A pre-season game, a holdout, an arrest, a fight, a selfish superstar or two...Football season must be back.  Well, just training camp which is good enough.  And if you are anti-Olympics, Football is the perfect place for you!

To kick start this post, I read another good article written by Mark Kriegel on Brett Favre.  Perhaps the real reason why I thought it was good is the fact that I have said over and over again that Favre is a "me-first" player, and Kriegel did a great job of exploiting that fact.  Face it, we've been going after Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Chad Johnson pretty hard.  I am not the one that will say they did not deserve any ridicule they received from bloggers, but we have allowed Favre to skate under the selfish radar forever and that should have changed years ago, let alone today.  Though he is a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers, the question is whether the team can accept a Hall of Fame quarterback who will have no trouble throwing any one of those players under the bus at any time.  Certainly not the kind of positive atmosphere you want from a team that was a QB choke-job away from getting to the Super Bowl.  To have that team crumble with the talent they have would be a disaster that would be much worse than the situation that team is in as we speak.

Here's a link to Kriegel's article: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8410850/Never-t
hought-we'd-see-Favre-like-this

And speaking of Owens, he no-shows to a practice and already people are talking about it.  Let's overlook the fact that Dallas coach Wade Phillips also gave Jason Witten and Zach Thomas days off from practice as well.  But Owens is a headline grabber and I the only reason I can say it wasn't a mistake for me to read it is because I learned that Phillips is giving his veterans some rest.  Other than that, Owens missing practice is a non-issue.

But what is an issue is Steve Smith beating the #### out of Ken Lucas.  Every year we hear about teammates getting into a scuffle of some kind - it's football and it happens.  Although we haven't heard about Smith getting into fights with teammates in a while that does not mean he hasn't.  All this means is this fight and the one he had several years ago that got him in trouble the first time were worse than any minor scuffle he's had in between.  He and several other football players have issues, that is a given.  Odds are if you are a Carolina Panther player you better not cross Steve Smith unless you are absolutely 100% convinced that you can beat the #### out of him.  Otherwise, be kind and rewind for Smith.

Speaking of rewind, don't you think the biggest Super Bowl upset in history should allow the New York Giants to get more press than they have received?  I would think they would be getting more respect than they have gotten up to this point.  I would also think that Eli Manning would have received the benefit of the doubt by now and not have people question whether he's The Man or just Peyton's little brother.  I will bold this for all of you to see: YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!!!  Seriously, there's a big deal over quarterbacks winning championships to enhance their greatness.  People dog Dan Marino for not winning a title.  People use to dog John Elway, and then appointed him the best clutch quarterback in NFL history.  Eli now pulls into a tie for Super Bowl victories with Big Ben, Peyton, Brett Selfish-Favre and Kurt Warner, but he's apparently still horseshit.  What is really horseshit is Marino not getting the props he deserves for being a great quarterback, yet lesser quarterbacks get a pat on the back for winning a ring.  Winning the Super Bowl is a team thing and not a quarterback thing.

If you are currently frustrated with everything I have written, simply go to this website and forget everything: http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?
gid=220&page=1

Enjoy...

It was an interesting scene in Toronto tonight as I arrived to the Air Canada Centre just an hour after news broke of the big trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.  Over the last couple seasons we have waited to see if the Lake-show could pull the trigger on a deal - or if they had the players to deal for an impact player.

With Kwame Brown's contract about to expire and Memphis's intent to rebuild it made sense to make a deal.  Memphis grabs a young kid, a relatively young guy in Brown and 2 draft picks that need lots of prayer to become impactful.  This allows the Grizz to start over amd they will have some cash to show for it.

The Lakers grab a guy who can make an immediate impact.  This move allows them some breathing room as Andrew Bynum recovers from injury, and it gives them a blanket if Bynum does not return to form.  If he does return to form it allows Lamar Odom to slide to the small forward position while Pau plays the 4.  And, it gives them a deeper bench when Luke Walton slides beside some of the other contributors like Ronny Turiaf and Jordan Farmar.

This is a win-win for both teams without a doubt.  The need to crash the boards is imperative in the West and Los Angeles has more weapons than they know what to do with.  I should know; I watched a depleted Laker team roll over the Toronto Raptors.  Kobe Bryant was on tonight and unlike last night he got some help offensively.  Tonight's game proved that Toronto may be able to score but can't hold it together defensively on a consistent basis.  But with L.A. playing their 2nd game in as many nights they should have been stronger out of the gate.  Lakers got momentum and never looked back.

Last point on the Lakers: Prior to this deal I was still not on-board with putting them into the serious contender category despite their strong record.  Now, my view has changed.  They are absolutely a team that should be a factor in April.  This is a team built to go past round 1.  If they don't there is a problem.  They now have a great starting 5 (with Bynum back) and the forward position was a bigger need than point guard.  Derek Fisher can run the show because he won't try to do too much.  He knows the offense, he knows his limitations, he can still hit shots and knows how to play in big games.  Specifically speaking, Paul Gasol is a better acquisition than Jason Kidd.

Other stuff....

- I just realized Fox used the "Pau-er" line.  I'm pissed.

- After his 13.5 million is up in 2008, Johan Santana will pull in 137.5 million over 6 years.  That is phenomenal.  Hope the kid can hit.

All seriousness, the guy is one of the best pitchers in baseball and barring any setback or injury he should contend for a Cy Young.  Being able to avoid a big bopping DH and getting the opportunity to face pitchers with 1 or 2 out and runners on base will pay off for Johan.  It is a different ballgame with different scenarios when you play in the National League in comparison to the American League.

As for the contract itself, a lot of bad pitchers get paid a ton, so this is not a surprise and not out of this world in comparison to the #3 pitchers who make 8 figures per year.

- When Bill Belichick says his team is "ready to roll", I tend to believe him.  Some may feel the New York Giants can beat New England and they may be right, but I don't see it.  Yes, they played the Pats tight IN New York IN the cold IN front of their hometown.  In Arizona it will be warm and it is a neutral site.  The way I see it, the conditions favour the New England passing attack.  Passes that went through the hands of receivers will be easier to catch, and nobody is as accurate or precise as Tom Brady - even if he is disrupted in the pocket.

The real question should be if Eli Manning can continue his excellent play.  In my mind, he's grown as a player over the last month or so.  And he should be proud of the way he has battled throughout the playoffs.  He has beaten two teams he wasn't suppose to beat, outplay both quarterbacks and has defied expectations, which brings me to this...

- Tiki Barber is trying to protect himself now that his former team has made it to the Super Bowl the year after he reitres.  Tiki came with baggage and now that the baggage is gone the team can re-focus.  He had his quarrels with Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin and Michael Strahan.  This isn't a coincidence.  Somewhere down the line we have to look and say that maybe New York really IS better off without him.  I think they are.

- Who are we kidding when Pat Riley says Shaquille O'Neal should be in the All-Star game?  Should Magic be playing as well?

- Again, I realize nobody really cares about hockey but I will say it again: Alexander Ovechkin is THE best hockey player on the planet.  He is one of the very few players who has to single-handedly carry his team to victories.  I wonder how long he can keep this up.  Eventually he will need a stud playing alongside him.

Time to unwind.  And get ready for the Super Bowl.  I hope to witness history this Sunday.  It will be nice to explain how I got to watch a Football team go undefeated in one season.  Doesn't come around often folks.

The countdown has begun for...

- ...The Super Bowl, as New England and New York square off on Sunday.  What I'm not sure about is whether Bill Parcells or Dave Meggett will be cheering for the Giants or Patriots.  Perhaps Tiki Barber will put on a throwback Drew Bledsoe jersey and pray New York doesn't win.  If he says he's happy for his ex-teammates he's lying - he's wanted a ring so badly and it stings that the team has come together without him or his ego in that locker room.

Speaking of Bledsoe, it would have been interesting if Robert Kraft were to have called him for this game in case Tom Brady's foot fell off during a drive.  Kid you not, I was thinking about it.

What I do know is this is New England's game to win and to lose.  The New York Giants have fought hard to get here and should be credited for coming together and growing as a team through the pains they have shared together.  Nobody expected the week 17 matchup of these two teams to be the Super Bowl preview.  We'd be in for a great game if this was the case.  But instead of the game being played in New York we watch this in Arizona, a neutral site game.

That said, Arizona's warm weather plays into New England's passing attack and if their O-line stays one step ahead of the Giants defensive front it will be a long game for that Giant defense that has a very suspect secondary as is.

My call is New England will win and cap off one of the greatest seasons in sports history.

-...Jason Kidd sweepstakes have begun as the disgruntled point guard wants out of New Jersey.  The backboard and basketball rims inside the area breathe a sigh of relief.

Let's remember how he showed up; he left a deep West Conference and a checkered past with Phoenix to a depleted East with virtually no dominant point guard left (A.I. had moved to the 2 spot by then).  Though he couldn't shake off the rusty jump shot or his wife's makeup from his knuckles he gave New Jersey a lift into the NBA finals twice and quickly helped himself to becoming the best point guard on the planet - facing nobody in the East to get there.

Since then he helped Byron Scott get fired and he still dents rims with regularity.  He also went through a messy divorce and hasn't been that leader New Jersey can depend on.  Perhaps he will head back West to help a decent team get better, but he will quickly find out that there are point guards - LOTS OF THEM - that will shread him to pieces every night.  If he goes to the West he isn't a top 4 point guard in that conference.  Good luck with that trade.

-...Johan Santana is looking to get PAID by the New York Mets.  Is it just me or are these prospects not what they seem?  If I'm giving up potentially the best pitcher in baseball why would I want a mid-20's pitcher with a losing record and a 22 year old who makes Richie Sexson a batting champ?  I suppose the Mets needed this one as they held onto Lastings Milledge so long that they got, well, nothing in return.  Unless this 22 year old becomes legit overnight and learns to hit at least .260 in the major leagues this trade will be a success for the Mets - unless Santana goes Francisco Liriano in two months.  God forbid.

-...Tiger Woods attempt at the Grand Slam.  We say this every year and we see him fall short.  No slight on the guy - it's not like he sucks or anything.

But Tiger is entering his golf prime, or at least according to history as guys in their early 30's find their best success on the golf course, Seve Ballasteros excluded.  So if there was a shot at it we could see the best attempts over the next couple of years.  After that, we may not see another male golfer bring the kind of game or intensity or desire to win like Tiger Woods. 

It's sad, but wait and see when Tiger hits 45; we'll watch Tiger past his prime and obviously not the golfer he once was KILLING himself on the golf course for another major championship and he'll be playing with a young stud who just doesn't have the same will, focus or guts Tiger brings to the golf course.  It's great now that we see the guy who wants it the most winning the most - but how will we react when we see that same man unable to beat random Joe's who luck out a major victory? 

We'll probably be cheering for the fallen hero to return to glory one last time the way we rooted for Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and, for me, 1998.

The countdown has begun.  Tick tock, tick tock.

Supposedly the evening NFC Championship was a ratings success.  Apparently a lot of people tuned in to watch the New York Giants seal the victory over the Green Bay Packers in their 1700th attempt to end the game victorious. 

Problem is, I bet people just had their TV set on and was doing something else, because few people, if any, showed any guts to tell us how things went down in that game.

Brett Favre choked again.  The legend and Two-Time MVP (his co-MVP is fraudulent and a slap in the face to Barry Sanders' amazing season), proved he couldn't carry the load the way he use to back in the 1990's.  Don't take that as a sign that he should retire.  Not once have I ever said he should retire.  But, as usual, nobody call him out for that interception that ended Green Bay's season.  Nobody called him out for allowing New York to have numerous chances to win the game.  Nobody said he was outplayed by Eli Manning - because he was.

Did you watch the game? 

Or do you have to be Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, or Terrell Owens to draw attention to themselves and be ridiculed for it.  So much for throwing snowballs and "having a great time".  We watched Favre do what he has done several times in playoff games and that's crumble down the stretch.  Excessive celebrating with officials is "having fun" yet anyone else gets fined for that. 

At least Tom Brady clutched up when he had to.

We talked about Green Bay's defense and running game being the reason why they could get to the Super Bowl.  The running game stopped and their team became pass-oriented in the second half.  Big mistake - but they had to do it since the running game was shut down, right?  So they had to start gunslinging.  And they lost because of it.  Had Peyton Manning did what Favre did in overtime you'd be crushing him right now.  But Favre slides under the radar again.  Total hypocrisy. 

OTHER BULLCRAP

- If I haven't done enough to ruffle a few feathers (not that I'm trying to), this might do the trick.  A writer on Fox Sports decided to be cute with a blog post and certainly got some attention:

"I believe there should be rules for booing. One, you never boo amateur athletes on the team you support. Two, you boo professionals on the team you support only for a visible lack of effort. Booing because they screw up is for sub-morons"

- If I find out an amateur had beat his girlfriend, played while academically ineligible or started a fight on the playing surface would you like me to applaud?  You didn't think of all the angles, which makes me wonder who the real sub-#### really is.  You get your ticket punched and as long as you obey the stadium rules you can boo whoever you want.  You can boo an amateur athlete who has 3 kids with 3 different women.  Or I can just ask him politely to wrap up.  An amateur athlete will be ragged on if they absolutely deserve it.

"I don’t believe all Patriots fans are worthless cobags; I believe most Patriots fans are worthless cobags"

- This coming from a guy who wanted Green Bay to badly make the Super Bowl?  For what?  So that New England could slap them around with their junk?  I've been to Buffalo games and find New England fans to be a LOT better than other fans I have encountered over the years.  Whatever, I shouldn't bother critiquing this ####.  I will move on.

- The Miami Heat find ways to lose and they are suddenly doing it with flare.  It's as if they script this.  Put them on the clock for a nice draft position.

- Sidney Crosby is out 6-8 weeks and nobody noticed.  I guess they are the same people who watch Packer games.

- Roger Clemens gets an invite to Houston's pitching camp.  Maybe he can get back into pitching shape on Houston's clock so he can bolt for New York like he did last year.  Very smooth.

- Golf season begins this week.  Different year, same old storyline.  Let's see what Tiger does this season.

- The New England Patriots will complete the perfect season.  The venting is over, and so is this incredible post. 

Let's begin chronologically...

Seattle v. Green Bay

- Everything was going right for Seattle as they got two turnovers early in the game.  They convert two touchdowns right away and you could hear a pin drop at Lambeau.

(cue Inspirational Music)

And then "The Great" Brett Favre leads the team to victory.  Well, that's what you all want to believe but all he did was manage the game and minimize mistakes.  When he plays within the Joey Harrington rules he is very effective.

First off, Green Bay's D stood up to Seattle and gave up 6 points.  I don't count the first 14 in which the offense created by a lack of ball control.  The Packers D has not been given the credit they deserve.

Second, Ryan Grant bounced back after two fumbles to rush for over 200 yards.  In case you don't know this, rushing for 200 yards is a landmark.  It's like throwing for 400 yards in a football game.  He has to be credited for his performance.  By the way, that first fumble was all Favre.  He threw the ball low and behind Grant and it allowed Grant to get smoked.  Second fumble was just Grant.

Lastly, Favre was able to contain himself yesterday.  He loves to gunsling and loves to be the hero.  Yesterday's game was big for him because it showed that if he doesn't play selfishly, the way he did against Dallas, his team will be put into a great position to win.  If he wants to go downtown and be superman his team will lose.  It shows that when a selfish player puts his team first they will give themselves a better opportunity to go further.

New England v. Jacksonville

- The Jags played the Pats tough and all the people who wanted to be bold and pick the underdog got burned.  You seem to forget that Tom Brady has never, NEVER lost a playoff home game.  He's also the best quarterback in the game.  For good measure, he's the greatest quarterback to have ever played the game, period.  So if he's going to lose a playoff game in the prime of his career with a team that went 16-0 its not going to happen against Jacksonville.

However, New England's defense was suspect again.  It is sad to watch a guy like Junior Seau be outrun by offensive lineman and quarterbacks because at one time this guy was a beast on the football field.  As was Tedy Brusci, who has looked old as well.  The Patriots will need their offense to continue clicking because they cannot rely on their defense to save the day the way they once did during their championship runs earlier this decade.

Did I mention Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time?

Indianapolis v. San Diego

- Peyton Manning's team has had another deflating playoff loss yet again.   Their defense didn't show up when they needed to the most.  Of course, maybe Bob Sanders getting hurt proved how valuable he is to that team. 

But San Diego got dinged as well.  It wasn't bad enough to have Antonio Gates hurt but Ladainian Tomlinson?  Damn.  But, what was so impressive was watching Michael Turner play himself into an extra couple million dollars from another team for next year's contract.  And then, the 3rd string running back Darren Sproles grabs a screen pass and blew by EVERYONE.  That was impressive.  Its like the Chargers have a neverending supply of running backs who can perform at will.

Is Philip Rivers a tool or what?  He has to shut the hell up.  Billy Volek stepped in and it didn't even matter.  Rivers isn't that good and should show some humility on the field before New England welcomes him with a dose of shut-up juice.

New York Giants v. Dallas

- I'm watching this game as we speak.  Don't really care about this game.  This is New England's Super Bowl to lose.

OTHER STUFF

- What the hell is wrong with Joakim Noah?  Who does he think he is, Barry Bonds?  How can a player be benched by his teammates?  This means he must have done something worse than just say bad words to an assistant coach. 

I've always felt uneasy about him and I couldn't put my finger on it.  At first I thought his teammates at Florida were better, but then I thought he was a Richard when he would make appearances for press conferences.  Or it could have been that 'too good to be true' story with that guy.  Regardless, he has to be professional.  Otherwise he'll just be ####  He had a promising future in the NBA and we all thought by being drafted by the Chicago Bulls he could put them over the top.  Maybe he's just a cancer on a team full of question marks.

- Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus; whatever.

- Had to drop this on you since I have no affiliation with US Politics.  Is your country actually serious with voting for a weak President?  Hillary Clinton shows her vulnerability and Americans repay her with a nice victory in New Hampshire.  You kidding me?  Are you ready for someone who will break down when things are not going so well? 

Granted, over 80% of American media is liberal and I expect everyone to give poor Hillary a break but I never expected USA to embrace weakness.  But I'm not American, so good luck with that.  It's like allowing a weak NFL team to win the Super Bowl - it doesn't happen in sports. 

That's why sports is better than Politics.

Last week I went a perfect 4-0 on bets for both straight winners and point spreads.  Now, this week will be different.  Could someone go 8-0?  Yes.  Why not me? 

Regardless, this is my take and we'll leave it at that....

AFC

New England v. Jacksonville

- People really want to pump the Jaguars up like they are a team of destiny.  I understand.  We saw Pittsburgh do it two years ago.  And Jacksonville has come a long way over the last 4 years.

However, lets look at this picture honestly; Jacksonville couldn't stand up to Indianapolis twice this year, so how will they stand up to New England in their house?  How will they smash the Pats after they squeaked out a win against a fading Steelers team?  They won't.  They will play New England tough but they will lose by 10.

Indianapolis v. San Diego

- The Chargers have handled Indy very well over the last few years and beat them earlier this season.  Couple of factors: 1) The game was in San Diego and it won't be this weekend...2) Antonio Gates will not be a factor this weekend and that hurts San Diego...3) Indy has learned to play without Marvin Harrison and the 3rd and 4th wide receivers have stepped up.

This will be a different Indy team than the one we saw in San Diego.  We may be teased early in the game, but Indy will take firm control and win the game.

NFC

Seattle v. Green Bay

- I wonder how Matt Hasselbeck will respond this weekend.  The loss 4 years ago, in my opinion, wasn't his fault.  He played well enough to win that game and the one player who cost him is on the other side of the field: Koren Robinson.  The other player who let him down is in San Francisco, Darrell Jackson.  Hasselbeck is tough, but as long as he doesn't go interception crazy he won't dictate the win or loss.

The game will be dictated on Seattle's defense.  Will they stop Ryan Grant?  Well, it may not be in his control because this is going to be Green Bay's game plan:

Brett Favre will go downtown early and often.  Just like he did against Dallas and just like he did in his previous playoff games (Minnesota 2004, Atlanta 2002, St. Louis 2001).  We won't be seeing a game manager at the beginning of the game.  We will see a cowboy try to gunsling.  If he succeeds he will be a hero.  That is what he wants and the media will run with it.  If he fails, so will Green Bay.  Deviating from the script will result in a Seattle upset.

Dallas v. New York Giants

- What is the big deal with New York?  They have gotten their #### kicked in both matchups badly.  How will they beat them all of a sudden?  And why do they get any hype?  They walked all over a injury-depleted and weak-division winning Tampa Bay team.  I'm not impressed and the Giants have had missing guts for years.  Did they find it?  Nope.  I find Dallas winning convincingly.

OTHER STUFF

- Jim Rice was before my time frame, but I am still not convinced that he should be voted into the Hall of Fame.  If I had to choose between him and Andre Dawson, my vote goes to Andre.  Then again, I am the same guy who's on the "Fred McGriff to the Hall of Fame" hype train.  Jump aboard if you like.

- Alexander Ovechkin signs for $123 million for 13 years.  Gigantic.  But here is the problem: he'll be 35 when his contract is up so if he decides he still wants to play and he is a top-tier player by then he will not get the huge money that he would have gotten if he opted to sign an 8 or 9 year deal instead of 13.  He is the best hockey player in the world and he should be paid like the best player in the world.

- Another Philadelphia Flyers incident involving Steve Downie yet again.  This time he sucker-punched Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Blake made comments about Downie'#### on Dean McCammond several months ago which brought these two men together.  Downie got off without a suspension.  Don't worry, he'll do something worse next time. 

Blake's only problem was he defended his ex-teammate Chris Simon's actions when he impersonated David Ortiz when he whacked Ryan Hollweg.   Blake's a hypocrite and  he's had a knack of ticking players off (Sean Avery - although he's a lune too).

- I was going to write more but a song by Foreigner song just came on the television.  Have a great weekend.

Lenny Dykstra
David Segui
Larry Bigbie
Brian Roberts
Jack Cust
Tim Laker
Josias Manzanillo
Todd Hundley
Mark Carreon
Hal Morris
Matt Franco
Rondell White
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Chuck Knoblauch
Jason Grimsley
Gregg Zaun
David Justice
F.P. Santangelo
Glenallen Hill
Mo Vaughn
Denny Neagle
Ron Villone
Ryan Franklin
Chris Donnels
Todd Williams
Phil Hiatt
Todd Pratt
Kevin Young
Mike Lansing
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Adam Piatt
Miguel Tejada
Jason Christiansen
Mike Stanton
Stephen Randolph
Jerry Hairston
Paul Lo Duca
Adam Riggs
Bart Miadich
Fernando Vina
Kevin Brown
Eric Gagne
Mike Bell
Matt Herges
Gary Bennett, Jr.
Jim Parque
Brendan Donnelly
Chad Allen
Jeff Williams
Howie Clark
Nook Logan
Scott Schoeneweis
Jeremy Giambi
Jason Giambi
Aaron Boone
Bret Boone
Mark McGwire
Jose Canseco
Ozzie Canseco
Juan Gonzalez
Rafael Palmiero
Rick Ankiel
Troy Glaus
Jose Guillen
Jeff Bagwell
Brady Anderson
Manny Alexander
Rafael Bettencourt
Albert Belle
Ken Caminitti

If I have forgotten any names add to the list.  Some were added and I have only skimmed the entire report.   Any mistakes please point them out. 

The Mitchell Report is out and the list was slightly better than what I was expecting.  The expectations were very slim heading into today.  Now, certain names are not part of this list (See the New York Met clubhouse section in the report - 23 names are sealed), but if we combine all the names of the past and present we are looking at a total around 110 players - give or take a few.  We are talking about a list as big as 4+ 25-man rosters.  Sounds like it falls short of 50% which is the number Caminitti claimed prior to his death. 

The overall findings of Mitchell's report leave baseball fans uncertain.  We still scratch our heads with more questions than ever before.  Information can do that to a person.  Because there are a guys - a LOT of guys - who bulked up during an off-season who is not on that list and the bulk is at least 20 pounds. 

I'm not here to speculate who was left off the list since we have about 20 years worth of steroid use prevalent in the game.  What I can say is there are a lot of disappointed fans of Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux has never looked better than he has today.

Football Playoffs

- I can't decide if Buffalo is average or if they are really bad.  I have decided that the AFC East is NOT the worst division in Football.  It's better than the NFC South and maybe the NFC West.  That aside, Buffalo hanging in there could be a reflection of the poor play of Miami and the New York Jets.  But here is how I see the AFC playing out:

New England
Indy
Pittsburgh
SD
Jacksonville
Cleveland

- The way it stands today is the way I see it going after week 17 is complete.  Here is the NFC:

Dallas
GB
Seattle
TB
NYG
NO

- Yes, the Saints will somehow slide into the playoffs.  I think they will run the table and get it done. They play 3 average teams (Zona, Philly, Chicago).  First two games at home.  I think they can do it. 

Playoff predictions:

AFC: Cleveland upsets Pittsburgh, Jacksonville upsets San Diego, then both get blown by New England and Indy respectively.  Patriots edge the Colts in one of the greatest showdowns in history.

NFC: Seattle avenges last year's lost to New Orleans and TB handles NYG.  Dallas disposes Tampa and Seattle upsets Green Bay - the way they should have in 2003.  Dallas beats Seattle to get thrashed by New England.

- Alex Rodriguez is apologetic after finalizing a 10 year-275 million dollar contract.  Save the apologies, shut your mouth, hit 50 bombs and bat .190 in the playoffs.  You do all that and avoid the strip clubs or busty blonds you should be ok. 

This is all I've got tonight.  Bring me names if I missed some.

Fact: society is not color-blind.  We aren't.  Regardless of how open-minded we are or far from racist we may be, we aren't color-blind.  

However, I find the recent comments from Donovan McNabb to be very bitter and inaccurate.  The most criticized quarterback in the NFL today happens to be Rex Grossman, who is very white.

McNabb plays in Philadelphia where criticism comes from everyone in and out of the football stadium.  Grossman plays in Chicago - one of the biggest cities in the United States.

The second most criticized quarterback, in my opinion, comes from the city that never sleeps: Eli Manning.  Not only does he face the tough media and fans, he also has a name to live up to.  Makes sense since he plays in a large city.

This is not me trying to prove a point - this is just the way I see things.  Maybe you see it different.

But I'm not going to sit here and tell you McNabb does not get criticized.  He does.  But instead of looking at the situation as him being a black man who's prone to criticism because of his skin or the way he plays the quarterback position, look at other reasons such as completion percentage or wins/losses.  If he wasn't pathetic the first two weeks we'd be looking at a man who's led his team to a 2-0 record and we'd be loving him the way we always have.

Oh wait, could we love him so much that we could call him, "overrated"?

Ponder that for a second while I imagine Jeff Garcia in an Eagles uniform as the starter and wonder what could be going on this season.  

Ok back to the overrated comment.  The one way someone can be considered overrated is when we lift a player's status above what the player has earned.  More than just Rush Limbaugh has believed that notion about McNabb.  Therefore, he has been treated well for his play at one time or another.

What also struck me were some of his quotes:

In regards to Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer: "Let me start by saying, I love those guys. But they don't get criticized as much as we do. They don't." (1)

- Yes, except they have performed - regardless of the weapons they have and Donovan does not.

In an interview on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" to be broadcast Tuesday, McNabb said black quarterbacks "have to do a little bit extra" because there are relatively few of them, adding "people didn't want us to play this position." (2)

- Well, I want the best quarterback to play the position regardless if he is black, white or another color.  With the stakes so high in the NFL, I bet all the coaches want to see the best player at that position as well, regardless of skin color.  And, just to clarify things here are a list of other starting black quarterbacks:

Steve McNair - Past his prime, still effective at times

David Garrard - Not that good, but decent start to the season

Vince Young - So far so good, but not quite established just yet

Jason Campbell - Not that good either

Tarvaris Jackson - Even worse

So there will be criticism and its not about skin color. 

Just a final question as we get set for Week 3 in a few days: does Bryant Gumbel need to turn some of his interviews into a race issue?   This isn't the first time Gumbel has been around race issues on his programs.  Wonder if he thinks we hate his terrible play by play skills because of the color of his skin.  Absurd.

I'm not here to say there isn't a race/color issue in sports because someone probably has a problem, but ultimately sports is all about winning and the majority of people feel that way.  McNabb is a good quarterback who didn't get blindsided during the interview, he just got a little shortsighted.