Week 17, in the books... Season Over

Well, week 17, in the books.... Season over. Basketball season lasts like 4 years, I think... The NFL Ends in a blink of an eye. Of course, we have the playoffs, obviously, but it's coming to an end. Very sad.

Anyways, putting on an amazing burst at the end, KathB4 goes back to back to close the season out. Back to back!! Nice job.

Recapping the season, we have:

4 wins - VBS and Badgergil

3 Wins - KathB4

1 Win - Elusive, Sears, Sharpcheddar, Erin07, Patrick686, and Smitty201

Hopefully that adds up to 17 weeks....

After week One, I printed out the season standing, to use as a crib sheet, and the leaders after week one were perennial powers Elusive, Gregslo, Sears, and Leo Woods.

After 17 weeks of action, tops for the season were Sears, Elusive, Leo Woods, and Gregslo.

I would count myself in the "perennial powers" category, but clearly I threw in the towel early this season, and was strictly sniping for weekly wins... Which didn't work out so well.

Hell, if Tampa and Dallas win yesterday, I have the perfect paper. And if those teams were WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE (thanks coach Green), I would have done it easily...

Anyway, Congrats to Sears, Elusive, and Leo Woods, for their very steady showing throughout the year...

One thing that tested my patience this year was certainly Leo Woods weekly lamentation of his woeful picks.... ON 2 occasions, I pointed out that "Dude, you're beating me every week!!!" Apparently, his picks weren't that bad after all.

Also, let me point out, for next year, the idea is to recruit some BAD PICKERS. Yes, bad. This pool is waaay too good. Let's review some of our pickers, and how they stack up against highly paid mouthpieces and professional analysts:

ESPN Accuscore Computer picks 171
MONJON 170 - nice, crushing all human analysts
Chris Mortensen of ESPN 169
Elusive 169
Leo Woods 167
Gregslo 167
KathB4 167
Erin07 164
Sears 164
VBS 164
Mark Schlereth of ESPN 162
Smitty201 161
Patrick686 160
RonFic 159
Nate Davis 158 (best picker of USA Today's staff 3rd year running)

Obviously, the point management is a critical factor, but people, pat yourselves on the back. You are good pickers!!! You crushed the pros!!!

I had someone lament to me the other day that their persistent Packer Picks were costing them.... given this week's results, I have to say that the 2 teams that cost me the most, especially early, were the Denver Broncos and the Jacksonville Jaguars... But late, I guess I have to say Tampa Bay (my home away from home team) and the Dallas Cowboys cost me an awful lot.

And my hat is clearly off to the Packers.... If they beat the stinking Bears, I win a different pool and get paid very heavily. Thanks guys.... Talk about huge disappointments... Besides the Cowboys, is there a bigger disappointment than the Pack?? We played for the NFC Title at home last year.... Ugh. (reaches for another guzzle out of the Grey Goose bottle....)

Let's talk about these Packers for a second:



There's your guy, Aaron Rodgers... The Great Aaron Rodgers, leaves storied Lambeau Field for the final time in 2008.

16 Games
536 Attempts, 341 Completions 63% Complete
4,038 Yards
28 Touchdowns, 13 Interceptions
93.8 Passer Rating

Overall, you'd have to say, that was good. That's a fine, fine body of work. It really is. Despite Beady Eyes Ted Thompson forcing Favre out at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons, and despite hitching our wagon to a completely and utterly unknown and unproven quantity, it worked out.

Now, the problem is, if I told you last August "Hey, don't worry, Rodgers is going to throw for 4000+ yards, and a rating of almost 100, with only 13 picks!", well, #1, I'd have been thrown in a truck and shipped back to that mental health place, and I am SOOO TIRED of being sent there.... Here's a tip, when they ask you how you feel about something, NEVER, never tell them it makes you feel like getting a carton of cigs, a 12 pack of Coors Light, a box of ammo, and a rifle, and heading to the top of a tall building.... Never tell them that. Just let that be your little secret, there bunky...

Sorry, this isn't about how they NEVER wanna let me outta that place... no, no, this is about the Packers... #2, if I told you that in August, I mean, what, we're probably 12-4, #2 seed in the NFC, getting a bye week before our playoff game, right??? RIGHT?!?!?

Ahhh, no. We're not. Ted Thompson, pick up the white courtesy telephone. Call your office. Idiot...



There's Donald Driver... Who AGAIN went over 1000 yards receiving... Again, you'd have to say, we're in the playoffs.... Uuuuuhhhmmm, no. Actually Rodgers owes Driver a dinner, or something... That last 70 yard catch put Rodgers over 4000 for the year.



Take a good look... Because Uncle Tedly is getting ready to work some more of his "magic".... Word is, Driver is done here. Ted is going to let him go. Jennings, who apparently has Terrell Owens for an Idol, he drops so many passes, is going to be the guy. Driver is "too old".

Keep in mind, now, The Packers have fielded the YOUNGEST team in the NFL for 3 STRAIGHT YEARS. And we're tens of millions under the cap. Clearly, what we need to do is get rid of this highly poular and very productive veteran guy.... Riiiiigggghhht... Ugh! (Lights another Marlboro....)

Last thought on the Pack: they beat the Lions. Some are calling it a "good for nothing" win that merely served to lower our draft status. Uhh, Disagree. It clearly prevented us from suffering total and complete humiliation, and I have a bad feeling that as the Ted Thompson Era continues, there's going to be plenty of humiliation to go around, no need to have any more. Actually, I have said for many years that it's just as hard to go 16-0 as it is to go 0-16, and I stand by that. This league is built on parity. Bad teams draft first, play easier schedules, and in general the table is tilted towards them. 0-16 is truly an amazing accomplishment. But then, it highlights another of my theories: This is a QB league. If you have no QB, forget it. You must start with a QB. THEN, you can build on that.

Another last thought on the Packers: Coach McPositive, Mike McCarthy, said after the game "We can build on this." Thank you, Herman Edwards. Uhhh, Coach, sorry, but you beat the frickin' Lions, okay.... and your GM is sitting in his office right now, like Dr. Evil, plotting more ways to sabotage your team some more.... pull it back, coach. Reel it in... there ya go... Steady...

One more last thought on the Packers: Did the Lions look better than the Bears?? I think they did. I really do. They are a better football team. They just aren't as crazy lucky as the stupid, stinking Bears....

Do I need to say anything about the Cowboys loss??? Probably not... That was ugly. Ugly. Lemme ask a question, though... How is Romo supposed to do anything while he's running for his life and the pass rush is killing him, and TO is dropping everything, and Williams is running the wrong routes??? I'm just wondering out loud here.... Talk about the season ending with a thud. Ooooffff.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Patriots, at 11-5 are going to miss the Playoffs. Unreal. And yet, the San Diego Super-Chargers, with their crowning 8-8 record, have won the AFC West, and will host a playoff game. Whoa. Wow.

For the record, I am not doing anything for the playoffs this year. Pool ends now. Money will go out shortly.

That being said, I may continue to blog during the playoffs...

Bill Simmons of ESPN.com has been saying for weeks he can't wait to bet against the Vikings in the Playoffs. Here it is, dude: Eagles at Vikings. You think Romo looked bad? Wait 'till Tavaris Jackson gets a whiff of the Eagles pass rush... This could destroy any confidence Tavaris Jackson might have... for the rest of his life. When they drag me back to the mental health facility, I'll be sitting in group therapy with the dude... Actually, Tavaris may need a defibrillator on the field, after the Eagles pass rush gets through with him... Is it wrong to like all the road teams??? Baltimore at Miami? I think I like Baltimore in that one. Indy at San Diego?? I think I looove Indy in that one... Does it seem like a dream, that early in the season, the Packers dismantled the Colts??? I'm not making that up, we did destroy them... Atlanta at Arizona. This is an intriguing matchup. I guess on paper, you have to like Atlanta. But Arizona is a different team, in their high-tech home field... I'll be watching that one, not betting it.

Anyways, it was a great season!!! Enjoy the Playoffs!!!

Week 16, and it's blocked...

The more things change, the more they stay the same..... Blocked. With the Packers firmly in control early in the third, KathB4 was strangely calm. I said "You're not a little worried the Pack might pull this out??" With the serenity of someone who had gone ahead in a time machine, seen the result, and come back, she stated "This team can't finish, and the Bears are really lucky."

A ha. Packer Nation, I present you with The Prophet of Doom....

Congrats first off to KathB4, her second win of the year.

She joins VBS (4 wins) and Badgergil (4 wins) as the only multiple winners this season.



There's so much one could say about this game. So much. For the record, obviously my week in this pool was dead, but I did have the Packers in a different pool, and it would have done wonders for me to get that win. Wonders. Like, if "Wonders" is a synonym for "pay me a ton of money".

Yeah. So I had my expectations bolted to the floor, clearly. But then, late in the 3rd, the bolts loosened up, and I started to believe the Packers could win the game... Despite my best attempts to innoculate myself against that. Ouch. What a gut punch THAT turned out to be....

(Using his right hand to support his aching head, he shakes another handful of painkillers out on the desk, picks one, and chews it up like a Flinstones vitamin...)

I will say, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed Jaworski and Kornheiser's repeated blastations of the Bears super-lame effort. Midway through the second, an expasperated Jaws says "The Bears just need to WAKE UP!!" End of the first half, Kornheiser gets off this double-barrelled shotgun blast: "The Bears are fighting for their playoff lives, at home, against a rival opponent, who has nothing to play for, and this is the kind of effort we're seeing?"

Loved it. At least someone finally clued in on the fact that the Chcago Bears are no good. At all. Kyle Orton's QB rating was in the 40's last night. The frickin' 40's!!! With 2 picks!! And we couldn't win. Ted Thompson, pick up the white courtesy telephone.... Yeesh.

And to Minnysoda fans.... sorry. What can I say. With any luck, the Giants will sit everyone this week, and you will get in. The Giants, win or lose, can't change their playoff positioning, so, I would think rest is in order.... but you never know what the perpetually constipated Tom Coughlin might do... He's the kind of guy who might order an airstrike on his own practice facility, and hide out in the jungle.... (shamless reference to Colonel Kurtz, sorry).

All kidding and BS aside, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Seriously, be safe out there, drive safe, have some fun, be smart, and enjoy. We all have much to be thankful for... Don't blow your whole life by getting popped for a DUI.... Or by wiping out and killing yourself on an ice-packed highway full of morons.... Take it easy out there.

Merry Christmas. My best wishes to you and your families.

Best Holiday Wishes in Football;
Cadillac Pat

Week Sixteen...

Wow. All I can say is, wow.

Last week, I think I left you with something along the lines of "We can only hope that the fraud that is the New York Giants will finally be exposed."

Oops. Guess not. The Great and Mighty Carolina Panthers, the "hottest team in the nfc", no dice. Nice. Thanks guys. 'preciate that.

Anyway, Tonight's game, for the first time in a few weeks, I think, will have some meaning. Air Myles is going to be wearing the big cheesehead out to the local sports bar and pulling hard for the Packers. Which is going to look a little silly down in Texas, but, oh well. KathB4 is going to be pulling for the Bears, and those 11 luscious points. Normally, that couldn't happen, but she's actually from Michigan, so, she might survive rooting for the Bears for a couple hours. If I were to root for the Bears for 5 minutes, my head would explode like that dude from the movie "Scanners". Seriously. I cannot do it. Not even for money.

So, good luck to both of you tonight...

I was actually looking good for a win, until the late Sunday games started... And that's despite my brilliant pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Ugh. Nobody emailed me and told me TO is gone next year... Seriously, I need to hear it. Anybody notice that Romo's INT's typically come when he's trying to force the ball into Owens??? Anyone?? Bueller? Anybody notice that Owens makes no effort to help his QB by breaking it up in those cases??

I dunno if you remember a dude named Michael Irvin, but he battled for every ball. Every ball. He'd take an offensive Pass Interference call just to break up an interception. T.O., you might want to watch some film of what a truly great Dallas receiver looks like... 'cause you ain't it, bro....

So that's how we close out Texas Stadium... by allowing an opposing running back to score on the longest run from scrimmage in Texas Stadium History. While Roger Staubach, Emmit Smith, and Michael Irvin, and a host of other Cowboy greats look on... nice. Hopefully air sickness bags were available for those guys....

If you didn't see the game, which you probably didn't, it was even more painful watching it live. Ouch. I never thought I'd be sorry that I have AT&T U-verse, and get NFL Network in HD. But I am now.... OOooh. I'm still taking Percodans, to try and get over that one.... Uuuuhmmm. Still hurts...

But back to my point, I was in it until the afternoon games started.

NY Jets at Seattle. Jets are heavy favorites. They need a win. Seattle has been mailing it in for weeks. NO brainer, right? Whuups. Okay, lost that one....

Houston at Oakland. The surging Houston Texans, going into Oakland. No problem. Heavy favorites. Al Davis might be clinically Insane. Looks like a Houston win. Whuuaaaatt??? Okay, another loss...

Buffalo at Denver. Right. Denver, tough at home in Mile High, desperately needing a win, heavily favored over a Bills Team that quit two weeks ago under the legendary Dick Jauron.... Huh? Hmmm, another loss.

Philly at Washington. The suddenly resurgent Eagles go into Fed Ex Mausoleum as big favorites over the skidding Redskins... Aaaand, Donovan McNabb remembers that he sucks, and they lose.

Atlanta at Minnesota. Yeah, I saw some of this debacle... The great Vikings, on a winning streak, Tavaris Jackson playing great.... ohh, the talking heads love Minnysoda. At home, no less, favored even.... And 362 fumbles later, we have Atlanta.

Packer fan, keep in mind, Arizona is in a sucky division, but they DID manage to take care of business, and wrap it up weeks ago. This Vikings team is sloppy, undisciplined, features an absurdly vanilla offense, and a vaguely disorganized and unrepentant defense. They are not what you'd call, ohh, let's say, "good." And yet, they are the power in the NFC North. This division is weaker than Campbell's Chicken noodle soup with 6 cans of water added, okay... and yet, the fabled Green Bay Packers utterly failed to take control when we could have. That game against the Vikings, everyone in the stadium knew that Frerrotte was not going to be allowed to throw on that last drive. Everyone. Not after 2 ugly picks. Well, everyone except the Packer D, I guess. That win would have put us in control of the division... and we gave it away, for nothing.



There's your guy... Ted Thompson. If you want more hate, check out firetednow.com Worth a look. He's fielded the youngest team in the NFL for 3 straight years, and sent the face of the franchise and only real leader we had packing off to New York.... And we've been tens of millions under the cap for 3 years now. So, this isn't like an Episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" here.... We don't really need Detectives Goren and Eames to solve this one.... I say again, there's your guy.

Anyway, the cherry on top of Late Sunday had to be The great Carolina Panthers losing to the fraudulent New York Giants... Nice.

You could have thrown together a 6-team parlay of ALL DOGS and WON THEM ALL STRAIGHT UP!!! What are the frickin' odds of THAT?!?!??! (If you're not a gambling degenerate, and you don't know what a parlay is, ignore. Although you could think of it this way: If you rolled one die, what are the odds it would come up 1 or 2 six straight times?!?!? I'll give you a hint: reeeeaallly long.)

If you haven't noticed, I took the complete collar. 0 for 6 in later games. And I had the favorite in every game.

(Lights another cigarette, paces the house restlessly, trying to make sense of it....)

And it's so bitterly cold out, I.... I dunno, I don't even know what to say. I'm trying not to think of 3 more months of this crap....

As always, note to Wisconsin Employers, you may as well open at noon tomorrow. At the very least, don't expect much... This could be the last time the Pack appears on Monday Night Football for a good long while... Enjoy. Drink it in...

And good luck to Air Myles and KathB4...

Week Fifteen...

Well, first off, apparently congrats go AGAIN To VBS... Unreal. We now have VBS and Badgergil with 4 wins, and a scattering of people with 1. Uh huh. Wow. I'm going to have to perform some sort of regression analysis on these picks, to see if a pattern can be detected....

Ahh yes, by far one of the hardest things you will have to do is to kill a loved one because they're the devil. Aside from that, Sunday wasn't too bad. Heh heh, no, seriously, one of the hardest things you're going to have to do is pick the winner of the Green Bay At Jacksonville game. Hmmm... The mind recoils in horror. You've sworn you're never taking the Jags again. Check. But you're off the Packer bandwagon too. Hmmm. Aaron Rodgers... David Garrard... Jack Del Rio... Mike McCarthy.... Ugh. This is like, if you were tied up, and dunked up to your neck in slime, and then lets say, another bag of slime was being thrown at your face... Would you duck, and dunk your head in the slime, or take the flying slime to your face???

Packer Nation likes to believe that it's all been glory and light, but there was this short period between 1971 and 1995 when we STUNK. Yes, we stunk. This game was a bad bad reminder of that stinky period. We rolled into an opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars... a team reeling in disarray. A team whose season is over. A team playing for nothing. And we made them look good.

On paper, one would say "Hey, the Pack can get a win here." Whoops. Or not.



There's your Packer brain trust, right there. Yep. Hmm, what went wrong on that play?? Hard to say, coach... But the balcony on my new house comes out like THIS... (points with hand)...



There's your head coach. Uh huh. Coach, let me make a few points here, if I may:

#1. Zone blocking is not working. Here's how a zone blocking play looks to us fans: The runner runs, get's tackled by 5 enemy players. After the play, one notes that all 5 O-Linemen are standing around, looking at each other, like, wasn't he your guy?? I thought that was my guy?!? No, THAT was my guy, but I missed him... Yeah, whatever. Not working.

#2. I said 2 months ago, our offensive line is Mark Tauscher, and Not Exactly. Yeah, and Tausch is out for the year. 'Nuff said on that.

#3. (possibly an addendum to #1, but whatever) Zone blocking is causing us to draft these "athletic" lineman who can move, and pull, and run... and whatever. What they are is SMALL. Small, Ted, Small. Too frickin' small. They can't block. Even if they knew WHO to block (which they don't), and WHEN to block (which they don't), they CAN'T BLOCK THEM, because the dudes they are trying to block OUTWEIGH THEM BY 50 POUNDS APIECE!!!! Ahem, sorry, I'm calm now.

#4 Will Blackmon is really lucky he occasionally does a good job returning a kick, because he couldn't cover a Queen sized bed with a King sized comforter....

#5. Packer Nation better get used to guys like Ron Pitts doing their games.... ahhh, and you slobs complained about Troy Aikman and Joe Buck. Who's Crying now?? Exactly. At one point yesterday, he states "Both these QB's have had all day to throw." On the play before, literally, THE PLAY BEFORE, Rodgers is running for his life for like the third time. Am I watching the wrong game?? I did set up my new home theatre reciever the other day (and thanks to The Doc (Kathb4) for that), and I must have the audio mixed up. Maybe I was listening to announcing from another game, I dunno. Somebody email me and tell me if Ron Pitts was doing our game or not...

On the plus side, our new punter seems competent...

Anyways... I heard the Cowboy-Steeler game on XM radio, coming back from Florida. By the way, XM is pretty cool. I was kind of afraid of this.... Now I'm hooked on the "crack cocaine" that is XM... Now I'll have to subscribe... That game was tough to listen to though, especially the end. So I made an executive decision to NOT WATCH the Cowboys Giants. Now I wish I had. Although my blood pressure surely stayed lower by simply reading the result and saying "Hey, Cowboys won!!!"



All smiles after a win. Riiiight. T.O., shut up and play. For a dude who drops as many passes as he does, and quits on as many routes as he does, he should stay pretty frickin quiet in front of reporters. Is there any chance he's gone after the season?? Any?? Somebody email me, and tell me he's gone, please. Lie to me. I don't care. I need somebody to tell me he's gone....

Romo playing favorites with Witten. Here's a tip, whiners: Try getting open, and holding onto the ball when it's thrown your way. Yeah, it might help.

I hear people on national sports shows, bemoaning the fate of the Arizona Cardinals. Here's a tip: Shut Up! You're still having a nice season. You have won your division. Sure, it's weak, but you took care of bizness, and now you are division champs, you will host a playoff game. The Packers are in a weak division too, idiots, and we utterly failed to take care of bizness. In much the same vein as the Brewers, you are going to the playoffs, for the first time in a long time. Enjoy. Sure, your team is not perfect, but in the postseason, anything can happen. Enjoy. Packer Nation would give up a testicle to go to the playoffs right now... Cowboys fans are on their knees begging their God for a chance at the playoffs... Cheer up, 'Zona fan, you're in the playoffs.

Anyways, Congrats to VBS... Congrats to MONJON, who had 12 right. Points, people... the points.

Giants play Carolina for home field throughout next week.... I can only hope that the fraud that is the New York Giants will finally be exposed....

Week 14...

Alrighty, VBS scores his third win of the season... Nice job man.

I just got back from Florida, so, this is a real wake up call... I seriously have to get outta here. Permanently.

Ahh, you might note that Sears wasn't on the sheet, but he is now... They apparently took his "labtop" computer away from him at his old job, so he couldn't get his picks in. Is that laptop, or labtop??? I've been calling them laptops for all these years...

Anyways, I have an email from him, with picks on it... He wouldn't have won anyway, but as the Commissioner, I have convened with, ehhh, well, myself, and decided to put the score in. I'm not sure his season should be ruined because he lost his job....

Although there is a lesson in there for all of us: be careful what's on your work computer!!!

Really, what a man, and a woman, and another woman, and a midget, and a donkey do in the privacy of their own home is their business.... but maybe pictures of it shouldn't be on your employer-issued laptop, eh??? Heh heh, no, seriously, I haven't been near a donkey in weeks.... really.

I'll try to post again, and do better.

My picks STINK like a Donkey, but no....

Wrap it up, I'll take it....

Hey, week 13, in the books.

Congrats to Erin07 for his big win. Nice job. KathB4 backed up her win with a nice 3rd place showing. Why, even I managed to salvage some pride with a 2nd place finish...

Amazing what happens when you lay off the Packers, and get off the Jaguars.... only good things can happen.



Mario Williams celebrates a sack.... Erin07 is doing the same thing in his house right now....

How about this crazy story (from my "You can't make this stuff up" file):

Ex-Wis. player accused of threatening Alvarez, Sharapova
Updated 4h 57m ago | Comment | Recommend E-mail | Save | Print |

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A former Wisconsin football player was charged Monday with threatening athletic director Barry Alvarez, tennis star Maria Sharapova and their families.

Leonard Taylor Jr., 32, of Indianapolis, faces one felony stalking count and one misdemeanor count of telephone harassment. Online court records didn't list an attorney for Taylor. His father told police Taylor has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and hasn't taken his medication for three months, according to the criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

Taylor played defensive back for the Badgers from 1995 to 1998, when Alvarez was the coach. Taylor also played briefly for the Madison Mad Dogs professional indoor football team.

According to the complaint, Wisconsin head athletic trainer Denny Helwig told police in September that Taylor had been calling Alvarez's office phone and leaving six to seven disturbing messages each night since the beginning of the football season.

Helwig said the messages weren't threatening, but described them as "bizarre."

Taylor left similar messages during the 2007 football season, Helwig said. Those messages consisted mostly of complaining that a television network hadn't paid him money it owed him, a UW employee identified only as "LW" in the complaint told police.

Police contacted Taylor by phone the same day they took Helwig's information. Taylor was apologetic and said Alvarez had nothing to worry about.

He said he thought he could talk to his former coach about his problems, but he would stop calling.

The employee identified as "LW" told detectives Wednesday that Taylor left 29 voicemails on Alvarez's office phone on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.

The profanity-laced messages accused Sharapova of committing various injustices against him. He said he wanted to marry her and kill her and her family.

Taylor also said he intended to come to Madison and kill Alvarez and his family if unspecified demands weren't met within 24 hours.

"Barry, you heard that (expletive) message, (expletive) it. I hate that (expletive) Maria Sharapova ... I just want to look at you one (expletive) last time before I pull the (expletive) trigger, Barry," one message said.

Leonard Taylor Sr. told detectives his son hasn't been seeing his therapist and refused to go to a hospital for treatment, the complaint said.

Taylor was arrested Friday in Indiana, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Monday. A message The Associated Press left for a University of Wisconsin Police spokesman Monday afternoon wasn't immediately returned.

Alvarez referred questions to Amy Toburen, a spokeswoman in University of Wisconsin-Madison

Aha.... Nice. Wow.

I was about to leave Ted Thompson a voice mail... Maybe I better not. Heh heh!

(Actually, I prefer to call his house at 2AM and then just hang up, but, whatever...)

Until next time, kids!!!

Week XIII

Lucky Thirteen... Or Yucky Thirteen, depending on your point of view...

Lotta road teams winning.. crazy. Only my Tampa Bay Bucs managed to win at home sunday, I thnk.... wild.

Well, it looks like ERIN07 has it wrapped up. Congrats on that one, buddy. Nice job.

Packers look like they'll be home for the playoffs.



Whoops... the one that got away. That's okay, Aaron Rodgers has a lot of important things to do this offseason... hate to waste a lotta time with playoff games...

I'm in Florida right now.... It was really raining yesterday. Don't know if some of you saw that Tampa Bay game, but that was a monsoon... It's kind of surreal, to see a highlight from cold snowy Lambeau Field... It's like, that can't really be happening, can it?? Why do people live up there??

Jets finally lost a game, to the worthless Denver Broncos. I keep hearing how bad they (Broncos) are, and how they have no Defense... looked fine yesterday afternoon. Saw Favre on the sidelines with the 20 hot packs, holding them against his face with his hands, trying to warm up... and it brought back bad, bad, bad memories of that playoff game with the Giants... and he also heaved up a rather Favreian pick in the first half... Definitely a different guy when it gets cold out.

And aren't we all!!!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Week 12 wrap-up

Alright people, we have a FIRST TIME WINNER!!!

Yes, KATHB4 has broken through after 27 weeks of picking... Congrats on that.

Another wild and crazy week of NFL action... crazy.

Will the real Green Bay Packers please stand up??? Was that the same team that smacked the evil slime-ridden Chicago Bears into the dirt??? I guess they played 30 minutes of good football yesterday... Sadly, football games are 60 minutes apiece in the NFL....



There's the man, Aaron Rodgers.....

I heard Fox Sports "Superscout" Chris Landry say at the beginning of the year, "With Favre, this team is a Super Bowl Team. With Rodgers, you just don't know..."

I guess we're finding out.

Meanwhile, lets review a couple recent Jets games, shall we??? Okay, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets waltz into Foxboro and, Ohhh nuthin, smack the Patriots in the face.... next, they fly to Nashville, and hand the undefeated Tennessee Titans their first loss, and make it look easy... That #4, he's not bad... that's a huge two weeks, right there...

I'll tell you right now, I'm pulling for him. I have no ill will towards Mr. Favre... Packers didn't want him, he went someplace else. Send your hate mail to Thompson, Tedly L. He's your John Wilkes Boothe on this one...

I always thought I'd see Brett in another Super Bowl... like, errr, last season.... Still not over that loss to the stupid, stinking Giants in Lambeau Field to "Mr. Constipated" Tom Coughlin.. (reaches for the Advil, swallows another handful, washes it down with a Diet Coke, and lights another Marlboro). I guess we might see him in a Jets uniform in another Super Bowl. And you know what? Good for him. I hope he wins a ring with the Jets. They can put that on Uncle Tedly's professional tombstone...

I guess we can't lay all the blame on Rodgers, although I am really starting to question his accuracy. He missed a guy wide open for a walk-in touchdown in the ffirst half, huge play. Some ugly picks, that out route on the left side was so underthrown, the DEFENDER had to come back for it.... sigh...

As far as the Stages of Having Derrick Frost as your Punter, (apologies to Elisabeth Kubler Ross), I'm still caught between Denial and Anger... Acceptance is never gonna happen. This donkey can't be our punter, can he?? he can't be. I must have taken too many of my pills again.... Or, this is part of some wierd promotion, where a fan in the stands comes out and punts, right???

Waittaminute, we might be better off with a random fan... One low short line drive return magnet, and a couple of ugly shanks later.... Uuuuggghhh. Ohhh, the nausea, the headache, the dizziness, disorientation, confusion, mood swings, the dry heaves... All symptoms of having Frost as your punter. There's so many commercials for medications, isn't there something that Packer Fans can take, until we find a punter???

That whole first half, how many Saints drives started on the WRONG side of the 50?? Are you kidding me?? This guy IS KILLING US!!!!

So anyway, division race, pretty much over. Rodgers can take all that beautiful cash and start making tee times in San Diego for December... won't be a problem, no annoying playoff football conflicts... Probably get a great deal on a little starter mansion out in Palm Springs, too... He'll have plenty of time to shop for that. Playoffs, man, who needs 'em?? Cutting into your personal time like that... it's crap. Dude makes 5 starts in the NFL, and signs a blockbuster deal. Tony Romo had 15 starts before wildman free spender Jerry Jones inked him to a monster deal.... Keep that in mind, as we go forward under "The Great Aaron Rodgers".

It's a crazy holiday week. I'm kinda busy, but before I go, best wishes to you and your families over Thanksgiving... We all have much to be thankful for. Get yourself a Turkey sandwich, and plop your butt down on a couch in front of a 60 inch plasma, and enjoy....

I'm Tied for the Lead!!!

I'm Tied for the Lead!!

Heh heh... I've been DYING to say that.... It was worth it, to risk another week's flameout on thursday night....

I guess I'm not the only one killing Donovan McNabb... This from Warren Sapp:

"Donovan, your legacy will be throwing up in the Super Bowl, Rush Limbaugh and now -- not knowing there were ties!!!"

I might throw in Campbell's Soup Commercials too...

Web sites I want to see started:

(This is in the vein of "The curse of Bobby Lane")

4thquartermcnabb.com - a listing of all of McNabb's famous epic meltdowns in the 4th quarter of games.

Ouridiotkicker.com - break down bad kickers and bad kicks around the leauge. I'm really in heavy denial that Frost is our punter. Hopefully, we can keep winning 37-3 from here on out, and punting won't matter... Picture of Scott Norwood has to be on the home page...

Random thought on Mike Vick: does he see Falcons games on the Club Fed TV?? How does he feel about Matt Ryan being better than he ever was??? Do the other inmates talk a lotta trash about this?? I wonder about these things....

Anyways, huge football weekend coming up. Enjoy.

Week Eleven Results...

Alright, we have a result. The fundamentally sound SEARS wins week eleven. Nice job buddy. 1 wrong. One. Erin07 only had 2 wrong, also a nice effort...

Wide right AGAIN for the Buffalo Bills??? Hasn't there been enough of that???

(Do you people GET all my obscure references, or do I need to add like a "Cliff Notes" at the bottom of each column??? Let me know.)

(Cliff Note: A vastly superior Buffalo Bills Team Qb'ed by Jim "Machine Gun" Kelly imploded against a weak-ass Giants team in the Super Bowl years ago. The final stomach punch was a Scott Norwood game winning Field Goal that sailed wide right as time expired...)

Donovan McNabb didn't know that a regular season game could end in a tie... huh? Whaa?? I've poo-poo'ed this, but maybe it really is time for him to leave Philly. He's gotten an amazing free pass in Philly on being a choke artist in the 4th quarter, if you ask me, but I don't really see all their games.

Packer fans mainly remember how they converted 4th and 26 against us once... Donovan McNabb should be sending Christmas gifts to Darren Sharper every year for that one...Still painful. And maybe Ed Donatell, while he's at it...

(Cliff Note: Packers went on to lose that game. Darren Sharper, Hall of Famer in his own mind, was the Packers Safety on the play who clearly had no clue what the hell he was doing on the play. Ed Donatell was the D-Co-ordinator for the Pack who ended up getting fired over the still infamous "4th and 26" incident...)

Actually, Packer Nation is still snorting the cocaine of that huge Packer win over the slimeball Chicago Bears... and, to add a little "freebase" to the killer buzz we're enjoying, we're close enough to Chicago to hear their local sports talk shows CRUSHING the Bears.... to hear these fans bleating into their telephones, to hear their pain, their agony, their heartbreak, pouring out over the AM airwaves.... It's beautiful, man. Beautiful.

Again, some intriguing matchups coming up.... Obviously, we have the Packers at the Saints, Monday Night Football... Yeah, note to all bosses in Packerland, don't get your hopes up for any productivity on Tuesday, okay?? Yeah. That's a big game. The slimy Bears probably can get a win at St. Louis, so we need to beat the Saints in their own place... and we haven't looked so hot on the road, so...

Indy at San Diego. The implosion of the Norv Turner Chargers appears to be just about complete... Peyton Manning could drive the silver spike thru Norv's heart with a win here....

NY Jets at Tennessee... Huge. It's huge. If the Jets lose, Patriots are playing at Miami, they fall into a divisional tie with the winner of that game... Really, in September that game looked like you could give it to the Pats, but now, that game has some showdown implications....

The staggering, stumbling, reeling, Bills go to KC... could they end the 4-game skid??

KC... Is it time to officially start referring to Bernard Pollard as Bernard Karmell Pollard, like we do with Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth??

(Cliff Note: Bernard Karmell Pollard is the KC Defender who cheap-shotted Tom Brady's knee, and ended his season. So there, you're up to speed) Seriously, Aaron Kampman had a chance to take a shot at Kyle Orton last Sunday, and let it go with a hand graze, that humurously caused Orton to visibly flinch and check his ankle.... There's your season highlight, KC fan: Bernard Karmell Pollard knocking Brady out for the season... Enjoy.

(Cliff Note #2: From the dawn of time in the NFL, you do not "cheap shot" future HOF QB's. You just don't. When the Giants cheap shotted Mighty Joe Montana on the last play of a season, breaking his arm, that was not good. Nobody except scuzzy die-hard Giants fans thought it was anything but cheap, and weak, and utterly obnoxious to real football. You JUST...DON'T...DO...IT. Period. End of discussion.)

Week Eleven

Anticipating your question, here is the answer regarding TIES, from the director of the Website:

Hi Patrick. For ties you get 1/2 the points rounded down the nearest whole number. So for you, you had 11 points on the game so you get 5 points. If you had 10, you would also get 5 points.

Should clear that up. I was adding up some totals, and was befuddled, because none of them were correct...

Anyways, it looks like perennial power Sears will win if Cleveland can pull out a win in Orchard Park... And if Buffalo should take care of bidness at home, Elusive will win.... Good luck tonight, fellas.

I thought I was a degenerate gambler for taking NE for 14 Thursday.... I saw that game. My AT&T U-verse gives me NFL Network in HD... heh heh, not a bad deal. So clearly, my week was over before it started... Jets looked awfully good. The game was really never that close. Jets were pretty much in control all night. And it's not that the Patriots played bad... Although Cassel is really good on short routes between the 20's... he's kinda worthless in the red zone. The play to Moss was a true miracle...

Talk about gamblers though, Sharpcheddar had the Pack for 16. Whew. A team that couldn't run or stop the run for the last two weeks, going against a Bears squad that has owned us the last couple of years... That's gambling. I'm not worthy.



How about that Pack!!! Insane. A tale of two teams, to be sure.... Miracle of miracles, we never really needed a big punt, thank god for that....



This is a Packer Tight End doing the Lambeau Leap after a touchdown reception... So apparently, Mike McCarthy DID know that it was legal to throw a pass to a tight end.... I wonder why he is so utterly and completely opposed to the practice of that??? I dunno...

How about those Cowboys! Are you kidding me?? I shoulda took Dallas for 14... If only I knew what ONE GUY could do for a football team....



I'll tell you what, that is a completely different team with Romo in there... What a difference a week makes. The whole team came to life. They looked like they all jumped in that pool from the movie "Cocoon"... Amazing.



That's your guy, right there... Saved their season in Landover Maryland last night...



The Cowboys Offensive line hasn't blocked anyone in their last two games.... suddenly last night, there are holes, Barber is running wild... unbelievable.

On the Road to 0-16, the Lions lost again, although the ticker was scaring me a little... They have Tampa next week, and the Titans on Thanksgiving Day... So they seem assured of reaching 0-12, at least...

Arizona got ANOTHER road win... okay, it was at the hapless Seattle Seahawks, but still... Warner, another big 300+ passing day... Warner for MVP!!!



Alright, better late than never... it's taken me all frickin' day to put this together... Obviously, the Pack and Da Boys winning totally soothed my pain at the Patriots loss... no references to how many pills I needed to take today. I'll try to do better tomorrow, I promise...

I suppose realizing that even if the Patriots win, like they shoulda, I still don't win the week, also helped.... Sears only had one wrong.... amazing performance.

Later!!

Week 10, put it to bed...

Alrighty, it's officially Badgergil... Dirty rotten piece of -, errr, I mean, nice picking there, buddy. Wow. I'm officially humbled. 4 wins, with a back-to back thrown in... it's getting a little ridiculous. After I listen to talking heads for a week tell me that Denver literally has no defense, they actually just line up 5 guys against your 11, and try to stop you... Yeah. Whatever. I'm done listening.

It kind of occurred to me briefly, I wonder why Philly is favored over the Giants?? Now, sure, I hate the Giants, but they're so frickin lucky, and they get all the bounces... I had actually decided I was done taking Philly in any more games against actual opponents, but, whoops!! I did it again...

Hey, Derrick Frost is "Safe For Now"... Uuugh. Pleeeeze. The more I think about it (and with the help of medication, I'm trying not to, believe me..), I'm utterly convinced that there HAS to be Punters out there. There's gotta be a guy who was cut late from a training camp somewhere. Gotta be. There's GOTTA be some college dude who went undrafted because he had a bad hammy or something, who is now healthy, sitting at home, waiting for the phone to ring.. Gotta be. There's gotta be a veteran somewhere, who got cut for a younger guy at the end of camp, who could at least put in a vaguely competent punting effort...

Huge game coming up Thursday... a Monster. Jets at New England. I might have to go to bed early, and get up and watch that... Too big to miss...

I got my XM in my truck hooked up... finally. Ended up having to park outside with the truck running and wait 15 minutes for a "system reset" from the satellite... But it worked. Last night on the way to work, I had my pick of the 49ers announders or the Cardinals announcers for the 4th quarter. Pretty sweet. The Cardinals announcers are just like Packer announcers from the early 90's... After 20 years of losing, losing, losing, they refuse to believe anything, they are fully prepared for the other team to kill them... When that final play was stuffed at the goal line to preserve the Cardinals win, It sounded like a rock band trashing a hotel room... a lot of screaming, hollering, mic's being bumped, stuff falling off tables... pretty crazy. Fun to listen to.

I actually woke up for a minute and watched the first quarter, too... Yeah, I know, crazy. Almost like I was actually a member of society...

I'm on Record right now: Kurt Warner for MVP. I love his quick release, I love how he gets rid of the ball QUICK (in stark contrast to TGAR), and I love his accuracy. TGAR oughta take a look at last night's game film.... Maybe Uncle Tedly could too, while he's at it... Although, if he's not looking at Punters right now in the Hutson Center, he should be escorted off the property by Security....

Seriously, the pass rush is killing TGAR. Memo to Coach McCarthy: When the pass rush is killing you did you ever thinking of running something quick, like a slant, or a dump to the flat, or a screen?? Take advantage of the overly eager pass rush??? That ever occur to you, coach??? Coach, has anyone told you that it's legal to throw a forward pass to a Tight End?? Do we even HAVE a tight end on our roster?? Just wondering out loud here....

Alright, good luck next week!!

Week 10!!

Wow... Badgergil, again?!?!?

4th weekly win. 4.... why is that number familiar??? Four... 4... (scratches head, pondering..)

Who's that guy the Jets have?? Ah yeah, Brett Favre, #4. Huge win. I wondered why his stats weren't better... heh heh, the game was such a joke, they lifted him in the second half.... and Fantasy Football Players slashed their wrists in horror...

You know what would really be cool?? If the Packers some day got an all-world QB like a Brett Favre.... That would be pretty cool... Sigh... maybe someday. For now, it seems we have TGAR...

We also have this Donkey...

This is Derrick Frost. He is the Worst Punter in the NFL... Say hello to Derrick, everyone. What a joke...

I was watching some College Football over the weekend, USC, Texas Tech, and a host of other college kids are better than this guy, by a huge margin.

Note to Ted "Beady Eyes" Thompson: call your office Ted. If you don't have 5 guys working out Monday to be the new punter, report to a mental health facility.... 'Nuff said.

Actually, I've never seen two coaches try so hard to get outcoached by the other, or try so hard to give the game away....


Here's Brad Childress.... He decides to punt late on 4th and one... Except Adrian Peterson starts bitching on the sidelines... So in a truly absurd move, Brad Challenges the Spot of the football?!?!? Huh?? They're a full yard short, it's painfully obvious. But no, while they're down, with time running out, he throws away a timeout on an absurd challenge, which of course, they lose.

INexplicably, he then decides to GO FOR IT on fourth down??? Keep in mind, the Minnesota D is destroying the Packers.... TGAR didn't look like he would survive the game, to be honest... And Adrain Peterson FUMBLES, and the Packers EXTEND their lead... great call, Brad. Wonderful.



This guy might look familiar.... The Vikings get the ball back, and after a few ugly picks, Frerotte clearly was not going to be allowed to throw the ball. Now, you would THINK a defense could function under those conditions, but yet, we still couldn't stop the run, or the real short pass...

Eventually, Peterson runs in for a TD... With 2 minutes to go, Pack is now behind... and Coach McCarthy decides to CHALLENGE the TD... uhh, idiot, even if you win the challenge, all that happens is they put the ball on the 6-inch line, and the Vikings then run MORE time off the clock while they punch it in anyways... duh, you haven't stopped the run all day. Yeeesh. If it's any consolation, he defended the decision in his post game presser.... Ugh..

Despite all that, we could have won the game....

Except Crosby missed the kick.... Whoops....

Ahh well.... What an absurd game.

Ahh, is Chad Clifton going to block anyone this year?? Just wondering out loud. Two safties... Ugh.



Just a reminder, this is what a REAL Head Coach looks like... and a real QB, for that matter... Rodgers and Frerrotte?? Not so much... Childress?? Nah. McCarthy? Ehh, not so sure...

That's okay, we have the slimy Bears next week... no problem!! Heh heh, maybe I've taken enough of the little white pills for awhile, eh??? Yeah, maybe...



Remember Ryan Leaf?? Yeah, he just resigned from West Texas A&M.... There's a painful memory for ya, his very brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys.... Actually, they were pleased with him as QB coach, their QB has set all kinds of school passing records this year....

Another dude who had the world by the ass, and threw it away... He maybe was hitting the little white pills a little too hard, also... I mean, what, the team trainers wouldn't give you a script if you asked for one??? Or, you asked for so many, they cut you off for awhile??? And in a football locker room, heh heh, how many is too many??? Egad, that's a LOT... And, by the way, who's the player that then goes and tattles on his coach??? That's like Dave Mustane getting kicked out of Metallica for doing "too many drugs"... Huh? Too many drugs for Metallica?? That's a lotta drugs, kids....

Anyway, should I just pencil in Badgergil on my sheet here, or is someone going to step up???

Week Nine wrap-up...

Alright, it's BADGERGIL!!!

His Third Weekly Win?!?!? Insane.

Just out of curiousity, when you sell your soul to the devil, does he take a piece of your soul each month, like a car payment, or does he take the whole thing right away???

Wow. Okay, just kidding. Seriously, great picking there...

(And while I grumble to myself in general discontentment, RONFIC sighs in relief that someone was worse than he was....)

Well, the season standings are taking shape... Leo Woods, Elusive, Sears, Gregslo... All past season's champs, all fixtures year in and year out in the season standings... So, I guess it IS POSSIBLE to pick these games...

Naaah, I'm joking. I won the season twice. I'm in a little cold streak. I'm gonna come back strong... you guys better check your mirrors, you're gonna see my Grille Badge coming fast...



Pittsburgh, pulling out the win... I swear, there's suspects being questioned in LA County who haven't taken the beating Roethlesberger has taken this year...

Wow. That was a cheap shot, right there. Okay, my apologies to the brave men and women who toil thanklessly in LA County Law Enforcement...

Ya know, it's election day!!! Wow, it just kind of snuck up on me, I didn't even realize. I'm gonna have to go on the web and try to find something out about these candidates.... Heh heh heh, obviously joking. Whew. Steve Czaban had an idea this morning, Just put a hard starting line of Jan 1, 2008, and go. If you say ONE WORD about running prior to Jan 1, pow, you're out. This 2.5 years of running, it's a little much.... Barack barely threw his blazer over the back of his Senate Chair, and he walked out and started running for Prez... it's a little much...

Well, tomorrow, one of two things is going to happen.

1. In television newsrooms, newspaper offices, editorial meetings rooms, and the like, people will be partying like there's no tomorrow, wearing lampshades, pouring champagne on each other, and drinking Grey Goose straight out of the bottle....

or

2. In television newsrooms, newspaper offices, editorial meetings rooms, and the like, cleaning crews will be called in to mop the blood off the floor and scrape people's brains off the walls and ceilings from the mass suicides....

Now, you know what I'm talking about, without me even saying it.... so could we finally put this absurd urban myth to bed about the "unbiased" media that's spoonfeeding opinions to the american public, masquerading as "balanced coverage"??? Really, even the blindest fans of a football team know when they're getting the calls, right?? Of course you do. The Packers were getting the calls in that Indy game. Even true Green and Gold believers will give you that with no argument.

That's my soapbox editorial for today. You get one vote. Use it.

And if you're really worried about it, go ahead and get a Springfield Armory XD-M .40, and a Bushmaster M4, and some gold coins, and some frozen pizzas, and some Campbell's soup, and rest easy!!! Heh heh heh... kidding. Seriously, we've survived assasination of a sitting president, we've survived impeachments, non-impeachments... we'll survive whatever we get tomorrow, I'm sure....



Better yet, take all that money and buy yourself a Cadillac, or a Harley Davidson Motorcycle.... it'll do wonders for your mental health. I'm speaking from experience here...

And as always, good luck next week, people!!

Week Nine!!!

Wow, week 9... INsane.

Tonight's game will definitely have some meaning.... I was working last night, so forgive me, I'm having trouble pulling together all the possible ramifications... but I think with a Washington Win, we're gonna have some ties.... And I think with a Pittsburgh win, we're gonna have a winner, Badgergil. I think.

Anyway, good luck fellas.

I obviously stunk....

I'm in shock, really, I was trying to puzzle out all week Why the Indy Colts were even favored.... they're way down below New England in Power Rankings, They just got smacked by a vaguely mediocre Packer Team, and smacked again by a fundamentally sound Titans team... I'm the only one who thought New England might win?? And if it isn't for a stupid penalty, and a late field goal, and a dropped INT, New England Takes care of the Colts no problem....

Yeah, you're laughing at me, in the cellar, but if the Patriots win, which they easily could have, I crush everyone except Erin07 for the week....

Put that on the list of things I wonder about... it's not really a list, it's a whole file cabinet, at this point.... (reaches for another handful of tylenol)

Well, let's get started:



Jack Del Rio, you're dead to me. I keep believing in your Jacksonville Squad, I keep picking you.... and you KEEP LOSING!!! Dude, seriously, I love the shades, but your team stinks.

I'm NEVER PICKING YOU AGAIN!!!

Whasssthat?? They're playing Detroit next week??? Ugh... I feel sick. (Lights another Marlboro...) See the problem with this "I'm never picking you again" thing?? It leads you to picking Detroit... Ohhh, my head...


Moving right along.... Take a good look, kids. That's a Dead Man Coaching, right there.... What an implosion. I saw a lotta that game, and I wish I hadn't. Ugly.

Will someone please step up and expose the fraud that is the New York Football Giants?? Someone?? Bueller? Anyone??


The Arizona Cardinals won a road game!!! Egad... NO, they did, seriously. Kurt Warner, another 300+ yard passing game. Has anyone ever been the #2 passer in the NFL more quietly than Warner?? Has anyone ever had such a nice season, and gone so completely overlooked?? It's almost scary...


Brett Favre got another win.... And TGAR (The Great Aaron Rodgers) did not... Rodgers did get a new contract though... His shoulder must have been sore from carrying his checkbook... Hanging around the Lamborghini Dealership wore him out, I guess... One hopping the ball to wideouts?? Hitting Donald Driver in the foot with a pass?? Huh?? I'll say it one more time, in case my record on this is unclear: there's going to be a picture of Aaron Rodgers on Ted Thompson's professional tombstone... He has literally (and in every sense of the word) bet EVERYTHING on this guy...

Anyways, the sun is out, but to Packer Nation, a darkness has just descended, like the angry hordes that surrounded Helm's Deep in that "Lord of the Rings" movie... Why? Because the stupid, stinking, pathetic Chicago Bears have taken control of the NFC North, that's why... Ugh. This is going to be a Vicodin and Grey Goose kind of day, I can tell already...

Week 8, in the books.

Well, The Titans took control of the AFC South last night with a huge win... Congrats to Smitty201 for winning week 8.

I am told by my sources that Smitty201 and Air Myles are husband and wife!!

Yikes! Someone has to go to a Sports Bar to watch last night's game, I think... That gets a little tense, with two people pulling hard for opposite teams...

Also, Congrats have to go out to VBS, who won week 7... I fell a little behind last week, with all the vacationing... That's 2 wins for VBS, and 2 for Badgergil... With one win, we have Elusive, Sharpcheddar, Patrick686 (me, if you didn't surmise that), and Smitty201.


Some huge games next week... Green Bay at Tennessee?? Wow. How about Dallas at the Giants?? Not big enough?? How about New England at Indianapolis?? How about Pittsburgh at Washington???

Okay, tell you what: I'll take Tampa Bay for 120, and give me 1 point on the rest.... Heh heh, honestly, I'd be willing to do that. I guess that's not how it works....

Good luck next week people. I don't wanna be a buzz kill or anything, but the season is half over already... I know, I know. Half over. It's just getting rolling.... (Opens another beer, lights another Marlboro, and paces his condo, muttering to himself...)

This World Series is a joke. Terrible weather, absurd game times, late starts... Fellas, how about at least a weekend day game??? No, they're afraid to compete with football. It's ridiculous. Trying to play baseball in 30 degrees and rain?? That's not baseball, that's a contest of survival, nothing more....

Seriously, when you were younger, and you were really fired up to play more golf, did you ever go out like in late fall, trying to stretch the season a little?? Yeah. You were so numb you couldn't feel your hands... the ball was a frozen rock that wouldn't fly... and when you got to the clubhouse, you pounded beers with your buddies and said "Hey, we DID IT!!!" Nobody said "wow, I played great", because it SUCKED. That's right, it sucked. It wasn't even golf. It was like climbing Mount Everest. Doing it was the goal in itself. The game & score were meaningless. Then when you got home, you took a screaming hot shower, and as the numbness went away, the PAIN started... Ugh. And back then, I didn't have the prescriptions laying around that I do now... I just had to sit there and suffer...

Yeah, well, that's what this World Series has degenerated into. We're trying to crown a World Champion here, and we're making a mockery of the entire sport.... It's wrong, on many levels...

Now I'm gonna put on my consultant's hat again: Baseball drops down to 130 games a season. We go into 4 rounds of playoffs, all 7 game series. STILL wraps it up in early September, before football really gets rolling.... Weather is still good, games could be played no problem... Better TV, better fan interest, better everything.

There. You owe me ten million dollars.

Steve Czaban had this idea, which also has great merit. Neutral site World Series. At a monster ballpark outside Las Vegas. Hell, they already hold the little league and college World Series at a neutral site every year!! Like people need an excuse to go to Vegas anyway, but there ya go!! Philly fan, take a week off and fly to the desert. Weather, perfect, accomodations, plentiful... That's another no-brainer idea. Think I'm crazy??? Join the club. But seriously, The Mac-Daddy of them all, The Super Bowl, is played in a neutral site, to ensure good weather and a legitimate title game. College Bowls are played in neutral good weather sites.

See how easy this is??? It's really time for me to get a huge glass corner office somewhere and start making the millions I so richly deserve. Clearly, the Donkeys in charge are too stupid to figure this out, so, I'm right here. I'm gonna hit the "Publish" button, and my phone is going to ring....

I won't forget you after I hit the big time. You have my word.

Week Ocho!!!

Yes, week 8... It was over for me before it even started....

Despite the fact that we ALL have the Tennessee Titans, this game will have meaning!!

Yes, Air Myles needs Indy to Rise Up and smack the Titans... In Nashville, by the way... Yeah. Smitty 201 wins it if Jeff Fischer's well-coached squad takes care of the Hated Colts. If I'm reading this right, I think that's what I see here.

So, good luck.


Smile, Wade, you just won a football game.

Man, is there enough drama in Dallas??? Seriously fellas, someone lock Jerry Jones in the can for a couple days, kick the reporters off the property, shut the eff up, and play football.... I couldn't handle it, I took Tampa for 3. That was a tough game for me, I have a soft spot for the Cowboys, and Tampa is like my "home away from home" team...

I heard a strange one, Bill Cowher to Dallas as HC... Probably a great idea, but I don't see Jerry doing it....



Hey everyone, Meet Mike Singletary, new coach of the 49ers... I thought they might beat the pathetic Seahawks, but it was not to be.... How do you like sending Vernon Davis to the locker room during the game?!?!? Wow. If he was trying to send a message, he sent it. New Sheriff in town, kids... Now, if he can avoid turning into some kind of obsessive compulsive freak like Tom "I have a perpetually constipated look on my face" Coughlin, he'll be okay....


Packers bye week, obviously... Here's Brett Favre, running for his life against the hapless Chiefs... NO cell phone visible in the picture... maybe he left it in his locker. Anyway, if the Jets "Were who we thought they were" (thanks Denny), they should have covered the number easily.... But after 3 picks (and some booing), Favre comes thru with a late TD pass to win it....


A Jacksonville Wideout dropping the game winner. Thanks bro. I had you HEAVILY in my pool... Every time I start to believe in Jacksonville, they lose.

My list of "Teams I'm never picking again" got so out of control, I had to scrap it. Ugh. This football season is beginning to feel like a codeine deficiency...

Congrats also have to go out to KathB4, aka "The Doc".... She lasted waaay longer than me in a Poker Tourney yesterday, went very deep, and ended up juuust a bit short of the money. Nice job!

Week 7 Action..

Well, tonight's AFC Showdown, Denver at New England, will have some meaning!

VBS and Sharpcheddar will be more than passive observers... good luck fellas.

The rest of us, ehhh, not so much....

So much drama in Dallas, it's hard to sum it up in less than 100 pages. Another ridiculous loss, for starters. To the Rams!! The Rams! Break up the Rams, they're 2-0 in the last 2 weeks!!!



Yeah, that's not what you want to see, as a Cowboys fan...



As a pre-cursor to firing a coach, an Owner / GM must first give him the obligatory "vote of confidence"... They always do, seriously. So, you'll be glad to know that this morning Jerry Jones says he has "No plans to replace Wade Phillips."

So, Wade, you may want to just hold off on mailing in that house payment....



Will the real Green Bay Packers please stand up??? Wow. Dismantling the Indianapolis Colts... Whew. Didn't this team get schooled by the powerhouse Atlanta Falcons a couple weeks ago?? Did they switch uniforms before the game?? Wow.

They're saying Brett Favre "called the Lions" and tried to give them ideas how to beat the Packers.... and people are all upset. Let's just settle down, kids. Charges of tampering were swirling around the Vikings, and that turned out to be squat, so let's hold the phone. For starters, if the Lions attended a Packers practice, would it help any?? Second, what could Brett tell them anyways?? These teams go thru these games films with a microscope, like analyzing the Zapruder film... Is there really anything there they haven't seen??? Why would he do it, anyway??? To embarrass Tedly Thompson??? Tedly embarrasses himself every time he drives in to work, he doesn't need any help..... How's that new punter, that Frost kid workin' out, eh Ted??? How's the search for a new punter going??? Yeah, I thought so...

The Raiders won a game!!! Tom "Fix My" Cable could retire right now, and have a .500 record as coach of the Raiders, and have by far the best winning percentage of their last, ohh, I dunno, 5 coaches?? Okay, so it was an overtime super-long field goal (56 or so, I think?), but hey, they won. They don't look good. That game had "tie" written all over it. Sebastian Janikowski can now add "longest game winning field goal in overtime history" to his trophy case... Take it, dude. There's no Super Bowl in your future....

Alright people, 7 weeks down. By now, I should have a clue what's going on in this league... And yet, I still don't know!!!

Week 6

Well, week 6, upsets galore...

Badgergil has gone back to back!!! Whaa?? I'm not kidding. The very tricky back to back repeat. Congrats to that lucky bas-.. I mean, congrats for some great picking there.....

Gregslo threatened to go to an autopick on the phone with me a couple weeks ago, and I guess he wasn't bluffing.....



How about those Pesky Rams, coming off a bye, going on the road with their new head coach, and getting a big win over the Redskins, who people were starting to pencil in for the NFC East Title.... I would have bet my house on a straight up win by the Redskins.... And thank God I didn't. Just a reminder kids, if you're gonna gamble, never never bet more than you can afford to lose, no matter how solid a lock it looks like....



How about dem Cowboys?!?!? Whoops... Ouch. Blocked punt. Wow, where's the Tylenol?? Man, the hated Redskins lose, and the Cowboys drop one too. I heard Chris Landry last night on Fox Sports Radio (142 XM), who is a scout, and I generally love his opinions, he has a ton of great insights. His take (not word for word, okay purists, but to my best 1 AM recollection) : "On film, this team is starting to look a little undercoached to me. They have a fine defensive coordinator as their head coach, a fine linebackers coach for their deffensive coordinator, and a fine quarterbacks (pronounced qua-tah-bahcks, with the southern accent) coach as their offensive coordinator..." Ouch.



Hey everyone, meet Tom Cable, new Head Coach for The Raiders. Hey Tom. Good luck, buddy. At the end of the first quarter, they were leading 3 to nothing. Unfortunately, football is 4 quarters per game. Your final, Saints 34, Raiders 3. Oops. "Obviously, not the start we were hoping for," said Cable. I guess not, no...

Lane Kiffen's Agent and Lawyer have come out of the woodwork, too, by the way, in case you were feeling bad for young Lane.... I'd be shocked if he didn't get paid. But then, I'm shocked more & more often, these days.... at many things.

Atlanta beat the stupid stinking Bears in a miracle finish too... Truly. Bears go ahead on a late touchdown. Kyle Orton actually looked like a QB for a minute there... Ahead by 1, the ridiculously lucky Bears kick off... On the ensuing kickoff, the Falcons run it back to almost midfield, if memory serves. Which is unreal, but the long return runs the clock down to a measly 6 seconds. 6 seconds, what can they do in 6 seconds?? How about a long pass to the sidelines, guy falls out of bounds, there is 1 second left on the clock. The Vaunted Bears Defense (VBD)leaves this guy alone on the sidelines with 6 seconds left in the ballgame. Unreal. Isn't that Football 101, cover the sidelines on D with the clock running down??? Not in Chicago it ain't. Lovie Smith, Defensive Genius. Falcons bring out their kicker, Field Goal is good as time expires, see you later.

Matt Ryan, Falcons rookie QB, looks like the real deal, by the way. With 6 seconds to go, he was cool as a cucumber....

Well, good luck next week!!!

Week 5

Well, week 5 isn't over, but for our purposes it is.... Badgergil has done it. Nice job man.

It's back to Reality, I guess. Brewers have bene eliminated...



There's Jeff Suppan... $10 million a year, for that. Gives up a couple of bing dingers.... Nice. We're stuck with this guy for a little while....



There's Corey Hart and Prince Fielder... ouch. Prince finally got a hit in the postseason, a late, meaningless shot to right... You'll have to consult the Jedi Master of the Late Meaningless Home Run (LMHR) to put it in perspective, Mr. Rob Deer. Deer was truly the master of the solo shot in the 8th inning of an 8-1 blowout... That Homer put Prince on the Rob Deer list of all stars, to be sure... The Prince Fielder era has to be over, doesn't it??

And Corey Hart, wow. How was this guy an all-star??? In one of the most brutal plays in postseason history, Hart steps into the batters box with the bases loaded... Swings at the first pitch, a very low pitch, nearly in the dirt... you couldn't have hit it without a 6-iron... He miraculously makes contact, hits a very weak dribbler back to the pitcher, who picks it up, throws home for the out, and the catcher throws behind Hart to first, bang, double play, rally over. Ouch.

Not having inflicted enough pain yet, he then proceeds to get a hit in a later game, a nice liner to right... Hart brilliantly overruns first, the right fielder throws back to first behind him, he can't get back, bang, he's out. Ugh.



My guy Ryan Braun. He had an okay series. NO homers, but a few hits at least.

A local radio host has claimed that the Cubs demise gives him "no comfort."

Disagree. The Cubs, with home field advantage, getting swept, was utterly glorious to see. Dudes who we couldn't get out with an M4 assault weapon, going down on strikeouts over and over... awesome.

How about Lou Pinella... Is this guy the Marty Schottenheimer of baseball? 2001, he takes a Mariners team that won 116 games in the regular season into the playoffs, where they are swept by the Yankees in the ALCS... 2007, he wins the division with the Cubs, and they go 0-3 and are swept out of the NLDS.... 2008, he takes a better Cubs team into the playoffs, and they go 0-3 and are swept out of the NLDS... 0- for 10 in his last ten playoff games.... The Donut. Breathtaking. Truly. Is it wrong of me to enjoy that?? Is it wrong to giggle a little right now, thinking of the head-splitting pain the little Cub fans are enduring right now??? I think not...

Anyway... I wondered why Philly was favored in that game, and I guess I was right. The Redskins have made a statement in the brutal NFC East.

I freely admit I didn't hardly see any of the Packer game. Sunday morning I had a bad feeling and switched the pick to Atlanta.

Sadly, I also had Detroit. The Curse of Bobby Lane is over. The 50 years has expired. So I guess this is just plain old Lions football now, no curse involved... There might be a "hangover" period after Matt Millen, I guess...

Al Davis finally fired Lane Kiffen... "For Cause". Huh?? Wait a minute... if losing a lotta games could void your contract, uhhh, wouldn't that apply to every head coach who ever got fired, ever in the history of football?? I think it would. Good luck with that Al... Heh, like Lane Kiffen hasn't had his lawyers on speed-dial ever since last January... Roger Goodell, pick up the white courtesy phone, one of your owners is spiraling out of control, and has become a complete and total embarrassment....

I heard a radio guy, JT "The Brick", trying to defend Al Davis, and that's even more embarassing than Al Davis himself. Really. Dude, it's time to sign the papers, go home, and get a Cream Soda, alright??? Pour some Brandy in that Ensure, and get comfortable, okay?? Seriously. It's really kinda sad, this was once a proud and dynamic franchise... Al Davis was once the commissioner of the AFL.... he's had a real nice lifetime of great accomplishments.... Now, sadly, all we're going to remember is a crazy freak (who looks like a zombie from that Will Smith Movie "I Am Legend") ranting at a podium.... I like how he's gone to the "Emporer Palatine" collars on his sweatshirts, too, that's a good look....

Good luck next week!