Pese a que ya no cuentan con los linieros Michaek Strahan y Osi Umenyiora, la unidad defensiva de los Giants limitó a los Redskins de Washington a sólo 11 primeros y diez y 209 yardas totales y la ofensiva anotó los puntos suficientes para que los Giants ganaran el partido por 16-7.

El Jugador Más Valioso del Super Bowl, el quarterback Eli Manning, su receptor Plaxico Burress y el resto de la ofensiva que fue titular en el Super Bowl ante los Patriots de Nueva Inglaterra también tuvieron un buen desempeño para arruinarle el debut al nuevo entrenador de los Redskins, Jim Zorn y su ofensiva de la costa oeste.

Manning coronó una primera ofensiva de 84 yardas al comienzo del partido con una carrera personal de una yarda para anotar, el recién contratado John Carney anotó tres goles de campo y los Giants anotaron en sus primeras cuatro ofensivas para llevarse la victoria como locales.

Los Giants ganaron sus últimos 11 partidos fuera del Giants Stadium en camino de ganar su tercer Super Bowl, pero tuvieron foja de 3-5 de locales y perdieron sus últimos cuatro encuentros.

The season has started and the Donk was a bit late in getting the  Thursday night game in due to technical issues.  But the Donk LOVED Washington.  With the Giants losing so many starters from their Super Bowl team, they could not possibly cover.....even at home.  So what happens??? The Giants cover and the Donk loses, which means everyone WOULD have won cuz you should play the OPPOSITE of the Donk.......get it??? get it???  Just remember to play the OPPOSITE of the picks the Donk posts here and you are well on your way to riches..........

Now, not only does the Donk struggle with his overall picks, but his LOCK picks perform exceptionally poorly with a losing percentage in the 70%+.  That means a bet on the OPPOSITE of the LOCKS will be rather profitable.  You have to see it to believe it.  So here goes for week #1.......REMEMBER....these are the picks that the Donk likes.  The one's with LOCK next to them are the one's he LOVES.  So bet the opposite of these picks.....don't be a DONK.......

• Washington .......LOVE
• Philedelpia
• Pittsburgh..........LOVE
• Atlanta
• Seattle
• Baltimore.......LOVE
• Tennessee
• NYJ...........LOVE
• New England
• New Orleans
• Carolina ........LOVE
• San Francisco
• Cleveland
• Indianapolis
• Minnesota
• Denver

The Donk has a 30+ year history of picking losers........don't try to outguess the Donk.......

Best of losers to all.....

The Donk

Written at the Motel 6 in Cedar City, UT

I’m delving more and more into the past, because I think I’m finally capable of traveling there, staying there for a bit, without plunging into the depths of some massive episode of depression or terror.

***

A flurry of fingers. A gliding, floating pair of hands. A soft light glows on the monstrous, beautiful beast with black and white teeth at the mercy of the man clad in black.

Listening to the dreams of a man who’d lived and died almost two hundred years ago, I sit transfixed among the crowd of mostly elderly folk in the audience. My eyes close, seeing not the bright raspberry flashes and streaks of light peeking through the lids, but instead the madness, sorrow, and love of a man I’d never known or met, yet knew better than any friend living in the present. The sonata was written at the height of this immortal’s deafness and the chaos in the notes is as beautiful as the brief and few moments of order.

Outside the dimly lit Sunset Hall, nearly every other adolescent boy is in the throes of watching the Niners battle the Chargers for the title of Super Bowl XXIX champions. But inside that auditorium, I sit in the throes, the ecstasy of a piano sonata from Beethoven’s late career being played to perfection. Outside that auditorium, San Francisco will achieve victory over San Diego, and my friend will be bleeding to death from a massive, self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. But of course, in that auditorium, I didn’t know that, I couldn’t have known that.

***

School starts like any other day at Palma High School. Being an all male Catholic high school, skirts sprouting smooth-shaved legs are nowhere to be seen, but plenty of khakis, housing collared shirts, as mandated by the strict dress code, rustle about as the first bell of the morning rings in warning. Until now, I’m annoyed at being separated from my friends from elementary school, most of them having enrolled in the free education provided in the building just a block or two away from this concrete prison of minds. I’ve yet to know hatred, spite for the institution that would fetter so many spirits for the entirety of the six years of my middle school and high school years.

Still, I’ve the Beethoven in mind, so vivid, so explosive that I dare not, I need not hum the tune, and it provides me with a light step to a normally lethargic Monday morning. I also have a stupid MadTV or Saturday Night Live sketch in mind, where some Vampire begins working in an office and people start disappearing one-by-one, the lights darkening for a few seconds, the sound of blood-sucking unmistakably loud and obnoxious, then the rustle of papers, cabinets as the body is disposed of. Each time a worker disappears, the Count’s supervisor appears just a few moments later and asks him where that particular worker went. Wiping a faint trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, the Count responds with the characteristic, stereotypical Eastern-European accent.

(S)he diiiiiied.

The “I” is held lavishly long and the count smiles. Of course, the supervisor is confused, asks for a clarification, asking how (s)he died. The count smiles sheepishly and only repeats himself.

(S)he diiiiiied.

It’s a stupid fucking sketch, but the silky, heavy Eastern-European accent remains as fresh as Beethoven’s maddening tune in my mind and I silently tongue the words in my mouth, wondering if a Korean-American boy could imitate an Eastern-European accent as well as the no-name comedian he’d seen on television two nights ago.

I pass by so many other students, but fitting in with neither the “I fucking love football with all my life” crowd nor the “I want to go to business school so I can carry out daddy’s big expensive farm” cliques, I hardly know my peers and the non-chalance, the distance with which they walk past me is hardly out of the norm in my morning routine to first period religion (Catholic brainwashing) class. It’s only when I pass by one of the classmates I routinely make childish, crude, anti-Semitic jokes with, that I begin to know the smell of gunpowder without having once been near a discharged firearm, that I begin to know the site of a tattered, battered, shattered mess and mass of bone and grey matter without having taken a biology class.

Hey Jaimin, what the hell are you doing at school?

I’m more surprised the word “Jew” is not included in any part of the sentence, rather than suspicious of the curiosity at my presence on an absolutely typical Monday. It’s a running joke of sorts, a rather crude, racist one, but comical in that I’m “100%” of Korean blood and he’s half African-American and half White, that we call each other Jews in every other profane sentence we spit at one another. I shrug the rather odd question off and try to chew the shit with him, but he’s not interested.

No, seriously, what the fuck. Why are you here? Do you know what happened to Brendan?

God fucking damn that Saturday Night Live (or MadTV sketch). I figure now’s a perfect time to see if a Korean-American boy can replicate an Eastern-European accent.

He diiiiiied.

I’m fucking pleased with myself, even proud that I pulled that one off smoothly. Hell, I think I did an even better job than that overpaid, yet still struggling actor I’d seen Saturday evening. Shit, it must’ve been MadTV, making SNL is sort of big time and I think I’d probably have more respect for someone on there. But fuck that guy, back to me. I look over at the guy who’s close enough to be considered a pal, but not quite close enough to be considered my friend, to see if he approves of my suave, Transylvanian accent.

I must’ve been really fucking good, or something’s wrong, because he stands there almost frozen, his mouth agape.

That’s not fucking funny.

What the fuck does he mean? I thought I’m pretty damn good.

That’s really not funny.

Something’s terribly wrong. Shit, we’ve said some really fucking irreverent things together and I find it hard to imagine how my innocent statement could have offended his sensibilities, unless. Unless what I said was true.

I run my mind back just a few seconds, remembering the name that had popped up, and it’s not difficult, I only have three or four people at school that I could even remotely consider friends. Brendan. Fuck, what was his first period class. He’s got something. Some class in the A-wing with… With who, Goddamn it. Fuck it, they’ve only got what, four, five classes in that entire wing? I’ll see him sitting in one of those ubiquitous desk-chair hybrids that even our well-funded private academy can’t seem to escape and we’ll clear up this stupid fucking misunderstanding.

The second bell rings, indicating that I am now late for my first period class, even as I run away from the wing I should be in, and to the very opposite side of the campus, my Eastpak bag swinging violently with each rapid step, but still refusing to wear it around both arms, because only dorks and people who were really fucking uncool wore it like that. I’m running fast, but I still see the eyes of students and instructors alike, looking curiously out through the windows, through the open doors at the chubby little Asian kid in a mad dash through the halls, through the breezeways.

What the fuck is that kid doing?

I can see it in their eyes. I also see the punishment they foresee in my future for not only being late to my class, but also making such a loud racket, the machinegun footsteps echoing loudly, clearly through the small campus where everyone knows one another.

I reach the A-wing, where I will find Brendan sitting in a desk, looking quizzically, oddly at me, telling me, asking me with those eyes.

Jaimin, what the fuck?

And I’ll have myself a little laugh, squeezing them in between the large gasps for air I’ll be taking as a result of that little exercise, and I’ll take my detention, my sit-down with the big bad principal in stride. Hell, maybe I’ll even try to explain to him what had happened, about how a stupid fucking friend of mine had made a cruel joke, or maybe a misunderstanding of sorts by suggesting that Brendan was dead. Or hell, maybe I’d even suggest having my hearing checked, because I swore that guy said Brendan was dead, but obviously, he sat in that chair as his first period teacher phoned in an escort for me for disrupting class and being a general menace.

I peek my head, push my body through two classes, searching for a sea of eighth-graders. All the students wear that odd, what the fuck expression on their faces, but each instructor looks at me, but without surprise, with only hesitation and uncertainty. Before each can reach some sort of conclusion as to what to do with me, I move onto the next room, now really knowing something is terribly fucking wrong. They should have stopped me, demanded to know what I was doing in their class, why I was late to my own class, and detained me to have a brick-shitting conversation with the principal.

Familiar faces look up at me. Bingo. A bunch of people I know, a bunch of people in my grade, this is it, this is where Brendan should be sitting, wearing that same expression as everyone else in the class is wearing? No. These aren’t the expressions I was expecting. Why the fuck aren’t they as confused as I am at my unexpected presence in their classroom? Why so fucking serious? Why aren’t they fucking laughing at me for thinking that I’ve accidently stumbled into the wrong classroom? Why the fuck is the instructor taking me by the arm and leading me outside, but without anger, without confusion, but with only the eyes of one who’s reluctant to do what she’s about to do next? And most of all, where the fuck is Brendan and why the fuck is there an obviously noticeable gap between the alphabetically arranged seating in “L” and “M”?

Even as I ask myself those questions, the obvious answer threatens to surface in my mind. Maybe it’s already there, but just sort of sailing at the outskirts of consciousness, skimming on awareness, but not acceptance or processed enough for understanding.

Brendan’s dead.

Brendan’s instructor and I stand outside, the doors shut for my privacy I imagine, but maybe even for her sakes as well, because she seems uncertain about how to proceed to tell me, confirm to me that yes, Brendan’s dead.

I ask her, the knowledge, the almost-certainty still being processed, but its implications still out of the realm of my emotions.

Is he?

She’s only able to nod for the briefest moment, before the full realization slams into me and I struggle to breathe, crumple to my knees, and begin to heave when I am able to draw a breath to release. I’m going to be okay, really, I’m going to be fine, really, I’m going to breathe, I’m going to. Jesus fucking Christ, I’m not going to be okay. I can’t fucking breathe, it hurts all over, what the fuck, how do you die when you’re what, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years, how old am I? But somehow, I am okay, because after a minute or two, I pull myself together, manage to stand up, regain regular breathing, and ask for more details when I really shouldn’t be asking for more.

He shot himself (in the head). His family had a few firearms for hunting, didn’t they?

How the fuck do you accidentally shoot yourself with a rifle?

Did he, you know, tell you or do anything to suggest he was unhappy or was going to do this?

Oh, please fucking no. I guess you don’t accidentally shoot yourself with a rifle, do you? And are you fucking kidding me? You think I saw this fucking coming? You think if I saw or had the slightest indication that a friend of mine was going to fucking blow his head off that I would’ve just spent the last weekend watching MadTV (because I’m certain it’s MadTV now) and attending an all-Beethoven concert in Carmel?

The deafening roar of a hunting rifle. Smoke in the air, pungent, acrid bite of gunpowder wafting up the nostrils. Are you capable of smelling something by then? Or has your sense of smell long-gone out your head, along with the bone fragments and soft tissue by the time that bullet enters and violently exits through your skull? Jesus Christ, the blood, the pulp, the bone.

I’m not okay. I don’t even fucking know the full story of what’s occurred, but my imagination more than makes up for that and I half-stumble, half-run to the restroom, which is thankfully just a few feet ahead f me and to the left. I don’t even have the sanity to hope that the janitor’s done some major cleaning that morning when I fall to the toilet and vomit, even then, the sight of gore, and violence blinding me and the smell of iron in the blood and fresh burnt gunpowder filling my sinuses.

I don’t eat breakfast, but the remains of yesterday’s dinner fill the clean (thank God for small favors) bowl.

]]> http://trailerblogger.wordpress.com/?p=110 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:13:20 +0000 Adam http://trailerblogger.wordpress.com/?p=110 [/caption]

With the Washington Redskins heading to New Jersey to kickoff this year's NFL season against the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, I've decided to go into the vault for one of the few football films to portray the game in all its violent, cutthroat, egotistical glory. Even though Any Given Sunday doesn't feature real NFL teams, director Oliver Stone was able to cast Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor as a defensive coordinator and a linebacker, respectively. And, while the level of authenticity is strained just a bit by having Al Pacino coach a team named the Miami Sharks, the realistic game play, the depiction of the players' great physical sacrifices, and numerous off the field confrontations more than make up for the strange logos and wacky mascots.

The Any Given Sunday trailer begins with a bolt of lightning before showing flashes of players battling on the gridiron as Pacino descibes the personal sacrifices he's made for the game. We then see quarterback Dennis Quaid sustain a career-threatening hit, which leads to a battle between Pacino and team owner Cameron Diaz over the direction of the franchise. With Quaid out of commision, Pacino calls on Jamie Foxx to take over as the Sharks' signal caller. Foxx's recklessness, inexperience, and ambition put him at odds with his coach and running back LL Cool J, but despite direct warnings Foxx vows to continue to play his game while he has the chance. While the team falls into disarray under Foxx's divisive influence, Diaz takes out her frustrations on Pacino and let's him know that she thinks he's washed up. My favorite part of the trailer comes the first time we see Foxx on the field, getting hit and spun end over end while diving for a touchdown. Any Given Sunday opened December 22, 1999. Check out the trailer at Zuguide.com.

In this week’s MMQB Tuesday Edition, Peter King unveiled his season predictions. Let’s see how his picks match up with mine:

Editor’s Note: King inexplicably decided to begin his article with his Super Bowl pick and revealed his NFC and AFC Championship Game picks afterwards. In the interest of holding the reader’s interest, I will reverse King’s order and work my way up to the “Big Game.”

NFC Championship Game

King says:

"Keep talking about Dallas,'' Justin Tuck of the Giants told me in camp. "We love it.'' OK. Dallas has danger signs all over the place, with a rich quarterback and his richer, more famous girlfriend, and volcanic T.O., and whatever Adam Jones is now. Could they crash and burn? Of course. Any team can. But my feeling is they'll put up enough points to make up for a just-OK pass rush, and Jones will be a top five corner by the end of the season. I like the Vikings a lot, I think, because I view Tarvaris Jackson as more of an asset than liability.

NFC title game: Dallas 23, Minnesota 17.

Benji says:

As King states at the beginning of his article, he is “boring, bland and predictable.” Dallas is a trendy pick by sportswriters around the country, despite the fact that its quarterback, Tony Romo, has yet to win a playoff game, and has been at his worst when it mattered most. Why are the Cowboys considered a safe pick to make it to the Super Bowl?!? Yes, they have one of the top receivers in the NFC (Terrell Owens), yes, they have a solid running game (led by Marion Barber and explosive rookie Felix Jones) and yes, they have a talented young quarterback in Tony Romo—but their defense, as King himself points out, is flawed. In his words, they have a “just-OK pass rush”; I would also add that they have a mediocre, overrated secondary, led by big-play, no substance safety Roy Williams and new acquisition Adam Jones whose previous team, the Titans, saw an improvement in its pass defense during the year he was suspended. I also worry about their depth at wide receiver; the team is talking about using tight end Jason Witten as a possession receiver. I am led to believe, then, that if Crayton or Owens get hurt, Romo will be throwing to guys that belong on the practice squad. And this team is a lock to make it to the Super Bowl? I’m not buying it.

As for the Vikings…King, I demand that you explain yourself. What is it exactly that makes Tarvaris Jackson “more of an asset than liability?” Yes, he has a strong arm, yes, he’s fast and, dare I say, “athletic”—but he’s the most maddeningly inconsistent quarterback this side of Rex Grossman. The Vikings have a strong running game (the combination of that line with Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson is about as good as it gets), and a solid defense, but Jackson has yet to prove that he is ready to be a starting quarterback in this league. There’s no reason for me to believe that this Vikings team will be significantly better than last year’s 7-9 team.

Let’s think back to last season. Which NFC team was the most balanced, and had the best combination of offensive and defensive players. The answer? The Green Bay Packers, who were second in the NFC in both points scored and points allowed, and a frigid OT loss away from the Super Bowl. The only significant player to leave the team during the off-season was legendary quarterback Brett Favre. For the Packers to send Favre packing when they have a Super Bowl-ready team in place leads me to believe that they are really excited about Aaron Rodgers and were unwilling to risk seeing him leave via free agency. I was impressed with Rodgers’s play in limited action last season against the Cowboys, but even more impressed with the poise that he handled himself with during the entire Favre fiasco this summer. I think this guy can pick up where number four left off. Without further ado, here is MY pick for the NFC Championship Game:

Green Bay 28, Dallas 17.

AFC Championship Game

King says:

Tom Brady's going to be Tom Brady. Don't fret. Randy Moss' numbers won't be as good, quite possibly, but he'll once again be the most dangerous receiver in football. Brady has to get rid of the ball half a tick faster this year because defenses will be throwing the kitchen sink at him the way the Giants did in the Super Bowl. "Don't forget what we did last year,'' Brady told me this summer. "I sure haven't.'' Good advice. I pick the Jags to challenge them most seriously. Quentin Groves and, later in the year, Derrick Harvey, will give the Jags defensive energy they lacked last year.

AFC title game: New England 30, Jacksonville 27.

Benji says:

Oddly enough, I agree with most of what King has to say in this section. Brady should have another big year as long as he, Moss and Welker stay healthy. I do think the Patriots may run the ball a little more this year to counteract the “kitchen sink” that King suggests will be thrown at them. Their defense worries me though. Their linebackers are ancient and their secondary looks porous after the free agency departure of Asante Samuel. They should still have a pretty good pass rush but I don’t think that it will matter. This team will have to outscore its opponents to win, and, as a general rule, when a team obtains that distinction, its season does not end with a Super Bowl victory…

…Especially when there are teams in its conference with comparable offenses that also boast good defenses. The Colts, despite being without the services of Dwight Freeney, finished first in the AFC (and the NFL) in points allowed and, despite being without the services of Marvin Harrison for a good portion of the season, finished second (behind the Pats) in points scored. With both Harrison and Freeney back, this team has a chance to be better than it was last year. The Colts, can run, they can pass, they can defend both the run and the pass, and, just two years removed from a Super Bowl title and with basically every major contributor still on the team, they know what it will take to win it all again.

I never thought I’d say this, but I agree completely with King on the second team in the AFC Championship Game. The Jaguars were a better outside pass rush and a good receiver (i.e. one who doesn’t drop the ball) away from seriously competing with the Patriots in the second round of the playoffs. In the off-season, they addressed both of these needs by signing former Raider receiver Jerry Porter and (as King mentioned) drafting defensive ends Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey. The Jags already had a solid defense, the best running game in the league and an emerging young quarterback in David Garrard, and, on paper, do not seem to have any glaring weaknesses after their off-season moves. I predict an all-AFC South Championship Game:

Indianapolis 24, Jacksonville 21.

Super Bowl

King says:

New England 30, Dallas 20.

Benji says:

It’s not very surprising that King has little in the way of analysis for how this match-up would turn out. After all, every other sportswriter and his/her mother are picking Pats over Cowboys—it’s all been said for him over the past month or so.

As for my match-up, I foresee a close game between two balanced teams. I see Colts safety Bob Sanders being the key player. When he is healthy, he plugs every hole and makes it very difficult for opposing teams to establish the run. Ryan Grant had a very good year in 2007 (averaging 5.1 yards per carry during the regular season), but was shut down by the Giants in the NFC Championship game (13 rushes for only 29 yards).  Also, there is the experience factor. The Colts have been there before, and will have the mental advantage.

Indianapolis 28, Green Bay 21.

So the highlight of my day yesterday and very possibly my week is that I got a shout out from Kina.  I found out I got this shout out cause my boyfriend, J, was watching the video and being the sneaky bear that he is, saw it before I had and gave me the headphones so we could watch it together.  And low and behold at the end of the video when she does her shout outs and birthday greetings there was my name. I was rather happy about this event.  It helped bring a little more happiness to my day.  =]

Kina is a new up and coming singer.  I think she is really good.  Most of us probably didn't notice it, but she won the Doritos contest and her music video was played during a Super Bowl commercial break.  Yes, my life is pretty boring if the highlight of it all was just a shout out.  I have been having a rough week. So, forgive me.  I know I have been rambling lately about how I hate school, but it will end once my problems are all sorted out.  I am trying to stay optimistic, but its hard when life just keeps throwing curve balls at you.

For instance, I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel of problems, but I was wrong.  It was just another lost person walking through with a flashlight. =/ (weird I know)  I thought i found the solution to my problems, but it was not.  Well technically I will find out Monday.  I am going to try to crash this new class.  And if i get in,  I might say byebye to my Chemistry class. We shall see.

Thanks for reading the rant.  I promise it will get better in time. =/

- Colette

For nine months, we as Giants fans have been able to enjoy the greatest victory of our lives. I'm sure some of you married folk probably slipped up in front of your wives when you said, "Greatest moment of my life." That led to you saying how you can't compare it to your wedding day or birth of your twins, and probably a divorce. Whatever, dude. 17-14!

Tonight at Giants Stadium, the party ends, and it's back to work. Many are saying the Giants are at best the third-best team in the NFC East, and all signs and history point to a major letdown season that is inevitable following a Super Bowl title and the loss of your two best defensive players. Well, let me tell you something.

I don't care. I've heard so much crap during the preseason from guys like Tony Kornheiser who have said things like, "Sure, Eli Manning won a Super Bowl last year, and sure, it was one of the greatest postseason runs in NFL history, and sure, he won the Super Bowl MVP by beating a virtual dynasty and an unbeaten team that was a 14-point favorite. But if he starts off slow or has a bad season, fans and media will turn on him."

Are you people drunk? Insane? Drunksane? Indrunk? Because here is a list that includes just some of the things Eli Manning can do for the next five seasons and I wouldn't care one bit:

1. Go 0-80 with zero touchdowns and 165 interceptions.
2. Gain 75 pounds and show up for all home games drunk.
3. Start throwing exclusively to his offensive lineman.
4. Change his name to Uno Zero and add 15 gold teeth to his mouth.
5. Take time during every press conference to call me a homo.
6. Start doing that thing Will Ferrell did in Wedding Crashers behind his center before every snap.
7. Talk about how he wants to play for the Cowboys after every loss.
8. Star in the new Fox reality show, "QBs Who Like Golden Showers."
9. Become a Yankees fan.
10. Ass-rape me.

It's that good right now. That's how great last season was.

I'm taking off a little early today to hit Giants Stadium for a few hours of tailgating. I was told that there would be a prominent ex-Redskin at this tailgate, so that could be fun. I forgot to bring a camera, so I don't know what sort of photographic evidence I'll have of my encounter, but if anything happens, you'll be the first to know.

As I am sitting here getting ready for the Thursday Night Kick-off game between two NFC East rivals, the Giants and the Redskins, I have ESPN2's First Take on in the background. 

Rarely do I listen to anything that this show has to offer, but for some reason today I happened to be watching when I heard this from Skip Bayless: 

"The New England Patriots will again lose to a NFC East Wild Card team, but this time it won't be the New York Giants.  It will be Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles."

While I am not a fan of Skip at all and think he is really just a phony, blow-bag, I am starting to think the Eagles have what it takes to make a run to the big game.  There is of course the big "if" - Donovan McNabb. 

I have followed McNabb since his days at Syracuse and can't understand why the city of Philadelphia still hasn't fully embraced this guy.  If he can remain healthy this season, the Eagles can win the Super Bowl.  I am not saying they will, but some writers and football people are counting them out before the opening kick-off.

Bayless is an idiot, but he may just be onto something here.

With the Eagles driving for a improbable victory in last seasons affair with the New England Patriots, Asante Samuel stepped in front of a long A.J. Feely pass and sealed the deal for the Patriots.  He was the best option on the free agent market this NFL off-season and yet the Eagles fans still aren't showing him any love - my question is, why ?

After being selected in the fourth round of the draft back in 2003 draft, Samuel has earned a reputation as being a "big-play" cornerback.  After starting the season behind big names like Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, Samuel was pressed into duty following injuries and never looked back.  Samuel also started his rookie season in the 24-21 Super Bowl win over the Eagles and even intercepted a Donovan McNabb, that play was nullified by a penalty.

in 2006, Samuel started for good, intercepting 10 passes that season, tied for tops in the league.  He once picked-off three passes in a game and twice that season during the playoffs, Samuel returned interceptions for touchdowns.  For his career, Samuel has 22 picks and has been a all-pro and pro bowler.  However, most importantly, he has two Super Bowl rings, something the Eagles fans so desperately want.

The problem with Eagles fans is they want a wide-receiver so bad that any other major signing has no impact on them.  Listen up Eagles fans, this move makes this team better now.  If Samuel can do what his resume says he can do, this team makes the playoffs easy.  If you think back to last season, the Eagles defense couldn't force a turnover.  Adding the best free-agent on the market to make a play isn't a bad thing.  I know, you wanted a play-making offensive player, my question is, what's the difference?

If Samuel doesn't step in front of Feely's pass, the Eagles very well could have beaten the Patriots last season which could have been enough to get them into the playoffs.  A play-making corner can be every bit has effective as a play-making wide-out.  In this age of fantasy sports where everyone knows every wide-out on every single team, the play-makers on defense get over-looked, just like Asante Samuel is by the Eagles fans this season.  

Remember Eagles fans, he has two rings, and you don't have any, maybe it's time to embrace him and give him a chance - he might just help you get that ring you so desperately want.

1. Whenever Janet Jackson has released an album during the year of a Presidential Election, the Republican candidate has emerged victorious.  Jackson released her latest album, 'Discipline,' in February of this year.
2. Every year the Super Bowl is hosted by a different city.  During Presidential Election years, the state that hosted the Super Bowl has given it's electoral votes to the winning candidate (Republican OR Democrat) EVERY TIME. This year the Super Bowl was played in Arizona.  This is the state for which McCain has served as U.S. Senator for over 20 years.  He will almost definitely win in Arizona in November.
3. Since 1980, every time the Olympics have been held in an Asian country, the Republican candidate has won the U.S. Presidential Election.  The Olympics were held in China this year.
4. Since the show '24' has been on the air, no Democrat has been able to win a Presidential election.  When I grow up I want to be Jack Bauer.
5. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared 2008 International Year of the Potato. John McCain is Irish.
6. The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked #1 in the AP's preseason NCAA Football poll.  The last time an SEC team was ranked first in the AP preseason poll during a Presidential Election year was 1984.  The Republican candidate won the election that year.
7. No President of the United States has ever had the initials B.O. (Barack Obama)  Conversely, twice the President of the United States has carried the initials J.M. (John McCain).
8. Really smart people researched this and said so too.
9. Every time the first day of an election year has been a Tuesday and Christmas Day has fallen on a Thursday the Republican candidate has won the Presidency.  This year January 1 was a Tuesday and Christmas Day will be a Thursday.
10. Since 1952, when an American League team wins the World Series during the year before a Presidential election, the Republican candidate wins that election 80% of the time.  The Boston Red Sox of the American League won the World Series in 2007.
11. Every time the University of Kansas has won the NCAA Men's Division 1 National Basketball Championship it has been an election year and the Republican candidate has won the election.  Kansas won the Men's Basketball National Championship this year.
12. Since 1900, only twice has New York's Central Park reported no snowfall in March of a Presidential Election Year.  It happened in 1988 and 2008.  In 1988 a Republican won the White House.
13. Every time Chile has mustered at least one medal at the Summer Olympics, a Republican has won the U.S. Presidential Election (2004,2000,1988,1956,1952,1928).  They got one this year.  Same goes for Iceland (2000,1984,1956) and Kyrgyzstan (2000).

Simple coincidences?  I think not.  McCain '08.

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Password:  unofficial

Hail!

As the summer comes to a close, I am happy that my Autumn Mistress is returning to me. I am talking about the National Football League, and the wait almost seemed intolerable. A part of my brain that has been asleep for 32 weeks has come back to life. As Kickoff approaches, my mind is racing with thoughts of lazy Sundays sprawled out in front of the television watching games. Life will be good again.

Alright, I am going to tell you how the season is going to play out. If you are a fan of the Niners, or member of the Raider Nation, well, drink plenty of alcohol this season, and get started on planning that NFL Draft party in 2009. These two teams will be drafting very high next year. (The team in the NFL that finishes with the worst record gets the first pick in the draft, and then the second worst and so on)

I will start in the NFC South, where my Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the defending Division Champions. All they did last year was lose in the opening round of the playoffs to the team that eventually won the Super Bowl. Well, they will not repeat. Using the pattern established by the four preceding seasons: the team that finishes last will win the Division the very next year. (The Bucs were the bottom finisher in 2006) So, the Atlanta Falcons are going to win the division.

Next is the NFC East. For fans of NFC teams outside of this division, I will make it simple: YOUR TEAM HAS TO WIN ITS DIVISION IN ORDER TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. The two wild card teams (the two teams with the best records not to win their respective divisions are Wild Cards, and make the playoffs) will come from this division. Yes, that is how good the teams are in this division. The Dallas Cowboys are the odds on favorite to win the Conference, and get to the Super Bowl. Of course, they were picked to do it last year before being tripped up by the New York Giants, who only went on to win the Super Bowl. Yes, the Giants are the defending Super Bowl Champs, and in this division, so they will make a push to repeat. The Philadelphia Eagles are much improved, and are one healthy season with Donovan McNabb away from getting back to the playoffs. Last, but not least, the Washington Redskins, Pop’s team, is awfully mercurial, and will do just enough to be there in the end, and perhaps sneak into the playoffs; just like they did last year.

The NFC North is a two team race (Sorry Lions Fan, and Bears Fan). The Detroit Lions are…well, the Lions, and the Chicago Bears have a quarterback that will be on a Milk Carton in about a year. So, rebuild is the theme in those two cities. Which leaves us with the Green Bay Packers, and the BIG question is if the new Quarterback will be good enough to NOT lose big games this year. The Pack have many of the tools they need to make it to the playoffs, but a bad season from their signal caller will derail those dreams. So, it is the Minnesota Vikings that appear to have this Division, and a trip the Post Season in their hands. They have a decent defense, and they can run the football better than just about every other team in the NFL. The only question is: Can they put it all together for an entire season?

Now it is time for the NFC West. Potential is the theme of this division. Every year a team, other than the Seattle Seahawks, is picked to have a season that ends with a Playoff birth. However, for four consecutive seasons, the Seahawks have won this division, and this season will be no different. The Arizona Cardinals have so much talent, but their quarterback situation is in doubt. However, it is a far better QB situation that what is going on in San Francisco, where a man making 10 million dollars, and a former top pick in the NFL draft, can’t beat out a guy who makes $600,000 for the starting Quarterback job. The St. Louis Rams have the best chance to challenge the Seahawks, but the Seahawks will have to stumble a bit.

The Dallas Cowboys should emerge from the NFC to be in the Super Bowl, but they were picked to do that last year. My best guess? A team from the NFC East will again represent the conference in the Super Bowl.

The AFC will be a little quicker to explain.

These teams will make the playoffs:

New England Patriots: Will break the jinx that the Super Bowl loser from the previous year fails to make the playoffs the next year. (Nobody in the AFC East is good enough to challenge them)

The Indianapolis Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars

(One of these teams has to win the AFC South, but that is a pick’em at this point)

The San Diego Chargers

The Pittsburgh Steelers

That leaves the rest of the AFC playing for one playoff spot. The New York Jets are the trendy pick because of the arrival of Brett Favre. However, it is a freakin’ toss up as to who the sixth team will be.

So who will emerge from the AFC to reach the Super Bowl? The Patriots know how to win, so they are the favorites. That being said, the Chargers are right there, and they know that it is up to them to do what they can to either get over the hump, or be the Bride’s Maid, but never the Bride. The Colts and the Jaguars are both good enough to win it all, but the Jaguars have yet to prove themselves, and the Colts lost at home in the Playoffs last year (to the Chargers); so the Colts are very beatable now. (Especially with Peyton Manning mending from minor Knee surgery) My pick? I am going out on a limb, and picking the Chargers to finally get this thing done. However, do not be surprised if New England gets back to the Super Bowl. (they know how to win)

As for who will win the Super Bowl? Hey, I just host a party, I do not care who wins.

Enjoy Football this season.

Following several run-ins with police and other law enforcement over a variety of incidents, Adam Jones was formally suspended by the League and was told by Goodell that several actions needed to be taken (behaviorally) by the player before he would ever be able to play in the NFL, again.

Adam Jones had this to say about his re-instatement to the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys:

"It feels good man, you know, to get a second chance and I just have to take advantage of it," Jones told The Dallas Morning News.

"First and foremost, I don't want to let myself down, definitely my little girl down. I'm thankful for Jerry [Jones], the fans in Dallas and my teammates for believing in me. I need to keep doing what I've been doing to get reinstated, staying with myself and my teammates and staying away from those knuckleheads and just stay focused."

Clearly, the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites out in the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl and now with the addition of an all-pro corner and return man in PACMAN Jones, the Cowboys will really have no excuses if they don't at least make it to the Super Bowl game in January 2009...

So get this. Shawne Merriman, he of two ligament tears in the same knee, has decided to play this year instead of opt for season-ending (and possibly career-saving) surgery. My buddy Swan is a huge Chargers fan, and I know this thickheaded decision strikes fear into his heart. Merriman has virtually no reason to play this year, other than that doctors haven't forbade him to in the strictest of terms, and he doesn't want to miss out in case his buddies make it to the Super Bowl.

And I do mean in case. The mighty AFC has plenty of contenders, not least of which is last year's runners up—and the Patriots will be looking to exact revenge on the rest of the league for the insult of 18-1. Hey Shawne, doesn't it make more sense just to sit this one out, get healthy, and avoid the wrath of a fired up New England team? No?

I think we can all see how this is going to end for Merriman. It ends with him writhing around on the ground clutching his left knee after a tackle. It ends with him getting carted off the field. It ends with season-ending surgery. It could end his career, but Merriman needs to wake up, for his own sake, and realize that it must end here. Get the surgery, protect your team's investment in you and your own ability to make a living (what else are you good at, bro?) and come back for 2009. No one will think less of you, unless you get hurt so badly that 40 career sacks in three seasons means nothing more than wasted potential.

Upon my recollection of the Giants' improbable 4th-quarter comeback, I understood what our Olympians were trying to say. America loves a winner, but America loves an underdog even more. Sports fans will sit through ten blowouts to experience the sublime adrenaline-fueled joy of improbable upsets. We love to see upsets and comebacks, where athletes overcome great adversity. America's love affair with underdogs struggling against tremendous odds is reflected in the countless uplifting sports movies at Blockbuster, but also many of our other films.

We love Miracle's celebration of the "Miracle on Ice" and scrappy rebels defeating a mighty empire in "Star Wars", but we also love underdogs who struggle and do not necessarily triumph. The immortal Rocky does not lose any emotional power because the eponymous protagonist loses the boxing match; the movie is that more compelling because Rocky loses. Rocky is the story of a man who tried his very hardest and consequently won honor, which is far more important than the outcome of a boxing match.

Americans love underdogs and their struggles because they embody the American Dream. We are a nation born of rag-tag patriots fighting against a mighty empire and we all see a little bit of George Washington in us today. We all believe in working hard, enduring trials that sap our energy and our finances and attempting to overcome these trials in a quasi-Nietzschean fashion. Generations of Americans have dreamt of working and struggling to secure a better future for their children. Americans rejected the estate tax because we know there is a chance, however slim it may be, that any of us may beat the odds, succeed, and be able to leave behind millions of dollars for our scions.

Politicians often like to play up their biographies for this reason, for many of them embody that American dream. They are Rocky and his one-in-a-million shot; they have overcome the same difficulties that Americans face. All of us believe that we might be able to beat the odds like they did. In Barack Obama's retelling of his personal story, the subtext shines through: I struggled and overcame and you might too. In Joe Biden's retelling of his own story, he put that subtext in words. "Ladies and gentlemen, that is your story; that is America's story."

It seems that it's not only me, but A WHOLE LOTTA PEOPLE are very interested in Matthew Mitcham after his win in Beijing over the past weekend. Here almost four days later, the net is still buzzing about his Olympic victory.

A lot of people are complaining in different articles about why NBC didn't talk about his personal life and the fact that he is an out gay athlete. I'm not sure where I stand on that. On the one hand, I didn't notice NBC doing much in-depth reporting on the personal aspects of any non-American athletes. Some people were complaining that they talked so much about Michael Phelps and his mom, but not about Matthew Mitcham and his relationship with his mom and boyfriend. The big thing here is (A) NBC is an American television network, (B) Michael Phelps is American and Matthew Mitcham is not, and (C) Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals.

Or if you want to look at it from a more negative perspective, maybe NBC didn't want to get into trouble like CBS did a couple years ago at the Super Bowl, when Janel Jackson and Justin Timberlake made some fancy moves on stage during the half-time show, and Janet's boob was showing for a split second before a world-wide audience. Then all the religious conservatives and other straight-laced folk got so up in arms that in the end CBS paid a big fine to the FCC.

Maybe, NBC was worried that these same tight-assed people would get upset seeing Matthew with his boyfriend, which would have terrible effects on their children, and God, forbid, they should see them kissing. Anyway, with everyone having a computer these days, whoever wants to find it can find it if they want ( and probably also Janet Jackson's boob, not that I have any interest in that).

Even though, NBC didn't give Matthew much limelight during the games, Australia still seems to be on the young man's bandwagon. Today (Tuesday), the Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald's sports section named him the Performer of the Week, and there's a nice wrap-up about his dive there.

Anyway, because of Matthew's success, I've learned that there's more to Australia than kangaroos, shrimp on the barbie (Is it spelled like that doll?), Crocodile Dundee, and last, but certainly not least, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Despite being surrounded by all that ocean, the Aussies can actually be quite funny. I ran across this clip of an Aussie TV show doing a parody of the Chinese lip-syncing during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Looks like she might have a future in the Drag Kings.

(Check here if you're looking for a photo of Matthew and Lachlan.)

My fiancée Kennedy and I are moving this week, so I’m only gonna offer a tiny snippet of my wisdom this week. I know you’re disappointed, but we’re very busy. And by “we’re very busy,” I actually mean “the boss-lady is cracking the whip harder than usual this week.”

Call me stubborn, call me a piece of garbage (wait… don’t call me that last one), but I’m still not convinced that Rafael Nadal has what it takes to win on a hard court. Keeping that in mind, I’m gonna go with number two seed Roger Federer (it’s weird to refer to him as “number two seed”) over fourth-seeded David Ferrer in the US Open final. On the women’s side, I’m not yet slurping Williams-juice again, so I foresee another number two seed, Jelena Janković, beating 32^nd-seeded Amélie Mauresmo in the final. Mauresmo hasn’t really done much since she won her second career Grand Slam (way back at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships), but I expect a bounce-back performance after an injury-riddled year and a half. Let’s make one thing clear, though: If Roger Federer loses this tournament, I will no longer be predicting major victories for him, despite what my rooting interest might be. (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to ignore that statement and predict him to win whenever I feel like it.)

I don’t know if you can tell by the tone of my typing, but I can barely contain my glee regarding Osi Umenyiora’s season-ending injury. Don’t get me wrong, I actually think Osi is a fairly respectable fellow, but his injury ends the Giants season before it had even started and that is fantastic news. I said this same thing last season (you know... before they won the Super Bowl), but “the Giants are done. Like really done. 83% of their team is either injured or doing commentary on NBC. And unless Tom Coughlin and company are able to sign the entire Football Night in America team, it’s going to be a long year for Big Blue.” (And yes, that is a direct quote from a post I wrote last year.)

Tonight I will be risking life and limb as I go to Philadelphia to cheer on my Mets against their arch-nemesis Phillies. Instead of a preview of the game, I’ll share with you a story of the last time I traveled to Philadelphia for a Mets game. Our friends Jackson and Megan were walking with Kenny (my pet name for Kennedy) and I back to our seats after we had gotten our food. From behind us, several Philly fans were shouting things about the Mets and none of their words were positive. In fact, one voice kept repeating a certain vulgar phrase meant to undermine David Wright’s sexuality. It goes without saying that the members of my party were all wearing various Mets jerseys and accessories, but only one of us had a David Wright shirt on – and that was Kennedy. So out of the four people supporting the Mets, the ferocious fans in Philadelphia decided to pick on the smallest and most frail of the bunch. I’d like to tell you that I defended her honor, but that would be a lie. What did I do to alleviate the situation, you ask? I suggested to everyone that we walk faster to our seats. (Side Note: Jackson and Megan aren’t our friends’ real names, but I think that they sound cooler than “Eric and Donna,” so I went with it. Call it poetic license.)

Now, the smartest among you might suggest that the solution to this problem is simple: don’t wear anything blue, orange or Mets tonight. And based on that advice, I would unilaterally call you people cowards. Sure we might get ridiculed, our car may be vandalized, and one of us could be kidnapped. But through it all, at least we’ll be able to hold our heads high and know that we stood behind our team even at the risk of bodily harm. Besides, it’ll all be worth it if in some small way we can help the Mets defeat those darn Phils. Unless, of course, a feloniously foul Phillie-fan knocks our $16 cheesesteaks onto the ground. If that happens, then the whole experience will have been a big waste of time.

When next we meet, Dear Readers, I will be writing to you from my balcony as I look out into the dense forests of southwestern New Jersey; fighting mosquitoes the size of lampshades. I look forward to it.

Cornish IV was drafted in 1990 by the San Diego Chargers...who took him in the 6th round.

Cornish attended college and played football for the UCLA BRUINS.

He is survived by his wife Robin and five children.

My condolences to the family and those who played and worked with Frank Cornish IV.

On to the NFC.  I'll take the Cowboys(11-5), the Saints(10-6), the Packers(9-7), and the Seahawks(11-5) to gain division crowns.  The Giants will get in at 10-6 while the sixth team will be the Eagles at 10-6 if Mcnabb can stay healthy.  The Vikes will make a run until Peterson gets hurt.  Watch out for the Panthers and Arizona to make a run at their respective divisions.  The Giants will continue their road play-off run with another win in Green Bay while the Saints beat the Eagles.  The Cowboys get their revenge in round two by beating Big Blue and the Saints come away with a nice upset on the road against Seattle.  The Boys finally get to the Super Bowl but that's as far as they get because your new NFL Champs will be the San Diego Chargers!!!!

Good Lord I love Football season!!!!!!

AFC Wild Card
New York Jets def. Pittsburgh
Favre pulls out some more playoff heroics, leading a massive aerial attack against the usually stalwart Steeler defense.

San Diego def. Denver
As much as I like Jay Cutler to excel this season, San Diego and Ladanian Tomlinson are just too good for them this time.

NFC Wild Card
Minnesota def. Seattle
The Seahawks can't stop Adrian Peterson and they can't run against the tough Viking D'.

Green Bay def. New York Giants
2007's Super Bowl champions can't hang with the Pack at Lambeau. Aaron Rodgers earns his first postseason victory.

AFC Divisional
New England def. New York Jets
Favre's comeback is stopped short by the impenetrable Patriot defense and the intelligent play of Tom Brady.

San Diego def. Indianapolis
The incredible Charger defense stops Manning and company short of another Super Bowl berth.

NFC Divisional
Dallas def. Minnesota
The Cowboys make short work of the Vikings as Tony Romo picks apart the Vikings poor pass defense.

Green Bay def. New Orleans
Aaron Rodgers makes Packer fans quickly forget about Brett Favre (at least for a short time).

AFC Championship
San Diego def. New England
The Chargers are redeemed after last season's playoff loss to the Pats.

NFC Championship
Dallas def. Green Bay
The powerful Cowboys end the Packers' great run through the playoffs.

Super Bowl
Dallas def. San Diego
Being a Cowboy fan, I must admit to being a bit prejudiced, but, as long as Tony Romo doesn't make any more stupid mistakes, I think they'll do it this time around.

What do you think?