Make that - a lot of work to do. There’s no debating that Kobe Bryant has been on a scoring tear, averaging 43.7 ppg in the month of January. More importantly, the Lakers are 8-4 in those 12 games, and are now three games above .500. But we need to take it easy on the Jordan comparisons. Sure, the guy can score like a madman and there’s no doubt that he’s a phenomenal athlete. But we already knew that. Jordan was able to win NBA Championships with Scottie Pippen as his sidekick. Kobe won his as Shaq’s sidekick. If Kobe is able to lead the Lakers to one or two more titles, then we can start comparing him to Jordan.

There are a lot of haters out there. I’m not sure there has been an NBA player that has polarized the fan base like he has. Personally, I don’t particularly like the man. Living in Southern California, I suffer from Koberexposure. The titles with Shaq, his Colorado rape trial and his decision to go it alone two years ago made Bryant one of my least favorite players. He’s a lot like Darth Vader - you just love to root against him.

I am, however, amazed by the man’s game. His athleticism can only be matched by a young man in Cleveland and the two will probably spend the next several years vying for the title of best perimeter player in the league. I respect his ability to put the ball in the hole. The tear he has been on lately is phenomenal, highlighted by that 81-point effort against Toronto. But I wonder if he’ll ever reach the Finals again. To do so, he’s going to need to bring some talent in around him, and I’m not sure there are a lot of All-Star caliber players that want to go to war with Kobe Bryant.

In a September post, I wrote about Mike Holmgren and the manner in which he left the Green Bay Packers.

In 1998, when Mike Holmgren demanded a head coaching job that also included complete control over all personnel decisions, it was obvious that he was going to have to find that job at a franchise other than the Green Bay Packers. The team was on the heels of two consecutive Super Bowl appearances and GM Ron Wolf was regarded as one of the best of the business and was deservedly given much of the credit. It was clear that the Packers weren’t going to fire him to appease Holmgren’s misguided career aspirations – back-to-back Super Bowl appearances weren’t enough? Many thought that Holmgren would land in San Francisco, a franchise that was familiar with the coach’s work and was at the time somewhat unhappy with their coach, Steve Mariucci, a Holmgren disciple. Oddly enough, the two teams faced each other in the playoffs that year and the futures of both coaches may have been altered by a blown call in that game. During San Francisco’s final drive (with the Packers leading 27-23), Jerry Rice fumbled after a catch. The Packers recovered, but the referee watching the play called Rice “down by contact” and the 49ers kept possession. The drive ultimately resulted in a last second touchdown pass from Steve Young to a then up-and-coming Terrell Owens, which gave San Francisco the win, 30-27. Had that fumble call gone the other way, Mariucci would have likely been fired for losing a first round playoff game at home and Holmgren would have been the favorite to take his place. The win bought Mariucci some time in San Francisco and forced Holmgren to look for complete control elsewhere. He ultimately signed with Seattle, where he has had mixed success in seven seasons and has recently had to relinquish his GM duties. Oh, the irony!

Fast forward four months and Holmgren is on the verge of winning his second title. While many Packer fans have mixed feelings about his recent success (or are blatantly rooting against him), I for one would like to see him win. I’ve always been a fan of his coaching style - he’s offensive minded, but knows enough about defense to keep his defensive coordinator honest. He’s very demanding and not always that popular with his players. He scripts the first set of plays and his teams are usually lethal the first time they have the ball.

But the biggest reason I’m rooting for Seattle this weekend is that Holmgren has had this success with the Seahawks only after giving up his GM responsibilities. I have to think, looking back, that he must regret (to some degree) leaving a great Green Bay team, only to be mired in mediocrity for several years in Seattle. He has to wonder what kind of success he would have had in Green Bay over that same span. His own ego drove him out of Wisconsin and he had to swallow that ego in order to coach a team to his third Super Bowl. I’d like to see that humility pay off.

Man, I hope Seattle wins. Jerome Bettis overexposure, annoying Steeler fans and Troy Polamalu’s hair make it impossible for me to root for Pittsburgh. Who do you think will win and why? Let’s try to keep it civil, people.

The Duke/BC and Pitt/UConn games highlight a big week in college hoops. TNT has a good NBA doubleheader on Thursday, giving the nation a rare opportunity to see Golden State play after a LeBron vs. Wade matchup in the first game. (All times ET.)

College Hoops
Mon, 7:00pm: Louisville @ (4) Villanova - ESPN (HD)
Tues, 7:00pm: (6) Illinois @ Wisconsin - ESPN (HD)
Tues, 7:30pm: (9) Pittsburgh @ (1) UConn - ESPN Full Court
Tues, 8:00pm: (7) Florida @ Mississippi - ESPN2 (HD)
Wed, 7:00pm: Notre Dame @ (11) West Virginia - ESPN (HD)
Wed, 9:00pm: (2) Duke @ (14) Boston College - ESPN (HD)
Wed, 9:00pm: (8) Texas @ Missouri - ESPN2 (HD)
Thurs, 7:00pm: (25) North Carolina @ (19) Maryland - ESPN (HD)
Thurs, 7:00pm: (15) George Washington @ Xavier - ESPN2 (HD)

NBA
Mon, 7:30pm: LA Clippers @ Miami - local
Tues, 7:00pm: Phoenix @ Philadelphia - local
Wed, 8:00pm: Dallas @ Memphis - local
Thurs, 8:00pm: Cleveland @ Miami - TNT (HD)
Thurs, 10:30pm: San Antonio @ Golden State - TNT (HD)

In a Sunday Conversation on ESPN, Brett Favre told Chris Mortensen that, although he hasn’t fully made up his mind, he’s leaning towards retirement.

“I wish I knew where I stood,” Favre told Chris Mortensen in an interview that aired as ESPN’s Sunday Conversation. “If I had to pick right now and make a decision, I would say I’m not coming back.”

Favre told Mortensen he would like more time to decide whether to return for another NFL season. But he understands the Packers need to know soon to properly prepare for the NFL draft and other offseason personnel matters. “I’d like to wait till training camp,” Favre said with a laugh. “But I know I have to make the decision in the next month for their sake.”

“I still know I can play, I still love to play, but there’s still much more to it. I never thought I’d give out mentally before I gave out physically,” he said.

It isn’t like Favre to sit down for an interview before making up his mind. It looks like he’ll be giving the Packers an answer soon, so that they can properly prepare for free agency and the NFL draft. Green Bay has the #5 pick and, depending on how they feel about last year’s #1 pick, Aaron Rogers, they may have an opportunity to select Matt Leinart, Vince Young or Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt), whose stock is rising in workouts.

The guy can still play. With a good offseason, there is enough talent in Green Bay to contend next season, so I’d like to see Favre return for one more season. But if he’s not sure he wants to play, then he should hang ‘em up.

Sean Taylor continues to embarrass the Washington Redskins, the NFL and himself. First, his trial gets postponed, which allowed Taylor to participate in the playoffs. He honors this courtesy by spitting in the face of Tampa Bay’s Michael Pittman during the game. The state now has increased his maximum sentence to 46 years for threatening three people with a gun. This sounds very familiar to actions taken by his fellow Miami Hurricane, Ray Lewis. The NFL embarrassed themselves back then, by not only allowing Lewis to play, but honoring him with the MVP award in the Super Bowl. I believe the NFL needs to take a stand for actions on and off the field and suspend him for this type of activity. This is a great opportunity for the League to regain control and respect and sit Sean Taylor for action on and off the field.

The Boston Celtics were a mess, and Bill Simmons does a great job of explaining how Danny Ainge was able to dump four players who had to go. He doesn’t pull any punches when decribing Mark Blount:

Blount duped the Celtics into signing him to a 6-year, $40 million deal during the last three months of the 2004 season, when he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds and resembled a poor man’s Robert Parish. That summer, when they re-signed him, I wrote a column defending the decision (after all, it was market value for a starting center) while leaving the door open that he had hoodwinked the team with his contract push. Of course, my father was horrified and thought they made a terrible mistake, screaming, “It’s Mark Blount! He’s got bad hands! He’ll always have bad hands!”

As it turned out, that was the least of our worries. Blount simply checked out after the contract — indifferent on the court, indifferent off it, the kind of guy who watched the Jumbotron during timeouts and walked on the court for a noon practice at 11:59:59. This season he averaged an astonishing 4.2 rebounds a game — to put this in perspective, Nate Robinson averages more rebounds per minute. Throw in his contract (four excruciating years after this one), youngster Kendrick Perkins (who needs to play) and the immortal Doc Rivers (who kept throwing Blount in there even after his bosses agreed, “Hey, Perkins needs to play!”), and getting Blount off the team was Danny Ainge’s number-one goal before the deadline. Mission accomplished. Minnesota should be perfect for Blount — it’s cold and depressing, and so is he.

He also delivers a perfect explaination of Ricky Davis’ game:

As for Ricky Davis (the key for Minnesota), he matured over the last three seasons from “selfish me-first gunner who partied like a madman off the court” to “team-oriented guy who worked his butt off and wanted to get better.” But there’s a ceiling with him — some habits just can’t be broken, especially for guys who came into the league when they were 19 and bounced around for the next few years. For instance, he’s an atrocious defensive player. Just atrocious. He TRIES hard, and he’ll get to a couple loose balls every game, and he rebounds and stuff, and maybe he’ll pick off an occasional cross-court pass … but if there’s anyone in the league who could have used a few more trips to basketball camp as a kid, it’s Ricky. You know the whole concept of “move your feet, keep your body in front of your guy and the basket?” Totally foreign to Ricky. He’ll help you out on defense, but he’s always a second late. You can pick-and-roll him to death because he’ll invariably make the wrong choice. If you’re a good shooter, he’ll forget this five-six times per game and give you a wide-open shot. And so on and so on. Again, because he’s trying hard, it seems like he’s a good defender. He’s not.

Offensively? He’s explosive in the open floor (it’s a shame that he spent his whole career playing without a real point guard) and someone who can wake up a dead crowd in three seconds. In a halfcourt offense, if you’re running him off screens, nobody’s better at curling around to the top of the key and making open 18-footers. Against poor defenders, he can beat them off the dribble and create his own shot. But that’s about it. If you’re not specifically running plays for him, he stands around and watches everyone else. Any good defensive team could shut him down — just look at what happened in the Indiana series, or some of the Detroit games this season.

Then he gives us this hilarious line:

With Blount’s contract off the books, and Olowokandi’s contract done after the season, the Celtics will be under the cap this summer. Now Danny can sign another white guy to go with Wally, Raef, Scalabrine and Dan Dickau for an official Whitewash. Bring back the tight shorts from the ’80s, Danny! Let’s take this thing all the way!

I can laugh and also learn something every time I read one of Simmons’ columns. That’s pretty rare, and that’s why he’s one of the best.

We have to wait another week for the last meaningful football game of the year. Unfortunately, the slate of college basketball games is a little weak, with just one Top 25 matchup, Texas @ Oklahoma. The NBA tries to compensate with an ABC doubleheader and an ESPN game (featuring the Lakers / Pistons) on Sunday.

All times ET.

College Hoops
Sat, 1:oopm : Arizona @ (25) North Carolina - CBS (HD)
Sat, 2:35pm: (21) Wisconsin @ Michigan - ESPN Full Court
Sat, 7:00pm: Virginia @ (2) Duke - ESPN (HD)
Sat, 9:00pm: (5) Texas @ (22) Oklahoma - ESPN2 (HD)
Sun, 1:00pm: (11) Indiana @ Minnesota - CBS
Sun, 1:30pm: (14) N.C. State @ Clemson - ESPN Full Court

NBA
Fri, 7:00pm: Cleveland @ Indiana - ESPN (HD)
Fri, 8:00pm: Memphis @ Detroit - local
Fri, 9:30pm: LA Clippers @ Denver - ESPN
Sat, 10:30pm: Denver @ LA Clippers - local
Sun, 1:00pm: Phoenix @ Cleveland - ABC
Sun, 3:30pm: Miami @ Houston - ABC (HD)
Sun, 6:30pm: LA Lakers @ Detroit - ESPN (HD)

The Boston Celtics were involved in a seven player trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but after weeks of speculation that Boston’s top man was on his way out of town, Paul Pierce is still a Celtic.

The Celtics have reached agreement tonight on a trade that sends Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two future second-round draft picks to Minnesota for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and rookie Dwayne Jones.

I don’t know much about Banks, Reed or Jones, so at first glance this trade seems to be a great deal for the Timberwolves. Sure Ricky Davis once took a shot at his own basket so that he could get a rebound to complete a triple-double (which doesn’t count, by the way), but the guy is having a career year averaging 19.7 ppg, 5.3 apg and 4.5 rpg. Most importantly, his shooting percentage is a solid .464 and the guy can defend shooting guards and small forwards, something Wally has never been able to do. Mark Blount is a better player than the Kandi Man, even if the guy doesn’t board much. But who needs a center who can board when your PF averages 11.3 rebounds a game?

Suddenly the Timberwolves - who are 19-21 and a half game out of the 8th spot in the West - can start a lineup of Jaric, Davis, Hassell, Garnett and Blount. They’ve got a perimeter that can defend and two great scorers in Garnett and Davis. If Blount can provide that inside scoring punch that the Kandi Man couldn’t, this team might be dangerous.

After a hectic 24 hours for both players, the Ron Artest for Peja Stojakovic deal is complete. Artest met with the Indiana brass earlier today and after speaking with the owners of the Kings, he approved the trade.

This looks to be a good deal for both teams. Artest gives the Kings something they’ve lacked in recent years - toughness. The guy is a ticking time bomb, but when he plays, he’s top 10 in the league. Stojakovic is still considered one of the best shooters in the league although his shooting percentage this season (.403) is well off his career average (.461). His three point percentage is still solid (.397) so he’ll give Indiana a potent threat from beyond the arc.

I think everyone around the league is breathing a sigh of relief. I’m sure no one likes to answer countless questions about countless trade rumors.

This is an unusual position for the Steelers. After being road underdogs in their last two playoff games, Pittsburgh opened as a 3-point favorite Sunday as the Seahawks were dismantling the Carolina Panthers in the late game. The line quickly moved to 3.5 and then to 4, with a majority of the early money being placed on the Steelers.

Often times a Super Bowl number moves within the first 24 hours and then stays put until the final two days. That could be the case again this year. If there is movement, most likely it would be Pittsburgh being bet up. And why not? If it weren’t for a Jerome Bettis fumble near the goal line against Indy, the Steelers could have won all three of their playoff road games by double-digits against the Bengals, Colts and Broncos. Talk about awe inspiring.

So if you want to bet the Steelers, now is the time. If you think Seattle will beat the spread, then you may want to wait until gameday, when the line may move in Seattle’s favor in response to a lot of money being bet on Pittsburgh.

Knicks GM Isiah Thomas has been accused of sexual harrassment by one of the team’s former front office employees.

Anucha Browne Sanders claims Thomas made unwanted sexual advances toward her and refused to stop, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Thomas and Madison Square Garden are listed as the defendants in the lawsuit, which charges them with sex discrimination and retaliation.

According to the lawsuit, the 43-year-old Browne Sanders sought assistance from her supervisor, Steve Mills, the president of Madison Square Garden Sports, but said Mills didn’t do anything about the situation.

After the news broke, Thomas received some support from his team’s point guard.

“I know Isiah and I know he’s an honorable man,” Stephon Marbury said. “I know that he’s a guy filled with a lot of character, so I think everyone here is on his side.”

Thanks to Stephon for clearing that up.

A trade involving Ron Artest and Peja Stojakovic was apparently in the works, but Artest doesn’t want to play for the Kings, so the deal is now off.

The Artest saga has gone on since the disgruntled small forward requested a trade in early December. It has pretty much brought the league to a standstill as far as trading is concerned. Artest wants to play in his hometown for the Knicks, but there doesn’t appear to be much chance of that happening at the moment.

The Pacers need to sh*t or get off the pot.

ESPN’s Marc Stein thinks so. In his column “Sorry Wilt: You’re no Kobe,” Stein says Bryant’s 81-point barrage against the Raptors Sunday night was more impressive than any other individual performance in NBA history, including Chamberlain’s 100-point effort nearly 45 years ago:

The folks who did see the 100-pointer and the game’s historians would be forced to tell you that the entire fourth quarter was a back-and-forth scramble between one team trying desperately to get Wilt the record and another trying to keep him from getting it. Wilt himself is quoted on the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Web site as calling that fourth quarter “a farce.”

In the forthcoming flood of Kobe replays, you’ll see that there’s nothing farcical about Bryant hauling the Lakers back from a 71-53 deficit. You’ll see a Raps team that kept the game sufficiently close in the final quarter to keep Kobe out there shooting, and nary an intentional foul by the Lakers to get the ball back (as Wilt needed).

That alone adds more legitimacy to Kobe’s performance. Wilt’s 100 points seem hollow after reading that, a number for the sake of being a number. Kobe’s 81, on the other hand, was legit, coming in a game where Bryant needed to score to win.

Stein goes even further, though, and this may be the most compelling part of his argument:

Don’t forget, furthermore, that no less an authority than Michael Jordan has been known to say that a perimeter player has it way harder when it comes to making a legitimate run at Wilt’s record, taking an array of longer and/or tougher shots. Factor in the ball-handling responsibilities and the energy required to play defense all over the floor and you can understand MJ’s theory. This might also help back it up: Jordan himself topped out at 69 points as his one-night best and needed overtime to get there.

When I first saw the article listed on the ESPN homepage saying that Kobe’s performance topped Wilt’s, I laughed. I’m not laughing anymore. Chamberlain’s 100-point effort is amazing, no doubt, but it’s not as authentic or as significant as Bryant’s 81, representing something a kid would try to pull off in a video game more than anything else. With that in mind, I’d say there’s no question we just saw the best single performance in NBA history.

ESPN took this argument one step further today, though, comparing the 81 to some of sports history’s greatest achievements: Gayle Sayers’ 6 TDs (in 14 touches), Jamal Lewis’ 295 rushing yards, 20 Ks by Roger Clemens (twice), Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson, and Mark Whitten’s 4 home runs and 12 RBI, among others. Personally, I’ve always found it difficult to compare individual accomplishments across sports: different circumstances, different games, different rules. Still, it’s an interesting comparison.

ESPN has several promising college basketball games this week. #2 Duke, coming off their first loss (to Georgetown) visits Virginia Tech - it took a desperation 35-footer by Sean Dockery to give the Blue Devils the win when the Hokies visited Durham earlier this year.

College Hoops
Mon, 7:00 pm: (24) Syracuse @ (10) Pittsburgh - ESPN (HD)
Mon, 9:00 pm: Oklahoma St. @ (5) Texas - ESPN (HD)
Tues, 9:05 pm: (11) Indiana @ Iowa - ESPN (HD)
Wed, 9:00 pm: (18) Boston College @ (25) North Carolina - ESPN Full Court
Thurs, 7:00 pm: (2) Duke @ Virginia Tech - ESPN (HD)

NBA
Tues, 7:30 pm: Memphis (24-15) @ Miami (24-17) - local
Wed, 9:00 pm: Memphis @ Minnesota (19-19) - ESPN
Wed, 10:30 pm: New Jersey (22-16) @ LA Clippers (21-16) - local
Thurs, 8:00 pm: Phoenix (26-14) @ Miami - TNT (HD)
Thurs, 10:30 pm: Dallas (31-10) @ Seattle (16-24) - TNT (HD)

A month after scoring 62 points on the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant is at it again. Last night, he blew up for 81 points in a 122-104 win against the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center. His performance was second only to Wilt Chamberlin’s 100-point performance in 1962.

Astoundingly, the Raptors had two more assists than the Lakers (20-18) which means that Kobe was doing most of his work off the dribble. Bryant shot 28-46 (.609) from the field, including 7-13 from long range. He also hit 18 of his 20 free throw attempts. In short, he was simply unstoppable.

More importantly (maybe?), the Lakers won the game.

So we’ve got two weeks to talk about this game. Might as well start now. Actually, I think ESPN may have even kicked off its Super Bowl coverage Saturday night.

I’ve been picking against the Steelers throughout the entire playoffs (click to see our complete Bullz-Eye staff predictions), and now it’s obvious that my loyalty to the Browns has blinded my judgment the last three weeks. Either that, or it’s all rotten luck, in which case I’ll now call a Steelers win in February and hope that the rotten luck continues.

One thing I do know: the Seahawks are my second-favorite team in football right now. Even though I think they’re going to lose, of course (wink-wink).

So who are you picking?

The Seattle Seahawks managed to contain Steve Smith defensively and moved the ball offensively, resulting in a 34-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. Smith, the NFL’s leading receiver, only caught five passes for 33 yards despite numerous attempts to get him the ball. He did manage to score on a punt return in the first half, but was otherwise a non-factor.

Matt Hasselbeck continued his strong play, completing 20 of 28 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Shaun Alexander shrugged off last week’s concussion to rush for 132 yards and two scores. All in all, it was a brilliant offensive and defensive effort for the Seahawks, who will be appearing in their first Super Bowl two weeks from today.

Pittsburgh is the early linesmakers’ favorite, and it will be interesting to see if the Steelers let the pressure get to them. Both teams are playing loose and the squad that can continue to do so will have the advantage in Detroit. The key will be Pittsburgh’s blitz packages - Seattle has one of the best offensive lines in football and if they are able to give Hasselbeck time, the Seahawks will have a good chance of winning. Both teams are formidable, balanced squads so it should be a good game.

The best team in the AFC is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t think anyone can argue that point after the Steelers’ performance the last three weeks - @ CIN, @ IND, @ DEN. Today they picked apart the Denver Broncos en route to a 34-17 victory at Invesco Field. Bizarro Will Ferrell was dominant yet again, throwing for 275 yards and two scores. The Steelers only rushed for 90 yards, but they were able to move the ball pretty much at will against a suspect Denver pass defense. The key stat is Pittsburgh’s performance on third down. The Steelers went 10-16 (.625) and seemed to always get just enough yardage to move the chains.

Denver QB Jake Plummer looked like Arizona QB Jake Plummer in the second half, throwing the ball all over the field in an attempt to bring the Broncos back from a 24-3 halftime deficit. After a 30-yard strike to Ashley Lelie cut the lead to 14, Pittsburgh drove down for a Jeff Reed field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Charlie Adams returned the ball 47 yards to put the Broncos in good field position. But a costly interception by Plummer pretty much ended Denver’s season.

Pittsburgh goes on to face the NFC representative at Ford Field (in Detroit) in two weeks. Much will be made of the play of Bizarro Will Ferrell and of Jerome Bettis’ return to his hometown Detroit for the final game of his career. But the Steelers are playing in the Super Bowl because they are the best team in the AFC, pure and simple. However, no matter whom they face, I think they’ll enter the game as the favorite, and that might finally put the pressure back on Pittsburgh.

A lot of people are wondering why the Orioles were so eager to get Kris Benson from the Mets. (Incidentally, even more may be wondering why the Mets were so eager to get failed closer Jorge Julio in return.) Benson’s not bad, but when he was selected first overall by the Pirates in 1996, it’s safe to assume they expected more than ‘not bad.’

Well, for those who haven’t noticed, the Orioles have a new pitching coach, a guy named Leo Mazzone. And if someobody can flip a switch with Benson and turn all that talent into consistent results, it’s Mazzone:

[Benson] throws in the low 90’s and works with both a slider and a curveball, an arsenal tailor-made for new pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

Give the Orioles credit: They’ve rejected every offer for potential stud SP Erik Bedard this winter and now they’ve added a dependable veteran to the front of the rotation. It’s up to Mazzone now. Don’t be surprised if Benson wins 17 games with a 3.40 ERA this year. Don’t be surprised if Bedard shows everyone why Baltimore refused to trade him. Don’t be surprised if Bruce Chen, who worked under Mazzone in Atlanta, and Rodrigo Lopez deliver career years.

With Mazzone guiding that pitching staff, the Orioles suddenly look like a sneaky dangerous team. B-12 Palmeiro is gone, Ramon Hernandez and Kevin Millar have been added, and Miguel Tejada is still around. And don’t underestimate the Corey Patterson addition. Despite the results with the Cubs, Patterson’s got a ton of talent and he’s still just 26. Hopefully Sam Perlozzo doesn’t make the same mistake Dusty Baker made and bat Patterson leadoff or second. Keep the pressure off by batting him sixth or seventh and see what happens.

But it all starts with the pitching. Kris Benson isn’t a superstar and this trade’s not going to profoundly affect the race in the AL East, but it’ll probably have more of an effect than most people think.