Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

1. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story (sorry, Insider access required) that makes the case that Nomar Garciaparra might be a more valuable player than Derek Jeter at this point -- yes, you read that right -- I'm not sure I buy it, considering that some of the logic is based on Nomar playing shortstop on a regular basis, and we all know every tendon in his body would simultaneously rip to shreds if he had to play more than 10 games in a row there at this point. But like I said, it was a fun and thought-provoking read, especially this part:

For those who think Garciaparra is no longer a shortstop, he actually played 31 games there last season. Based on Baseball Prospectus' fielding rate metric, he was three runs below average per 100 games. That's a small sample size, but for his career he is two runs above average per 100 games, so he was right in line with that. In case you were wondering, Jeter was 13 runs below average per 100 games in 2008, and six below for his career.

In other words: Nomar can barely play the position adequately -- but he's classic Ozzie Smith compared to Jeter! Or at least that's how I choose to read it.

2. Oh, and Jetes? You're no Manny, either. And while you're at it, Captain, take your glove and move to center so we can sign a real shortstop. Like Orlando Cabrera. Or Nomar. Or Luis Rivera. (Jeter-bashing: My sport of choice.)

3. Three things I want from tonight's Celtics-Lakers showdown: At least five 3-pointers from Eddie House; uncontrollable tears from Sasha Vujacic; and victory by the home team by a margin similar to that of Game 6. I don't think that's too much to ask, though if I had to settle for the latter only, I'd certainly be cool with that. Man, this Lakers team is easy to loathe, isn't it?

4. Still can't believe the Monty Beisel who played so well for the Cardinals in the Super Bowl is the same overpursuing stiff who looked so lost for the Patriots three years ago. In a related note, I'm pretty sure I saw Duane Starks, another member of the Pioli Class of '05, trying futilely to cover Santonio Holmes on the Steelers' last drive, though I'm not sure why it said "Francisco" across the back of his jersey.

5. Can't help but think that when it's all said and done, the Patriots will get one first-round pick plus another useful draft pick in exchange for Matt Cassel. While there has to be at least some concern that a portion of his success is due to having Wes Welker and Randy Moss on the receiving end of his passes, he is a considerably safer bet for a rebuilding team than some unproven Big Man On Campus such as Mark Sanchez or Matt Stafford. The Patriots will be happy with their haul in the end, and I bet the team that eventually gets Cassel will also be satisfied. He's the real thing.