One of the true joys I have this time of year is checking out the papers around the country to read about the famous Thanksgiving day turkey prank. A lot of teams pull it on their rookies. It goes something like this; Early in the week a sign is posted in the locker room informing the players where and when they can pick up their free Thanksgiving day turkeys. A local store is used and the owner is in on the gag. When the rookie shows up to claim his turkey the owner acts like he knows nothing about it. Somewhere hidden in the store is a video camera that records the players reaction. Later in the week during a team meeting the coaches act like they are going to show game film. Instead they play a tape (in the old days film) of the rookie reactions. The team gets a big laugh out of watching them, and at the end they vote on which rookie wins the annual turkey of the year award.

Some of the articles that I have read over the years is about players being dumbfounded to getting down right angry. Once I read about a lineman who got so mad he almost broke the counter at the butcher shop that was being used for the joke. That is because most of the time the sign that is put up has times posted on them. Usually these times are in between meetings and practices. So they inform the coaches that while they have a few minutes they are going to run out and get there free birds. The coaches are in on the joke too. One story that I remember reading is how a rookie quarterback informed his coach that he was going to run out and get his turkey before the quarterback meeting. The coach was firm in reminding him that better not be late. Deep down inside he had to keep from laughing, and he almost gave the joke away.

So between the time crunch, and the owner of the store acting like he knows nothing about it, this has made for some funny videos over the years. Because of the internet I was able read about more of these accounts around the country, but sadly I have not read to much lately. It has been reported on so much in the past I think some rookies have been tipped off. I know that this gag still goes on, and have found at least one article about it every Thanksgiving . If you read about it somewhere please post a note about it on my comment section, or drop me a line at JoeSportsmanship@hotmail.com. Also let me know if you have read of any good pranks from the past.

Turkeys are what we got for football on Thanksgiving day. All three games were not very good. The two national TV games tonight and tomorrow don’t look much better. New England will continue on there path to be perfect, and so will Miami. Both these games will be blowouts. If one of your local cable channels is showing the Grey Cup game this afternoon tape it. Then watch it tonight in place of this turkey. CFL football is fun and underrated. So catch their SuperBowl game in place of watching the Pats beat the stuffing out of the Eagles. On Monday night instead of watching the Dolphins get fish fried by the Steelers in Pittsburgh, watch the best new show of the season: Journeyman on NBC. There is only two episodes left before this show becomes a casualty of the writer’s strike. So catch it while you can.

As for the games this afternoon, remember I like my beer in my six pack straight up. The Icehouse 16ozers make the best six packs. Four teams that were great last year are all turkeys this season. Two of them play each other. The Ravens travel out to San Diego to play the Chargers. San Diego is the better team and needs this game to keep pace with Denver, but for some reason I smell an upset here. I guess I just feel that Baltimore might be fired up after letting one get away at home last week to the Browns. Also because the Chargers really have not been playing all that well this season with costly losses to the Chiefs and Vikes. Baltimore is my road warrior/upset pick of the week.

Other road warrior picks involve teams that were not the same as last year; The Bears and the Saints. The Bears will lose this afternoon at home to the Broncos. Chicago might keep it close because Denver is coming off a short week, but Denver will pull away in the second half. Chicago has no running game, problems on defense, and their ongoing quarterback saga. The Saints are having their problems too, but I think they will win this afternoon in Carolina. Vinny Testaverde is going to start again and I have a hard time picking a team that has an old quarterback who started this season on his couch.

Another team with an older quarterback will win today. Arizona is hosting the 49ers this afternoon. Kurt Warner, and his bad elbow, should be considered for comeback player of the year. The Cardinals have a real shot to win the division. They will win their third in a row today. Two other home teams that I like this afternoon are the Browns over the Texans and the Bucs over the Redskins. Cleveland, Houston, Tampa Bay, and Washington are this years pleasant surprises. Both of this games should be fun and entertaining to watch.

Last week my 8-pack of Miller High Life ponies went 3-5. So I’m 33-27 for the season…Enjoy watching the games this afternoon everyone, and Happy Leftovers. Turkey sandwiches on rye, with mayo, swiss cheese, and black pepper go great with your six pack!

Most of us don’t get very many second chances in life. How many times have you said “if I could do it over.” I know I have. I think that is why we love sports. Because no matter how bad a game you have there is always a next. Next at bat, next game, next week, next year, next time. This week’s games are full of 2nd chances, and it starts with my beloved Buffalo Bills.

Back in week five my Bills were 10 point underdogs at home to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Things could not be going worse for my team. Two weeks before my Bills lost their starting quarterback JP Losman on the first series in New England. The Pats went on and crushed Buffalo and my Bills fell to 0-3. With a rookie quarterback my Bills won the following game, but that was against the woeful New York Jets. The following week my Bills were going to play the undeated Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The first Monday Night Football game in Buffalo since 1984. Everyone knew why ESPN was showing that game. It was because of Dallas, not us. My Bills were ten point underdogs. Everyone, including me, didn’t think that they would win. Bills fans just hoped that they put on a good show, and boy did we ever. The team, the fans, and the city. We did Upstate New York proud. The only problem was we didn’t win the game. We let it slip away with no time on the clock. Another could of, would of, should of. What could have been the biggest upset of the year turned into the biggest comeback in Monday Night Football history. Who knew when we would be on national television again?

That loss hurt. It hurt for awhile. It did not help that we had a bye the next weekend. So it stung a little bit longer. What must have stung for starting quarterback JP Losman was that even after getting healthy he was still left on the bench. His understudy Trent Edwards was going to play, and Trent wins too. Then Edwards gets hurt. So JP gets another chance, and he leads the Bills to three victories. Enough to get noticed by the network. The network talks to the league about flexing a game. NBC’s first choices must have been the Giants/Lions or Redskins/Cowboys games. Because both the Lions and the Cowboys have to play again on Thursday the league says no. So the league picks the Patriots. They’re the showcase team now. With a chance to make history. They are playing the Bills this week. Buffalo put on a good show a few weeks back. What do you say we give the Bills another chance?

So the game is set. My Buffalo Bills get a second chance. They will be playing the showcase team. The only undefeated team left in the league. On national television. This time it is a bigger audience because it is Sunday Night Football. John Madden, Al Micheals, Bob Costas, Andrea Kremer, and Peter King. You don’t need cable to see this game. Just a good pair of rabbit ears. Buffalo is huge underdogs again. This time by 16 points. JP Losman gets a second chance too. A chance to show what he can do on national TV against the team that cheap shot his knee a few weeks back. JP has a chance to play the game of his life. He will need to because Buffalo's star rookie running back Marshawn #### is out. So another rookie running back, Dwayne Wright, will get his chance. Also veteran running back Anthony Thomas will too.

There has been a buzz here in Upstate New York for the past two weeks. Ever since this game was announced. The buzz is bigger and louder that it was for the Cowboys game. Maybe because this one crept up on us. Maybe because it is a division rival. I believe that it is because Buffalo has been given a second chance. Another chance to show the country that we can overcome the odds, hang in there, and this time maybe, just maybe, win a big game. So as my upset of the week I am going to pick my Bills to upset the Pats. I guess I am using my heart instead of my head on this one, but I could never go against my team.

So the script has been set for the sequel. I just hope that this movie has a different ending. And to all you nice Pat fans from Boston who I have had the pleasure of meeting over the years. The ones who travel to Western New York to cheer on your team. The fans who came here even when your team was not winning Superbowls. The ones who I have shared a drink in the parking lot and have told me over the years that Buffalo has the best tailgating. (We do!) I hope you go back home a little disappointed tonight. If you don’t then I hope you go on to 16-0, and break Miami’s 1972 record. I also hope that the Dolphins go 0-16. So I’m taking the Eagles this afternoon too. Spoken like a true red, white, and blue Bills fan.

The rest of my picks. Remember I like my beer straight up. So I don’t use the points. QB Daunte Culpepper gets a second chance against the second team that gave up on him. He beat the Dolphins earlier in the season. Today he gets a chance against the Vikings in Minnesota. Oakland is the pick this afternoon while rookie sensation Adrian Peterson watches from the sidelines. Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman also gets his second chance this afternoon to start for the Bears in Seattle. There were stories in the Chicago papers this week about how last year NBC could not wait to flex them to Sunday Night football. Now they could not wait to flex them off. Lovie Smith should use this a motivation to fire up the Bears against a Seahawk team playing on a short week without their star running back. Chicago is the pick.

Carolina quarterback Vinnie Testaverde is given another chance this afternoon. He will start against the Packers in Green Bay. This movie will not have a happy ending. Green Bay is the pick. The clock is also about to strike midnight for the Detroit Lions with games coming up against the Cowboys, Chargers, and two against the Packers. That loss last week in Arizona hurt bad, and that was one they could not afford to lose. They were probably looking ahead to this afternoon when they play the New York Giants. I like the Giants defense against the Lions shaky offence line. The Giants are my pick.

Last week I went 2-4, and am 30-22 for the season. Since, I didn’t pick week one I am still two games behind because a couple of weeks I made bonus picks. A Millers High Life 7oz pony eight pack. (Do they still make them?) I’m going to do that again today because their are two big games this afternoon north of the border. In Toronto the Argonauts play the Blue Bombers and in Vancouver the Roughriders take on the Lions. The winners will play in the Grey Cup game next week. The Superbowl of the CFL. My picks are both home teams. Toronto over Winnipeg and British Columbia over Saskatchewan. In keeping with my theme this week this will give Toronto’s head coach Michael “Pinball” Clemons a chance to win his second Grey Cup and