A little more on the weekend that belonged to Saw, and then some sports thoughts in today’s High 5:

DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH: Saw VII (Saw 3D) roared to the top of the box office over the weekend, but for all Saw devotees — like myself – that doesn’t mean producers of the horror-ific series will change their mind about this being the final installment of this masterpiece in terror. “Horror franchises often promote their ‘final installments’ only to be resurrected years later,” says Gitesh Pandya of BoxOfficeGuru.com. “But the (Saw) series appears to be winding down.” Saw VII’s No. 1 ranking at the box office is the first in the series since Saw IV. David Spitz, executive vice president and general manager at Lionsgate, which distributes Saw, says that a return to No. 1 won’t matter. “This is the final chapter of the series,” he says. “The fact that we’re going out with such a huge win is a great way to close the chapter.” (At least there is the new Walking Dead series on AMC to talk about in the future tense.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Alright this is Minnesota, right ? Land of 10,000 losses.” (Had to be an Ohio State football fan.)

OVERRATED: Dallas Cowboys. (That one was just too easy. Sorry.)

UNDERRATED: Everything about NBC’s Sunday night football production. It is far and away the best of any of the networks.

GEOFF’S TOP 10: The latest Geoff Eighinger college football rankings, otherwise known as the GEOFFBS:

Auburn continues to put up points on the field and in the GEOFFBS. For the third straight week, the Tigers are on top of the rankings and with a commanding lead. Oregon jumped three spots to No. 2 after finishing off USC on Saturday. The weak schedules do not help undefeated non-AQ schools like Utah (No. 6), Boise State (No. 9) and TCU (No. 10) at all as the season winds down:

1. Auburn (44.111)
2. Oregon (36.500)
3. Alabama (33.875)
4. Oklahoma (32.639)
5. LSU (32.528)
6. Utah (32.000)
7. Michigan State (31.222)
8. Nebraska (30.944)
9. Boise State (30.000)
10. TCU (29.667)

To look at how all 120 FBS teams stack up and see an explanation of the formula used, visit GEOFFBS.com

Twas a great Saturday night at the local movie house, and now it’s on to Sunday evening’s premier of The Walking Dead on AMC … what a weekend. Happy Halloween from the High 5:

CLASSIC ENDING FOR A CLASSIC SERIES: I saw Saw VII (no pun intended with that one) Saturday night and it was the best of the series, which sadly is coming to an end with this film — at least according to published reports.  The way the whole seven-year trek through the gruesome horrror and psychological games was wrapped up was tremendous. Saw fans should be talking about the last five minutes for years to come. I have to say, I never saw this ending coming. For seven consecutive Halloween weekends I have found myself in a theater watching a Saw movie. Next year’s just not going to be the same.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Don’t blame me, blame my gender.”

OVERRATED: Chocolate chip cookies.

UNDERRATED: Raspberry turnovers.

HALLOWEEN HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: If I had been born on Halloween I think I’d change my birth date. I guess these folks didn’t mind, or just didn’t think of it …

– Actor Rob Schneider (One of many Saturday Night Live alumni to flop in the movies.) 
– Actress Piper Perabo is 33. (She’s the girl on Covert Affairs who once starred in Coyote Ugly.)
– Former rapper Vanilla Ice is 42. (Ice, Ice, bay-bee.)
– In memoriam: Actor John Candy would have been 60 today.

See you at the movies … and in front of the TV set. Read all about it in today’s High 5;

BIG WEEKEND: It’s the weekend horror fans have been waiting for, the release of Saw VII (Saw 3D) and the premier of The Walking Dead mini-series on AMC at 9 p.m. (CT) Sunday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take both in, starting with a late-night showing of the final installment of the always-brutal Saw series. And I’m really amped up over the AMC effort of the latest in zombiefests, which is drawing great reviews. Zombie movies or programs are always great fun because of the unrelenting gratuitous violence which, more times than not, is done tongue-in-cheek, or at least with the wink of an eye. As any zombie-film fan knows, they have to be killed by shooting them in the head, but there is no guilt because, as Robert Bianco of USA Today writes, “And best of all, you can kill them without remorse because they’re already, you know, dead.”What a great weekend it will be. Enjoy.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I know some of you find it hard to believe, but I don’t say everything that pops into my head.”

OVERRATED: Cheryl Tiegs.

UNDERRATED: Cheryl Stack.

GEOFF’S TOP 5/BOTTOM 5: Please welcome the return of the second-smartest Eighinger , my son, Geoff, for his weekly glance at the NFL …

The NFL kicker position is noprmally a revolving door in most franchises. Most teams only carry one kicker because they are expendable. Or so the team thinks. In the past decade, I’ve noticed a crazy trend: a kicker struggles, gets booted from the team, watches as his replacement fizzles, finds himself back on the same team. Kickers deserve more credit, in my opinion. (Anyone remember Tim Seder scoring a touchdown for Dallas on a fake field goal attempt in 2000 versus Cincinnati? That was pretty sweet.)

Today, we look at the Top 5 and Bottom 5 feet in the league this season.

TOP 5: Best Kickers of 2010

1. Josh Scobee (JAX): He is a perfect 13-for-13 in both field goals and extra points. Unfortunately, the Jags have had trouble scoring or his numbers could be doubly perfect. Scobee is one of two kickers to knock one in from a league-high 59 yards back this year.
2. Rob Bironas (TEN): Although one field goal miss tarnishes an otherwise perfect season (14-for-15 FG, 21-for-21 EP), Bironas is just what Jeff Fisher and the Titans need.
3. Olindo Mare (SEA): Another anemic offense with a solid veteran kicker. Mare is also perfect, 6-for-6 in field goals and 13-for-13 with extra points. If QB Matt Hasselbeck can get the ball to RB Marshawn Lynch a little more, Mare might have a few more chances to show off his leg.
4. Sebastian Janokowski (OAK): With five missed field goals this season (15-for 20 FG, 18-for-18 EP), you may think Se-Bas is rated a bit high. But his leg is so amazing and he is such a beast, I’d really have trouble telling him to his face “Err, umm, you don’t belong in the Top 5.”
5. Matt Prater (DEN): Fourth in field goal accuracy (11-for-12), perfect in extra points (15-for-15) and the other player to kick a 59-yard field goal this season.

BOTTOM 5: Worst Kickers of 2010

1. Garrett Hartley (NO): Kicking woes have only been part of the problem with the reigning champions. Hartley lost his starting job after an abysmal performance early in the season, including a 29-yard OT miss in Week 3. He has since regained his spot but is only 6-for-10 in FG.
2. Graham Gano (WAS): He is the only player to have missed a field goal in all four key ranges (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-plus) this season. He and Janikowski lead the league with five misses, but Janikowski is too cool to be considered bad.
3. Josh Brown (STL): The Rams are improving but it probably has nothing to do with Brown. He has missed three kicks between 20-39 and has also had two blocked.
4. David Akers (PHI): The Eagles veteran has missed four field goals in an 11-for-15  campaign, including two in the 30-39 range.
5. Ryan Longwell (MIN): He might be a perfect 5-for-5 in field goals but he is the only guy to miss an extra point this season. (To be fair, it was blocked.)

James MacArthur, during his days on the original "Hawaii Five-O."

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction … and this is one of those days in the land of the High 5:

R.I.P., DANO: It’s so weird how stuff like this seems to happen. At the height of the popularity of the new Hawaii Five-O television program, we hear that James MacArthur, the actor who played “Dano” in the original version of the hit CBS show, has died at age 72. MacArthur played Detective Dan Williams for 11 years and will be forever tied to the show’s signature phrase “Book ‘em, Dano.” The remake of Five-O is this season’s No. 1 new show, according to the latest Nielsen ratings. I think the remake of Five-O is far superior to the original, and that’s not a slam at Jack Lord and Co. from the 1970s. But the new cast and storylines, plus the pace and action sequences, are tremendous. Look for the new Five-O to enjoy the same kind of long run its predecessor did.

OVERRATED: Any movie on the Lifetime Network.

UNDERRATED: Any movie with the pre-plastic surgery version of Meg Ryan as a key character.

BANNED IN LONG ISLAND: Newsday reports “I love boobies” rubber bracelets, meant to support breast-cancer awareness, have been banned from some Long Island district schools. The hot new bracelet in town is a fundraiser for a breast-cancer awareness group. The wide rubber bracelet proclaims, “I love boobies” and is being sported by tweens and teens, boys and girls alike. The “boobies” bracelet has spawned copycats that say things like “Save the ta-tas,” “Fight Like a Girl” or “Boobies big or small, save them all.” Local businesses and charities are emulating the wider style of the bracelet to promote their causes, towns or school teams. Keep A Breast started selling the “boobies” bands as an alternative to pink ribbons, which it said weren’t resonating with teens. The bracelets, $3.99 each at Keep-A-Breast.org, also say “Keep A Breast” on them. The nationwide “I love boobies campaign” encourages young people to adopt lifestyle choices that have long-term health benefits; the group also sells T-shirts bearing the slogan, but it’s the bracelets that have really taken off. More than 2 million have been sold so far this year, says Kimmy McAtee, marketing manager. The West Islip school district, one of those banning the “boobies” bracelets, is also observing October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month in “more acceptable ways.” Officials say there’s no reason for students to be wearing bracelets school administrators deem inappropriate.

Tony Bennett

It was a big night for the AARP generation … all that and more in today’s High 5:

STAND UP AND CHEER: “How about Tony Bennett,” Fox announcer Joe Buck said. No kidding, how about Tony Bennett! The 84-year-old singer, who seemed old way back when I was a kid, sang “God Bless America” Wednesday night during the seventh-inning stretch of the first game of the World Series at San Francisco. Not only did Bennett sing the song, he nailed it, and may have attracted another generation of fans in doing so. Bennett is best known for his 1963 hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and has no plans to retire any time soon. “If you study the masters – Picasso, Jack Benny, Fred Astaire – right up to the day they died, they were performing,” he once said. “If you are creative, you get busier as you get older.” Indeed, Bennett has continued to record and tour steadily, doing 100 to 200 shows a year. And if you’re interested, his given name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Wondering why Barry Bonds threw out the first pitch (of the World Series). Were San Francisco’s other favorite children, Charles Manson and the Zodiak Killer, not available?”

OVERRATED: Facial hair (on either men or women).

UNDERRATED: Robert Downey Jr. (Imagine what he might have accomplished earlier in his career if it had not been for the substance abuse. Maybe he can have a heart-to-heart with Charlie Sheen before he blows his own career.)

TIME FOR A PARTY: And make sure you bring a present for the following birthday folks …

– Singer Wayne Fontana of Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders is 65. (It’s still a “Groovy Kind of Love.”)
– Actress-singer Telma Hopkins  of Tony Orlando and Dawn is 62. (“Knock Three Times” on the ceiling if you want me.)
– Actress Jami Gertz is 45. (I have always confused her with Ally Sheedy.)
– Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 36. (Nut case.)

Renee Zellweger is on the right of this promotional poster for the 1995 film "Empire Records."

Kara DioGuardi was not necessarily a negative influence during her two-year run on American Idol, she was just kind of blah. I would love to spend an hour talking with her, but I have no craving to watch her on television any longer … read all about it in today’s High 5:

BAD IDEA: What tells me this is one of those ideas that initially looks good on paper and then completely bombs? The Bravo network says it’s bringing former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi back to TV in a series of her own. Going Platinum will be a songwriting competition that pits contestants against one another as they live together, all vying for a $100,000 grand prize. DioGuardi will be head judge of the 10-episode series. Singer-songwriter Jewel will serve as host. The show will debut some time in 2011. OK, for starters, DioGuardi was let go/resigned (you choose) from Idol because she simply wasn’t popular enough, so why would Bravo execs thing she could carry an entire show herself? Secondly, a songwriters competition means we’ll be hearing all of these songs no one has ever heard before. We don’t like that. We want to hear songs we know. This is not going to work. You heard it here first.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I got an e-mail from American Express trying to get me to join. Upon further review, I noticed that the man in the ad is the same man who played ‘The Reaper’ on “Criminal Minds”. Creepy.” (But the bonus points will make up for the creepiness.)

OVERRATED: Reneee Zellweger in any of those Bridget Jones movies.

UNDERRATED: Renee Zellweger singing “Sugar High” in the 1995 cult classic film Empire Records.

YOU’RE ONLY AS OLD AS YOU FEEL: I never quite understood that line of thought …

– Country singer Keith Urban is 43. (I love to hear him talk. That Aussie accent is so cool.)
– Actress Jaclyn Smith is 65. (She’ll always be linked to Charlie’s Angels.)
– Guitarist Keith Strickland of the B-52′s is 57. (Did anyone else hate “Love Shack” as much as I did?)
– Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is 64. (I haven’t watched that show in 15 years.)

We’ve all been to weddings, some memorable, some not so much. I’m not sure how anyone would describe the wedding talked about in today’s High 5:

SAY WHAT?: Just when you think you might have heard or seen just about everything, along comes something like this. A Taiwanese woman left uninspired by the standard of men on offer in her city will finally tie the knot — with herself, the Shanghai Daily has reported. Chen Wei-yih, 30, has bought a flowing white bridal grown, planned a lavish reception and even hired a wedding photographer to mark her unusual matrimony, which takes place next month. She has told local media she was urged to wed by friends and loved ones but could not find a decent husband in Taipei, Taiwan’s largest city. The solo marriage will not be recognized in law but Chen has the backing of her family. “My work and experience are in good shape, but I haven’t found a partner, so what can I do?” she sighed. “I’m not anti-marriage. I just hope that I can express a different idea within the bounds of a tradition.” (I try and find a positive with most everything, but this is the absolute stupidest thing I have ever read about.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “If I was allowed to have a taser, how many people do you think would get hurt!?” (Thankfully, we’ll never know.)

OVERRATED: Home-made pizza. (Domino’s delivers, bay-bee.)

UNDERRATED: Spaghetti, with bite-size pieces of Italian sausage.

BLOW OUT THE CANDLES: Get each of these people a nice present, and no re-gifting, please …

– Actress Marion Ross of Happy Days is 82. (She still makes occasional TV appearances. A very classy lady.)
– Singer Katy Perry is 26. (Maybe it’s just me, but she seems a lot older. A lot.)
– Actress Tracy Nelson (Father Dowling Mysteries ) is 47. (I always used to get her mixed up with Sarah Jessica Parker.)
– Guitarist Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies is 40. (Is there anyone who doesn’t like the Barenaked Ladies?)

Movies often rely on past successes for the Next Big Thing. I think we’re seeing an example of that right now at the theater … all that and more in today’s High 5:

A NEW TREND: Have you noticed one of the latest trends in movies is resurrecting the careers of aging action stars? First, there was The Expendables, a Sylvester Stallone-led shoot-’em-up flick, and now we have Red, with a similar theme marking the return of Bruce Willis to the action theater. Is this temporary, or should we expect sequels? Let’s let Willis answer that: “The good thing about my job is that I can still play these roles when I’m just skin and bones. In Die Hard 212, I’ll fire the last shot.”

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Where is a good place to go for a tatoo?” (Hmmm … this sounds like one of those ideas that will be regretted.)

OVERRATED: All the talk about a college football playoff.

UNDERRATED: The BCS. Don’t mess with the BCS. It helps make college football’s regular season the most important regular season of all the major sports. Sports fans talk (well, OK, argue) every day of the college football season about the merits of the various polls. Every weekend of the season is the equivalent of an elimination weekend. A playoff might be the politically correct thing to do, but look where all of that political correctness has gotten us the last couple of decades.

GEOFF’S TOP 10: The second-smartest Eighinger enlightens us with his weekly top 10 college football teams …

For the second straight week, the Auburn Tigers sit atop the GEOFFBS rankings. They have lead former No. 1 Alabama by more than nine ranking points.

 1. Auburn (43.250)
 2. Alabama (33.875)
 3. Michigan State (33.750)
 4. LSU (32.625)
 5. Oregon (32.286)
 6. Oklahoma (31.732)
 7. Missouri (29.518)
 8. Boise State (29.167)
 9. TCU (28.750)
10. Utah (28.732)

The biggest mover of the week is Syracuse, which upset West Virginia and jumped 25 GEOFFBS spots to No. 36. It should come as no surprise that the Mountaineers fell more sports than anyone, from No. 38 to No. 57.

To look at how all 120 FBS teams stack up and see an explanation of the formula used, visit GEOFFBS.com

OVERRATED: Oklahoma Sooners.

UNDERRATED: Jennifer Aniston in Love Happens. (Saw it Saturday!)

YOU SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY?: Well happy birthday to you …

– Actor Kevin Kline is 63. (The Big Chill remains a defining moment for him. Remember his name in that movie? Harold Cooper.)
– Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is 74. (And to think, the Stones are discussing another tour. Sponsored by AARP?)
– Actor Corey Dillon is 36. (Corey will always be the other DIllon to Matt.)
– Country singer Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown is 52. (Remember when Sawyer Brown got its big break on Star Search?)

I’ve never been mistaken for a famous singer, but some guy in Florida certainly has… read all about it in today’s High 5:

OH, THAT JUSTIN BIEBER: There’s a guy who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., named Justin Bieber. No, not that Justin Bieber. The “other” Justin Bieber says he gets as many as “50 hyperventilating voice mails every couple of hours from the singer’s fans.” The one good thing to come out of this? “Now everybody can actually say my name,” the Jacksonville Bieber said. “Before, everybody always said Justin Bye-ber.” (OK, maybe is an incredibly stupid question, but why doesn’t the guy in Jacksonville just get an unlisted phone number?)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?” (He’s been watching too many movies.)

OVERRATED: Duct tape.

UNDERRATED: Calling a (qualified) repairman.

BIRTHDAY PEOPLE: I miss the Go-Go’s …

– Guitarist Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go’s is 57. (Belinda Carlisle aside, Charlotte was the true star of the Go-Go’s.)
– Guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto is 53. (Toto was one of the underrated groups of the ’80s.)
– Actor Jeff Goldblum is 57. (Remember him in The Fly?)
– Actor Michael Fishman is 29. (He played “D.J.” on Roseanne.)