All-Snooze Fest

At some point in time, all-star games turned from celebrating the accomplishments of athletes in the particular year, to a popularity contest. Reputation matters more than what has been done in the current year of play.

When did all the commissioners of the professional sports leagues come together and determine that the all-star games of their respective sports would all turn to crap? And was there ever a time when all-star games actually worked?

There are flaws in all the systems.

NBA: fan voting has too much influence. NFL: no one wants to play in it. MLB: again, fan voting messes with starting lineups. NHL: fan voting, but I am not going to pretend that I know what I am talking about in regards to hockey.

As we approach the Pro Bowl for the NFL and the NBA's all-star game I try to remember when I really cared about an all-star game. For me, I care more about the preceding events than the actual exhibition games.

David Stern has gone wrong with the NBA in that the fan voting system doesn't work, especially with worldwide voting. Tracy "First Round" McGrady almost got the starting nod for the Western Conference this year, due largely to Chinese fans voting him in because of his allegiance to Yao Ming's Rockets.

But fans aren't the only ones to blame on this one, coaches are guilty too. The reserves are determined by them, and are the coaches are being influenced by reputation more than looking at players' success for the year. I grew up a Lakers fan and I am all for seeing more purple & gold laced sneakers on the hardwood. However, I have to disagree with the selection of Pau Gasol this year. That was purely a reputation call by the coaches.

Chris Kaman is having a solid year and should have been selected. Gasol's reputation coupled with the name of the team on the front of Kaman's jersey didn't allow Caveman to be on this year's squad.

Look, I understand that this happens; there are only a certain amount of roster spots and for the most part coaches and fans get it right. And I don't want to go into a rant about every sport and have a post that takes you 20 minutes to read, but on a quick note about MLB...

Why have a requirement that every team needs a representative? If a team doesn't have a player deserving of an all-star nod than why have them there. Most of the time that particular player given the sympathy bid doesn't even get into the game.

And the fan voting totally messes with this one in that Red Sox and Yankees players are always voted to start due to their huge following (also see: Yankees and Red Sox nations need a life... I kid, but not really).

I don't have the solution nor do I believe that anyone does, each sport is different and the leagues want to sell tickets, jerseys, and TV rights. It gives us something to discuss allowing more attention to be paid to the all-star selections and games.

As a beginning point to a fix, give the votes for the starting rosters to the players in the leagues. Who knows the players better than those that are actually competing against them? Next, give the rights to the reserves voting to the coaches.

Where do the fans come in? This is the fun part: allow us fans to vote for a lineup that plays for a quarter, period or couple innings together. Create our own dream team to play together based on the rosters created by the players & coaches of the leagues, and ensure that the coaches stick with the lineup the whole predetermined time. Finding the most common lineup selected by fans would be tricky for a human, but plug it into a computer system and let it do the work. Hell, the BCS determines the college championship game, it can determine the most wanted lineup to play together.

Cry, cry all we want, we'll still tune in.

Oh, and Allen Iverson for all-star game MVP honors.

Tonight's post was created while listening to Dam Funk's "Toeachizown" album. Go get it.

Fantasy Football Draft

Last night was draft night... And yes, I was that guy—the one who drafts a player who was drafted three rounds prior. Four times.

I'm surprised I made it through the draft though, booze almost took over. Going to start updating the blog more often, and thought posting my nerd life would be a good kickoff.

Here's my squad:

QBs - Matt Ryan, Kyle Orton
RBs - Adrian Peterson, Pierre Thomas, Cedric Benson, Jerious Norwood
WRs - Steve Smith, Terrell Owens, Hines Ward, Jerricho Cotchery, Mark Clayton, Nate Washington, Jeremy Maclin
TEs - Visanthe Shiancoe, Dustin Keller
K - Nick Folk
DEF - Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts

Can't wait for the season to begin!

A Living Legend Retires

A legend has decided hang up his helmet.

Brett Favre, after playing 17 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, will not be returning for his 18th season.

There are players that transcend the game. They are bigger than the game itself.

Favre was that type of player. On the football field he was less than a god, more than a man.

He is the type of quarterback you think about when you say "franchise quarterback."

The Green Bay Packers were already an team considered to be part of "America's teams," but with Favre in Lambeau for 17 seasons it only raised the mystique of the franchise.

People rooted for Favre when their teams were not in the playoffs. They rooted for Favre to break records. They rooted for Favre because he was a warrior.

He was blue collar. He was America's quarterback. Down to Earth ... a man that we could all see ourselves hanging out with in a local watering hole, at the Home Depot, or at the neighborhood barbeque.

In his last season his energy on the field made him look 24 again, not 38. It was a thing of beauty.

What it did for sports fans was rejuvenate our souls. Watching Favre act young again brought out hope and memories for those who once had those glory days, whether long or short.

It made us believe we could act young again. It reminded us why we play sports in the first place. The joy, the innocence, the passion.

Favre is football. Favre is the NFL. Favre is the Green Bay Packers.

Favre will forever live one.

Some highlights of his career (from Chicago Tribune, via the AP):

Sept. 13, 1992, at Tampa Bay. Favre completes his first NFL pass -- to himself. A deflected pass lands in Favre's hands, and he is tackled for a 7-yard loss. Favre completes eight of 14 passes for 73 yards.

Sept. 20, 1992, vs. Cincinnati at Lambeau Field. Replaces injured starter Don Majkowski in the first quarter, and never looks back. Favre leads two scoring drives in the final eight minutes of the game. His 35-yard touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining gives the Packers a come-from-behind 24-23 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Nov. 15, 1992, vs. Philadelphia in Milwaukee. Despite sustaining a first-degree separation of his left shoulder early in the game, Favre leads the Packers to a come-from-behind 27-24 victory. Reggie White, then a defensive end for the Eagles, would later say the toughness Favre showed was a factor in his decision to sign with Green Bay as a free agent in the offseason.

Jan. 8, 1994, at Detroit. With the Packers trailing 24-21 in the final minute of a Wild Card playoff game, Favre rolls to his left and throws across his body, completing a 40-yard pass to Sterling Sharpe on the other side of the field with 55 seconds remaining to give the Packers a 28-24 victory.

Oct. 31, 1994, at Chicago. Playing with a severely bruised hip in a driving rainstorm at Soldier Field, Favre rushes for a career-high 58 yards -- including a 36-yard touchdown in the second quarter when Favre leaped over a Bears defender -- and leads the Packers to a 33-6 victory.

Dec. 18, 1994, vs. Atlanta in Milwaukee. With the Packers needing a victory to keep their playoff chances alive, Favre's diving 9-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left gives the Packers a 21-17 victory over the Falcons in the final football game at County Stadium.

Sept. 11, 1995, at Chicago. Favre throws a 99-yard touchdown pass to Robert Brooks -- becoming only the eighth QB in league history to do so -- and the Packers beat the Bears 27-24.

Nov. 12, 1995, vs. Chicago at Lambeau. Playing with a severely sprained left ankle that forced him to the bench in the previous week's game at Minnesota and would eventually require offseason surgery, Favre throws five touchdown passes in a 35-28 victory over the Bears.

Dec. 24, 1995, vs. Pittsburgh at Lambeau. Favre rolls out and is hit hard by three Steelers defenders, forcing the Packers to call timeout and sending Favre to the sidelines coughing up blood. He returns to throw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Chmura on the next play. The Packers' 24-19 victory clinches the division title.

Jan. 6, 1996, at San Francisco. Favre completes 21 of 28 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers knock the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers out of the playoffs with a 27-17 victory.

Jan. 4, 1997, vs. San Francisco at Lambeau. Playing in rough weather conditions, Favre completes only 11 of 15 passes for 79 yards, but the Packers roll to a 35-14 playoff victory over the 49ers.

Jan. 12, 1997, vs. Carolina at Lambeau Field. Favre is 19-of-29 for 292 yards in the Packers' NFC Championship game victory over the Panthers, 30-13.

Jan. 26, 1997. In Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome. Favre is 14-of-27 for 246 yards and no interceptions to beat the New England Patriots 35-21 -- the Packers' first championship in 29 years. Favre throws a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison on his first throw of the game. Later, he throws a Super Bowl-record 81-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman.

Jan. 11, 1998, at San Francisco. Trudging through the mud in sloppy San Francisco, Favre is 16-of-27 for 222 yards and a touchdown as the Packers beat the 49ers 23-10 to advance to the Super Bowl for the second straight season, where they lose to the Denver Broncos 31-24.

Dec. 3, 2001, at Jacksonville. Favre throws for 362 yards and three touchdowns, but wins with his feet. Favre's 6-yard touchdown run with 1:30 remaining -- his first rushing touchdown in three years -- gives the Packers a come-from-behind 28-21 victory.

Nov. 2, 2003, at Minnesota. One game after breaking the thumb on his right hand, Favre throws three touchdowns in a 30-27 victory over the Vikings.

Dec. 22, 2003, at Oakland. Playing on Monday Night Football the day after his father, Irvin, died, Favre is 22-of-30 for 399 yards and four touchdowns as the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders 41-7.

Jan. 4, 2004, at Lambeau. Favre throws for 319 yards to get the Packers to overtime, and Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck -- Favre's former understudy -- proclaims after the coin flip that "We want the ball and we're gonna score!" They don't. Hasselbeck throws an interception that is returned for a touchdown and the Packers win 33-27 in overtime.

Nov. 14, 2004, vs. Minnesota at Lambeau Field. Favre throws four touchdown passes in a game for the 18th time in his career, but the Vikings rally to tie the game with 1:20 remaining. Favre drives the Packers to a last-second field goal and a 34-31 victory.

Dec. 31, 2006, at Chicago. Favre throws for 285 yards and a touchdown a 26-7 victory over the Bears, the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC. Favre gets choked up in a television interview after the game, leading some to believe he had played his final game. But after once again mulling retirement, he decides to return.

Sept. 30, 2007, at Minnesota. Favre throws his record-breaking 421st career touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, breaking Dan Marino's career record in a 23-16 victory.

Oct. 29, 2007 at Denver. Favre throws an 82-yard touchdown to Greg Jennings on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, leading the Packers to a 19-13 victory.

Jan. 12, 2008 vs. Seattle at Lambeau. Favre frolics in heavy snow showers, hitting on three touchdown passes -- and hitting wide receiver Donald Driver with a snowball in a 42-20 Packers playoff romp.

Jan. 20, 2008 vs. New York Giants at Lambeau. Aside from a 90-yard touchdown to wide receiver Donald Driver, Favre generally struggles in subzero temperatures in the NFC Championship game. His interception in overtime sets up the Giants' game-winning field goal, and the Packers lose 23-20.

---

My favorite moment was the Monday Night Football game in which Favre played the day after his father died.

What a performance with such a heavy heart. I tried to play a soccer game in a YMCA game a week after my father died and I could not concentrate one bit. This was in front of other players and two people watching.

I could only imagine going out on national television in the NFL the day after my father died.

That game was remarkable and I will always remember watching on that Monday evening.

---

Records he holds as a quarterback:

Most AP NFL MVP awards: 3 (1995, 1996, 1997)
Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL): 253 (275 including playoffs)
Most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL) regular season career: 160 (Regular season record: 160-93)
Most career passing touchdowns: 442
Most career passing yards: 61,655
Most career pass completions: 5,377
Most career pass attempts: 8,758
Most career interceptions thrown: 288
Most career games with at least three touchdowns: 63

---

May be so lucky to be blessed with another Favre in the generations to come...

Patriots' Fans: Stay Classy

There are times when sports fans get a little delusional following a championship, an unbelievable miracle, or in the worst case, a bad loss/upset.

Such is the case with New England Patriots' fans after the "upset" that was Super Bowl XLII. Had Patriots' fans come to First To Third, they would have anticipated the New York Giants victory.

Some losers/jackasses Pats fans have started a petition in request for the NFL to review the final 1:40 of Super Bowl XLII. The online petition has 19,267 signatures as I type this entry, which I assume more than 3/4 of which are jokes (I hope).

The first entries seem genuine and I feel sorry for the losers fans that seriously believe that there is a conspiracy theory against the Pats. I hope they do not have children and feed this information to them. The children are the future and it is never a good thing to dumb-down our future.

If this actually gets in the hands of Roger Goodell, I hope he makes like Lou Brown and pisses all over it.

Cheaters.

Super Upset?

It happened. Just as First To Third had predicted: the New York Football Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, ending the dream of a perfect season for Tom Brady and Co.

Aside from last year, it was the best Super Bowl that I have ever seen (because the Colts won it in XLI). David defeated Goliath. Ricky Vaughn and the Indians beat the Yankees. The other Manning was able to step out of his brother's shadow to cast his own over the NFL.

Justice was served. The "evil" team did not prevail. Any given Sunday ... one team can defeat any other.

And this Sunday in particular that was entirely true. The Giants ate up all the doubters leading up the big game and used that motivation on the field. Brady was bothered by Justin Tuck and the Giants defensive linemen. They were the MVPs of the game even though Eli was magnificent in the decisive fourth quarter.

Watching Brady get speared during a sack late in the game was exactly what the Giants did to the Pats all day: punched them in the mouth.

But lets talk about the real issue at hand. Will Brady's girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, make good on her promise that she would run naked in Manhattan if her super boy's team lost.

As of right now it does not look so good for your eyes and mine:

Sure enough, the Patriots were upset, losing 14-17, leading CBS Sports to remind the former Victoria's Secret model about her promise to strip down for the people of Manhattan.

Only problem? Gisele's agent says the supermodel never made such a pledge. "She didn't say it. This is ridiculous," her agent tells PEOPLE. "What's wrong with the world?"

Just like her boyfriend, she is cheating the world.

And what the hell is with Bill Belicheat? Leaving the game early like a sore loser, as did Brady. They make LaDanian Tomlinson look like a good sport.

I cannot believe Belicheat switched up the "hoodie" on us and the rest of the nation for the biggest game of his life. I guarantee the Pats store takes that jacket off their shelves immediately.

If only I had balls and put my money where my mouth was... even my girlfriend's friend had the balls to put up a G on the Giants. And this is me shrinking...

Super Bowl XLII

The biggest sports holiday is upon us. Gather the finger foods, warm up those barbecues, and start chilling those beers.

I planned to do a full break down on Super Bowl XLII this week, but time was not on my side.

So, I will just throw it out there right now: Giants win 28-24.

What? Are you stupid? Maybe.

The top two teams are in the big game. And the New York Football Giants have caught lightning in a bottle. Eighteen straight wins cannot be denied, but the Giants are hot right now. Clicking on all the cylinders that the New England Patriots are running on.

Bill Belicheat is dangerous when he has plenty of time to prepare, but lets not forget that the Giants had the benefit of playing the Patriots this season.

They know what to expect, and know they cannot make mistakes because the Pats capitalize on them, immediately.

You all know this statement is true: nobody is perfect. Not these Patriots, not this year.

I foresee Peyton Manning and his father getting some camera time with little bro and son Eli after a New York victory... along with an endorsement for Disneyland, of course.

Pacman Making His Case For Reinstatement

Pacman Jones is making a strong case for him to be reinstated into the NFL by Roger Goodell. Keeping his nose clean would be the best thing for him to make a case to get back into the NFL, but he chooses to take a different route.

Jones decided to punch a woman in a club, allegedly.

A woman is seeking an arrest warrant against suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, claiming he punched her at an Atlanta strip club.

Fulton County Magistrate Court officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Wanda S. Jackson asked for the warrant after a Jan. 3 altercation at the Body Tap Strip Club.

"Mr. Jones, according to Ms. Jackson, was at the Body Tap Club and she and Mr. Jones got into an argument at the club and Mr. Jones struck Ms. Jackson in the left eye, causing a bruise around her left eye," according to the police report.

He has been arrested six times since being drafted in the 2005 draft.

Jones had told Goodell that he planned on avoiding clubs to stay away from situations like the one that happened this month, allegedly.

I do not get how a Pro Bowl-caliber player throws away a career by seeking out trouble. And I do not want to hear the "trouble is after him" argument because that is hogwash.

If an alcoholic wants to stop drinking he stays away from his drinking buddies and bars. If a stoner wants to stay away for the hippie lettuce he stops stays away from his dealers and pothead friends.

Jones could avoid all this. He has money. Make your own damn club in your house! I know you have a stripper pole in your house, Jones. A dude like you who frequents strip clubs like you without a doubt has one in his crib. Shoot, you are considered a sports celebrity, you could hook up a party at your place with Elizabeth Hurley being the celebrity stripper.

Lock yourself in your room and get back on the football field. Or not, you always have a jail mate in #7.

*UPDATE* The broad already dropped the charges.

Carl Loves His Team

New York Football Giants, you can now thank Carl for the victory against the Cowboys. He yelled his ass off from his living room.

Stinky Lambeau

Any New York Giants fans that will be visiting Lambeau Field for the NFC championship game better be prepared to be surrounded by different body odors.

Green Bay Packers fans choose not to shower due to the cold conditions at the Frozen Tundra.

It's so cold in Wisconsin that cheeseheaded Packers fans don't even shower if they're going to the game - it keeps protective oils on their skin to prevent windburn.

That's a tip straight from the frostbitten brain of a lifelong Packers fan, one you should heed if you make the trip to Lambeau Field this Sunday to see Big Blue.

Maybe Eli Manning should follow suit. The predicted game-time temperature is expected to be in the single digits. And that is something the Giants may worry about with their newly confident quarterback.

In Manning's previous cold weather outing on December 23rd against the Buffalo Bills he went seven of 15 on passes for 111 yards and two interceptions. He was also responsible for five fumbles, two of which were recovered by the Bills.

More on the AFC and NFC championship games to come...

A Year To Do What I Would Like

"This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen!" - Daniel Ruettiger in the movie Rudy.

Rudy's father said that upon entering Notre Dame Stadium in the movie.

The following is a list of what I would do in a year to make me say that (keep in mind I am leaving off events such as the World Cup, Olympics, other events that come around every few years, and events in other countries because the list would be too deep):

The Super Bowl: Easy pick. The mecca of all sporting events in the United States of America. Tickets are at absurd prices for the event and offers you a big party to partake in. And not just one party, but a week full of parties. Celebrities and former athletes would be all over town for the best sporting event of the year in America. What better way than to celebrate the biggest event for the most popular sport in America with celebrities, beers, and the best tailgating foods ever?

NCAA Basketball Final Four: March Madness. The biggest, and most exciting tournament of the year. America's basketball amateurs playing for the pride of their school, instead of a contract like the professional basketball players, in a 65-team tournament. Buzzer-beaters, upsets, cinderella stories, side-stories... the tournament has it all. Hell, even businesses suffer in work efficiency during that time of year because of the time spent on office brackets for the tournament.

Baseball stadiums: The World Series is an easy choice, but who knows if I would pick the championship-deciding game. So instead I am going to pick the stadiums I would want to attend.

Yankee Stadium: Of course I would have to do it by the end of this upcoming baseball season because their stadium is being torn down for a new facility. But I would love nothing better than to walk into the old and legendary Yankee Stadium. Monument park would be a must see on the day, and I would prefer to sit in the bleacher seats with the "bleacher creatures" with an opposing teams' jersey on.

So much history is in the stadium, and my life would not be complete without visiting the "house that Ruth built." I am saving up to go this year.

Wrigley Field: Ah Chicago. Anytime you think of Chicago you automatically think of Wrigley Field if you are a sports fan. Crazy wind patterns, the ivy laced outfield walls, Chicago dogs, bleacher babes, etc. One of the world's most recognizable stadiums is a definite must see for me. It was built in 1914 and the Cubs started playing there in 1916. Not only that, but it is surrounded by bars and restaurants to fatten me up before and after the game.

Fenway Park: Oldest stadium in Major League Baseball. The Green Monster. Chowda Heads and the possibility of punching them in their own house. I have a strong displeasure for the Boston Red Sox, but the stadium is legendary and would love to attend a game. Then leave immediately to have myself disinfected.

I could name a lot more MLB stadiums that I would like to attend, but those are the top three. Really though, the ultimate would be for a road trip with a stop at every MLB stadium.

The Masters: I have never attended a PGA Tour event, but know about the Green Jacket, and Tiger Woods. Plus I heard people get hammered all day long following the players. Oh, and I guess Augusta National is a great golf course.

The Kentucky Derby: Big hats, lots of celebrities, horse betting, and mint juleps.

Who cares about those things when you have the infield to party at? People getting drunk, women lowering themselves, mud fights, and of course port-a-potty racing.


Outdoor NHL Game: The first outdoor NHL game in the United States was played on New Years Day this year between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, and it looked like a damn good time. The game was a success ratings-wise and we will most definitely see it again in the near future.

Basketball Arenas: I would love to attend a Los Angeles Lakers NBA Finals game, but here is a short list of the arenas I would want to see a game at...

Madison Square Garden: New York. Spike Lee. "Fire Thomas" chants. MSG is the arena that every player gets pumped up to play at. It brings out the best in all the players, well, except for the Knicks. But New York is considered to be one of the top basketball cities in the world. This is the first arena I would visit.

Boston Garden: Another choice for historical reasons. And I would prefer to see a game there when the Lakers were in town to face their old rival.

And that is about it. NBA arenas do not really carry the mystique of say, a football stadium carries.

Football stadiums (college and pro):
Texas A&M - Kyle Field: Many rank this stadium as having the best atmosphere in all of college football. Not based on the stadium alone, but for the whole atmosphere leading up to game day.

Notre Dame Stadium: Again an easy choice based on tradition, but would love to see an USC game there.

I also would have put the home of USC, the L.A. Coliseum, but have already been there and done that. Tailgating was great, the stadium legendary, and the after-parties bountiful. Plus, you can never go wrong by downing ghetto-dogs on the SC campus while carrying your drunk friend proclaiming, "this is what happens when SC fans drink!" all with UCLA apparel on.

Green Bay Packers - Lambeau Field: With Favre starting the game... and with snow coming down. The legendary field was voted number one in game day atmosphere and fan experience by a Sports Illustrated online poll.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Heinz Field: $4 16-oz beers. Enough said. What the hell. I thought the Angels Stadium beer prices were cheap. Mustard-colored seats and Terrible Towels waving all game long.

Indianapolis Colts - RCA Dome: Rest in peace. I would have loved to attend a game at the loud RCA Dome, but the last game was played in it after the early exit from the playoffs this year by the Colts. That just means I have to attend a game at their new home, the Lucas Oil Stadium.

NFL 2007 Divisional Playoffs

The divisional round of the 2007 NFL playoffs are upon us. Four great games to set us up for the final four teams in search of the Lombardi Trophy. First round byes are over, and the juggernauts of the NFC and AFC are ready to join the party.

Cue the NFL Films music, its time for some gridiron...


Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre's last dance? According to reports today, probably not. The Seahawks response to being down against the Redskins was impressive in the Wild Card round. But this week they face a much better offense in the Packers. The Seahawks will be pressuring Favre all game long, but he still has the scramble power to help his team pull this out. Playoff game at Lambeau Field? Does not get much better than that.

Especially if you are this dude.

Packers win 31-20.

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts
The Chargers have won the last two of three against the Colts in the regular season, including a victory in November in which Peyton Manning threw six interceptions (of course I was in the stands for that one, ugh). That was a Colts team coming off their loss to the Patriots, and which they were short some key players, especially on the offensive side of the football.

This time around Manning will have Dallas Clark, and as of right now, future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Meanwhile, the Chargers ended the regular season with a six-game winning streak, and played solid football in the second half of the Wild Card game.

We will see if LaDanian Tomlinson can get something going in a big playoff game, which might be a tall task with Bob Sanders waiting in the backfield. This game will be on the shoulders of Philip Rivers, as it was last week for the Chargers. San Diego, say hello to a different Manning that you did not see in November.

Colts win 34-24.

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys
Now we are getting to the fun ones. Can Eli Manning follow up his first playoff win with another quality performance? What color Cowboys jersey will Jessica Simpson be wearing?

The Giants are on an eight-game road winning streak and are a different team than the Cowboys saw in the regular season. Will Terrell Owens play? Of course he will. We were wondering the same thing when he was on the Eagles about to play in the Super Bowl. Expect to see TO playing in the game. He may be limited on what he can provide on the field but I still expect to see him haul in a TD.

Tony Romo better have his running shoes, because the Giants D-Line will be going at him all day. We will see the Cowboys get out to the early lead before Manning settles down and pulls this one out for the Giants.

Giants win 35-30.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots
The Jaguars are the team that everyone is deeming the favorite to dethrone the Patriots in the playoffs. I don't buy the hype.

Teams have proven that you can run on the Patriots towards the end of the season (see: Joseph Addai, Willis McGahee, Willie Parker), and a lot of people are doubting the linebacker core of the Pats, but I do not hear that junk. That core group are some of the most professional dudes in the league at those positions and will be ready for the challenge of taking on the running attack of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

It will be a close one and that will work in the Pats advantage: they have been here before with this group.

David Garrard may take good care of the football, but he will have a couple mistakes in this game that the Pats will immediately capitalize on.

Patriots win 27-23.

Blame The Writer

When are teams, or those affiliated with them, going to learn?

Throughout the year the New England Patriots have been receiving bulletin board material all year long to keep that fire going inside of them. You know they thrive on the stuff, so why feed it to them?!?!

In this edition the Jacksonville Jaguars can thank the jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman for giving the Pats something to seethe over. Ketchman released his weekly NFL power rankings following the end of the regular season.

Harmless, right? Not entirely. Ketchman had the Pats at the top of the list, but with an asterisk next to their 16-0 record. Scroll down and it says "Cheated in one game."

Sure the Pats' Rodney Harrison has said this of using comments as motivation: "If you need that to get you pumped up for a playoff game, you're crazy."

But you know it will be in their minds.

Didn't Ketchman know there was the possibility of the Jaguars facing the Pats in the playoffs?

I kind of liked the Jags chances in this game until I saw those power rankings and the asterisk that accompanied the Pats perfect record.

Ketchman, good luck getting an interview with the Jags' players after they lose.

(*The cheerleader in this post is, in no way, affiliated with Ketchman. I searched 1.5 seconds for a picture of Ketchman before giving up and going with a J-Ville cheerleader.)

We Salute You

While out to dinner the other night ago, my lady's roommate was talking about the "yellow line" on the football field during the games that marked the first down line. She said that when she was younger she did not know where it came from, or how it worked, because it just came out of nowhere.

The next day I ran into an article regarding the yellow line and realized she was completely right. It did come out of nowhere.

From the article:

The system was first introduced in an ESPN Sunday night football game in the fall of '98. It wasn't announced ahead of time. When we did the hockey puck, it had been announced by Fox as 'the greatest innovation in the history of mankind.' And of course people thought, 'What about the wheel?'
The first-down line just went on the air. There was no pre-announcement at all. It really did look like it was just yellow chalk on the glass. The journalists were absolutely stunned, saying, 'How the heck did they do that?' They were wondering 'Do they vacuum it up when they're done?' In the beginning it would take a 50-foot truck full of computers to do it. Now it's down to a box of equipment the size of an apartment refrigerator.

Stan Honey, the person who developed the "yellow strip," describes how it works:

The way it works is that we have accurate sensors on all the cameras so we're able to measure the pan, tilt, zoom, focus of each of the broadcast cameras. If you go to a sporting event and look below every camera you'll see a gold box that has the Sportvision logo on it. That's the sensor. We also characterize the distortion of the lens and we have to measure the crown of the field. We know where the first-down line is because that is entered by an operator. Given all that information, we compute where that line should appear. The electronic yard line has to lie perfectly parallel to all the regular yard lines to preserve the illusion that it's on the grass.

The dude should get lifetime tickets to every football game in America and free Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I salute you Stan Honey, and so does the rest of the football world.

NFL Playoffs Oh Seven

They are upon us. America's favorite sport.

The playoffs of the gridiron after a rough and tough regular season.

Wild card round is upon us.

Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, and Packers are all at home marinating over a bowl of potato chips salivating on who they will play (well Tom Brady is not paying attention because he will be banging Gisele Bundchen all weekend).

Here is what First To Third thinks about the matchups:

Pittsburgh Steelers v. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are a popular pick as of late to "dethrone" the Patriots in the playoffs, but it will all start against the Steelers. A couple of weeks ago I would have liked the Steelers chances in this game even though they lost at home to the same Jags... not so anymore. I think their Super Bowl aspirations went out the door when they lost Willie Parker and Aaron Smith to injuries.

Fred Taylor has been hot as of late and the Jaguars running game will flourish in the cold weather of Heinz Field.

I like the Jags in this one because of a few factors. Their running game. David Garrard takes care of the football. And they have a solid defense.

Jags win 17-13.

San Diego Chargers v. Tennessee Titans
I think the only way that the Titans pull this off is if their defense keeps the Chargers from turning Vince Young's mistakes into points.

Sure Philip Rivers is just as mistake-prone, but LaDanian Tomlinson and the home-field advantage will help the Chargers overcome his bonehead play. The Chargers have been playing solid ball as of late and will pull this one out.

Chargers win 31-20.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. New York Giants
This is going to either be a great game or a puto game (pretty good analysis huh?). But really, who knows what Eli Manning we will get in this game. He showed up big in the Patriots game, but could easily become Ryan Leaf this weekend.

Jeff Garcia is a warrior and had a hand at eliminating the Giants in last year's playoffs. I like both squads' defenses.

If Manning has a better than average game than I think the Giants take this especially with Brandon Jacobs in the backfield.

Giants win 27-21.

Seattle Seahawks v. Washington Redskins
Redskins are the feel good story of the NFL season. Washington has rolled four straight opponents after their tragic loss of Sean Taylor and their immediate loss on the football field.

Besides the Packers, I am pulling for the Redskins to take the NFC. They are the team that no one wants to face. Emotion can carry a squad and I think this Redskins team will beat the Seahawks.

Redskins win 26-23.

16-0

As much as I hate the New England Patriots and watching their games, I must say that was one of the most entertaining games of the year. The four games in which they trailed (Colts, Ravens, Eagles, and Giants) proved to be the best games to watch this regular season.

Needless to say if you follow sports, but the Patriots completed their perfect regular season by beating the New York Giants, 38-35, making them the first 16-0 team in NFL history.

And that is not the only history breaking stat that was broken on the night. Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single season TD record by throwing his 50th TD of the year. Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice's single season TD record by catching his 23rd TD of the year. And finally, the Patriots scored a single season record 589 points on the year.

It was hard to believe that the Patriots would lose even as I watched the Giants move to a 28-16 advantage. Somehow, someway, you knew that Bill Belichick and Brady were going to find a way to win.

Hats off to Eli Manning and the Giants for showing up for this big game. I was worried that this game would get out of hand quickly and that Manning would have been pulled from the game if that happened. But Manning came up BIG for the Giants, keeping them in the game by throwing 4 TDs and only one pick.

This has to be a confidence builder for Manning and the Giants heading into the playoffs and their first round match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They can look themselves in the mirror and say "we can hang with the best in the league".

If you give the Patriots any light of hope they will eat you up. As soon as the Giants turned the ball over, the Patriots took advantage by scoring off of the turnover.

Good luck to any team that faces the Pats in the playoffs. They will need a perfect, flawless game to defeat the Pats... just like how the season gone for New England.

NFL Week 11

The church of sports fan is upon us and lets hope I can pick some winners this week after all the upsets last week.

For the rest of the season I will be rooting for the San Francisco 49ers because the New England Patriots own the rights to their first round pick in next year's draft. The rich keep getting richer.

Indianapolis and Pittsburgh are now in a dogfight for the second best record in the AFC because the Patriots are clearly not losing anytime soon (especially after drunk '72 Dolphins motivate them).

While in the NFC, Dallas and Green Bay are duking it out for the best record.

Picks:

Tampa Bay Bucs @ Atlanta Falcons - The Bucs are coming off a bye week and looking to keep their first place spot in the NFC South with Carolina and New Orleans not far behind. Joey Harrington sucks. Tampa Bay.

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens - Nice divisional matchup between AFC North opponents with Kyle Boller getting the start for the Ravens. Last week he could not throw the ball 3 yards while warming up on the sidelines - did anyone else catch that clip? Anyway, Derek Anderson owns because he is on my fantasy team. Cleveland.

Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals - Amazingly, the Cardinals are still alive in their division, but then again they play in the NFC Worst. The Bengals like jail. Cincinnati.

Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers - Did you know? If Vinny Testaverde starts opposite of Brett Favre, they will combine for the oldest age among two starting QBs in NFL history. Panthers are 9.5 point dogs, but have a good road record. Betting man, take the Panthers to cover. Green Bay.

New Orleans Saints @ Houston Texans - New Orleans laid an egg last week by losing to the winless Rams. The Texans will have Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub back. The Saints will rebound. Betting man, take the Saints as they are 1.5 point dogs. New Orleans.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts - "The Colts are done." That is all I have heard. Yes they lost Dwight Freeney, and Marvin Harrison is still out but Dallas Clark will be back to help Peyton Manning avoid 6 INTs this week. Chiefs are without Larry Johnson and will start QB Brodie Croyle (his wife is hot. Indianapolis.

San Diego Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Phillip Rivers sucks and will not be bailed out by six interceptions by the opposing QB this week. Maurice Jones-Drew is a human cannonball and went to UCLA. Jacksonville.

Oakland Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings - If this game was in Oakland I would pick the Raiders. And they are not starting JaMarcus Russell. Wait, wait. I remember what Daunte Culpepper did to Miami when he faced them. Oakland.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Miami Dolphins - Suck it '72 Dolphins. You should keep your mouths shut if you know what is good for your perfect season. Philadelphia.

New York Giants @ Detroit Lions - This is a tough one. Just when I think Eli has it all together he decides to resort to his old ways. The Lions are perfect at home this season. Detroit.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets - No need to explain. Betting man take the Steelers as the 9.5 point favorite. Pittsburgh.

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys - Cowboys at home is an easy pick, especially against a divisional foe. Betting man they will cover the points as well. Dallas.

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers - This week's suck off. Trent Dilfer will get the start over Alex Smith. Rams woke up for a game last week and will be able to score more than the Niners. St. Louis.

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks - I almost caught myself typing that the Bears will react positively to Rex Grossman getting the start, but then my fingernails began to throw up. Seattle.

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills - Betting man take the 16 point-favored Pats. New England.

Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos - Vince Young on a Monday night? Expect a decent game out of the kid, dare I say a fantasy football worthy performance. Tennessee.

Week 10 record: 5-9
Overall (started week 3): 63-49

I end this NFL picks edition with Randy Marsh making moves on Guitar Hero 3 like I do:

It Is All A Conspiracy

Why? Why do the former '72 Dolphins players keep opening their mouths daring the Patriots to go 19-0 this year?

In this edition we have running back Mercury Morris from the '72 Dolphins talking about the Pats this season:

"They're comparing them [the Patriots] to a 17-0 team? If they were 17-0, but I think they are like 10 games short right now, right? They got 10 more icebergs to go through in this titanic trip that they're talking about. So far nobody's made it across their except us! So we're over docked here waiting on ya!"

"Right now, they haven't done that. Don't call me when you're in my town. Call me when you're on my block and I see ya next door when you're moving your furniture in. That's when I know you're going to the championship to play. And if you win it I'll be dressed up in a tuxedo waiting on my bride."

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I am not blaming this on Morris, I blame ESPN. It is a conspiracy. They want a Boston year. How the hell did this interview come about?

In the morning roundtable of ESPN: "So far we couldn't get any comments this week from some of the '72 Dolphins, but I heard Mercury Morris is throwing a couple of brews back on the golf course today. Lets get a team there, wait until he has a 6er in him, then put the microphone in his face."

Doesn't ESPN have better things to cover? Immediately after this interview was shot I guarantee the video was sent to an ESPN reporter in Foxboro and shown to all the Patriots players.

I beg you '72 Dolphins, please keep your mouth shut... these Pats do not need any more motivation.

Dallas Cowboys On 'Roids?

This might be hearsay, but a Plano trainer is claiming that he supplied Cowboys players with steroids, both current and former.

From The Dallas Morning News:

A man who pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of illegal steroids has given federal authorities the names of former and current Dallas Cowboys players who he says he supplied with performance-enhancing drugs, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

David Jacobs, 35, has not publicly named any of the players he says he has supplied with drugs. None of his claims has been publicly verified, and no evidence has been released related to the involvement of the athletes.

The Cowboys claim to have no knowledge of Jacobs, and that might be true. He may just be trying to bring down anyone he can with him, or he might be telling the truth. I say it is the latter.

I just want to make sure that Cowboy-haters have as much ammunition as possible because the whole "Tony Homo" gets old after awhile.

The whole steroids allegations in sports are getting ugly. Every week more performance-enhancing drugs busts are happening, and accusations are coming out against players in the professional leagues.

But we have to live with it in the sports world. Shoot, we even have ex-NFL players admitting to the use of them on the radio waves like Mike Golic did on ESPN radio. I cannot say anything bad about Golic though because I actually like the dude.

I shot up before. Really, I am serious. Look how big I am. I have the scars on my butt to prove it.

Goodbye NFL Week 10

Week 10 of the NFL season has officially come and gone after the Seattle Seahawks took care of the San Francisco 49ers in a 24-0 win. It was the Niners seventh straight loss after winning their first two games.

I am not going to lie, I watched about 1 minute of this game because the UCLA basketball came on and I never looked back. Kevin Love is the man... Anyway, the 49ers were only able to manage 173 yards of offense against the Seahawks.

I do not know how much longer Alex Smith will be playing starting this season, but damn, poor dude is having a bad season. He has only 2 TDs in the six games he has played in (I am not counting a game when he played briefly).

The Seahawks are in first place of the NFC Worst West.

I did not get to see as many games this week because I was eating/drinking at Qualcomm Stadium parking lot in anticipation of Peyton Manning throwing a Colts record 6 interceptions.

What did catch in the parking lot was a combination of the Cowboys/Giants and the Bears/Raiders games. The Raiders game was just ugly to watch, and you know it is bad when Rex Grossman comes into the game to be the hero. And what the hell was with the Giants pass coverage, mainly on Terrell Owens. Dude tore them up. As much as it pains me to say it, he is having a great year. He made the Giants look silly.

Quick hits: The Falcons won their second straight game after a game-winning TD was thrown by Joey Harrington to defeat the Panthers. Like I predicted, Donovan McNabb pulled a Donovan McNabb by having a great game to propel the Eagles over the Redskins. The Jaguars avenged a week 1 loss to the Titans to move into a tie for second place in the AFC South. Cleveland needs to learn how to close games, especially against division rivals, as the Steelers rallied for a big victory. The Vikings took a big blow by losing Adrian Peterson in a 34-0 loss to the now 60,000-passing-yards-Brett Favre and the Packers. Steve McNair had three turnovers all by himself, and Shayne Graham kicked a Bengals record 7 FGs in their win. Miami almost won their first game, but decided it would be cool to continue to be winless, so they lost to the Bills. Denver won for the first time since 2002 in Kansas City. The Lions layed an egg and were upset by the Cardinals.

Stink team of the week: New Orleans did not play like a team on a four-game winning streak, as they were upset by a winless St. Louis Rams team. They were jammed 37-29. The Rams scored 34 unanswered points after the Saints scored on their opening drive.

My picks were atrocious, as the upsets made me look stupid (or maybe I really am).
This week's record: 5-9 (ouch)
Overall record: 63-49

*Side note: I just put two pieces of Dubble Bubble in my mouth and now my jaw is killing me. I do not know how Terry Francona chews the Dubble Bubble like crazy.*

Damn That Was Ugly

Yesterday was not a good day for Mr. Peyton Manning. A NFL team should not have a shot in hell to win a game any time a quarterback throws six INTs.

But somehow, the Colts had the opportunity to take a one-point lead with 1:31 left in the game with Adam Matthew Vinatieri lining up for a field goal. One of the most clutch field goal kickers then found a way to kick the 29-yard chip shot wide right. Game over. Or not.

Manning still had a chance to make a miracle run down the field after the Colts held the San Diego Chargers to a three-and-out. But with no timeouts and average receivers on the field, Manning had no choice but to throw it to a Chargers player instead, for his sixth interception.

Chargers win, 23-21.

The Chargers played well in the first half, mainly special teams and their defense. Philip Rivers had a below average game, throwing for 104 yards, two interceptions and zero TDs.

They did not score a point in the second half and were primed to be caught by the Colts.

Unfortunately for Manning, the Chargers defense shut down Joseph Addai and the Colts run game, so he had to throw for much of the day. Never a bad thing for Manning, but he was without three consistent receivers: Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison, and Anthony Gonzalez.

Manning got to throw to Bryan Fletcher, Ben Utecht, Aaron Moorehead, and Craphonso Thorpe. Yesterday was Thorpe's first NFL catch in his career. Yes, Manning had Reggie Wayne as well, but one receiver can only do so much while being double covered.

Just makes you realize that a quarterback does not make a team. Manning was lost without his normal receivers. He had to acquaint himself to the receivers during the game and looked like his little brother on the day. Okay, that was an unjustified shot, as Eli is not that bad, but Peyton did not look like Peyton the day.

Tom Brady is on fire this year because he has a 21-year-old version of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth to throw to. Last year he had the dude with the bugged out eyes in Reche Caldwell (side note: I forgot dude's name so I googled "bug eyed patriots receiver" and his name came up immediately, classic).

I say the Colts win last night's game if they had Dallas Clark playing in the game. There were ugly dropped passes that could have changed the game.

It was my first NFL game that I have attended and could not have asked for a better time. Tailgating for a good five hours (albondigas, carne asada, rib eye, coors light), train ride, and got heckled a little.

You know how the camera shakes during the television broadcast when the crowd is going nuts? Well, that is the realness, as I felt that going through my body when the crowd was trying to make Manning and Co. deaf.

Weekly NFL wrap up coming after tonight's MNF great matchup of the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.