1 What do you think of the hiring of Jack Zduriencik as Seattle Mariners GM?

Zach: I think it’s a good move. Zduriencik was the executive of the year in 2007 as the director of amateur scouting for the Brewers. He’s got a long road ahead of him, but he really can’t do much worse than Bavasi did last year — unless he loses all 162 games.

Allen: Anything is better than Bill Bavasi. Zduriencik will probably do some great work with scouting, but the man doesn’t have experience building a team with a $100 million payroll. We’ll see soon enough what he accomplishes.

Scott: Well, I can’t say I know much about the guy and definitely can’t conceive of a way to pronounce his name, but it does look like he has some good credentials. He was named Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 2007 and wasn’t even a GM at the time. Following Bill Bavasi is not a difficult act, so I expect him to at least do well in comparison.

Christian: Didn’t like it. They should have hired whoever is in charge of Philadelphia. What’s his name? Oh, yeah — Pat Gillick.

2 What are your thoughts on Allen Iverson getting traded to the Pistons?

Zach: Now that he’s on a good team, will he practice? I think the trade is good for all parties. Denver will get a better passing point guard and Detroit will get The Answer. Only the season will tell us who got the better deal.

Allen: It’s already basketball season? I had no idea with the Sonics gone and everything.

Scott: It seems like a very good deal for both teams. Chauncey Billups is about as true a point guard as possible and will allow Carmello to shine in their offense. As for the Pistons, GM Joe Dumars loves taking risks, but I really don’t think Iverson will be much of risk considering it’s a contract year for him. He plays as hard as anybody and is a scoring machine, which the Pistons could definitely use.

Christian: That team is going to be loaded, especially when LeBron James signs there in two years.

3 With Greg Oden down again to start the season, how will this affect the Blazers?

Zach: Better question: Will Oden ever be healthy? There were concerns about his knee when he was drafted out of Ohio State, but the Blazers erroneously looked past those. Now Oden has played a total of zero games while eating $3.9 million of his contract. Looks like the Sonics — I mean Thunder — made the better pick.

Allen: The Blazers have enough firepower to sustain themselves until Oden gets back, but the fact that Oden is injured again is just hilarious. Will he ever be healthy?

Scott: It’s obvious that since the Sonics left, the awfulness of Seattle sports has spread like a virus to the nearest NBA team. It shouldn’t be that bad though. The Blazers have such great young talent that they will be able to win a decent amount of games during the next few weeks until Oden is back. If he can stay healthy, they should be able to compete with the top teams in the west.

Christian: Remember that they went .500 last year without him and got better during the offseason. And we’re not even sure if he’s any good yet. I’d rather have him on the court than on the bench, but I think Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Fernandez can take care of things.

4 Another week, another No. 1 in college football. Which team is most likely to take over Alabama’s spot if they lose?

Zach: Well, I can think of a certain 0-8 team that won’t be in contention. Otherwise, it’s really hard to say. There are a lot of good teams, but Texas Tech and Penn State are my top two choices for the simple fact that they are undefeated. Bottom line is, as many people have said year after year, the BCS needs a playoff.

Allen: In the event that Alabama loses, Texas Tech would be the most likely team to take over the top spot, but Florida had an amazing showing against Georgia last weekend and could make its way to the top as well.

Scott: Iowa is going to upset Penn State this weekend. I’m pretty much never wrong — ever. So trust me on that prediction. Texas Tech will beat Oklahoma State, thus making them the team most likely to take the No. 1 spot if Alabama were to lose.

Christian: Texas Tech, or Penn State, or Florida, or USC, or Texas, or Oklahoma State or Utah. One of those.