I used to hate the New England Patriots because I feared that they would eliminate the Indianapolis Colts like they did every year. That hate and fear turned into respect, because at the end of the day they earned the rings* (maybe with some help).
It seems as of late they are getting soft though. The players were presented with rings to commemorate last year's run, and perfect regular season march to the playoffs.
Owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft presented the players with rings. On one side of the ring, it reads "16-0 -- perfect season." On the other, it reads "18-1, AFC Championship."
In addition, a banner was made to commemorate the season, and it was unveiled at the ceremony, with Kraft pulling a rope as it came down from the ceiling. It will be displayed at Gillette Stadium, next to the team's Super Bowl banners.
"16-0 -- perfect season" with "18-1, AFC Championship" on the other side? Make up your damn mind as to what you are celebrating. Oh, and by the way, "16-0" is not a perfect season, it is a perfect regular season. Silly losers.
I never get the whole point of celebrating a loss. I don't like seeing division or conference championship banners in stadiums, what is the point. John Wooden laughs at the notion of getting rings after losing in the Super Bowl.
Those rings have as much value as Lindsay Lohan wearing a sobriety band.
If you have ever read First To Third, then you know that the New England Patriots and anything related to them recently are a fun target.
Especially Bill "Emperor Palpatine" Belichick.
The Patriots may not have won the Super Bowl against the New York Football Giants, but Belichick got the honor of donning the front of a magazine cover for an upcoming issue.
The Evil Genius, sporting his shiny barber smock in the photo, really isn’t the focus of the Spirt cover story. Sadly. He’s just a prop to illustrate the piece that asks the age-old question: “If one of Boston’s professional athletes announced he was gay would his team and the fans rally around him?” Spirit Publisher David Zimmerman said they chose Belichick to be their March/April covercoach because “he is, currently, the most recognizable coach in the New England area.”
Palpatine is probably real happy about this. I can just hear his comment now: "We're gonna worry about this issue at hand. Gonna move past it once the next issue comes out. That's not a question, we are done."
First To Third has no problem with the gay and lesbian community, but just takes any opportunity it can to tease Belichick (not that he even cares what I have to say).
Suck it Belichick. Wait, wait, I don't want to think about that.
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.
Before I lose myself to the weekend, I am dropping the weekly lazy entry on you for this week.
There were a couple of big things going on this week following the Super Bowl... national signing day, debut of Gasol with the Lakers, Shaq going back to the West (more on that later), and two college basketball juggernauts went at it (Duke v. UNC).
Here are First To Third's favorites:
- Looking for the 19-0 Historic Championship Run Patriots book? Well it certainly cannot be found here. The "jinx" book can be found in your neighborhood hobo's fire can.
- The '72 Miami Dolphins threw in one more jab to the 18-1 New England Patriots by creating a "Perfectville" commercial.
- A San Ysidro High School soccer coach choked a Otay High School player in the second half of their game. The incident led to an all-out brawl in which a spectator kicked the choke victim in the face. High school soccer, always dangerous. I got into a fight in our first away game in high school. It was a draw, but word spread to the varsity players that I had kicked the dude's ass; I stuck with that assessment.
- Don't believe that the Patriots cheated in Super Bowl XXXVI? Well a "staff" member knows the truth and is trying to make some cash before the evidence comes out.
- A swimming coach at a high school in Kokomo, Indiana is in police custody on child pornography charges after being accused of hiding a videocamera in the girls' locker room. As if staring at high school girls in swim suits for a living is not creepy enough.
- Sam Cassell wants to join the Boston Celtics, so he introduced himself to Rajon Rondo with a high five... problem is, he missed, badly.
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...
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.
Three more games. Two of which will be played this Sunday. Super Bowl XLII is coming.
We had two upsets last week (sort of). The San Diego Chargers defeating the Indianapolis Colts was definitely an upset. And many were surprised that the New York Football Giants were able to defeat Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Jessica Simpson and the Cowboys.
New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers Single digit weather. The Frozen Tundra in full effect. Destiny for Brett Favre?
Eli Manning and the Giants have made a improbable run in these playoffs. No one thought Tom Coughlin could get this team as far as they have gone, especially with an inconsistent Eli Manning as their quarterback. But, the team has become a strong unit and are looking to upset the Packers in Lambeau.
I am taking the Giants in this one. Do not get me wrong, in my heart I want Favre to get a ring this year, but I think the Giants have caught lightning in a bottle.
Manning is handling the football like his older brother, their defense is solid, and they are confident in what they are doing. The cold weather may get to Manning in the beginning of the game, but Brandon Jacobs will help Eli by carrying the load.
The Giants defensive front line will be chasing Favre all day, more than the Seahawks did last week. But expect to see them have success in chasing him down.
Hey, if you cannot have the older Manning in the big game, then why not have the younger?
Giants win 27-23.
San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots Philip Rivers may be out. LaDanian Tomlinson is banged up. Antonio Gates is probably out.
The Chargers are trusting Billy Volek in this one? Sure, he was able to take out the Indianapolis Colts, but he will be going up against the juggernaut offense of the Patriots.
The Patriots are on a mission and I think the only hope of stopping them is in one of the NFC teams. The Chargers are too beat up despite the talent on their team. I have not watched any of the Patriots games recently because it depresses me to watch them pull out victories week after week.
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.
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.
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.)
Dirty. Nasty. Sick. Whatever you want to call it. That dunk sticks out in my mind for 2007. More on that dunk and the Warriors later.
Another beautiful year of sports has passed. There were ugly stories, beautiful stories, arrests, substance abuse accusations, cinderella stories, champions were crowned... just another 12 months of entertainment.
The following is a list of the great moments according to First to Third sports blog:
- Peyton Manning and the Colts finally win the big one. Sure, Super Bowl XLI is considered to be part of the 2006 NFL season, but the game was played in February, along with the AFC championship game.
The Colts finally exercised their demons by defeating the Patriots when it counts. Then they went on to beat the Chicago Bears to crown Indianapolis champions and make Tony Dungy the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl.
Going into the playoffs the Colts were not looked at as the favorites to get to the championship game, but their less than stellar defense woke up at the right time and carried the squad to the Lombardi trophy.
Always a good thing when a great quarterback like Manning can get that monkey off his shoulders by winning a ring.
- Someone stop Boston. The Red Sox looked like they were headed for the golf courses before coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, and eventually went on to win the World Series.
Everything looked bleak for Boston. Any pitcher not named Josh Beckett was getting hit by the Indians and Manny Ramirez was posing for home runs even though his team trailed by six runs late in the game. But the power of Rachel Phelps came over the Indians, and they choked away their chance at a World Series.
The New England Patriots. Have you heard of them lately? Spy gate came out and all hell broke loose. Dudes got pissed, and the rest of the league is paying. Every week they were going into the games with the mentality of, "we are going to kick your ass... and you can't do shit about it."
They completed the first 16-0 regular season and will be looking to move to 19-0 on the season as they chase the Lombardi trophy going into 2008.
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen head to the Celtics. Garnett finally got his opportunity to play for a championship-caliber team with the "Three-headed monster." Paul Pierce, Allen, and Garnett quickly gelled and have started the NBA season 26-3 in 2007 (moved to 27-3 tonight).
2008 will show whether or not their dynamic three can reach that Larry O'Brien trophy.
- Retirement. Tough on the eyes. Losing his mystic. Those were the thoughts going through my mind about Brett Favre before the beginning of the 2007 season. Boy was I wrong. I thought Favre should have retired following the 2004 season because the Packers went a respectable 10-6, and 2005 was just ugly.
Something sparked inside Favre though. The Packers won their final four games in 2006, and that momentum carried into the 2007 season. The Packers ended the regular season with a 13-3 record and Favre looked like a young 20-year-old on the football field.
Ron Jaworski was talking about asking Favre about his arm strength before a game. Favre looked at Jaworski, told him to watch the pylon. Standing at the 50-yard-line, Favre nailed the pylon and answered Jaworski's question about his arm.
I am glad you never left Brett. Good luck in the playoffs, I will be rooting for you.
- Upsets in college football. First there was Appalachian State over Michigan. And then there was Stanford over USC. There were more, but those stuck out in my mind.
The Appalachian State game was obviously the biggest upset of the year... maybe ever. And the Stanford upset was a personal favorite of First to Third, because UCLA is a personal favorite here. We are probably talking about USC being in the BCS Championship Game had they taken care of business and beat Stanford on that day.
- Claire Markwardt. I wrote about this girl in the past, here.
Amazing story. Amazing heart.
- Barry Bonds. He broke the record. I missed witnessing it in person by one day. One day. What many look at as the holy grail of sports records. Many want to put an asterisk on the record, but it was still fun to watch and I was not one to pass judgment, especially since he never tested positive.
Sure he was name on the Mitchell Report, but his name (and head) have always been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
It was entertainment, and that is what sports is all about.
- Best bowl game. Ever. Boise State over Oklahoma. Most entertaining game I have ever seen.
An instant classic... no question about it.
- The Uglies of 2007: Marion Jones. The George Mitchell report. Tim Donaghy. Michael Vick. You know the stories. It is easy to rehash on the negatives. Lets hope 2008's ugly stories are a little more bearable to look at.
- And now to my favorite story of 2007. The Golden State Warriors. Don Nelson was always a favorite of mine in the NBA. Baron Davis is an ultimate favorite of First to Third. Anytime those two combine to take down the Dallas Mavericks is fine by me.
Not only was this the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, but that series also rekindled my love for the NBA. Their play against the Mavericks reminded me of school yard ball. When you and your boys are playing ball at your favorite park/school/gym and you cannot be touched.
Everywhere you are passing is hitting the right guy. Everything you shoot is the right shot. The team is a well-oiled machine, and for those moments that you are on the court you seem invincible.
The Warriors were school yard kids having the time of their lives against Mavericks. They were jazz mixed with hip-hop on the hardwood, sort of like A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory album.
I could not, and would not miss a game of the series. The crowd at the Oracle Arena made me want to be a Warriors fan, and after a couple of playoff games, I was.
Unfortunately their run ended against the Utah Jazz, but we still got the dunk gem of Davis posterizing Andre "I must break you" Kirilenko.
Coupled with the youth of the Lakers to start the 2007-2008 season, the Warriors gave me a reason to take time out of my life to watch my first love again.
So there you have it. The favorites of 2007 according to First To Third Sports blog.
Oh, and I left one off the list.
- The birth of First To Third Sports Blog. Smiley face.
Raise your glasses to the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. Lets have some fun.
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.
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.
In honor of Veteran's Day being observed today, I would like to bring to your attention that the new "evil empire" (aka Boston teams, in this case the New England Patriots), stiffed Iraq War veterans yesterday.
From the Boston Herald:
Hundreds of hopeful Iraq War veterans and their families had their hearts broken on Veterans Day when their heroes, the New England Patriots, were MIA at a Gillette Stadium luncheon billed as a Patriots tribute to the National Guardsmen’s bravery and sacrifice.
“We were told that the Patriots were going to be there - that’s why we brought our families,” said Sgt. Sean Morrison, who returned from his second year-long tour in Iraq in September. “All the soldiers showed up in uniform and their families were in Patriots gear waiting for the Pats to show up.”
To the Patriots defense it was a miscommunication between the front office and the team. They were not told they were expected to attend the event.
But do not let them off so easy. At your workplace don't you know everything that is going on in the office? Like knowing when you are expecting visitors from another company, customer, etc.?
So why wouldn't the Pats know about the event and that it originally said that some players would be there to meet and greet the veterans.
Sgt. First Class Daniel Saulnier drove to the Foxboro luncheon from North Reading.
“I brought my wife, her sister and my brother,” he said. “It was basically a waste of time to even go there. The whole reason to go was to see the Patriots. Yeah, there was a free meal and two cheerleaders and one Super Bowl ring instead of three rings but there was absolutely no Patriots.”
Saulnier said the crowd was upset.
“A lot of us brought stuff to be signed by the Patriots,” he said. “Kids brought hats, jerseys, and footballs. They lugged all that stuff in for nothing. It was real depressing. It was just a disappointment all across the board.”
Yes. Yes. Hate the Patriots more. Wait, not such a good idea.
Those guys are really going to put the pounding on some teams if people are aware of this story and it comes out into the national media in a negative way.
Forget that you read this, it never happened. Do not tell a veteran, friend, family member, anyone.
The Pats will probably read the story in the Herald and dedicate the rest of the season to the soldiers, meaning they have another reason to kill everyone in the NFL.
You sly little dogs, Boston Herald. Creating more motivation for Bill Belichick and Co. in your local media.
I think Don Shula has made sure that we will see the first 100-point game by an NFL team this year. Shula stated that this New England Patriots team should have an asterisk next to their season if they go undefeated this season.
"The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it," Shula told the Daily News yesterday. "Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,00 and they lost a first-round draft choice. That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found."
"I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds' home run record."
Oh snap. Great, another way for the Patriots to motivate themselves. Damn you Colts! You had the game in hand, lost, and now the Patriots just got more motivation to tear the NFL a new one.
Dolphins are dead when they meet the Pats in week 16 in Foxboro. You know Bill Belichick is going to make sure Tom Brady hangs a 100-spot on the Dolphins to spite Shula.
Shula should have kept his mouth shut if he wanted to keep his record intact of having the only undefeated team. If the Patriots go undefeated I say the 1972 Dolphins squad (the perfect season team) gather up rats and throw them in Shula's restaurant.
He also went on to say that he might seek those to support his thoughts.
Told that he might get support in his desire to have an asterisk placed next to New England's potential perfect season, Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, said, "I don't know how people can't agree with that."
NFL week 9 ended today in an anti-clamatic contest to follow up the huge Colts-Pats contest.
It lived up to the hype. The Colts played like the defending Super Bowl champs for 52 minutes, then decided to give the game away in the final eight. To the Patriots credit they earned the victory by coming back from 10 points down on the road and against the Colts.
Colts receivers made uncharacteristic mistakes by dropping passes. Two that were huge. One by Tony Gonzalez in the end zone, and another with Reggie Wayne beating two defenders and letting the ball slip through his hands in what would have been a touchdown.
They also settled for field goals early in the game when they reached the red zone. Not going to get the "W" against a team like the Patriots when you let your opportunities slip away. I knew the Colts had a chance to win this game before it started and I was proved right.
The Colts defense held the Pats receivers in check for 52 minutes before letting Tom Brady dissect the backfield.
Tony Dungy and the Colts had this game in hand, but let the Pats take it from them. Good thing they will not meet again until January in the AFC Championship game because I think I would flip too many people out by my screaming and antics.
I wore myself out watching this game and ended up passed out on my little cousin's bed snoring my head off.
The consolation that I can take from this loss is that I had $50 on the Colts (+5) and walked away a little richer.
Quick hits on the rest of the games: Donovan McNabb got the ball to Brian Westbrook a lot in their loss to Dallas, screw Tony Romo. LaMont Jordan is killing my fantasy team and will be cut after rushing for 10 yards in the Raiders loss to the Texans. Browns are 5-3 after downing the Seahawks on a game-winning FG in overtime. The Bucs shot some Cardinals. Jets fans should stop watching this season after blowing another game in an OT loss to the Redskins. New Orleans made me look foolish by saying that the Jaguars could slow down their offense. Adrian Peterson set an NFL record for single-game rushing yards in a game in the Vikings win over the Chargers, ouch (he was seen walking on water after the game). Brett Favre continues to make me watch Packers games as he looked like a 21-year-old in their win over the Chiefs. The Titans continue to stay right behind the Colts after winning at home versus Carolina. Lions are 6-2, let me say that again, the Detroit Lions are 6-2 after dominating the Broncos. Bengals continue to underachieve after losing to the Bills. The Falcons won this week's suck fest by beating the 49ers.
And you may already know by now, but the Steelers tore up the Ravens tonight. Ben Roethlisburlaksjfaer threw 5 TDs in the first half in the 38-7 victory. Their defense was stellar tonight, with James Harrison shining bright in front of the 75th anniversary players who were in attendance.
Sunday cannot come quick enough for me, as I will be attending my first NFL game to see the Colts take on the Chargers.
This week's record: 7-7 Overall record since week 3: 58-40
The weekend is finally upon us, and the biggest regular season NFL game in a decade is going to take place on Sunday at 4:15 PM ET on CBS. The media is deeming this game "Super Bowl XLII 1/2," but it should be called something else if they had put any thought into it.
The Colts and Patriots are clearly the top two teams in the NFL and are a step above all of the teams in the AFC. They WILL be meeting in January in the AFC Championship game. The winner will then head to Arizona for the "real" Super Bowl. So in essence, there will be three Super Bowls this year. Sunday, the AFC Championship game, and Colts/Pats v. NFC whipping boy.
I reworked the arithmetic and found that this game should be deemed "Super Bowl XLII 1/3" (patent pending, First To Third).
As always I used the opportunity to showcase my photoshop skills.
The breakdowns on this week's game may seem a little short, and for good reason. I am a Colts fan and am geeked up about Sunday, and could care less about the other games. (But do care about my nerd alert fantasy football players)
Onto the picks:
San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons are a mess off and on the field. And the 49ers are making the Patriots look like geniuses (the Pats own the 49ers first-round pick in next year's draft). This is a "flip-a-coin" pick. Dedicated to my buddies who like the Niners. San Francisco.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills - Bengals wake up for this one. JP Losman pissed me off in fantasy (why did I waste a draft pick on that bum?!?!). Cincinnati.
Denver Broncos @ Detroit Lions - Lions RB Kevin Jones is going to have another good day against the Broncos defense. Detroit is 3-0 at home this year, and Denver is on a short week. Detroit.
Green Bay Packers @ Kansas City Chiefs - One of the top NFC teams is losing this week, but it is not the Packers this week. Green Bay.
San Diego Chargers @ Minnesota Vikings - The Chargers are gaining some momentum each week, and will need it looking ahead to their matchup with the Colts. San Diego.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints - Yes, the Saints offense has looked good recently, but they are facing a tough Jaguars defense. Jacksonville.
Washington Redskins @ New York Jets - Kellen Clemens gets the start at QB over Pennington. Redskins looking to take out their frustrations from last week on the Jets. "You are a dick Bill Belichick" signs to be up all over the stadium. Washington.
Arizona Cardinals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bucs QB Jeff Garcia is going to bounce back from last week's performance. Plus, a Pirate can kill a Cardinal. Tampa Bay.
Carolina Panthers @ Tennessee Titans - The Titans running game is better than the Panthers right now, and that will be the difference. Vince Young, why did I draft you in fantasy as well?!?! Tennessee.
Seattle Seahawks @ Cleveland Browns - The Dawg Pound is the difference in this one. Derek Anderson was available to pick up but I kept Vince Young. What an idiot. Cleveland.
Houston Texans @ Oakland Raiders - Raider Nation can sleep good Sunday night, their team is going to win. No word yet on whether my Mom is going to rock her Raiders jersey on Sunday (she lives in Texas). Oakland.
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles - The sad state of Eagles coach Andy Reid is going to motivate his players. They will rally around their coach and "win one for the Gipper." The Cowboys are the top-tier team that I said is going to lose this week. Philadelphia.
Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers will be looking to create some space in the AFC North. Steelers offense is better. Pittsburgh.
New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts - This is it. Good vs. Evil. Man vs. Machine. November 4. I have had two dreams about this game in the last two days. In one, the Colts won by 3. Last night, I was actually at the game and Colts won by 1 with a game-winning field goal.
Offense - Sure, the Pats are putting up more points this year but they are lacking in one category that the Colts are striving in... the run game. Joseph Addai is a beast and can carry the Colts when opponents are shutting down the passing lanes. Also, the Colts are playing in a tougher division this year. Colts.
Defense - The Colts defensive has improved, and is a big reason why the Colts are on their current 11-game winning streak. The Pats, like always, have a strong defense, especially with Rodney Harrison lurking in the backfield. Patriots.
Coach - The evil mastermind vs. the lovable next door neighbor. Both men have kept their squad at the top of the AFC the last several years. One is running up the scoreboard, while the other used to run up the score. Draw.
The Colts have flown under the radar because of the Pats dominance this year. Every time you watch the Pats you have to ask yourself, "how do you stop these guys?". The Colts are going to use disrespect towards the defending champions as their fuel. The Pats are using "spygate" and last year's loss in the AFC Championship game to the Colts, as their fuel.
All the hype is well worth it. Colts.
Last week's record: 10-3 Overall record (since week 3): 51-33
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Bill Cowher, says that someone may take a cheap shot at a Patriots player at some point.
“It’s risk and reward,” he said. “How long do you want your starters to play? You want to be careful. At some point if this continues, someone’s going to take a cheap shot. Is that worth subjecting your players to if it comes to that?
“You can say it’s playing football, but those are the decisions you have to make.”
The person that could suffer that shot is Stetson cologne poster boy, Tom Brady. I do not agree with Bill Belichick's antics of running up the score, well, not in the manner they are doing it. If they were running mostly running plays with a big lead and score that is fine. But the Brady and the Pats continually throw the ball late in the game and with the game already decided.
I would have no problem if they handed RB Laurence Maroney the ball and let him run all over the opponent with a huge lead. But throwing to Wes Welker for TDs, going for it on fourth downs in field goal range, and keeping Brady in an already decided game is ridiculous.
We get it Belichick, the Pats are good and are on a mission.
You better protect your good smelling QB (not my type of smell) before someone does a "Tanya Harding" on his knee.
Ryan Parker even has posted a song on YouTube to warn the Pats:
NFL week 8 concludes tonight with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Denver Broncos.
My head was killing me yesterday as I woke up, and I had to "think" at 12:30 p.m. to draft my fantasy basketball team. The NFL games that I saw on TV did not help me get through my day. And where the hell was my night game?!?!
Blow outs, sloppy games and one game on local television at 10 a.m. I guess that is the price you pay when you are already looking ahead to week 9 (yes, November 4).
The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots both won their games, meaning two things: 1. Both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the first QBs to beat all 31 teams. 2. Both teams are undefeated heading into their matchup in the RCA Dome.
The Colts beat the Carolina Panthers 31-7, while the Patriots embarrassed the Washington Redskins, 52-7. Some are accusing the Patriots of running up the score on opponents, especially after this week's antics.
With the game already in hand, the Patriots elected to go for a fourth-and-1 on the Redskins 7-yard line instead of kicking a field goal for a mere three points.
Here is what Bill Belichick had to say about that situation:
"What do you want us to do, kick a field goal?" he said.
Stay classy Emperor Palpatine Bill Belichick.
It is obvious these Patriots want to roll up all their opponents this year. That is the Belichick we have come to know. Cross him and you will pay! I knew it would get ugly as soon as the reports came out that the Pats were part of "spygate 2007"; a sleepy giant was woken.
More on the week 9 to come...
Quick hits on week 8: LenDale White carried the Titans over the Raiders, as Vince Young was slowed by injury. The Rams helped the Browns win their first road win. Minnesota's pass defense allowed McNabb to look good for a week in the Eagles win. The Bengals still continue to underachieve in a loss to the Steelers. Miami continued their perfect season by losing to the Giants in London. Lions are 5-2 after beating the Bears, again; Griese still sucks. Jeff Garcia's interceptions are too costly for the Bucs as they lose to the Jags. Buffalo Bills beat the New York Jets in the "who cares?" game. Brees finds Colston three times in the end zone against the Niners.
This week's edition brings you a "Did you know?" regarding Peyton Manning and Tom Brady (who sadly have become good friends).
Manning and Brady both have a chance to make history with the same feat this coming Sunday in their respective games. Both players can become the first QBs to beat 31 NFL teams, something Brett Favre has yet to accomplish. (Side note: although Favre does have a chance to join them if he beats Kansas City next week. Assuming Manning and Brady win.)
So you see, as much as we would like to look ahead to the Colts-Patriots matchup, we have a reason to watch both squads this weekend.
Does anyone else want to see Brady and Manning hate each other? I hate the fact that I love Manning but he does not hate Brady like I do. Kill, kill, kill.
