Playoff time!

Texas and Tampa Bay will get the MLB playoffs under way at 1:37pm (Eastern), with Cincinnati at Philadelphia at 5:07 followed by the New York Yankees in Minnesota at 8:37.  Gonna be a good day for sports. The Big Lead has a great little feature: The 2010 Hater's Guide to The MLB Playoffs.  What is most impressive in this is the sheer consistency of the bile spewed.  Worth printing off and enjoying over a few coldies tonight.
It started innocently enough last night with Bill Simmons - aka The Sports Guy - thinking he was direct messaging someone on Twitter.  Instead, he posted a blurb for all to see that he had information that the New England Patriots were going to move Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.  Shortly after, Twitter threatened to take down the internet for all the word flowing after that. Looks like the deal could be completed as soon as this morning.  Makes next week's visit by the Dallas Cowboys to Minny even more interesting: revenge plot for last year's playoffs, and Moss has historically shown up big against the team he most resents for not drafting him.  Somehow, you have to figure the Pats know what they're doing here.  Moss does have only nine catches on the season.  Edit: ESPN is reporting the deal is now done.

Liverpool looks like they'll have new ownership any minute, and replacing American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett could be John Henry.  Yes, the very same John Henry that owns the Boston Red Sox.  Personal Hate Level: climbing.  There's an Asian bid in the mix too, and the current owners are fighting for their lives against a board that is pushing them out the door.  Meantime, Liverpool sits third last in the English Premier League.  "Disaster" might not be the most accurate word, but it is the first that springs to mind.  Edit: And now comes word that the purchase by John Henry and the Sox ownership is now complete.

It is getting better for Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, and by better, I mean "worse".  The latest is his blood has shown traces of plastic in it consistent with having had a transfusion performed, something that he previously denied, and of course, is performance enhancing.  But hey, his people say he didn't do it.  Good enough then.

The danger of deferred money for sports teams is gobs of "dead" money down the road.  The Detroit Tigers are looking at around $13 million in dead money next year payable to Gary Sheffield, Pudge Rodriguez, Maglio Ordonez, Edgar Renteria, and Jose Valverde, who at least remains with the team.  The Tigers will be paying Gary Sheffield between $1million - $2.5 million between 2010 and 2019.  Ouch.

In a year of great baseball injuries, it is never too late to add another to the pile.  Baltimore Oriole Brian Roberts admitted a couple days ago that the concussion-like symptoms he's been feeling the last couple days might be from getting hit in the head by a bat.   Swung by one Brian Roberts.

Thanks to our friends to the south, the 25 Funniest Defaced Dollar Bills.

The New York Rangers may have sent Wade Redden to the minors but it isn't all bad for the $6.45 million man. While in the AHL, he won't be paying an 18% escrow payment so he effectively got a raise. Further, there is no state tax in Connecticut so Redden is going to make more money than ever.
Since 2001, the Detroit Lions are 8-66 on the road.

So Dwayne Wade lasted all of three minutes and change last night in the Miami Heat's pre-season opener before leaving with a bad hamstring.  Looks like my voodoo doll is in mid-season form.  Wait til I start poking at Chris Bosh and Lebron James knees.

For the Jays fans out there, here's a look at all 54 of  Jose Bautista's home runs this year.  Nice editing work from the Jays though, cutting out the ball actually leaving the park so you can't count how many landed in an empty seat at Rogers Centre.

I love a game show trainwreck, and there are all kinds here in the Top 10 Dumbest Answers in Family Feud History.  And nothing better than a ridiculous answer followed up by "good answer!"

Think San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is ready for the playoffs?  Check this out.  Warning: objectionable language for some that may be around you.