As The Ball Bounces: Week 7

Poor Olindo Mare. The normally reliable kicker had a bad day on Sunday. Kicking off the Florida Marlins' infield, he had two 35-yard field goal attempts late in the game, and both attempts failed. One was blocked, one was pushed wide right. Wow, if the Cubs had held on to win the NL pennant, the Dolphins win on Sunday. Makes you feel sorry you rooted for that billy goat curse to be lifted, huh? We'll let Mare kickoff this week's festivities, and he makes up for the misses by booming one out of the end zone.

What in the world are the Patriots going to be like on defense when Ted Washington heals up?

You know your team is bad when it benches Kordell Stewart in favor of Chris Chandler.

The NFC-slanted CBS pregame show continues to stink out the joint every week.

As does Dan Dierdorf.

Not Bonnie Bernstein, though. She's got better looking biceps than the governor of California.

Don't be mad at Corey Dillon wanting out of Cincinnati. Wouldn't you?

Howcum Jay Fiedler finally looks like a top notch quarterback with some of the finest throws he's ever made, and his team loses by six at home to a team that had never won there in the month of October?

The Chargers got their first win of the season on Sunday on the road against the next opponent of the Patriots.

Whose lousy idea was it to scrap Sunday night football in favor of a World Series nobody wants to see?

Geek of the week: Warren Sapp. I think we are officially sick of this guy and his arrogant bad habits. He's got his ring. Nothing more to prove, except that he's not as estimable as we thought.

Love those Ray Lewis commercials. Any dogs in the house? Woof-woof-woof-woof!

They're even funnier when you think that his team lost Sunday to the Bengals.

Don't be foolish and use Kenyatta Jones' arrest as a referendum on Bill Belichick's ability to control his team. I mean, the charges here include "boiling water".

It'll be well into December, and you may at that time wish that Houston had been able to hold on to their lead against the Jets.

Why? Chad Pennington's about ready to come back.

I got two words to say about Rodney Harrison: Lawyer who?

I got two words to say about Asante Samuel: Ty who?

I got two words to say about Eugene Wilson: Tebucky who?

Memo to Charlie Weis: Your fan base is beginning to think you are the Patriot version of Grady Little.

AFC title preview: Chiefs and Patriots? If so, please let the Patriots finish ahead of Kansas City. The Patriots have never won at Arrowhead in their history.

Long way to go, folks. For all we know, it could be Oakland and the Jets.

Back to school: Let's hope that Notre Dame gives Tyrone Willingham every chance to succeed.

What goes around comes around: Life's good in Philadelphia, and Rush Limbaugh is taking a month off to head for drug rehab.

Nobody would be calling the Atlanta Falcons a lousy football team if nothing had happened to Michael Vick.

How about every time the Patriots play the Packers in the future, instead of playing the game at Gillette Stadium, move it to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse? Brett Favre hates the great indoors.

It seems that Belichick loses a little more dignity with each win.

Honk if you took exceptional notice that Sunday was Tully Banta-Cain's first game as a Patriot.

If Carolina had any sense of humour, they would let XFL icon Rod Smart wear "He Hate Me" on his back.

If Terry Glenn keeps this up, by the end of the season the entire nation will think he's female.

Remember him: Be it Alumni Stadium in Amherst or Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Milt Morin was a credit to both his teams and graced whichever venue he played in.

One nice thing about winning in Miami is shutting that darned fan base up.

Meet the 2003 version of Drew Bledsoe. His name is Kurt Warner.

Someone go find the baseball equivalent of Belichick, and send him to 4 Yawkey Way stat. Attention: Theo Epstein.

Along with Samuel and Wilson, Ty Warren, Dan Klecko and Dan Koppen have grown up pretty quickly.

Guess you might call this Belichick's best draft of his career, thus far.

Check out ESPN's Playmakers sometime, but after the kids have either left the room or gone to bed.

Hard to believe, but Dick Vermeil made his first appearance on MNF in 22 years this week. He rebuilt the Rams, but Mike Martz got to take a few of the bows.

Am I color blind or were those orange jerseys Cleveland wore on Sunday?

Not watching the World Series? Good choice.

Better choice: That injured team down on Route 1 who's 5-2, and nobody can believe it.