Ohio State is No. 1 on the LA TImes' Top 25, which makes the early season date with USC even more interesting. The Trojans won't like their hometown paper tapping the Buckeyes.

Michael Phelps to host SNL on Sept. 13. Will he sink or swim withou a pool?

Dara Torres swam in Beijing despite needing shoulder surgery, which she has now undergone.

Phil Jackson says the greatest athlete he ever coached is ...

MacKenzie Phillips busted at LAX.  A little coke and a little heroin = a lot of trouble.

Will probation chill NASCAR's hottest rivalry?

Second HS gridder dies this week in New Jersey.

WWE's Candice Michelle and Batista hit the Democratic National Convention.

New York Post has a handicapped hooker being slain Brooklyn.

Stephon Marbury has no fear of flying or buying.

Bitten man had 51 poisonous snakes in Tokyo apartment.

New York Daily News goes inside instant replay.

Yao's bed among 20 million -- million! -- Olympic items China will auction.

Hate mail to Derek Jeter earns man 3-year, 10-month jail term.

Mick Foley leaves WWE for TNA.

Man rams Playboy Mansion gate for second time in two weeks.

White Sox gleeful over Jay Mariotti leaving Sun-Times.

Call the coroner. Get the toe-tag ready. The Yankees appear to be finito. And they are going out with a whimper, getting devoured by the Boston Red Sox, 11-3, on Wednesday. Start posting those 9/21 tickets on Stubhub and Ebay because their value is skyrocketing by the inning. Talk about a disappointing way to showcase the Stadium's final run.

The Mets, meanwhile, predictably rebounded in an unpredictable manner, riding Carlos Delgado's two home runs back into first place and over the Phillies. This horse race looks like it will head to the wire. As neither team is good or consistent enough to pull away. At least it makes for intriguing watching, whch can't be said of the events in the Bronx.

The only thing that can be said of the Bronx is dead is dead.

Have to say the game we are most looking forward to this season will be a shocker. We're hoping the Ty Willingham and Washington paste Notre Dame when it comes to Seattle on Oct. 25. If the Huskies can't win that one for their coach, Willingham may go from having a home in Seattle to homeless in 60 minutes. Also on that day, Houston Nutt brings Ole Miss into his old stomping grounds for a battle with Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Ed Barkowitz of the Philadelphia Daily News offers 50 things to ponder.

We think there is a better chance that Tim Tebow repeats as Heisman Trophy winner than there is of Matthew Stafford leading Georgia through a perfect season and bringing a national title to Athens.

Appalachian State won't fare as well against LSU as it did against Michigan last year. And, oh by the way, we are already tired of the Rich Rodriguez-Wolverine stories. Yawn.

No matter how hard Vince McMahon tries, we don't see James Laurinaitis joining his dad for one match in a new generation Road Warriors. Not yet, at least. Maybe after the Buckeye LB tears up the NFL for a few years.

Rick Neuheisel will feel lots of pain, bumps and bruises in his first year with UCLA. Two QBs out and a JC transfer at the helm Monday against Tennessee doesn't equate for getting off on the right foot. Wonder if the Golden Boy is looking forward to a Nov. 15 trip to Seattle for a Pac-10 battle with the Huskies?

Hopefully, there will be a bowl game for the aged and after Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden meet, both will agree to call it a career before their "student-athletes" do any more damage to the schools' and coaches' reputations.

Some will realize just how great a story Texas Tech OL Ryland Reed is. The Red Raider has beaten cancer, struck out Barry Bonds in a preseason game and stopped Chris Long cold in the Gator Bowl.

More to come...

So, the best plans don't always come to fruition and all signs point to a toe-tag being place on the Bronx Embalmers -- thanks, Deadspin -- before the playoffs. No playoffs means no payoff with The House That Ruth Built getting one final playoff run. We understand the sentimental journey Yankee Stadium has given so many over the decades. We also understand that the reason why this good thing is coming to an end is that the Yankees' ownership decided it was time. So, before the brass gets drippy and drooly, remember: you sow what you reap or vise versa.

So, it says here that if the Sept. 21 Sunday night/Monday morning ESPN game against the Baltimore Orioles is the last game at the Stadium, that is the way it should conclude. Yankee Stadium should not become The House That Bruce Closed or Paul McCartney for that matter, despite the bond between Lorne Michaels, the Beatle and the Bomber. Yankee Stadium has seen boxing matches, popes, football games, but most of all Yankee games. And that is what the final event should be -- a Yankee game. Don't tarnish the legacy by allowing someone to play the final date just so it can be said it was some special event rather than a regular-season finale in a year the Yankees didn't come up big.

The only other plausible way to send it out would be to do what Miami did with the Orange Bowl and bring back many of the players who created its history. There has to be some charity that the Yankees would like to help out. Bring back the past, present and future of the Yankees. You can even invite others -- Giants -- who played at the Stadium. Just don't taint the ending by doing something just for the sake of doing something. Agree?

Shawne Merriman tells San Diego Union-Tribune he will play despite two torn knee ligaments. Risky decision by Lights Out.

Ex-NBA player Wayman Tisdale has part of right leg amputated as part of battle with bone cancer.

NASCAR puts Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards on probation for six races for post-race incident at Bristol. They just ruin all the fun.

Michael Strahan won't have to pay ex-wife $18K in alimony along with a lot of other dough, rules New Jersey Appellate Division.

Tom Brady apparently has spent $11 million for some land on the street the Governator lives on in Brentwood.

Boston Red Sox pick up Mark Kotsay from Atlanta Braves for minor leaguer.

Jay Mariotti leaves Chicago Sun-Times.

Kansas City Chiefs cut Jay Feely one day after signing him.

Stephon Marbury wants Steve & Barry's to foot $2 million bill.