Tonights premieres include a riveting episode of “Alaska State Troopers” on National Geographic and the first episode of the new season of “Nip/Tuck” on FX. Both are on at 10 p.m. You can also watch “Mary Queen of Shops” on BBC America at 9.

The NFL announced yesterday that, if the Phillies make the World Series, two November 1 football games will be moved to the NFL Network: the Giants/Eagles game and the hotly anticipated Vikings/Packers.

A&E green-lighted a pilot for a drama called “The Quickening” about a female Los Angeles police detective who’s bipolar.

Matthew Perry recently signed on to star in, co-write and executive produce a new untitled comedy about a guy that turns 40 and begins to question his small town life managing a sports arena.

Finally, Richard Harris and Alan Ruck (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) were added to ABC’s “Cougar Town,” Entertainment Weekly reported.

By the way, on this day in 1943, RCA sold off one of the two NBC radio networks. Edward J. Noble paid $8 million for the NBC Blue network. He renamed it the American Broadcasting Company — ABC.

You don’t win pennants in the offseason.‚  You don’t win them during the season either.‚  You win them in the postseason.‚  It is now October and it’s time for some baseball.‚  After six months, eight of thirty teams remain.‚  In a little less than a month, we will have our champion.‚ 

Will it be a repeat for the Red Sox?‚  A curse-breaking for the Cubs?‚  Another series for the Southsiders while their uptown rivals wait yet another year?‚  An exorcising of the Devil for the Rays?‚  A trip to baseball heaven for the Angels?‚  A ring for the LA wedding of a former New York manager and former Boston slugger?‚  A win for the City of Brotherly Love and the team with the most losses in baseball history?‚  How about champagne flooding the streets of the Brew City?‚ 

The best part of October is that anything can happen.‚  Favorites fall.‚  Teams comeback from the brink of elimination.‚  Heroes cement themselves in the annals of baseball lore.‚  There are storylines.‚  Lots of storylines.‚  Here are this postseason’s most compelling:

The New Rivalry

The Red Sox swept the Angels twice en route to this century’s titles and are 9-0 in their last three postseason series against the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles club.‚  This time the Angels are the favorites as they return with a power offense (not to be completely overshadowed by Manny in the real LA, Mark Teixeira has been the answer to the Mike Scioscia’s prayers) and the deepest overall pitching staff in baseball.‚  Still, Terry Francona is 8-0 in the World Series and 7-1 in elimination games.

Josh Beckett

The Red Sox always hog all the stories and this feature is no exception.‚  Last season Beckett joined Gibson, Koufax, Ford and Schilling as one of the all-time great postseason pitchers.‚  The news swirling out of Boston is that Beckett won’t pitch until Game 3 at the earliest due to an oblique strain.‚  Will he go and how effective will he be?

C.C. Sabbathia

Three games on short rest, three wins to send the Brewers into the postseason since 1982 and the first time as a National League club.‚  How much farther is he going to carry the team?‚  The word here in the Brew City is that the Crew was planning on going with a one-man rotation in the play-offs, then realized that would not be right because with just one pitcher, there isn’t any rotating.‚  He’s even going to throw during the day to prevent tightness from setting in.‚ 

Manny Being Manny

Manny might be the best deadline deal ever.‚  Factor in that he’s one of the best postseason hitters of all-time, the Cubs are going to have their hands full trying to get him out.‚  Can he carry the Dodgers to a Hollywood ending, complete with himself, Nomar, Derek Lowe and Joe Torre sitting in the visiting dugout at Fenway?‚ 

A-Rod

Will A-Rod be able to break his 0-220 playoff slump to send Yankee Stadium out in style with a World Series win? ‚ No.

White Heat

It took the White Sox 163 games to make the playoffs.‚  Will they ride the energy through the Rays or did they spend it all getting to Tampa?‚  The pitching isn’t bad and the team loves the longball.‚  After years in Cincinnati, Ken Griffey Jr. is finally playing in October again. But for long?‚ 

New Kids on the Block

If the Rays sold their souls to the Devil, why didn’t he insist they keep his name?‚  This team never had a winning record until this year-when they won the AL East.‚  The Rays have their youth, the favorite for Manager of the Year, a considerable homefield (or home-can) advantage and little to lose.‚  They don’t have “playoff experience” but they also don’t have experience losing playoff games, and that might be worth the most of all.

The Storyline That TBS and FOX Will Beat to DEATH

One of four teams to return to the postseason, the Phillies were swept by the Rockies who were one of the hottest teams ever … until they were swept out of the World Series.‚  The Phillies again took the NL East after an amazin’ collapse by their rival and earned a first-round date with the Brewers.‚  Will Jamie Moyer and C.C. face each other in the most-opposite matchup between two left-handers in postseason history?‚  Will fans in Philly hold off on the “Let’s go Eagles” chants for a‚  few more weeks?‚ 

The Obvious

The Red Sox did it.‚  The White Sox did it a year later.‚  Now, will the Cubs finally shake their demons or will April on Addison be more like the past 100?‚  This is their best chance as they have pitchers with functioning rotator cuffs and an all-around potent offense.‚  Some credit Lou Piniella (he won the 1990 World Series with the “Nasty Boys”).‚  Some will point out the 2001 season in which Piniella’s Mariners won 116 games and were bounced out of play-offs in the first round.‚  Some will also bring up the 1995 and 1997 Mariners but that would just be cruel.‚ 

For the Record

As a fan, I can’t and won’t pick against the Red Sox so they’re my choice to win it all after beating the Rays in war of an ALCS.‚  As much as we’d all like to see a re-match of the 1918 World Series, I’m honestly feeling Dodgers over Brewers in the NL.

The first-place team in the National League East just sent their opening-day starter down to the minors. That’s right, the Philadelphia Phillies were forced to send right-hander Brett Myers to the AAA Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. Myers is 3-9 this season with a 5.84 ERA.

“We’re in a playoff race, and I have to be there to help my team,” Myers said. “This isn’t a question of what I want to do. It’s what I have to do. . . . Obviously, I need to get my head in the right spot.

“I wasn’t prepared to become a starter because my heart and my mind-set were still in the bullpen. That’s my fault.”

Myers’ problems are all mental, which is frustrating for Philadelphia fans. He has a blazing fastball augmented by a devastating 12-6 curveball that is beautiful to watch when he’s focused. But if he gives up a home run at any point in the game, just get him out of there, he’s mental toast.

The Phillies have several options to choose from in replacing Myers in the rotation, none of which are thrilling. The could go with Chad Durbin from their bullpen or pick from a group from their farm system: triple-A lefthanders J.A. Happ or Brian Mazone or double-A righthander Carlos Carrasco.

If the Phillies, who have been dreadful as of late going 3-7 in their last 10, can hold on to first place and get Myers right, it will be like a trade deadline deal to bolster pitching and help them into the playoffs.

At that point, they can act like just making the playoffs is the endgame and thoroughly go in the tank.

In case you missed, and judging by the amount of people that have sent me the link to the Cnnsi.com story you haven’t, Philadelphia is officially a town that hasn’t had a pro sports championship in 100 seasons. The 76ers won in 1983, and all four teams have now gone winless in their last 25 years. Cnnsi.com has been nice enough to mention it with 100 of the worst things to happen to Philly sports during that time.

You can get Perry’s take right here. He’s as miserable a Philly sports fan as you’ll find.

Check it out, it’s a pretty thorough list. Maybe now you will understand why the fans in Philly are the way they are. From the Fog Bowl to the wet chart to the Allen Iverson “practice” tirade to Scott Rolen to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final fiasco to Shawn Bradley to the Charles Barkley trade to the three-straight NFC Championship game losses…Cnnsi.com has it covered.

According to a source close to the situation, Jimmy Rollins’ injury is more than just a sprained ankle. Jimmy Rollins has a broken bone in his ankle. On April 20th, Jimmy was placed on the 15-day DL for a sprained ankle, but he could stay on the DL longer than first anticipated.

The 2007 National League MVP has only played in 12 of the 21 games this year, but the Phillies have managed well without him. However, Rollins is a vital piece to this team if they have any chance of winning back-to-back National League East titles.