• Pete McEntegart: The 10 Spot -- Thur., Oct. 28 • Truth & Rumors: Pedro to Giants ... as closer? • Michael Bradley: NBA will survive its problems • Josh Elliott: BoSox fever? Don't forget the Pats. • Jon Wertheim: Pacers have their own curse • Arash Markazi: Zook's caught in limbo stage • More Blogs: Bechtel | Rolfe | Mannix | Chen Click here for Today's Sign of the Apocalypse, Game to Watch, Leading Off gallery and much more!

1. Now that the Curse of the Bambino is broken, Red Sox fans might be searching for a new us-against-the-world mission. So consider this: It's been 88 years since the Red Sox have repeated as champs. Though the "1916" chant shouldn't cut nearly as deep.

2. Was there a more amusing moment in the Red Sox's postgame festivities than when Fox's Jeanne Zelasko called Boston's Wonder Boy GM "Mr. Epstein"? As Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner and president Larry Lucchino stood there in suits and ties, Theo looked like a frat boy decked out in a fresh-off-the-presses championship T-shirt and holding a bottle of champagne. Then Theo dunked Lucchino with the bubbly, which isn't something we can picture Branch Rickey doing. It was refreshing to see the 30-year-old Epstein act his age for a moment.

3. A message that Sox fan and 10 Spot reader Jonathan Hall wrote before Game 4: "My brother, a Yankee fan, asked me how Red Sox fans would handle a World Series victory. Here is my response to him: We will clutch a World Series victory like the survivors of the whaling vessel Essex clutched the human bones of their shipmates when a rescue ship pulled up next to their lifeboat. They were at sea for many months, and their only sustenance was the marrow of their shipmate's bones. The shipmates died of starvation in the lifeboats. They were delirious, and they thought the rescue boat was going to take their little pile of bones. As they were pulled onto the ship they would not let go of the bones. These are Red Sox fans, who will clutch a World Series victory to their chests and not let go for, perhaps, another 86 years. We do not expect instant gratification. A victory will age in the wine cellar for many years, and as we reminisce, it will grow into something even better. We will occasionally turn the bottle over, and as time plays tricks, it will become more remarkable and legends will be born about 2004." Wow. A little morbid, perhaps, but one has to admire the depth of feeling.

4. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig insists there is no "stalemate" in compensation negotiations with Orioles owner Peter Angelos on the relocation of the Expos to Washington D.C. Selig points out that dithering over Expos-related decisions is business as usual for MLB.

5. Baseball's offseason comes not a moment too soon for some fans, for it means a respite from Fox's omniscient Tim McCarver. Frankly, the 10 Spot isn't as down on McCarver as some of our readers, in part because he used to do a great job on Mets games during my youth. But for those seeking an outlet for anti-McCarver feelings, 10 Spot reader Phillip of Texas has pointed out this Web site.

6. Eagles receiver Terrell Owens will begin selling six snack foods from his Web site. Says Owens' agent, "Our model is Paul Newman." That makes sense. Like Newman, Owens is a leading man noted for his understated performances.

7. Barry Bonds' 700th home run ball drew a top bid of $804,129 on Wednesday after a 10-day online auction. After legal fees, seller Steve Williams should clear enough to load up on the Taco Bell value menu.

8. Kansas City mayor Kay Barnes is looking for suggestions on the city's planned downtown arena "from anyone who wishes to give it." In that case, the 10 Spot thinks it would be a great idea if we received a free luxury suite. With plenty of pretzels.

9. The Bobcats drew 15,607 middle-school students to a special free preseason game on Wednesday against the Heat. The turnout was impressive considering that only a small fraction of the kids were fathered by NBA players.

10. Jeopardy! update: The king almost died Wednesday. Ken Jennings entered Final Jeopardy in first place with $25,200, but competitors Adam ($17,000) and Merritt ($12,200) each had a chance to dethrone him. (Category: Populations. A: With only about 425,000 people, it's South America's least populous independent mainland country. Q: What is Suriname?) Adam nailed it to put the pressure on Ken, but the champ hung tough to keep his title. His total of $34,001 gives him a 61-day take of $2,065,301. As an aside, a reader recently asked me to note if I get the Final Jeopardy question correct. Let's just assume that I missed it unless I say otherwise.