MONDAY A.M.: TIGERS EVEN SERIES, VIKINGS ROLL OVER SEAHAWKS

Well, now there might be some light shed on why Kenny Rogers, the 41-year-old pitcher with zero career post-season wins prior to going 3-0 this October, has been so untouchable for the Detroit Tigers: He might be cheating.

Everybody loves a controversy, and this feel-good Series between mid-market Midwestern teams (feel-good for the people who are at home in their living rooms, not in person losing feeling in their extremities) now has one. Has Rogers been doctoring the baseball with some mysterious brown sludge on his palm, possibly pine tar? Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star, only half kiddingly, suggests, "Another possibility: Rogers shook hands lefty with manager Jim Leyland and picked up a nicotine stain."

This is rich. Rogers, who's not exactly media-friendly, is going to be the focus for the rest of this series should it go past a Game 5. There's The Truth, and the truth, and right now Rogers seems content to tell only the latter. The managers, Leyland and St. Louis' Tony La Russa, wouldn't say much last night, because The Code in baseball is you don't come right out and call the other guys cheaters -- since you're probably just as dirty yourselves when it comes to doctoring the baseball or stealing the catcher's signs.

Oh, and the Tigers won 3-1 despite a near-collapse in the ninth inning by Todd Jones, who allowed four Cardinals to reach base in a span of five pitches before recording the final out.

OTHER BUSINESS

• Vikings 31, Seahawks 13: The second half was pretty much catered to the Vikes after Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went out with a serious knee injury and backup QB Seneca Wallace was totally ineffective. Plus Shaun Alexander wasn't playing either.
  
  (UPDATE: Peter King picked Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson as his offensive player of the week. That's what having a guy run off your side for a 95-yard touchdown will get you.)
  
  The Seahawks almost never lose at home, but the Vikes crowned their asses, to borrow their former coach Dennis Green's already immortal phrase. Sid Hartman, the octogeneraian Minneapolis columnist, was even comparing the defence to the old Purple People Eaters, as it kept Seattle to less than 300 yards and came up with another defensive TD.
  
  This whole notion of the Vikings winning with defence is still going to take some getting used to, by the way.
  
  Offensively, the Vikes lost wideout Troy Williamson early to injury, but scored three touchdowns for the first time all season. They actually scored twice from 40 or more yards out, something most people hadn't figured on them doing all season, and for added measure, the other TD came courtesy of two guys who have been criminally underused, with Mewelde Moore tossing a halfback pass to Jermaine Wiggins.
  
  So all's well that end wells, until next week's Monday nighter against New England.
  
• One last note: Keep Garrett Robinson, the Moose Jaw Warriors junior hockey player seriously injured in a car crash yesterday, in your thoughts.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.