Turkey Day USA!

A trio of NFL games on the go today as per tradition. The Green Bay Packers visit Detroit, who will be minus Matt Stafford. Slight leanage to the Lions at +11 there. Pretty wild seeing the Dallas Cowboys point spread at -13.5 today when they host Oakland at 4:15pm when you consider the Cowboys have score 14 - total - the last two weeks. As for tonight, loving the Denver Broncos at +6.5 at home to the New York Giants. That's a PTP for you. The entire day has me less anxious than years prior as I don't have to fear hearing John Madden blather on about turkey and all the "fixin's".

Not sure how much strength of schedule should factor into MVP talk in the NFL, but when you've played Green Bay twice and Pittsburgh (and lost that one) as your lone teams above .500, not sure the Old Has Been should be mentioned in the same conversation as Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and others. Sorry, I'm not buying it. He's not even the most valuable on his team.

What does it say of Toronto FC when none of the players they left unprotected for the expansion draft of the Philadelphia Union were taken? Suppose it could say that even an expansion team doesn't want a guy like Amado Guevarra and his salary, but feel like I haven't cracked on TFC enough after their 5-0 loss in New York to close the season.

Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn, a Notre Dame alum, thinks it would be a mistake for Notre Lame to axe Charlie Weis. BQ is an authority on mistakes, after all.

The Boston Red Sox are stepping up the Roy Halladay chase which has to mean the New York Yankees are about to get anxious too. Most baseball people told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, as told on ESPN radio, that they expect Halladay to end up an Anaheim Angel which I'm not buying. This is gonna get hot and soon, methinks.

Allen Iverson says he's retiring from hoops. Forgive me if I feel more than a little skeptical that this is truly the end.

I know the NBA season is long with ups and downs for the best of them, but if you get crushed 116-81 by the Charlotte Bobcats, you are not a good team. Yes, this means you, Toronto Raptors, on pace for the worst defensive team since 1976. Jose Calderon turned the ball over more times than Chicago Bear's QB Jay Cutler in prime time last night with 6.

You don't often get three shorthanded goals in a month in the NHL, but the Chicago Black Hawks managed to pull it off in one as the pounded the San Jose Sharks 7-2 for their eighth straight win. The NHL is better when the Hawks matter. Still my fav unis in hockey.

Turns out Mike Shanahan is indeed meeting with the Buffalo Bills, and talks went well yesterday. He'd be a strong hire for them, though I thought he was a lock for the Cowboys job next year. That said, not sure how he works for a dime less than $7 million, which he's due next year from the Denver Broncos after they axed him mid-contract.

And finally today, a Happy Thanksgiving to my friends south of the border.