Here we are again, Friday and time for the weekly 5:

NFL Playoffs – Giants, Patriots…

Biased? Absolutely.  Record to date: 5-3, with two of those losses coming when picking against the Chargers in the first two rounds.  And as much as I want them to win now (not being a Boston sports fan in Boston is the equivalent of sports hell), I think third time will be the charm.

Shot of the Week – Looking to build on the momentum of having both last week's Shot of the Week and Bonus Pick coming home winners, we’ll be  picking Champs Elysses...

... to come through in the Gr-II San Marcos Handicap.

Books: How Few Remain

Having been on 8 different planes over the past two weeks, I got to read a lot.  If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend this book.  It is the first of an on-going series (I think there are at least 7 out already) about what could have happened if the South had won the Civil War and how the US, and the rest of the World, went on afterwards. If features all the famous persons you know, love and/or hate (Lincoln, Stonewall, Custer and Roosevelt among others) and seeing them in roles you would not have previously thought off was quite enjoyable.  I am looking forward to starting the next one, which takes place during WWI.

Movies: Cloverfield

I don’t know why this stupid looking movie is drawing me in, but it is.  I have to admit, although I do enjoy the occassional brainy / making-you-think movie, there is a lot to be said about seeing a movie for the sole purpose of forgetting about reality and enjoy it just because its not real.  So I’ll see if I can sneak out to the theather this weekend and check it out.  It’s getting 76% positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe there will be something to it.

NY Giants again:

1 win from the Super Bowl? Even as I type it, I can’t believe it.  I take back a lot (not all) of the criticism I’ve thrown towards Coughlin and ask those that called for Reese to be fired even before his first season as GM had started to admit the error of their ways. Anyone that saw all those rookies flying all over the field and making plays that Reese just may know a bit more about football than us casual fans. 

Sorry for the delay, but I was traveling for work yesterday so all secondary activity had to wait.  But I did put together a quick Top 5 as I waited for my delayed flight out of Dayton…

Johan Santana – The latest rumors have the Twins ready to accept the Mets offer as long as they include their top prospect, Fernando Martinez, in addition to their current package.  I must admit at first I had a bit of a problem with the Mets basically trading their entire minor league system away for one player.  But the more I think about it, the more I am certain they have to pull the trigger.   Getting a bona fide #1 starter is hard enough.  But getting the #1 starter in the game is once in a franchise.  Yes this will handcuff any future trades, but it will also make the Mets the team to beat in the NL right now.  World Series now and sucking later vs. consistent, yet never, all the way results?  Pull the trigger…

NFL Playoffs – If it was not for two measly play allowed by the awful Titans, we would have ended 3-1 last week.  But we’ll settle for 2-2 and say that our picks of the Giants, Pats, Packers and Colts will lead us to a sure 4-0.

Shot of the Week – As has been the case recently, not only did our shot not win, but he (Thorn Song) took the lead and was ahead heading for home.  Which meant nothing as he faded out during the stretch drive.  That’s okay, we’re used to it.  So to rebound, we are making Wait a While in the San Gorgonio the Shot of the Week.  And as a bonus pick, take El Gato Malo in the San Rafael.

Movies – Saw Shoot ‘Em Up last night and have to say that if you are in the mood for a (unofficial) satire of extreme violence, guns blazing, kill everyone movie in the style of vintage 80’s showings ala Cobra, put it on your Netflix queue.  I went in with low expectations and definetely enjoyed it.

Roger Clemens – Everyone is caught up reporting on Roger, did he do it or not, where’s the third ear and so forth, I’d rather bring up a different Clemens topic in relation to my Mets. No, not the infamous coming-out-of-game-6-in-86-moment, but the classic Mike Piazza / shattered bat sequence.  I do not know what was worse… Clemens lame excuse of thinking he thought it was the ball, which meant his first instinct was to throw the ball away and not to first, or that Piazza didn’t cram that bat handle up his ####.

And last, but definetely not least, here is the Denise Milani pic of the week.. enjoy