Organizers announce an NBA outdoors preseason game. AP

Reggie Miller is miserable because his Angels lost last night. So Dan distracted him with several other topics. Here's some of what Dan and Reggie hit on today.

1. Reggie, Marv Albert and Charles Barkley are calling the Nuggets-Suns outdoor preseason game on Saturday. Dan and Reggie wondered if Charles would be able to handle the heat. I love the Suns photo to the right. Not just for the cheerleader. Look how serious the Gorilla is.

2. Dan and Reggie talked about playing outdoors at Venice Beach. After Reggie become a pro, he couldn't really go there, because guys go for it there and would cause problems.

3. Reggie thinks Manny Ramirez won't take a ring from the Red Sox, but he'll definitely take his playoff share.

4. Reggie defended Reggie Bush to a certain extent. Based on last night, Bush is clearly capable of being a real weapon in the NFL.

5. Reggie is very upset about several things that happened in the Angels-Red Sox series. The blown suicide squeeze, lack of production from most of the lineup and the decision to start John Lackey in Game 1.

Terry Francona's Red Sox take on the Rays in the ALCS. AP

Red Sox manager Terry Francona says he thinks the umpire made the right call on the Jason Varitek tag in the win over the Angels last night. But he doesn't blame Mike Scioscia for going out and arguing. As a manager, you have to go for every call you think you can possible affect.

Francona also had interesting things to say about the Rays, who swept the Red Sox twice in Tampa. He said he's seen this kind of successful team coming. In the past, the Sox had taken advantage of flaws like a weak bullpen. But the Rays don't have those holes any more. This transformation happened quickly -- faster than even the Rays might have expected.

Dan asked Francona if Manny would get a ring if the Red Sox win the World Series. Francona said yes, he thinks anyone who played an inning for the Sox gets a ring.

Dan thinks Francona is very underrated as a manager. The current Red Sox is more in the mold of the late 1990s Yankee teams. Solid. Not huge stars, but all-around good players who play hard.

Clinton Portis' Redskins are 4-1. AP

Washington running back Clinton Portis did his best Lou Holtz impersonation with Dan. He wants the 4-1 Redskins to stay under the radar and has nothing but nice things to say about his opponents. Portis says his team has been underappreciated since he got there and he likes that.

Portis even said Washington's Jason Campbell is the fourth-best quarterback in the NFC East behind Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb.

I believed everything Portis said, until he started talking about how dangerous the Rams were. Portis is a veteran and went out of his way to avoid bulletin board material. But praising the Rams? C'mon.

Paulie pointed out Portis is about the same size as Reggie Bush, but Portis is a great example of a small back who can run between the tackles. Who would you rather have?

Manny Ramirez' Dodgers face the Phillies in the NLCS. AP

Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy says that a lot of people in Boston are still thinking about Manny Ramirez. Shaughnessy maintains that the way Manny left town was despicable. He says Manny quit on his team. And it's worse that Manny is trying so hard in Los Angeles. Shaughnessy says fans are very angry at Ramirez.

Shaughnessy says that the Red Sox were enablers with Manny. They were too loose with him for a long time and they paid the price.

After all that, Shaughnessy said Manny is more likeable than Curt Schilling in the Red Sox locker room. He says Schilling has never had a friend in any locker room.

Can you imagine if the Dodgers face the Red Sox in the World Series? Wow. That could be one of the most captivating matchups in MLB postseason history.

Reggie Bush had two punt return TDs on Monday night. AP

Dan thinks that part of the problem for Reggie Bush is the huge expectations everyone had after he graduated USC. He was the No. 2 overall pick, Heisman Trophy winner and an endorsement machine.

But is he a bust? He had two punt return touchdowns against the Vikings on Monday night in a losing effort. But he can't run between the tackles. He always tries to bounce outside.

The other complicating factor is how much Bush makes. Is he just a $50 million punt returner? Or do his gaudy receiving stats justify his salary? Through five games, Bush has 38 catches for 321 yards. That means he's on pace for over 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. Not too bad. If he had been a second-round pick he'd be a success.

Arizona's Kurt Warner reportedly was close to retiring. AP

According to a story on Yahoo Sports, Kurt Warner wanted to retire after the Cardinals' loss to the Jets two weeks ago. He played poorly, got hit on an already injured finger and was scared by seeing Anquan Boldin laid out on the field with a concussion.

“Something scary like that just makes you contemplate what's really important and puts football in perspective,” Warner told Yahoo's Mike Silver. "It's things like that make you say, 'This game isn't everything, and I'm not sure if I can do this anymore.' Because the bottom line is that all I really want is to be able to go home to my wife and kids.”

Warner ultimately decided to stay in the game and he's having a good season. But it shows how scary the NFL can be, especially for quarterbacks. Dan points out they haven't been able to come up with a helmet that protects players from head injuries.

Did Jason Varitek hold on to the ball last night? AP

SI.com's Tom Verducci said that he thinks Reggie Willits was out on a controversial call last night in the Red Sox' dramatic win over the Angels on Monday night. Verducci claims Varitek made the out and then dropped the ball when he hit the ground. But it's a moot point, because the Angels' Erick Aybar should have made contact on his suicide squeeze bunt attempt.

Dan asked Tom to pick the upcoming series. At first, Tom wouldn't answer, but in the end he'll go Red Sox-Phillies. He says the Red Sox just don't give up. But he says the Rays like low-scoring games and could surprise people.

Verducci also said the Dodgers are playing very well and might be hard to slow down. He wrote SI's cover story on Manny Ramirez this week. Verducci said that Manny is running to first as fast as he has since he was in Cleveland. And Manny absolutely loves facing National League pitching.

Verducci thinks Boston fans will treat Manny very rudely if the Red Sox and Dodgers reach the World Series. But they love him in LA. Verducci says the Dodgers would love to re-sign him. Manny's been a great influence on the team. The young players have picked up Manny's "what-me-worry" attitude.

Verducci says Manny will want a four-year deal and $100 million. Tom thinks that he likely won't get that much money, but he'll get close. Verducci said the Blue Jays could be the perfect fit. 

Jason Bay scores the winning run for the Red Sox. AP

Did anyone out there predict at Dodgers-Phillies-Red Sox-Rays Final Four in baseball? Who do you like?

Dan will break down the Red Sox' dramatic victory over the Angels. Boston manager Terry Francona is set to join the show later. Should be a very interesting segment.

Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy joins the show to break down Boston's win and offer his opinion on a possible Manny-BoSox reunion.

SI's Tom Verducci joins the show to look at the upcoming series and give the latest updates on the bubbling free-agent market.

Redskins star running back Clinton Portis stops by to talk about the Washington's surprising win over the Eagles.

And Reggie Miller stops by to talk about what happened to his Los Angeles Angels.

Dan will also hit several NFL topics. Was Kurt Warner serious about retiring? Should Plaxico Burress be more apologetic? How good was Reggie Bush last night?

Strap in, should be a fast-moving show today.

Fairfield Giants assistant coach Paul Pabst

Dan Patrick Show producer Paul Pabst takes a unique look at the best and worst from the weekend every Monday ...

THE BEST

1. Yale beating Holy Cross in double-OT -- I know this is not USC vs. Ohio State, but college football is great to see in person, any time. I live 15 minutes away from New Haven. Yale games are perfect: Quality football, getting in and out is a breeze, wooden benches, great tailgate. The tough thing at Yale is that there is no TV on the scoreboard for replays. The good thing, this forces you to WATCH THE GAME. If you miss a TD, that's it. It won't be on TV later. 

2. Liverpool's comeback against Manchester City -- If you don't like soccer, please move on to No. 3. Down 2-0, you usually don't see a comeback in football (soccer). English Premier League games are soccer's version of college football. It's a energetic atmosphere. The fans are lightly threatening, but mostly in a good mood.

3. The Fairfield Giants winning their final home game of the year -- I help coach a team of 7th- and 8th-grade kids. The best part, at the end of Sunday's game we had a big lead. We let some kids play other positions. Some of the kids have played offensive line for years and we let them carry the ball. Some played DB for years and we let them play the line. All the kids got into it and cheered when their friends got reps at other positions than their own.

THE WORST

1. Watching Texans QB Sage Rosenfels implode against the Colts -- I'd make fun of him, but it's just too painful. 

2. The Cubs no-showing for the playoffs -- I'm a Cubs fan and I'm prepared for a letdown like in 2003, like in 1984 ... but to not even have a pulse, that's weak.  

3. Waiting 25 minutes for my salami, prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sandwich at the A&S Italian Deli in Fairfield, Conn. -- If you ever in the area, man, it's good food ... stop in. Wait, did I just make the line even longer?