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Here's the text of commentaries heard regularly on ESPNRadio:

Cohn: Giant mission
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
Extra Point -- Linda Cohn (morning): "Barry Bonds was right. He told us in spring training just five months after the Giants' collapse against the Angels in the World Series, in which they came within six outs from the title in Game 6, that the San Francisco Giants will play for another World Series title if he had anything to do with it. Bonds has done his part, so far. So has manager Felipe Alou. All he did was replace the popular Dusty Baker and take a team with a new center fielder, right fielder, third baseman and second baseman and guide the franchise to a 100-victory season for just the seventh time in franchise history. Barry is just off a regular season in which he finished two homers shy of matching his godfather, Willie Mays, for third on the all-time list. He ended up in the top five in hitting and homers. He should win his sixth MVP award. All this success taking place in a season in which Bonds lost his dad, Bobby, just over a month ago. I like Bonds' and the Giants' chances in getting back to the World Series. The mission begins Tuesday against the wild-card Marlins."
Extra Point -- John Anderson (afternoon): "It wasn't the most glamorous game of the college football weekend. Just the most historic. Missouri vs. Kansas, the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi and the second most-played matchup anywhere in America with 112 meetings dating back to 1891. Sadly for this MU Tiger, the Jayhawks came out on top, but there was reason to be proud nonetheless. Always is. Back in 1911 a change in scheduling rules forced 'The Big Game' out of Kansas City and onto campus. The Tigers were to host the game in Columbia, and fearing a small turnout to watch a very poor home team, then Mizzou athletic director Chester Brewer sent word for all alumni to come home, unite and watch the game. A packed house of 8,000 showed and overflowed the stands as the teams played to a gutty 3-3 tie. Ninety years later Brewer's plea to 'come home' has been flipped around and copied at every college and high school around the country. They call it homecoming. So as the leaves turn and autumn takes hold, grab a date, get a corsage, put the king and queen in a convertible, and enjoy the game."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "The oddsmakers here in Nevada have made the Atlanta Braves a short favorite to beat the Chicago Cubs in their National League Division Series that opens tonight at 'The Ted.' There is a lot of respect for the Cubs pitching rotation, especially Game 3 starter Mark Prior. Since the All-Star break, Prior has been easily the most dominant pitcher in the game, winning 10 of 11 starts in the second half. In seven of those 11 outings, he allowed one run or less. The key for the Cubs is to get to Prior when they get back to Wrigley Field on Friday night, and that's where tonight's Game 1 starter comes in. Believe it or not, Kerry Wood is almost as hot as Prior. In his last six starts, he's given up four runs total. Anytime you come into the playoffs with two pitchers as dominant as Wood and Prior have been, you have a chance not just to win the Division Series, not just the League Championship Series but, in this case, a 95-year drought-ending, World Series title. For reference, see Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in Arizona two years ago.

"The Atlanta Braves ace this year has been Russ Ortíz, who starts tonight against the Cubs. Despite his 21 wins, I don't hear about anyone talking about Ortíz as a Cy Young Award winner. The reason: He led the National League in walks. Mike Hampton, who goes tomorrow for Atlanta, pitched a lot better this year than last, but he still gets lit up regularly. That leaves the Braves with Greg Maddux as a shutdown starter, but his postseason failures are well-documented. Combine all this with the fact John Smoltz is coming off a month-long layoff to heal a sore elbow, and you can see why there's so much respect for the Cubbies. Besides, the Braves may have 12 consecutive division titles, but with only one world championship in that time, they're baseball's answer to the Buffalo Bills. You can hear the Cubs and Braves at 7:45 Eastern tonight on ESPN Radio."

Le Batard: The way of Joe
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2003
Extra Point -- Dan Le Batard (morning): "So now Joe Paterno has lost a couple of games and the immediate question becomes whether the game has passed the doddering man by. This is how it works at his age. Doesn't matter that he went 9-4 last year. Doesn't matter that all four of his losses were by a touchdown or less. Doesn't matter that all four of those losses of a touchdown or less were to top 20 teams. He's 76. And when you are losing, that's the number that starts to matter. It shouldn't. This man has won more than any college coach ever. He's got the second-highest winning percentage ever. And, by the way, he has a contract. He has earned the right to play it out, all the way to 80, because a man who has given nearly four decades to Penn State -- a man who has made Penn State matter, period -- ought never suffer the indignity of being fired, pushed out or leaving on anything other than his own terms."
Extra Point -- Trey Wingo (afternoon): "How great are the Detroit Tigers? Seriously. I mean how great are the Detroit Tigers? Facing certain infamy in becoming the worst team in the history of Major League Baseball, all the Tigers do is close the season with five wins in their last six games to keep at 119 losses for the year and keep the '62 Mets in the record books as the biggest baseball losers of all time. But how they did it really is the most amazing part of this story. Saturday night Detroit was down eight runs to the twins before rallying to win, and Sunday they do it again. Three straight wins before one loss Friday and then finishing strong with two more to deny themselves a place in history, but there's no denying that the 2003 Tigers, with a 20-game loser and only 43 wins, have earned the respect of everybody in the game. A young team with no chance kept at it all year long, never complained and just kept going out there for their beating. Late in the season of 2003, the Tigers became a team. They may have finished 47 games out of first, but you know what? They're not record-setting last, either, and this summer that was good enough." SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Las Vegas, Nev. (afternoon): "Remodeled Soldier Field or not, Chicago is Brett Favre's home away from home. It's his comfort blanket, and baby, he needs one after blowing that game last week at Arizona. Yes, he's thrown five interceptions in his first three games, but that'll make him all the more hungry to make good on national television. It's a perfect spot for Brett, because he's led the Packers to nine straight road victories against the Bears. His lifetime record is 18-4 against the Monsters of the Midway, and I've got news for you: 'The Midway' has changed with a $600 million facelift, and these aren't your father's 'Monsters' anymore. The Bears have been outscored this year 73-20, and if it weren't for last week's bye, it might have been worse. Their running game ranks fifth from the bottom in the NFL, and my deep, deep reservation about the Bears is why did this franchise think it could saddle up Kordell Stewart and make a winning quarterback out of him? Folks, that was the worst, off-season, free-agent acquisition in the N-F-L. Dick Jauron is odds-on to be the first NFL head coach fired. Too bad he's a nice guy, but Jauron and the front office simply are not on the same page. The Pack should be back tonight at 9 Eastern on ABC.

"If they played the Sugar Bowl for the BCS championship this Saturday, it clearly would be Oklahoma against Miami, but there's a minefield out there for both of them. The Sooners have their annual Red River Shootout with Texas in two weeks, then they travel to Colorado, host Oklahoma State, and if they survive, it's the Big 12 Championship against either Kansas State or Nebraska. While OU is dealing with Texas on Oct. 11, the 'Canes will be in Tallahassee battling Florida State. They also have toughies at Virginia Tech, home against Tennessee and at Pittsburgh. There's very little chance, the way things are going in college football, that these two powers will stay unbeaten until Jan. 4."

Smith: View to an MVP
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2003
Extra Point -- Shelley Smith (morning): "As baseball's regular season comes to an end, the great debate begins anew: Can an MVP come from a team that stinks? If so, Alex Rodríguez should be working at least on title No. 2; the best argument that he again put up league-leading numbers without having to face baseball's worst pitching staff -- his own. Get past the Rangers' pathetic record and consider what 'A-Rod' did Wednesday in a meaningless game -- what else do the Rangers play this time of the year? -- against the A's. Miguel Tejada was on third when a flyball was hit to mid-left field. Rather than standing around waiting for the off-season to begin, 'A-Rod' sprinted to third and stood behind the base to block Tejada's view of Shane Spencer. A visibly miffed Tejada ended up being thrown out at the plate. Before the season began I asked 'A-Rod,' if he wasn't most valuable last season, how he possibly could become more valuable this season. I just got my answer."

Schaap: Cub scouting
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2003
Extra Point -- Jeremy Schaap (morning): "The Chicago Cubs might be going to the postseason. They might reach the championship series. They might then reach the World Series for the first time in 58 years. And at this moment the possibility exists that the Cubs might win their first World Series in 95 years. Cubs fans know that is a theoretical possibility, but they know intuitively that their Cubs can't win. Why? Because they haven't. It has been demonstrated year after year for nearly a century that they can't win the World Series. Not with Ernie Banks, not with Gabby Hartnett, not with Billy Williams, not with Ron Santo, not with Ferguson Jenkins, not with Sammy Sosa. So why now? The Cubs reached the World Series the last year they won it only because of baseball's all-time, most illustrious gaffe -- Giant first baseman Fred Merkle's boner. The Cubs will need a Merkle-esque miracle to win it this year. It would be fitting if they meet the Giants in the playoffs. J.T. Snow beware."
Extra Point -- Trey Wingo (afternoon): "How big is too big? When the San Diego Chargers signed free-agent wide-out David Boston, they had big plans for him, and they gave him big dollars to reap big dividends. And so far David has given San Diego nothing but a big headache mostly because he's just too big. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer had to suspend Boston for this weekend's game with Oakland due to a 'pattern' of behavior detrimental to the team. Most of those problems stem from David's decision on how he works out -- and with who and where. You look at David Boston right now, and he looks like a lineman or, at best, a linebacker. He's nothing but solid muscle. Then you watch him run and realize he's just too big to be effective. Opponents are now saying he can't cut hard on his routes any more, and he lumbers down the field. It's nice to be large, but don't let triceps get in the way of touchdowns. San Diego paid him 47 million free-agent bucks to be big on the field, not in the weight room, and so far in SoCal, Boston's looking a lot like another big bust from this summer -- 'The Hulk.'"
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from College Station, Texas (afternoon): "A funny thing happened to me on the way here to Aggieland. Both Texas A&M and Pittsburgh lost last week. The Aggies may have beaten Hurricane Isabel, but they couldn't get past Virginia Tech, and two days later the Panthers were 'MAC'd' by Toledo. So much for the battle of the unbeatens, but this still figures to be an entertaining football game, and I'm looking forward to seeing a couple terrific sophomores -- Pittsburgh wide-out Larry Fitzgerald and A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal. Many of you will see the Panthers and Aggies at 3:30 Eastern tomorrow on ABC.

"Top-ranked Oklahoma and No. 2 Miami will stay put in next week's rankings since both are idle tomorrow. Meanwhile, third-ranked USC opens Pac-10 play in Berkeley against California. Now I have unlimited respect for Jeff Tedford and the job he's doing with the Golden Bears, but Pete Carroll has more talent, and he's also an outstanding coach. He just better make sure his Trojans show up in Strawberry Canyon. Then there's No. 4 Ohio State -- the Perils of Pauline Buckeyes. They continue their homestand by opening Big Ten play against Northwestern. The Wildcats are coming off a win in the 'Academic Bowl' at Duke, but they don't plan to give the Buckeyes the kind of competition that North Carolina State and Bowling Green have the last two weeks. Number 5 Virginia Tech has a tricky game at home against Connecticut. Frank Beamer's team is one of the best-coached on the East Coast, but don't overlook the job Randy Edsall has done leading the Huskies into Division I-A. If UConn were to pull off an unlikely win, it would simply add to the growing list of early upsets in college football, and I'm constantly asked why. You could point to a growing number of good players as well as scholarship limits that are balancing the tables, but in my opinion, the biggest reason for all these upsets is that there are more quality coaches around than there used to be. If you don't believe me, just ask Lloyd Carr what it was like to go up against Mike Bellotti out in Eugene, Ore."

McKendry: Just stunt women?
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003
Extra Point -- Chris McKendry (morning): "It was September 1973 when Billie Jean King turned a stunt into a statement. She beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets in the 'Battle of the Sexes.' King's never considered the match a big athletic accomplishment but says she knew it might provide a springboard for girls in sports. Although she rode into the match on a throne, King has never left the trenches in the fight for equality. It's September 2003, and King is leading a committee that plans on reviving professional women's soccer by 2004. For 30 years her passion has been fueled by her desire to find a place for woman athletes. During the 'Battle of the Sexes,' King said it's not about tennis but social change. It was, but change has been slow. Now the fight to save the WUSA isn't about soccer; it's about that glorious respect and admiration that surrounded women's sports in 1999, and the question every women is afraid to ask: Was that just a stunt, too?"
Extra Point -- Dan Davis (afternoon): "Grady Little is swinging in the Back Bay breeze, and that's just not right. The Red Sox have almost arrogantly declined to exercise the option of Little's managing contract for next year, even though his team is going to win 95 games or so and play in the postseason. His Red Sox won 93 games last year, and it was all the honchos could do to bring him back after that. Obviously, CEO Larry Lucchino wants to hire his own guy as skipper, but Red Sox players won't let it happen. They keep winning for Grady Little, and at this point it's absurd that management will not guarantee him even one more year as manager. He's a soft-spoken, laid-back man who management feels it can keep on a string for as long as it wants to. Or, is Lucchino actually a Steinbrenner wannabe? Keeping his manager waiting? Whatever. The Red Sox will clinch a playoff berth tonight, and if the Sox front office is any good at all, Grady Little will be guaranteed another season at the helm before he has breakfast tomorrow in St. Pete."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "It's Brett Favre's alma mater, and it's his name that comes to mind right away when you think of Southern Miss. But when the Golden Eagles go under the lights tonight, it's another Packer name who will have a greater impact on the outcome of their game with undefeated Nebraska. Does the name Bo Pelini ring a bell? It may not be as big as Brett Favre, but this former Green Bay assistant came over to the Cornhuskers this season to make an immediate impact. He was one of the changes Frank Solich made to his coaching staff in answer to last season's 7-7 disappointment. Pelini is Nebraska's new defensive coordinator, and he already has them looking like the 'Black Shirts' of old. If you want to know the biggest reason why the Huskers are 3-0, consider the 10 turnovers they've forced from their opponents. It took an ESPN coup to convince the Cornhuskers to play a Thursday night game in Hattiesburg, but Nebraska's reward will come in a return to the Top 10 next week with an impressive win before the national audience. You can see the game tonight at 7:30 Eastern on ESPN.

"When was the last time you heard that a Joe Paterno team was a home underdog? That's the case this Saturday when Minnesota visits Penn State. Meanwhile, Arkansas at Alabama looks like a tossup, but the Razorbacks are the superior team, and their victory over Texas was no fluke. Newly ranked Northern Illinois is favored at home against Iowa State, but this is where the bubble bursts. The well-rested Cyclones catches an emotionally drained NIU team at just the right time. Florida will turn loose freshman phenom Chris Leak at quarterback when it visits Kentucky, the perfect spot for the Gators to put up some big numbers. Finally, out west, the best game on the card will be Washington State at favored Oregon. A year ago the Cougars dominated Oregon 32-21 in Pullman. Mike Bellotti's Ducks could crash-land after last week's emotional victory over Michigan."

Scott: Clarett unstoppable in one sense
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2003
Extra Point -- Stuart Scott (morning): "I understand the NFL's position. I respect the NFL for trying to maintain what they've always maintained. I even hope they win. I don't want to see teenagers in the NFL. I think they manage their league better than any of the four professional majors. I believe all of that. I also don't believe they'll beat Maurice Clarett. They can't. They cannot deny a man earning a living -- period. Clarett has on his side the precedent set by Major League Baseball, by the NBA and by the NHL. Even the critics who say at 19 years old his body won't be ready for the physical beat-downs bigger, stronger NFL players will be dishing out. I agree, but I'd guess 17-year-old hockey bodies aren't ready for that punishment, either, but they do it. I go back to the same, old argument: Can you stop an 18-year-old kid from graduating college and getting a construction job working alongside grown men? No, and I don't believe the NFL can stop Clarett from playing alongside men next year -- as much as I hope they do."
Extra Point -- Andrea Kremer (afternoon): "Here are two sides to the issue of Maurice Clarett suing the NFL for early entry: Scouts and personnel men have always told me that running back is the easiest position to play well as a rookie coming into the NFL, but those same experts stress that an 18- or 19-year-old doesn't have the physical maturity or mental readiness to make it in the pros. Ultimately, this is solely a legal issue that will come down to one key question: Is it a reasonable restraint of trade to not allow 18- or 19-year-olds to play in the NFL? As one high-ranking team executive who is also a lawyer told me, as much as he hates the concept of teenagers entering the league, he believes that the current NFL policy and the Draft itself is a regulated system and, by definition, is a restraint of trade. So for the NFL as we know it, the most important field of play may soon be a Manhattan courtroom."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "Everyone is always looking for the surprise each week in the NFL, and Week 4 will be no exception. In my never-ending quest to find a live underdog, let's turn our attention to a team that outscored one particular opponent 71-0 in two games last year. Believe it or not, that dominating team is an underdog to the same opponent this weekend. You heard right, folks. The Atlanta Falcons are being pegged to lose this Sunday to the Carolina Panthers. Oh, sorry; I forgot. Mike Vick played in those two games, and he's not around this weekend. But do I think Mike Vick is a 71-point player? Don't think so. Nobody is. If you check the records, the Falcons have beaten Carolina nine of the last 10 times they've met. Yes, I know the Panthers are 2-0, but I figure it's a shaky 2-0. After all, how often can you count on a blocked extra point to win in the NFL? Remember, that's how Carolina forced overtime and upset Tampa Bay two weeks ago. Jake Delhomme is the Panthers' trigger man, but it says here that is not an edge against Vick's replacement -- Doug Johnson. Johnson figures to use his two running backs -- Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett -- to control the time of possession against an outstanding Panther defense. They'll call it an upset if Atlanta wins, but don't expect that word to be used around here.

"It doesn't get any better this Sunday than Kansas City at Baltimore. We're talking Priest Holmes against the Lewis crew -- running back Jamal and linebacker Ray. As far as I'm concerned, Jamal Lewis has not received enough credit for gaining 295 yards on the ground against Cleveland. Meanwhile, if there's a back having as good a year as Jamal, it's Priest Holmes. The Ravens defense won't be ambushed by Holmes' clever, cut-back moves, because he was a member of that team for four years before Dick Vermeil resurrected his career by bringing him to Kansas City. This one strikes me as too close to call."

Cohn: Alexander's story
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2003
Extra Point -- Linda Cohn (morning): "Talk about a change for the better. Back in the day, if a professional athlete said he wanted to be by his wife's side during the birth of their child, he's be looked upon as a freak, as soft, as -- dare I say -- less of a man. Thank goodness that stereotype is ancient history. Seattle running back Shaun Alexander is not the first, and he won't be the last. He was by his wife Valerie's side Sunday morning. Shaun Alexander, the player, transformed himself into Shaun Alexander, the coach, voicing support and not allowing Valerie to lose her focus, helping her deal with the pain that goes with natural childbirth. When the time came, Shaun cut the umbilical cord and saw 'Heaven. Heaven is the name Shaun and Valerie gave to their newborn daughter. Said Alexander, 'It was my first catch of the day.' When Shaun knew all was well, he drove to the Seahawks game with the help of a police escort. His 5-yard run late in the fourth set up Seattle's winning touchdown in their one-point win over the Rams, a perfect finish to a 'Heaven'-ly day."
Extra Point -- Jay Mariotti (afternoon): "This one's for every high-school player dismissed as too small, too slow and too unskilled. This one's for kids who ached to play in the Big Ten but were ignored. This one's for a quarterback named Bruce Gradkowski, who grew up near the University of Pittsburgh but received no offer. This one's for the Mid-American Conference, ridiculed and discredited no more. Teams still travel to most games by bus in the MAC, a league of directional schools lost in the shadows of the mega-conferences. But this season, like some football version of 'Revenge of the Nerds,' the MAC is big. As if one-upping each other, the scores kept rolling in Saturday. Marshall knocked Kansas State from the national title picture. Bowling Green nearly did the same to Ohio State. Miami of Ohio clobbered Colorado State. Toledo upset Pittsburgh behind, yep, Gradkowski. Finally, down Tuscaloosa way Northern Illinois stunned Alabama. This is the same school that is not the alma mater of Cindy Crawford, contrary to public opinion, but is the alma mater of the fellow who does Homer Simpson's voice, all of which is a delightful story except for one bugaboo. At season's end the BCS won't regard the MAC as legit. Even if Northern runs the table and counts wins over Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State, the Huskies won't be in a major bowl. That's OK. Seems the league has won a bigger prize -- national respect."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon); "Only six days remain in baseball's regular season, and the American League playoffs are all but set. As things now stand, it'll be the top-seeded New York Yankees hosting the Minnesota Twins, and the Boston Red Sox will visit the Oakland A's in next week's openers. Meanwhile, there's a lot still at stake in the National League. About all we know right now is that the Atlanta Braves should be playing at home against either the Chicago Cubs or Houston Astros. As for the San Francisco Giants, they look like they'll be hosting the wild-card survivor, and right now, that would be the Florida Marlins, but that could change quite easily. The Marlins hold just a one-game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies with the two of them starting a three-game showdown tonight in Miami. With the Marlins being home the rest of the way, including a three-game weekend series against the last-place New York Mets, this is their wild card to lose. If they should stumble, the Phillies aren't necessarily the only team left to pick up the pieces. The Los Angeles Dodgers are still hanging in there, hoping neither the Marlins nor the Phillies can pull off a three-game sweep this week.

The San Francisco Giants did their old manager, Dusty Baker, a big favor last night by knocking off the Houston Astros. That left the Astros tied with the Chicago Cubs; a dead heat at the top of the National League Central with only six games left to play. Tonight the Cubs and Kerry Wood are on the road in Cincinnati, while the Astros send Wade Miller to the hill against a visiting San Francisco team still intent on getting the home-field advantage in the playoffs. Before you think the Cubs have a cakewalk, remember that the Reds beat the Phillies two out of three games over the weekend. You can try and break this one down every which way you can, but it's still too close to call. The NL Central will simply come down to who stumbles first."

Wingo: Further ado
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2003
Extra Point -- Trey Wingo (morning): "Much Ado About Nothing -- a great Shakespeare play or a great headline for the never-ending storm that is the Maurice Clarett saga. Clarett, not playing for Ohio State, may be charged with falsifying police reports. His attorneys are certainly busy looking into the idea of challenging the rule that would keep him out of the 2004 draft and seeing if Ohio State violated any of his rights while talking to the authorities, but a funny thing's been happening in Columbus. Even without the mighty Maurice Clarett, the Buckeyes are just fine. Saturday, their 18th straight win, and 10 of their last 15 wins by a touchdown or less. So it begs the question, how good is he? Should he even be thinking about being an NFL player? The man in charge of all NFL players certainly doesn't think so. Gene Upshaw, the Players Association executive director, said, 'I'd have loved to have play against 18-year-olds. I would've whipped 'em.' If the man responsible for the care of every player in the NFL has his doubts, so do I. Right now at his age, at his skill level, the NFL is no place for Maurice Clarett."
Extra Point -- Dan Davis (afternoon): "Chris Webber seemed very contrite and sincere after getting off the U.S. District Court hook last week. Apologized to Michigan and its fans as part of what he had to say. But today Webber's words ring hollow. He has denied that he has any financial responsibility to Michigan, which has written to the judge asking that Webber be directed to reimburse them $695,000 in legal fees and loss of NCAA Tournament revenues. Now granted, it's absurd to expect Chris Webber to pay all of that sum, but it is even more absurd for Webber to declare that since he was only accused of taking money from Ed Martin, he owes Michigan nothing. Who is he kidding? Webber has to know that certain of his actions and those of his teammates at Ann Arbor cost Michigan a lot, not only in its trophy case but in its general fund. Michigan's request was contained in a letter to U.S. District judge Nancy Edmunds. Webber's case is still on her books, and one hopes she'll do the right thing and order at least some of that money to be repaid to Michigan. It's not as if the man is destitute."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "The Oakland Raiders at the Denver Broncos. In my opinion, it's the best rivalry in the NFL. Two good teams. Two organizations that dislike one another intently. A year ago the Raiders swept the Broncos on their way to the Super Bowl, but remember this about 'The Silver and Black': Last year they put up 61 points in their first two games. This year they've scored only 20 against Tennessee and only 16 offensive points against Cincinnati. It won't get any easier for the Raiders' aging offense against the Broncos, but it's hard to fall in love with Denver until we know more about Jake Plummer tonight. Despite a shoulder problem, he is expected to play. What I'm looking for here is a low-scoring game. Edge to the Broncos, but not huge. You can see the Raiders and Broncos tonight at 9 Eastern on ABC.

"Time to name our teams of the week, starting in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. Last night they were faced with the possibility of losing for the second time at home this young season, but instead, it was the Buffalo Bills who fell from the ranks of the undefeated. It was the kind of game that has made the whole nation fall in love with the NFL. Tough, great defense on both sides, and in the end a couple of big plays made the difference for Miami. Folks, it's going to be a great race in the AFC East between those two and New England. Only the New York Jets have fallen by the wayside, and if it weren't for Chad Pennington's wrist injury, this would be a completely wide-open battle to win the division championship.

"Our college team of the week: the Oregon Ducks. We said here a couple of times that this was not an easy spot for Michigan to go out to Eugene, and sure enough, the Wolverines were unable to survive it. Give Mike Bellotti and his staff props. He's built 'The Quack Attack' into one heck of a program out there. If only they could do something about the color of those uniforms. Then again, maybe that's one of the reasons they're so tough to beat at home."

Davis: Parry's journey
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2003
Extra Point -- Rece Davis (morning): "Can you imagine what the wait was like? Drive after drive, the defense can't get off the field. Can't force a punt. Seven times third down came, and first down followed. Twenty-five surgeries, 15 prosthetic limbs. Neil Parry's ready, and San José State can't force Nevada to punt. Nearly three years after having his leg amputated below the knee as a result following a severe broken leg, Neil Parry came back. Didn't hit a soul on punt return and was pretty ticked off about it. There won't be a better moment this year. Given recent scandals, fully enjoying college football can be like going to the movies. Sometimes, you have to suspend disbelief. Is it any fun to watch a star running back score, then wonder who gave him a tricked-out Monte Carlo? Is it any fun to think your coach skirts the rules or chases skirts -- or less -- in sleazy establishments. But Neil Parry? He came back, because he loved the game. At last, something you can believe in."

Scott: Unfortunate time to fold
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2003
Extra Point -- Stuart Scott (morning): "I'll admit up front, I'm not in the business. What I do know is the timing stinks. The WUSA, the women's pro soccer league, is gone. Defunct. However you want to put it, it ain't there no more. Great. Just in time for the World Cup. That'll spice it up. As we roll out the red carpet for the world in the most popular sport in the world, we also gotta say, 'Oh, by the way, the league that began on the wings of the success of our World Cup champions in 1999? Poof.' Not enough fans in the stands. Not enough money. Not enough backers. It'd be like the U.S. hosting the World Basketball Championships, and just before the rest of the world shows up, the NBA folds. The WUSA was not only fun to watch, but it was also a job to a lot of great athletes who love their sport. One player got on a plane having no idea her league was about to go belly up, took a flight and, when she landed, had 14 messages when she got off the plane. She thought somebody had died. In a way, I guess, something did."
Extra Point -- Pedro Gómez (afternoon): "Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has taken all sorts of hits through the years, but let's give the man his due when it comes to one of his best innovations -- the wild card. The 2003 season has produced arguably baseball's greatest playoff race ever. Under the old format Atlanta would lead the National League West and Florida the NL East. This would, on this date, leave only San Francisco and Philadelphia battling to overtake each. Instead, Houston, Los Angeles, the Cubs and, to a degree, Arizona and St. Louis are still alive in the NL. In the American League the Yankees and Oakland would all but have their respective division titles sewn up. Instead, Boston, Seattle, Minnesota, the White Sox and Kansas City are still alive. So while Selig makes for an easy target for so many, let's remember he did something that has added greatly to baseball's often diminished landscape."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger from Norman, Okla. (afternoon): "Let's get one thing on the table right away. The top-ranked Sooners do not figure to lose tomorrow's game here against UCLA. They will remain No. 1 for two very solid reasons:

"1. The Bruins could not reach the end zone a week ago against Illinois. They move way, way up in class against this OU defense, probably the best 'stop' unit in college football.

"2. Quarterback Matt Moore remains sidelined with a severe leg bruise.

"Many of you will see Oklahoma hosting UCLA tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern on ABC.

"Number 2 Miami moves into a tricky spot tomorrow against Boston College. During their championship run two years ago, it took a late interception on a fluke play at Chestnut Hill to prevent BC from upsetting the 'Canes' run to a national title. Miami has the better talent here, but BC will play hard, and the 'Canes will have their hands full with running back Derrick Knight. That game airs tomorrow night at 7:45 Eastern on ESPN.

"Third-ranked USC is idle, which gives No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan both a chance to vault to No. 3. The Buckeyes probably won't impress the media if they beat up on Bowling Green tomorrow afternoon, but the Ohio State coaches realize just how tough this opponent is. Gregg Brandon was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, and then as now, the Falcons are putting up a lot of points.

"The team in the spotlight again is Michigan. There's nothing easy about going to Eugene and playing a Mike Bellotti-coached Oregon team. 'The Quack Attack' is rotating quarterbacks Jason Fife and Kellen Clemens, who have combined to throw for 11 touchdowns in the Ducks' first three wins. This is a tough, tough, emotional spot for the Wolverines, who are trying to get themselves up again after manhandling arch rival Notre Dame last week.

"There is a chance for at least one upset in the Top Five, and you can take your pick amongst BC, Oregon and, yes, even Bowling Green. Still, I don't expect Oklahoma to fall from its perch here in Norman."

McKendry: Vet regrets, she has few
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2003
Extra Point -- Chris McKendry (morning): "I attended the first ever game at Veterans Stadium. I was just a baby and don't remember it, but my parents, believing it was an important moment in Philly sports history, made sure I was there. Yikes, current manager Larry Bowa recorded 'The Vet's' first official hit that day, April 10, 1971. Now tickets for the final game at 'The Vet' are on eBay for several hundred dollars. And there you have 'The Vet's' history. Its most attractive days are the day it opened and the day it closes, but cynics be damned. The playoffs will extend 'The Vet's' life. Every decade in years ending in '3,' the Phillies make the playoffs. 1983: They go to the World Series, and Bowa was their shortstop. In '93 they won the NL. Now 2003, Bowa's team is fighting Florida for the wild card. I predict the Phillies will win the race, and Bowa's final 'hit' at 'The Vet' -- a postseason bid -- will be a bigger deal than his first."
Extra Point -- Linda Cohn (afternoon): "Sometimes the good gets lost in the great -- the great being the feeling the fans of the Dallas Cowboys have experienced this week following their stunning victory over the Giants on Monday Night Football. The first victory for Bill Parcells as Cowboys head coach turned out to be a classic. As for the good getting lost in the great? Take Dallas kicker Billy Cundiff. By now you know he kicked an NFL record-tying seven field goals, including a 52-yard boot that sent the game into overtime before he won it with a 25-yarder. But what you may not be aware of is the fact that Cundiff almost didn't get a chance to make history. Not after his performance in Dallas' opening-week loss to Atlanta in which Cundiff missed a short field goal and had an extra point blocked. It was a performance that did not sit well with coach Parcells, yet he couldn't replace Cundiff even if he wanted to. Said Parcells, 'We didn't have anyone else to do it.' The Billy Cundiff story: the good lost in the great."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "Admit it. You've been impressed by the Kansas City Chiefs, haven't you? At 2-0, they've joined Denver atop the AFC West headed into Sunday's game at Houston against the second-year Texans. Understandably, the Chiefs are a heavy favorite, but this one has trouble written all over it for Dick Vermeil. We all tended to beat up on Miami when the Dolphins lost their season opener at home to these same Texans, but the improvement with this Houston team eluded us as we beat up on Dave Wannstedt. Folks, Dom Capers is a heck of a coach. Let's not forget seven years ago, when Capers led the second-year Carolina Panthers to the NFC Championship game. I'm not saying Houston is headed to the AFC title game, but this team is improved. For one, the offensive line has been rebuilt. It allowed opponents to sack David Carr nearly five times a game. This year the line is allowing only about half as many sacks. Two, they've added wide-out André Johnson, a first-round draft choice out of Miami. He balances the field with Jabar Gaffney on the other side. Like I said, this one has 'Trouble City' written all over it for the Chiefs.

"Right now I'm looking at the Seattle Seahawks as my sleeper team in the NFC. We'll get a much better read on Mike Holmgren's team this week after they get finished with a visit from Marc Bulger and the Saint Louis Rams. By the way, why does the media continue to use the word 'controversy' in discussing Bulger versus two-time MVP Kurt Warner? Just look at the numbers. Bulger is now 7-1 as a starter. In that same time, Warner is winless. What controversy? Still, this is a tough spot for Bulger and the Rams. Matt Hasselbeck is becoming more comfortable with Holmgren's system, Shaun Alexander is a good running back, and the Seahawks have outscored their first two opponents 65-10. If the Seahawks can beat the Rams, they'll roll to the NFC West title."

Smith: Wolfpack outlook
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2003
Extra Point -- Shelley Smith (morning): "When a coach spends five weeks of preseason practice preaching about the team's goal of winning a championship and nothing less, where exactly does he turn once that goal is all but eliminated -- in the third week of the season? That's what N.C. State coach Chuck Amato is faced with this week as his team tries to regroup from a heartbreaking, triple-overtime loss to the defending national champions -- a game the Wolfpack could have and probably should have won. What does Amato say now? 'Oh, I didn't mean the national championship. I meant the conference championship'? Now it is conceivable that N.C. State could win all of its remaining games, and teams like Oklahoma, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State could all lose, and then they'd be right back in the race. But considering the impressive play of those teams -- except Ohio State, which has more lives than Maurice Clarett has improper benefits -- losing is unlikely. Under the current BCS structure, N.C. State has likely quashed the dream they spent all last season and this preseason thinking about. Now the Wolfpack plays for pride, and that's a true test of character -- something that, if the team is successful, should be rewarded by changing the BCS system."
Extra Point -- Dan Davis (afternoon): "Here's a nominee for Coach of the Year. This individual does not oversee a pro-sports juggernaut or a college team headed for a major bowl. He is coach of a women's cross-country team. Last weekend during a meet in Ohio, John Carroll coach Mark McClure noticed that an opposing runner, Jamie Luketic of Baldwin-Wallace, had dropped to her knees and was in distress. He ran to her and tried to figure out what was wrong. The young lady pointed to her throat and gurgled the word 'rock.' Turns out she had partially swallowed a stone, which was kicked up in front of her. Mark McClure performed the Heimlich maneuver, and that stone left Miss Luketic and flew eight feet away. She was shaken but otherwise fine. The AP story we read didn't even say who won that cross-country meet. It didn't have to. The meet's hero emerged early in the race. He won't be coaching in the Sugar Bowl or the Super Bowl, but Mark McClure of John Carroll is your Coach of the Year."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "Priest Holmes is drawing a ton of attention in Kansas City this week -- and for good reason. The Chiefs have listed him as questionable because of a bruised ribs. If Holmes can't play Sunday in Houston, Dick Vermeil told me he wants to have rookie first-rounder Larry Johnson ready to go for the first time this season. Priest's health is not a new issue in K.C. You'll recall he underwent hip surgery after last season, and the Chiefs are sensitive about overusing their franchise running back. Holmes has the same number of carries this year as he had through the first two games last year. As for Johnson, the record-setter at Penn State, he remains a work in progress, so don't expect him to be the focus of the offense the way Holmes is. That's why coach Dom Capers' emphasis with the Texans this week will be on shutting down Trent Green and the Chiefs' passing attack.

"It seemed like everyone was jumping on the Florida Marlins bandwagon last week. Deep lineup. Strong rotation. A terrific double-play combination. About the only ones not anointing them a playoff team were the Phillies. Last night Philadelphia registered a 14-0 victory to open a three-game showdown with Florida. If they didn't run out of ammunition, they could overtake the Marlins and move into the wild-card lead with a win tonight at 'The Vet.' That's just the beginning. After tomorrow, the Marlins and Phils square off three times next week in Miami, and no one is relishing the idea of a knock-down, drag-out between those two than the Los Angeles Dodgers. In case you hadn't noticed, the Dodgers are only two games behind the Marlins in the wild-card loss column. While Florida and Philly are beating up on one another, the Dodgers will try to make up some ground tonight and tomorrow at home against Arizona. They also have four games left with last-place San Diego and seven to go with the Giants, who are still alive and chasing the Braves for home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs."

Schaap: 'Spoiled child' in defeat
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2003
Extra Point -- Jeremy Schaap (morning): "Maybe Oscar de la Hoya deserved the decision. Maybe Shane Mosley deserved it. In any event, the fight Saturday night in Las Vegas was close -- perhaps too close to call. But the three judges all saw it the same way: as a victory for Sugar Shane and a defeat for the one-time Golden Boy. De la Hoya, who's lost the biggest fights of his career, whined about the decision. He even suggested that the judges were on the take-a laughable assertion. No one who saw the fight could plausibly claim that De La Hoya was robbed. He never hurt Mosley. He landed fewer devastating punches. And he looked relatively sluggish compared to Mosley. Instead of taking his loss like a man, De La Hoya took it like a spoiled child. He's proven time and again, in similar situations, that he is less a champion of the world than a champion of the kindergarten. In the end, the Golden Boy has been tarnished less by his sporting losses than his unsportsmanlike conduct."
Extra Point -- John Anderson (afternoon): "They get a whole lot of heat for not being real football players, but brother, Week 2 of the NFL season was another reminder that kickers are every bit as important as quarterbacks and should be treated with the same respect. Billy Cundiff kicked an NFL record-tying seven field goals in the Cowboys' Monday night win over the Giants. The Giants thought they had the game won when their kicker, Matt Bryant, booted a 30-yarder with 11 seconds left. Except then, he botched the ensuing kickoff and handed the hero role and headlines over to Cundiff. The Tampa Bay Bucs are 1-1 because Martin Gramatica had three kicks blocked by the Panthers. The Raiders avoided humiliation against the Bengals, thanks to the strong leg of Sebastian Janikowski. I don't have time to praise punters, but just know the kicking game isn't an ugly step sister to offense and defense in pro football. Those golf-pencil-sized people play a vital role, and the other players ought to make nice and give thanks it's not their 300-pound behinds lining up a game winner in the final seconds."
SportsBeat -- Brent Musburger (afternoon): "Congratulations to Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. Again last night 'The Tuna' proved he's the most dangerous underdog coach in the NFL. But our other coaching game ball goes out to Cincinnati rookie Marvin Lewis. Last week we gave talk-show hosts around the country plenty of material when we picked the Bengals out in Oakland. If you were sitting there late Sunday with the Bengals and a dozen points, it must have felt like Christmas in September. Now if quarterback Jon Kitna can avoid the big turnover in the fourth quarter, the Bengals should jump to the 'win' column on Sunday at home against overrated Pittsburgh.

"I'm not quite ready to jump on the Quincy Carter bandwagon. A quarterback proves it by being consistent. Quincy and the Cowboys get this week off, and then guess what? They return to the Meadowlands to face another Parcells alma mater -- the New York Jets a week from Sunday. Speaking of the Jets, they could be a team in big, big trouble. Vinny Testaverde and offensive coordinator Paul Hackett don't speak the same football language. Vinny is a vertical attacker. Always has been. Always will be. Hackett prefers catch-and-run with a premium on accuracy. Bill Belichick must be licking his chops in anticipation. Ask Donovan McNabb if the Patriots and Belichick can make a quarterback disappear.

"So Denver coach Mike Shanahan fibbed about Jake Plummer's shoulder injury Sunday during the game, calling it a concussion. So what? Another overblown media story. No coach in NFL history ever felt obligated to tell the truth about quarterback injuries during a game. Now Thursday before an NFL game -- that's a different story. That's when the league has to crack down on the coaches and make them tell the truth."