On the surface the Eagles at Bears looks like it could be a good matchup. Both teams are fighting for playoff berths in the NFC, the Eagles are at 5-3 while the Bears stand at 4-4. NBC can also play off the Donovan McNabb heading home to the Windy City as well, something that’s always played when he visits his hometown. But is all of that enough?

I don’t think it will be, I’m thinking this game is toast. It’s moving to the afternoon whether either side likes it or not. Especially after the dud the Eagles put up last night against the Dallas Cowboys on primetime.

So what games could fill the soon to be open primetime slot? In my opinion there are four games that NBC should consider.

First and foremost is the Indianapolis Colts at the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are only 4-4 but they’ll be playing the potentially undefeated Colts at home. If the Colts get past the New England Patriots this Sunday then this would be one of the only contests left that could derail a perfect season. Would NBC select this game in hopes that the Colts continue their streak? I think it’s a strong possibility especially with how much they love the Peyton Manning led Colts.

Another is the Atlanta Falcons at the New York Giants . Much like the Eagles / Bears this is a contest of two teams fighting for playoff berths in the NFC. Falcons are 5-3, Giants 5-4. The G-Men are on a 4-game losing streak but will be well rested coming off a bye week. The potential explosiveness of both of these offenses could lead NBC to take this over the currently selected game. NBC also loves the other Manning brother, Eli, so this game definitely has a chance.

The San Diego Chargers (5-3) and Denver Broncos (6-1) also a strong chance to replace the Bears on Sunday night. The Broncos have been stellar all season and beat the Bolts 34-23 in Week Six. Since then thou the Chargers have gone on a 3-game winning streak and are fresh off a last minute win in the Meadowlands. Could that last minute win over the Giants compel NBC to select this game?

One last possibility is the always interesting New York Jets and the New England Patriots, in Foxboro. The Jets are two games back of the Pats. They’ll be looking to get back in the race and look to avenge a 16-9 loss in Week Two. That game was an ugly defensive struggle, with a strong possibility that should happen again especially with Mark Sanchez’s struggles this year. Is that something that NBC would want to put on in primetime, even with the storylines?

Like I said earlier that Eagles / Bears game is gone, I don’t think there is much a chance at all that NBC keeps that game. The question is what game do they take.

I think they’ll go for the Colts / Ravens. If any defense could shut Peyton Manning down it would be the Ravens D. The real question is would CBS waste one of their limited pull backs? It’s still only the middle of the season and there could be much more compelling games later in the year that CBS would want to protect.

If the Colts could win this week and next week, there’s a very good chance that the Colts would be undefeated when they play the Broncos in Week 14. That’s a contest they’d definitely want to protect.

With the viewing public not knowing the number of games each station can protect its hard to predict if just one pull back is a waste or not. But if it was me I’d let NBC take the Colts / Ravens game if they want it.

Once again, I’ll make my prediction it’s going to be the Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week Eleven, not the Eagles and Bears.

It’s really no surprise, Winn is now 35 and his average dropped to .262 (first time under .300 since 2006) and only hit 2 homers (first time not in double digits since 2001). He still plays well above average defense but his offensive production doesn’t justify keeping him on a young team looking to reach the playoffs.

Although, Winn could be a productive fourth outfielder for a playoff contender. He could be a teams late game speed threat and/or a late game defensive specialist. Landis says his client isn’t ready for that type of role thou and would prefer to be an everyday player.

Unfortunately for Winn, he is the leader amongst all active players for games played without a postseason appearance. At his age and with his abilities he’ll be hard pressed to break that if he wants an everyday role.

So in reality he’s got two choices.

1.) Be an everyday player but for a team without much of a chance to succeed.

or

2.) Accept his fate and take the fourth outfielder role with a contender and hope he can finally break his playoff-less streak.

There is a catch thou. McGrady delcared himself ready to play and set his own date for a return. Team doctors have not yet cleared the forward to play. The Yahoo article about this says that the team doesn’t expect there to be any problems with that, even thou there were no on the record confirmations.

“Excited to get back and compete at a high level again,” McGrady said in an email to Yahoo! Sports. “For a full year I had to play on one leg against the best and I couldn’t compete with anybody the way I was feeling… It’s gonna be a relief to get out there and play knowing what I went [through] last season and this summer.”

It should be interesting to see how his return affects a team that’s playing fairly well right now. The Rockets are missing both McGrady and center Yao Ming but are off to a 4-2 start, with one of those losses coming in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve got some chemistry but could definitely use some veteran leadership.

My worry for this young team is how long Tracy can stay on the court. He’s not yet 100 percent so he won’t be at his best, not even close. After microfracture surgery you have to wonder if he will ever be close to what he formerly was. Any type of setback could of damaged any chemistry the young team has with their current rotation.

With him not being 100%, it’s only a matter of time before he needs a day off to rest that surgically repaired knee. I’m sure he won’t be playing in back to back games for the first few months, the doctors won’t want to risk a setback. But then again something as small as a twisted ankle (something very common in basketball) could easily send the forward to the bench.

If McGrady gets off to a quick start the team should really take off but then again that could lead to another distraction. If he’s performing at a high level the trade rumors will begin again. Numerous teams will be calling about his expiring contracts and it will force the kids to talk about something other then basketball.

His return is good and bad for the Rockets, but for Tracy it’s a great thing. He’s worked hard to get back to this point and being in the lineup will be a great joy to him. Unfortunately as a New York Knicks fan I’ll most likely be hearing Tracy to the Knicks rumors again soon.

The Red Sox began the off season by making another trade with the Florida Marlins. This time acquiring outfielder Jeremy Hermida (.259-13-47) for pretty much nothing at all. The real moves for the Sox thou began today.

First, The Sox picked up Victor Martinez’s $7.1 million option for 2010. While V-Mart wasn’t anything special defensively he provided what the team needed. He provided some energy and sorely needed offensive punch. He batted .336 with 8 homers and 41 rbis in just 56 games in Boston. This move was an absolute no brainer for general manager Theo Epstein.

Next up was what do with their other catcher Jason Varitek. The captain had been on a steady offensive and defensive decline over the past seasons, but this year he took a steep decline. Even losing playing time to Martinez behind the plate. For the season, Tek batted only .209 with 14 homers and 51 rbis. The team held a $5 million option for 2010, take a guess what they did?

That’s right they made another no brainer move and told the Captain they won’t be retaining his services. Luckily for Tek he also holds a player option of $3 million this year, so he could still be playing in Fenway next year. He’s got five days to make his decision, my guess is that he’ll accept as he won’t make much more then that on the open market (if he even gets an offer that high).

Tim Wakefield was another play the team had to make a decision on. His option called for the knuckle baller to make $4 million in 2010 if accepted. The team did not pick up the option but the two sides did agree on a new contract. The two sides agreed on a two-year deal worth a combined $5 million. In 2010, he’ll make $3.5 million and make $1.5 million more in 2011 at the age of 45. With incentives he could make up to $2 million more.

Wake missed time at the end of year, even having surgery for a herniated disk in his back this past month. How quickly he recovers and even how effective he could be at his age is a big question. Regardless it lets the Sox keep a rubber arm at a very cheap rate.

In other news today, the Sox also declined the $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Alex was very productive in his short time in Boston, hitting 5 homers with 15 rbis and a .284 average in 44 games. Much more then any other shortstop could do for the Sox in 2009. This is the one who move that makes me scratch my head a bit. The price tag may be a little high but Boston doesn’t have many other options at the position. It’ll be interesting to see what Epstein does to address the position as Jed Lowrie is not the answer.

Nick Green and Joey Gathright also became free agents after the Sox outrighted them off the 40-man roster.

Like I said earlier the Sox have gotten off to a quick start this off season. It’s not really a surprise either, they had no choice after their poor showing for most of the 2009 season and the playoffs. The moves today seemed more design at cleaning up loose ends and freeing up some payroll for some big ticket items.

Those being Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and possibly a pitcher like John Lackey. The Sox are setting themselves up for a big offseason and I’m sure we’ll be hearing the organizations name a lot during this weeks General Manager Meetings.

The Twins do return five young starting pitchers but can they really trust them? The team ranked near the bottom of baseball last year in ERA from its starting rotation, 26 out of 30 with a 4.84 era.

“We’ve got [Scott] Baker, [Nick] Blackburn, and we fully expect [Kevin] Slowey to come back [from wrist surgery],” Smith said. “[Brian] Duensing certainly pitched very well for us down the stretch, and beyond that, we’ve got candidates. We expect [Francisco] Liriano to bounce back and hopefully regain the form that he had at the end of the ‘08 season. [Anthony] Swarzak, I think will be better second time around.”

Those youngsters aided by veteran Carl Pavano still led this team to the postseason but they’ll need a better performance if they plan to return.

So what’s out there for the Twins? It really all depends on how much money they have to spend. They’ll be opening a new ballpark in 2010 but it doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in payroll. And even if it does they need to use a portion of that increase to keep players like Joe Mauer.

I’m sure they’ll first attempt to resign Pavano. His numbers weren’t overwhelming 5-4 record with a 4.64 era since being traded from Cleveland. What he did provide thou was veteran leadership to a pitching staff that sorely needed it.

He’d be a solid pickup for them this off season but he still wouldn’t answer what the team really needs, an ace.

“We’ll see what’s out there,” he said. “And if there’s a veteran starter or two that’s a good fit for us, then we’ll proceed accordingly.”

Christensen mentions a possible signing of Jarrod Washburn, a Wisconsin native, who’d like to play closer to home. To me the key would be how much money does he want and how healthy is he. Jarrod was an amazing player before the All-Star break posting a 2.96 era over 17 starts. After the break and injuries started to take their toll he posted a 5.23 era over 11 starts. So obviously if he’s healthy he can produce, the question will be is he healthy and can he stay so.

There is one ace available this off season, John Lackey. He’s going to be expensive with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and others involved. The question here is do the Twinkies want to get into a bidding war? Probably not but it would give them a huge advantage in trying to repeat in the AL Central.

Christensen also mentions attempting trades for Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson. I think both of those are absolute long shots. Halladay has his no trade clause and the Twins aren’t one of the approved teams. While Johnson is 25 and a player the Marlins will most likely try to extend (finally they’ll try and extend someone). Even if they don’t he’ll be very expensive via trade.

The Twins probably have the pieces to land a starter of this type but is it really worth it? Roy would be a one-year rental and for a team who doesn’t like to spend money, do you really want to mortgage part of the future for those types?

I’d do what it takes to get Lackey to open Target Field. Even if he costs the team $14-15 million over 5 years it will be worth it. He’s a bonafide ace something they’ve lacked since Johan Santana was traded.

If Liriano could regain his form then, he and Lackey would be a formidable one-two punch. Having a front of rotation like that, with their current offense, would put them on the fast track to repeating in the Central.

89 career starts, 40-17 record with a 2.90 era. 676 strikeouts and only 217 walks in 598 and 2/3 innings pitched. Even more impressive only 33 homeruns allowed over 3 seasons.

The kid is the real deal and who knows maybe the weed is to him, like the spinach is to Popeye. They are about the same time.

We really shouldn’t be that surprised that he smokes. I always thought he had that California surfer, stoner look too him. Ya know, the really long hair, goofy looking smile. All the signs were there, seriously. Take a look.

As always home teams are in caps. Note: I don’t use the spread in my picks but if betting is your thing you can hit up Bodog Sportsbook and get all the latest lines on the NFL.

ATLANTA 24, Washington 17 – The Redskins are still horrible, that’s not changed. The Falcons have struggled as of late but are still putting up more points then the Washington offense can hope to score.

Arizona 26, CHICAGO 23 – The Cardinals have been on fire as of lately, well till they hit a hungry Carolina team I think they’ll put their foot back on the driver seat against tough opponents and get the win in Chicago. Should definitely be a close one thou.

Baltimore 24, CINCINNATI 17 – The Ravens defense we all knew from the past decade finally showed up in 2009 with an impressive showing against the previously undefeated Broncos. That defense should hold the Bengals out of the end zone enough where Joe Flacco succeed.

INDIANAPOLIS 30, Houston 20 – The Texans have been a surprise team this NFL season but even so I’m not sure if they’ll be able to keep up with the Colts this weekend. Some will doubt Indy because of the latest injury, this one to Bob Sanders. BUT you got to remember Sanders just came back about two weeks ago, as far as I remember they were undefeated during that period. I expect that to continue.

JACKSONVILLE 24, Kansas City 13 – Do we really need a description on this one?

NEW ENGLAND 31, Miami 23 – The AFC East battles have been pretty good this season. The Dolphins are in the middle of the pack but have two impressive wins against the Jets. They’ll put up a good fight but in front of the home crowd Brady should do enough to win the game.

LOCK – Green Bay 27, TAMPA BAY 13 – Another game that doesn’t need much of an explanation.

NEW ORLEANS 30, CAROLINA 24 – The Panthers woke up last week against the Cardinals but I’m not sold on them. Was this a desperate Delhomme or a sign of things to come? I’m not sure, I think it was more desperation. And desperation against the Saints doesn’t help. New Orleans should have another close game but I’m fairly certain they’ll get a win out of this one.

SEATTLE 20, Detroit 17 – The Lions should up a fairly good fight against the struggling Seahawks but this is a week that talent takes overs.

NEW YORK GIANTS 27, San Diego 23 – The Giants have had a rough three weeks against NFC title contenders. Actually rough is an understatement, they’ve gotten their asses whipped the past few weeks. This will be another tough game for them, but I think they’ll finally break through and end the losing streak. If not, it’s going to be a VERY VERY long bye week for the G-Men.

UPSET – Tennessee 24, SAN FRANCISCO 21 – The Titans exploded last week against their Jacksonville rivals. It’s no coincidence that this came after their bye week and Vince Young got more first team reps. Another week of practice for him and a rediscovered rushing and defensive attacks should help the Titans win another this week on the road.

PHILADELPHIA 34, Dallas 30 – This should be another classic Eagles / Cowboys fight. Expect the Eagles ans to be even rowdier then usual after the city’s World Series loss during the week. The Eagles are going to do whatever they can to cure what ails their fans.

DENVER 21, Pittsburgh 20 – For a change Monday Night Football might actually have the game of the week. The Steelers are on a four game winning streak and Denver’s going to look to get back to their winning ways. This is going to be an ugly defensive battle, there might even be a physical confrontation or two. I’m expecting the Broncos to pull it out but it too be very close.

LAST WEEK – 6-7
SEASON RECORD (No picks Week 6) – 72-30
LOCK – 6-1
UPSET – 6-1
CORRECT FINAL SCORES – 1

General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr made a no-brainer move in picking up the option on ace Cliff Lee. Lee was absolutely magnificent for the Phillies since being traded from the Cleveland Indians. Lee was 7-4 over 12 starts with a 3.39 era as a member of the Phillies. In the playoffs he took his game to a whole new level, giong 4-0 over 5 starts, with a 1.56 era and 33 strikeouts over 40 innings.

Numbers like that make it pretty easy for a team to pick up a players option. The real question this offseason will be do the Phillies get a contract extension done with the 31 year old lefty. Rumor has it he’s looking for a deal similar to his former teammate CC Sabathia.

The Phillies Zone is reporting that Amaro has also informed Brett Myers that he will not be returning next year. Myers is a free agent this off season and has a troubled past with the team, so it’s really not a surprise.

He’s spent his entire eight year career with the team after being a first round draft pick. He put up solid middle of the rotation type numbers with a career 4.40 era. His main problem in Philly was his mental state and injuries, so it seems the combination of the two have made expendable.

Unfortunately, Myers will never know the true reason for his exit as Ruben didn’t give him one. “I was just like, `OK, thanks for putting up with my (stuff),’ ” Myers said. “He thanked me and wished me and my family well.”

At the moment, no one knows what role he can fill at the big league level. He was an average starter and an average closer. Personally, I think he can be a middle of the rotation starter for a team on the cusp of the playoffs. A team like the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, maybe even the New York Mets?

So yea, I believe he’ll have plenty of options. Myers does have one message for all you Phillies fans. He’s now the enemy and wants to be treated like one.

“I’ll miss the guys on the team and the fans who have supported me. Hopefully I’ll be playing against the Phillies and when I do I want the roughest treatment the fans can give me – when I’m pitching. I’m an opposing player – you have to give it to me.”

Again, the Phillies have gotten off to a quick start in their attempt to make a third straight trip to the World Series. This weekend there will be more decisions, mainly Pedro Feliz’s option that has to be accepted or declined by Monday.

The most positive thing to me is they aren’t sitting back enjoying what they’ve accomplished lately, they’re moving forward and working towards a National League three-peat.

1. New Orleans Saints (7-0)
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
4. New England Patriots (5-2)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
6. Denver Broncos (6-1)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
8. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
9. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
10. Houston Texans (5-3)
11. Arizona Cardinals (4-3)
12. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
13. New York Giants (5-3)
14. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
15. San Diego Chargers (4-3)
16. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
17. Chicago Bears (4-3)
18. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)
19. Miami Dolphins (3-4)
20. New York Jets (4-4)
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)
22. Buffalo Bills (3-5)
23. Carolina Panthers (3-4)
24. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
25. Oakland Raiders (2-6)
26. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
27. Washington Redskins (2-5)
28. Detroit Lions (1-6)
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
30. St. Louis Rams (1-7)
31. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
32. Cleveland Browns (1-7)

The Saints take the top spot back to themselves this week after the Colts struggled with the 49ers.

The state of Texas had a big showing this week both the Cowboys and the Texans (yes, you read that right the Texans) have jumped into the Top 10. Both teams are playing very well now and looking like contenders.

On that note, there is one team that has been playing very poorly of late and that’s my Giants. After three straight losses against top NFC teams they have to drop out of the top 10. People are starting to wonder if this team is that good or is it a slump. I think its a few things and I’ll discuss that in a post later this week.

Staying with the NFC East, the Eagles are starting to look like the Super Bowl contender everyone thought they would be. So much for that horrendous loss to the Raiders. Guess that woke the team up from its slumber.

Cleveland may have a win but they are by far the worst franchise in the NFL right now. Not even team, just outright worst franchise. There is nothing positive coming out of that organization and they’ll stay at the bottom unless the Bucs somehow reach 0-10 record.

Want to see the NFL Power Rankings from Week 8? Click here.

“We’ve agreed to not agree,” Gay’s agent Jeff Austin said. “It will not happen. We looked at different ways we might try to get something done and we weren’t able to agree.”

Austin even says the two sides weren’t even close to an extension, “We never agreed on a deal so obviously we weren’t close.”

Personally, i already felt the 2009-2010 season was going to be big for the development of the 23-year old Gay. But with free agency the season becomes even larger.

After three full seasons, Gay has shown he has the talent to be a major player in this league. His career numbers stand at 16.7 points a game, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He’s been pretty much around those numbers throughout each of the first three season, to break into the next tier of players this would be the season he’d have to do it.

With free agency looming, I’m sure he’ll attempt to make himself even more of a focal point of the offense. He averaged 16 shots a game last season, that may not rise with a player like Allen Iverson on the team but I’m sure he’ll be looking to get himself into better scoring situations.

Back to his contract thou, Austin says the two sides weren’t close to a deal. So where are the numbers? No one is really sure, there have been rumors of a deal in the $50-60 million range over 5 seasons. Those make sense with past deals and the production you’ll get on a nightly basis from Gay. His agent thou says, “A lot of numbers I’ve read I’m trying to figure out where they come from.”

Those numbers make a lot of sense, so that quote leads me to believe that Austin is trying to work out a higher deal. OR the Grizzlies are just being their stingy selves and will wait till the offseason and see how the market plays out. For a team that only won 24 games last season, I can understand that.

Without an extension the Grizzlies will get a chance to see what they have in Gay. They’ll be times where he tries to assert himself more in an effort to show he can carry the load. They’ll be days where the pressures of playing for a contract gets to him mentally, so they’ll see what pressure the kid can handle.

2009-2010 will be the year we see what kind of player Gay will be. Will he step up to the plate?