I'm Thinking of ...

It's time for my random thoughts again:

- While I admit that I am not a fan for either the New England Patriots or their head coach Bill Belichick, I am not buying the claim that they are piling up the score against their opponents, in particular the Washington Redskins last week when they were way in front in the final minutes. The Patriots went for it on fourth-and-one late in the game because they DIDN'T want to add another three points (via a field goal), and that they were expecting to be stopped and thus turn the ball over to the Redskins. Instead, the Redskins capitulated again and let in seven more points. If there is anyone to blame, it should be the Redskins' defensive unit.

- When will the saga of Kobe Bryant come to an end? Throughout the summer we have heard lots of rumours about Kobe being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers, while reversal of stance of both sides simply added fuel to the fire. But trading Kobe won't be easy. It's been reported that he would welcome a trade to the Chicago Bulls and to play with budding star Luol Deng, but the Lakers won't entertain any trade offer by the Bulls without Deng as one of the players to be sent in return. So my money is Kobe, despite his frosty relationship with the team management, will have no choice but to remain with the team throughout the season.

- Unlike Formula One, MotoGP allows riders to carry their own numbers. So while Formula One cars will carry numbers between 1 and 25 (without the unlucky 13) next season which is oh-so-boring, MotoGP riders can carry whatever two-digit number they want. That is why Valentino Rossi always has 46 as his racing number, and he loves the number (which was the racing number of his dad, Graziano Rossi) so much that didn't carry the number 1 reserved for the reigning World Champion. Now why doesn't Formula One do the same?

- Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is definitely a freak. On a team with a below-average quarterback and no other offensive threats, he managed to break the single-game rushing record by running for 296 yards on 30 carries against the San Diego Chargers, a team known for its staunch defense last season. It was only Peterson's eighth career NFL game and if they can sort out the quarterback position via the draft next year, the Vikings will definitely a strong team for years to come.