. Being a Sox fan now is like being a Celtics fan in the 1980s. It's more about the scene and the aura of winning than it is about the sport. A second team would give an outlet to people who want to spend an afternoon at the ballpark actually watching baseball, not shooting a reality show or something.

So here's my plan.

I. TEAM

The most obvious choice for getting a second team is moving a currently floundering one. And as we already have an AL team in town, a National League team would work best.

Paging the Florida Marlins.

They're pretty much perfect for this operation. They're in the NL East, so they don't have to move divisions. They've won a couple of World Series, so they have some tradition, but are new enough that they aren't bound to Florida by tradition. They have no current fan base in Miami to speak of, and no real prospect of getting a new stadium. And they have some exciting players - including former Sox prospect Hanley Ramirez - to build upon.

The only negative with this team is their owner, Jeffrey Loria. Given the way he's operated both this team and the Montreal Expos, it'd be best if we could separate him from the team beforehand.

II. NAME

I have a couple of ideas. The first is the Pilgrims, trading off of a name that, despite what people think, was not an old name for the Red Sox. It's not the most hip name, but it's better than some of the other old names (official and otherwise) for Boston baseball teams: Puritans, Beaneaters, Bees, Somersets, etc.

The other name that comes to mind is Shamrocks. It salutes Boston's Irish community (which may be important, as will be discussed later), which the Sox have largely been able to co-opt for themselves. I actually like this quite a bit, as I think about it.

III. STADIUM and LOCATION

I've not been to all of the major league parks, but I can say that I've been most taken with PNC Park in Pittsburgh out of all the new baseball stadia. I liked the way it combines traditional layout and look with modern features, and its skyline views of the river and downtown are tremendous.

In order to capture that here, I'd look to do something along the lines of PNC, but slightly bigger (PNC seats 38,496; I'd look to seat about 43,000). And to get that view, it'd have to be in the Seaport District.

This raises some problems, as the Seaport District is also known as the South Boston Waterfront. As a neighborhood, Southie wasn't exactly amenable to a previous proposal to move the Sox in, and it's likely they'd feel the same way about the Shamrocks (the obvious pandering of the name aside).

However, between the Big Dig making the area more accessible for Route 93 and the Mass Pike and the ongoing development that's seen a convention center, the Institute for Contemporary Art, a major hotel, and several condo complexes go in, there may be reduced resistance to a baseball team.

I wouldn't look for public financing of the stadium, as we pay enough in taxes already. Given the presence of Fidelity Investments in this part of town (they have offices there and own the Seaport Hotel complex), perhaps they'd be just the right people to buy the team and get things moving.

If this doesn't come to pass, my next favored location would be out by Suffolk Downs, one of the proposed casino sites. There's still a chance to get city views, and it is located on the T. The only real road of note in the area is Route 1A, which is problematic, to say the least.

So there it is, embryonic in form but an idea whose time has come.

For the record, I want to note that when pressed for a World Series prediction last week by a co-worker, I went with the Sox and Rockies. It may be a moot point in a few hours, but you know if I didn't mention it that'd be the match-up.