Are You Ready For Some Football?

So once again we have another big weekend of football ahead of us. Quite honestly...I only care because there is nothing else sports-wise to focus on. My Yankee withdrawal is getting worse by the day and football is simply a diversion. Now that being said it is time to get my predictions out of the way before the craziness begins. On Sunday we will revisit and see how I did.

Arizona vs. New Orleans:

Who I want to Win: Arizona

Who Will Win: Arizona

In spite of the total self-destruction of the Cardinals last week I still think that they will win this game. Yes I know that the game is in New Orleans and yes I know that the Saints are the better team and yet I am still picking the Cards. Why? One reason...Kurt Warner. I don't know if the man sold his soul or what but the man always manages to find a way to keep his team in the hunt for the Lombardi trophy. They rarely win it but he keeps the dream alive. So yeah...I'm betting on Kurt to outplay Drew which will result in the Cards advancing to the NFC Championship.

Baltimore vs Indianapolis:

Who I want to Win: Indy

Who Will Win: Indy

So help me Mo if the Colts don't win I am going to give up on football. No NFC/AFC Championships, No Superbowl for me, nothing. I don't care what anyone says, the Colts are the best team in the NFL and if they lose to the Ravens I am going to be pissed. Now that being said, if the Ravens win I do hope that they ride this wave all the way to end and that Flacco earns himself a trip to Disney. I won't be watching but I'll be happy for them nonetheless. That being said...IN PEYTON I TRUST.

Dallas vs. Minnesota:

Who I Want to Win: Dallas

Who Will Win: Minnesota

Damn it all but I think that Brett is going to lead his team to victory. If there was a way for the Vikings to win and Brett to lose I would be all for it. Sadly it is a package deal and so I will root for the Cowboys. I will just feel slightly dirty for it as I do. Maybe I will watch Twilight again during this game.

New York vs. San Diego:

Who I Want to Win: New York

Who Will Win: San Diego

This one could get ugly for me. I totally want the Jets to win and I am pretty scared of the Chargers winning. I want the Jets to win because when in doubt, root for the New York team. The Jets might not be my preferred New York team but I will cheer for them nonetheless. I also want them to win because no Colts fan can ever go into a game against the Chargers totally confident. The Chargers are a damn good team and it will take every ounce of talent that the Jets can muster to defeat. "LETS HEAR IT FOR NEW YORK!"

As fun as this has been...Mo help me I miss baseball.

Sucks To Be A Cubs Fan

I may have gotten the # of games wrong but so far things are going according to plan.

Let's here it for Manny and the rest of the Dodgers!

Putting Away the Pack

Hot Damn...it actually happened. Even though it was what I wanted...I am still surprised that Eli and the Giants actually beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau to win the NFC.

So if you want the statistical recap of the game, go the ESPN.com because I am not going to spend a lot of time on that. I am going to recap what I saw while watching the game.

So first of all...it was really, really cold. I don't think that most people can imagine that kind of cold. I am only pointing this out because unless you have actually felt -4 with a windchill of -23 you cannot fully understand how truly impressive it is that both teams played as decently as they did. The cold conditions would have provided them with an understandable, though equally disappointing excuse for playing less than worthy of an NFC Championship game.

Next let me say that Plaxico Burress just became my favorite receiver in the league. On a day where all of the focus was placed on the New England offense...Burress dominated the entire day. I'm not sure if the stats support this next statement and I don't really care. Plaxico Burgress was the most shockingly amazing player of day...in either game without question. He was exciting to watch and made some Superbowl worthy plays.

Let me just say that though he redeemed himself in the end... damn Lawrence Tynes should count his lucky stars that he still has a job. See...I have no sympathy of anyone in speciality profession who doesn't deliver. I just don't understand how someone who has ONE job to do can blow it so terribly not once but twice. Nevertheless...he somehow managed to pull himself together and finally earned his paycheck so its all good. Though if he would have done his job in the first place, the game never would have gone into overtime. Oh well.

What can be said about Brett Favre? His performance was nothing special. It wasn't disappointing...but there is nothing really to write about. I like Brett...but I think I would like him even more as a commentator or even better as a coach. I will give him props because he handled the loss like a champ which I totally respect. Brett is a classy football player and for that reason I have nothing but love for him.

Now let's talk about Eli. I am really feeling bad for how much I have ragged on him over the past few seasons. Perhaps I was too caught up in the sheer magic that is Peyton. For the record, I still think that Peyton is the man and he is my favorite QB but Eli has certainly climbed his way up the ranks. Though I must admit that if Eli plays well in the Superbowl...he might take over as my #1 QB.

I have talked before about the fact that I feel badly for Eli. Talk about having huge shoes to fill. On the few occasions that I have paid attention to his playing...the pressure of being a Manning seemed as if it was going to destroy him and his career. Hell....there were a few moments in the regular season finale in which Eli looked like he wished that he had changed his last name to Smith become a lawyer. It was only been recently that he seems to have become comfortable being Eli Manning. He seems to see himself as more than just Archie's Youngest Son and Peyton's Baby Brother. Sadly, only he and his team seem to see this...as demonstrated today by the asshole (sorry Terry Bradshaw but in that moment you were an asshole.) who started his interview with Eli by saying that it looks like the other Manning was going to be playing in the Superbowl.

WTF Terry? Clearly you were speaking Eli vice Peyton but did you really have to rub it in? Here is a young quarterback who was a total underdog going into a game were he had to endure sub-freezing weather and finally earned a chance to play in the biggest game of the season and you refer to him as the other Manning? Eli handled it with total poise and class...I am guessing because he has spent his entire life being "The Other Manning" but my heart bled a little for him.

My heart also bled for him as the camera crews kept showing Archie up in the heated VIP box, hiding his head, refusing to watch in the big moments of the game. Fortunately I highly doubt that Eli could see that from the frozen field, but I doubt he would be surprised by it. How fucked up is that? I have been there...I have seen my father too afraid to watch me compete and it sucks. It shows that you don't have faith in the athlete that your child has worked hard to become. Its just not cool.

It might sound like I am an Eli fan out of pity...but that just isn't true. In spite of all of the things I just mentioned...the main reason that I like and respect Eli is because he is a fighter. He is tough....both physically and mentally. In all honestly...I still don't think that he and his team has a chance in hell of beating The Patriots....but you can bet that I will be cheering my little heart out for them anyway.

Speaking of the cheating poor sportsmen...I mean The Patriots...I will say but a few things about them. First...they played terribly today which was bittersweet. They won and they still looked like the best team in the league...and they played at about 40% of what they are capable of. So that sucks. I still do not see what the hype over Tom Brady is about but whatever. Hell...the only exciting part of that entire game was getting an unexpected text message that allowed me to engage in some brief mind wandering away from the game, which is significant considering that I was football obsessed from the time that the first whistle blew. Of course...my mind has been wandering off and on all weekend but it is nice to be able share it with someone who appreciates and isn't afraid of the wackiness that is my mind.

Finally...the best commercial of day deserves its own link. See...even though I am digging on Eli...I am loyal to Peyton. The man might not be in Superbowl...but he makes damn good commercials!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0or5HdhX-c

Not A Total Loss

Today was all about football for me...which in itself means that it was a pretty decent day. Everyone already knows the outcomes and therefore I don't plan on dwelling on either game. But I do have to put in my two cents since most of you texted me your opinions and I justly blew most of you off. So here is my take.

I am pissed off that the Colts wasted their home field advantage. I am PISSED OFF that my beloved Peyton threw two huge interceptions. I am SUPER PISSED OFF that the Colts couldn't pull it together to beat a team that is not even close to being in their league. Let's sum it up and say that I am SUPER PISSED OFF about the entire Colts/Chargers game. More importantly, I am SUPER-DO-DUPER PISSED OFF because I don't think that there is anyway that the Chargers are going to beat New England. All of that being said...I still love Peyton Manning. He is still my #1 Quarterback. He is the Derek Jeter of football. The talent and the class part obviously. He is one aspect short of hitting the trifecto and we all know what that is so no point in mentioning it. So yeah I am pissed...but I am still loyal to Peyton and by default the Colts.

For the record...I have no real problem with the Chargers...nor am I a fan of theirs. I swore up a storm against them today because they were playing against Peyton. Next week I will cheer my little heart out for them because I HATE New England. It will probably be for nothing but there are some things that cannot be changed. Someone asked me today if there would be anyway I would ever cheer for New England. The answer to that is yes and that is if the Patriots were playing against McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb and Eagles could be playing against Satan himself and I would still refuse to cheer for them. As I said...there are some things that I simply cannot change. Moving on...

Eli...the other Manning. Hot Damn...I actually feel like I kind of owe him an apology. Eli has continued to impress me ever since I posted about him after his loss to New England. (Still pissed off about that BTW.) Nevertheless...I am digging on Eli. He played well under pressure today and lead his team to their first NFC Championship Game since 2000. I remember cheering for the Giants in that game and guess what...I will probably cheer for them in next week's game too.

This probably sounds strange since not even 24 hours ago I was raving about Brett and the Packers but let's face reality for a minute. It is highly unlikely that either the Giants nor the Packers are going to be able to beat New England. (DAMN IT ALL!) So I base my decision to cheer for the Giants on two points. First, I think that it will be a bigger disappointment for Brett to lose in the big game. Bobby once said that the only person who ever said that it is better to go to the big game and lose never lost the big game. He knew first hand that it was worse to lose the biggest game of the season and the only way for that to suck even more than it already does is if that is how you end your career. So for that reason, I hope that it ends for the Pack next week. My second point is that for the first time in his career... Eli has the chance to move out of Peyton's shadow. If The Giants win next week and go to the Superbowl, Eli has the chance to do something that big bro Peyton could not do...which is destroy New England's fairytale perfect season. Now that is the stuff that legends are made of. Eli would forever prove that he is a stellar athlete and leader in his own rite...and not just because he is part of the Manning Family.

I love football. I have been so distracted this season with other stuff (like the fucking Yankees...whom I still vow to boycott until I am in my grave)...and my own stubborn refusal to buy into Seattle's 12th Man bullshit that I allowed myself to forget how much I love watching football.

In Brett We Trust

OK so I am not actually a Packer Fan....but I don't have anything in favor or against them. I have always been pretty much indifferent when it comes to Green Bay. Spending several summers in Wisconsin did not convert me but it did probably keep me from forming any strong dislike for Green Bay. But today it was all about Brett...and so I cheered my little heart out for the Packers.

How much of a bad ass is Brett? I could recap the stats from today and the career for Brett but it would pointless. Brett Favre is a total bad ass and anyone who knows anything about quarterbacks in the NFL knows this.

Sure Brett had a great day as lead his team to a spot in the NFC Championship Game but it was the way that he did it that was so damn awesome. He was absolutely confident in spite of being 14 points down in the 1st quarter. He was excited even though he has been in this same position at least a half of dozen times in his career. But most impressively, he was classy. He never got down on Grant for his early mistakes, Brett never once showboated as he completed damn near impossible plays, never gloated as they took a commanding lead...he just played his game and played it well.

As with every sport, there are the athletes that I love and the athletes that I hate. Brett is my #2 quarterback in the league right now so you can bet that I will be cheering my little heart out for him again next week. If only #2 and my #1 QBs could do battle against one another in the Superbowl, I would feel like I picked a winner regardless of who earned the victory. Although at this point, as long as my #2 least favorite QB doesn't win the big game I will be pleased with the outcome of the season. It's not looking good though.

Sorry for the delay in the blogging. Most of you already know the reason. Things are back to normal and I am back to daily blogging.

Here's hoping that Sunday belongs to the Manning Brothers!