Your morning roundup for Oct. 31, the day we learned that some kids in England throw flour and eggs on elderly people during this time of the year. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors.
What we watched: How 'bout 'dem Dream Team? It only took two wins in a row for the Eagles to go from an overhyped team in complete disarray to an NFC frontrunner poised to dominate the league with its 972 ways to beat you on offense and a trippy wide-9 defense. Look, they're good. Even when they were bad, they were still electrifying on offense. But the Philadelphia Eagles still seem destined to go 8-8 if the first 10 plays they plot out shit the bed. This is still a team with more egos than identity and fraught with maddening ball-protection problems, half-assed special teams, and a philosophy that the best way to stop a good running attack is to sack the quarterback as much as possible. Besides that — BEST TEAM IN THE UNIVERSE EVER. One other observation from last night: Tony Romo definitely put on some sympathy baby weight.
NBA is close to a deal, except not really: "In real terms, they are separated by about $100 million a year—a hefty sum, but small in the context of these negotiations. They were once 20 percent and hundreds of millions apart. The difficulty in closing the gap is psychological and financial. The players, who last season earned 57 percent, have already made a $180 million concession. They have agreed to a harsher luxury tax, shorter contracts and smaller raises. They have made concessions on nearly every major item in the collective bargaining agreement—a tacit admission that the league's economic woes are real and substantial and had to be addressed. The final deal will, by any objective measure, heavily favor the owners when compared with the last two C.B.A.'s. Union leaders contend they have moved far enough." [NYT]
The Field of Dreams field has been sold: "But on Sunday, Don and Becky Lansing, the owners of the 193-acre farm that includes the field, are to announce that they are selling their property to an investment group led by a couple from the Chicago area. The group plans to keep the field as it is but also to build a dozen other fields and an indoor center for youth baseball and softball tournaments." [NYT]
Your Let's All Remember Baby Mangino Interlude:
Raffi Torres's Halloween costume did not go over well: "Yes indeed, Coyotes forward Raffi Torres attended this holiday soirée as Jiggaman, while his wife dressed up as Beyonce (complete with baby bump). To the surprise of absolutely no one in 2011, Torres was immediately criticized and demonized for using 'blackface' for comedic effect." [Puck Daddy]
Well, that was quick: "It is not John Elway's fault the Tim Tebow experiment is failing, but it will be on his hands if he doesn't find a solution. It is clear the Denver Broncos' quarterback of the future is not on the current roster. It must be Elway's primary job to start making plans to fix the problem in Denver. The first step is to realize Tebow probably is not going to be the answer." [ESPN]
Merch: Managing editor Tom Scocca and contributing editor Drew Magary have both written books. You can buy Scocca's Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future here, and Magary's The Postmortal here. Now do it.
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