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Shanoff’s WUC: Favre, Twins, Tebow, McNabb

Oct 6, 2009, 12:06 PM UTC

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Today’s Calls: Brett Favre vs. Green Bay, Tigers vs. Twins, Yankees vs. Red Sox, Tim Tebow vs. Donovan McNabb, Bobby Bowden vs. FSU Trustees, Tom Cable vs. the DA’s Office, Ron Artest vs. Trevor Ariza and More.â†µ

â†µ Brett Favre The Opening Pitch: Let me let you in on a little secret about the Society of Favre-Haters.â†µ

â†µâ†µWe don’t hate Favre ALL the time.â†µ

â†µâ†µThere are moments — like last night — where we can suspend our enmity long enough to actually appreciate this guy making plays.â†µ

â†µâ†µSure, we might turn the sound on the TV off — so we don’t have to hear the Favre-fluffing — but the images were more than enough: Zipping throws, tossing TDs ... man, even his celebratory moves weren’t as annoying as they normally are. No denying: He came up huge in a huge game.â†µ

â†µâ†µAnd we can appreciate the novelty: In the stat of the day, Favre became the first QB ever to beat all 32 NFL teams. (Most Favre-haters dislike Packers fans, too — for their conspiracy in the Favre Era in Green Bay — and can extract a little residual enjoyment from their misery over that.)â†µ

â†µâ†µBut we Favre-haters move on quickly. While we can appreciate the guy (or suppress the loathing) while we’re in the moment, by this morning I was ready to go back to hatin’.â†µ

â†µâ†µAnd with four weeks until Favre’s Green Bay homecoming — has the interminable hype for THAT started yet? — there will be plenty of material.â†µ

â†µâ†µFor now*: OK, Favre. You’re all right.â†µ

â†µâ†µ(* - No, not “4 now” — I would sooner snip off my own typing finger.)â†µ

â†µ

â†µTwo words: Jared Allen. Enough said.â†µ

â†µâ†µMLB Playoff Play-In! Tigers at Twins, for the right to claim a division title — and a brief stay in the ALDS round of the playoffs against the Yankees. How can you NOT be tuning in at 5 ET for the game? (Pick: Twins. The Dome should be rocking. Perhaps taunting Miggy Cabrera?)â†µ

â†µâ†µPlayoff schedule: In Yanks’ hands, because they have the option of starting Wednesday or Thursday (which would force the Red Sox to start Thursday). Beyond toying with Boston’s preparation for the Angels, it seems fairly clear the Yankees should start Wednesday — forcing the Twins-Tigers winner to turn around after their game tonight, fly to New York and be ready to beat the Yankees 24 hours later.â†µ

â†µâ†µComing tomorrow: MLB playoff picks.â†µ

â†µâ†µTim Tebow Watch: Symptom-free! But Tebow still isn’t practicing yet — and when he does, he won’t be hit. It would be rough sledding if Florida doctors’ first chance to watch how Tebow reacts to a hit came in a live game situation at LSU. I still think he doesn’t play.â†µ

â†µâ†µBobby Bowden Employment Data: You know how you can tell his career is over at FSU? When you lose the institutional backing AND the booster support, you’re as good as gone. He’s done; it’s just a question of how ugly it gets as he is ushered to the door.â†µ

â†µâ†µOops: You know that ridiculous excessive celebration call on Georgia that may have cost them the game against LSU? The SEC now says that shouldn’t have been a penalty. I’m sure UGA fans are grateful for the apolo— What’s that you say? Still bitter? I would be, too.â†µ

â†µâ†µCFB Must-Read: As always, Brian Cook’s This Week in Schadenfreude. (This week’s lead subject? Oklahoma, of course.)â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL Injuries: Donovan McNabb is back, and the starting job is instantly his again. For the experience, the Eagles have a more seasoned backup (for the inevitable next McNabb injury?), as well as the X-factor of Michael Vick. However, McNabb wasn’t talking about anything yesterday.â†µ

â†µâ†µOut: Raiders’ Darren McFadden. 2-4 weeks (knee), but as anyone (else) who has him on their fantasy roster can attest, that won’t make much of a difference.â†µ

â†µâ†µCoaching Carousel: For Tom Cable, what will come faster — his arrest or his dismissal as Raiders head coach?â†µ

â†µâ†µCBB: The All-Time Rankings in the amazing new ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia are doing what they are supposed to do — get people talking. The choice of a Sagarin computer formula over a human poll was interesting. Why? The first indication was when my alma mater Northwestern was ranked No. 77 — all-time. (If that’s the case, just wait until NU actually makes the NCAA Tournament.) Mike DeCourcy loves the book — but IDs some poll flaws.â†µ

â†µâ†µSN NBA Countdown: No. 23 Rockets. I am an unabashed Daryl Morey fan, and I think that even without Yao and T-Mac — perhaps especially without Yao and T-Mac, if Houston’s playoff performance against the Lakers is any indication — you would be crazy to overlook the Rockets for the playoffs. (Losing Ron Artest, however, is another story, but I trust Morey’s evaluation that Trevor Ariza is an equal or better replacement. You know he’s got some data that shows Ariza is wildly underrated.) Bethlehem Shoals concentrates on this: “T-Mac should just sit out the season.” (I have an alternative idea: Sit out until February, then let Morey trade him to a would-be contender in the East.)â†µ

â†µâ†µFeuds: Braylon Edwards is not going to win a PR battle with LeBron. (Edwards should have waited until next fall, when Cleveland fans will hate LeBron so much for leaving town that they will support anyone who nicks LeBron personally in any way.)â†µ

â†µâ†µContract Squabbles: Michael Crabtree seems ready to fold. And he should be — although unless he’s been studying the playbook and film all this time (ha!), I suspect he will be pretty useless this season.â†µ

â†µâ†µNASCAR: Danica finally joining? She’s rumored to be teaming up with Dale Jr. for a limited NASCAR schedule. As I have been saying for years, she would be the biggest sensation in NASCAR history. (And it feels like the first step to a full-time switch, despite her recent multi-year deal to stay in open-wheel.)â†µ

â†µâ†µMedia Must-Read: Dan Levy on why October rules (and why you should make your way to Las Vegas in nine days for the second Blogs With Balls conference. Should be a lot of fun.)â†µ

â†µâ†µThe Last Word: “One game does not define my career good or bad. I know what I’ve done. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I know I can play. I wanted to do what it takes to win.” — Brett Favre â†µ

â†µâ†µDan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/danshanoff. â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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