Ryan Reisert

In case you spent your weekend huddled around a Watercan, here’s what people were talking about around the cooler…

BASEBALL — Headline writers everywhere had a field day as David Freese (deep freeze/freeze, frame/freezer burn/etc.) led the St. Louis Cardinals to an astonishing comeback in Game 6 of the World Series. Freese tripled and homered in the 9th and 11th innings, respectively, to help the Cards erase two late two-run deficits and send the series to a deciding seventh game. St. Louis came out on top in Game 7, defeating the Texas Rangers 6-2. Freese, born in Corpus Cristi, Texas and raised in St. Louis (seriously, the story writes itself) was named World Series MVP.

BASKETBALL — While reports that a deal was close to getting done, the lockout is still going, and the league has cancelled more games. Boring. For those desperate for some hoops action, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Preseason rankings came out this week and the North Carolina Tar Heels are slated as the number one team in the nation. With a number of players, like the Tar Heels’ Harrison Barnes, passing on entering the 2011 draft out of fear of the lockout, this year’s college season should have the most talent we’ve seen in years. If the lockout persists, many people will realize that college basketball before March actually exists. It’s pretty exciting, too.

FOOTBALL — As the NFL divides itself into Super Bowl contenders, Suck for Luck hopefuls and the sad middle-of-the-pack-no-playoffs-but-not-high-enough-pick teams, the CFL heads into the final week of the regular season with tight races across the board. B.C., Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Winnipeg all sport identical 10-7 records, meaning that the majority of the league is tied for the best record. This weekend’s games will decide which two teams will get the luxury of a first-round bye, and who will have to slug through an extra playoff game. The hometown Allouettes travel to B.C. and will hope for Winnipeg to lose in Calgary in order to win the right to host the Eastern Final.

HOCKEY — Most NHL teams have hit the 10-game mark in their seasons, meaning that many squads have made tough decisions on whether to keep their rookie stars in the NHL or to send them back to their junior teams. The Oilers, off to a Western Conference-leading 7-2-2 start, opted to keep 2011 first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the big club for the remainder of the season. Nugent-Hopkins leads all rookies with 11 points. The only other rookie on a Canadian team to make the Top 10 is Senators left-winger Colin Greening.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — “Maybe if I had been wanting for money, it’d be different. But I make a good living. I wasn’t going to keep the country hostage for a ball.” – Dave Huyette, the man who caught David Freese’s game winning home ruan ball in Game 6 of the World Series. Huyette stuffed the ball in his pants but then gave it over to the team to keep.