Trash Talk – Getaway Week

The Phoenix Suns once, thrice actually, had a coach named Cotton Fitzsimmons. A wonderful man, and a great coach (10th winningest coach in NBA history actually). Cotton was a diminutive man with outsized character; he may be one of the only men in history that could consistently put Charles Barkley in his place, and it was with such charm that Chuck loved him like a father. Anyway, Cotton had this theory that it was always important to win "getaway games". And Cotton defined getaway games as the last home game before a big road trip or the last game before the playoffs. He always wanted to roll into tough situations on a positive note. Smart man.

Well, this is the last week of the regular season in the National Favre League, and for those teams headed to the playoffs, or trying desperately to get into the playoffs, we got some getaway games. Eli, Coughlin and the Giants showed what it meant last year to play hard on a getaway game in the last week, even when you are already in the playoffs and it won’t affect your seeding. Even though they lost to the Patriots, they played their hearts out and left every ounce on the field. What they gained from that effort propelled them all the way to the Lombardi Trophy. Oh, and don’t miss today’s video, it is some excellent getaway music.

Fish at Jets and Pats at Bison: Let’s be honest, this is all one big game, and it is going to be for all the marbles. If the Dolphins win, they win the East and they are in the playoffs; if they lose and the Bills beat the Pats, the Jets are in. If the Jets win and the Pats win, the Pats are the East champs. Even if the Dolphins win, the Pats can get in as a wildcard if the Ravens lose to Jacksonville. The Jets get in as a wildcard if they win and the Pats beat Buffalo, so long as the Ravens lose. I really, and I mean really, hate to say this, but I think the Dolphins will beat the Jets, the Pats will beat the Bills, and the Ravens, being the home team, will beat the Jags. This, sadly, means that Brett, the Jets and the Pats all go home. Totally sucks, but that is how I see it; the Fish and Ravens win getaway games.

Donkos at Bolts: The other bare knuckle brawl for all the marbles is the Denver boys going to the beach to visit Randiego. Having spent some time in graduate school at Boulder, I am a bit of a Broncos fan, and I have always admired Mike Shanahan. I am again really sad to report that I think the Bolts will win this getaway game and head into the playoffs with as much steam as a weak kneed 8-8 team can muster. Then Norval Turner will show just what kind of coach he is and promptly lose to a wild card challenger.

In the rest of the games, Giants win a close one over the Vikings in Minnesota; Panthers beat the Saints in N’awlins; Lions end their season of historic incompetence in the home of the Green Bay Packers; Rams lose in HotLanta to the Falcons; Bears succumb to the Texans in Houston; Titans make it close, but get kicked by the Colts in Indy; Browns get rolled by Big Ben and the Steelers; Raiders get walked off the plank by the Buccos in Tampa Bay; Chiefs beat the hapless Bengals in Cincy; Cowboys scalp the Eagles in Philly (and that could be an ugly scene); Redskins lose in a close game to the up and coming 49ers in Frisco; Seahawks go back to their losing ways and give the Cardinals a getaway victory at home, and with it, only the second winning season in the more than twenty years the bumbling birds have been in Phoenix. Then, like Randiego’s Bolts, they show their true nature and become fodder for a wildcard challenger

Here is the complete playoff picture and calculations from Fox Sports, because this is really what is important at this point:

NFC EAST

New York Giants
Giants have clinched NFC East division title, first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout NFC playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Cowboys win.

Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Eagles win AND Bucs loss AND Bears OR Vikings loss.

NFC NORTH

Minnesota Vikings
Vikings can clinch NFC North title with:

1. Vikings win, OR …
2. Bears loss.

Chicago Bears
Bears can clinch NFC North title with:

1. Bears win AND Vikings loss.

Bears can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Bears win AND Cowboys loss AND Bucs loss.

NFC SOUTH

Carolina Panthers
Panthers have clinched playoff spot.

Panthers can clinch division title and first-round bye with:

1. Panthers win/tie, OR …
2. Falcons loss.

Atlanta Falcons
Falcons have clinched playoff spot.

Falcons can clinch division title and first-round bye with:

1. Falcons win AND Panthers loss.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Buccaneers win AND Cowboys loss.

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals have clinched NFC West title.

NFC eliminated teams: 49ers, Lions, Packers, Rams, Redskins, Saints, Seahawks

AFC East

Miami Dolphins
Dolphins can clinch AFC East title with:

1. Dolphins win.

New England Patriots
Patriots can clinch AFC East title with:

1. Patriots win AND Dolphins loss.

Patriots can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Patriots win AND Ravens loss.

New York Jets
Jets can clinch AFC East title with:

1. Jets win AND Patriots loss.

Jets can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Jets win AND Ravens loss.

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers have clinched AFC North title and first-round bye.

Baltimore Ravens
Ravens can clinch playoff spot with:

1. Ravens win.

AFC SOUTH

Tennessee Titans
Titans have clinched AFC South division title, first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout AFC playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts

Colts have clinched playoff spot.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos
Broncos can clinch AFC West division title with:

1. Broncos win/tie, OR …
2. Chargers loss/tie.

AFC eliminated teams: Bengals, Bills, Browns, Chiefs, Jaguars, Raiders, Texans

That’s all folks. Please litter and trash appropriately!

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131 replies
  1. BlueStateRedHead says:

    Totally sucks

    I admit to not following football and thus being unfaithful to trash talk. So forgive me if I get this wrong, but IIRC the Pat’s are the hostess’s team and Bmaz, well he has he doubts about their worthiness. But perhaps IRIncorrectly.

    Anyway, good morning Bmaz. One (more) good thing about Blago is that I get to read you on the criminal defense. What’s your thought on the subpoena war betwer Ger/genson (sp?) and the Legislature panel.

    Gotta go. Will ck back later for wisdom about football and foot in taped mouth governing of Ill.

  2. BayStateLibrul says:

    It’s a win win situation.
    Jets win, Pats win, Bmaz loses.
    Drama, a Sunday full of drama

    2009 Pinocchio Award:
    When the good judge in Texas throws out Clemens wacky defamation suit, the game getaways to New York, where MacNamee stokes a brillant counter-defamation bonfire, fertilizing Roger’s lies and legal expenses, that keep growing and growing.

    • emptywheel says:

      That’s what I’m hoping for, even assuming the AFC East Champs, whoever they may be, may look worse than the AFC West Champs, assuming Phillip Rivers continues his recent ways.

    • bmaz says:

      I have no disagreement on your thoughts against Clemens, he is likely guyilty; but your hero worship of Brian McNamee is misplaced. He is a piece of human crap that has lied in every situation that he has ever been in and has sold out every person he has ever been close to. Also keep in mind that, as guilty as Clemens is, and I agree with you that he almost certainly is; there is even more evidence that McNamee is a rapist that hs not been prosecuted. Your hero worship of this piece of human trash is disturbing.

      • BayStateLibrul says:

        Nah. I’m not “hero worshiping” Brian Mac… Steroids landed a black eye on baseball… both the Rocket and his trainer plunged a dagger deep into baseball’s soul, many dark nights followed for the game.
        I’m using MacNamee as a foil to Clemens, the real target to my rant.
        I watched and listened to the Congressional Hearings, and was struck by the
        arrogance of Roger, and MacNamee’s acceptance of blame. At least, MacNamee admitted he was a slime ball, and took responsbility… Andy Pettitte also deserves credit for telling the truth. Call me a sucker for the underdog,
        but I beleived MacNamee’s confession was genuine. He was a broken man and knew it. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, redemption may follow.

  3. scribe says:

    Gotta disagreee with you on Boys-Iggles, though most of the rest you posit I agree with. I think the Iggles come out on top in a brutal game, which could only be made more perfect if there was a bunch of snow on the ground and Ed Rendell in the upper deck betting $20 with the guy sitting next to him that guy can’t reach the field with that snowball. A perfect ending to the kind of season we Romo-haters dreamt of and foresaw. As to Favre and the Bretts, one has to remember the predictions from August. Back then, pre-Brady ACL (and Christmas Eve on the Private Jet Proposal and Acceptance – he went for it and completed) knowledgeable people (myself sort-of included) predicted that somehow, some way, Brett and the Jets would find a way to fall out of playoff contention and then the playoffs entirely, and to do so in a manner which would cause ultimate agony for the followers of Gang Green. The mass of predictions orbited the planet of “strange injury to Brett which cripples him and the offense”; most of them involved Brett blowing out a knee in garbage time of an already-won game. The football Gods have written his fate and are doing an Advent Calendar Reveal with it. While we won’t be able to read it all until later today, it seems to say “passing shoulder won’t hold up, but not so badly that he has to come out. Lack of deep game reveals the defects in other parts of Jet offense. No offense remains. Jets lose.” And, watching those Gang Green followers like a scientist watches lab rats, I can tell you that their agony (esp. when I walk by in my Stiller hat) has warmed the depths of my heart. Hell, it would warm the depths of icy, frozen lump of meat that passes for Deadeye Dick Cheney’s robo-heart.

  4. plunger says:

    If Brett can’t win the big one at home, the Dolphins and Pennington will have earned the right to send Favre packing, and force the Jets fans to eat a shitload of crow.

  5. BayStateLibrul says:

    Week 17

    7:17 PM, EST… The Twin Killing

    Mangini gives birth to Brett’s final adieu
    Patriots: The Re-Berth of a Nation

  6. 4jkb4ia says:

    Despite it being wartime and stuff, I think I will link to this video in honor of the Jets and the Bolts. H/t Jeffrey Goldberg. I have been saving it since Thursday. Something had to be done to counter the general gloom.

        • scribe says:

          My carriage return key won’t work on this site.

          Or it wouldn’t, during the last visit.

          The video is an old cartoon of playing xylophone on the skeleton’s ribs.

        • randiego says:

          It’s a really cool montage sort of thing, from the Chabad Poway, which appears to be the Temple serving the local North County area.

          It’s various Jewish people imploring people to come light a menorah for Hanukah on Dec 21st, using the Obama “yes we can” riff… it’s pretty cool.

          An appropriate thing for today’s game! Yes we can!

  7. SaltinWound says:

    I can’t think about Cotton without thinking about Connie Hawkins, my favorite basketball player. Bmaz, what do you think he could have accomplished if he hadn’t spent his prime years with the Globetrotters, ABA, etc.? Did you ever see him with the Suns?

    • bmaz says:

      Yep, saw him play several times as a kid. Even though he was in slight decline already when he came to Phoenix, he was absolutely incredible. He was Dr. J before Julius. For about five years when the Suns first moved into their new aren back in 92-93, his season seats were pretty close to mine. Talked to him briefly a couple of times in the concourse. Beautiful man; really nice. Jerry Colangelo said Connie had some serious health issues about a year ago and was really not doing well, but I don’t know what his current status is.

  8. Mauimom says:

    Redskins lose in a close game to the up and coming 49ers in Frisco

    No, no, NO!!! You may NOT call it “Frisco”!

    That is so low down and trailer trash of you. Please do not do it again!

    Even though I’m a Redskins fan, the slur on SF is more vile than your prediction.

    • PJEvans says:

      Maybe the Niners are moving to a small town in Texas? (That’s the only Frisco I’ve ever heard of.)

      Go Niners!

  9. emptywheel says:

    Two points.

    First, I think the NFC rules, though challenged by the Bolts last week, still stands: in intra-Conference games, the home team wins, and the Panthers lose a breakaway game just as they go into the playoffs (and in so doing, cede the top spot to HotLanta.

    Second, are you really calling this a Trash Talk thread, bmaz, with no mention of the crap you gave randiego two weeks ago for claiming the Bolts were still in it? Remember that? And you don’t even mention the superb trash talk going on in advance of that game??? Jeebus, this post might as well be call “Bmaz’s Tender Tea Talk,” if you’re going to leave all that out!

    • freepatriot says:

      “Bmaz’s Tender Tea Talk,”

      ouch

      our muse has spoken

      how do you come back from somethin like that ???

      this place is gettin MORE interestin every day …

      BOOMER SOONERS

  10. randiego says:

    Having spent some time in graduate school at Boulder, I am a bit of a Broncos fan, and I have always admired Mike Shanahan.

    Bmaz comes out of the closet!

    Hah! Admired Mike Shanahan? He of the cut-block technique that is almost, but not quite, cheating in the NFL? Until someone just misses his assigned guy and takes out his knee? Like they did to Jamal Williams a few years back?

    THAT admired Mike Shanahan? Ptooie!

  11. SaltinWound says:

    Bmaz, I envy you. I watched him after he was traded to the Lakers (for Keith Erickson, another fantastic athlete), when he still had flashes of genius on the court but couldn’t quite pull it all together. The last time I saw him was back in Los Angeles, after he’d been traded to the Hawks for Lou Hudson. It was a little tragic, made more so by my fierce belief in him and refusal to acknowledge his skills had eroded.

  12. randiego says:

    Second, are you really calling this a Trash Talk thread, bmaz, with no mention of the crap you gave randiego two weeks ago for claiming the Bolts were still in it? Remember that? And you don’t even mention the superb trash talk going on in advance of that game??? Jeebus, this post might as well be call “Bmaz’s Tender Tea Talk,” if you’re going to leave all that out!

    Yeah! What about THAT?

  13. randiego says:

    There has been way too much trash talk this week, from a (player) who has a reputation for talking too much having not accomplished a great deal. The fans here are tired of players that do a dance after a tackle but are down 14 points at the time. Matt Wilhelm won’t even be on this team next year and he’s doing a lot of talking.

    Having said all that, these two teams hate each other. The Broncos are used to being a dominant team in the division, but it hasn’t been that way for several years now.

    The media managed to get Cutler to talk some smack this week about Philip Rivers, but Rivers stayed above it, which is a quality I like about him.

    Say what you want about Rivers, but he’s a great interview – you won’t catch him being peevish/petulant/contemptuous during an interview – like Cutler did last week after the Buffalo game. The media in Denver hopes Cutler is the next Elway, but they really don’t like him.

    • freepatriot says:

      Say what you want about Rivers, but he’s a great interview – you won’t catch him being peevish/petulant/contemptuous during an interview – like Cutler did last week after the Buffalo game

      I bet Rivers has enough sense to wear a Jacket that FITS his ass during aftergame interviews

      I got the fashion sense of a dung beetle, and even I could tell cutler was an idiot by the fact that he was wearing a jacket that was 54 sizes to big for his sorry ass

      /fashion police

      oh yeah, falcons ravens patsies bengals packers bears,colts gnts fins vowboys stillers bucs cards redskins and the Chargers, just so ya know …

  14. randiego says:

    I could go on and on about this game… the Hochuli call, the disappointing season, the renewed hopes of Bolts fans everywhere, the rivalry with the hated Broncos, the Cutler/Rivers Pro Bowl thing…

    The Broncos have no momentum, no run defense, no running game to speak of; which of course means they can win. They will throw, throw, throw. They might end up with 400 yards passing tonight.

    The Chargers are healthy, on a roll, playing on the west coast, and they have done well under the lights this year. Which of course means nothing. They can easily fall on their face.

    This is our playoffs. The Colts? Who are they?

    • bmaz says:

      By the way, I used to know Hochuli a little he was, still is although he is not around much anymore, a partner in a law firm here , Jones, Skelton & Hochuli. He did the world a favor by trying to keep Norval from disappointing the fine folks of Ran Diego any further in the playoffs.

      The Colts? That is where the great Peyton Manning plays; the likely MVP of the league. By the way, did you know that there is talk in New England that they should trade Tom Brady and keep Cassel? I like the idea. Maybe trade Brady to the J E T S Jets, Jets, Jets!

  15. randiego says:

    I have a vested interest in the Pats winning – we’ll be watching the Bolts game with some friends who are Pats fans.

    The Pennington vs Jets revenge factor is compelling. Jets losing steam. Fish will win.

    Colts/Titans will be hard-hitting affair, the Titans will be in letdown city after their big win last week, and I agree the Colts will win at home.

    Closet Skins fan, go Skins!

    Carolina vs Saints is another great matchup. Division game. I think Carolina is going to the Super Bowl.

    I’m unimpressed with Dallas. On the road in a division game in the East. I’m taking Philly.

    KC is a better team than they have shown. They will win easily.

    I admire Jeff Garcia a ton. Tampa will beat Oakland.

    That’s it for me. It’s cold as f*ck here (low of 35 last night).

    I’m going surfing.

  16. randiego says:

    By the way, did you know that there is talk in New England that they should trade Tom Brady and keep Cassel?

    Man, that’s tough. Tom Brady?

    The King is Dead, long live the King!

  17. lllphd says:

    oh, bmaz. just about the worst has happened.

    even worse than arpaio winning again, he is now slated for his own TV show:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..53731.html

    i’m so sorry. what has to happen for this to change? i’d suggest a migration there to shift the sentiment, but the southwest is only going to get hotter and drier in the near and distant future.

    would it do any good to complain to fox?? might be our only hope.

    at least that’s where he is, in a reality show, of all things.

    gag. big time triple gag.

  18. TexBetsy says:

    Go GIANTS!

    Also, did anyone else watch the fox pre-game show? There was a banner overhead (physical, not electronic) with MSN and the little butterfly. Huh??? What’s that about?

  19. rosalind says:

    Sculptor Robert Graham has died. He created the two sculptures at Memorial Coliseum for the 1984 Olympics (my attempt to make this comment tangentially sports-related), and the bronze doors and angel at the new Cathedral downtown. He was married to Anjelica Huston.

    LAT obit

  20. masaccio says:

    Vince Young for the Titans, Sorgi for the Colts, Young looks slow and rusty. Sorgi looks sharp. I wonder what the mall looks like….

  21. freepatriot says:

    best hit of the day, so far …

    ronde barber knocking an offensive lineman on his ass during an interception run back

    not often you get to see a D-Back decleat an offensive lineman

  22. freepatriot says:

    the detroit lions complete the Imperfect season

    are they gonna pop the champagne corks when the last team gets a win every year, ala the 72 fins ???

  23. emptywheel says:

    It’s very nice of the teevee to have both the big games on.

    I’m rooting for two teams I never root for. But I can just root for the team in green and get it right. I think that’s easy enough–and I’ve posted enough today–that that means it’s now beer thirty and I can just root for Green.

    Go Green!!!!

    • Neil says:

      –and I’ve posted enough today–

      …but someone is wrong on the Internet! LOL. How’s the stash of Beamish holding up? Cheers!

      Damn, Pennington just beat the Jets over the top to the ‘dead ball zone’ which, when on target, is indefensible.

  24. scribe says:

    Favre intercepted on the first play after the kickoff following the ‘fins TD.

    Returned the INT all the way to the house.

    2 ‘fin TDs in 10 seconds.

  25. scribe says:

    Favre intercepted (#2 today) but this one goes all the way back to the house.

    Fins score 2 TD in about 0:10.

    Kellen Clemens warming up.

    • scribe says:

      Nope. Thought you were done for the day.

      I’m sure The Look will show up on Deadspin by this time tomorrow.

  26. scribe says:

    And the Iggles got another FG off that funble.

    heh.

    Brett moves Jets 60 or 70 yards in less than a nimute, then they have to settle for a FG; Manginius winds up leaving a timeout on the table as they head off the field.

    Waves of clearly audible boos cascading down on the Jets as they go to the lockers at half.

    • Neil says:

      Brett moves Jets 60 or 70 yards in less than a nimute, then they have to settle for a FG; Manginius winds up leaving a timeout on the table as they head off the field.

      Favre’s second pick will be a big motivator for him in the second half. He does not want to go down a loser. I’m buoyed by that last drive. 3 not 7 but three, nonetheless.

    • bmaz says:

      Favre has not been great lately; but Mangy Mangini just flat sucks. They call pathetically shitty games. Win, lose or draw, Favre ought to just blow them off and call his own plays in the second half. Might throw a pick or two, but at least they will be playing.

  27. Neil says:

    goddamn the jets DBs are playing like shyte. great adjustment by the flipper tight end who was looking inside for the ball and caught it over his outside shoulder. Pennington, STRIKE! There’s QB who’s having a great passing game so far.

    back and forth they go, 8 points jets, 7 points dolphins, very exciting football!

  28. bmaz says:

    The Cardinals suck; but anybody that doesn’t think Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the league this year has not been watching them. Wow, is he good.

  29. scribe says:

    Philly had two fumble recoveries – one off a receiver and one off a Romo sack – that they ran back for like 73 and 92 yards. In the third quarter.

    Dallas ought to stop the plane home somewhere like Oklahoma City, so they can avoid the mob likely to gather at DFW.

  30. scribe says:

    For those interested (I’m a Stillers fan, so I am) Roethlisberger was laid out on the field with a concussion for a full 15 minutes.

    Then again, seeing as how he’s already proven his helmeted head is tougher than a car, I see little to worry about. He was wearing a helmet, and has two weeks.

  31. scribe says:

    less than a minute left in the fourth, First and 10, Jets down by 7, starting from their own one yard line.

    Somehow, I think they’re not coming back.

    Waves, deep, rolling waves, of boos coming down from the stands.

  32. scribe says:

    :07 to go, 2d and 10, Brett under center at the half-yard line, the Jets start an everbody-lateral-the-ball play which ultimately winds up with the Dolphins grabbing one and falling on it at the 23 to end the game. Waves of boos.

  33. scribe says:

    Oh, yeah.
    Eagles 44, Cowboys 6.

    I guess this means Romo can go back to Cabo and whine into Jessica’s … tresses.

  34. BayStateLibrul says:

    At 7:20 PM, we had a bad day.
    No virtue in a tie-breakers?

    The Globule reports

    “For the first time in six seasons, the New England Patriots failed to qualify for the postseason.

    While New England defeated the Buffalo Bills, 13-0, Sunday to finish the 2008 campaign with an 11-5 mark, it wasn’t enough to secure one of the six AFC playoff berths.

    The Dolphins defeated the Jets, 24-17, to share the AFC East title with the Patriots and Miami earned the No. 3 playoff seed by virtue of a tie-breaker over New England.

    The Ravens defeated the Jaguars, 27-7, to clinch the final wild card berth in the division, also earning the spot over the Patriots by virtue of a tie-breaker.”

    • freepatriot says:

      at least your team can come home with their heads held high

      jerry jones probably had to ship his team home by FedEx, for their own protection …

      they got tar and feathers in Dallas ???

      how about torches an pitchforks ???

  35. freepatriot says:

    randiego is a genius, or he’s got a horseshoe up his ass this big: (_________________________________________________________________________)

    that joke works better in person …

      • freepatriot says:

        I’m thinking most of Peyton’s recent nightmares feature Antonio Cromartie, so I wouldn’t be so sure Indy survives the journey

        I can see Payton talkin to his shrink, right now:

        I just can’t tackle number 31, doc, what does it mean

        it means I’m takin the bolts and the points …

        I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals

        (wink)

      • freepatriot says:

        hey bmaz, I got an off-topic question bout bunnypants’ nada pardon

        what zactly happened ???

        I heard that bush signed a pardon warrant with 140 something names on it, and I presume george is trying to claim that the inclusion on the list doesn’t equal a pardon

        do I have that right ???

        if so, GAME OVER, dude

        just issue a subpoena for a certified copy of the original signed warrant

        can’t undo that, can’t deny it in a Courtroom

        what the warrant clerk does is just so much post pardon housecleaning

        does that sum it up ???

        tell me that much an I’ll let it go …

        • bmaz says:

          Theoretically, there are two elements to completion of the pardon process: inclusion on the warrant and “delivery”; with delivery being basically notification. We know Toussie’s name was included on the warrant. We know the list was published. There is some evidence that either Toussie or his attorney was personally notified before Bush sought to withdraw the pardon. If so, that sure sounds like delivery. Quite frankly, I would argue that publishing the list to the public is delivery all by itself. If bmaz were decidering this, the dude gets to keep his pardon. But who knows how it will actually play out; there is no direct controlling case law.

  36. randiego says:

    Hah hah hah hah…. Bolts lay 52 on the Donkeys! Can’t wait to catch the postgame interview with Jay Cutler!

    That last TD was the sweetest. You need to know how to step on the throat of the competition – especially when it’s your division rival. It’s nice to see NORVAL grow a pair – two 4th down conversions to sustain drives instead of kicking field goals.

    Bring on Peyton – Bolts are playing with the house’s money now. If they can get past Indy, the field is wide open.

  37. randiego says:

    okay, so in the clear light of day it appears that the Chargers are just plain lucky to be where they are now.

    Mangini got fired? Cold comfort for our Jets fan friends, but bmaz should be pleased.

    • bmaz says:

      It really was pathetic coaching down the stretch. Bad play calling, horrid clock/time out management. No focus or energy infusing the team. It was like everything was abdicated to the magic of Brett Favre. Well, the dude is 39 years old, and came into a losing team after training camp was half over. He has only got so much magic, and clearly his shoulder was hurt somehow or another, his throws just did not look like the real Favre. But all that could have been worked around with better coaching.

      Good riddance!

  38. freepatriot says:

    so why does Shanahan still have a job ???

    other than the NY Jets’ 5 game collapse a few years back (okay, maybe it was a decade or two back), the donkos are the biggest late season bust I’ve seen in a while (in the “single season” catagory anyway*)

    *since 1997, the cowboys are 19-39 in December and January

  39. freepatriot says:

    faced with those same circumstances

    Based on what I know now, if I was fitz, the presser would have only been about the senate seat sale

    all the rezco stuff and the trib stuff would be hidden behind a firewall

    I would only disclose the senate stuff, and as much as I had to about the origins of the taps

    this would have tipped blagoff about the taps, but blaggof figured it out anyway, so …

    and maybe that’s what fitz tried to do, I don’t really know

    maybe Fitz was caught between a rock and a hard place, and he had to take one for the team

    he ain’t lookin like an honest prosecutor, I can tell you that …

  40. john in sacramento says:

    My predictions for the 2008 season from last Sept.

    Which division will be more competitive this year, the AFC South (Colts, Jags, Texans, and Titans) or the NFC East (Giants, Skins, ‘Boys, and Iggles)?

    I’m leaning NFC East because it’s more balanced. And don’t underestimate the Giants … they could end up in the Super Bowl again

    As far as my home division (from Minn., lived in Appleton Wisc. … and actually I’m a huge aberration because I’m a fan of the Vikes [1a] and the Pack [1b])

    I see the Vikings in first going 10-6 and the Pack in second going 9-7

    A few weeks ago I was guessing the Vikes would go 12-4 or 11-5 but now with Bryant McKinnie’s 4 game suspension and Madieu Williams injury I think they can only hope for 10-6; they have a brutal first four weeks of the season. The Vikings will wind up with a top three defense; they have the best defensive line in football this side of the Giants of last year. The offense will be improved; AP and Chester Taylor will rush for over 2,500 yards; and the passing game will depend more on Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice than Tarvaris Jackson, because Tarvaris wouldn’t have a bad year last year, he just didn’t have anybody who could hold on to the ball when he threw it. The best the Vikes can hope for is to get lucky in the playoffs and get to the NFC Championship game

    Say what you want about Favre but McCarthy and Thompson will find out that he was worth at least 4 wins per year to the Pack. They have a good young team, but some have it, and some people don’t, Favre does, and they traded him. The best they can hope for is a wildcard game

    PS what happens if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt?

    Bears have no offense and the defense is getting old

    Does Detroit still have a team? … just kidding

    Had the Vikings record dead on. The defense wound up 6th not 3rd. And Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor wound up with about 2,160 yards not 2,500. Vikings should get the first playoff game against the Eagles but their the season ends when they play the Giants

    Had the Bears (who could have predicted … Kyle Orton and Forte?) and Packers final standings flipped

    Guess I was right about the Lions. Sorry Michigan

  41. freepatriot says:

    if I had any technological awareness at all, I probably would have used the word “formatting” (it’s a reloading thing on dialup)

    but I’m really just an ink stained type picker, so I’ll stick with the “composing room” placard, thank you

    didn’t think I could get away with calling it “writing”

  42. freepatriot says:

    and could we arrange a special trash talking edition tommorrow

    oregon is playin oklahoma state, and I got a hankerin to trash both of em

    Ok St just because they’re the Sooners’ in-state rival, and oregon cuz us Californians don’t much like oregon (they started it)

    so let’s all get together an poke fun at yokel yniversity and the duck pluckers (they’re doin somethin awful STRANGE to them ducks, that’s why they fight …)

    I’ll be here all week, I need the fruit …

    • john in sacramento says:

      This should be a good game though

      Oregon v Oklahoma State

      A lot of good offensive NFL talent on both teams

      Just look at the O/U which is 77

      The line is either a pickum or Ducks favored by -1

      It could be that close

      Just a guess, but Ducks surprise the Cowboys, by winning and covering

      —-

      Oregon State v Pitt

      Beavers are -2.5

      The Pac 10 continues to be unbeaten in this years bowl season and a surprise those East of the Rockies with the Beavers beating Pitt easily and covering

  43. freepatriot says:

    I’m thinking need to get a booth review on this:

    Someone on the Giants’ conference call asked Manning if he planned to go to San Diego to watch his brother Peyton play for the Indianapolis Colts against the Chargers in the first round.

    “No, no, no plans,” Manning said. As an afterthought, Manning added: “My plans to Cabo fell through, so I am going to sit here. That is a joke, by the way.”

    is that “good Eli”, or “Bad Eli” ???

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