Best bets on TV

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SUNDAY'S BEST BET ON TELEVISION

What else could it be? The Redskins are the new chic pick to reach the Super Bowl, and the Eagles stumbled without Brian Westbrook against the Bears. 1 p.m., Ch. 5

ON WASHINGTONTIMES.COM » AN EXCERPT FROM CHATTER

Proof once again that there are no guarantees in the postseason, that what you thought you knew wasn't true and that ultimately it always comes down to pitching. Some observations from someone who has watched nearly every minute of it on TV so far:

CC Sabathia isn't as great as you think he is. Yes, the large lefty put up incredible numbers with the Brewers following his midseason trade, but a closer look at those stats reveals they were a bit misleading. Did you know that Sabathia's dominance this season has come almost exclusively against bad teams, and that he's had virtually no success against good ones? Sabathia has won 13 games since the trade. Ten of them have come against sub-.500 teams (the Padres, Reds, Rockies, Giants, Braves, Nationals and Pirates). Thanks to my colleague Dan Daly (and his son, Danny) for pointing this one out to me.

The Rays are for real, as is Evan Longoria. The rookie third baseman hit homers on two of the first three postseason pitches he saw in Game 1. How's that for a debut? And if it wasn't obvious before, it should be now: Tropicana Field poses a real problem for visiting teams. It's impossible to pick the ball up against the white roof (especially during day games), the catwalks create havoc and the place gets really loud.

— Mark Zuckerman

TWT FIVE » THINGS THE METS CAN DO TO REBUILD

1. Implode Shea Stadium — Immediately. That place has been the backdrop for the team's collapse the past two Septembers. Citi Field awaits.

2. Hire Wall Street investors as scouts — Basically pull a George Costanza and do the opposite of what these guys said: Avoid like the plague all the players they want to sign.

3. Bring back Bobby Valentine — OK, maybe not. But wouldn't his dugout disguises after being thrown out of games add some comedy to the tragedy?

4. Go back to the pinstripes — Two titles with them, zero without them. And ditch the black.

5. Get a bullpen — Well, wasn't that what the collapse was all about anyway?