Minnesota men’s hoops teams show a pulse: Mark Blount had 28, KG had 27 and the Wolves got a key rebound late by Trenton Hassell to defeat the Spurs in OT and even their record at 15-15; the Gophers men, meanwhile, defeated Purdue in their Big Ten home opener. It is possible to love basketball here again, even if for just one night.

Notre Dame exposed … again: We’re not about to pound the Irish for the wrong reasons (i.e. petty, personal ones) because there are plenty of chances to rip them for the right reasons. The Irish’s best win this year is, what, Penn State? A squeaker over UCLA? They played Michigan, USC and LSU and lost by a combined 73 points. The Sugar Bowl loss to LSU was a clear mismatch, and they’ve now lost nine consecutive bowl games. Over-rated (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap).

La Velle E. Neal III has a soccer problem: Our Twins beat writer absolutely loves soccer, and e-mailed this story about D.C. United getting close to signing Ruy, a Brazilian, to RandBall at an hour we’re not at liberty to discuss. Go to bed, La Velle. Who knows what blockbuster move the Twins have in store today.

The Orange Bowl was doomed from the start: Louisville defeated Wake Forest 24-13, but most of the free world was probably still talking about and replaying the Boise State/Oklahoma game, which is one of the best games of this generation. There was no way the Orange Bowl was going to top it. It’s like batting after a grand slam. Or singing karaoke after RandBall.

The Answer tossed: Allen Iverson was ejected; his old team, the 76ers, defeated his new team, the Nuggets; and Denver is now 2-4 since the big trade. We’ll reserve judgment until Carmelo Anthony is back, but so far, not so good for A.I. in Denver.

Hey, great news for Lions fans: Matt Millen said this on Tuesday: “I’ll never quit.” One might think that having a 24-72 record during his tenure might take the job decision out of Millen’s hands, but indications are otherwise.

No more grumbling about Boise State: The undefeated Broncos sent the Fiesta Bowl into overtime by running the hook-and-ladder, then won on a two-point conversion using the Statue of Liberty play. What, no center sneak? No fumblerooski?  

KG’s with leather: In his first game with the new old leather ball, the Wolves forward had a season-high 32 points as the Wolves rallied from 20 points down to defeat the Bobcats. “Hallelujah for the [leather] ball,” KG said.

UFO in Chicago: United Airlines employees think they spotted a “saucer-shaped craft” in the fall. Officials are blaming a strange weather phenomenon. Several Bears fans are pretty sure it was a wayward Rex Grossman pass. Â

A few days ago, while suffering from pre-traumatic stress disorder (not to be confused with post-traumatic stress disorder), we somehow missed the fact that Gilbert Arenas is no longer saying “Hibachi!” when he shoots the ball. You know, hibachi, like the hot little grill. As in, he’s on fire. Anyway, we love Gil and his crazy Wizard ways, but his replacement catch phrase is a little lacking: “Quality shots.” Maybe he’s playing the subtle card?

Thanks to SuperRookie, too, for reminding us all that Agent Zero has his own blog. How can you not love Gil?

Randy Foye is good at basketball: The rookie scored 25 points, nine in the fourth quarter, to help the Wolves avoid another collapse and defeat the Bulls 100-98. Foye’s floater with 1.8 seconds left was the difference. OK, it’s past time. It’s ridiculously past time. Please find this kid at least 30 minutes per game. We would prefer 35, but we can live with 30. He’s clearly ready, and now that the Iverson deal has fallen through, it’s the Wolves’ best hope for awakening the slumbering fans.

Wild loses on the road: Now’s the time we really wish we had one of those autotype programs. It would save us some energy every time the Wild plays a road game. This time, it was a (insert score here) loss to (insert team here). But hey, coach Jacques Lemaire was upbeat after the 4-3 loss to Toronto, saying, “I thought we played just a terrible game.”

Jason Kidd looking to lighten his wallet: “We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us,” the Nets guard said after the Pistons’ 92-91 victory. Yes, and Drew Pearson most definitely pushed off. Now let’s try to move on.