To know list: 7 boos for the lame pollsters who stole Cal's rosy dreams

[1] MANNING VS. MARINO

Forty-four scores and 20 years ago

Dan Marino would retreat, bounce on the balls of his feet and unleash a laser show with his quick release. Peyton Manning is the passing master. Always in control and better prepared than Ken Jennings, Manning systematically destroys defenses with audibles and accuracy.

Manning is about to hit another target--does he ever miss?--and this one's the biggie: Marino's season record of 48 touchdown passes. When Marino set the record in 1984, he torched it (George Blanda and Y.A. Tittle had shared the record of 36)--and Manning is about to do the same. With 44 TDs through 12 games, Manning has a shot at 60. If he reaches that neighborhood, it could be an untouchable--at least until the NFL changes the rules again to help offenses.--Carl Moritz

Manning's receiving line:

Marvin Harrison (12 TDs), Reggie Wayne (10), Brandon Stokley (9), Marcus Pollard (6), Dallas Clark (5), James Mungro (2).

Marino's receiving line:

Mark Clayton (18 TDs), Mark Duper (7), Nat Moore (6), Bruce Hardy (5), Dan Johnson (3), Jimmy Cefalo (2), Jim Jensen (2), Tony: Nathan (2), Joe Rose (2) Woody Bennett (1).

Seasons to remember: 2004 vs. 1984

       MANNING         MARINO

Week             TDs               TDs

  1    Patriots   2    Redskins     5
  2    Titans     2    Patriots     2
  3    Packers    5    Bills        3
  4    Jaguars    2    Colts        2
  5    Raiders    3    Cardinals    3
  6    Jaguars    3    Steelers     2
  7    Chiefs     5    Oilers       3
  8    Vikings    4    Patriots     4
  9    Texans     5    Bills        3
 10    Bears      4    Jets         2
 11    Lions      6    Eagles       1
 12    Titans     3    Chargers     2
 13                    Jets         4
 14                    Raiders      4
 15                    Colts        4
 16                    Cowboys      4

[2] THE CHARGERS' QUANDARY

Brees or Rivers in 2005?

Does it make financial sense for the Chargers to keep quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers on the roster next year? It would be a real luxury, like steak and lobster.

Because Brees would have to be designated a franchise player at a price of about $9 million. the salary cap hit for both players would be approximately $12 million, and the 2005 cash cost would be about $19 million.

Trading Rivers wouldn't be easy to swallow; the Chargers will have invested nearly $9 million in him by the end of the season. A trade likely would force the Chargers to take a 2005 salary cap hit of $6.375 million on Rivers.

Making Brees the franchise player and trading him is the most logical option, but even that is not simple. Brees would have to approve any deal because he would likely have to sign a long-term contract in order to be dealt. So the Chargers would be at the mercy of the player and their trading partner. What's more, Brees would be taking up a lot of cap space until he was traded, which could limit the Chargers in signing free agents.--Don Pompei

[3] WHAT'S COOKING?

Baseball's afire

Jason Giambi will be pushed to the back burner when the hot stove season heats up at the winter meetings in Anaheim this weekend. Three names likely to sizzle:

Arte Moreno. Move over, George Steinbrenner. The Angels owner seems to have a wallet--and a desire to win--as large as the Boss'. Moreno has made it known he will not lose out in the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes, and he has plenty to land Randy Johnson, too.

Carl Pavano. With his cross-country tour of the A.L. expected to be over by Friday, let the bidding get serious. No fewer than 11 clubs could make a serious offer to the righthanded starter, and a club willing to spend--the Tigers, perhaps--could keep him away from the Yankees or Red Sox.

Scott Boras. As the agent for Beltran, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew, Magglio Ordonez and Derek Lowe, to name just a few, Boras holds the key ingredients to determining whether the weekend is a feast or a famine for hot stove fans.--Stan McNeal

[4] HOCKEY, SCHMOCKEY

An offer worth refusing

Exclusive! What won't be in the NHLPA's offer to the NHL when the two sides meet this week:

* A player who scores fewer goals than in the season before has to give back a percentage of his salary.

* Injured players have to sell peanuts in the stands during games.

* Every team that signs three players at $1 million or more each gets a fourth player free.

* Players who make less than the league average have to drive the Zamboni during intermission.

* Penalties are converted to an honor system, as in golf, allowing the NHL to save money by firing all the referees and linesmen.

* The top scorer from each game gets a guest appearance on Days of Our Lives.

* Two words: mullet makeovers.--Paul Grant

[5] YOU HEARD IT HERE

'Could Notre Dame go back to Gary Barnett? If I was Notre Dame, I'd swallow hard. The guy can coach.'

--College football analyst Gary Danielson on Sporting News Radio with host Chet Coppock

[6] NBA DISAPPOINTMENTS

Studs? More like duds