JUST 7 SPORTS: Andre's Drugs and Eastwood's Thugs

HEADLINER

Crystal meth, fake hair, and a crazy dad: Andre Agassi's autobiography "Open" promises to be an intriguing read. The retired tennis star, who to date had not been accused of any drug use, decided to tell all in his new book, including how he convinced the ATP that his positive test result for methamphetamines was caused by a spiked drink. Now that defamed NBA referee Tim Donaghy's book has been taken off the presses, Agassi's memoirs will be the most insightful sports bio of the year. Among the not so amused are Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal, who have announced confusion and displeasure at the sudden revelations. Agassi's words as an adult may actually prove to be more shocking than his fashion sense as a teenager.


DELICIOUS DIGIT

Six. That's the number of weeks until the release of Invictus, Clint Eastwood's movie about Nelson Mandela during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in his home country. Morgan Freeman, taking a break from playing God, plays Mandela, while Matt Damon fills the role of the South African team captain. More importantly, rugby has finally found a way to get Americans to watch - put it in a movie and throw in some Hollywood stars for good measure. Now that's entertainment.


THE 7

1. After all the talk about the potent New York and Philadelphia offenses and super-sluggers Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard, the World Series has turned out to be a pitchers' duel. The Phillies' Cliff Lee threw a complete game to start things off, handing his team the 1-0 lead, before AJ Burnett earned his first career postseason win to tie the Series at a game apiece. Game 3 promises to be a doozy as well, with Andy Pettitte and Cole Hamels taking the mound in a momentum-deciding contest. Meanwhile, Howard and A-Rod have combined to go 2-for-17 with 12 strikeouts between them. Where's Albert Pujols when you need him?

2. The NBA is back in session, with a slate of four games kicking off the season on Tuesday. What have we learned so far? The Cavs are not invincible this year, starting the year 0-2 - including a loss on their home court, something that rarely occurred in 2008-09. But the Celtics are as scary as ever with Kevin Garnett back from injury and Rasheed Wallace on the roster. And perhaps less obviously, the Spurs are a force to reckon with again, as Richard Jefferson gives them that extra boost that players like Michael Finley just can't. The sleeper pick of the season thus far? The Chicago Bulls, with Derrick Rose looking like he's ready to take over.

3. The Red Wings just can't catch a break, as yet another player went down to injury this week. Valtteri Filppula broke his right wrist and could be out for up to two months - certainly not the kind of news Detroit is hoping for after a 4-4-3 start. Over in Chicago, though, the Blackhawks are doing their best to take advantage of their rivals' injuries, with a division-leading 15 points thus far.

4. Six losses and insistence from the owner, apparently, is what it takes to get Kerry Collins benched. The winless Titans will hand the reins to QB Vince Young on Sunday against the Jaguars, with coach Jeff Fisher surely starting to feel the pressure from management and fans alike. After a stellar finish to his college career, Young has been mediocre in the NFL, posting a 67.8 passer rating to go along with 22 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. Jacksonville may not be toughest of opponents, but Young is still going to have step it up to prevent Tennessee from tumbling to 0-4 in AFC South play.

5. It's another big weekend in college football, with high-stakes showdowns taking place in Eugene and Stillwater. In Oregon, the Pac 10-leading Ducks will try and fend off the Trojans to stay on pace for their first conference title since 2001. USC will seek a victory to get itself back in the Pac 10 title race and to position itself as the best one-loss candidate for the national championship game. Over in Oklahoma, undefeated Texas will take on the Cowboys in what will likely be the its biggest test in the run-up to the Big 12 title game. With Florida and Alabama ahead of the Longhorns in the BCS standings, coach Mack Brown and his players have plenty to prove.

6. Is Larry Johnson the newest team cancer? The Kansas City running back denounced his coach on Twitter, using a gay slur and leading the Chiefs' front office to start thinking about how to get rid of him. Johnson, who was involved in off-the-field mishaps last year as well, hasn't been producing this season, averaging just 2.7 yards a carry in 7 games.

7. All is not well at the NHLPA. After executive director Paul Kelly was fired in August, interim ED Ian Kelly has resigned today, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside. Player representative Chris Chelios is said to have been one of many struggling against Penny's leadership, and it's not clear yet how this will affect the ongoing search for a permanent replacement.


HORIZON

Timing is everything. Talks are underway to preempt a Philadelphia transit strike, and what a weekend for a strike it would be. In addition to Games 3 and 4 of the World Series on Saturday and Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes are in town on Saturday before the New York Giants come to Lincoln Financial Field to face the Eagles. So if you were planning on attending any of those games, trade in that bus pass for a car rental and get ready for some serious traffic.


THE Q

MLB umpires have come under fire for a series of missed calls throughout the 2009 postseason, leading many to clamor for broader use of instant replay. Do you support having "challenge" flags in baseball? Leave your comments below.


Tune in next week for your Just 7 Sports briefing.