Shake 'Em Up

This year is shaping up to be an interesting playoff series. Saturday's game featuring the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. the New Englad Patriots was predictable.

Sunday's games were anything but. This is why the NFL has an advantage in the excitement area over other sports, rivaling maybe the men's NCAA basketball tournament. No series, no second shots. One game.

Two teams who took full advantage and struck first were the San Diego Chargers (minus LT, and at the end of the game, their starting QB) and the New York Giants, who took down the Indianopolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively. Also, the defending Super Bowl champs and America's team, respectively.

I won't give much ink to this because you can find everything you need to know about the games on your big sports sites. I will say that I heard a lot of talk recently about how the Colts weren't getting much press this season despite being last year's champs . . . well, now we see why. A few key injuries here and there, but I think they'll be back.

The Cowboys? They looked pretty invincible all year, but after playing the Giants twice during the regular season, eventually it had to be the Giants turn, right? This one was still a stunner to the Cowboys, who have now gone 11 years without a playoff win. They somehow managed to score two touchdowns in the second quarter, and none in the other 3. Yeah, that was not going to get them very far. I do like seeing the other Manning (Eli) getting his time to shine. This whole "Tony Romo can go back to sunning in May-hee-co with with Jessica Simpson" story is probably not Romo's first choice. Just a guess.

Sometimes, I like to see Cinderella teams make it, but only if they have the ability to go all the way. What I hate to see (and which happens much more often than not) is the team/individual has an emotional let down after a large win, and then get blown out by a team that is not as good as the one they just beat.

Here's to the Giants beating the Green Bay Packers, and the Chargers taking out . . . the Patriots. Hey, like Kobe Bryant says, impossible is nothing.

My Post-Super Bowl 41 1/2 Round Up: Canned Fans? Battle of Just the QB's?

So much has been said about yesterday's game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. But I have two things to say.

First up, were the Colts playing unfair?

Like the Patriots several weeks ago, the Colts have also been accused of cheating. (For irony, see the sign behind Brady in the picture above.) This alleged cheating is actually kind of interesting. First, they're saying that the Colts piped in the canned sound of fans to make it extra loud while the Pats were on offense yesterday. Presumably so that the Pats couldn't hear any signals.

Now, I am surprised because I actually noticed this yesterday. I thought I was hearing things, or a mic had changed positions, but lo and behold, I heard what could become "Coltgate." The idea that the Colts would purposely pipe in fan sounds is quite comical for its genius.

However, CBS says blame it on them. And the NFL looks like they're going to go with that, too.

There were having some audio problems at the Colts' home that prevented Bill Belichick from communicating with his beloved Tom Brady, which required them to have to signal plays in to Brady.

Well, it didn't matter in the end because the Colts didn't win anyway, proving once again that alleged cheaters never prosper . . . but confirmed cheaters do.


My second point: why do the quarterbacks on these teams get all of the accolades? I found myself falling into that trap yesterday. Caught up in the hype of the battle between the QB's that I unwittingly framed the game as "Peyton's showing up" when I was referring to the whole team. It seems that not enough credit is given to the Colts' running back, Joseph Addai, or Brady's receivers (including my own fantasy team's Wes Welker, and Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth). The commentators are in on it, too. I'm not sure if it's the nature of the beast (that the QB runs the show) or something else . . .

I'm Winning!!!

I know some of you cared more whether your favorite team won or lost (mine won), but the only thing I really cared about this Sunday was whether I'm winning in my Fantasy Football league. Which I am, thus far. I don't believe in jinxing, I believe in talent.

Here's a run-down of what I consider to be the top events in the NFL (recognizing my Fantasy Football bias):

1. Carson Palmer!! He threw six touchdowns. His opponent threw 5. Most TD's thrown by two QB's in almost 38 years. And Palmer and the Cincinatti Bengals still lost to the Cleveland Browns . . . but Palmer gained me 44 points, compensating for the dump LT took on my scoreboard. Yes, LaDainian Tomlinson played, but he might as well not have for the numbers he put up. The Bengals don't have to play defense at all this season as long as they keep scoring. Even better, nobody had the Browns' QB, so I didn't get "Romo'd" this week.

2. Old man Favre (Brett, that is) is not just hanging on, he's playing out of his mind. Not only did he catapult the Green Bay Packers over Eli Manning and the NY Giants, but he set the all-time record for wins by a QB. The previous owner of that record was none other than Coach Elway. As I told my cousin, I know he had that painkiller addiction, but I'm inclined to think he must be taking a whole lot of them right now to still be playing like he is. In any event, way to stick it to all the critics who said you should retire with dignity, Favre.

3. Vince Young is Cool Hand Luke on the football field. Cool as a cucumber, or the underside of the pillow, there's no panic from this guy. At least he doesn't show it. Even though I don't have him on my team, I like his style. And he has one of the best QB names around. And he and the Tennessee Titans almost swiped another one from Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Someone should tell him to stop taking naps in the locker room during halftime.

4. Jamal Lewis has gone from pleading guilty in 2005 to using his cell phone to help his friend set up a drug deal (oh boy), and spending 4 months in jail as a result, to rushing for over 200 yards (that's good, NPT) today in the Browns' win over the Bengals. His offense may top the list of "What were you thinking? Or maybe you weren't, and that's the problem." I just hope he found better friends. Keep fighting the good fight, Jamal.

I was at an ESPNZone watching most of these games, and the one thing I concluded is that ESPN is making a killing off of football season. They have a policy that if they have a "sell out" (meaning no tables "indefinitely" as I was told) you have to spend $10 per person, per hour.

I asked my friend what ESPN does when there's no football on, and he said that he would come there to watch a NASCAR race. Apparently, he didn't understand that I was asking about other sports that one would watch there.