Josh Q. Public:  Sports is the toy department of human life.  -Howard Cosell

Public Service Announcement:  Ok here we go!  Can you smell it?  Oooooooh that smell.  Can’t you smell that smell?  I know, I know.  It’s only preseason.  It’s still summertime.  Time to sit back and unwind.  But here’s just a little somethin’ to break the monotony of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be a little bit out of control.  Just a little football.  Just a little Monday Night Football.  Just a little Colts/Bears football.  Is it Monday yet?  Yes it is.  Yes it is, so here’s a couple fun factoids I found while scouring Al Gore’s Internet.  Make you look all Einsteiny.  Real smart around ye olde water cooler.  Show ‘em you’re nobody’s fooler.  Take all your friends to schooler.  Now, enjoy.  But don’t say I never gave you nothing.

Rookies Rookies Who Got the Cookies

Joseph Addai:  Addai a deer.  Far, a long long way to run.  Joseph Addai ran far.  Ran far when it mattered most.  Ran far in the big games.  In his four post season games, he set rookie post season records for receptions and yards from scrimmage.  He surpassed Torry Hot Dog Holt in receptions.  There isn’t enough mustard in the whole world to cover that hot dog.  He surpassed Jamal Truck Lewis in yards from scrimmage.  Truckin’ got my chips cashed in.  Keep truckin’, like the do-dah man.  Addai was truckin’ like the do-dah man.  His 143 yards from scrimmage in the Super Bowl last year was second highest in history.  Second only to Touchdown Timmy Smith of the Washington Redskins.  And not for nothing.  Just so you know.  Touchdown Timmy Smith’s 213 yards (204 rushing yards) from scrimmage against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII is still the record for anyone.  Anyone.  Veterans and rookies alike.  Not enough?  You want one more?  OK.  Addai was only the second running back in NFL history to lead the postseason outright in receptions.  The other guy?  Chuck Foreman.  Minnesota Vikings.  Chuck also set the then NFC record 22 Touchdowns in 14 games during the 1975 campaign.

Devin Hester:  The very bester.  The bullet proof vester.  The pound your chester.  Last seen in the Super Bowl.  Taking it to the hizzy.  Opening kickoff back to the hizzy.  Making folks dizzy.  In the post season, only three other players made folks dizzy like that.  Dizzy Miss Lizzy like that.  Ron Dixon, the Gee-Men.  Nat Moore, Dolphins.  Vic Washington, 49ers.  Devin Hester.  The shake and baker.  The takes the caker.  The record breaker.  Hester scored six TDs last season.  Three on punt returns.  Two on kickoff returns.  One on a return of a missed field goal.  He set or tied these records:

• Most return touchdowns
• Most touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns
• Most touchdowns on kickoff returns in a game
• Longest play

And because Hester did all this as a rookie, these are all the rookie marks as well.  Holy cow!  The one blemish?  Fum-ble!  Hester had seven fumblerooskis.  The most of any non-QB in the league.

The Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning:  We all know the 6'5", 230 pound quarterback with the laser rocket arm is good.  But how good?  Last year in the post season, Manning completed 97 passes in four games.  97!  The old record was held by the Greatest Show on Turf.  A paltry 77 by Kurt Warner.  Last year, Peyton led the Colts charge to victory twelve times.  Win win do it again.  He did it again.  Five consecutive seasons with at least ten wins as a starter.  Ties the record.  Elway?  Nope.  Unitas?  Nope?  Montana?  Unh uh.  Triplet Troy Aikman.  Since 2003, Peyton has won fifty regular season games.  Ties the record for wins in a four year span.  That’s right.  My boy.  Tom Terrific.  Tom Brady.  Act like you know.  Know this.  Manning does not do it alone.  He has a partner in crime.  He has Marvin Harrison.  He has thrown 106 TD passes to Marvelous Marvin during the regular season.  That’s just about two times the next total since 1998.  Just about two times more than Culpepper and Moss.  Get the papers, get the papers.   Manning and Harrison own the Triple Crown.  Triple trouble.  If you wanna know the real deal about the three.  Well let me tell you, we’re triple trouble ya’ll.  We’re gonna bring you up to speed.  More completions, yards and touchdowns between any teammates in NFL history.

Rex Grossman:  Sexy Rexy.  I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt.  So sexy it hurts.  Grossman threw for 3,193 yards last season.  Say what you want about Rexy’s season but it was the second highest one season total in Da Bears history.  Second behind Erik Kramer.  Giddyup!  He did have his moments though.  Rexy had four games last year where he threw less than 200 yards.  Where he didn’t throw a TD pass.  And where he was intercepted at least three times.  That makes him the first NFL player to have four games like that in one season since 1935.  Yikes!

Other Fascinating Factoids:

Number nine.  Number nine.  Da Bears have drafted nine future Pro Bowlers over the last nine drafts.  Yowza!  Seven of those cats were selected after the first round.  Mike Brown, 2nd.  Devin Hester, 2nd.  Olin Kreutz, 3rd.  Marty Booker, 3rd.  Lance Briggs, 3rd.  Nathan Vasher, 4th.  Jerry Azumah, 5th.

Tony Dungy has led a team to the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons. Eight!  Hear that Ted Sarandis?  Only two other head coaches NFL history have done that.  Tom Landry.  Tom, in his fabulous fedora did it twice.  Chuck Knoll.  Steel Curtain. 

Public Acknowledgements:  Indianapolis Star, Chicago Tribune, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fresh Prince, Darold Knowels, Grateful Dead, Beatles, Sprint, Marvin Hagler, Beastie Boys, Right Said Fred and Seinfeld

Public Spectacle:

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

Josh Q. Public:  I used to watch Dr. J, come through in the clutch.  Remember New Zoo Review, and Starsky and Hutch.  I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud.  Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd.  -Coolio 

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go!  Like my main Nas always says:  “I’m takin’ y’all on a trip straight through memory lane.”   Here comes the Super Bowl.  It’s coming fast.  It’s coming furious.  Dominic Toretto has nothing on this game.  Who’s gonna be the star?  That’s what we want to know.  Who’s gonna be the star?  Who’s gets themselves the big cigar?    Who gets all the cookies in the cookie jar?  That’s what we want to to know.  Everybody from here to Qatar.  Is it going to be Devin Hester, the very bester?  Are you planning on Peyton Manning?  Who’s gonna come up big in the big game?  Who’s gonna stand tall in the superest of them all.  I’ll tell you one guy who came up biggo.  A man they called Riggo.  What you don’t like that rhyme?  Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You’re too tight.

You remember John Riggins.  You remember him at Kansas.  Breaking all kinds of rushing records at Kansas.  Breaking all kinds of Gale Sayers’ rushing records at Kansas.  You remember he played for the Jets.  J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.  Had that Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.  That Travis Bickle Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.  You remember he signed with the Skins.  Signed with the Skins and then voluntarily sat out one year.  Came back.  Came back with a vengeance.  The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back.  Not a flashy running back.  Think lunchpail.  No Barry Sanders, he.  But he was a classic workhorse ball carrier.  A Clydesdale.  A beast.  One of the the toughest summama####es to ever put on cleats.   He carried 2,916 times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career.  He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 TDs.  His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever.  So are his 116 total touchdowns.   He was the second player ever to run to the hizzy over 100 times in NFL histizzy.  The first to do it since Jim Brown All American did it in 1965.  But where he excelled.  Where he excelled where others have failed, was gaining the tough yardage in the big games.

The original Diesel came up big in 1982.  Yesterday was the anniversary.  Today's the day I talk about it.  Came up super.  Came up super in Super Bowl XVII.   Came up super in Super Bowl XVII versus the Dolphins.  He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown.   He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown along with a 15-yard reception.  A record breaking 38 carries.  Against the Miami’s vaunted No. 1-rated defense.  And that’s such a small part of the story. 

Fourth quarter.  Ten Minutes to go.  Skins down four.  Fourth and a Lilliputian.  Theisman. (Used to be pronounced Thees-man.)  Theisman hands off to Riggo.  Riggo heads left.  Here comes cornerback Don McNeal.   Steamroller baby, steamroller.  There goes Riggo.  There goes Riggo down the sideline.  You've seen the highlights.  Riggo at the thirty.  Riggo at the 20.  Glenn Blackwood in hot pursuit.  Not to be confused with brother, Lyle.    Yes, I’m running down the railway track.  Could you help me?  Police on my back.  They will catch me, if I dare drop back.  Wont you give me all the speed I lack?  He…could…go…  He does.  Touchdown!  Touchdown!  Touchdown!  Redskins win!   It was longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.  If you were from DC, it was the biggest  touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.  No other back had ever run for 100 yards or more in four straight playoff games.   No other back has gained more than 158 yards in a Super Bowl.  No other back had ever run for 610 yards in four playoff games.  Nobody came up as biggo.  As biggo  as Riggo.

Any mention of the Riggo has to include the fact that he lived outta his van down by the [Potomac] river…Random sightings of the Diesel, face down on the bar at Nathan’s in G-town in the middle of the day.…Yep, they don’t make em “old-school” like dat anymore…

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

Josh Q. Public:  Got a punch to crunch, cold munch for lunch.  Not Grady or the lady from the Brady Bunch.  -Run DMC

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go!  Too soon?  Too soon to make my pick?  Too much is never enough.  Super Sunday.  Super fun day.  Super more fun than Tank Johnson’s submachine gunday.  This it.  This is it, the night of nights.  This is it, we’ll hit the heights. And oh what heights we’ll hit.  On with the show, this is it.  Bugs Bunny style.  Who to pick?  Who to pick?  That’s the question.  Who to pick?  Survey says:  The Bears.

That’s right folks I’m picking the Chicago Bears.  The Monsters of the Midway.  Super Bowl Shuffling all the way to Disney World.  Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown.  You’re the pride and joy of Illinois.  Chicago Bears, Bear down!  And Bear down they will.  They will Bear down with their running attack.  The Colts’ poor tackling was a major problem during the regular season.  A major problem.  A Major Healey problem.  A Major Wolfgang Hochstetter problem.  A Lee Majors problem.  A Six Million Dollar problem.  The Colts had the NFL’s worst rushing defense during the regular season.  We know they turned that around in the playoffs.  We also know it resurfaced last week.  It resurfaced last week in the first half against the Patriots.  The Pats ran 19 times for 85 yards in that first half.  The Pats ran for a dominating 4.5 yards per carry.  Sure the Colts made some adjustments.  But the Patriots ran only five times in the second half.  I assure you, the Bears will not give up on the running game so easily.  They will run early.  They will run often.  Three yards and a cloud of dust.  Again.  Again.  And again.  Cedric Benson will Bear down.  Thomas Jones will Bear down.  He Beared down against the Saints.  Beared down for 123 yards.  Beared down for two TDs.  And you saw the drive.  You saw the drive to close out the game.  Smash mouth football baby!  Goodness! 

The Chicago defense will Bear down.  Number one in the NFC.  Number one in our hearts.  The Bears just held the NFC’s best offense to just 14 points.  Held them to 56 yards on the ground.  Terminate ‘em!  Eliminate ‘em!  Defense, defense!  Annihilate ‘em!  Oh they will.  Brian Keith Urlacher.  Number fifty-four.  That’s all you need to know.  Mean from head to toe.  He’ll catch you wherever you go.  Brian Urlacher’s gonna Bear down.  You can bet your bippy on that.  He’s the big Kahuna on this Bears defense.  The number one monster of the Midway.  It will be his job to shut down Dallas Clark.  Shut down Clark who leads all postseason receivers with 17 catches.  Shut down Clark who leads all postseason receivers with 281 yards. Clark is averaging 16.5 yards per catch in these playoffs.  He hasn’t played against Urlacher.  Urlacher is big.  Urlacher is fast.  Urlacher is big and fast.  Clark does not stand a chance.  Not a snowball’s chance.  Not a snowball’s chance in the south of France.  Lance Briggs will Bear down.  Mark Anderson will Bear down.  Ricky Manning Jr. will bear down.  The Chicago defense will Bear down and create turnovers.  Ease my troubles, that’s what they do.  That’s what they’re good at.  They led the league with 44 takeaways.  They forced four turnovers Sunday.  They made Drew Brees fumble.  They made Drew Brees fumble less than a minute after Berrian’s TD, and took the wind right out of the Saints‘ sails.  Took the wind out of their sails and shuffled to the Super Bowl.

Lastly but not leastly, Devin Hester.  You know Devin Hester’s gonna Bear down.  Gonna Bear down on special teams.  Devin Hester, Mr. Anytime, the pound your chester, the bulletproof vester, the very bester.  Expect at least one Sports Center special out of this cat.  Expect this cat to give the Bears good field position.  Expect this cat to give Chicago good enough field position to Bear down and win this ballgame.  Ellis Hobbs of the New England Patriots had 220 total kickoff return yards against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, the second most in NFL playoff history.  Just think what the Very Bester's gonna bear down and do.  Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown.  You’re the pride and joy of Illinois.  Chicago Bears, bear down!  Th-th-th-that’s all folks!

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

Josh Q. Public:  Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.  -James Madison

Public Knowledge:

1.  Big trouble in the Big Apple.  Down goes Curry!  Eddy Curry who has been coming up big lately, fell down hard.  Fell down hard and strained his left calf on a baby-hook.  That does not bode well for Zeke or the  Knicks.

2.  Willie Randolph gets a three-year deal with the Mets.  Good. He deserves it.  Should have won Manager of the Year. 

3.  With the Patriots out of the picture, I’m rooting for Devin Hester.  Devin Hester, Mr. Anytime, the pound your chester, the bulletproof vester, the very bester.  I’m rooting for Devin Hester to join Desmond Howard as the only special team player to win the Super Bowl MVP.  Mr. Excitement.   Is there any play in football more exciting than the return for the touchdown.  From Pop Warner to the pros, we love it.  It brought Lovie Smith to tears.  We loved Billy White Shoes Johnson.  We loved Mel Gray.   We loved Desmond Howard.  We loved Dante Hall.  We loved Eric Metcalf.  We loved David Meggett.  We loved Greg Pruitt.  We love Devin Hester, Mr. Anytime, the very bester.

4.  What’s going on down in Kenmore Square?  Remember that episode of #### Eye For The Straight Guy?  The Fab Five making over Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, and other Sox?  Well, the creators of the show are about to start looking for contestants to be in another reality show that will involve the team, entitled Sox Appeal.  A woman will be paired up with a date for two innings o####ame, then another date for another two innings. Then, in the 7th inning stretch, she’ll decide which one she wants to stay with for the rest of the game.  Just stupid.  If that ain’t enough, John Henry, the Sox’ principle owner is looking to become 50% owners of Roush Racing, a top NASCAR team.  Too many fingers in too many pies.  How ’bout focusing on winning another title?  Huh?  How ’bout that? 

5.   Who dey?  Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was sent to jail for two days after pleading guilty to allowing minors to drink alcohol in his hotel room last spring.  How do you keep a guy like that on your team?  What kind of message are you trying to send out.  Just disgraceful.  Kenton County District Judge Greg Grothaus:  “You brought shame with this on yourself.”   Sounds a lot like Slapshot:  “You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free.”  Denis Lemieux style. 

6.  Here keep coming the Suns.  It took them nearly 40 years to win 15 straight games. They needed only a month to do it again.  Between them and the Mavericks the West is looking mighty tough.  Mighty tough.  And with Chairman Yao coming back after the All-Star break, we should have ourselves a good ole fashioned bahn burnah.

7.  On Wisconsin!  On Wisconsin!  Grand old Badger state!  Wisconsin smashed Michigan 71-58 last night to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games, breaking a 66-year school record.  Alando Tucker, Brian Butch and company sure look tough.  Tougher than leather.  Tougher than Leather Tuscadero.  The Big Ten is proving to be a formidable conference.  That’s gonna be one great tournament to watch. 

8.  What had happened was.  Here we go.  T.O. says he wasn’t taking a shot at the Tuna with his comments after the Cowboys head coach announced his retirement on Monday.  Are you sure?  It really sounded like you were.  Well, I guess I believe you.  Why shouldn’t I?

9.  We all love LeBron, but is he clutch?  King James scored 13 points in the second overtime period but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer in an attempt to extend the game.  In his career, LeBron has made 4 of 14 potential game-tying or game-winning field-goal attempts in the final second of either the fourth quarter or overtime.  You be the judge.  Judge Wapner.  Judge Judy.  Judge Nelson.  Mike Judge.

10.  You can’t handle the Truth.  Or more to the point, you can’t handle the NBA without the Truth.  My Celtics drop their record to 2-15 in games without Paul Pierce this season.  And not for nothing,  with a loss at Sacramento, the Bucks’ record fell to 1-8 this season without Michael Redd.  And that’s the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothin’ but the Truth, Ruth.

11.  The Mamba’s boy.  Chucky Atkins.  Chucky came off the Grizzlies‘ bench to score 29 points and hand out 15 assists in a 132-130 overtime victory at Utah. Atkins was the first NBA player with at least 25 points and 15 assists in a game he didn’t start since Cleveland’s Bobby Washington (26 points, 15 assists) did it against the Lakers on Feb. 9, 1971.

12.  If you were able to find out where the Versus Channel is on your network dial, good for you.  If you did, you saw history.  If you did, you saw Joe Sakic.  You saw Joe Sakic get four assists.   You saw Sakic’s seventh multiple-point game in All-Star play, breaking the record he had shared with Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Luc Robitaille.  Way to go Joe.  Super Joe.  Super Joe Charbeneau.

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

Public Knowledge:

1.  Tamerlane Lincoln Kennedy.  You remember him.  Lincoln Kennedy of the Oakland Raiders?  Offensive tackle.  Part of the 12-0 National Champion Washington Huskies in 1991.  Two time Pro Bowler.  The Oval Office.  Retired in 2004.  Well, he’s baaack.  Playing for the Dallas Desparados of the Arena Football League.  Must have run out of money.  Right?

2.  So Juan Marichal wants Big Mac in the Hall?  Isn’t he that cat?  Isn’t he that cat who did it like this, did it like that, did it with a baseball bat.  Did it with a baseball bat to John Roseboro?  Smashed John Roseboro in the head two times with said baseball bat.  Get the papers, get the papers.  He’s lucky he’s in the Hall. 

3.  Is there any stopping this Suns Juggernaut?  Not tonight. Not the Knicks.  Shooting the lights out.  The Suns made 61 percent of their shots against the Wiz(48 for 79), their highest in any game in over seven years.   However, 20 of Phoenix’s 31 misses came on 3-point attempts.  On two-point shots, the Suns went 35 for 46, 76 percent. That was the second-highest field-goal percentage in NBA history on two-point shots. On March 13, 1998, the Clippers made 52 of 66 two-pointers, 79 percent.  Goodness!

4.  The Ohio State University is number six on the charts.  Number one in our hearts.  The Gigantic-O is starting to dominate.  One handed.  Wait till tournament time. Is that the team you want to face then?

5.  Bernie Baseball wants one more year in the Bronx.  Good luck with that.

6.  The NFL and its players union have agreed to more extensive testing for performance-enhancing drugs and have added the blood-boosting substance EPO to the league’s list of banned substances.  Things could get interesting here.  I have to believe there are a ton of NFL players on the juice.  How cool was the Jeremy Shockey helmetless play?  Walkie Talkie Shockey.  He walks the walk.  He talks the talk.  If you’re a Giant fan, how can you not love that guy?  But it got me thinking.  It got me thinking, when people start acting crazy like that out there, I’d give ‘em a steroid test right on the spot.  Merriman busts through the line and busts out the Lights Out dance.  Steroid test.  Reggie Bush goes…all…the way…and points at defenders before doing a summersault in the end zone, steroid test.  Drayton Florence Henderson head butts an opposing player, steroid test.  On the spot.  Every time.

7.   Michael Vick will not be traded and will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback in 2007, the team’s ownership said.  We’ll see. I never bought into Ron Mexico’s game.  Exciting?  Sure.  Game breaker?  At times.  Super Bowl Quarterback?  Never.  He’s no Mighty Vince Young, I’ll tell you that.  Mighty Vince, the Nashville Prince.  My new favorite non- Patriot.

8.  The arrest of Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph has members of the team Furious Five, embarrassed and concerned that guilt by association has ruined public perception of the team.  As well it should.  I’d cut this cat right now.  Stop the madness.  You have to start somewhere. 

9.  I wish I was a little bit taller.  I wish I was a baller.  I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her.  With a listed height of 6-foot, Allen Iverson became the shortest player in NBA history to score 20,000 points. That distinction had previously belonged to 6-2, We Are Marshall, Hal Greer.

10.  Is Rex Grossman the worst Super Bowl quarterback ever?  Vince Feragamo?  Trent Dilfer?  Champagne Tony Eason?  Billy Kilmer?  David Woodley?  Craig Morton?

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

Josh Q. Public:  I feel good, I knew that I would now.  So good, so good, I got you!  -James Brown

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go!  I feel good!  I feel good about the feel good story of the NFL.  I feel good about the feel good Saints.  They ain’t the Aint’s no more.  Hey, Buddy D, you can take that paper bag off your Cajun cranium.  Your cranium that protects your branium.  It’s go time.  It’s showtime.  It’s Bridget Bardeaux time.  The Saints go marching in to Miami, ladies and gentlemen.

I feel good about Drew Brees.  Cool Brees.  Have arm, will travel.  The rootinest tootinest gunslinger in the West.  Throwing for over 4,000 yards.  How do you think the Chargers would have done last Sunday if he were still there?  Well, he’s not.  He’s with the Saints.  He is All-Pro with the Saints.  Heck, he’s All-World.  All World B. Free.  He has a 96.2 passer rating.  He avoids the rush in the pocket.  He’s a leader.  Everyone knows he’s the guy.  He’s the guy that will take you where you want to go.  And if you want to go to Miami, buenvenidos a Miami, then so be it.  He proved it last week against the Eagles.  Cool Brees was 20-of-32.  Cool Brees passed for 243 yards and a touchdown.  Most importantly, Cool Brees threw nary an interception.  Cool Brees delivered enough clutch throws to put the Saints over the top for a 27-24 victory.  Just win baby!  That’s all Cool Brees has been doing.

I feel good about the Saints whole offensive package.  The Deuce is Loose McAllister, St. Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and company have been an absolute machine.  A wrecking machine.  A mean machine.  They’re just a mean machine and they don’t work for nobody but you.  They’re a mean machine that topped the National Football League in total offense during the regular season at 391.5 yards per game.  A mean machine that went out last week and set this year’s playoff high total of 435 yards of offense against the Eagles.  A mean, balanced machine against the Eagles, totaling 208 yards on the ground and 227 yards through the air.  As good as the Bears defense is, I gotta think they’ll have their hands full on Sunday.  Saints win!  Saints win!

Oh ya, expect both St. Reggie and Devin Hester, the Very Bester, to explode for at least one Sports Center special each.

Peace out homies.  Six Two and Even!

Josh Q. Public:  Is it getting better?  Or, do you feel the same?  Will it make it easier on you, now you got someone to blame?  -U2

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go.  One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.  LaDainian Tomlinson.  Larry Johnson.  Shaun Alexander. Tiki Barber.  Best running backs in the National Football League.  LaDainian Tomlinson. Larry Johnson.  Shaun Alexander.  Tiki Barber.  Done for the year.  It takes two to make a thing go right.  It takes two to make it outta sight.  Hit it!  The Chicago Bears.  The New Orleans Saints.  The New England Patriots.  The Indianapolis Colts.  They all employ dynamic duos.  They all are playing for it all.

Chicago Bears:  Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.  Thomas Jones.  You stick around, I’ll make it worth your while.  Got numbers beyond what you can dial. Maybe it’s because I’m so versatile.  Numbers and versatility.  That’s Thomas Jones.   He’s run for over 1,200 yards the past two seasons.  He can pass block.  He can catch passes.  He is elusive.  He broke Tiki’s all time rushing record at the University of Virginia.  He is coupled with Cedric Benson.  Fourth overall draft pick.  The Punisher.  Powerful and bruising.  Hard- they’re calling card.  With these two totally different styles, it makes it hard for defenses to adjust. Very hard indeed.

New Orleans Saints:  It takes two baby, to make a dream come true.  Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.  Deuce McAllister.  The Deuce is loose.  Coming back from a knee surgery.  Coming back with a vengeance.  The thunder part of the backfield.  Saints all-time leading rusher.  He moves the pile.  He can deek if he needs to.  He gets the tough yards.  The rough yards.   In his first-ever playoff start, McAllister rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.  He had 4 catches for 20 yards and another touchdown.   He has help.  Reggie Bush.  Lightning.  Mr. Excitement.  St. Reggie.  He reverses field, woop!  He fiddles, woop!  He diddles, woop!  Gone! 

New England Patriots:  Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney.  Corey Dillon.   Driving dirty.  Corey Dillon has a tattoo on his chest.  The ink says:  Down & Dirty.  How apropos.  Down & Dirty.   That’s how this cat plays.  Bone-crushing, will breaking, smashmouth football.  14th all-time leading rusher in the NFL.  Leads all active backs.  He’s been to the Promised Land.  He has a ring.  He knows what he’s doing.  He’s leading the charge.  Right behind him?  Laurence Maroney.  The Kid.  Tick, tick, tick, boom!  He’s big.  He’s fast.  He’s an explosion waiting to happen.  He loves the stiff-arm.  He is the future of the New England Patriots. 

Indianapolis Colts:     Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai.  Dominic Rhodes.  The little fella. Coming up big.  Getting the big yards.  The first undrafted player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie.  Last week against the Ravens during the Colts’ final clock-eating possessions, he was the featured back.  The featured back that led the squad to a field goal with 23 seconds left.  The featured back that ran the rock five consecutive times to start the drive and 11 of the 13 snaps.  Nothing flashy.  Just effective.  Leave the flash for Joseph Addai.  The Colts’ number one draft pick.  The NFL rookie rushing leader.  The NFL rookie rushing leader without starting a single game.  He starts now.  He starts in the playoffs.  He started against the Chiefs.  Rushed for 122 against the Chiefs.  Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack gets through the hole lickety-split. 

The NFL is a copy cat league.  Four teams left in the playoffs.  Four teams with a two pronged running attack.  How long before every one is copying these cats?

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!