The images are still burned in my brain. It was the Giants vs. the 49ers, a Wild Card playoff game. I wasn’t actually in San Francisco that fateful day, January 5, 2003, but that didn’t make it any less painful. I watched a 38-14 Giants lead rapidly diminish, and then ultimately, vanish completely (to this day, I curse the name Trey Junkin). My beloved New York football Giants have not participated in a playoff game since. Thankfully, this will finally change on Sunday afternoon, when the Giants take on the Carolina Panthers, to kick off a very intriguing Wild Card doubleheader (I can’t recall four 11-5 teams playing on the same day in the Wild Card round). It’s a compelling match-up, which should feature plenty of scoring, and should be close throughout. Let’s break it down.

When the Panthers have the ball…

…they will score a fair amount of points. This, I believe, is a given. If Doug Gabriel of the Raiders can have his way with the Giants secondary, then so can Steve Smith. He will score at least one touchdown (and surely follow it up with an over-the-top, end-zone celebration dance), and he should easily top one hundred yards receiving. The Giants task on defense is twofold. First, they must shut DeShaun Foster down. This task is not as difficult as it seems. His two best games have come against the Falcons, who fielded an atrocious run defense in the second half of the season (good job by the Falcons, by the way, in staying within 35 of the Panthers last week!). Throw those games out, and Foster has not topped 80 yards in any other game this season, throwing in some real clunkers along the way (16 carries for 23 yards against Tampa Bay). I don’t think Foster is good enough to exploit the Giants injury-riddled front seven. As the game goes on, he’ll find that the yards will be hard to come by. Secondly, the Giants must put a ton of pressure of Panthers QB Jake Delhomme. Tackles Travelle Wharton and Jordan Gross will have their hands full with the dynamic duo of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora (the argument could legitimately be made that Osi’s name belongs first). Watch out for Giants rookie Justin Tuck, a defensive end who could line up at defensive tackle on certain plays, and wreak havoc with a speed rush up the middle. The Carolina line can be had, as the Chicago Bears proved a few weeks back, in getting to the quarterback eight times in their Week 11 victory. When Delhomme gets time, he will make plays. He has won, and played well, in playoff games before, compiling a 3-1 record in Carolina’s Super Bowl run two years ago. The forecast calls for the temperature to hover around freezing, with light winds, so Delhomme shouldn’t find too much trouble with the conditions. Carolina will score a decent amount of points no matter what. If they can run the ball and protect their quarterback, they’ll score at will.

Advantage: Panthers

When the Giants have the ball…

…they’ll be running. You can bank on it. The way you win January football games in the Northeast is by running the football. The way the Panthers defense has played of late, allowing big rushing yardage to pedestrian backs like Julius Jones of the Cowboys, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem for MVP candidate Tiki Barber. Provided MLB Dan Morgan comes back for this game (it’s looking like a good bet that he will), the Panthers should have the personnel to, at least, contain Barber. He’ll certainly get his yards, but I doubt we’ll see a fourth two hundred yard performance from him in this one. Eli Manning will be starting his first playoff game. His cool temperament, though, does not suggest that the extreme pressure of the postseason will be his undoing. His undoing, rather, will be Julius Peppers. Giants LT Luke Petitgout held his own against 2005 sack king Derrick Burgess last week, limiting him to only 1 sack on the night. He’ll need to step up his play this week, though, because Peppers has the potential to wreck the game. Manning has been inconsistent of late, and this probably will not change against a solid Carolina defense. The thing that Manning must do, first and foremost, is protect the football. Peppers is likely to blindside him once or twice. Manning must feel the rush, and just hang on to the ball. His pocket presence is exceedingly strong, and it will be crucial for his success this week. Jeremy Shockey is likely to return this week, after sitting out last week against Oakland with a sprained ankle, and this is a huge boost for the Giants offense. It will be very interesting to see how Carolina appropriates their personnel defensively. If they can contain Barber without committing an eighth man to the box, then the Giants will find the points hard to come by. Considering the big games that running backs have had against them in recent weeks, I don’t believe that they can. Keep in mind, only the Cowboys have kept the Giants under twenty points this season (twice). Even with an inexperienced triggerman, this offense is explosive.

Advantage: Giants

When the special teams units are on the field…

…both teams will believe they have an edge. The Panthers will look to get Steve Smith the ball any way they can in this game, and that likely means he will handle kickoff returns, in addition to his usual punt return duties. With the Giants decimated at linebacker, they’ve lost some key special teams personnel. So I could very easily see Smith breaking a big return or two. On the other side, Chad Morton has picked up his game in recent weeks, returning kicks and punts for the Giants. His punt return in the Oakland game last week was a crucial play in the Giants victory. The Panthers have not yielded a fifty yard kick return this season, so Morton isn’t likely to impose his will on the game. John Kasay will make a game winner under forty-five yards for Carolina, Jay Feely does not give the Giants the same kind of confidence, though. Jeff Feagles and Jason Baker are both solid punters.

Slight Advantage: Panthers

The two coaches…

…are evenly matched. John Fox’s one playoff run as head coach was successful, as he took his team to the Super Bowl two years ago. Tom Coughlin’s Jacksonville teams seemed to underachieve somewhat in January, as his ’99 team was better than Tennessee, and should’ve gone to the Super Bowl. Coughlin is a little more reckless than Fox, and this could hurt him in this game. I like aggression, but sometimes Coughlin takes it a little too far. Also, Coughlin’s game management has been shaky on certain occasions this year, most notably in the Seattle and Philadelphia games, when he accepted penalties that he should’ve declined. Fox’s game management skills seem to be superior.

Slight Advantage: Panthers  

The X-Factor…

…is the same as it always is in a playoff game. TURNOVERS! Who forces them? Who scores when they get them? Both of these teams thrive on takeaways (Panthers are +16, Giants are +11), as these defenses are most opportunistic. This is nearly impossible to predict, but my guess is that the Giants, at home, are less likely to make a crucial mistake in a big spot.

Advantage: Giants

My Prediction: Giants 28, Panthers 24 (my head, not my heart. I swear)

For some reason, when I play this game out in my head, I’m convinced that the Panthers are going to score 24. I guess this is because I think that 24 is the most you can expect out of a one-dimensional offense. At home, where the Giants are 8-1 (thanks again, Tags), I think the Giants can top that. No doubt this one will be close and exciting. Enjoy it, everybody!

Until now, I've kept my promise of blogging three times a week. A recap of the Giants game early in the week, followed by the declarations mid-week, and then my NFL picks combined with a miscellaneous article late in the week. Well, due to the holidays (and the fact that the Giants absolutely sucked on Saturday), I was not able to get on here to rehash the Big Blue mess. My bad. I'm sure you all; a)noticed, b)were upset by this. Sorry. Anyway, I'm going to break format a little here, and kick off the fifth installment of the dirty dozen with some thoughts on the G-men, or, more to the point, their fans.

Jdeppa's Dozen Declarations (Volume V)

1. Any Giants fan that has the nerve to complain about Eli Manning ought to be buried next to Jimmy Hoffa.

Over the last month, the Giants, with 2nd year quarterback Eli Manning under center, have compiled a record of 3-1. The "1" was not his fault as he; didn't drop a sure touchdown pass (Plaxico Burress), didn't throw a very questionable flag for holding on a play that went for a touchdown (Walt Coleman), didn't let Clinton Portis run all over the place (the Giants front seven), and he didn't make Santana Moss look like the greatest football player of all-time (Will Allen). Yet, here in New York, my fellow Giants fans have been unbelievably critical of Manning's play. And yes, at times, it hasn't at all been great. But, in year two of the Manning era, he will throw for just a shade under 4,000 yards, he will toss 25 touchdown passes, and, by the way, he will lead the Giants to the playoffs. It will not get worse from here, it will only get better. I don't see how any fan of the football Giants can possibly complain about Manning. At least two thirds of NFL GM's would toss their quarterbacks in the gutter to acquire Eli Manning. Do you know how fortunate we are to have him? Memo to Giants fans: Shut the hell up, and enjoy the ride dammit!

2. Bears vs. Seahawks in the NFC championship game will never happen.

This happens every week after the NFL action. These fools from the national media always make long-range prognostications based on one week of play, which they are forced to abandon a few weeks later. This week, the general consensus amongst these morons was that you can forget about any NFC team other than Seattle and Chicago going to the Super Bowl. Hell, Michael Irvin went so far as to make the idiotic statement that the Seahawks were even better than the Colts (dammit Mike, wipe your nose before you go on tv). But there's a tangible reason the Bears and the Seahawks have compiled all of these wins. They've both gotten fat on their horrible division opponents, as each will, likely, go 6-0 in their division. The other two NFC divisions are considerably tougher. I’m not dismissing these two teams, I’m just saying that the jury’s still out on each of them. I’m certain that one of them will get picked off in the divisional round of the playoffs. I’ll go with Chicago. I still doubt that they’ll get enough offensive production to win in the postseason, despite the emergence of Rex Grossman.

3. The Cowboys will make the playoffs.

Between the Panthers and the Redskins, one of those teams will lose. They both play divisional games on the road, in which they are tepid favorites. If one of them loses, it opens the door for the Cowboys, who stayed in the hunt with their big win over Carolina last week. I just think that too many games have gone according to form in the past few weeks. Something nutty is bound to happen sooner or later, and I think the ‘Boys will be the beneficiary.

4. The 2005 NFL regular season has been mediocre, at best.

It’s been a very lackluster regular season. For the most part, everything is already decided in the AFC, and there are only a few things to keep an eye on in the NFC. The line between the good teams and the bad teams is much clearer this season than it’s been in the past. And so there are many teams with good records, and more than a few with awful records. It seems like there are only a select few good games each week. With the postseason approaching, that soon will be eliminated. And hopefully, the excitement level will pick up.

5. Pete Carroll’s going to leave USC soon and it’s the right decision.

It sounds like #### Vermeil will resign from the Chiefs at year’s end. A few names have been mentioned prominently with this potential job opening. One is Herman Edwards. He’s not as bad of a coach as he’s been made out to be here in New York, but I think he has a little Marty Schottenheimer in him (bad game management, far too conservative at times). So, with that explosive offense, I’d advise the Chiefs to stay away from him. Another name is Pete Carroll. I don’t know about this move from the Chiefs’ standpoint, but, for Carroll, it’s definitely the right thing to do. I don’t care what kind of recruiting classes Carroll has coming in; it will only get worse for him at Southern Cal. He has absolutely nothing left to prove with the Trojans. There is no challenge there anymore. Until he wins in the NFL, there are still lingering questions as to his coaching abilities. The only way to answer those questions would be to come back, and Kansas City would be an excellent spot for him. The Chiefs should be even better on offense with Carroll at the controls, and with young players like Derrick Johnson and Jared Allen on defense, that unit should soon come into its own. After Carroll wins another national championship next week, he ought to seriously think about moving on. He’s done all that he can do there.

6. There is no need for Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones to fight each other next March.

Let’s call this what it is: a blatant money grab. These two guys should’ve done this four years ago, when Hopkins beat Trinidad, and Jones still had his reputation as pound-for-pound king in tact. To have this fight now is foolish. Jones, who swore for years that he would not risk his health in the ring, is doing just that by continuing to fight. And he’s on a three fight losing streak. Hopkins will bring a two fight losing streak into the bout (the second defeat much more clear-cut than the first). These guys are way past their prime. And, frankly, neither one was that entertaining when they were in their prime. Hopkins was very mechanical in his fights, and Jones always fought someone that was overmatched. These guys have had terrific careers; they need to call it quits right away. Modern boxers often use this line when explaining their rationale for choosing fights; “If it makes dollars, it makes sense (get it? Sense, not cents. Funny, huh? ).” This one makes dollars, but it doesn’t make any sense.

7. Putting a football game on at 8:00 pm on New Year’s Eve is absolutely the dumbest idea ever.

I know I got off of the NFL, but I have one last comment here. This putting a game on at 8:00 on New Year’s Eve is remarkably stupid. I wouldn’t care, of course, if my Giants weren’t playing in that game, but, alas, they are. And it just happens to be for the division title. I’ve watched every play of every Giants game so far this season, but this will change on Saturday. I’m leaving my house at about 10:00 on New Year’s Eve, and I just have to hope that the Giants have the game under control by then (against the 4-11 Raiders, they damn well better), or else I’ll end up looking like a fool, asking one of my boys to put the game on the radio on in the car, when we should be blasting some 50 Cent, or whatever it is that cool people do. “Yo, are you high man?” One of my boys will undoubtedly ask when I make this unusual request. No I’m not, I’ll say, but Paul Tagliabue sure as hell must’ve been for putting a game on at this time. What idiocy. How is any Giants fan under the age of 30 supposed to watch the entirety of this game? And this is the last game of the season, no less, with an awful lot at stake. Thanks, commish. Great call on this one.

8. 2005 wasn’t a great year in sports.

I touched on it earlier with the NFL, and it got me to thinking that, not only was it a sub par year for them, but also, for pretty much every other American sport as well. Baseball’s World Series ended in a sweep, and was contested between two non-descript franchises. The NBA is nowhere near the commodity that it used to be in America, and the NHL (which nobody cares about anyway) was on strike. March Madness provided its usual thrills, but lacked many of the stunning upsets that make it such a spectacle. And college football has put its 2005 season entirely in the hands of USC and Texas, who had better not disappoint in the Rose Bowl. Hopefully, 2006 will turn out a little better for the sports fan.

9. Not even in a movie is Eugene Levy allowed to be married to Carmen Electra.

I know her stock has gone dramatically down since the whole Dennis Rodman fiasco, but Carmen Electra is not in the same stratosphere as Eugene Levy (Jim’s dad from American Pie, you know, the one with the eyebrows)! And yet, in the new movie “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” (it was my little cousins, they were in town for the holidays, it was raining, and there was nothing else to do…I mean nothing), “superpimp” Levy is apparently married to Carmen Electra in the movie. Good God! That doesn’t do anybody any good at all. Upon seeing that, as a man, you automatically say to yourself; “Damn! How can Eugene Levy get with Carmen Electra, and I’m stuck with ______?”. Unreal man. I’m willing to suspend disbelief in the movie theatre, but, come on man, that’s asking too much. A couple of other random thoughts from that movie. 1) When Hollywood is done with you, they’re done with you. Just ask Steve Martin. Poor guy. 2) It’s too bad Hilary Duff sold out and went on the Coke (not the soda) and Red Bull diet with the rest of the Hollywood teeny-boppers. She had a great figure once, and now she’s a stick. But did anybody catch her sister’s photo spread in this month’s issue of Maxim? I know they air-brush those things to death, but, I must confess, that messed up little nose she has just does it for me. I don’t know why. 3) Can we please chill with the American Pie Movies? One was a scream, two was okay, three was pushing it. Now there’s a fourth. And the aforementioned Levy’s been in all of them, including this latest straight-to-DVD gem. Levy, what a doofus. How’d he luck into this role? I know Carmen Electra has no acting career to speak of, but, one must wonder, was she that desperate?

10. The NYC transit strike of ‘05 has officially taken its place alongside the Baseball Umpires Strike, and the Air Traffic Controllers strike, as one of the worst job actions in American history.

What a complete disaster this turned out to be. As a reward for striking three days (and, under NYC law, losing six days salary), NYC transit workers got an extra .4% in wages over the next three years. But now, they are forced to pay 2% of their salary annually into their healthcare coverage, something that was not on the table when the strike was called. The math works out horribly for the transit workers, when you factor in the pay that they lost because of the strike. And yet these fools, when interviewed on the news last night, were thrilled with what they got. Good. They deserved it, for blindly following their clueless leadership.

11. Based on this first part of the competition, I am not the “Next Great Sportswriter” presented by McDonald’s (McDonald’s: I’m lovin’ it!)

Okay, my last blog entry before the judges come down with their decision, it’s time for a direct appeal. Guys, if you’re reading this, I honestly don’t believe I’m the top dog so far. My stuff hasn’t been quite as imaginative as some of the others. But I don’t feel that I deserve to be eliminated yet either. I think I would absolutely excel in the next part of the competition, in which we are given strict assignments. I believe that I could do more within the parameters of an assignment than some of the others. The thing that I’ve brought to the table so far in this contest is consistency. I’ve, save for Monday, kept all of my self-imposed deadlines. And I don’t think I’ve thrown in any complete clunkers, yet. My best hasn’t been as good as the best stuff on here, but my worst, I feel, isn’t all that bad in comparison to some of the others. I feel that I’ve shown some nice versatility, mixing in some short pieces in with the longer ones. I plan to do this for a living one day, whether I win in this competition or not. Even if I don’t go all the way, it’d be nice to put something like a high finish in this competition on my resume. Many thanks for your consideration; Peter, Tom, and Chris. And I appreciate the opportunity very much. Good luck with your decision, I know it’s not an easy one.

12. As a culture, we should be proud of ourselves for…caring.

I’m sick of knocking our society every week; I thought I’d end this edition of the dozen with something positive, for a change. I think that we should be proud of ourselves for questioning the powers that be in this country. It’s important that we care about things like the painfully slow response to Hurricane Katrina. It’s important that we call out those in charge to answer for certain things, like a war started on the basis of faulty intelligence. We voted in higher numbers than ever before in the 2004 election, and that shows the rest of the world that at least we care. For this, we should be proud of ourselves.

I've blogged here for a full month, and I haven't sold out and done a list of any kind (though written in list format, I don't count my weekly declarations as a list, because they are unrelated to each other, there's not one specific theme). Until now, that is. Inspired by reading some other blogs on this topic, I've come up with a list of my ten favorite sports movies of all time. Enjoy, fellow bloggers (Week 16 NFL picks to follow, by the way).

My Ten Favorite Sports Movies

10. Major League

This movie was driven by an outstanding cast. Corbin Bernsen as overpaid crybaby Roger Dorn, Wesley Snipes as the slick speedster Willie "Mays" Hayes, Charlie Sheen as the psychotic "Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn, Bob Uecker as the broadcaster without a care Harry Doyle, Dennis Haysbert as crazy, voodoo-worshipping slugger Pedro Cerrano, and, of course, the pimp of the '80's, Tom Berenger as the team leader Jake Taylor, all were perfectly cast. The one drawback to this movie is that the "last game" scene is far too long. In a comedy, that scene doesn't need to top a half hour, which this one did. Otherwise, there isn't anything else wrong with this baseball movie classic.

Favorite Line: Haysbert; "You no help me now, I say F*** you, Jobu (his bat)!"

9. Rudy

Your enjoyment of this movie probably is based on whether or not you like Notre Dame. Me, I've always been a fighting Irish backer, and so, naturally, I adore this film. Sean Astin (who wasn't heard from again until the Lord of the Rings films), absolutely nails the part of classic underdog Daniel "Rudy" Ruetigger. Also contributing are Bronx Science alum Jon Favreau (had to get the shout-out to my high school in there), and the massively underrated Charles S. Dutton, who wills Rudy to keep on fighting for his dream of playing for the Irish, in, what turns out to be, a classic scene. And it is impossible not to shed a tear at that ending. Damn, I'm choking up just thinking about it.

Favorite Quote: Dutton; "You're five-foot nothin'. A hundred and nothin'. And for two years, you've been hangin' with the greatest college football players in the land!"

8. Rocky

My biggest problem with this movie is that it got a Best Picture OSCAR that it didn't deserve (Taxi Driver and Network were both much, much better). Still, this has to be considered one of the great sports movies of all-time. Rocky Balboa set the standard for all underdog characters in sports movies, and Sylvester Stallone gave a clinic on how to play them. The ninety-seven sequels also take away from the greatness of the original, as Sly, much like a punch-drunk fighter, doesn't know when to pack it in. Burgess Meredith's Mickey is the standard bearer for all "coach" characters, and Talia Shire, somehow, stumbles into another great movie, even though she tried her best to wreck it with her pathetic Adrian.

Favorite Line: Stallone: (Coming out for the fifteenth round against Apollo Creed) "You stop this fight, I'll kill ya!"

7. Bull Durham

Kevin Costner's first appearance on my list (with apoligies to Tin Cup and For the Love of the Game, there'll only be one more) is in this '80's classic. He does an outstanding job with the role of lifetime minor-leaguer Crash Davis. He, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins all worked perfectly together. And, in a bit part, Robert Wuhl (Arli$$) is hysterical. This movie takes you by surprise with how funny it is. You think its going to be a completely sappy romance, and then the funny stuff comes from out of nowhere. Terrific movie.

Favorite Line: Robbins; (on the bed, tied up, listening to Sarandon read poetry) "So...are we gonna have sex, or what?"

6. The Natural

Leave it to Robert Redford to completely "Chick-ify" a sports movie. That's exactly what he does with this one. Still, you can't help but like it. Redford's portrayal of Roy Hobbs is brilliant. And Robert Duvall finds his way into another great movie (it seems like he's been in fifty), along with childhood sweetheart Glenn Close, and Kim Basinger in one of her first major roles (And she looked good back in the day). This movie moves slow, at times, but your patience is rewarded with a terrific final sequence.

Favorite Moment: Redford hitting one out in the final scene, knocking out the lights in "Knights Stadium"

5. Eight Men Out

It was in writing a comment about this movie on another blog that I was inspired to do this list. I think this is, easily, the most underrated sports movie of all time. It gives you great perspective on the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, showing you a side of the story that's not often heard about. You end up feeling sorry for some of the ballplayers, especially John Cusack's railroaded Buck Weaver. David Strathairn's understated performance as morally torn pitcher Eddie Cicotte is outstanding (the secret's out on him, he stands a good shot to win the OSCAR this year for his performance as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck). Really terrific film.

Favorite Line: (a little boy to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson) "Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so."

4. Caddyshack

My favorite sports comedy of all-time. Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Ted Knight, all at their best. What an absolute scream this movie is. Not even a godawful Kenny Loggins song at the end can ruin it for you, and that's saying something. Murray's role is the most remembered, but the key to the whole thing was Ted Knight. Nobody was better at playing a guy that you just wanted to punch in the face, than Ted Knight. Boy, he could make you hate him. And Rodney, as always, gets no respect.

Favorite Line: Dangerfield; (hitting an errent shot) "Fore!" (hits Ted Knight in the private area) "I shoulda yelled two!"

3. Million Dollar Baby

A deserving Best Picture winner if there ever was one. For me, this one's right up there with The Shawshank Redemption for best movie of the last ten years (and Morgan Freeman narrated both of them. hmmm...). I never walked out of the theatre as shaken as I did after I saw this movie. It was just so unbelievably moving. The chemistry between Clint Eastwood's Frankie Dunn, and Hilary Swank's fighting Maggie Fitzgerald is remarkable. Like all truly great sports dramas, the sport (in this case, boxing) just serves as a backdrop for a greater story. Hopefully, you got to see it without knowing the ending, as it's a completely different experience.

Favorite Line: Eastwood; (explaining to Swank what her nickname means) "Mo Cuishla means, my blood. My darling."

2. Field of Dreams

The movie that made every boy/man treasure every moment he spent playing catch with his dad. A special film, truly. Costner does it again, as Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella. And James Earl Jones lends remarkable gravitas to his role as a reclusive writer. This movie drags, just a touch, in the middle. But the payoff in the end is amazing.

Favorite Line: Jones; "The one constant through all the years, Ray, is baseball."

1. Raging Bull

There is no arguing with me on this one. Raging Bull, in my opnion, is the second best movie of all time (behind The Godfather). Robert DeNiro's stunning portrayal of troubled middleweight Jake LaMotta is the greatest acting performance ever recorded on film. Period. He nailed every complexity of one of the most fascinating characters in modern times. The brutal fight sequences, directed by the brilliant Martin Scorsese, haven't been outdone to this day. Joe Pesci turns in his most toned-down performance, that might just be one of his best, as Jake's brother. A classic American film. Required viewing for anyone who thinks of themselves as a film buff. And, easily, the greatest sports movie of all-time.

Favorite Scene: DeNiro's breakdown in a Florida prison. A gifted actor at his very best.

So that's it, there's the list. If you disagree with me, you're wrong, it's that simple (oh, I'm kidding, of course...). By the way, I'm going to set the over/under on the number of "Where's Hoosiers?" comments at 10. I don't know, Hoosiers, it just didn't do it for me. Nothing wrong with Hackman or Hopper, this one just didn't do it for me. Don't know why.

Okay, on to some week 16 NFL stocking stuffer picks. A very shaky 2-2 last week (though I'm glad I was wrong about Chiefs over Giants), my total record is a dismal 5-5-2 against the number. Let's see if we can run off a few here.

San Diego at Kansas City

As a rule, I don't pick against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. I'll stick with this rule here, even though, if there was ever a spot where I'd pick against the Chiefs, this would be it. The Chargers, a week off of their big win over the Colts, might pay for having to go on the road again after a short week of practice. The Chiefs, if they can tackle this week, might be able to hold the Bolts under 40. If they do that, I think they'll score what they need to in order to take care of the Chargers, and keep their slim AFC playoff hopes alive. Only giving up one point, it's not a problem. I'll go with the Chiefs.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay

I've picked against Atlanta twice in this space, and it's worked out both times. No reason to see their luck changing against the Bucs. I don't love picking Tampa Bay, they seem to be kind of schizophrenic themselves, but I don't see much of a danger here with the Falcons, who are about ready to fold up the tent. Vick's ribs might still be an issue, and this Falcon team just cannot stop the run. It says here that their miserable Sunday night performance against Chicago snowballs. You're asked to give up three points here with Tampa. Fine by me, I'll go with the Bucs.

Jacksonville at Houston

I wrote about this game in my dozen this week, so I won't go on too much about it here. The Texans, with head coach in waiting Dan Reeves closely watching, are going to give a big effort, and win the game outright, against an anemic Jacksonville offense. That's right. I said win the game outright. The 10-4 team only spots the 2-12 team six points, and there's your first clue right there. I'll take the charity, and hope I don't need it.

N.Y. Giants at Washington

This is, what I call, a reactionary line. The 'Skins are giving up a field goal in this contest, based solely on their drubbing of the Cowboys last week. This line implies that the Giants and the Redskins are equal teams, and, my biases aside, this is not the case. The Giants are better. Period. Joe Gibbs has spoken about shutting down Tiki Barber. Well, in order to do that, you must commit an eighth man in the box. This means leaving Shockey, Toomer, and Burress all in man coverage. Eli Manning, though he's struggled lately, is still good enough to exploit this. Giants take this one, plus a field goal.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everybody!

Another week, another dirty dozen on the way direct from jdeppa land. There's a lot of ground to cover this week; including the NFL, Johnny Damon to the Yankees, Anna Benson, the NYC transit strike and even a look at the early favorites in the Next Great Sportswriter competition. Now, I ask you, where else are going to find all of that in the same place? Huh...? That's right. I thought so. Let's get started.

Jdeppa's Dozen Declarations (Volume IV)

1. The Dallas Cowboys will not be winners under Bill Parcells.

I couldn't possibly think of a better way to start this week's dozen, than to do so with the above statement. And I didn't need to see the 'Boys get demolished 35-7 in Washington to come to this belief, but it sure as hell didn't hurt my case. Here's the problem for Parcells. He's done a terrific job building a solid, young defense in Dallas. Spears, Ware, and Canty all stand to be excellent players for a very long time. But the Cowboys need, minimum, one of everything on offense. Their offensive line, which was deplorable on Sunday (they couldn't have blocked Mugsy Bogues), will get a little better next season with the return of the injured Flozell Adams. But they still need major help on the right side, as Rob Petitti simply won't cut it. Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson have been pretty good at the receiver spot, but how much longer can you count on either one of them? Julius Jones has been a major disappointment in the Cowboys backfield, and neither he, nor Marion Barber III is good enough to carry the every down load. And Drew Bledsoe simply cannot win a big game anymore (assuming that he ever could). The Tuna needs a quarterback. He doesn't need Montana, he doesn't need Marino, he just needs someone that can manage the game, and make a big play down the field in a big spot. That guy, likely isn't on the free agent market. And Parcells isn't likely to wait around to develop a kid from the draft. Unless the 'Boys make a run at Philip Rivers (who, somehow, became John Elway without ever having started a game), I can't see where they are getting their quarterback from. The Cowboys, long-term, just have to hope that they can keep their defense together long enough (cap-wise) so that when they eventually do find a quarterback, they can start winning. Even if this happens, I don't think Parcells will be around to reap the benefits. It will take, at least, a few years until they find their quarterback.

2. The divisional round game that everyone assumes will take place between the Patriots and the Colts will not happen.

Already, you can hear the rumblings. The Pats are back. Brady's playing his best ball ever. Belichick's still the coach. They're getting healthy on defense. And everybody has them penciled in for a date with the Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Patriots, will indeed, win their first playoff game, seeing as it will likely be against the David Garrard led Jaguars (more on them in a moment). The problem is that I think the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs (Pittsburgh or San Diego) will beat the third seed (in all liklihood Cincinnati), and throw the whole scenario out of whack. This would send the Patriots to Denver, where I think they would lose. I've been as big of a Patriots believer as anybody over the past few years. I still think they've yet to answer the questions on defense. This may sound foolish, considering the Pats have given up 3 points in their last two games, but I still wonder about them against a good offense. Denver, especially at Mile High, matches up well with them. Their offensive line is good enough to neturalize the Patriots front seven, and, though I trust Jake Plummer about as far as I can throw him, I think even he can take advantage of the New England secondary. I'm pretty sure this game will happen, as I don't, at all, trust the Bengals in their first playoff game, especially against either of those teams.

3. Jacksonville will lose to Houston this week.

There. I said it. Somebody had to. It might as well be me. Jacksonville has not been good lately. If you're any kind o####ood team, there's absolutely no excuse to only beating the Alex Smith led Niners by a single point in your own house. This week, they take their show on the road to Houston, where David Carr and the high-flying Texans are waiting (damn, I can't even write that with a straight face). The Texans are working on a one game winning streak, as they trampled the mighty Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday (that either). And, honestly, for a 2-12 team, that haven't been that utterly horrible lately. We all saw those two kicks against Tennessee (and laughed our rear ends off at that second one), they kept the prolific Kyle Boller in check in Baltimore (I just have to chill with the sarcasm), and even covered the number against the Colts a few weeks back. I think last week sealed the deal.   For some reason, they are just determined to lose Reggie Bush. I think Jacksonville will make this happen for them. They haven't tripped up against any of the lousy teams they've played on their schedule, and they've walked a tightrope in some of these games. I think the Jags still make the dance with a win next week over the Titans, but, this week, I think they're due to slip up...seriously.

4. Alex Smith will be a bust.

That Jacksonville game's most defining image was the dying quail heaved up to the sky by Alex Smith in the fourth quarter (behind that Kris Brown kick, it was probably the funniest play of the NFL season). It looked like a punt. What a horrible throw. I'm not judging Alex Smith solely on that throw (It's hard not to, though), but I don't think he's going to be a career starter in the NFL. Having watched Eli Manning's every pass in his rookie season, I know that judging a quarterback off of his first few games is a very risky proposition. That said, I still have a very hard time believing that Alex Smith is going to even come close to living up to his number one draft standing. The problem with picking a guy like Smith is that he spent his college days in Urban Meyer's quarterback friendly system. If you look at the busts in the NFL draft over the past few years, most of them played for noted offensive minds Jeff Tedford and Hal Mumme (Tim Couch, Akili Smith, and I'm sure nobody'll mind if I put Joey Harrington on this list, just to name a few). Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger, and Eli Manning all appear to have NFL staying power, and the reason is that they A) played for mediocre coaches B) played in standard offensive systems and C) weren't surrounded by a great deal of talent in college. Alex Smith doesn't have the arm strength for the pro game, this was a flaw hidden by Urban Meyer's complex offense. Smith, apparently, acheived number one status on the strength of a legendary workout, in which he threw for an hour, and his total incompletions could be counted on one hane. For the 49ers to base their pick on this workout was foolish, and it will set their franchise back for years.

5. Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler will be a better NFL quarterback than Matt Leinart.

Had I made this statement a year ago, I would've been immediately sent to the "nervous hospital" (Sling Blade reference. I just saw that movie for the first time. Billy Bob, what a performance!) for a check-up. Now, though the statement is still contrary to popular belief, it is no longer viewed as completely foolish. Cutler is simalar to some of the recent successes in the NFL draft, in that he plays at Vanderbilt, where he's not exactly surrounded by great coaching or All-American players. He actually led Vanderbilt to a win at Rocky Top this year, the first time in over two decades that Vanderbilt actually won at Tennessee. Cutler's for real. Good arm, and lots of NFL intangibles. Some team is going to steal him either late in the first round or early in the second, and, one day, they will be very happy they did. Leinart's stock has fallen faster than Enron's, it seems. A year ago, he was a sure thing number one pick. People believed he was going to be one of the most sought after players in years. They've finally realized that he plays; behind a terrific offensive line, with two NFL caliber wide receivers, for a great college coach, and with one of the best college running backs ever (and another one that will probably be a first round draft pick). He's got some toughness, clearly. Pressure has not gotten to him, as he's made some big throws in some crucial situations. But still, there are the physical questions that the collegiate level cannot fully answer. Leinart's arm appears to be mediocre at best. This doesn't automatically disqualify him as a pro, but it sure doesn't help his chances to make it at the next level. Some team will waste a top five pick on Leinart, and, one day, wish they'd never done so.

6. Joe Buck has about as much right to talk about football as David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Frasier, for those who miss the reference).

I've got to confess that I really like Joe Buck's baseball broadcast. He fits well with McCarver. He grew up around the Cardinals (with his father being their play-by-play man) and he clearly knows what he's talking about when it comes to baseball. But Joe Buck should stay the hell away from a football broadcast, because he has absolutely no clue what he's talking about. Buck forced me to criticize him this week by making a really bad error in the broadcast booth. During the Cowboys-Redskins game, Buck kept insisting that the Redskins victory was a good thing for the NFC East leading Giants, who would, as a result, take a two game lead over both teams in the division. It wouldn't have been such a big deal, had he not kept bringing it up repeatedly. It was an erroneus statement, though. The Giants had a tiebreaker edge over the Cowboys. They do not have that edge over the Redskins. Essentially, the loser of that game last week was out of the NFC East race. The winner needed (needs) two Giants losses and two wins of their own. So last week's result not only sent the Giants to play a much tougher opponent, but it took away one of their outs, as, had the Cowboys won last week, a loss this week would've gotten the Giants in through the back door. No such possibility exists this week, and if the Giants lose, they will have to wait until week 17 to clinch. All right, grand scheme of things, this error doesn't really mean anything. It just gives me an opportunity to bash Joe Buck's style, which is far too laid back for football. I'm generally not a proponent of the three man booth, but I think Troy Aikman and Moose Johnston would work great together, as they did for years in the Cowboys offense. And third-teamer Sam Rosen should be the lead. The country has no idea how good of a play-by-play man that he is, because that baloonhead Bill Maas drowns him out. He's been a prominent New York broadcaster for years (most notably for the Rangers), and he deserves a shot at the top spot. Ahead of #### Stockton (whose best days are behind him) and way the hell ahead of Joe Buck, who belongs in a Starbucks listening to poetry readings on Sunday afternoons, kicking it to the chick with the nose rings. Not in a football broadcast booth.

7. Roger Federer is the best athlete on the planet right now, by a wide margin.

Normally, these declarations relate, in some way, to the events of the past week. Nothing recent has transpired involving Federer, but I just want to put this out there, because I doubt I'll get the chance anytime soon. Unfortunately, I can't take it for granted that you know he's a tennis player, because that sport has taken a major hit in popularity over the past few years. If you haven't seen him play, you're really missing out. The guy is absolutely amazing. Power, sneaky quickness, uncanny precision, he has it all. I was fortunate enough to witness his final two matches in person at the U.S. Open, and man, he is electric. It's hard to explain his greatness to somebody who hasn't seen him. Watching him is, almost, like poetry-in-motion. He's on a completely different level than his opponents. Andre Agassi played one of his best matches in years in the U.S. Open final, and still only managed to take one set. His only, even somewhat, legitimate competetion for the title of world's greatest athlete is Tiger Woods. But I was not as impressed with Tiger's 2005 as everyone else was. You can't knock him for winning two majors, that's an outstanding accomplishment. But he's still lost something from his best days. Vintage Tiger Woods holds onto the lead after making that incredible shot on the 16th at Augusta. And Tiger, and his worst day, will always be able to toy with St. Andrews. A place that has, sadly, become the Coors Field of golf. Federer is in a class by himself. He has no competition right now. He will, one day, go down as the greatest tennis player that ever lived, and one of the best athletes.

8. The Yankees will never learn.

The Yankees have made two major free-agent signings this offseason. As a Met fan (which automatically makes me a Yankee hater), I absolutely love both of them. We already touched upon Farnsworth in this space, and now comes word that the Yankees are about to ink Johnny Damon to a four year, $52 million contract. This comes after they spent two months telling everybody they were slashing payroll, and were committed to the youth movement. This after they swore that Bernie Williams would be replaced by someone with great defensive skills. What a joke. The Yankees still don't understand that signing 32 year olds who've already played their best baseball is not the way to go. The kick in the behind is that this will not put the Yankees over the top. Johnny Damon is not a great defensive player, nor is he a middle reliever. He does not address either of the Yankees major weaknesses. These weaknesses are bound to be exploited by either the Angels or the White Sox, who will come out of the American League this year. Terrific job by Brian Cashman, who has complete autonomy (uh-huh, yeah...right...sure...whatever you say), and is therefore responsible for this latest irrational purchase.

9. Anna Benson is the female equivalent of Terrell Owens.

Go with me on this one for a second. These two are similar in this sense. You can admire the obvious skills of either one from a distance, but the moment you sign/marry them, they will wreck you. Anna Benson made some inner-city children very happy this week, by dressing up as Mrs. Claus for the Mets' Christmas party. And she looked amazing, let me tell you. There are some parts of this woman that are clearly very special (two parts, in fact). And her honesty and candor can be, in the right situation, refreshing. I'm all for the idea of an independent chick, honestly I am. But she takes it to another level. She's speaking publicly about her husband's profession, and speaking openly about matters that are none of her business. How on Earth can Kris Benson walk into a major league clubhouse on opening day this season, after his wife has spent the entire offseason doing his bidding publicly? She's done so much talking that she's going to get her husband shipped off to Kansas City, something that she desperately doesn't want. She leaves the Mets no choice though, as her yapping reflects very badly on the franchise. Kris Benson has to either lay down the law with this chick, or lose her. It's that simple. He's got to control his wife, or he'll be forever humiliated in baseball circles. And listen, I wouldn't want to give her up either. I mean, my God! She's incredible. But, like Andy Reid did with Terrell Owens, Kris has got to realize that it's the right thing to do.

10. When everybody in the city of New York knows the name Roger Toussaint, it's a problem.

Toussaint, for those around the country, is the President of Local 100, the Transport Workers Union. And, in the last two weeks, he's gotten more air-time in New York than the Mayor, the Governor, and Tiki Barber combined. He is most responsible for this transit strike we're currently having here (a five mile walk to school in 20 degree weather. Thanks Rog.), and he has been dead wrong in his actions. Having a mother who's a city employee, I fully sympathize with the transit workers. And, in labor disputes at this level (involving working-class people), I will always back the union. But there's a right way to do things, and this is not it. First of all, this strike threat could've waited a month. In a city where the cops, firemen, and teachers all had to wait at least two years after their contracts expired for raises, the transit workers could've waited a little while, and not wrecked the holiday season for everyone. Secondly, Roger's membership does not understand what they're fighting for. The transit workers I saw interviewed on the news last night all spoke as if the issues in question directly affected them. They do not. The two sides are very close on wages (18% to 10.5% raises). The dispute deals with whether or not future employees should be mandated to pay into their pension and health-care plans. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) gave major ground on all of these issues right before the deadline, but Toussaint gave no ground, and was clearly determined to strike. He's, essentially, the grinch that stole Christmas, and it's sad to see. I hope the dispute gets resolved quickly, and then I hope that he gets Bob Goodenowed (the hockey union chief, for those out of the loop). Because, essentially, I think this negotition will result in a similar fate for the members.

11. "Detpack" is the early favorite to win the "Next Great Sportswriter" competion presented by McDonald's. (McDonald's: I'm lovin' it!)

I urge my fellow bloggers to check out this guy's stuff. He's really good. He is more imaginative than most of the other bloggers. His latest idea features his spin on 32 songs, matching them up with each NFL team. The guy actually takes the trouble to come up with a full verse for each song. Truly amazing. His best post, though, was a heartfelt confession to a blogging addiction (me, I'm still in denial...). He thinks way the hell out of the box, and is the early frontrunner to take home the Big Mac. Other contenders include; NoahPinto, Bold1 (whose James Blake piece brought a tear to my eye), Edsox, and Trooper 110. The overall quality of the blogging, though, has gotten much better than when I first complained about it two weeks ago, and that's good to see.

12. As a culture, we should be ashamed of ourselves for...beating the #### out of each other for Christmas presents.

What a world, man. It's just depressing how commercial the holiday season has gotten. My recent viewing of the Charlie Brown Christmas special brought this thought to mind. Chirstmas has indeed gone commercial. This special, by the way, was made forty years ago! Imagine what the Peanuts gang would say now, if they were around for holiday season. This footage of people trampling each other for an XBOX 360 is disturbing. That's not what the holidays are about. It's not about spoiling the children, and buying them more things. It should be enough just to spend time with our families. The holiday season must be decommercialized, promptly. After all, we ought to be content with our PS2's and Blackberry's. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Dear Tiki,

I'm writing this open letter to you, just to say I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for ever doubting you, as I did back in the days when you fumbled the ball six times a game. I'm sorry that, like many of my fellow Giants fans, I got too easily distracted by the flashy, young, flavor-of-the month, new star at quarterback. I'm sorry that I ever had the nerve to even, for a second, think that the Giants should've actually thrown the ball more. What was I thinking?

You see, I should've realized, Mr. Barber, that my team's offense begins and ends with you. You are the reason that the New York football Giants are worth a damn this season. You are the reason they can actually get to a Super Bowl this season, as unrealistic as that may have sounded just a few weeks ago. You, Tiki, are not only the latest in a long line of great Giants running backs, you are the greatest of them all.

It wasn't too long ago that I demeaned not just you, but all of your fellow NFL running backs. I said you guys were easily replacable. I said that the difference between the pro bowl and the taxi squad was negligible. I said that you guys are never a good long-term investment. And that NFL teams would be wise to just keep wheeling in fourth round picks every few years, seeing as we've seen so many succeed in the past few years.

That I could make these statements after having watched, for the most part, your every play over the last few years, is a complete disgrace. I, like many other Giants fans, have been spoiled by your brilliance. We see that your offensive line isn't all that good. We all see that you are a playmaker. You're not running through truck-size holes, by any stretch of the imagination. You're earning every yard. We can see that plain as day.

This past Saturday, you ran through the Kansas City Chiefs like they were standing still (okay, in some cases they were standing still. Nevertheless...) . It was one of the greatest offensive football games any New York Giant ever played. And yet it was, only by a slim margin, your best game of the season (your 200 yard tribute to late owner Wellington Mara was truly touching).

I stated in this space a few weeks back that the Giants would go as far as their defense would take them. I must amend that statement to include you. You're a terrific player Tiki, I'm sorry that I ever doubted you.

A grateful fan,

jdeppa

I love Saturday football.

As football fans, we all do, sure. But I love it in a different way. I love it the way they love Thanksgiving in Dallas and Detroit. Because, in my family anyway, Saturday football carries with it that same sense of tradition.

On the first Saturday of NFL football each season, we put up our family Christmas tree. Mind you, the tradition wasn't structured around the football games. It was just that, on pretty much every year since I was a little kid, the second or third Saturday in December was the most convenient time for everyone in our family to come together and decorate this tree. This coincided with the Saturday football. And the day took on a whole new meaning.

See, in most years (pretty much every year that I can remember), my beloved Football Giants play on this day. So, for me and my father anyway, decorating the tree took a back seat to watching every play of the game. Cursing (being a child in front of his parents, I cursed silently, of course) a bad play call, screaming at the players (who probably didn't hear us), questioning the referee's eyesight. These were the priorities for us, and it was left to my poor mother to actually do all of the work.

At halftime, we'd throw on a couple of token ornaments, just to let her know we were there. But once the second half came around, she was pretty much on her own. As a sign of frustration, she would often put on Bing Crosby's famous White Christmas album, and turn the volume up so high that we couldn't hear the commentary on the game. After the game, my father always examined the tree, nodded his head, and proclaimed;

"We did a good job this year."

And this, of course, made my mother furious.

This year, the tradition continues in our house, as the Giants battle the Kansas City Chiefs in a Saturday night interconference showdown. Part of the greatness of this little tradition of ours is that the games often turn out to be fantastic. The one I'll always remember took place in December of 1998, when the 13-0 Denver Broncos invaded Giants Stadium to take on the 5-8 Giants. The immortal Kent Graham led the Giants down the field, capping of####ame winning touchdown drive with a pass to Amani Toomer in the back of the end zone, to end Denver's quest for history.

This year, thankfully for us Giants fans, the stakes are high for both teams in this year's game. Unfortunately, I'm not at all thrilled with the match-up. I think Kansas City can play, people might be underrating them a tad. Their offense, specifically their running game, has been flat-out dominant over the past few weeks. And they get to face a Giants defense that, this week, will be without their heart and soul, middle linebacker Antonio Pierce. The Chiefs will score lots of points in this game, I think that's a given going into this one.

What is not a given is that the Giants offense will score the kind of points they'll need to in order to win this game. That is a huge question mark. It will not help any that both offensive tackles for the Giants are likely to be sidelined along with Pierce. The Chiefs sport a solid run defense, so the yards will not come all that easily for Tiki Barber. So that leaves Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack. Eli will have to be much better than he's been over the past few games, if the Giants are to have a chance. Fortunately, he gets to face a fairly soft Chiefs secondary, that, a week ago, made Drew Bledsoe look like Dan Marino.

The Chiefs come in desperate, as they probably need to win their final three games to make the playoffs. The Giants need the game just as badly, as they're still two wins away from clinching the NFC East, and their final two games are on the road. Giants Stadium has been very kind to the home team this year, and this is a huge factor in the game. It's hard to pick a team to cover a three point number, and them pick them to lose the game, but that is exactly what I'm going to do here. Figure something like, 35-34 Giants, as Eli Manning delivers some more of the 4th quarter magic he's had for most of the season (or maybe that's just a hopeful Giants fan talking).

Now, on to some other picks. I was a miserable 0-2-2 last week, bringing my aggregate record in this space to 3-3-2. Truly pathetic. Let's see if I can get back on track this week with the other big week 15 games.

Pittsburgh at Minnesota

For the life of me, I haven't been able to figure out the Steelers. I just can't get a beat on this team. I suspect, though, that against a Viking team that still has to answer some questions against a decent opponent, the Steelers will take care of business. They have to operate under the assumption that three wins is what it will take to get into the AFC playoffs, so they understand their margin for error is nonexistent. The Vikings big win in this winning streak they've been on came against the Giants, and, I promise you, that game was a complete fluke. In a game where they got a kickoff return, an interception return, and a punt return for touchdowns, they needed a 40 yard drive in the last minute (which was almost half of their total offense for the day) to kick the game winning field goal. The Vikings are just not ready for this kind of step up in class. No reluctance here in giving up the three points, even though the Steelers are on the road. I like Pittsburgh.

Dallas at Washington

Amazingly enough, Washington is still very much in the mix for the NFC East title. Destiny is pretty much in their hands, in fact, with the only caveat being that the Giants need to lose one game in addition to a loss against the Redskins. The 'Skins, though, haven't played well enough lately to inspire much confidence in this game. The Cowboys got a little lucky last week, but still played very well in the win against Kansas City. They know that their playoff chances ride on this game, and I think that, even on the road, they will come through. Mark Brunell must revert back to his early-season form in order for the 'Skins to emerge victorious, but I don't see it. The Cowboys will do enough on offense to win an ugly, 14-10 type of game. I'll gladly take the three points, and back the 'Boys in this one.

Atlanta at Chicago

Always risky picking a Falcons game, because they are just so damn schizophrenic. But I think they will lay an egg in this spot. The Bears, at home and on national television on Sunday night, will be fired up to play in front of the home folks in a big game. The one scary thing about last week's loss to the Steelers, from a Bears standpoint, was the prevailing comment from the Steelers players, claiming that they saw something in their film study of the Bears defense, and exploited it. Whatever that something is, I don't expect a ####ed up Michael Vick to find it. Kyle Orton will do enough to save his job for one more week, and the Bears, as usual, will scratch out an ugly win. Not thrilled giving up a field goal, but I'll live with it. The Bears, less a field goal, are my choice in this one.

Even though I do plan on blogging several times between now and December 25th, I think this is an appropriate time to wish those who celebrate a very Merry Christmas, and a very Happy Holiday season, in general, to you all. And I sincerely hope you all are fortunate enough to take part in a tradtion like the one I'll be enjoying this Saturday, because that's what this time of year is all about.

Shocked and surprised that my calling out of the gramatically challenged bloggers did not start a small war, Jdeppa's Dozen Declarations is back for a third edition. I want to thank those who commented in support of my thoughts a week ago. It's refreshing to see that I'm not the only one sick of reading some of the complete nonsense that's out there. Anyway, I've got twelve more declarations coming at you, in yet another effort to stir the pot and get Fox Sports nation talking.

1. Anybody who bought into the Chargers looks like a complete fool.

I put myself right at the top of this list. I was duped into believing that this team was so good that they would even overcome the walking jinx that is Marty Schottenheimer. Their disgraceful loss to the Dolphins on Sunday is squarely on his shoulders. It is his job to get his team focused for the upcoming game, and not have them look past any opponent. Several Dolphins commented after the game that the Chargers clearly were looking past them, and ahead to their match-up with the, now 13-0, Indianapolis Colts, a match-up which is now rendered irrelevent. Their secondary made the woeful Gus Frerotte look like Joe Montana. And their offense appeared to be half-asleep. They deserve to miss the playoffs, which they now will. A quick aside: Nick Saban can coach. This team has a chance to go .500, which would be a terrific building block. Long-term, they need a quarterback. But it won't be long before this team is really good.

2. Any official who throws a late flag on 4th and goal at the 6 to decide a game should be fired on the spot.

If you read my blog, you know that I am a Giants fan. I want to put this fact right out there because I don't want this to sound like sour grapes, seeing as I'm referring to a call that gave the Dallas Cowboys a huge win against Kansas City on Sunday. With that out of the way, this call was a complete joke. Not because there wasn't a penalty on the play, in fact there was. Chief linebacker Derrick Johnson clearly held Cowboy tight end Jason Witten, and deserved to be flagged on the play, even in an end of game situation. My gripe is with the timing of the flag. The official waited, by my count, six full seconds after the infraction, to throw his flag. He waited for the completion of the play, to make sure the Cowboys didn't score, before he reached for his flag. Had they scored, he never would've thrown it. This is a disgrace. If there's a foul on the play, just make the call, and don't wait for the play to end. This leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. Had the infraction not been as flagrant as it was, I would've gone completely bonkers. Terrible job by that official. He must not worry about himself, which he clearly was in waiting to throw that flag. If he sees something, he's got to call it, promptly, or else keep his hands in his pockets. (By the way, Cowboy right tackle Rob Pettiti got away with a flagrant hold on that play, and nobody seemed to mention it...okay THAT was sour grapes...damn zebras!)

3. If Peyton Manning doesn't win his Super Bowl this year, he can never be mentioned as an all-time great again.

There is absolutely no competition for the Indianapolis Colts this year. Peyton Manning has no excuses. If his loses a playoff game this year, it's because he choked. There's no good reason why the Colts shouldn't waltz through the postseason this year. The second best team, whoever you think it is (my reluctant vote goes to the Broncos), is lightyears behind the Colts right now. There couldn't be more pressure on Peyton Manning, but I couldn't care less. He's got the talent around him on offense, and, not a championship defense, but certainly a good enough defense. A failure this year, with this team, would be a complete disaster. He can keep his touchdown records and his other obscene stats. If he doesn't get it done this year, he's a choke artist, pure and simple. And that kind of player does not deserve a place on the list we've commonly placed him on, with the who's who of NFL greats. No excuses Peyton, just get it done.

4. Reggie Bush is good, but not good enough that a kicker should have to humiliate himself in order for his team to land him in the draft.

I want to believe that the Texans would not compromise the integrity of the game, I really do. Sometimes, I have more faith in the professional athlete than I probably should. But I just cannot get past that pathetic kick attempted by the Kris Brown of the Texans this past Sunday, with a last-second chance to tie the game against the Titans. Did you see this thing? It was a 33 yarder from the right hash, that was pulled so far left that it went outside of the netting. It was a kick so bad that, by comparison, it made Jay Feely look like Lou Groza. What a complete joke. It was definitely the funniest thing I've seen on a football field in quite some time. And yes, I'm not supposed to read anything into the fact that Dan Reeves has been hired by the Texans as a consultant for the last six weeks of the season. Right. Uh-huh. Whatever you say.

5. If Colorado's athletic department is smart, they will do whatever it takes to land Boise State head coach Dan Hawkins, and his imaginative offensive coordinator Chris Peterson.

It will take quite a lot. Hawkins is the last of a dying breed in this country that is truly not moved by the prospects of money, or fame. He has turned down, at least a hal####ozen offers to coach BCS conference schools in the past, including, rumor has it, one from Notre Dame (which he, in the past, called his dream job). But this is a special head football coach. If he comes as part of a package deal, with his brilliant offensive coordinator, and his elite 11 quarterback son (who is currently planning to walk-on at Boise State), he would be even better. Here's his Division IA resume. Five years at Boise State. An overall 52-10 record. Four consecutive conference titles (in the same conference as perennial mid-major powerhouse Fresno State). A three year streak in which his team was ranked in the top 15 at season's end. And only three conference losses over his entire tenure. Here's the most impressive thing about all of this, and why his success differs from that of all other mid-major coaches. Boise State's sustained success is unparalled in the BCS era. When a mid-major is good, it is because, in most cases, they were lucky enough to land a big-time quarterback (see Alex Smith, Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, and countless others). Think about this, Hawkins has acheived all of this success without so much as a single first day NFL draft pick having ever been on his roster. His talent is his uncanny ability to motivate. He emphasizes the team concept like no other, and gets every last ounce of talent he can out of all of his players. He gets one and two star recruits to play like three and four star recruits. If given the chance, he will get three and four star recruits to play like five star recruits. And when he eventually lands five star recruits, he will get them to play like seasoned professionals. And his offensive coordinator, Chris Peterson, is an x's and o's mastermind. He masterfully combines a power, between the tackles running game, with a finesse throw it all over the lot passing game, that leaves opposing defenses dumbfounded. Boise State has averaged 45 points per game over the Hawkins era, and I assure you this is not a fluke. Hawkins is unbelievably loyal, and my guess is that he'll stay in Boise. If he does, he will eventually make the smurf-turfers into a perennial powerhouse, and his name will, one day, go on the list with Paterno, Bowden, and Osborne. Colorado is advised to ignore NFL retreads like Steve Mariucci and Butch Davis, and pursue Hawkins with reckless abandon.

6. Pat Riley is a snake, Stan Van Gundy is a wimp, and they both deserve the enormous amount of criticism they are getting.

I used to idolize Pat Riley. He masterfully guided my beloved New York Knicks for quite a few years while I was growing up. When I didn't know any better, I used to love the guy. I considered his book, The Winner Within, my personal Bible, before I realized that it was complete nonsense. He can coach, I'm not at all denying that. But he is also a backstabbing, image-conscious, selfish, two-faced weasel. Between his faxed resignation from the Knicks, and now his carefully manufactured manipulation back to the Miami Heat bench, this is not a good person, at all. He deserves no respect from anyone. Nor does outgoing Heat coach Stan Van Gundy, who rolled over and played dead at the press conference on Monday. I don't know how much money he got for his trouble, but there was no need to be so enthusiastic about getting #### out of his job. I have no sympathy for him. If he didn't put up a fight to keep his job, then why should I? He deserved exactly what he got.

7. ESPN had its head up its collective behind with its coverage of the Riley press conference on Monday morning.

I happened to catch the news of this sham going down in Miami early Monday morning, and was curious to see how Riley, the devil in Armani, would conduct himself at the press conference. So I went out of my way to check it out. I was tuned to ESPNEWS at 11am ET, where a message at the bottom corner of the screen informed me that coverage of the press conference would take placed once it got going. At 11:10, it still hadn't started. Thankfully, I got curious, and flipped to the other ESPN channels to see what was up. I found the conference, already in progress, on ESPN2. Stan Van Gundy was in the middle of his nonsenical speech, but fortunately, I hadn't missed too much. After Van Gundy finished, he was followed by Heat owner Micky Arison, and then by new coach Riley. After Riley finished, ESPN2 cut away from the press conference, just as it was being opened up for questions. They left the press conference to go to their moronic Cold Pizza show, where their baloonhead analysts were offering up their worthless commentary on the matter. What a disgrace. The whole point of covering the thing is to see Riley and Van Gundy squirm when the media calls them on their b.s.! To imply that what their knucklehead analysts have to say is more important, relevent, or entertaining than what Riles and Van Gundy have to say, is utterly nonsensical. It smacks of self-importance. It doesn't need to be said by me, because it's been said by countless others. But ESPN is truly about style over substance. The sports fan needs them, because they televise the games. But it is not for the sports fan. It's for everyone else. This is an intelligent marketing move, I suppose. But it becomes less desirable each day to its core audience.

8. The Yankees will rue the day they signed Kyle Farnsworth.

This signing by the Yankees made the Met fan in me smile from ear to ear. Kyle Farnsworth throws a 100 mph fastball. It, however, has no movement, and it will constantly be turned around by American League sluggers. Tom Gordon choked in the big game, granted. But at least he got them to the big game. Farnsworth will not even do that. If he lasts until June, I will be surprised. I'm thrilled to see that another rough year (by their standards) is on the horizon for the aging Bronx Bombers.

9. If King Kong isn't the greatest movie of all-time, every movie critic in the country should lose their job.

The hype for this movie has been absolutely sickening. Review after review has heaped mountains of praise on this stupid thing. It is as if these critics are trying to out-do each other in glorifying this movie, solely in an effort to get noticed. It's akin to what football analysts having been doing with teams like the Bengals for the last few weeks. They've been trying to make the craziest statements possible about that team only so that people will know their name. Same thing with this movie. King Kong is probably a really good movie that I'm going to end up not liking, because I walked in expecting The Godfather. Not that these awards mean anything, but the movie only got one Golden Globe Nomination (for Peter Jackson's direction). If the movie was truly on that level, I have to think it would've gotten, at the very least, a nomination for best picture. My cynicism leads me to believe that some of these critics might be on the take. With the movie's enormous $207 million dollar budget, and massive national promotional campaign, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they had a few critics in their pocket. Or, at a minimum, hooked them up with some good champagne or something at the screenings. As a movie buff, I sincerely hope this movie does live up to the incredible hype, but I truly doubt it.

10. Richard Pryor was the greatest stand-up comedian that ever lived.

I'd like to take a moment to pay tribute to this man, who, in some way, inspired every good comedian that ever followed him. His irreverence was unparalleled for his time. His willingness to say anything and everything on his mind took an awful lot of guts, and for that he ought to be commended. The man was an absolute scream when he was in his prime. His best stuff makes the Chris Rocks and Dave Chappelles of the world look amatuerish by comparison. His drug addiction was heartbreaking, and his death was far too premature. Here's saluting a legend. He'll be missed.

11. President Bush has been given one last chance by the American people to save his administration.

With his approval ratings inching their way north of the forty percent threshold, the President has one final chance to unify the country, and do some good things with his Presidency. I'm not sure what exactly brought about the change in public opinion (my mind, for one, hasn't really been changed), but I'm willing to give this man another chance, as an alternative to living in a divided nation for the next three years. America, Mr. President, appears ready to give you one more chance to return our great nation to prosperity. I implore you to seize it.

12. As a culture, we should be ashamed of ourselves for...forgetting 9/11.

In New York this past week, two cops were shot to death in the line of duty. This inspired me to write about the incredible sacrifices made, on a daily basis by all men and women in uniform. Be they police officers, firemen, or armed forces, they deserve our humble gratitude far more often than they receive it. We all think these thoughts, but we must verbalize them more often. Because we do not let these people know nearly enough just how grateful we are for their service to our city, and/or our country. We acknowledged them after September 11th, as, of course, we should've. And, at the time, we swore we'd never forget. We lied. We watched NFL football on September 11th this past year. Hell, in New York, our television stations cut away from the Ground Zero tributes in favor of the damn pregame shows! This truly angers me. I implore each and every one of you to do what I did today. Find a serviceman, be it a cop, fireman, or soldier, go up to them, and thank them. These people need to know that we haven't forgotten them. Because, right now, I don't think they do. And, for this, we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Jay Feely earned his way back onto my property.

Just not my house.

He'll have to do more still to earn jdeppa house privileges. He'll have to do more than slice a 36 yarder barely inside the left upright (from the LEFT hash, by the way), in order to get back into my house. But it's all good, because Big Blue found a way to win.

It sure as hell wasn't pretty, but I'll take it.

The quarterback, previously unflappable in the final stanza, tried to gift-wrap the game for the woeful Philadelphia Eagles, by throwing three dreadful looking picks on consecutive drives late in the game. The coach, handed the opposition three points at the end of the first half (more on that in a moment). And the Giants lost four starters to injury in the first half. Among them; their star middle linebacker, a solid defensive tackle, and both offensive tackles. In the end, none of that mattered. My Giants found a way to win.

They were led, on the offensive side, by the great Tiki Barber. Anybody that's read this blog in the past, all two of you anyway, know that I don't think too much of running backs in general. But this one, he's special. Week after week, Tiki is stating his case for Canton, and it is truly becoming a strong case indeed. He had another two hundred yards from scrimmage yesterday, and was the focal point of the Giants attack.

On defense, it was the same old story. Strahan and Osi (I've got to find a catchy name for this tandem, I reference them every week) dominated the 2nd half of the game. They were sorely needed yesterday, with Antonio Pierce and William Joseph having left the game due to injury. They combined for three and a half sacks, and the forced fumble that won the game.

As a fan, I've got to tell you, I can't stand the so-called "trap game". This one was certainly slapped with that label by the national media, and that made me nervous. It's no fun watching your team play a trap game. If they win, they were supposed to. And you feel relief afterwards, not joy. If they lose, it's a complete disaster.

The entire time you watch a trap game, you feel like your team should be winning the game by three touchdowns the entire time. You get nervous even when your team has a working margin. I'll give you an example. The Giants led 14-7 in the 2nd quarter yesterday, and were going in for more. They had a 1st and goal on the Eagles three yard line, when they commit a penalty, and give back five yards. The Giants fail to get in the end zone, and are forced to settle for three. This made me very, very, nervous. As I just had a feeling that the Eagles would come back right after that.

Of course, they promptly did so. And this is a good segueway into my rant about the head coach. Up 17-14 with :35 to go in the 1st half, the Eagles threw an incompletion on 3rd and 4 from the Giants 25. A flag comes in, and it turns out that the Eagles commit offensive pass interference on the play,  a 10 yard infraction. Now it seems to me, the right thing to do, with the Eagles having no timeouts, is to take the penalty, back the Eagles up, and hope they can't work their way back into field goal range. Instead, genius Coughlin declines the penalty, and us Giants fans didn't have to look to know that David Akers ended up splitting the uprights from 42 yards out. I like Tom Coughlin. I like his aggression, I like his game management, for the most part. But he's been shaky when it comes to these penalties.

Whatever.

A win is a win.

I'll take it. 

They've hit the quarter pole in the NFL season, four games to go. It's a good time to take the temperature of all the remaining contenders, and examine their chances for January and beyond. Let's start with the two-time defending champions.

AFC

EAST

New England Patriots, (7-5);

Even with their mediocre record, the Patriots have long been in the driver's seat for a playoff berth, by way of the AFC East championship. They've been, pretty much, locked into the AFC's number 4 seed for a few weeks now. They'll host a wild-card game, most likely against Jacksonville. This team, with their injury-plagued defense, is nowhere near as good as they've been in the past few years. Still, they should be very proud of what they have accomplished this year, even though their division is atrocious. Their mission this year is to win that first playoff game, at home, and then, most likely, travel to Indianapolis, to scare the pants off of Peyton Manning and the Colts. The outcome of that game will likely be different this year, but the Pats are still firmly entrenched in the heads of the Indianapolis Colts, and the week 9 victory didn't change that.

NORTH

Cincinnati Bengals, (9-3);

Forgive me, but I'm not a believer yet in this group. Offensively, yes, we all know that can hack it, that's for sure. Defensively, this unit still has a lot of questions to answer. They're good at forcing turnovers, and they can, somewhat, stop the run. But their secondary is dreadful. Any team with a decent passing attack can have their way with this group. Their siganture wins are against a Chicago team that hadn't hit its stride when they played them, and against a Steeler team that now has a three game losing streak. I need to see more. The whole key for them is going to be whether or not they can sneak into that number two seed. They have a very easy schedule over the next three games, with a trip to Kansas City looming in their finale. Their competition is Denver, who likewise has an easy three game stretch, followed by a tough final contest on the road (at San Diego). Denver owns the tiebreaker. If the Bengals don't get that number two seed, I think they can be had in the wild-card round, at home, against either San Diego or Kansas City. If they do get it, they very easily could win their first home game, and find themselves one game away from Detroit.

Pittsburgh Steelers, (7-5);

Playoff teams don't lose three games in a row, and this is exactly what the Steelers have done. Their offensive line, a force over the last few years, has faultered lately. This a led to the demise of the, formerly prolific, Steeler rushing attack. Plus, their young quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is nursing several injuries. It's not exactly a good time for the Steelers to welcome the Bears into town, which they will do tomorrow. The Steels must run the table if they have any chance to make the playoffs. Their schedule isn't impossible (Chicago, @Minnesota, @Cleveland, Detroit), but the way they're playing right now, four wins seems impossible. Last week's loss to Cincinnati probably siganaled a changing of the guard in the AFC North for a long time to come.

SOUTH

Indianapolis Colts, (12-0);

The questions that I have about the Colts cannot be answered in the regular season. They revolve around Peyton Manning, and his ability, or rather, inability to this point in his career, to win the big game. It certainly appears as though that will change this season, but we won't know for sure until we see it. The x-factor is the undefeated season this team currently has going. It might be in their best interests to lose a game in the regular season, as the pressure will be absolutely enormous if this team takes a perfect record into January. That said, there is no way Tony Dungy can sit his players in these final few games, even though they are on the verge of already clinching homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. History is at stake, and the Colts are compelled to take their best shot.

Jacksonville Jaguars, (9-3);

Jacksonville ended up getting a good break, and a bad break this season, as far as their standing in the AFC is concerned. The good break is their ridiculously easy schedule, which will allow them, even with a back-up quarterback currently under center, to cruise to the playoffs. The bad break is being stuck in the same division with the Colts, as the number five seed is the best this team can do. Even with East Carolina's David Garrard under center, the Jags should do enough to get that number five seed. Their season will be defined by a wild-card playoff encounter with the Patriots. If they win it, their season was a success, if not, it was a failure. All indications are that Byron Leftwich will be back for that first playoff game, and this is crucial for their chances.

WEST

Denver Broncos, (9-3);

Despite their loss to Kansas City last week, this team is still in the driver's seat to pick up the other first round bye in the AFC playoffs. Their quarterback, the much-scrutinized Jake Plummer, had been remarkably efficient this season, right up until last week. He threw two costly picks against the Chiefs, and took a step back from some of the progress he had made this season. Plummer is the key to Denver's playoff chances. If he plays the way he has most of the season, Denver should get a chance to knock off Indianapolis in the AFC title game. If he plays the way he did last week, this team could miss out on their first round bye, and possibly lose their first playoff game.

San Diego Chargers, (8-4);

I'm inclined to agree with the prevailing thought out there right now that this is the second best team in the sport. They've had an impossible schedule, that they've somehow navigated through successfully to this point. With Denver's easy remaining schedule, the Chargers probably can do no better than second best in this division. It appears as though it will come down to a week 16 battle with division rival Kansas City, on the road, to decide the AFC's final playoff spot. If this team gets in, though, watch out. They can beat anybody. And yes, Colts fans, I mean ANYBODY.

Kansas City Chiefs, (8-4);

This team got a rough break with the schedule, as their final five opponents all have winning records. They began that brutal stretch with a big win at home last week against the Broncos. Now, they take their show on the road for two games. They absolutely must come home with, at least, one win, if they want to have a chance. Their best shot probably comes tomorrow, against Dallas. If they fail in that spot, they would then be faced with the prospect of beating the Giants in the Meadowlands (where they're 7-1 this season), with a short week of rest. If, however, they can find a way to split those two games, their destiny is in their hands, as they get San Diego and Cincinnati at home to finish out the season. This team is a little better than people have given them credit for, and I still think their playoff chances are legitimate.

NFC

EAST

New York Giants, (8-4);

This team is maddeningly inconsistent. At times, they look like they can beat anybody. At times, they look like they can lose to anybody. With four games to go, this t