Wake-up call: World Series, Kobe Bryant, Tony Romo

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First things first: The Tampa Bay Rays can thank Phillies closer Brad Lidge for having home-field advantage in the World Series, which gets underway at 5:30 tonight. Lidge may have been 41 for 41 in save opportunities and is three for three in the postseason, but back in July he wasn’t so perfect. In the All-Star Game, Lidge allowed the American League’s winning run to score in the bottom of the 15th inning. Lidge, who once lost the closing job in Houston to current Rays closer Dan Wheeler, warmed up six times in that All-Star game. ‘I don’t know what the number [of pitches] was exactly,’ said Lidge, ‘but I know that I warmed up more than I ever had in my life.’ Who will win the World Series? I’ll pick Rays in 7. Any team that can put away the Red Sox can put away the Phillies.

Vote, vote, vote: Tonight you can hear play-by-play man Joe Buck handle Game 1 of the World Series on Fox, Channel 11 here in L.A. If you haven’t voted in Steve Springer’s sportscaster poll, now is the time. Vote now. He’ll write about your favorites in his Friday ‘On Media’ column.

Fallen stars: This is suddenly becoming a season -- er, make that preseason of Injuries. First there is the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, who is getting his apparently hyperextended knee examined today. And this follows the finger injury to the Clippers new star, Baron Davis. Who’s next?

Add to injury: The pinkie isn’t ready. That’s the word from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who said that he will miss his second straight game because of his fractured finger. Romo made the announcement on Terrell Owens’ ‘Inside the Huddle’ radio show. He might not be back until after the Cowboys’ off week.

Ref, ref, ref: The video of SEC referee Wilbur Hackett Jr. taking down the South Carolina quarterback is still one of the most popular on YouTube. An article on gatorsports.com from last season lists 10 things you need to know about SEC officials. Getting tackled by a referee, of course, is not on the list. The Times’ Chris Dufresne, who talked about it on the Dan Patrick show this morning on 570 AM said it looked intentional but couldn’t imagine that it was, that it seemed to be an instinctive reaction from a former player. The referee, he told Patrick, ‘should have been named the SEC defensive player of the week.’ Chris was also asked about the still-crazy BCS standings. Easier to look at his blog item or article from Monday.

Look at ‘em now: Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports says the late Tim Russert would have been enjoying this NFL season. The 5-1 Buffalo Bills, specifically. One winning season this decade, a no-name quarterback, a journeyman coach. Who would have guessed. Yet Russert, a lifelong Bills fan, would always unabashedly sign off ‘Meet the Press’ with a cheer that now, more than ever, seems fitting: ‘Go Bills.’

-- Debbie Goffa