Patrick Mooney: Jerry Hairston Jr. scored the final run in Game 2 of this year’s ALCS for the Yankees. Will the Naperville North graduate’s name be immortalized in the World Series, or will his place there be celebration enough for the ones who know him best?

Patrick Mooney: Recruiters from Illinois, Ohio State and Notre Dame have already mined suburban Chicago for verbal commitments from Class of 2010 quarterbacks. Mid-American Conference programs have also extended offers to additional quarterbacks in the area. Nick Linne was on the fringe of that market, but removed himself weeks before the start of the football season.

Patrick Mooney: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caution that those younger than 25 are most susceptible to the H1N1 virus. The outbreak has caused the highest number of deaths among people 25 to 49, the federal agency reports. Those age ranges will inevitably target athletes.

About 76 percent of the NFL schedule remains. Already "Monday Night Football" has set records as the most-watched program in cable television history, with nearly 22 million last week watching Packers-Vikings and quarterback Brett Favre, who turned 40 on Saturday.