Teixeira Talk & Football Picks

According to principal owner John Henry, the Red Sox will no longer be in pursuit of free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. If you believe that, you are also trying to decide what type of cookies to leave out for Santa on Wednesday night. Late yesterday, it seemed that the Red Sox were on the verge of signing Teixeira to a mega-contract (there were lots of anonymous "baseball sources" claiming it was worth $180-million over eight years). Henry flew to Dallas along with Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino to meet with Teixeira and his agent (the evil) Scott Boras. I found myself glued to the running sports news ticker on ESPN all night, waiting for the word that Teixeira would be calling Fenway Park home for the next decade or so. The this morning when I grabbed my Herald (which I had to get outside Dunkin Donuts), I read that Henry has decided that Teixeira's asking price is too rich for the Red Sox blood. This is Negotiating 101. Henry knows that Teixeira wants to play on the east coast, and that he wants to win. That rules out the Angels (but that could change), the Orioles, and the Nationals. That leaves the Red Sox and the Yankees as his top suitors. The Yanks always have to be watched with a close eye but when Teixeira was a young star with the Texas Rangers, he was supposedly one of a handful of players who despised then-Ranger Alex Rodriguez. I don't see a Teixeira/A-Rod reunion playing out in the Bronx. You'll see, the Sox will get Teixeira to lower his price, just a little bit, and he will be in Boston sometime next week. Teixeira will get his money, get to play on the east coast, and get the chance to win championships. The Sox will get a cornerstone for their franchise for the next decade and the big bat they need to win the World Series in 2009. Now, on to football... All picks are against the spread and home team is in capitals. NCAA I'll be back with my promised predictions next week. Too early to make calls on games that are at least a week away. NFL Indianapolis (-6) over JACKSONVILLE Baltimore (+4) over DALLAS Pittsburgh (-2) over TENNESSEE Arizona (+7.5) over PATRIOTS CLEVELAND (-2.5) over Cincinnati WASHINGTON (+5) over Philadelphia ST. LOUIS (+5.5) over San Francisco Atlanta (+3.5) over MINNESOTA New Orleans (-7) over DETROIT Carolina (+3) over NY GIANTS NY Jets (-4.5) over SEATTLE Houston (-7) over OAKLAND DENVER (-6.5) over Buffalo TAMPA BAY (-3.5) over San Diego CHICAGO (-4) over Green Bay Last Week: 7 - 8 - 1 Season: 115 - 101 - 8