What an NFL weekend

Sure the draft went down on Saturday and Sunday but there is a much more pressing subject that needs to be brought up. Brett Favre on the cover of Madden 09? This can mean one of two things: Either somebody thinks No. 4 is coming back this season or this is a good homage to a great quarterback who was one of Madden's boys forever. If the first scenario is the case, somebody should have told the Packers before they drafted Chad Henne. And we can all look forward to a lot of jokes along the lines of Favre never throwing another touchdown after getting the cursed cover.

As for my draft thoughts:

Picking Chris Long second makes sense for the Rams. If they had taken Glenn Dorsey there, Adam Carricker would have to switch positions again. Putting Long outside and having the former Cornhusker inside makes the most sense.

You heard it here first, Matt Ryan is going to be a dud in Atlanta. I can't wait to see the mocks three years from now with the Falcons taking another "stud" QB with a high pick. Either that or D.J. Shockley will have stepped it up by then.

I really hope nobody was shocked that the Raiders took Darren McFadden. It was out there from every insider for weeks now.

The Jets taking Vernon Gholston ahead of the Patriots is more than just a spite pick. Eric Mangini is going to love that guy.

Picking Felix Jones over the higher-ranked Rashard Mendenhall looks risky for the Cowboys. The clincher for Jones had to have been an acceptance of a supporting role to Marion Barber. Remember, Jones split time with McFadden at Arkansas.

And as for Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora, an outside linebacker for Idaho, was the lucky guy taken last in the draft. Vobora was drafted with the 45th pick of the seventh round — 252nd overall — and will go down in history as a trivia answer. Congratulations buddy.

The end is near

It's the beginning of the end for a few things in the NFL. SpyGate may finally be resolved now that Matt Walsh is going to come forward and talk to the league and possibly produce the tape of the Rams' final walkthrough. This had better be worth the wait but after hearing what his demands were to talk — assurance that the Patriots will not sue him and a free flight to New York — it has to be something big and juicy. Why else would he want immunity if there was nothing that could get him in legal trouble?

Commissioner Goodell has also stated that if Walsh can produce evidence of the Patriots further cheating, New England is going to be hit by more fines and levies. If their first penalty was any indication of how serious this "crime" is, the Patriots should get ready for a huge blow.

And, what we, as sports fans, are all looking forward to ending is the millions of mock drafts that flood the internet this time of the year. How many different opinions of what *might* happen do we need? One per publication is about as much I need.

Then, even when it's all over, we'll be mowed down by NBA draft mocks.

NFL Trade mania

Strip club owners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area should be either jumping for joy or cowering in fear today. Pacman Jones is a Cowboy. According to ESPN and The Associated Press, the Cowboys and Titans came to an agreement on a deal yesterday but the paperwork on it won't be filed with the league office until today. This addresses needs for both teams; Dallas gets a very good corner to flank Terrence Newman while the Titans get rid of Pacman. Now the only hurdle for Dallas is getting Jones reinstated.

The Chiefs ensured they had enough picks early in the draft to help their ongoing rebuilding cause by dealing away franchise defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota. This move gives the Vikes a very good shot at winning the NFC North — which may be quite easy with Favre "retired" — and maybe even win 10-12 games next season. Many teams are going to be having fits trying to block the defensive line of Minny that already had two Pro Bowlers before landing Allen. They'll just have to see how far Adrian Peterson can carry them.

There's also some non-trade mania heating up:

Cincinnati has told Chad Johnson that he's not getting dealt and may be sitting out this season. Looks like opening his mouth severely back-fired for Ocho Cinco. The Bengals may be painting themselves into a corner as well; turning down a trade off from the Redskins that would have netted two first-round picks could really hurt in the long run.

Another receiver the 'Skins tried and failed to pull in was Arizona's Anquan Boldin who's a bit bitter over his contract situation. The Cardinals may have turned down Washington's advance but if Philly keeps on dangling surplus corner Lito Sheppard we could have a swap on the board.

Some quick April ramblings

Jake Long's going to be the first-overall pick on Saturday in the NFL draft. Moves like these (signing no. 1 picks before the draft) takes all the suspension and anticipation out seeing the commissioner walk to the podium. The least the could do is negotiate a deal and keep it quiet.

The Seahawks did the right thing by cutting Shaun Alexander. If you watched him at all last season, you could tell he wasn't the same back that ran all the way to a touchdown record and a Madden cover shot. So is this the worst case of the Madden jinx yet?

The Sharks are lucky Jeremy Roenick didn't retire last summer. His performance in game 7 last night was off the hook and a huge reason why San Jose won.

The NHL lost out on a ton of ratings by seeing Alex Ovechkin and his Capitals lose. Had Washington beaten the Flyers, Alex the Great would have been facing off of with Sid the Kid in round two. Hockey could have gained a lot more fans watching those two go at it.

Looks like C.C. Sabathia reads this blog. He finally stepped up his game and got back to his winning ways last night. Now, I'm just going to have to wait to see if he can keep up this form against non-Royals.

The Raptors are outmatched by the Magic. They can win one game but I'd doubt if they can take two. That might have been the worst play I've ever seen drawn up to end a game last night.

The Suns had better start turning up the Heat on the Spurs if they don't want to make an early exit. They have to play as hard as they did in game one opposed to how the started to fade down the stretch in game two if this series is going to live up to its billing.

And congratulations to Jay-Z and Beyonce for finally getting married. Those two have been together for what? like ten years?

Sports debate: TV vs. Live

Having recently attended a major league baseball game, a thought came to mind: Is baseball the only sport where it might be beneficial to stay at home rather than go out to the ballpark? Out of the big North American leagues , it probably i,s which is a sad statement for a great sport.

Let's break down the sports that make up the front pages of your daily sports section — with one omission: Golf. But I'll get to that later. Also, I'm judging by my own experience having watched games from reasonable, affordable seats, not the MSG Spike Lee court-side special.

Football: There is nothing better than seeing a game of NFL football live. The experience of watching the game unfold combined with the elements of being outdoors and the "socially lubricated" fans that surround you make football the best sport there to get out to. This is probably the reason why nearly every game sells out, regardless of where you are. How do you know it's sold out? Because if it isn't, you can't even watch it on television because it will be blacked out in the area.

A game at the stadium even has most of the benefits that television would provide (replays, out-of-town updates) as well as eliminating potentially annoying commentary. And if you want commentary, bring along a radio.

Basketball: A great arena sport to watch live. Especially when the stars come out to shine. Watching Kobe Bryant play anywhere is a treat and worth more than the price of admission. Again, you lose out on annoying commentators and still have updates on televisions around the arena. But the big gain is that instead of commercials during TV timeouts, you get cheerleaders or a chance to grab another beer.

Hockey: Pretty much the same benefits as basketball, but colder. While rinks are kept at a reasonable temperature, it can get chilly for those not used to it. The NHL is fast-paced enough to be more entertaining live but is also viable to watch on TV (especially in hi-definition if you have it). The biggest benefit of watching hockey live is the lack of commentators. The NHL somehow managed to employ the worst commentators out of all sports. Watching a hockey game while listening to the commentators will, most of the time, amount to being bashed with over-the-top homerism, severely slanted points of view, people yelling points for no good reason and former players or coaches talking who are about as smart as the pucks they had played with.

Baseball: I'm a huge fan of baseball and avid supporter of the game, but even I got bored when at the game last week. This wasn't a snoozer either with a 9-7 score and several dingers. But sometimes a guy has to change the channel and sometimes a guy has to drink past the 7th inning (cut off time at most stadiums). On television, you get a better view of the field and a superior view of pitches. There is no way you can get a better angle at a pitcher’s delivery or the ball coming in than on TV. That is, unless you’re one of those goofs who bring binoculars and a glove to the game when you’re 45-years-old.

As for the fringe sports:

Autos: If you're a fan of racing — I'm not — you're going to enjoy cars going around in a circle (NASCAR) and also get to see the wrecks first-hand. But all that noise and a good view of only a portion of the track does not sound appealing to this sports fan. When I do watch races, I like to know the information I gain from TV.

Lacrosse: Nearly a combination of UFC and Hockey. Watching guys pummel each other is a great way to spend a night if you're in a city with a NLL franchise.

Golf: Has to be the worst spectator I can think of. Watching guys either tee off or putt will not draw a casual fan. That casual fan would more than likely rather be playing 18 holes than watching an event on his day off.

Everybody hates Chris

Poor Chris Henry. After getting in trouble with the law several times over the past few years and even getting suspended by the NFL for the first half of last season, the Cincinnati Bengals have finally had enough of the mercurial receiver. Henry was released by the Bengals yesterday after being charging with punching an 18-year-old in the face and then breaking his windshield with a beer bottle.

Bravo Chris, Bravo. Stay close to your phone, the Raiders and Cowboys are probably looking up their scouting reports on you right now. Too bad you're not more talented, Cincy might've been able to get a late-round pick back in a trade.

So, when you combine everything that he's done off the field, is there a way he could possibly get away with NOT being suspended for the entire coming season? This may not be as bad as what Pacman Jones did, but the repeated offences combined with the prior bad behaviour banishment should be the tipping point.

Season openers abroad

It's getting a bit ridiculous and cheap ploy for publicity when almost every North American sports league opens their regular seasons overseas. The NHL did it in London for the beginning of their 07-08 campaign and are doubling efforts next season with openers in Prague and Sweden. The NFL played a game in England last season and even had a minor league running in Europe that was forced to close down. The NBA is looking at European expansion as their future and are marketing heavily in China. Even the English Premier League was looking into having regular season games on the other side of the pond.

But here's the nuttiest one of them all: Major League Baseball – who has been opening in Japan for several seasons now — staged games in Tokyo featuring the Red Sox and A's while the preseason was still being played out stateside. Even better, the A's and Red Sox will come back and play more preseason games after they've already opened their seasons. How does this make any sense at all?

Even when the Braves and Nationals open the regular season in the states on Sunday night, there will still have been three Spring Training games that took place during the afternoon. I would expect this kind of lunacy from a shifty league like the NHL but not from MLB.

The players who are forced to travel and play at what amounts to six a.m. on the body clocks only hurts their performance and can throw a monkey into the beginning of the teams' seasons. Maybe they're lucky that they can have a tune up before playing more real ball, but I don't see how this benefits anybody.

The simple solution would be to make the Japan games exhibitions, but then you may not draw a big crowd and teams would likely bring over more scrubs than stars. Would you be a Tokyo-er if you couldn't watch Manny or Big Papi?

So can we try to straighten this out sometime soon? Having a fantasy baseball draft a week earlier than usual to try to get in two games is quite absurd.

Pacman a Cowboy?

So the nefarious Adam "Pacman" Jones — of strip club and making it rain fame — has come out and said that if he's reinstated by the NFL, he'd want to be part of the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe I'm overlooking all of the obvious setbacks to having a personality like Pacman on the team, but he would fill a crucial spot on the Cowboys roster. The other side of the field — the half that Terrence Newman can't shut down — Dallas has been lacking a quality corner for years now. In fact, Jacque Reeves, who played there most of last season, was the most thrown at corner in the NFL. Sure, it's mainly because you want to throw away for Newman, but you don't want a guy who can be picked on like that. Pacman, most people forget, was an all-pro calibre corner before he was involved in strip club-related incidents.

And you know what, if he can swing it, Jerry Jones may just be crazy enough to go for Pacman. He did make a run at Randy Moss this off-season.

One step closer

One step closer With the Brett Favre retirement/cry-fest in the rearview mirror, the next big thing on the tips of everyone's tongues should be Spygate, again.

Apparently Matt Walsh, the guy who was the cameraman for the Patriots and was supposedly ordered to help them cheat, has been hammering out a deal with the NFL to talk. The hold up in this process is that he wants immunity of something of the sort and his lawyers should have no problem getting that. But really, immunity from what? He's a semi-por golfer in Hawaii now or something; it's not like he's still around the league in any capacity.

When Walsh does eventually talk — it's not an if any more — we can finally get to the bottom of how much cheating that Belichick has been doing and for how long. I've said it once and I'll say it again: If he has been cheating by taping opponents signals or practices, he should be banned from the NFL. It would be a travesty to the game.

Another, somewhat harsh, response could even be reverse the outcomes of all the games the Patriots had cheated in. Including their Super Bowl wins if the evidence is there. I don't think an asterisk is good enough at this point.

Enter Aaron Rodgers

Trust me, it’s not too often that big news happens on a Tuesday. Seriously, look at the archives and see if anything significant really happened on a Tuesday. Please note, I’d probably post it on a Wednesday. But an event like this; an event several years in the making has come to fruition: Brett Favre has retired from pro football. An era has ended.

Everywhere you look you can find a story about how great Brett Favre is/was so I won’t delve too far into that. The real question that should be asked is: Can Aaron Rodgers led the Packers? The one game I can point to this season, when he played was against the Cowboys when Rodgers looked every bit as good as the Brett when Favre had to be replaced because of an injury.

But in almost chance that Rodgers has had to play, he’s gotten injured it seems. In terms of durability, he’s like an anti-Favre. Durability is essential to becoming a top-flight quarterback in the NFL; it’s one of the reasons why Favre was one of the best ever.

And how about this: Eli Manning ended both the Patriot’s dynasty, undefeated season and Brett Favre’s career. That’s quite the resume. If he wasn’t playing for the Giants, I’d be tempted to call him a giant killer.

NFL free agent frenzy

It's that time of year when the NFL's new season officially starts and players are let loose on the open (and sometimes not so open) market. Players are dealt, college players are scouted for the coming draft and even some trades are made. So what happened over the weekend you might ask? Well I'll tell you.

Dallas dealt oft-injured defensive tackle Jason Ferguson to Miami for pretty much nothing. When he's healthy, Ferguson is a solid guy to have in the middle of your line. If Jason Taylor does stick around, Miami could have a decent pass rush going on. Even better depending who they draft first-overall.

Shaun Rogers had his own battle of Ohio going on. Before being sent to the Browns, the Bengals had a deal in place for him that fell through.

Derek Anderson cashed in on his Pro Bowl season and is staying with the Browns for three more years. I don't expect him to be around after one when Brady "The Future" Quinn takes the starting job from him. Look for Anderson to be traded around this time next year.

In Jets land, Alan Faneca and Kris Jenkins have hopped on-board. Faneca inked the biggest deal in the league for an offensive lineman while Jenkins was traded from the Panthers. The team sent stud linebacker Jonathon Vilma packing to New Orleans also. Vilma is a great young player and I'd want him as my middle linebacker.

The 49ers are the new owners of old Isaac Bruce. At this point in his career, he can still play a bit, but is more so collecting some cash for retirement. The Niners also picked up Justin Smith to play defensive end. Their defence has quite a few big names now; let's see if they can play together though.

The over-rated Michael Turner and his highly inflated 5.5 yards per carry landed in Atlanta. They will be disappointed when that number crashes back to earth without the Chargers' line blocking and the increased pressure of being a number one guy.

I still don't know why the Falcons dropped Alge Crumpler, the best player the had pretty much, but he's signed on with the Titans now. I guess he likes playing with scrambling quarterbacks and missed having a Michael Vick-type throwing to him.

Lance Briggs is staying with the Bears but Bernard Berrian is not. Smart move signing Briggs, he's worth the cash and keeps the Bears LB core around the top of the league. Dumb move letting Berrian walk, he was the best wide out they had.

Just a quick note to Dolphins who inked quarterback Josh McCown: He is not the solution. You might have been better off keeping Joey Harrington if you think McCown's going to help.

And nothing makes me happier than seeing the current Pats exodus. While star cornerback Asante Samuel left to sign a huge deal with Philly, their other starting corner Randal Gay signed on with the Saints. New England may have to play d-back again if this keeps up.

Quick note on Samuel for Eagles fans. He's soft and he's more than likely not going to work in your system. You would have been better off keeping Lito Sheppard.

Randy Moss is more than likely not staying with the Pats. He's going to make some big money from any team that needs receiving help. Jacksonville, looking your way.

And alas, Daunte Culpepper is unemployed still. There's talk he may follow Moss wherever he goes in an attempt to resuscitate his career.

Win some, lose some: The Toronto Bills

Hey, remember that feature I did once before? Well it's back! What's there to debate this time? The Bills have put together an agreement — originally reported months ago, finalized Wednesday — to bring the Buffalo Bills to Toronto to play a total of eight games over the next five years. Five games will be regular season tilts while three will be boring preseason games that matter nothing to anyone except players desperately trying to make the roster or upgrade their depth chart position.

The winners here? Football fans worldwide. This move could be the first in the a long line of steps towards putting a team in Toronto, or an international location. While it's not exactly feasible to put a team in Europe right now, settling a franchise in Canada, or maybe Mexico, would be beneficial to the league — which is always looking to grow the product.

Fans from both Buffalo and Toronto are winners here considering that while Toronto Bills fans won't have to venture south of the border, the Buffalo-natives get to road trip and see their favourite team in a different locale. It's not like Bills season ticket holders are losing out either, they get first dibs at tickets.

The losers here? Something called the CFL (Canadian Football League) which seems to think they would go bankrupt if the NFL invaded their borders. This could actually be a real possibility. If you were a Canadian football fan and watched a severely higher quality game at a stadium where a CFL team plays, you could realize just how crappy the quality of play is in the league. It wouldn't be too shocking if a CFL ticket holder would rather save up and watch a better product than have to sit through an Argonauts-Eskimos game.

Another group of people who might be a loser in this case is the people of Buffalo. It has been stated that after Ralph Wilson passes — sadly, it may not be too far off — that the team will be up for grabs. If the team pulls in a good chunk of money during this experiment, why wouldn't a group of Toronto investors try to take the team up north. We'll have to wait for ol' Ralphie on that one though.

The verdict here: Unless you're living in the city of Buffalo and a die-hard Bills or are a pessimistic CFL enthusiast, the Bills playing in Toronto is a great idea.

Spygate II

So what happens if it turns out to be true that the Patriots cheated in a Super Bowl, specifically their first win against the Rams, you know the one that's drawing comparisons to the one the lost on Sunday to the Giants. Taping a team's final walkthrough, which the Patriots reportedly did, would be the equivalent of looking at another player's hand poker. If there's a worse type of cheating — other than taking a dive — I don't know what it is.

You may also ask what business U.S. Congress has investigating a matter like cheating in the NFL. You can also wonder why they became involved in the MLB-steroids mess of the past while as well. Let's just remember where these leagues play their games: in stadiums that were built in large parts thanks to tax dollars. These tax dollars were alloted by whom now? That's right the government. Basically, when you're playing in somebody else's house, you better abide by house rules and try not to put your feet up on the furniture.

The real question I have about Spygate II is what exactly are they going to investigate? The NFL already requested tapes and notes from New England, said they'd reveal what was on them (and didn't until pressed about it last week) and then destroyed the tapes for no one to ever see again. Why? It makes no sense. It was reveal that the Pats did cheat in at least six games during the 2006 season though, and why has there been nothing done about that?

Also, what did the NFL ask the Pats for? Was it just last year's tapes? If so, then New England can say they complied with the league's orders and commissioner Roger Goodell seriously dropped the ball. The NFL has to disclose what the Patriots had, how they did it, how far they went and when they cheated. It's the only way to not make themselves look like fools and come out looking alright.

As for consequences, If the allegations of cheating that go back to the victory over the Rams (and maybe even before) is true, then Bill Belichick should be suspended from the league for life and SEVERE fines should be laid on the team. It's the only way to go. All of the Patriots records should be tarnished, sullied with asterisks everywhere they belong.

Goodell has gone above and beyond what any previous commissioner has in terms of disciplinary measures to uphold the integrity of the league. If he drops the ball on Spygate II in the same fashion he did with the original, more than a few people will be calling for his ousting. I'll be one.

More and more jinxes

Just thought I’d add a few more things that lost the game for the Patriots, you know, besides their atrocious, uninspired performance on the field.

- Have you ever seen Bill Belichick wear a red hoodie before? Me neither. Why would he change up his style on the biggest night of his season?
- Tom Brady spend time during the week leading up to the Super Bowl getting not one, but two hair cuts by his personal stylist he flew in. Shouldn’t he have been studying some game tape perhaps?
- Both of Bill Belichick’s “girlfriends” were in Arizona during the week. Distractions, distractions.
- Preorders for a book entitled “19-0” went on sale on Amazon.com a week before the Super Bowl. The book was supposed to be about the Patriots’ undefeated season. I hope every skips over the last chapter; the story doesn’t have a happy ending.
- Boston’s mayor already had the Patriots’ Super Bowl parade route planned a week in advance will New York City’s mayor refused to even think about in fear of a jinx.
- And finally, when Elisha Manning and the Giants got the ball and had to travel 86 yards and score a touchdown to win, I claimed to the room: “There is no possible way Eli Manning can drive 86 yards.”

You’re welcome New York but let’s not get our hopes up for a repeat. In fact, people should be flocking to Vegas immediately and putting down their money on, believe it or not, the Washington Redskins. The seasons after the first two Giant Super Bowl wins, the Redskins have taken the title. Remember that.

Giants win!

There are so many different headlines that could’ve worked here. I could’ve gone with “18-1*” -note the asterisk is still present because of Spygate (which is heating up to white hot levels). I could’ve used “Cheaters never prevail,” because quite frankly, they don’t. Or even an open-handed “Eat it Tom Brady,” which I think he kind of deserves for his smack-talking during press week. But “Giants win!” is more suitable and just a great way of showing the surprise behind what happened.

So Thomas, what did you say about getting credit for being a great offence when Plaxico predicted a 23-17 win and you claimed that you would score more than that? If anything, you threw a jinx down on your team and your own play. And the way you choked at the end of the game, with everything on the line? It was certainly Peyton Manning-esque, which is especially fitting after the comparisons between the two QBs’ record breaking seasons.

Was there even a single omen or jinx going against the Giants? It seemed like the deck was stacked in their favour on that front. Well, except for Eli’s Peyton jinx. So, in no particular order:

Gisele was in the stands to jinx Brady.
The league’s leading passer has never won the Super Bowl.
Strong defence will beat a strong offence.
There’s no roman numeral for zero so the Patriots could not go XIX and zero.
The report that the Patriots cheated in their first Super Bowl win was broken days before the game.
The 2008 Giants were eerily similar to those Pats who beat the heavily-favoured Rams.
Plaxico Burris guaranteed a win. Wasn’t that famous guarantee made in Super Bowl III predicted by a New York player on an underdog team? Broadway Plaxico doesn’t really roll off your tongue though.
And, just for Bill Simmons:
The Ewing Theory potential of Tiki Barber’s retirement was off the chart.

And if Elisha Manning can continue playing like he did throughout the playoffs, he might actually have been worth the first overall pick that San Diego used on him. Is it weird that I still don’t believe he’s a good quarterback even though he just won Super Bowl MVP? What a great story that is too. Peyton and Eli winning back-to-back MVPs is certainly something I never would have thought would happen.

In the end, even though I thought the Patriots would mop the floor with the Giants of New York, I’m glad I was wrong. Now, let’s see some heavy Spygate fallout, congress-stlye. Ban Belichick for life.

Final picks roundup.
The playoffs: 3-5-1
The season: 111-117-10

Super Bowl XLII

It's the biggest annual sporting event in the world and its taking place tomorrow. The NFL's championship — the Super Bowl — is set for kick off at 6:17 p.m. ET at the home the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale. It’s the Giants of New York representing the NFC against the undefeated* Patriots of the AFC and, if it all goes down like I expect it to, it’s not going to be a close game.

Sure, you can convince yourself that the New York’s front-seven will but enough pressure on Thomas Brady to force some bad throws. Sure, you can convince yourself that maybe Thomas won’t be at 100% because of his ankle injury. You can also try talking yourself into Elisha Manning turning the corner and becoming the quarterback the Giants expected him to be, or that New York’s thunder-and-lightning running game can wear down the Pats even to control the clock and game. Gambling-wise you can also remind yourself that the Patriots have won three Super Bowls by a total of nine points and that they’ve only covered two spreads since Thanksgiving Thursday.

But then you have to remind yourself that you’re wagering on Eli Manning and in the Super Bowl. Remember how Eli has those up weeks where everybody forgets that he stinks up streaks of games at a time? This is happening right now. Just earlier this year Elisha tied a record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game. Are we sure enough that we want to put our money on a hot quarterback who just had a week off to possibly cool down?

Another key factor is where the Big Game is being played: sunny Arizona. The past few games have been in poor conditions; in rain, wind, sleet, snow and generally cold weather. This greatly affects passing teams, even the best of passing teams. In relatively good conditions, the Patriots are set to have a great day passing the ball, despite the Giants fabulous d-line play.

And how dare Plaxico Burris make a prediction – that slowly turned into a guarantee by the media – that the Giant would win 23-17. Did he really need to fuel a team that was already hungry? It makes no sense. Don’t poking the sleeping bears you moron! And then missing two days of practice really helped back up that statement, which also gave your defence way to much credit.

Lastly, the fact still remains that for this cycle of the universe, Boston teams rule over New York teams. It’s just plain dumb to take a New York team when these cities match up any more. The Red Sox are going to be great for a long while, the Celtics and Knicks don’t even have to be discussed because Isiah Thomas is involved and then there are the Patriots. The NFL’s New York teams (Giants and the Jets) have less wins combined than New England. I think the pick here is obvious, but if you bump the line to Pats minus-22, I’d give you some action.

Congratulations New England on your undefeated* season. May you live with that asterisk forever, cheaters.

Dan’s Pick: New England (-12) over New York.
Dan’s Score: New England 38, New York 21.
Dan’s MVP: Asante Samuel

The playoffs: 3-4-1
The season: 111-117-10

And just for fun:
The tech guy: New England 24, New York 17.
The Intern: New England 35, New York 3. MVP: Randy Moss.

A big ol' non-story

Really? We're all supposed to care and focus intently for two weeks on Thomas Brady's right foot? Just because he was seen with a walking boot on it the other day? it makes no sense and it's not even worth thinking about. He was obviously well enough to continue playing throughout the AFC championship game and he'll definitely be able to play on it in two weeks time in Glendale for the most important game of the year.

And, of course, nobody will be talking about his foot and if he's actually injured. This will only fuel speculation that really has no business taking up space in the paper or pages on the internet. A sprained ankle (which is what it is) is just a sprained ankle and even the slowest healers can fight off that annoyance in two weeks.

Talk about heart

Criticize Philip Rivers all you want for his play against the Patriots on Sunday but when you're doing so, keep in mind that he was playing with a torn ACL for the entire game. That's right; many people would be screaming in pain with an injury like that but Rivers gutted out an entire game against the Patriots and if their red zone offence had clicked a bit better and hadn't settled for field goals, the Chargers might be taking on the Giants in XLII.

In fact, he actually went under the knife earlier in the week just to be able to play in Foxboro. That takes a lot of guts and when you figure in how much long-term, even career threatening, damage could've happened to him, you have to credit the kid's heart and desire to play the game.

Elsewhere, Tony Dungy is returning to coach the Colts next year. Since he's already enrolled his kids in school in the Tampa area, you have to wonder how much his head will be in the game next season. If the Colts get hit with injuries next year the way they were this past season, Dungy may not have the right mindset to guide his team the way he did. If he's not going to give 110% to Indianapolis, it might actually be better to step aside and let Jim Caldwell take over now instead of waiting for Dungy's exit.

XLII: Pats and Elisha?!?

For the third week in a row, Elisha Manning and the New York Giants faced a tough adversary on the road in the playoffs and won. I don't know if I'm more shocked or disappointed or both at the same time. It wasn't even as much as his effort as it was the effort of Plaxico Burris absolutely schooling Al Harris and the two-headed monster of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw tearing up the Packers front seven.

And what a way for Lawrence Tynes to make up for his previous two missed field goals, especially the possible game-winner with time expiring in the fourth, by hitting the first ever 40+ yard field goal in Lambeau's history. He's severely lucky that Brett Favre gave the Giants the chance with that weak overtime interception.

I do know this though, I'm more sure that the Giants will lose their next game more than any of the previous three. The entire North American media scene is going to be criticizing his composure, softness and the dumb look always plastered on his face for two whole weeks. Not to mention how many references to his brother's past success and failures against the family rival, Tom Brady.

I tell you what: If the Packers' Atari Bigby keeps up his hard-hitting ways and continues playing the way he has been since late in the season, he'll become the next very good safety that everyone touts. He also has a great name.

The Chargers couldn't get it done in the red-zone against the undefeated* Patriots and it cost them dearly. Settling for four field goals when the could've driven home touchdowns is precisely what cost San Diego the game and a trip to the Super Bowl. It may have been because the Bolts were just too banged up or it may have been the outstanding work of New England's defence but that was the difference to the AFC Championship in my mind.

And how about Brady, who only had two incompletions last week against the Jaguars, tossing three interceptions yesterday? You have to give credit to the Chargers front-liners for actually putting pressure on Brady as well as the d-backs for their coverage which — while overmatched by the Patriots depth of weapons — did a good job containing the receivers. Quintin Jammer had a great game and deserves a lot of credit for San Diego's defensive effort.

Oh, and the early line (as set by Michael Roxborough) and my early pick for Super Bowl XLII: Patriots (-13.5) over Giants. What, you thought I would ever take Elisha?

This week: 0-2
The Playoffs: 3-4-1

The week before the bye week

With the Super Bowl around the corner, I don’t think I’ve ever been looking past the conference championships more. Unless something happens and there is an upset, this week is a forgone conclusion with the favourites easily defeating the feisty underdogs.

PATRIOTS (-14) over Chargers
 
There is way too much going against the Chargers in this one. Let’s make a list:
—LDT, Gates and Rivers are all injured and won’t be at 100% on Sunday.
—If Rivers and LDT can’t go, or even finish the game if they start it, you’re looking at Billy Volek and the unsensational Michael Turner trying to guide the Bolts’ offence.
—Norv Turner is facing off against Bill Belichick.
—A southern California team is playing in New England in January weather.
—The Patriots beat up on the Chargers when San Diego visited earlier this season.
—San Diego’s strength in pass rushing could be negated if the weather and field are bad enough.
—The Chargers are among the worst teams in the league in covering slot receivers while New England is one of the best teams at hitting them.
And if those aren’t reason enough, do you not think that everyone will want to see the Brett Favre vs. Tom Brady Super Bowl? Of course they do, even more so than a Patriots loss this week.
 
PACKERS (-7) over Giants

Do you honestly, deep in your heart, believe that Elisha Manning can win in Lambeau against the immortal Brett Favre? Well I certainly don't. The Giants' run has been nice but seriously, the Patriots need some competition in the Super Bowl and the Giants would not be able to provide that. Also, I really do not want to read any Brady vs. Manning stories for the next two weeks even if it means an unfathomable amount of pieces comparing Favre and Tom and their places in history.

Last week: 2-1-0
Playoffs: 3-2-1