FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH:

So, Big Ten football is back after the conference decided just five weeks ago to postpone the fall season due to the coronavirus. What’s changed? The answer to that question is still evolving, and it’s getting political, of course. But the bottom line is, with the NFL back in action, and with many colleges playing, there’s an appearance of normalcy in the sports world — even if the reality is far different.

When Cam Newton took the field for the Patriots last Sunday in an impressive debut, he became the first Black quarterback to start a season-opener in franchise history, going back to its start in 1960.

Newton’s heroes? Michael Vick and other Black quarterbacks who came before him, he has said.

Newton’s contract — a one-year deal with a base of $1.05 million and a cap of $1.1375 million — ranks 53rd among NFL quarterbacks, according to The Boston Globe. In other words, the Pats got him cheap.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady was intercepted twice and sacked three times in his debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost to the New Orleans Saints, 34-23.

After the loss, Brady reportedly said, “Gisele, I’ve made a terrible mistake. We should have stayed in New England.”

Just kidding.

Are sports writers like me going to compare Brady and Newton all season?

What do you think?

QUIZ OF THE WEEK: With the Patriots’ win over Miami, Julian Edelman became the second Patriot with more than 600 receptions. Who was the first?

LINE OF THE WEEK from Cam Newton, after leading the Pats to victory in their season opener: “This is the new normal.”

We’ll see. On Sunday night, Newton faces Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, not exactly a pushover.

Billy Donovan is leaving his NBA coaching job with the Oklahoma City Thunder after rejecting a two-year contract extension. Stay tuned for where the former Friar goes next.

Donovan took the Thunder to the playoffs every year in his five seasons with Oklahoma City and was a finalist last year for NBA Coach of the Year.

Long way from being “Billy the Kid,” as Rick Pitino used to call him at PC.

R.I.P. Tom Jernstedt, the former NCAA executive largely credited with turning the Division I men’s basketball tournament into what we now know as the Final Four. He was 75.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says we need to hunker down this winter with both COVID-19 and the flu floating around.

If I hunker down any more, Bunky, I’m going to end up in a cave.

Hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen beat out J-Rod to buy the Mets for $2.475 billion, the highest ever paid for an American sports team, though Cohen’s purchase still needs to be OK’d by MLB owners.

Did you see where vinyl records are now outselling CDs? People spent $232.1 million on records versus $129.9 million for compact discs, according to the Recording Industry of America.

No truth to the rumor that what goes around comes around.

Or if you wait long enough, everything comes back in style.

From Bloomberg News: Many Americans still don’t feel comfortable eating at restaurants or going to stores, despite the reopening of the economy.

In New England, Boston College has reported at least 115 coronavirus cases among its students since the school reopened for the fall semester, most of which have been detected in the last week.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade? Just a televised, virtual party in Herald Square, thanks to the pandemic.

Naomi Osaka, who won this year’s U.S. Open at age 22, looks like the next superstar in women’s tennis.

From The Boston Globe: After being told by a poll worker in New Hampshire that she couldn’t vote because the T-shirt she was wearing was too political — it said, “McCain Hero, Trump Zero” — the woman whipped it off and voted bare-breasted before anyone could stop her.

Voting in the nude? Even more reason to allow mail ballots.

QUIZ ANSWER: Wes Welker was the first Patriot to pass 600 receptions. Welker had 672 compared to Edelman’s 604.

Tiger Woods has dropped to 21st in world rankings, with his last win nearly a year ago in Japan.

The most interesting thing about “Rage,” Bob Woodward’s new book about Trump: That Trump even talked to Woodward.

Nearly 18,000 runners from 97 countries ran 26.2 miles during the 124th running of the Boston Marathon — a virtual event that wrapped up this week.

Who needs Heartbreak Hill?

Not me, Bunky.