Quick Hits...

* Notre Dame is wearing some awful uniforms in today's game against USC. They look like an old school version of the Oregon Ducks. Is this supposed to inspire the team and their fans? Or is Charlie Weis hoping that USC will be confused by this unrecognizable opponent and think they are playing a team that actually possesses the team speed to keep up with the Trojans? (Then again, Notre Dame may not recognize this USC team that, with an offensive line of reserves and WRs that can't actually catch the ball, doesn't resemble the recent powerhouses that typically rolled over the Irish.)

* I'm sure that Dane Cook will once again be proclaiming that there is only one OCTOBER (!) tonight. But, if, after a 9 day layoff for the Colorado Rockies' that removes them even further from the national consciousness and dampens the momentum of their 21 victories in 22 games, they are able to extend the World Series to seven games, with game 7 scheduled for November 1, will there be only one NOVEMBER!? And will the Fall Classic become a winter classic?

* Two more top 10 teams down (USF and South Carolina), with both falling to unranked opponents. This now makes 12 on the year. And the confusion continues...

* Good for Joe Torre for standing up to the arrogance of the Yankees ownership and turning down their contract offer. Torre is one of the few personalities that could navigate the sports media of New York that seems to multiply exponentially year after year. His willingness to subjugate his own ego and cover his players from the constant attention and pressure foisted upon them has been as important to the success of this team as their $200 million plus payroll. I'm not sure that many managers would have gotten the support and praise from the New York media after such a tumultuous season that ended in the Division Series, indicating Torre's acumen and savvy in his media dealings. The next manager will likely be judged as much for his off the field leadership as for his on field game management, a situation that isn't likely to lend itself well to a first time manager such as Don Mattingly.

* In retrospect, perhaps Coach Weis chose those terrible uniforms, to attempt to take the attention away from from the Irish's terrible play. Not a successful ploy as the final score provided the largest victory margin for the Trojans in the course of their rivalry with the Irish.

* Does anyone else hate the Saturday night college football theme on ABC? This "song", "I Just Want to Celebrate" or whatever they call that steaming pile, is terrible. What the hell is the point of that song? And, with Perry Farrell, 50 cent, John Ondrasik, and some unidentified lady, etc, couldn't they have come up with something better? This is even worse than the Big and Rich with Cowboy Troy theme song Gameday employed for the last few years. Ugh.

* The Red Sox have pushed the ALCS to a game 7. The pressure seemingly shifts to the shoulders of the Cleveland Indians, who, for a fourth game in this series, were unable to get an ace like performance from their two top of the rotation starters. However, the confidence of the Red Sox and their fans has to be a little shaken with Dice-K lined up to toe the rubber.