End of Playoff Standings (Evan)

What a game!!!  I’ll tell you what - even though I picked the Pats to cover the 11.5 point spread, by the time the game rolled around, I was rooting for Eli and the G-Men as hard as anyone.  Congratulations to them - they clearly wanted the championship more, and they played harder to get it.  Not too many mistakes (a few, but not TOO many) and a whole slew of big plays at the right times (big 4th down run by Jacobs, huge 45-yard catch by Boss down the middle, David Tyree with one of the greatest catches i’ve ever seen, and oh yeah - Eli scrambling and throwing the TD pass with under a minute to go in the game, etc.)  How about the pressure the defense put on Brady?  It seemed like he was on the ground more times in that game than he was all season - and I enjoyed every minute of it.

There’s a whole lot more to say about the game, and i’m sure we’ll have an article or two about it in the next week or so…but for now, i’ll suffice it to say that the Giants are the Super Bowl champions - and they deserve it!

FINAL STANDINGS:

Bob & Brian (tie) - 5-5-1

Evan (way behind) - 3-7-1

But there is a $275 check coming my way from a Super Bowl pool that says I’m okay with those standings!! 

Evan’s Super Bowl Pick

     Well folks, it’s finally here.  The Super Bowl we’ve all been waiting for - Manning vs. Brady.  Okay, not quite – but this should still be a pretty good game.  The Patriots won 38-35 in their only meeting this year (Week 17 in New York), and that game propelled both teams into the playoffs and gave them each the momentum they needed to roll all the way into the Super Bowl.  Will the off-week help these teams by giving them a chance to relax and nurse their banged up players?  Or will it throw their momentum out of whack and force them to start from scratch?  Here are my thoughts…

 New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (-11.5) 

     It’s hard to say that any team has been “hotter” than the Patriots (I mean come on…they are 18-0)…but if anyone can make that argument, it’s the New York Giants.  They have played incredible football over their last five games (yes, I am including the loss to the Pats in there), and only once during that span were they actually favored to win (Week 16 vs. Buffalo).  So does that 11.5 point spread scare the Giants?  Nah.  Not at all – they feel right at home.

     Now on the other hand – the Patriots have been favored by double-digits in nearly every game this season, so they are used to being a heavy favorite.  However, they have only covered twice in the last ten games, and not once in the last five (yes, I know I used this stat last time, but hey – it still applies).  And now Brady may or may not be in a walking boot, and he isn’t practicing, and blah blah blah.  Guess what?  It doesn’t matter.  Everyone knows that.  Tom Brady would have to lose his right arm to not play in this game – and even then I bet he’d just switch over and throw left-handed and still complete 75% of his passes.  The media should stop wasting their time covering the latest update on Tom Brady’s phantom injury and start focusing on what people really want to know: will Paula Abdul actually perform alongside Tom Petty at this year’s halftime show?!?  (Man, I hope so…)

     Okay, but seriously – onto the game itself.  It is a joke to think that the Giants secondary will be able to stop the BMW Trifecta (get it?  Brady-Moss-Welker?  Come on – that is good!).  But it’s not a joke to think that their front-four should be able to get some pressure on Brady – especially if he is actually bothered by that ankle sprain.  That may be the one key to the game for the Giants – pressure the QB.  If you give Brady enough time to wait for Moss and Welker to blow past their defenders, then this game will be over before Paula pours her second drink – whether she’s at the game or not.  But if you get pressure on him and force him to make quick decisions, things could get interesting. 

     By now, everyone has figured out that the Pats have had a little trouble stopping the run this year.  This bodes well for the Giants, because they have a solid 1-2 punch with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Jacobs is sneaky fast for a 6’ 4’’ 260 lb. running back – and he can flat out run over people.  Bradshaw has been drawing Dave Meggett comparisons, which means he is pretty good too.  He is small (5’ 9’’), quick, and can provide a nice change of pace from the smash-mouth style Jacobs provides. 

     More than 85,000 votes have been cast on NFL.com (as of Tuesday afternoon) asking you, the fans, who you think will win the Super Bowl.  You know how many are picking the Giants?  Half.  Half?!?  Are you kidding me?  50% of America thinks that Eli and the G-Men can take down the Perfect Patriots?   Well I’m not one of them.

     Overall, I think this should be an entertaining game.  I don’t think it will be that close, and I do think that under the big “Super Bowl Spotlight”, Eli Manning’s true colors will show – and those are not pretty.  I also think we will see some big plays (The BMW Trifecta), a couple key turnovers (Eli), and about 250 camera shots of Peyton & Archie Manning in the stands shaking their heads, both wishing that dad had just pulled out.

 PICK:  New England Patriots 34 – New York Giants 20 

Fun Fact:  Seventeen sets of brothers have played in the Super Bowl. One set, the Griffins, had three siblings (Archie and Ray in Super Bowl XVI, and Keith in S.B. XXII).  However, Eli and Peyton Manning will share the distinction of being the first set of brothers to start at Quarterback in a Super Bowl.  

Brian’s Super Bowl Pick

Super Bowl Sunday - a national Holiday in the United States. A day when more beer, chips and wings are consumed & more money is wagered than any other day. A time when your wife will want to watch the game to see the halftime entertainment and all those cute $2.7 million commercials. A simpler time when Americans slow down for one day to watch the biggest game in the world!This year brings historical significance as the Patriots try and complete the unprecedented season of 19-0. I’ve enjoyed having a chuckle listening to those trying to champion the 17-0 Dolphins of ‘72 or the ‘85 Bears as the greatest team of all time. I say a Patriots victory in this game makes them the unquestionable greatest team of all time:

Only team to go 19-0 - last I checked 19 is more than 17

Dolphins did not have this level of competition in today’s NFL, less teams, athletes are better, schemes are trickier Bears were more dominant on defense but the Pats offense can stack up as one of the most prolific units on either side of the ball and their total team is much more balanced than the BearsThis is just the culmination of an incredible run in this day and age of free agency and the salary cap. The Patriots are the best ran, coached organization ever in sports history. To me - this is the most impressive run of any dynasty I can ever remember due to the landscape in which it has been accomplished.So - will they do it, is it already done, was the game already played and we all missed it? No - they play the games on the field and that still needs to happen.

The Patriots stand at 11.5 favorites in this game.

I hear a lot of talk about how the Giants are the hottest team in the NFL right now. Couple of thoughts:

1.  How can you be hotter than 18-0? Just because they have not won their last few games 56-10 does not mean the Pats have cooled down.

2.  Correct me if I am wrong but during this amazing “hot streak” didn’t the Giants lose their last game - to the Patriots?

3.  In that loss the Giants threw everything they had at the Patriots; Belicheck and crew know what they have, what worked and how to counteract it.

4.  (2) week layoff kind of neutralizes the whole “hottest team” theory

So - what happens? Will it be close or one of those classic Super Blow-outs?

I predict a fairly close and competitive game and here are my reasons why (can you tell I like lists!):

Brady is a little hobbled, not a mobile QB and the Giants can bring the heat via their front 4 or by blitzing. I truly think the Giants are going to bring everything they can. I pray that they don’t make the same mistakes the Chargers made and play conservative football (settling for field goals, punting, playing straight up on defense)

Eli can hurt the Pats with the passing game - they will make some plays and score some points. This is a very confident unit right now and the Pats D is not the greatest ever.

Patriots are workman-like. This team does not care if they win by 34 or 3 - all they want is the W. They have not been blowing teams out lately and that will be the case here.

This will be a fun game to watch with some big plays on both sides, the drama of the Patriots pursuit of perfection, Tom Petty (okay - that’s not exciting) and all those great commercials (when do I go to the bathroom?).

I plan on drinking quite a few Buds, devouring some pizza and chips and losing all the money I put in pools while enjoying the Patriots spoil the Dolphins last hope (maybe someone is getting married soon so they can donate the champagne they will have no reason to pop). Then we can all enjoy comparing these Pats to the Dolphins, Bears, Cowboys and Niners teams / dynasties of the past as well as cross comparing them to the Yankees, Celtics, Bulls and other great teams of yore.

I’ll take these Pats

Patriots win but Giants cover

Patriots 34 Giants 27

Bob’s Super Bowl Pick

     I’m ready for the Super Bowl.  My new HDTV was delivered last Thursday and the picture is spectacular.  I’ve been wanting to go High Def for some time, and it seriously is turning out to be everything I’ve been hoping for.  I’m actually having a difficult time making progress on this column because it’s distracting me.  Have you ever seen a hockey game in high def?  You should check it out.  Just in time for the Super Bowl.  Let’s just hope I pick this one right against the spread so I can salvage a breakeven postseason!

     It’s a busy time of year in the office for me, so I actually haven’t had much time to monitor all the talking heads and Super Bowl coverage.  Who’s playing again?  Just kidding.  I was able to read ESPN’s Tuesday Morning Quarterback (my favorite columnist whom I highly recommend).  While he did provide some good insights into the Super Bowl matchup, the topic that was most intriguing to me was his discussion of the bipartisan Economic Stimulus plan (after all, he never sticks to just football). His argument against supporting the Plan is that it will be funded entirely through additional deficit spending, and on this point I completely agree with him.  While a check in the coming months may be nice, when will the younger generations (talking ‘bout my generation!) start holding politicians to an agenda driven by fiscal responsibility?  We’re all happy about getting our money, but someone is going to have to foot this bill sometime, right?  Is it going to be your parents?  I doubt it.

     Enough non-sports related banter.  Let’s get on to this week’s pick.

Giants (+11.5) over Patriots        

     I actually believe this game should be close.  I’m hoping for this game to be close.  That’s right ladies and gentlemen, at +11.5, I’m backing the G-Men.  I jumped off the Eli bandwagon two weeks ago, and I paid dearly as the Giants rolled on to victory (even if it was an ugly victory).  Why not back the hot hand?  The near-victory against the Pats in Week 17 of the regular season did something to these Giants.  They really think they can win and truthfully, anything can happen.  Now I’m not expecting an upset, but I do think this game will be closer than people seem to think.

     I’m definitely excited to watch the Giants D-line try to get to Brady.  If they can make their presence felt (the way they have in other games this postseason), they’re going to keep this game well within the spread. 

     Football is a game of resource allocation.  People who study it, and I mean really study it, describe coaching as moving players around on the field like chess pieces on a board.  If you keep your running back in the backfield to block, you lose a check down receiver for your quarterback.  If you come out in a nickel defense on first down to protect yourself against a team’s passing game, you’ve made yourself susceptible to the run.  How Tom Coughlin allocates his resources on defense will determine the outcome of this game.  Now I think he’ll do everything to stop the pass.  He’ll try to make the Patriots beat him on the ground.  I think Maroney will have a great game, but a run-based game that Belichick is sure to employ against a defense designed to stop the pass will move the ball slower, lessening New England’s margin of victory.

Final Score: New England 24, New York 17

Updated Standings

Okay…heading into the Super Bowl the standings are as follows:

 Bob - 4-5-1 (0-2 this week)

Brian - 4-5-1 (1-1 this week)

Evan - 3-6-1 (1-1 this week)

Stay tuned for our predictions - they will be posted early next week. 

Injury Update (Evan)

According to Rotoworld.com, Philip Rivers has a partially torn ACL, and is listed as Doubtful for Sunday game at New England.  The good news is that he’s been dealing with this injury for the last few weeks and has played through it pretty well - but the bad news is that since it has been confirmed that the ACL is partially torn, it is going to be tough to put him out there against the Pats.  He did practice today (Friday), though, and will be a game-time decision based on his pregame warmups. 

LT practiced yesterday (Thursday), but is still questionable for Sunday’s game (he’ll play, unless he suffers a setback).  Gates, however, is also doubtful - and will be a game-time decision along with Rivers.

Even with these injury updates - which admittedly don’t bode well for San Diego - I stand by my pick!  Go Chargers!

NFL Picks - 1/20 games (Bob)

     I have to admit…after going 3-0-1 against the spread in the opening weekend of the playoffs, I was feeling pretty good about myself.  I may have even let the thought: “geez, I should have entered that playoff pool I was considering” slip into my head once or twice.  Well thank goodness I didn’t enter that pool, because I was humbled considerably last weekend by going 1-3.     

     Who saw the Colts’ collapse coming?  Obviously I didn’t, but there was a small part of me that took a little joy in the Colts’ defeat (it’s a sad fact, but I am still quite bitter about the Colts “throwing the game” in Week 17 that knocked the Browns out of the playoffs. For more on this check out my running diary of that Colts v. Titans game.  It’s an earlier post on this site).    

     It actually sparked an interesting topic of discussion amongst my friends this week, as I asserted that the Colt’s loss may actually have had something to do with the fact that the Colts rested their starters in Week 17.      

     Do you think Tony Dungy wished he had put Manning and the Colt starters back in for the final drive against Tennessee to give them game speed experience with the two minute drill?  Wouldn’t some come-back practice have been nice?  It certainly seems like teams that have rested their starters and broken their stride have fared poorly this postseason (Tampa, Dallas, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville).  This is by no means a hard and fast rule and it’s really just an observation of this year.  I think I might spend some time this February (the most boring month in sports b/c football is over and baseball hasn’t started yet) to investigate this further by looking back at past years. 

     What do you think?  Should teams rest their starters if their postseason position is locked up?  Does it hurt their chances of success or give their best players much needed rest and recovery time?  Post your responses as a reply to this column.  Now on to the picks.

 NEW ENGLAND (-14) over San Diego      

     I really wanted to take the Chargers here, but all this footage of Philip Rivers taunting Colts fans and Igor Olshansky making these stupid comments: “Who?  New England?”  You’re kidding me, right?  Not only is Belichick going to run up the score, he’s going to come after our pal Igor and embarrass him.      

     How about that Philip Rivers?  I’m all about getting fired up after a victory, but what does it say about the man’s character if his outlet for the thrill of victory involves putting people down?  That’s not an attribute of a true leader, and San Diego is going to need a true leader if they expect to walk into New England and cover.  I’m not about to back Philip Rivers this week because he’s a punk.    

     Finally, I think San Diego is banged up.  LT and Turner make a formidable 1-2 punch, but Belichick will plan for that.  He’s going to make Rivers beat him by loading the box against the run, and honestly, Rivers is not going to beat the Pats through the air.  It’s going to be extremely cold, and it might even snow.  Once the Pats are up by 10 or more going into the 4^th quarter, he’ll turn up the heat on Rivers and start blitzing like a madman.  After that, I don’t think the Pats ever look back.

Final Score: New England 31, San Diego 16 

GREEN BAY (-7) over New York    

     To be honest, I have no idea what to think about this game.  I really underestimated the Packers last week.  They went down by 14 immediately and the defense responded by shutting down Seattle for the rest of the game.  Favre’s got that Fountain of Youth thing going and he’s going to pick apart the Giants depleted secondary.  Grant was impressive by bouncing back from those two turnovers, and Coach McCarthy showed a lot of composure by not going crazy and chewing out/benching him.      

     I’ve been backing Eli and the G-Men so far this postseason because I was impressed with their effort in the loss to New England.  There’s no doubt they think they can win.  They have confidence in themselves and their quarterback, and they certainly have momentum coming into this weekend.  That being said, they have one less day of rest (does it matter, who knows?) and, forgetting the spread, I just plain don’t think they’re good enough to win this game.  I’m not going to get into the guessing game of saying that Green Bay wins but doesn’t cover (that didn’t work last week…).  Let’s hope for another snow storm so we can get the Super Bowl matchup everyone wants!

Final Score: Green Bay 30, New York 13

NFL Picks - 1/20 games (Brian)

Well - it’s time for Championship Week in the NFL.  It’s really too painful to watch as I still attempt to recover from the Cowboys loss.  At least it appears they are keeping Jason Garrett to lead and provide stability for the organization.  Thank you, Jerry Jones for being the antitheses of Mike Brown. 

I was going to hand my column over to my alter-ego Ryan Brawlings again this week since I could hardly care who wins this week; but he is currently running around the backyard naked, painted green with real cheese taped to his head (made my turkey sandwich a little less tasty), screaming “Favre is the greatest!!” 

So - I could sit on the couch this weekend and watch every minute of these games and get all into it…but I just can’t.  I have decided I am rooting for the Patriots to roll through the playoffs because that way I can convince myself that the Cowboys would not have won the Super Bowl this year anyway.  Mind over matter. 

I think when your team loses it gives you a chance to re-evaluate life.  Kind of like when you swear off drinking after waking up from your friends 40th birthday party naked on your coach downstairs with a huge headache and that oh-so great taste in your mouth… You swear off football and make sweeping statements about how you realize that there is so much more to life. 

I offer alternative suggestions to watching the NFL Championship games this Sunday: 

10.  Who are those little people over there and that woman who keeps putting food on the table? - Get reacquainted with your family!  Go throw the ball with Jr. or show him your old baseball card collection.  Read a story to your little girl.  Pet the dog, and then take the whole family out to dinner (and not a sports bar) - the little lady deserves a night off from bringing you and your friends non-stop wings and potato skins.   

9.  Honey - what’s wrong with this? - Believe me, she remembers the day she asked you that question about the disposal; it was August 28 and then football started and you just knew this was the year for your team so all the “Honey do” lists got pushed aside.  So fix that squeaky back door, replace those light bulbs and clean out the dog’s cage - you just might score more points than your team did in that heartbreaking loss. 

8.  Who are the Smithermens? - Every year you get that Christmas card with the perfect picture of a family on the front and have no idea who they are.  You rack your brains but can’t come up with it.  They look so happy and peaceful.  Call them up and have them over for dinner.  Chances are the husband is just as miserable as you are so you all can commiserate over a few beers and talk about how great next year will be! 

7.  Get out on the town! - This one has so many possibilities.  I am going to gear this one especially for Colts fans because Indy, in my opinion, is the greatest city in the world (ready to receive hate mail form NY, Chicago, Vegas, Venice, Rome etc).  The downtown is clean and safe and brimming with restaurants, shops, bars, entertainment, museums and more!  So get a sitter and make a night of it; or take the kids and have a blast.  Either way that $140 you drop will be so much more worth it than going to a game or a sports bar and coming home bloated and ticked off. 

6.  NBA Action, It’s Fantastic! - There are other sports, you know.  This NBA season is really shaping up to be exciting with Boston and Detroit in the East being chased by King James and the Cavs, not to mention the West loaded with fast-break teams.  Catch a game!  The NBA game gets such a bad rap nowadays when, in fact, it has clearly surpassed the college game for talent and drama.  And no, they do not walk every other play and let Jordan get away with anything and everything he wants. 

5.  Take a nap - Now this one may go against all the positive family themes of some of the previous items, but look at yourself in the mirror.  All of those Sunday night, Monday night and Bowl games have caught up to you - you look like hell!  Get some rest as that way you’ll have more time to…. 

4.  Start a new hobby - Your kids got you that model train starter kit (6) years ago.  For one weekend you locked yourself in the basement and feverishly worked setting up the table and started to lay track.  You could just knew that by next weekend you would have (3) engines running through an elaborate countryside and small town; and now, (6) years later it is still down there with suitcases you’ve been too lazy to store on top and half the Christmas decorations piled high.  Get back to it and do something for yourself. 

3.  Start prepping for fantasy baseball - Your draft is probably just about (8) weeks away.  While all those other fools watch football, get a leg up on who the up and coming superstars will be this year.  Plan your strategy and discover that hidden gem that you will steal in the 12th round.  Make this the year you challenge for the league title by being prepared! 

2.  That clothes rack really needs cleaned off - Guess what - it’s actually a treadmill!  Pack up all the sweatshirts and boxers and get on there and lose some of that beer and wings gut.  Summer will be here before you know it and you just know that the cute teenage lifeguard at the pool really does have a thing for you.  Make sure you are ready to strut across that pool deck and execute a perfect swan dive looking ripped and sleek in your Abercrombie and Fitch swim suit.  Watch out ladies! 

1.  Watch the games! - After all, they don’t start until 3:00 on Sunday.  That gives you Friday night, all day Saturday and most of Sunday to get all this other stuff done.  Do you really want to be the one guy at work who missed Brett Favre’s underhand, left-handed, over the back TD pass or Moss’s leaping grab for his 4th score of the game? Plus there is no football next weekend anyway. So there you have it - everyone in your household will be better off, happier, more productive and you will not have missed a thing! Brilliant! 

Oh yeah - Lambeau will be cold, Favre will be smiling and Eli will be Eli.  Green Bay will cover the 7 and beat the Giants.  Green Bay 26  Giants 17 

And Brady and company will continue the pursuit of perfection by drubbing the Chargers but just not covering the 15.  New England  28  Chargers 20. 

By the end of the Packers game Joe Buck will be laughing like a giddy school girl as he salivates and sets up the Brett Favre v. Pursuit of Perfection storylines for the Super Bowl. Go on now - get to it!

NFL Picks - 1/20 games (Evan)

Well anyone who bet along with my predictions this past weekend lost quite a bit of money…but that’s not the reason you read this blog – right?  You read it for the gut-busting, completely original, side-splitting humor that is indelibly tied to these paragraphs…right?  Of course you do.  Onto the picks.

 New York Giants vs. GREEN BAY (-7) 

     Why do I feel like no matter which way I go on this game – I’ll be wrong?  I’ve dogged on Eli twice, and he’s proven me wrong both times.  But if I switch it up now and throw some confidence his way, I know he’ll let me down.  So what’s the answer? 

     It’s going to be a high of seven degrees in Green Bay on Sunday – seven degrees!  (Somebody remind Eli not to lick the goalpost).  That bodes well for Favre and the Packers because they are pretty used to playing in those conditions, but not so much for the G-Men.  And again, it’s Brett Favre, Lambeau Field, and a January playoff game – so that automatically puts me in favor of the Packers, which is where my loyalty will lie again this weekend. 

     I do not think this is going to be a blowout like last week’s game against Seattle.  I do, however, think that Brett Favre will destroy, annihilate, obliterate, and scoff at the Giants secondary.  They are dealing with some injuries back there, and the Pack should spread the field against them and make them try to cover four, or even five receivers at a time.  You can expect Greg Jennings to have at least one TD catch, and I think Donald Driver returns to form this week and goes for 100 yards and a TD, too.  The Packers defense can shut down the Giants’ run game, and their corners should be able to stick with Plaxico Burress and a resurgent Amani Toomer.  Look for Green Bay to head south to Phoenix on the heels of a hard-fought victory in this one.

PICK:  Green Bay 31 – New York 23 

Fun Fact:  When Michael Strahan recorded a sack during the 2006 season, he and his teammates pretended to take a jump-shot while saying “Ballin!” (originating from the Jim Jones rap video “We Fly High“). This team celebration was short-lived however, as officials then threatened to hit the team with a 15-Yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty should they continue as a group.  So now, instead of celebrating as a group, they look like idiots individually.  Much better.

San Diego vs. NEW ENGLAND (-14) 

     If you would have told me that by the Fourth Quarter of the Chargers/Colts game last weekend, Philip Rivers & LT would both be injured and on the sidelines, I would have bet my life savings on the Colts to win that game.  Granted that’s only like $600 at this point, but hey – I would have bet it.  Then if you would have reminded me that Billy Volek was the guy who had to come in and run the offense for the Bolts, I would have found someone to borrow money from - and then bet that money on the Colts to win. 

     But that is all in the rearview mirror now – and it’s time to focus on this week’s game.  San Diego played very well last week in Indy – they surprised me on both sides of the ball.  Rivers played very well while he was in the game, and their defense stifled the Colts offense when it counted (and even picked Manning off a couple times, which I said wouldn’t happen…wrong again).  And where did Vincent Jackson come from?  In the last two games, he has been a completely different receiver – and when he shows up, he takes a little of the burden off of the “bigger” names of the SD offense. 

     What else can we say about New England – they looked solid against a good Jags team, Brady completed like 99% of his passes or something sick like that, they’re the best football team of all time, yadda yadda yadda.  They also manhandled the Chargers way back in Week 2 (the first game after Spygate), beating them 38-14 in New England.  In that game they held LT to under 50 yards and picked Rivers off twice – but this time around, things will be different.  Yes the Chargers are banged up (but all signs point to Rivers and LT playing at full speed, Gates is questionable), but the Pats have only covered the spread twice in their last nine games, and not once in the last four.  It is clear to me (and everyone else on the planet) that the Pats are the best team in football right now, and probably the best team ever – but the fact is they are not beating teams with the same authority they were earlier in the season. 

     Oh – and does anyone remember the last playoff loss for the Chargers?  It was January 2007, in San Diego, at the hands of the Patriots.  After the Pats won that game, they got out on San Diego’s field and started mocking Shawne Merriman’s “Lights Out” dance – infuriating the Chargers, and lighting a fire inside of them that will come out on Sunday.

     I’m going balls to the wall on this one (hey, I’ve got to try to save some face after last weekend’s O-fer) – my prediction is that Rivers and LT heal up enough to play well on Sunday, Gates gets a double-shot of cortisone in that toe, and the rest of the Chargers show up ready to take revenge on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.  Ladies and gentlemen – the San Diego Chargers will end the New England Patriots’ unbeaten streak!  That’s right, I said it!  Stay classy, San Diego!!

PICK: Chargers 31 – Patriots 28 (and both Bill Belichick’s and Norv Turner’s heads simultaneously explode as the game clock hits zero) 

Fun Fact:  During each Patriots game, 10 men dressed as ‘minutemen’ line the back of each end zone.  When New England scores a touchdown or field goal, the militia behind the opposite end zone fires a round of blanks from antique muskets.  After the PAT attempt, the men fire their guns to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.  ESPN named this one of the top ten celebrations in the league in 2007.  Tom Brady does a lot of things really well – but one thing he doesn’t do is shoot blanks.  Giggity.   

Pacman Jones…at it again (Evan)

It has been brought to my attention that Pacman Jones is, once again, in trouble. 

As reported by rotoworld.com, “Pacman Jones reportedly punched a female lawyer at the Body Tap strip club in North Atlanta on January 3rd.   Jones apparently entered the manager’s office, accusing the club of stealing money from him and falsely accusing his entourage of owing a tab. Jones reportedly lunged at the woman multiple times during the meeting, in what the lawyer said was an attempt at grave bodily harm. Jones didn’t connect until afterwards in the hallway, when he reached around a security guard to “sucker punch” the woman. Not only could this be a violation of Jones’ parole, it could result in the league delaying his March return to football activities, and certainly make the Titans less willing to welcome him back.”A few items in response to this story:

If you are Pacman Jones…

A.  Might want to rethink hanging around with the same “entourage” that got you in trouble the first time.

B.  Strip clubs are probably not the best place for you to be right now.

C.  If you choose to do A. or B., definitely do not do them together, &

D.  DON’T PUNCH FEMALE LAWYERS!!