The Crystal Ball The Good The Bad and The Ugly

I must apologize for the delay in getting this posted. Not that I have thousands of loyal and devoted readers, but for the couple two three of you out there, I am sure you have become accustomed to seeing things in a somewhat timely manner. With no game this weekend, I felt no great rush. And then I got socked with a cold, so that just put me on the lazy train. Suffice to say, I have been dogging it, and it has caused a backlog of other ideas now as well. Regardless of all of that, I am so very happy. What a weekend in the NFL. I think we all saw one of the best playoff games ever, maybe even one of the all time best. Just fantastic football and it all took place in 30 minutes. Let’s get right to it.

Bears defeat Saints:

Unfortunately, the magical season for the Saints ended one game short. They put up a valiant effort, even making it a game of it in the third quarter. But too many mistakes and just too much Bears. I applaud Sean Payton and his staff. They did a masterful job with a team many did not expect to do very much this year except score some moral victories. They did a wonderful job and I expect them to do much more in the future. The Bears, on the other hand, turned it up when it mattered most. The defense looked great, the running game stellar and they look like they may be peaking at the exact right time. I am not convinced yet that Grossman has what it takes, but they are in the Super Bowl, and he did have a part of it. His biggest test will be next week, and then we will see if he really has what it takes.

Colts defeat Patriots:

I am as happy as a clam the Pats are gone. Color me ecstatic that I have not had to hear peep one regarding the greatness of Belichick, Brady and the Patriot organization. If for no other reason that made this game fantastic. Oh, but it was so much more than that. The Colts finally found that extra something, that little piece of themselves that pushed them through. That little piece where no matter what comes at them, they know they can take care of business. And look what happened when they found it? They overcame an 18 point deficit to start trading points with New England. And with the game on the line, Peyton finally came through, calmly leading the Colts downfield for a game clinching touchdown with only a minute left. Of course, a minute is more than the Patriots usually need to score, and they went to work with every Colt fan sitting anxiously on the edge of their seats. But then the unthinkable happened. Brady faltered in the clutch, throwing an interception and thereby ending the game. I cheered for the Colts, although it did feel odd to be watching a game in the RCA Dome and cheering for the home team to come through in the clutch, when just one year earlier I was praying for them to falter in the clutch. I felt as good as I did last year when Pittsburgh was triumphing through the playoffs. It felt that good. Not just because New England lost, but because Indianapolis won. I felt good for Manning, who has had to suffer with the title of playoff choker. For right or wrong, that label has stuck with him. But now, after beating his nemesis when it counted most, he has been able to shake some of those labels loose. A win in the Super Bowl, and he can bury them forever. I will continue rooting for the Colts. I would like to see Peyton bury that label. I would like to see Dungy bury his as well. Plus, Dungy is an old time Steeler, and you always have to root for ex Steelers, unless they are playing or coaching against the Black and Gold.

Last week I wrote a big piece regarding the Patriots. I was basically admitting to myself all of the things that are good about the team and the organization. I am biased against the Patriots, and losing to them twice in the AFC Championship game will cause such a reaction. Ask any Colts fan before this season, and they will admit the same. However, in my praise for them, and my own cathartic release of what I liked about them, I neglected to bring up two things they lack. One is a foresight of letting certain players go. I had previously mentioned this phenomenon, where they are willing to let people go if they feel they no longer hold value for the team. Unfortunately, in doing this they end up dumping more than just players leaving their prime, but players who have provided not just on field heroics, but off field leadership. By doing this, the young players they acquire to restock the team have no one to look to for leadership. No one that is able to provide them with how to behave and act in tight situations. No one who can show them the way after a demoralizing loss and how to bounce back and respond the next week. Do you think they may have been able to respond better, especially on defense, if they had McGinist or Vinatieri on their roster? Perhaps not, but we will never know now, will we? If you can manage it, you should try to keep your core together for as long as possible. But they look past that when it comes to the bottom line sometimes, and I believe it is beginning to hurt them now more than they previously envisioned.

The other item they lack is class, both in victory and in defeat. After the San Diego game, they celebrated like children by dancing in the middle of the field. They did not act like professionals, and certainly not like a team that had been there before and still had a long way to go. If that was the Super Bowl, no one would have minded, they had earned the right to celebrate anywhere they chose. But it was a divisional game, and if you do not realize you have a long way yet to climb, you are destined for failure. Usually, we see such antics from the likes of TO, but not the Patriots. In losing to the Colts the following week, they showed me much more about their character than they ever did in winning. Brady walked off the field without congratulating Manning, something Manning always did to Brady in all of Brady’s triumphs over Manning and his Colts. I found this just in bad taste. Yes, it hurts to lose, especially when you are so close to the Super Bowl. I know this for a fact, and now so do the Patriots. But to walk away like a petulant child who has had his favorite toy taken away is, well, childish. If he had even a modicum of class, he would have walked over to Manning and said, job well done. But he has none. And Bill Belichick was not much better. He did show some class and congratulate Dungy, which he should. But he said maybe one word to Manning as he brushed past. Manning even went out of his way to speak with Belichick, moving people out of the way so he could go up and speak with the coach who has for so long vexed him. For all the good things about the organization, these are two of their most glaring problems.

One of the biggest stories of this Super Bowl is that this marks the first time a black head coach has led their team to the Super Bowl. And in a cosmic twist, the first time it happens, we have two, so we will also have this year the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl. I find this admirable and a great story line, but of course one that will be beaten to death all week. Both of these men have proven themselves great leaders and coaches. I know that the real story is that the NFL has shown progress not just in promoting black men to head coaching positions, but that they have worked hard in changing the culture of the NFL, that good men will get these opportunities, regardless of their skin color. I know in our society we will never be able to eradicate senseless prejudices and biases; unfortunately as human beings, we have shown and incredible incapability at this task. I am glad we as a society have made progresses like this where we have gentlemen like Smith and Dungy in the league, leading and teaching men both on the field and off. We should look to these men not just as trailblazers, but as examples for all of us to live up to, regardless of our color. If we had more men and women like these two, both white, black, red, green, purple and beyond, in all facets of life, imagine how far we could go as a society and as the human race.

However, with this discussion going on, we are missing out on another historic, if much less important, first. There has never been a man named Lovie as the head coach in the Super Bowl. We have had a Vince, and even a Weeb, but never a Lovie. Now that has to be significant, right? How long before our first Dakota or Skylar, I wonder.

Vick and weed – seriously, can we all admit that this guy is now overrated? His quarterbacking is suspect, at best. And now we see he is too stupid to know they will confiscate water bottles at airports, especially those that smell like pot? After investigation, Vick was vindicated by authorities who stated there was no evidence of drugs, but this is not a moral debate about smoking ganja. Personally, I feel what any player, or person, wants to do in the privacy of their own home is their choice and their right. Yes, marijuana is illegal, but let us not be blinded sheep about this. Many people do it, from all walks of life and in every income bracket. I am sure almost everyone out there knows a few people who indulge in the sticky. Whether or not you are fine with this, or find it morally reprehensible is not a debate I feel like entering on this particular incident. That is a debate for another time. The point I would like to make with this particular incident is that Vick needs to understand he is much more than just a player in the NFL; he is looked up to as a role model and as the face of an organization. While I agree with Charles Barkley’s stance, I am not a role model, for better or for worse high profile athletes are looked upon as role models in our society, and this phenomenon is nothing new. Vick should make the attempt to look as such, at least in public.

Coaching update:

Cam Cameron took the Miami job, bringing his offensive acumen to the Dolphins. Word has it that Jim Mora really wanted the job; however it would seem the Miami brain trust thought otherwise. Mora is now lying low as the secondary coach in Seattle. Jim, sometimes you need a bit of time to just lay low and lick your wounds. Other opportunities will come. I am sure by the end of next season, more than a few head coaching jobs will open up. It happens every season, just bide your time.

Steve Sarkisian removed himself from the Oakland job search, even though it looked as though he could have had it. But Oakland still landed a USC coach in the end. The Raiders hired Lane Kiffin, USC’s offensive coordinator for last two years, as their new head coach. Kiffin is the son of Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, a long time stalwart on the Buccaneer staff. Hopefully he can give his boy a few pointers now and again; he will need all the help he can get with this mess that is the Oakland Raiders.

Now, the only coaching vacancy in the NFL is with the Dallas Cowboys, as Bill Parcells retired last week. Parcells has established himself long ago as a legend, with his Super Bowl wins, his revival of several franchises and his now lengthy coaching tree. But during this last stint the drive did not seem to be in him. He never quite had the fire he had in New York. Now, even at half the intensity Parcells is formidable, but you want a coach who is into it 100%. This is why I did not feel too bad about Cowher’s retirement. Coaching at any level is difficult, and in the NFL it is a grind performed under a microscope. If Parcells feels his time is up, then I wish him well. I hope he stays retired, enjoys a bit of the good life, and I hope I see him again in a few years being inducted into the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. Happy retirement Bill, you deserve it.

Ok, time for a little honesty. When Cowher retired, I knew who I wanted to be the next coach of the Steelers. I wanted them to hire within and promote Ken Whisenhunt. I felt he would be the best choice. In him they would have an offensive minded coach familiar with the team who could open up the Pittsburgh offense and start maximizing the returns of the fantastic youthful core of skill position players on the roster. When that did not work out, I figured they would go with Russ Grimm. In Grimm they would have that stability of an in house candidate, but also one with an offensive mind and perhaps a new twist or two. I spent a bit of time talking myself into Grimm. He was not my first choice, but like I really have a choice in the matter. But the Rooney’s went outside the organization, and went somewhere no one would have guessed when the search started and hired Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mike Tomlin is a former college receiver who started his coaching career in 1995. There are more than a few similarities to his situation and that of Bill Cowher. Both men were 34 when they took the job, both long shot outside candidates and both former defensive coordinators who had not been on the job all that long before getting their first big shot in the show. Tomlin has had pro stops not only in Minnesota, but also Tampa Bay, where he coached the defensive backs and learned his craft under Monte Kiffin, Jon Gruden and Tony Dungy. Thus far, I have heard nothing but good things about his coaching, his personality and his all around nature as a coach, man and leader. I would imagine hearing nothing but praise about a man who worked under one of the best and classiest coaches in the game, Tony Dungy. In my opinion, that is the kind of pedigree you love to have in your coach.

But of course, I am scared. Change can be scary, plus, I only went through this once before, so I am not used to changes in coaches, obviously. Change can be a good thing and I need to remind myself of this. However, taking a chance on an unproven commodity can be risky. The last two times Pittsburgh chose the unproven coach it paid off, and well, but there were reasons to go in a completely different direction each of those times. When they hired Noll, the club had never had a winning tradition, and they were willing to go out on a limb. When they hired Cowher, the team had been years removed from their last championship, and needed an infusion of new blood to shake up things. But is that really needed this time? The team is not quite one full year from a Super Bowl win. I understand the paradox of status quo. Status quo can provide either stability, or it could be a dangerous lack of progress. The key is determining which it will provide. But in the end, I need to remember that the Rooney’s have been pretty good with their hiring track record, so I have faith in the organization. One thing I need to keep in mind is 1992. That year, I witnessed first hand my very first coaching change in Pittsburgh when Noll stepped down and Cowher was hired. I remember at the time thinking, who the heck is Bill Cowher? We all know now who he is, and keeping that in mind, I am sure by the time he is ready to move on, we will also all know who is Mike Tomlin. Hey, there are more than a few reasons why I am not running an NFL franchise. But I still maintain I could turn the Lions around in less time than it has taken Matt Millen to drive them into oblivion. William Clay Ford, just give me a call.

But one thing I am curious about is how well his interviews were that he vaulted past two excellent in house choices. If he was that dazzling in the interviews, I cannot wait to see what he does during the season. I hope that skill translates to wins.

Now, despite my own unfounded fears, no rookie coach could ask for a better situation for his first time in the spotlight. Tomlin now has a solid team only one year removed from a Super Bowl victory, stocked with a strong group of core players just entering their prime. He has inherited a good group of assistants of which he can retain if he likes and lean on while he learns some of the inner workings of head coaching, such as challenging plays, clock management, motivation, winning on the road and winning the close games amongst many others. Behind him is a well constructed organization with an excellent front office and scouting department and supportive owners that do not panic when things are not going well and patient enough to know that winning and losing are cyclical, and while things may be down, they will always come back up. On top of this, Tomlin will find behind him at every game, no matter where it is, one of the most rabid, devoted and faithful fan bases any coach could possibly ask for from an organization. I bet we can aid Tomlin in at least one to two road wins this year. If Coach Tomlin is half as good as all the press I have been hearing about him, with all of this at his disposal, he will do just fine.

Tomlin himself is getting off on a good foot, and seems to be impressing everyone in his first few days as coach. He has been magnanimous, funny, open and honest in his first press conference. His philosophy of a blue collar work ethic, a tough defense and a strong running game will go far in Pittsburgh, a team that thrives on such things and that have always been a part of their overall philosophy. He has stated in his first day that he is keeping Dick LeBeau and while he prefers the 4-3 defense, he sees no reason to change when he has a defense and personnel that thrive in the 3-4. The next day he promoted wide receivers coach Bruce Arians to offensive coordinator. Now, he is keeping the entire defensive staff but one, and a good portion of the offensive staff. He is also working on adding a second coach for the special teams. I must say, I already like the new guy, he is obviously smart, and knows better than to fix something that is not broken.

So, I would like to put out there a hearty congratulations to Mr. Mike Tomlin and a welcome to Steeler Nation. You are a part of us now. Please pick up your official towel at dispatch; it is next to the 5 trophies. And do not worry; we will make room for you to add a sixth one in there, and possibly more.

More news from the Arizona Steelers, I mean Cardinals. Russ Grimm, who obviously did not want to stay in Pittsburgh, was hired by the Cardinals as their new assistant head coach/offensive line coach. Interesting thought that at one point, that is exactly the head coach/assistant head coach structure most of us thought would end up leading the black and gold. The world works in mysterious ways.

So, with this being an open weekend where absolutely no football was being played, the horror, I felt this a good time to break out an idea I had around mid season. I would like to take this time for a little review and introspection. It is time to look back on the previous season and take a look at some of the things that made the season memorable. And in doing so, perhaps take a gander at a few of the things I have put forth here. It is time to glance over both in something I like to call, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.


The Good

The Steeler-centric bend of the column - Sure, everyone has their own favorite team and biases, as do I. I liked how I added another voice to the cacophony of Steeler Nation. Sure, the boys did not come up big this year, but that is ok. It shook off the bandwagon fans they picked up after the Super Bowl. I may go even further next year.

The return of the suit to the sidelines - This was a great step for the NFL, at least in my opinion. Harkening back the look of the authoritative coach of yesteryear, images of Stram, Landry and Lombardi danced in our heads as coaches did not look so much as pin ups for the latest merchandise offered but more like men in charge. That is the way a coach should look, none of this torn up hoodie nonsense or garish prints.

Denny Green’s post game meltdown – Oh, it had been a long time since we had that kind of entertainment. Plus, it lasted the rest of the season, and is still showing up. Perhaps he could crown the Bears if they win the Super Bowl, since then they WILL BE WHO HE THOUGHT THEY WERE!

The idiot feature – Oh, I should have come up with that from the beginning. This was a lot of fun to do, and I think added a nice little feature to the column. It will definitely be in the column again next season starting week one.

Devin Hester – Wow, what an athlete. He sure made everyone forget about Dante Hall in a hurry, did he not?

Unheralded players – Tony Romo, Marques Colston, Frank Gore and others came out of nowhere to make significant contributions to their teams and the NFL. You love to see players from little schools make it big over ones from football factories. I hope to see more of them next year.

America’s Game – One of the best sports documentaries I have ever seen, and maybe the best one about football ever. The beautiful mix of NFL Films footage, reminiscing from former players and coaches and the narration by A-List actors really brings these episodes together in a riveting way that will keep anyone’s attention, even if you are merely a casual fan. I watched the episode for the 1976 Raiders the other evening and for a nanosecond almost liked the team. Almost. This spring will be enjoyable watching the last twenty, where three Steelers teams will be represented. I will definitely be tuned in for all of them, and be ordering the DVDs for the Steelers Super Bowl teams.


A few good tidbits from me.

From Week 2:

- Not to bust too much on Vick, because he is a superior athlete, but he is a terrible quarterback.: Yeah, I still feel good about that. Prove me wrong, Michael.
- Hiring Art Shell, who has not coached in the NFL since Oakland FIRED HIM 14 years ago? I have no idea where that came from either.: And they fired him again.
- Not a bad first showing by the Giants last week. The defense looked tough, and their rookie backup running back looked strong. They played stupid though. Their running game was obviously clicking. They have two really good backs, and Tiki Barber looks like he is picking up where he left off last year. But instead of jamming the ball down the Colts throat, as they should have because it was working on the Colts undersized D, they went too much to relying on Eli to win the game with his arm.: Ok, they ultimately were not that strong overall, but I still contend they spent too much time relying on Eli, and will again next year. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

From Week 4:
- it seems like they might actually have a semblance of a team in New Orleans. And thank goodness, because they desperately need one. – I am so glad I was right about this one. Not just because I was right, but because of all that it meant for the Gulf Coast.

From Week 5:
- Ok, last week I was watching the Sunday night game, and right after it became a rout, I kept thinking of what NBC could be doing to keep interest. And then it hit me, how oh how did we not have the Superfans in the booth for at least part of the game? : I still think this is a good idea. And if I do not see one single Super Fans reference this week on the NFL Network, then they should fire their creative team and hire some new people, stat. You can contact me through the email link at the top.

From Week 6:
- Cowher says its all gossip and speculation, but actions always speak louder than words, and his actions show a man ready to hang it up, even if it’s for just a few seasons. – A little too good on this one.
- Come February 4th, a certain team, from a certain city will be hoisting a certain trophy above their collective heads. A team known simply as, Da Bears. DAAAAAA BEARS. – Could it be prophetic????

From Week 10:
- Baltimore is a good team. Ok, not good like Indianapolis or New England, but good enough that they will probably win the division and possibly go deep into the playoffs with how they are built. – Ha ha, dead on!
- Peyton Manning may be learning how to win the big game. – Ooooh, two in a row!

From Week 12:
- Regarding the Chargers: I feel confident they will screw things up in the playoffs. – Ha ha ha! All I can do is laugh.



The Bad

Too Steeler-centric – Now, I certainly do not believe that. But, if I looked at this from an objective standpoint and one of a casual fan, I could see people going, good gravy; get off of Pittsburgh’s jock already. But, until I am writing for NFL.com or some other major sports publication, I will keep my Steelers first and foremost. Sorry, Houston fans, I hate to disappoint both of you.

Game research – I did some for each match up, but not enough I think. I could have delved more into each game, histories of the teams, records against each other, key match ups. Part of me avoided that, since you could find that almost anywhere. I prefer a different angle. The problem is I have yet to define that angle. But I have some ideas. Maybe we will shake a few out during preseason.

Overall column format – I went in not really knowing what I wanted to do. By the end, I had a few regular features and a few things I liked, but it was not planned. But, you learn by doing, and I did. I have some great building blocks for next season, and cannot wait to start.

Column length – You would think I would learn eventually how to be more succinct. But I have not, and if I learned anything it was how to be even more verbose. Next season, I may even crack 10,000 words. Almost did this season.

Oakland ruining their bid for an 0-16 season – They really could have done something special and historic. If they lost them all, everyone would have been talking about them, every week. They would have been front page news. But no, over a two week span, they torpedoed that with two wins, and thus just relegated themselves to crappiness as opposed to being a historic team.

Thursday Night Football – How can I possibly say an added night of football is bad? Because the games were terrible, that is how. There was one game out of the slate of eight that was decent. The rest were chum. And I am including the Pittsburgh game in the chum. Sure, I had fun watching it, but did anyone else feel compelled to tune in? Certainly not. If the NFL Network hopes to keep things going, they best get some improved match ups for next season.

Monday Night Football – All season I have gone over the things wrong with this institution. Bad announcers, terrible games, lackluster teams, the annoying addition of the celebrity interview, low production quality. There is a lot that needs fixing, and honestly, I do not see anyone at ESPN smart enough to do any of it. They could have a jewel on their hands, but unfortunately, no one seems to want to polish it to perfection.

A few bad tidbits from me.

From Week 1:
- Many are saying the Colts will strangle the competition. Well, they stepped down in the running back department and last time I checked, when it came to the post season, they did not know how to strangle, but were pretty good at choking.: Ok, so it would seem I got that one wrong. So far.
- Many are saying the Ravens will explode this year. How so? Their defense is a year older, and that much more ineffective (the glory days of 2000 are over, ask the 1985 Bears how fast it goes away).: Yeah, way wrong on that one. But they did not go far in the playoffs. I would take a push, but they did explode. Could I be biased??? Nah
- I am picking Pittsburgh to win. Let the season begin! Now they better not lose and make me look stupid, I can do that on my own. : Umm, it seemed as though I needed some help. Thanks guys.

From Week 4:
- I said the Browns could pull off the upset, and very nearly did. Now, it is looking to me that their defense is far stouter than anyone could have thought, and if their offense could generate a few more points, they might be a team. – I must have been hallucinating. I think I had a cold that day.

From Week 10:
- Tom Brady is the most clutch QB in the NFL today – You know, this one does not feel so bad.


From Week 13:
- Do you think that maybe, just maybe, Joey Harrington might actually be a good quarterback? And that maybe, just maybe, his success this year is due to the fact that he finally has a decent team around him and a good coaching staff? And that maybe, just maybe, he played poorly in Detroit not because he was bad, but because the whole team, coaches and front office were atrocious and never gave him any real weapons, support or instruction? Yeah, I am thinking maybe, just maybe though. – Ok, yeah, I screwed that one. But I was not the only one fooled for a little while by Harrington.


The Ugly

Pittsburgh’s title defense – Not much I can say about that. As always, health and luck play a part in the success of any team, and Pittsburgh had a dearth of both. But despite that, overall, it was terrible. There were a few highlights, but not many. And ultimately, they could not find a way to beat the elite teams. I know this is still an elite team, but they need to find their way again. Perhaps Coach Tomlin can help.

Oakland – Yeah, they could have had the special season, but even if they did, they still would have been what they are, atrocious. It is amazing to think that a few short years ago, this was a Super Bowl team. What happened? How can so many things go so badly in such a short amount of time? It is flabbergasting to think.

Matt Millen’s Lions tenure – Shamefully, this will continue into the next season. Do Lions season ticket holders get a bag for their heads when they get their ticket packages?

From Week 2:
- Well, I think St. Louis might really be a sleeper pick this year.: Uhhhh, yeah.
- But now we have to look at the sticky situation that is Kansas City. I said before the season even started that they would go down the toilet. Half of their offensive line retired. That right there told me the season they would have. Teams win with a consistent offensive line that plays together for a long time. One of the reasons KC has had such a great running game is consistency on the line. With 2 of the 5 gone and new guys stepping in, that is a lot to overcome. – Ummm, who wrote that???

From Week 3:
- If they (Atlanta) keep out of trouble, they will spoil the Monday night homecoming. – That so did not happen. Nor did it for the rest of the season. Woof.

From Week 4:
- One other note before the good stuff. No TO discussion here. I could go into all the reasons why and why not, but it is this simple. I refuse to add to the miles of print that are already dedicated to him, especially since most of us could care less. These few sentences are already too much. Enough. – This would have been good, if I had kept to it. But since he showed up at least once a week by mid season, well, that makes me an idiot.


From Week 6:
- Referring to the Chicago/Arizona game: Wow, this one is about as tough to pick as a choice between pizza and lima beans. – Almost had lima beans.


Well, that is it for this week and a run down memory lane. Stay tuned for the Super Bowl extravaganza coming in but a few short days.

The Crystal Ball The Championships

Boy was I wrong this week, and in the worst ways. So much for that three out of four home teams win during the divisional round bunk. Not only did two home teams lose, but I picked the wrong away team to win. As typical, we had crazy, topsy-turvy weekend in the NFL.

Colts defeat Ravens:

The Ravens suck so badly. They had the Colts pinned on their own one yard line and then let them drive down the field. What happened to that vaunted Raven defense?

During one play sequence, Peyton scrambled, threw the ball and completed it to Marvin Harrison. Dan Dierdorf, doing color commentary for the game, said that Peyton is not Michael Vick, alluding to the difference in scrambling abilities between the two. This is very true and an obvious observation by Dierdorf. Peyton is a classic pocket passer, and you rarely see him mobile outside the pocket. However, all I could think when Dan said this was, yeah, Peyton completes his passes.

See, that is exactly why the Colts picked up Vinatieri, for games just like this. How about that 51 yarder that skipped off the crossbar and went through for three points? Very nice. I bet Vanderjagt would not have made that kick. I bet he threw his beer can at the TV in disgust watching this one play out.

Twice in the game Ed Reed had a sure interception, and each time his opportunity on the ball was ruined because the ball was tipped by Ray Lewis. This man’s gigantic ego and penchant for wanting the highlight play every time twice ruined excellent opportunities for his team. You think that perhaps he might not be God’s linebacker? Perhaps Ray should practice his ball handling skills and study his teammate’s field presence and positions instead of that stupid seizure dance he does before each game.

I have a few friends who are big Ravens fans, which always leads to a friendly argument or two between us. One of them is always more than happy to remind me that Pittsburgh’s only loss in their 15-1 season came at the hands of, you guessed it, Baltimore. One of my friends, who works with the girlfriend, got a haircut as the playoffs began. She told me this, and I told her to relay to him that the haircut was bad luck, and he may have jinxed his team. She related this to him, even telling him about how I did not shave through the entire playoffs last year. What happened then? The Steelers won it all, of course. Now what happened this week? His Ravens lost. Superstitious? Absolutely. Completely ridiculous? Without a doubt. Coincidence? Considering I am a part of one of the most superstitious fan bases around, no, it is not a coincidence. I feel that too many fans forget the superstitious factor when it comes to rooting for their teams. I know it seems absurd, but one of the things that connect people with their teams are superstitions. We tend to feel that the small things we do will make a difference on game day. Now while I will blanch at this thought from a rational and logical point of view, from a fan standpoint, I believe it makes all the difference. Case in point, last year watching the playoffs, I watched each game wearing the same jersey, with the same terrible towel and the same hat in the same spot for all three games. The Steelers played great and played their best games of the season, blowing their competition out of the water. Yes, I know, the Colts game was close, but only in the last 5 minutes of the game. However, during the Super Bowl, I watched it at a friend’s house, thus changing my routine. What happened? They had one of their worst games of the season, and trust me by halftime I was contemplating driving home to see if that would turn things around. Luckily, Willie Parker helped keep me in my seat, figuratively speaking. We as fans do not have access to our teams as fans in the past have had. I have heard stories of fans and players going out for beers after the game, hanging around and swapping stories. When a few diehard Steelers fans started Franco’s Italian Army in Pittsburgh in the 70’s, Franco Harris would often come to their functions. He is still friends with many of them to this day. In this day and age, the average fan has no way of connecting with their team on this sort of level. But what we do have is the far fetched notion that with our little rituals and habits, we can help support and push our teams to another level, and thereby have a connection with them and help them win. By what we do, we feel a stronger connection to the team, especially when it works. And when it works, we feel as though we are actually a part of their success, that the little things we do actually make a difference. It may seem ridiculous, and to a certain degree delusional, but it adds to the fun, the joy, and even the heartbreak. So to all you true blue fans out there, never underestimate the power of the superstition. And avoid haircuts and shaving this week too, just in case. You can always shave Monday if you lose.

Oh, and by the way, nice support you gave to the home team there, Ravens fans. Your team is down right before halftime, they could use a pick me up in a close game. What they do not need is to hear their supposedly loyal fan base booing them because they do not want to try a high risk low reward heave ho play that considering how McNair was playing thus far would have probably backfired horrendously. Instead they would prefer to go into the locker room, catch a breath, get a new plan for the second half and gird themselves for 30 more minutes of dog fighting. Yeah, I know they were stinking up the joint, but they are still your team. Show some support and loyalty for heaven’s sake you twits.

Saints defeat Eagles:

It turned out to be too hard to climb that hill for the Eagles. The Saints look like a team on a mission.

This game featured some ridiculously hard hits, just the kind you love to see in the playoffs. Reggie Bush got tattooed early in the contest, getting the wind knocked out of him after getting pasted hard by an Eagle defensive back. But I give the kid credit; he got up and shook it off, put it behind him and had a good game, especially for a rookie. The pressure of playing in a high stakes playoff atmosphere does not seem to be affecting him at all, minus the one fumble near the end of the game. Perhaps playing all those years for a perennial national title contender in USC has paid off quicker than Bush or the Saints would have ever thought.

The hill could have been climbed by the Eagles, though, if it weren’t for Reid’s questionable coaching strategies. Reid went for it on fourth and ten and the team picked up the first down, but it is negated by a penalty. So, then Reid decided to punt when it’s fourth and fifteen? What is the difference? The game is less than 2 minutes from ending, your defense has not stopped the Saints all day, and chances are you will not get the ball back again. Your season is that moment, it is all or nothing; punting should not be an option. And it is that kind of behavior, not to lose play calling, which is the reason the Eagles will be sitting home this week. Fortune favors the bold; you need to put the onus to win on your team. With a call like that, you told your team you have given up, and they should too. So what happens? The Saints get a first down and run out the clock, game over. Shameful play calling Andy, just shameful.

Bears defeat Seahawks:

Grossman is so maddingly inconsistent. He can throw a pretty bomb down the field in one drive, and the next drive lose a fumble. If I were a Bears fan, I would be driven mad by this man. His play is pure feast or famine, usually in the span of two consecutive drives, occasionally in the span of two plays. Plus, why does he look like he is about to vomit every time he takes the field?

Mike Holmgren is such a jerk. He plodded up and down the sidelines the entire game, yelling and screaming like a petulant child, verbally berating his charges as though they were nothing more than pack mules. In all those interviews and puff pieces last year before the Super Bowl, everyone said about how great of a guy he was, and such a teacher of men, a caring type of person willing to give of himself for the betterment of the team and those who work with and for him. But, what they say and what I see are two different things. They say good things come to good people, I guess that’s why he has lost big in the playoffs over the past few years.

There was such bad offensive line play by Seattle at the end of the game that I was genuinely shocked. On the next to the last play of regulation, three Bear defenders rushed and eight dropped into coverage. One of the rushers then pealed off into coverage, leaving 5 Seattle linemen on 2 Bear defenders. Yet, Tank Johnson still managed to break through and sack Hasselbeck as three offensive linemen stood and watched their quarterback get thrown to the ground. Just poor play. What the team would do to get back Steve Hutchinson, I wonder.

During the game, it was mentioned that Brian Urlacher does not do as much film study as he did earlier in his career. He said that when he did study film, he thought too much on the field and felt he was a more successful player by just going on instinct. Considering how much rushing up the middle they gave up, perhaps he should get back to studying.

Congratulations to Bears kicker and fellow Penn State Alumni Robbie Gould for his fantastic game winning field goal in overtime. What a pressure packed situation for Gould to walk into, with not only the game but also the season on the line. But Gould came through like he was channeling Adam Vinatieri. I applaud the excellent work for a kicker in just his second year in the league. Here’s to dear old state, Penn State Pride.

Patriots defeat Chargers:

We have seen this game before, have we not? New England looks terribly overmatched, but keeps hanging around and hanging around and then suddenly, boom, the game is over and they are the victors. It just drives me close to madness. This team is not that good, their parts are either sub par cast offs or banged up. They have no real threat of an offensive weapon, and their defensive leaders are either hobbling or past their primes. Seriously, cannot anyone finish them off? Look at their roster and tell me who on that team really strikes fear into an opposing team. Brady is pretty much it, but he has no big game receivers. They are all just cast offs on which other teams did not wish to waste a roster spot. This team does the little things better than any other team in the league, and if one other team could even match their ability to do that by 75 percent, they would blow the Pats off the field. They win by smart football, minimizing turnovers and errors and capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes. You would think someone else would learn how to do that by now.

But San Diego, you had this coming. All of you who made my walk away from Qualcomm as miserable as possible after the Steelers game in October; this is your comeuppance for your hubris. Plus, I knew you would get payback for calling Tomlinson LT. That is, and always will be, Lawrence Taylor’s nickname. LT literally changed the way the game is played, Tomlinson has not. You created bad karma for yourself, and now it has come home to roost at the worst possible time. It hurts, does it not?

The Bolts also had way too many chippy moments and stupid penalties. They need to learn to play much smarter than this if they really want to go far. Several times they committed personal fouls that help set up the Patriots, which is always a bad idea. Perhaps they lost their heads with the excitement of a home playoff game. If that is the case, then Shottenheimer had them poorly prepared in more than just their game plan. Their miscues and turnovers led to 14 Patriots points. You cannot make mistakes like that against a team like New England, who has mounds of playoff experience and knows what it takes to win at this time of year. It was nothing less than terrible play and terrible field presence by a team that should have blown New England off the field.

Poor Tom Brady, suffering his first interception in his last 169 pass attempts. But what did he expect? Who would not wish to get their paws on a ball that was once held in Tom’s magical hands? Let us be honest, we all would. Donnie Edwards is just the lucky man who was able to fulfill that wish. Tom ended up throwing two more interceptions in the game. But because he really is the greatest human being to ever grace this earth, he did not let it affect him and he still managed to pull off the win. I have said it before, and will say it again, when Tom is playing, we all win.

Welcome back Martyball! Shottenheimer sucks. I know, this is not a shocking revelation, but let us look at a few of his more boneheaded calls that led directly to defeat. Its fourth and eleven early in the game, you need to go for the field goal here Marty. Do you need someone by you to tell you the common sense move or something? Take the points early; everyone and their mother knew this could be a close game. Take what you can get. Plus, already by this point in the game it was being revealed that your receivers had a wicked case of stone hands. Do you really think they will suddenly overcome this obvious issue when it is fourth and eleven? You need to take advantage of every scoring opportunity presented to you. Instead, you go to your passing game, which has been sucking in the opening quarter, and predictably the ploy fails miserably. The results are you turn the ball over to New England in good territory, and most importantly, you give the Patriots life when you had them previously pinned against the wall and out of sync. Marty says his job is game management and big decisions. Maybe he should change his duties to figurehead and be done with it. Now, going for it on fourth and one, that was a good call. Fourth and eleven is just too much when your offense is terribly out of sorts. The worst part of that fourth and eleven call? If he had just gone for the field goal and made it, that would have been the difference in the game. He would have then had more of a cushion on the lead, and when they got the ball back in the fourth quarter with four minutes left, they would have had a three point lead and could have just run the ball to run out the clock.

Moving on, later in the game he wasted what turned out to be a critical time out on a ridiculous challenge that anyone with one working eye could see would never be overturned. Even the referee who came over to speak with Marty after he threw the flag had an incredulous look on his face, as if to say, you really cannot be serious, are you? Why would you waste a timeout in such a stupid way? This time out they lost turned out to be critical on their last drive to try to get the game tying points. If they had this time out, they could have called it after the long completion, potentially ran one or two additional plays, and set up Kaeding for a shorter, and higher percentage, field goal attempt.

But the worst move was how Shottenheimer underutilized Tomlinson. You have the NFL MVP in your backfield. You have one of the best offensive lines in the league. When Tomlinson was getting handoffs, he was averaging over 5 yards a carry. How, on a day when we have already noted your passing game was sub par, did Tomlinson only get 25 carries? He should have been your workhorse, pounding and sweeping and drawing and catching passes in the flat against a Patriots defense that has been weakened by injury. But no, you did not do this, and now you have to hear at an ever increasing decibel level about how you are a playoff failure as a coach and cannot win when it matters most. Enjoy the off season if you can Marty, it may be more difficult this year than before.

Coaching Vacancies Update:

I missed that Jim Fassel is also a candidate for the Oakland job. They could do worse. Oh wait, they have. But it seems as though USC quarterback coach Steve Sarkisian has the inside track on this job. Who knows how this might turn out? Preparing for another Oakland train wreck.

Miami has invited Jim Mora Jr. back for a second interview. They are also showing interest in Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey as well as Jets offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer. However, Shottenheimer withdrew his name from consideration this week, instead choosing to focus on the Jets offense next year. Good call Brian; sometimes where you are is better than where you could be. And a few years of seasoning never hurt anyone.

Former Steeler offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is now the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Congratulations to Ken, all of his hard work has paid off with one of the most prestigious jobs in sports, head coach in the NFL. He will be able to do something good in Arizona, with all of the young talent they have on offense. It will be interesting when the Steelers face the Cardinals in Arizona next season. I was all jazzed to see the game, but I bet there will be a revenge factor involved in this game. And yes, just thinking about that makes me more than a tad uneasy. There is nary a worse feeling in sports fandom then watching your team lose on the road, and being subjected to the taunts and catcalls from the home teams fans as you trudge deflated to your chariot, hoping for a quick escape. I did that once this season, I do not need a repeat performance next season.

I do not blame Whisenhunt for taking the job, since the adage a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush is in play here. Arizona wants him and is willing to give him his shot. Pittsburgh has not decided yet, and could still go with Grimm even if Whiz waited to see what their decision may be. He should take his shot while the opportunity is ripe. Plus, it might be a better fit, since Arizona is stocked with young talent waiting for a creative offensive mind to utilize it, while Pittsburgh has some old cogs that desperately need to be replaced. This season could be more than just a coaching transition in Pittsburgh, I fear.

Between Grimm and Whisenhunt, I think both will make excellent choices. I just have a feeling that Whiz would be a bit more innovative, and Pittsburgh could use a dose of that. I guess we will just have to see how it shakes out during the season. Hey, could it be worse having a hall of fame player as coach of your team who learned his craft under a hall of fame coach and a potential future hall of fame coach? Damn straight it could be, it could be a lot worse. Most teams would drool to be in a position like Pittsburgh. The truth is, you never know with a first time head coach. All you can do is hope for the best. Considering Grimm’s pedigree, I am all about high hopes. Of course, that would first require him to get the job, and I am big time hoping for that right now. Pittsburgh has narrowed the search to Grimm, Ron Rivera and Mike Tomlin. Grimm and Tomlin have each had lengthy second interviews, and Rivera will not be free to speak with Pittsburgh until Chicago’s season ends, either after Sunday, or after the Super Bowl. If Chicago should win this weekend, it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh is willing to wait to speak with Rivera again. That could be extremely telling.

There has also been much movement in the lower coaching ranks, with new coordinators being named, promotions being given and some gentlemen being shown the door. I toyed with the idea of tracking these moves, but two thoughts kept me from doing this. One, there are a lot of moves being made out there, and it is a rather time consuming task to keep track of them all. And two, unless it is your team, do you really even care? No, the average fan does not care who is running the offense in Seattle unless they are a Hawks fan. I would be willing to go so far as to say the average fan does not even know who is running another team’s offense unless, A, they happen to be playing that team on a given week or B, that gentleman is being bandied around as a potential head coach candidate. Of the coaching ranks, the head coach is the celebrity, the name that draws people in, not his assistants. I bet most fans would be hard pressed to name the assistants on their own team past the offensive and defensive coordinators. I know I could name most of Pittsburgh’s, but I bet even I would miss one or two. Does this make me a lesser fan? No, certainly not. But most of these gentlemen toil in obscurity until a chance may materialize that they could move up. A good comparison between head coach and his assistants is looking at the star system in Hollywood. The head coach would be an A list celebrity; while, say, the tight ends coach would be a character actor. Sure, you have seen his work, and could even recognize him as that guy, but you would not know his name. By comparison, Bill Cowher would be Brad Pitt, only by level of celebrity comparisons, certainly not in any other way, and Pittsburgh tight ends coach Mark Whipple would be John C. Reilly. You know Reilly; he played Dirk Diggler’s friend in Boogie Nights, and Cole Trickle’s friend in Days of Thunder. You like his work, you think he’s a pretty good actor, but he is not a name. He could not open a movie by himself. Nothing wrong with his work, just he is a good actor who gets the job done, like many assistants in the league. Sure, sometimes someone will break through and become a name, like say Bill Paxton or Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but not too often does that happen. Breakthroughs occasionally happen in the coaching ranks as well. Bill Belichick toiled for years on the Giants defensive staff, moving up from a position coach to become their defensive coordinator before securing his first head coaching job in Cleveland. That stop did not work out so well, so he ended up working as a defensive coordinator for Parcells again, bided his time, secured the gig in New England and now he is a name. The assistant coaches in this league are a vital part of each team, yet most of us have no idea who they are unless they get a shot at the top. But let us not forget them; they make great contributions to your team. We should all know who they are, because one day they may make the big time. I will wait to study the coaching roster, however, until Pittsburgh hires a coach, and until I see if special teams coach Kevin Spencer gets hired in Arizona. See, I know most of them. But that should not discourage you. Check them out, I bet their coaching histories and their lives are far more interesting than you once thought.

Ok, I give up. I am only one man, and I can only withstand so much. You have pounded me into submission. I will be a good consumer from now on and follow your bidding. After enjoying some tasty selections from the McDonalds dollar menu and a Grilled Stuft Burrito and washing them down with an award winning Miller Lite while watching 24, Prison Break, American Idol, Without a Trace, Cold Case, CSI and Rules of Engagement on my Sony HD TV, I will get in my Nissan truck and crank Black Sabbath while I drive through ooouuuurrrr country to get a $2.99 Value menu meal from Wendy’s and pick up some Budweiser before buying a Sprint Mobile phone with my MasterCard and shipping it by UPS and then calling Southwest Airlines for reservations on my Cingular Blackjack because I want to get away from the giant Rock’em Sock’em robots attacking my Dodge Ram and boldly go somewhere only my H2 could possibly reach.

We finally have a repeat winner, because Joe Buck is an idiot. I have mentioned previously how much of an idiot I think Buck is, but somehow he managed to top himself. First, he must be the whitest man in America. Just hearing him say the word funkified before the start of the game on Sunday made me cringe. Then, during the game, there was a discussion regarding the cleats being used by the players. With the inclement weather conditions and the new turf in Chicago, many players were using a longer 5/8 inch cleat as opposed to a shorter ½ inch or 3/8 inch model. Buck, ever the moron, actually said he wished he knew which one was longer. I had to pause while I processed in my mind the level of stupidity this comment reached. I know often in our society it seems that it is not only acceptable, but also cool and popular to be a total idiot. You must be a square to be educated and able to learn new things, to reason and deduce answers to problems. And I can understand not really being up on fractions, I think it was grade school that I myself last worked with and studied fractions on a regular basis. But to not know the difference between 3/8, ½ and 5/8, and saying that out loud? Was that supposed to be his down homey way of connecting with the common man? If it was, then Buck is a bigger idiot than I previously thought, because the common man knows the difference between 3/8, ½ and 5/8. The only people that don’t know this, and would be able to relate to Buck, are grade school kids, the party youth that worship at the alter of Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears and Raiders fans. Then later, after a Chicago run on third down, the referee initially called fourth down, but after a measurement, it was shown that Chicago obtained enough yardage for a first down. Buck, though, had so much trouble handling this change of status. He even went so far as to call it strange and weird. Honestly, is this really the guy that Fox has invested in for all of their big game broadcasts of major sporting events and their flagship NFL pregame show?

Well, both of my playoff horses have been defeated. That did not take long. My mission now is anyone but New England. I do not care between the Colts, the Saints or the Bears, as long as one of them defeats the Patriots. I cannot bear another off season of those insufferable Boston fans crowing about their Patriots and Red Sox. This has to be the most annoying sports fan base in existence. They whine when their teams are doing poorly, they whine when they are winning. And, God forbid, if they should actually win it all, they become absolutely intolerable with their constant crowing. Act like you have been there before, because you have you spoiled jerks. They crow that they won the Super Bowl and World Series in the same year. Yeah, great accomplishment. Pittsburgh did that in 79, I already know the feeling. Next. I fear if they win, they will also tie Pittsburgh for 4 Super Bowls in six years, and I’m almost sick to my stomach at the prospect. Already, too many people have them winning Sunday. They keep saying how the Pats already have Peyton figured out, how they can easily beat the Colts. I’m just waiting for one of them to start saying Brady is better than Montana, because Montana never had to work with sub par receivers. I know we are only a win away from that vein of thinking. Once I hear that, I may need to be admitted to Bellevue. Just wait, if they prevail this Sunday that is exactly the kind of talk we will all be subjected to for the next two weeks. Just the mere thought of two weeks of Patriot mania has me filled with dread.

And trust me this is not an isolated point of view. There are many in the world of football fandom that are burned out, fed up and just plain tired of everything Patriots, unless of course you are one of the New England faithful. Everyone has their own reasons, for some of us it is due to the fact that we have been rolled by the Pats, on more than one occasion, on their way to a championship. For others, it is sheer exhaustion from suffering through one story after another on the greatness of this team. And for even others, it is a feeling of haves versus the have nots. To them, it feels unfair that the Patriots should get all the glory while their team has never even sniffed the Super Bowl, and in some cases, the post season. But why should anyone hold this against the Patriots? Is this really their fault?

What the Patriots have been doing over the past six years has been nothing short of amazing, and as painful as I feel to admit it, a true dynasty in the same likeness as the 49ers, Cowboys, Steelers and Packers of the past. Considering what they have accomplished, this should not be a team that is to be reviled or despised, but one that should be praised and emulated. Despite free agency, coaching hires, shifting trends and increased competition they continue to find ways to not only win, but to stay on top.

First, they have done something that almost every football pundit has said since the start of free agency in 1993 was impossible, fielded a consistent winner. To keep up the level of winning the Patriots have achieved, it has been said, no team would be able to continue to afford the type of talent you would need in all areas of the team. And that would be a correct statement. The Patriots, like every other team, have not been able to keep all of their playmakers by giving them fat contracts to keep them in place. Since their first Super Bowl team, the amount of talent that has leaked from this team is astonishing. Yet, they keep finding ways to win. And the talent drain is not limited to on the field, but in the coaching box as well. When Charlie Weis left for Notre Dame, everyone said the Patriots, and especially Brady, were finished. Yet they still won. When Romeo Crennel left for Cleveland, once again the talk was that they are finished. This time, they took a no name coach named Eric Mangini and stuck him in Crennel’s spot and kept on winning. Then last year Mangini, with only one year on the job as coordinator in New England, left to work wonders with the Jets. And now, with all this coaching talent drain and personnel drain, we find the Patriots poised at the door step of another Super Bowl appearance. I dare you to name one coach on that team other than Belichick, I bet you cannot. Yet still they win.

Second, they overcome the loss of talent by finding treasures and gems elsewhere. How many players on the Patriots rosters are former has beens or never weres? Almost too many. How many players were cast offs from other organizations? I can name no less than 4 former Pittsburgh Steelers cast offs that have all played significant roles on the Patriots championship teams, and that is just off the top of my head. I know there are more out there. They draft good, solid players that contribute to the team and have all bought into the team philosophy. You never see a Patriot player on the news or after a game jawing about so and so or some perceived lack of respect, well, except for Tom Brady, but that was more than likely a psychological ploy by him for his team. They have no head cases, and if one emerges, it is like he was never there. Even players who were head cases or distractions elsewhere suddenly become different people in the Patriot regime. Corey Dillon was a huge pain in Cincinnati, yet you never hear a peep out of him since he has been with New England. Like everyone else, he has bought into the Patriot way of doing things and become yet another cog in their championship fueled engine. They all focus on the same goal, win it all and they work together like a well oiled machine.

This brings me to my third point, how they work together. This team functions as one unit. They do all the little things just right to maximize their ability to win games. They are not a dominant type of team that will steamroll over an opponent. No, they play smart, calculated football. They minimize their own mistakes. They do not turn over the ball often. They are patient, waiting for their chance to strike. They look for, find, and attack an opponent’s weakness until it yields dividends. They never panic in a dire situation. They know if they can keep it close until the fourth quarter, all the work they put in will pay off. They force opponent turnovers and mistakes, capitalizing on them with, typically, scoring drives. They do all the things no one ever sees just right, always keeping themselves around until they have weakened their opponent and are ready to pounce, and when that moment dawns, they attack, break the spirit of the other team and stroll away with another victory. Calm, efficient and devastating. But since no one sees them doing these little things, or even notices the little things, everyone wonders how they do it? How they keep themselves around? How do they keep on winning?

Here is how, because they are the best TEAM out there. Almost every other team has better players. Other than Tom Brady, can you name me one other player on the Patriots roster that is a potential hall of fame candidate? Perhaps if his career goes well, Richard Seymour could be. In my opinion, Troy Brown should be automatic, but his numbers are not what hall of fame voters typically look for in a candidate. But Troy Brown is the perfect example of the kind of attitude put forth by the Patriots. All for one and one for all, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, do whatever it takes to win. Troy Brown probably at some point in his career could have gotten big money somewhere, and become a household name racking up numbers and paychecks. But he wanted rings, and that is exactly what he got. Sure, he may not be famous for his receiving, but he famous is for his willingness to do whatever it takes to win football games. When the Patriots secondary was ravaged by injury, which almost seems to be every year, Troy stepped in and became a nickel back. Just the mere thought of a two way player in this day and age is almost foreign to most people, but here is one, and a damn good one too. Did you see him against the Chargers Sunday when the Bolts intercepted Brady? He immediately switched into defensive mode, pursued the Charger down, got a hold of him, then proceeded to strip the ball so the Patriots could recover the fumble. The whole scenario gave the Patriots, who were at fourth and ten at the time, the ball back with better field position and a fresh set of downs. This is the kind of selfless play we see from this team each and every week. No ego, no glory hounds, no stat machines, just 53 guys working as hard as they can for the good of the team.

These are all things to love about a team. I would bet 90% of fans out there would wish the same things for their teams. How many Oakland Raider fans are out there right now who would give almost anything to see this level of success reach their organization? Or any level of success for that matter? This is what most people wish for their teams, a coach smart enough not only to know what to do, but what not to do in big games. Players striving for a glory greater than a highlight reel, a big paycheck and constant adoration from a cadre of sycophants. An organization who is smart enough to make the right moves, pull the right strings, pay the right people, pick the right new people and to know when to keep their nose out of it and just let the ship sail on its own. This is the organization that should be the model of efficiency, and the one that about 15 different organizations out there need to desperately be trying to emulate.

When the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, they were a feel good story by all accounts. Here was a team that the previous year went 5-11, and the next year overcame every kind of obstacle to win the Super Bowl. They suffered the loss of their franchise quarterback early in the season, who was then replaced by a backup quarterback drafted in the sixth round whose college career had been defined by being a career backup. No one knew then how good Tom Brady was going to be, and probably not even Tom knew how good he could be. When they made the playoffs, they were definite underdogs, especially in the AFC championship game against the much heralded Steelers. Yet they found a way to win, on the road to punch their ticket to only their third Super Bowl appearance ever. Once there, they dictated the game, did all the little things and hung around until the very end, giving themselves a chance to win against the heavily favored Rams. And what did they do? They got the job done, finished off their opponent and marched into the sunset with the trophy. This was a fantastic feel good story. It is always great to see a team break through that barrier and win their first championship, especially after years of mediocrity. The Patriots did it their way, and at the best time possible. The country was still reeling from 9/11, and here we see a team named the Patriots winning it all. No matter your affiliations, this felt good, and right to many people. I had some suspicions that the fix was in, and felt stronger about it the next year when they missed the playoffs, but that feeling was eliminated the following year when they did win it all again. Perhaps I am just too cynical after all. However, that is neither here nor there. People rallied behind the scrappy underdog with the young quarterback and the team of no namers who knocked off the dreaded Greatest Show On Turf, who had been predestined to become the next dynasty with their MVP quarterback, ridiculous amount of playmakers and their offensive genius of a coach. People can always relate to the underdog, and after feeling like one for months after the attacks, it felt good to see the underdog win one. Even I felt good for them after the win. Not that I jumped for joy, after all, they did beat Pittsburgh to get there, but you still felt good for the little guy winning it all, especially for the first time. By then, the formulas were in place, the philosophy set in stone, and they were on the path to becoming something more than champions, they were on the path to becoming the newest members in an exclusive club that consists of but a handful of teams, and they were doing it the right way. They were on the path to becoming a dynasty.

It has pained me greatly to write this, since I am no fan of the Patriots. Before their success, I could care less one way or the other about them. Now, I cannot bear the sight of them. But the fact remains that all of those points above are true. So what is different now? Everyone knows how they got here and what they did to become so successful. They are doing nothing different now. They still have all of those traits in winners that everyone loves, admires and wishes to emulate. What has changed with this team to turn them from little guy favorites to the latest in a line of bad guys, much like the evil heavy in pro wrestling? What has made myself, and many others, go from general indifference to mild joy to outright despising of this team? There are a few factors at work here.

One, people get tired of success. Certainly not their own, you never hear someone complain about being too successful, at least not in any serious way. But they get tired of seeing the same people, organizations, teams and groups succeeding. People like a certain level of change and variety, and when you see the same team winning over and over, it gets boring. Basketball suffered through this in the mid to late 90s when the Bulls were going through their second three-peat. If the same team wins repeatedly, people lose interest. Why should they care if it looks like their team may never get a chance? Why should they care to keep seeing the same guys winning over and over again? It is an unfortunate side effect of success.

Two, people derive a certain level of perverse satisfaction in seeing someone or something successful fail. Most of us will never be famous or rich or powerful. We will have modicums of success in our lives, but nothing that can be quantified or achieved like a professional sports team. We take joy in the triumphs of the teams we love. But at the same time, we take joy in the failures of those teams we hate. A word that best defines this joy is schadenfreude, which means satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune. This could be anything from the cocky guy in the bar spilling a drink on himself to watching a CEO go to jail for embezzlement. This feeling of schadenfreude is intensified if the party in question is one of great stature. We feel like if you knock someone off of their pedestal, then that is a victory for the little guys. Bring them down to our level so they can see what it is like to be one of the regular folks. Give them a dose of what it feels like to be nothing particularly special. They have had too much of something good, it is about time they taste the bitter flavor of failure and defeat. It is a childish notion, to be sure. But humans can sometimes be childish in nature, and fragile of ego. The more someone succeeds, the more it reminds us of our own failures which leads us resent them, and in an increasing pattern the more success said someone achieves. You want someone to win, to be on top, to have success, but not too much. Do not remind us of our own failings and lack of achievement, or we will turn on you in an instant. I think this is in play in a major way with the Patriots.

And third, and possibly most important, they are no longer the underdogs. In 2001, no one thought they could do what they did. Every game they played they were the underdog, the long shot everyone predicted to lose. Even when they navigated through the AFC, experts and pundits were saying how the Ram offense would shred their defense apart. Yet it never happened, and the Patriots prevailed. It was a pleasant surprise to many, and as I mentioned previously, a fantastic feel good story. But now, you expect them to win. Even when it seems they are undermanned, outgunned and outclassed, you still know they will find a way to win. Even when the odds makers favor the other team, you know those numbers mean nothing and the Patriots will find a way to win. Most fans do not wonder if they will win, just how. And as we established previously, people like the underdog, the little guy who overcomes inconceivable odds and a myriad of obstacles to achieve the impossible.

Personally, I understand this general line of thinking and feeling, having been on the side where the Patriots are now. I know there is a generation of people out there who grew up hating Pittsburgh because all they did was win. For us Pittsburgh fans, it was a wonderful time. We knew we had the best team in football, and when everything was clicking, no one could stop us. After many years of frustration, this constant level of high success was nothing short of euphoric. But for every other fan, and with some added vitriol from Oakland and Dallas fans I am sure, it was anything but fun. While I and others loved to see anything and everything black and gold waving from the highest mountain tops, it was most likely the exact opposite from fans of any other team. And this type of thinking and feeling has occurred for every other team that has had an extended period of success. From the 49ers, Packers and Cowboys to the Raiders and Colts, when a team becomes so successful it is commonplace to see them win, when they are everywhere due to their winning ways, fans of other teams tire of them and eventually turn on them. Sometimes this sparks great rivalries, like between Philadelphia and Dallas. But other times it creates a backlash where people begin to root against the successful team, or for anyone playing them. Right now, the Patriots are entering this stage. It is not of any fault of their own, they are only trying to be the best. It is merely a combination of human nature, fandom, success and schadenfreude. And who knows, if the Patriots hit the skids, lose for a few years, then rally behind their aging and close to retirement franchise quarterback, people might get behind them again. I will not, but hey, I am still bitter about two AFC championship losses at home, so who can blame me. They are on my list of teams to loathe, joining Dallas, Oakland and Baltimore. Once you make this exalted list, I forever will root against you, giving you the tools to repeatedly crush my spirits and deflate my hopes at your hands. You have the power to destroy my dreams of celebrating a championship, and all four of you have done that at some point or another, and I am sure some or all will do it again.

So, anyway, yeah, I stunk up the joint last week.

Last Week: 1-3
Playoffs to Date: 4-4
Season to Date: 154-110

I am crossing my fingers for a better week. Please.


NFC Championship Game

New Orleans at Chicago

Which will hold out longer to claim the NFC crown, Rex Grossman’s luck or the Saints’ karma? That is the question indeed. New Orleans won last week in front of a raucous crowd only their second playoff game in the history of the franchise. Think about that for a moment. They have only won two playoff games since the inception of the team. Pittsburgh doubled that last year alone. The Colts and Patriots have already won two games each this year! You know in downtimes when people will say we can always look forward to better days? This is the better days for beleaguered Saints fans. This is for what they have hoped for many years now. They have never made it this far in the playoffs, ever. After going 3-13 last year and enduring a marathon season of travel after being forced to basically play 16 road games, their story is one of hope and triumph over tragedy. What they have accomplished thus far should be more than enough, but you always like to see the little guy rise above it. Can they take this all the way? Do they have what it takes? Or like the city they play for, are they not all the way there, not all the way back, a good story but with much more work ahead of them. Only Sunday will reveal the puzzle. Personally, I would hope they go further, if only because the constant media scrutiny that is the two weeks before the Super Bowl could be a gigantic spot light on how much more needs to be done in the city of New Orleans, how much work still needs to be put in, how many families not only need help, but still need to find their way home, how much money the city and region still need to put things back together. A constant two week reminder to the rest of us of what really needs done, and that we all need to keep pitching in until things are put right again in the Big Easy. You know what, I could babble on about Grossman’s inefficiency and the weakening Bear defense, but I will not. New Orleans needs that spot light again, in a good way, to get people into action. That will be the real deciding factor. Sorry Bears, you know I love you, but they need this more.

New Orleans over Chicago.


AFC Championship Game

New England at Indianapolis

As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Welcome, then, my Colts friends. I have purposely avoided most media this week, since just about anything that can be said about this match up has already been previously spoken, written, screamed and televised. We know the teams intimately, we know their trials together, we know the dominance of one, and how the pendulum has swung the other way recently. We know the match ups, the stats, the scores, the games. I did not want to have this pounded into my head ad nausea this week because I think this could be a great game and I want to enjoy it, and if I hear one more Pats story I am going to go all Elvis and shoot out the TV. So, to avoid an expensive fit of rage, I have tuned it out. And I feel great and ready for what Sunday brings me. I am putting my hopes in the Colts, for a myriad of reasons, obviously. But I am smart enough to be extremely wary of the Patriots and am girding myself for t he possibility of another Pats Super Bowl run. But if I had one wish for this game, it would be as follows. Fourth quarter, game tied with three seconds on the clock. Indianapolis has the ball at the Patriots 25 yard line. And witnessing the death knell to their season that they have done to so many teams before, the Patriots watch in terror as Adam Vinatieri marches out onto the field to attempt a 43 yard field goal attempt. Vinatieri lines up himself and his kick, a sight so many Patriots have watched before, knowing the game was over. They watch again this time, horrified, knowing the same thing. As the ball is snapped, eleven Patriots make a mad dash to reach the ball, to get a hand on it, to nick it in flight, anything to keep it from its intended destination. But it is all for naught as the ball sails high into the air, straight and true and splits the uprights with marksman like precision. The RCA dome erupts into madness. The Colts are going to the Super Bowl. Peyton has the playoff monkey, at least for the moment, off of his back. They defeated their chief nemesis to make this happen. And in the mix of the pandemonium, Vinatieri calmly looks over at the Patriot bench, directly at Belichick, and the expression on the kicker’s face tells the genius exactly what we all are thinking in this moment. Tell me Bill, since you are such a genius, was that one million dollars more a year Adam wanted and you refused to pay really worth it right now? Wouldn’t you give just about any amount to have kept this moment from happening, to keep this particular stinging dagger from your heart? Karma, like payback, can be a real bitch.

Indianapolis over New England

The Crystal Ball The Divisionals

4 games down, 4 teams headed home, 4 teams moving on to face the remaining 4 teams. Wildcard weekend is officially a memory, and it was a wild one indeed. Well, ok, maybe not completely, but it did happen. Let’s take a brief peek at the action.

Colts defeat Chiefs – KC was woefully overmatched and obviously the strategy of running Larry Johnson constantly had zero effect. The Colts were smart and went right after Johnson, stacking eight in the box and daring Trent Green to beat them with his arm. I said not to trust Green on the road and that game was exactly why not. Here’s my question, with it being painfully obvious that Indianapolis’s defensive strategy was to key on Johnson, why didn’t KC just switch to play action passes and deep bombs against the man on man coverage in the secondary? They were holding down the Colts offense fairly effectively, keeping them to nothing but field goals in the first half. Play action passes could have given them a lead and sent Peyton and the Colts into panic mode. But hey, I guess that’s why I am not an offensive coordinator. Other than that, the most significant things I took from this were, I did not realize Peyton could start throwing picks so early in the playoffs and who knew they could run a balanced attack as opposed to Peyton just slinging it all day. Interesting.

Seahawks defeat Cowboys – No big surprise there. I thought Qwest would give them the edge. It did, but barely. It was just as I said, though, a crappy game. I feel bad for Tony Romo, whose muffed hold cost Dallas the game. Tony, these things happen all the time. And believe me when I say this, all the blame for the loss should not fall on you. If the rest of the team had played better, you would have blown the Seahawks off the field. If the game plan would have been styled to exploit the thread bare Seattle secondary, it would not have come down to a field goal at the end of the game. Ask Terrell how many balls he should have had and could have had. Start there, and work your way through the locker room. Everyone could have done more. The only thing distinguishing you is you are willing to take the heat and the blame. Dallas, if that is not a winner in the true vein of Roger the Dodger, I do not know what is. Embrace this young man, push his confidence back up and support him, so next year he is even better. He may never be Roger or Troy, but he is the best you’ve had in a long time.

Patriots defeat Jets – Not entirely surprised, but a bit disappointed. The Jets finally succumbed to a more talented team. Nice season, though, and good job Mangini. You really turned the team around and had them playing as a team the entire season. They did hang tight with the Pats for three quarters; unfortunately, it is a four quarter game. I thought they might be able to ride the wave just a bit further, but it was not to be. The future does look bright, however, for the boys in green. With only one free agent starter and tons of cap room, this team could get some weapons and has the confidence to turn this year’s wave into next year’s tsunami. New England looked like they were struggling there for a while, and then suddenly, they poured it on. Man how I hate when they do that. Will someone beat New England, please? Good gravy, what kind of blasphemy am I saying? If New England wins, that means we all continue to see Tom Brady, his excellent play and his stunning masculine beauty. And the more we get to see Tom, the more we all win.

Eagles defeat Giants – Did anyone check out the huge backup QB the Giants roll with? I thought Rod Farva had suddenly switched from law enforcement to the NFL. Is there ever a situation in a game when Eli does not look like a confused junior high kid? I didn’t think so either. And when he does something stupid, I seriously expect him to say awww shucks. Even in his post game interview, he looked like a kid dressed up in his dad’s suit. Until he looks like someone in charge, the Giants will never go far. At least his brother, even in all of his playoff losses, looks like a man in charge. The Eagles let the Giants hang around far too long, but nothing is as exciting as a game winning field goal. Could this be a team of destiny? They are showing the signs of such, but I guess we will truly find out this week. This was their sixth straight win, and if they go all the way, they’ll break Pittsburgh’s eight games streak to win it all set last year. I could live with that. Go Eagles.

One thing I must say, though, is I love Jeremy Shockey’s toughness. Usually, he leaves me with the impression of a guy who spends too much time running his mouth as opposed to running his routes. But after watching him make a catch, lose his helmet, and then just stick his head down and drive into several Eagle defenders trying to get another yard or two, that’s the kind of guy you want on your team. The kind that will do anything to push his team just that much further. The fact that he also played the entire game on a ravaged ankle shows how much he wanted to win. I still think he runs his yapper too much, but I do like his game more now.

Coaching Vacancies Update:

Atlanta found their next head coach, tapping the college ranks and hiring Bobby Petrino away from Louisville. Petrino is an offensive minded coach, and the Falcons obviously hope to have him utilize Michael Vick much better than he has been thus far in his career. This is good news for me, since I was worried that they might hire Whisenhunt due to his Atlanta connections. One opening filled. Who will be next?

Minnesota DC Mike Tomlin interviewed with Pittsburgh this week, with Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey scheduled for Saturday. Gailey was a former offensive coordinator with Pittsburgh in the mid nineties and had a head coaching stint in Dallas.

Former Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman is getting nibbles of interest from several teams. He is interviewing with the Cardinals and interest in the coach has been expressed by Miami and Pittsburgh. If Pittsburgh does interview Sherman, he will be the sixth person to interview with the team.

Miami met with Whisenhunt last week regarding their coaching spot. No word as to how the meeting went. Whisenhunt also had a second interview with Arizona on Friday, and has been asked to stay another day at the team’s request. It would seem as though the Cardinals are going to put forth an offer to Whisenhunt. It will be interesting to see what he does, since he passed up an offer from Atlanta until he sees how things shake out in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have not yet scheduled second interviews with any candidate, and their once short list of candidates seems to be expanding by the day. What is chafing me about this is not the thoroughness of the search; the Rooney’s have always been thorough and were the last two times they had to hire a coach. The chafing point is that they have two excellent candidates right in house and it seems as though they are daring both to make a move, to make their decision easier. But the more they keep pissing around, the chances expand that they could lose both of them, and where does that leave the team? Short of Chicago DC Ron Rivera, I cannot see them taking any candidate seriously other than Grimm and Whisenhunt, so why the game of charades? Just pick one and roll with it, or at least get them both in for a second interview so they know Pittsburgh’s serious.

Oakland DC Rob Ryan is a candidate to take over the head coaching duties for the Raiders. This actually might be a good idea. One of the only bright spots on the Raiders last year was their defensive play, which did manage to hold quite a few good teams to some low scores. Unfortunately, their offense was always held to even less. Remember, even in their win over Pittsburgh, their offense only managed 98 yards of total offense. Their defense scored 14 of their 20 points in that game, and also held Pittsburgh to 12 points. Not a bad performance against a defending Super Bowl Champion. They could do worse than Ryan. What am I saying, they did do worse just this year.

The Giants have elected to keep Tom Coughlin for another year, extending his contract through the 2007 season. According to the Giants owners, they have full confidence in Coughlin, and know that the team was hamstrung by a rash of injuries throughout the season. Yes, they did have injuries, and were playing in the ultra competitive NFC East. Plus, Coughlin did take them to the playoffs each of the past two years, a feat The Giants last did when Bill Parcells was the head coach. However, they lost each game in the playoffs the last two years, and it was pretty obvious the team was revolting under Coughlin, some more openly than others. Stay tuned folks; I bet this turns into an excellent soap opera next season

Cleveland clears out half of its offensive staff. Crennel is working to shake things up, and it seems the Cleveland brain trust sees the best way to do this is to get some new blood on the coaching staff. We shall see how that works out. I’d hate to see them turn into the Bungles, well, more so than they already have become.

Ok, I am at my wit’s end. The NFL needs desperately to diversify their sponsors. All weekend I again saw that sanity destroying Wendy’s $2.99 commercial and, as everyone who has watched at least one game this season can attest to, the Chevrolet ad with that grating song by John Mellencamp. Each I saw no less than 4500 times. To add to this misery, I’ve seen that jackass Nissan commercial so often, I’m beginning to hate the song Ironman. The only plus in the weekend of NFL advertising is they have started creeping out new commercials as the Super Bowl approaches. I saw a great one with Bruce Campbell dressed as a blue blood and wandering around a rather ornately decorated study. He may even have had a pipe, I cannot remember, I was laughing too hard that it was Bruce Campbell playing corporate shill. About halfway through, I’m laughing and said aloud that I do not care what this is for, it’s great. Turns out, it was for Old Spice, which just made it even funnier. Note, look for the never ending painting in the background. Just a fantastic spot.

Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick are idiots. First, let us take a long gander at Mr. Coughlin. The team did make the playoffs, but that is because the NFC sucks. The team finished 8-9 even though they are loaded with talent. They went 2-6 in the second half of the season after starting 6-2. Yes, they did have a bunch of debilitating injuries this season, but every team has injuries. The key to success is finding a way to deal with the unexpected. They have underperformed, they have rebelled against Coughlin, and he just does not see this or chooses to ignore it. When two of your stars, Barber and Shockey, call you out, repeatedly, for being out coached, that is not a team that supports its leader. Plus, the fact that he regularly throws players under the bus, especially his young quarterback who already has shaky confidence in the best of situations, rather than put the blame where it belongs, squarely on his own shoulders, just makes him detestable in my book. But this week, after their loss to Philadelphia, he actually topped himself in the post game interview. Throughout the interview he was obviously agitated, probably because he realized he was about to be out of a job. But he actually said that we should not be talking about the negatives, but about the positives. He brought up the first and 30 drive where the Giants ended up converting the set of downs and scoring a touchdown. He actually said, why are we not talking about that? Well, coach, no one is talking about it because while it was a good series, you still lost the damn game. And at the end, no matter how many good plays you make, the most important thing when the clocks hit all zeros is whether or not you have more points than the other team. This day, you did not, and that is the story. Idiot.

As for Belichick, I saw everything I need to know about the man at the post game coaches’ handshake. As he ambled toward Eric Mangini in his stupid cut off hoodie, he came upon a phalanx of photographers. When he got to them, did he say excuse me, or just squeeze his fat ass through to get to Mangini? No, he grabs a photographer and shoves him out of his way, following it with a few choice words for said photographer, who is just doing his job. Now, Belichick has been around, he knows how photographers and videographers are in trying to get THE shot, and how much more intensified their attempts to get said shot become as the playoffs progress. Plus, considering how icy he was with Mangini the two previous times they met, this looked to be something memorable. The question of how would they greet each other after this game was a topic of discussion all week. What did he honestly expect other than pandemonium? I think a common saying applies well here. How a person treats a waiter is an adequate indicator of what kind of person they really are. I think his actions here, applied with the above saying, say a lot about Bill Belichick, and to me they say egomaniacal jackass. And for all those out there who just worship at the alter of Belichick the Genius; remember this is the same coach who regularly got his ass handed to him by Bill Cowher when Belichick the Great coached the Browns. I think too many people forget this, and I love to remind everyone of it. Idiot. I have one other note about the post game greeting. All the talking heads were babbling about how it was nice that the mentor congratulated the protégé after the game. They were saying how they finally made peace and had a proper greeting, with Belichick opening his arms and accepting his professional rival. I have but one question here. Would Belichick have been so friendly and outgoing with Mangini had the Jets won? I don’t think so either.


The NFL has ripped me off big time with something called the NFL Bandwagon. You put in your team, and if they did not make the playoffs, they ask you five questions and assign you, based upon your answers, a team to root for during the playoffs. Now, I figured you did not need some psychological assessment and assignment of a team; with a few ground rules you can pick your own playoff horse. But, in the effort of research, I thought I would go through the quiz and see who would be chosen for me. After putting in Pittsburgh, and the NFL Films guy, which I thought using his voice was a stroke of genius, saying how they’re great, but this wasn’t their year, I started answering the questions. They were fairly simple, like who is your college team, are you a night owl or morning person, do you like to do it yourself or hire help, if you see a penny do you pick it up or let it be. After answering the questions, they processed it and who was my team? The New England Patriots. So, after cleaning the vomit off of my laptop, I went through it again to see if it was a fluke, this time getting different questions, but ones that were along the same vein as the previous quiz. The results? You guessed it, the New England Patriots. Once I stopped bashing my head against the wall, I thought, well, maybe one more time, what the hell. I went through once again and received yet another different set of questions. The results this time? Yeah, it was, the New England Patriots. So, obviously, NFL.com has the same man crush on Tom Brady as John Madden. Since I don’t, and I’m sure I am not alone in that boat, I thought I’d tweak the Playoff Horse rules just a bit. Here they are in their entirety. And whatever you do, avoid NFL Bandwagon. If you are too lazy to pick your own horse, you should not be rooting for anyone anyway and should spend your time making sure your season ticket renewal form for the Black Hole is filled out in the proper color of crayon.

1) Avoid teams from your division – This has too many incestuous ramifications, and could create bad karma for your team the next year. Plus, if they won it all, would you really be able to live with yourself? Avoid division teams at all cost.

2) Avoid traditional rivalry teams – This is paramount, and can create as much bad karma as a division rival, perhaps more. If you are a Raiders fan, you do not root for Denver ever. You would never see a Cowboys fans rooting for Philadelphia either. Plus, if you did that, wouldn’t you just feel sleazy, like you slept with your best friend’s girlfriend?

3) Avoid teams that beat up on your team – Sure, your team had a bad year, but why rub their noses in it by rooting for a team who tortured them. Plus, you could possibly look like a band wagon fan, and you want to avoid that at all costs.

4)Never buy any merchandise of your playoff horse – This is a very short term commitment, no need to invest any money in it. Plus, you could be labeled as a band wagon fan or even bring bad football karma to your team. You never want to split your true loyalties. And, if any of your family or friends who know nothing about football sees this merchandise, it could lead them to believe this is your favorite team and the next thing you know you find Seattle Seahawks Salt and Pepper shakers under your tree next Christmas.

5) Look for teams that did not play yours - This makes it easier to cheer for your playoff horse, since you cannot create bad karma or look like a band wagon fan. Plus, you will not be reminded of when they played your team this season, which could be a bad memory for you.

6) Try to find some connection to your favorite team – Does your playoff horse play in the same state as your team? That works. Are their former players from your team on their roster? Probably, so why not root for those guys, you liked them at one point in their careers. Well, unless that player is T.O. Do you have a friend who is a big fan of a team? Go with his or her team. They would do the same for you, and maybe they have recently, like last year when they cheered on Pittsburgh and congratulated you on Pittsburgh’s Super Bow victoryl. Hee hee.

7) Look for the sleeper – This is a great one, since if you pick the right team, and they go all the way, you look like a genius. And if they lose, well, you have lost nothing. There is always one team lurking and ready to pounce; the only question is if they could go all the way. Maybe they just need some extra cheer.

8) Pick one team from each conference – Always have two, it increases your odds for making it through the playoffs. Plus, if they both happen to make it to the big game, then you look like an uber genius. On the chance this should happen, switch all support to the team representing your conference. Always good for your real team to be in the more powerful, and Super Bowl laden conference. Trust me, the 80’s and 90’s were rough on us AFC folks.

9) You must pick your horses before the playoffs begin – Yes, I know, this only gives you a week to mourn your season’s end and then find someone to root for, even if it’s only half heartedly. But you cannot cheat by peeking at wildcard weekend and seeing who might really have a shot.

10) If your horses lose before the Super Bowl, you are done – Just like if your own team were eliminated from the playoffs, so too go your temporary allegiances. After that, you can only pick winners for each game. Well, if you have a few bucks on the game, then cheer away. But if not, then just watch as an objective party. Now, if you want to root still, my advice is to root against the teams you cannot stand. If you are any true fan, I’m sure there will be more than a few of those around, even when there are only two remaining combatants.

Remember, this is only for the short term and just for a little fun. You are just rooting for a team so you can create a little vested interest in the playoffs without losing your savings. After the team is done, or the playoffs end, so does your support for your playoff horse. Any cheering for them after that means you are either gleaming off of their success and that would compromise your own team, or you are a band wagon fan, and that would really hurt your team and your credibility. You never want to do anything that would compromise your true allegiances. With that in mind, go out there and find your playoff horse. Since the full rules did not come out until this weekend, I am giving a temporary pass on rule 9. Call it a late Christmas present.

While drawing up the full set of rules, it dawned on me that I neglected to list out my playoff horses last week. So, without further delay, here they are. And as you see, I did not violate rule 9.

AFC Horse - The New York Jets. Why? I liked the underdog factor they brought to the playoffs, plus they did not play Pittsburgh last season. Also, I was rooting for Kimo Von Oelhoffen, who left Pittsburgh to make some scratch in the Big Apple. And, I tend to root against the Patriots whenever possible, so the fact that they split the season series with New England and were heading for the rubber match in the playoffs, well it was all too tempting. However, none of that helped and they were overmatched and out played. So now, my first horse is done.

NFC Horse – The Philadelphia Eagles. Why? Well, they are another Pennsylvania team, and I tend to have an affinity toward all professional teams from the Keystone state. I like Andy Reid as a coach despite his occasional clock mismanagement, plus he looks like a boss I once had, which leads to many jokes between me and the girlfriend whenever the Eagles play. Westbrook is a great player and highly underrated, although he is finally getting some due this season. Jeff Garcia has that underdog feel about him and is playing with a chip on his shoulder, I dig that too. People ignored the team after McNabb went down, so they have kind of slid under the radar. Plus, I have several friends who are HUGE Eagles fans. They are to the Birds as I am to the Steelers, that’s how huge. I thought I’d give them a little extra backing this post season, since they threw their backing my way last year. And considering who they are playing come Sunday, they will need all the support they can get. Update on how the Eagles do next week.

As I work to hone my prediction skills, I am keeping track of my playoff picks and the first week was gang busters. I thought I would also add it in to my overall total, to see what I come up with over a total of 267 games played, not counting pre season.

Last Week: 3-1
Playoffs to Date: 3-1
Season to Date: 153-107

Not too shabby indeed. Now, who do we have on the slate for this weekend, the all important divisional round? Just a few important games, that’s all, nothing major. One factoid I keep hearing regarding the divisional round of the playoffs that I find pertinent is that the home team wins very often in this round. Since the playoff expansion to 12 teams, home teams have won 47 out of 60 games in the divisional playoff round. That is a high percentage to say the least. Extra rest and a raucous home crowd play big parts in this success, on top of the fact that the home teams in this round were distinctively better than the visiting team during the season. Not in every case, but definitely in most cases. Plus, 5 times since the playoff expansion, the home team has swept all four games in the same weekend. Very impressive. The overall percentage breaks down to about 3 out of four games will be won by the home team. So, looking at the slate of games, the big question is which three home teams will prevail? I am not one to follow numbers and statistics too closely, although I probably should for situations just like this. So, keeping in mind these home team statistics, let’s make some picks.

Saturday

Indianapolis at Baltimore

The football weekend starts in the land of crab cakes. Baltimore’s former team versus their current team in a showdown for AFC supremacy and a birth in the title game, oh the ramifications of it all! This game could go so many different ways, it is not funny. If the Ravens get in Peyton’s face early and often, it could be over quick. If Peyton catches fire early, that forces Baltimore to play catch up, and even with an aging Air McNair behind center, they are not really built to play from behind. If the Ravens get down early, the onus falls to the defense to win, and will they be able to do such a thing if they get down by a few scores? The plus side is that the Ravens have had a little bit of rest while the Colts had a physical game last week against the Chiefs. I hate to say it, but I’ll go with the rested team. Get your Peyton can win the big one comments warmed up, its time for another round starting Saturday evening.

Baltimore over Indianapolis


Philadelphia at New Orleans

Who does not love the feel good story of New Orleans? Everyone does. How the team has lifted the city on their backs, and all the work the players do for the people of the area and all they give back to the community in time, money and services. And then on top of that, the team went out and put together a 10-6 season, capturing the second seed in the playoffs and giving the city, state and region something to really cheer about. It almost seems too good to be true and even I would just love to see them succeed, even though they are playing the Eagles. How cold do you have to be to not want to get behind a team like this? And in this game, they have a good chance. The Eagles secondary is hurting, especially with Lito Sheppard out with a dislocated elbow. I cannot even imagine how much that had to hurt. I could easily see Drew Brees strafing the Eagles secondary all day long. But I gotta back my horses, and the Birds are my horse. Not every fairy tale can have a happy ending. But if the Saints march over the Eagles, I might have to break rule 10, I mean it is the Saints, and they do wear black and gold.

Philadelphia over New Orleans


Sunday


Seattle at Chicago

Ok, let’s just say it, the Seahawks got really lucky last week. They look nothing like the team that lorded over the NFC last season. Hasselbeck looks like the version of himself that made the ridiculous proclamation in the overtime game in Green Bay a few years back, and Shawn Alexander is looking rather pedestrian. Must be that Madden curse coming back to haunt them. Plus, I bet if I lived in Seattle, I’d have a good chance at being a nickel back for the Hawks right now. But, they are not the only team in the playoffs with issues. Da Bears have more than a few questions at QB with Grossman’s inept performance in the season finale. His numbers and effectiveness are way off and dropped considerably over the second half of the season, reaching an apex of futility against Green Bay. Was this a harbinger of doom, or just a minor slump? It is unknown, and we really will not know until after this game, or perhaps even next week. Yes, despite all of Grossman’s issues, Da Bears are still too much for a ravaged Seahawks secondary and a semi-effective offense.

Chicago over Seattle


New England at San Diego

The football weekend will wrap up in sunny San Diego as the Chargers host the Patriots for the right to go to the AFC Championship game. There is a lot of talk regarding New England and their return to supremacy in this game, with everyone touting the Belichick/Brady playoff record of 11-1, Marty Shottenheimer’s record of 5-12 and the fact that Phillip Rivers has never played a playoff game. All valid points, for sure. A first playoff game can be very stressful for a young quarterback. I remember Roethlisberger’s, and while the team won the game, he looked terrible. But here are a few other tidbits that seem to be overlooked as we approach this showdown. Shottenheimer is 7-2 in his career against Belichick. The Chargers had a week off and are playing at home while New England had to endure a slugfest against the Jets. The Chargers have one of the most ferocious 3-4 defenses in the league, much tougher than most of the opponents the Patriots have faced this year. The Patriots had to work extra hard to keep ahead of those same Jets last week, despite the fact that the Jets have a poor running game. The Chargers, on the other hand, have perhaps the best running game in the league, and arguably the best running back. Perhaps these few tidbits could play a factor into the outcome of the game. I think it will enormously, so let’s all sing it together. San Di-e-go…Sup-er Cha-rgers!

San Diego over New England

The Crystal Ball The Wildcards

It took 16 games and 17 weeks, but the real Bill Cowher finally showed up. Sunday in Cincinnati he was back to his old self. Spitting, cursing, scowling; the jaw protruding as he prowled the sidelines leading the team to victory. The shame of it was that unfortunately, it was only just a final appearance.

After 15 years and compiling an overall record of 161-99-1 (.619) including a 149-90-1 (.623) mark in the regular season, 10 playoff appearances, 8 division titles, 6 AFC championship game appearances, 2 AFC championships and 1 Super Bowl win, Bill Cowher stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. For only the second time in my life, I will see the search and appointment of a new head coach in Pittsburgh. Cowher walked away to spend more time with his family and just be a normal guy, which is admirable. I am of mixed feelings on this. I am sad to see him go, but I am happy that he left if he was not really into it. I applaud him for spending so much time with one team and living a dream of coaching his boyhood team to the ultimate prize. I applaud him for wanting to focus on real priorities, family, and not created ones, grown men playing games for a living. I applaud him for walking away with class and style and being gracious to the Rooney family until the end. But it is an end of an era, and I have become accustomed to seeing him prowl the Pittsburgh sideline. I will miss Cowher, and all the fire he brought to the Steelers. I am excited to see who will be the next coach, and reluctant to accept that probably one day Cowher will coach again somewhere else. But for now, I would like to think of the good times he brought to the team, to the fans, to Pittsburgh and to all of us, and look forward to seeing who will next bring that passion and fire. Good luck Bill, we will miss you.

In other Steelers news, Willie Parker was named the Team MVP. It is a well deserved honor, despite his little fumbling problem from time to time. If we could just get someone to spell him every now and again, Willie could soon compete for a rushing title.

Also, I was correct on my assumption of the team this year, but just off by one loss. Ironically, if I had been dead in predicting their record, they would have made the playoffs, screwing up my prediction in a much more pleasant way. But, you cannot win the Super Bowl every season.

So now, the season is over, and we are left with nothing but the memories. Pack everything up and dream of a day when the proud warriors will once again take the field of battle, to fight over small sections of turf, each trying to acquire or defend them. Until that day, we have but our memories. So, how about a little bit of season wrap up, just to tie up a few loose ends. I was shocked with how poorly so many teams played with something on the line. The Giants barely won over a crappy Washington team. Cincinnati and Denver both lost at home when a win would have helped their playoff chances, and the Broncos only had to win and they were playoff bound. Baltimore had trouble with the lowly Bills while fighting for seeding. Dallas lost while trying for a home game. If you cannot get fired up now, you are gonna blow everything when the games are win or go home.

Detroit screwed their fans yet again by winning, and taking away their chance at the number 1 pick in the draft. Sure, they have screwed up picking first many times before, but at least it gives the fans a modicum of hope. And to further kill that hope, Matt Millen is keeping his job. Just exactly how stupid is the Ford family? I am 100% convinced now he has dirt on them. Either that or they can write off losing on their corporate taxes. Stupid Lions.

Brett Favre had a teary interview with NBC after the Sunday night game, saying that if this is it, it is a good way to go out. Now, no one knows for sure whether or not he will retire but him, but it sure seemed likely to me. But then again, Favre said he was done after the last game last year, and you see how that worked out.

My condolences go out to the family of Darrent Williams. Bronco cornerback Darrent Williams was killed early Monday in a drive by shooting. Just a tragic and senseless act for which there does not seem to be any motive. Unfortunately, it is merely another horrible example of some people feeling the only way they can settle a dispute or to demonstrate their manhood is by brandishing a gun. I wonder about our world sometimes.

That damn NFL Network needs a new sponsor. I saw that stupid Wendy’s $2.99 commercial at least 935,642 times watching two hours of pregame, 3+ of actual game and 1 of post game on Saturday night. That grating whistling from the commercial has haunted me in both waking and sleeping hours ever since.

Moving on, let’s take a look at the potential coaching changes of the NFL. And it has been a busy first week.

Arizona – This happened Monday when Denny Green was fired. No big surprise there. Who did not see this coming?

Giants – Not a change that is being talked about, but overdue since Coughlin lost the team a while ago. Plus he prefers to throw players under the bus than to take the rightful blame for losses. Who wants to play for a guy like that? I imagine the team will be looking for a new coach sooner rather than later.

Atlanta – This happened Monday also when Jim Mora was fired. This also was no big surprise. When your star player throws you under the bus, you should probably start stocking up on boxes and updating your resume.

Pittsburgh – Odd to see them in this discussion, but here we are. Also, in another coaching change in Pittsburgh, Dick Hoak, the running backs coach who has been either a player or coach on the team, except for one year, since 1961, retired Tuesday. You rarely see that sort of longevity with one team anymore, and may never see it again.

Oakland – This happened Thursday, and honestly, I’m surprised it took that long. Maybe Al thought there was one more game left, and when he finally realized the season was over, it was Thursday.

Miami –Saban abandoned the mess he further made in Miami for Alabama on Wednesday. Also no surprise, but did he have to lie about it over the last few weeks of the season?


Now, I have managed to cull from tons of sources a few potential candidates for the open head coaching jobs in the NFL. If I was able to find the teams interested in them, I listed those as well.

Pittsburgh OC Ken Whisenhunt – Atlanta, Arizona, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh AHC Russ Grimm – Atlanta, Arizona, Pittsburgh
Chicago DC Ron Rivera - Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Arizona
Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz - Pittsburgh
Former Green Bay HC Mike Sherman – Arizona, Miami
Titans OC Norm Chow – Arizona, Miami
Indianapolis AHC Jim Caldwell
San Diego OC Cam Cameron
Giants HC Tom Coughlin - Oakland

Oddly enough, Oakland is going for who may be the worst coach on the list. Figures. There is a lot of talent on this list; it will be intriguing to see who lands where. More updates as they are warranted.

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms are idiots. They spent the entire game on Manning’s jock, talking of how great he is and how the Colt offense is unstoppable. How next to impossible it is to sack Manning and how he makes such brilliant decisions. Hey, morons. 4 teams this season have figured the Colts out. Plus, last time I checked, there was one team last January that managed to sack Peyton not once, but five times, all in one game, if you can believe it. He must not be that elusive if they sacked him 5 times. I know Peyton is an excellent quarterback, and a fantasy football wet dream, but he is no god on that field, just another player.

This constant fawning over Peyton reminds me of the never ending argument about the best quarterback in the NFL. Each year, and probably every year from now until the end of time, the debate rages about who is the best signal caller amongst the 32 starters, and in some cases the numerous back ups, in the league. Personally, I think the argument should start and end with championships. The ultimate goal is not to break records or pad stats; it is to win that ring. Right now, there are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league that can be put into this discussion. Below are all of them, in order of how they should be ranked as the best in the league.

1) Tom Brady – Woof does this pain me, but the truth is the truth. He has three rings, and before everything is said and done, he could have a few more. Plus, he puts up some pretty decent stats.

2) Brett Favre – One ring, another appearance, and working on grabbing all of Marino’s passing records. A first ballot hall of famer for sure, he lands in second only because of his lack of multiple rings.

3) Ben Roethlisberger – Yes, kiddies, Big Ben should be ranked higher than Peyton. Why you may ask? Because he got the job done, plain and simple. Plus, he will be entering only his fourth season next year, and is just starting to bloom as a quarterback and team leader. He could have a few more rings by the time everything is over as well.

4) Brad Johnson – Ok, he kind of blows this theory out of the water a bit, but the truth is he won a ring in Tampa Bay. You have to make that part of the discussion.

Everyone else, well, they line up at fifth spot and roll down from there. Sure, I would put Peyton at 5, unless someone else wins one this year, then the line starts at 6. And if Peyton goes all the way, then I will put him at two, and we can start an argument between who is better, him or Brady. But until then, he, and everyone else without that ring, is no better than fifth, period.

Now, before we go any further, I need to give a little help to those of you out there who, due to unfortunate circumstances, will not be able to watch your team in the playoffs. So, what is one to do? How do you keep the playoffs interesting if your team is sitting at home eating Cheetos? Easy, you pick your playoff horse. The best way to do this is to pick one team from each conference, and root for them all the way through to the Super Bowl. If one goes down, you still have the other team. If they both go down, well, then you gotta pick again. But if you follow one, and they make it, it is almost as tasty as if your team did. Ok, it is not nearly as good, not even remotely close, but it does give one a certain amount of satisfaction and it is a fun way to watch the playoffs. So, here is what you need to know.

1) Avoid teams from your division – This has too many incestuous ramifications, and could create bad karma for your team the next year. Plus, if they won it all, would you really be able to live with yourself? Avoid division teams at all cost.

2) Avoid teams that beat up on your team – Sure, your team had a bad year, but why rub it in by rooting for someone who tortured them. Plus, you could possibly look like a band wagon fan, and that is not what we are going for at all.

3) Look for teams that did not play yours. This makes it easier, since you cannot create bad karma or look like a band wagon fan.

4) Try to find some connection to your team – Does your playoff horse play in the same state as your team? That works. Are their former players from your team on their roster? Probably and why not root for those guys, you liked them at one time? Well, unless the player is T.O.

5) Look for the sleeper – This is a great one, since if you pick the right team, and they go all the way, you look like a genius. And if they lose, well, you have lost nothing. There is always one team lurking and ready to pounce; the only question is if they could go all the way. Maybe they just need some extra cheer.

6) Remember, this is only short term – This is the most important one of all. Always remember you are just rooting for a team so you can have a little vested interest in the playoffs. After the team is done, or the playoffs end, so does your cheering for your playoff horse. Any cheering for them after that means you are either gleaming off their success and that would compromise your own team, or you are a band wagon fan, and that would really hurt your team, your credibility and create some terrible karma.

Now that you know the rules, go pick a few teams and have fun.

Unfortunately, my bad week in week 16 hurt more than I thought. I ended up finishing 3 spots out of the money. But not bad overall.

Last Week: 11-5
Season to Date: 150-106

Still, I could do better, and next season, oh, I will. But in the meantime, let’s try to hone these skills with some of the wild card action.

Saturday


Kansas City at Indianapolis

Kansas City squeaked into the playoffs by luck and some bad play by quite a few other teams. Now they have a chance to show off their stellar running game on a larger stage. This game has been touted all week as Larry Johnson versus the Colts porous run defense. Larry could have a huge day. But what everyone is ignoring is Peyton will get the ball on occasion, and he is playing at home. A strong running game and run defense are important, especially now, but if the Colts get ahead early, I do not trust Trent Green on the road that much.

Indianapolis over Kansas City


Dallas at Seattle

Tony Romo has come way down to Earth in recent weeks, and it could not be at a worse time for the Cowboys. But, Seattle has a ridiculously banged up secondary, which could be beneficial to the Boys. The Hawks have looked inconsistent all season, and numerous injuries have not helped their cause. But despite their secondary, they are mostly back and fairly injury free. I just have trouble seeing Dallas winning in Seattle. Either way, I do not see this game as being very good. Mostly just some sloppy football.

Seattle over Dallas


Sunday


N.Y. Jets at New England

This could be a great game, or a complete stinker. I kept thinking that New England has lost a step, and I’m not one hundred percent convinced they have not. But after watching them take apart Tennessee last week, they may be better than most people, namely other Patriot haters such as myself, think. The Jets have done it all with smoke and mirrors and playing way above their heads. They split the season series with the Patriots and almost won the first meeting. Mangini will have them up big time for this game. I think they can do it. I am calling this an upset.

N.Y. Jets over New England


N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia

I have had enough of the dysfunctional, annoying and underachieving Giants. The Eagles, however, are my horse. They are peaking at the right time and just far enough under the radar. What do I say about this game? Enjoy your retirement Tiki; you’ve had a great career.

Philadelphia over N.Y. Giants

Hello 2007 A Year of.....

Well, welcome to the New Year one and all. 2007 is but a few days old, and so far, I see no drastic change yet from the previous year. Perhaps I should give the year a bit more time to shake itself out before passing judgment. Yes, let’s indeed do that. Perhaps we will go with how they judge presidents, see how the first 100 days goes by, and then see what we have and give a review. Or maybe it will take all 365 days for things to really shake out and see how the year will turn out. As of right now, it is anyone’s guess.

But what will this year bring? Last year, it seemed at least for me to be a year of firsts. I did and saw many things that were new to me. This year, well, who knows? So far, it may be the year of Star Wars, since by the end of the week I will have seen two major forces in the Star Wars Universe and saw a battalion of Stormtroopers march down a city street. And later this year, I know of several major Star Wars related things that will happen. Ok, so maybe it will be the year of the nerd. Since I already know of these happenings and am planning on attending them that could very well shake out as true.

But that is part of the fun as the calendars hit January. With the dawning of each New Year comes a blank slate full of promise and potential. Full of hopes and dreams and a sense of renewal, a new year brings with it a chance to wash away all the badness and disappointment from the previous year, and an opportunity for something better and brighter. We look upon this time as an opportunity for us to better ourselves, set new goals and become something more. The common tradition of making New Year’s resolutions happens at this time, where we look at ourselves and how we feel our lives are deficient and make pacts with ourselves to right these perceived wrongs. It is a good thing to look at ourselves and take inventory, to see what we would like to become and set goals to accomplish them. I myself have made several for 2007, and in an effort to make myself accountable for them, will now tell them to the world. This way, when I get really lazy about them, I can look at this and at least feel guilty instead of just ignoring them. Pay no attention to the ranking, the ranking means very little overall. All of these are important to me.

1) Pimp my website – I keep telling myself I will work on it, and then completely ignore it. This year, I have set up times to do at least a bit of work each week. Hopefully, I will have something half decent by the end of the year.

2) Play better guitar – I have always maintained I only play for me, and I do. I enjoy strumming along from time to time. But, I have always wanted to be better, and now I have all the tools I need right at my disposal. This year, I will get good, or at least serviceable.

3) Get fit – It has been, oh, since high school since I was really fit. Then I could run and carry on till the cows came home. Now, well, at almost 33 I am not as fit as I used to be, and far from where I should be. This year, I want to get fit. Walking, exercising, and if I can find a place, regular swimming. I have a goal for October, and I want to meet it.

4) Banish smoking once and for all – I set out on a goal last year, and have not fulfilled it yet. I have let too many outside factors creep into my thinking, certain functions, parties, stress, that have allowed me to derail off of my path to non smoking. But no more. The New Year is here, and I know I can do this. Plus, with working on getting fit, at least that will give me something to do when I hit a Jones.

5) Be a better person – Sure, that is extremely vague, and most of us try that anyway. But this year, I really want to work hard on being a good person. We all have our failures and faults, too bossy, too immature, too selfish etc. This year, I want to work on exorcising mine. I would like to better myself, be something more than I have been. I have not been bad, but I know I can do better. Perhaps with changing these things, I can be more than I ever dreamed. Or at the very least I can more easily throw stones since I’ll have moved out of that glass house. See, failing already.

6) Become a working writer – This one is very important to me. Not more than some of the others, but definitely competing for first place. If I really am into this, if I really want this, this year I want to make a move. I discovered that since I began writing last April that I really enjoy it. I find it relaxing, stimulating and fun. I could easily see myself doing this for a living. I work hard doing it as often as I can. The thought that I could make a living doing it is just like a really delicious icing on ice cream cake. Decadent, scrumptious and exactly what would hit the spot. Plus, if all I had to do was write each day, I’d finally get some of the dozen or so half started/half finished posts I have been working on done and posted. I thought I did pretty well for 2006, considering I did not really start until May, but I would like to do much better in 2007. And for me that means being more prolific and earning a living.


Well, there it is, all laid out in black and white. This is what I hope to make of myself in 2007. Will I succeed? I suppose that is up to me. Real life will always intrude on everything we do. It has a nasty habit of doing that, especially when we least expect it. But if I am determined and really want these things, by the end of the year, I will be a fit, non smoking writer with a cool website who wails on the guitar and people think is cool. Or, I’ll be the same old dorky me, just a bit better at things important to me. Yeah, it will be the second one, but I will be happy with that.