The NFL is Poop - Conference Championships

Har-Bowl
This is going to be the big story this week. Two brothers facing each other in the Super Bowl. It really is remarkable. As amazing as if it were Eli vs. Peyton. I have no idea who the Harbaughs are going to root for, must be an incredibly weird feeling knowing one of your children is going to have the ultimate triumph, but it has to come at the expense of the other who will feel the ultimate disappointment.

Ray's Last Dance
I attributed no weight to the emotional lift Ray Lewis would give his team by coming back from injury and announcing he would retire after the season. I still don't buy into it, but they certainly are playing great right now, though more so on offense than defense. Regardless of how or why it's happening (Lewis might say God is great and allows no weapon raised against hm to prosper) but it will certainly be fun to watch him one more time.

Blueprint for Brady
As great as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are, individually and certainly together, one of the greatest coach/QB duos in NFL history. But in the past 8 years they have lost 7 playoff games (vs. 8 wins) and missed the playoffs in 2008 when Brady had his knee shredded in the opening game of the season. Here are the Patriots point totals in those 7 losses: 13, 34, 14, 14, 21, 17, 13. Now I don't claim to be an expert in defenses but clearly there's a blueprint developing for how to beat the Patriots, pressure Brady, hit him, and force a few turnovers (and get a little lucky).

Bernard Pollard, Patriot Killer
I wrote this last year in this very column about Ravens safety Bernard Pollard:
"If there is one name that strikes fear in the hearts of the New England Patriots it is Bernard Pollard. Pollard, then on the Kanas City Chiefs, is the guy whose hit tore Tom Brady’s ACL on the first play of the 2008 season. A year later while playing for the Texans, Pollard dragged down Wes Welker, injuring his knee. Now on the Baltimore Ravens, Pollard tackled Rob Gronkowski and rolled over his ankle. Gronk was able to return, though he didn’t catch any passes after the injury, and he is expected to play in the Super Bowl. But maybe the biggest atrocity committed by Pollard is his famous locker room dance from Hard Knocks."
Pollard now adding one more incident to his lore, forcing Stevan Ridley to fumble near midfield in the third quarter. At that point the Patriots were trailing 21-13, and driving. That fumble gave the Ravens the ball in good field position and they scored a touchdown to take the decisive 28-13 lead.

Falcons Choked
No other way to describe, the Atlanta Falcons choked, for the second week in a row. In their two playoff games they scored 44 points in the first half, and 10 in the second half (while allowing 42 second half points). It's hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong in these games, but they lost their aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, and it cost them.

Worth It
I dealt with this a lot when the Redskins traded for Robert Griffin III but in light of the great performance of Julio Jones (11 catches, 182 yards) it might be worth repeating: you can't judge a trade by the value of what you gave up, only by the value of what you got. The Falcons got the game-breaking receiver they needed, so the trade was certainly worth it.

Bill Belichick is a Lowlife
You'd think being a professional coach with years of experience would teach someone how to lose with class, grace and dignity. Didn't happen for Bill Belichick. He refused to make himself available for an interview with CBS after the game, sending Devin McCourty in his stead. And when he did appear for the league mandated press conference he said "we gave up too many points and we didn't score enough points." What a complete classless, petulant primadonna.

Kaepernicking is Here To Stay
We knew Colin Kaepernick wasn't going to be able to recreate his rushing performance but he showed himself to be a versatile quarterback who can beat teams with his arm and his legs. He throws hard, and he's accurate and as long as he can stay away from getting too aggressive and throwing into coverage, I think he will be a good quarterback for a long time to come.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
San Francisco 49ers 21 Baltimore Ravens 16
I think the 49ers defense is better and I really love the way Kaepernick is playing. Obviously Flacco has been on fire recently too, but I just have the feeling this is the 9ers year.

Weekly Picks

Too little too late but it was nice to have a perfect week.

NEW ENGLAND -8 baltimore
This sometimes happens after upsets, a mismatch in the next round. I do not see the Patriots losing this game so I would have a hard time picking Baltimore to cover.

BEST BET
san francisco -3 1/2 ATLANTA
I think this spread is out of line because of what Kaepernick did last week. He is not going to be able to do that again. I am very worried about this pick but I thought the 9ers would make the Super Bowl before the playoffs and I have seen nothing that would make me change my mind.
Note: Spread edited with permission of Papa Poop.

Last Week: 4-0 (5 point)
Season: 42-51 (33 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (5-14)
Home Favorites: 2-0 (15-22)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (6-4)
Road Favorites: 0-0 (11-15)
Road Underdogs: 2-0 (10-10)

A Lot of Dirt Being Kicked in Heaven Tonight

Former Orioles manager Earl Weaver died today at the age of 82. He was on the Orioles fantasy cruise in the Caribbean and he collapsed in his room in the middle of the night, doctors could not revive him.
Weaver won 4 American League pennants, winning the World Series 1970 and losing 3 (1969, 1971 & 1979) [CORRECTED]. He did not manage the Orioles in 1983 when they won the Series. That was one of the answers I got wrong in my appearance on "Stump the Schwab."
Weaver is best known for his arguments with umpires when he kicked dirt on them and evidently curse up a storm. Here is the full unedited argument with Bill Haller in 1980 after Haller called a balk on Mike Flanagan.

Lying Lance

Lance Armstrong finally confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career in which he won 7 Tours De France. His admission doesn’t surprise me, what shocked me is that he made the admission at all. It was a huge mistake for Armstrong to confess, and an even bigger mistake for him to do it for Oprah.
For years Armstrong lied about his doping/cheating and he didn’t just go into a shell and refuse to talk about it, he viciously went after anyone who told the truth about him. Armstrong’s admission now creates a ton of legal problems for him.
First of all, he could go to jail. Federal authorities decline to prosecute him but now they could pursue him with renewed vigor because he lied to them during the course of the investigation.
Then there are all the civil suits. Everyone he called a liar, everyone who gave him money under false pretenses, from Nike to the United States Postal Service, could sue him to recoup some of the money.
So why did Lance do this? An attack of conscience? Unlikely because if that were the case it would have been much more prudent to confess to authorities, and try to get leniency under the law. And perhaps try to settle some of the civil suits.
I think Lance Armstrong is such a sociopath he really doesn't understand how his actions are received by others. He needs the adoration so badly that he can't understand how badly his comments and actions really are. Perfect example, during this interview, his big admission, he makes a fat joke, to Oprah. No one laughs.

I can't embed it yet so just watch the awkward moment here.

The Best Promotion for "Catfish" There Could Ever Be

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, and all of us, were the victims of a hoax. Te’o evidently believed some hot chick from Stanford he met online was his girlfriend. And we believed the story that she had gotten into a horrible car accident, the doctors discovered she had leukemia, which eventually killed her. And that death happened around the same time Te’o’s grandmother died. Which happened around the same time Te’o lead Notre Dame to a big win over Michigan State using the two deaths as inspiration.

Now we know there is no such person as Lennay Kekua. Someone else was operating a Twitter account in her name. Pictures of her were actually pictures of someone else. The voice he heard on the phone was someone else.
Te’o says he was duped and didn’t find out she never existed until December 6th and didn't tell the University until December 26th. There’s almost no way this could possibly be true, but it seems like Te’o was very careful not to say he ever met her in person, though his father certainly implied it. Deadspin, which did a great job uncovering the story, very neatly lays out all the evidence.
Maybe the biggest villain/dupe in all of this is Pete Thamel who really made this a national story when his piece on Te’o for Sports Illustrated centered on this tragic loss. He never asked for a picture of them together. He thought it odd that he couldn’t find an obituary for her online, but didn’t ask enough questions.
The story is too long and sordid for me to examine every single detail but I will say that my suspicion is that initially Te’o got duped. Eventually he figured it out but was too embarrassed about his phony girlfriend to come clean. So he conspired with the liar to kill off the fake girlfriend and hope it would go away.
Maybe he was duped the entire time, but told lies and omissions to make it seem less creepy that he had an online friend whom he had never met. I doubt that, but it is possible. It’s also possible Te’o was in on this the entire time, maybe to get publicity, maybe just because he’s young and dumb. But I doubt that too. Here's why: I read where a former Stanford player said Te'o asked the Stanford players if they knew his girl. So that's why I'm going with my suspicion that he was duped at first but got in too deep.
But I may get burned because you can't trust a liar.

Ladies, You Can Protect Yourself From Disease

A once dreaded disease has now been nearly eradicated thanks to the beautiful young women who have protected themselves from this dreaded ailment.

Pubic lice, more commonly known as "crabs", are now basically an endangered species. Doctors think the popularity of bikini waxing may be to blame (or thank). In Australia, no women have been seen with crabs at Sydney's main sexual health clinic since 2008, and male cases have fallen 80% over the past 10 years.

So-called Brazilian waxes, in particular, are seen as contributing to the downfall of pubic lice, since nearly all the pubic hair —the habitat, in this case— is removed in that procedure. All in all, more than 80% of US college students remove some or all of their pubic hair these days, Bloomberg reports. It's arguably a nicer way of dealing with the crabs problem, than the typical treatment, which is a topical insecticide.

Song of the Week

"I Do Love You" - Billy Stewart
Just a beautiful, awesome mid-60s R&B song. I love the harmonies, which are sung with his brother on backup. Billy Stewart died 43 years ago tomorrow in a car accident.



There is an awesome cover version of "I Do Love You" by Barbara Mason. It's good in it's own right and because the lyrics, the style, and especially the voice, are so different, it doesn't detract from the original, it actually adds to it.

Everyone Does Stupid Things in College

After beating NC State beat Duke by 8 points (as Damino correctly predicted) NC State students stormed the court. They did it because their team has just defeated the #1 team in the country, and because it's fun. I have stormed a few courts and a football field in my dad and it's really cool, it's exciting and it's nice to have that experience.



Will Privette is a senior at NC State, studying communications. He is a huge sports fan, has been to every home basketball game but one in his four years and even did statistical work for the basketball team. Privette was born with leg deformities and has been in a wheelchair his entire life. As this game was ending he wheeled courtside and a friend offered to push him onto the court. It seemed like a good idea at the time but when the crowd came Privette got plowed out of his chair and went flying. Guard CJ Leslie found him, picked him up and held him until he could be reunited with his chair.

Privette was not hurt, but his phone was cracked and his chair was damaged. "But I don't regret it at all", he says.
"It was the dumbest thing I've done in college but it was awesome."
"I'm glad this happened my senior year. It's a great way to go out."

Normally, I would criticize someone for doing something so dumb that could jeopardize his safety. But in this case I don't blame Privette one bit for wanting to feel like a normal college student.

You Have Time For This

I used to think it was borderline racist to make fun of black people like Antoine Dodson and those in Alabama who thought there was a leprechaun in their neighborhood either by autotuning their comments or simply passing the video around the internet.
But thanks to Pres. Obama and the enlightened people who voted him to not one but two terms, I don't think America is racist anymore. This is actually a sign of progress, black people can be made fun of for being stupid just like any other racial or ethnic group.
With that said, and with a clear conscience I present to you Sweet Brown:



Mrs. Poop has played that video so many times that if I ask her to do something, no matter what it is, she says "ain't nobody got time for that." And Chase is running around the house screaming "oh lord Jesus it's a firrrrre."

But if you are a little more enlightened, a little more politically correct and would prefer to laugh with as opposed to laugh at your African-American brothers, here is Billy's favorite video, the actual funeral for Willie McCoy who sang the Chili's baby-back ribs jingle:



"I'm not sure if having pigs at the funeral was the brightest idea."

Big Breast Theory

Kaley Cuoco wins this year's "check out those golden globes" award. And good thing because maybe it'll take attention away from her face, makeup and hair.

The NFL is Poop - Divisional Playoffs

Some Quick Thoughts on Baltimore-Denver
Remember when Peyton Manning used to have the reputation as a choker? He beat a bad Bears team in one Super Bowl and that got completely wiped out. But he absolutely positively cost his team this game with a horrible throw that got picked off, basically gifting the Ravens the win.
I thought a double overtime playoff game was pretty remarkable. Apparently CBS didn't. They didn't show a graphic, or even mention, to my recollection, how many 2OT games there had been (5) and how many longer than this one (3). The most famous and the longest being Kansas City-Miami in 1971.
Maybe their lips were frozen shut but the crowd didn't seem to be very noisy at all. I could hear all of Peyton Manning's line calls including "hurry! hurry!" before every snap. I don't know who was less coherent in that postgame interview, Ray Lewis or Solomon Wilcots. "What made you believe you could win?" Really? Not, can you believe Peyton Manning threw that horrible pass? Or have you ever played in a better game? This is why sideline reporters are usually hot chicks. They can't get anything good anyway, might as well just be hot.
Yes the officiating was poor and I disagreed with several calls and no-calls. But I think this was just one of those games were there was an unbelievably high number of very close calls.
An amazing number of big plays in this one, the two kick returns by Denver, the two big passes early to Torrey Smith, and several other patterns where he got past Champ Bailey. But if this game has to have one indelible image it will be the 70-yard TD from Flacco to Jacoby Jones with 30 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. Just an unbelievable throw by Flacco, but how did the Denver defense let him get that wide open.

Prevent Defense Prevents You From Winning
Despite what happened to Denver on that Jacoby Jones pass I still think teams are much more likely to lose when they get away from their normal defensive aggressive and sit back in soft zones and dare their opponents to beat them. NFL quarterbacks and receivers, given enough time can always come free for receptions.
Atlanta's soft defense allowed 3 Seattle touchdowns on drives of 80, 62 and 60 yards. But the Seahawks didn't learn anything. They didn't pressure the QB, they didn't give Atlanta only short routes. Two passes, 41 yards and then a field goal.
Its certainly easier said than done, and on two passes anything can happen, but certainly the Falcons nearly cost themselves a shot at the Super Bowl with their bend and break strategy.

Questioning Carroll
Two big fuckups in the first half could have eventually cost the Seahawks this game. First, Pete Carroll went for it on 4th and 1 from the Falcons 11 down 13-0 in the middle of the second quarter. I like this call. Obviously, it turned out they could have used those three points, but given the information at the time, it was a worthwhile gamble. Though I would have put the ball in Russell Wilson's hands.
Second, Russell Wilson got sacked right before the half (at the 11 yard line again!) and the Seahawks couldn't get set quickly enough to get another snap off, costing them a chance at the field goal. Wilson has to get rid of the ball there.
I understand the game changes completely based on the score, especially the way the Falcons sat on the lead, but it's interesting to go back and wonder what might have happened.

Tom Brady is Good
Sometimes it really amazes me that the Patriots haven't won the Super Bowl in 8 years. It seems like every time Tom Brady is in a big game he just slices up the opposing defense with short passes, then hits a few big ones. And the Patriots don't tighten up when they get a lead. Yes 18 points is a big 4th quarter lead, but right after the Texans turned it over on downs, the Patriots threw for the end zone of first down, hit a 33-yard TD to Ben Vereen to essentially end the game.
As for the Texans, they have so many good players, at important positions, Schaub, Foster, Johnson, Watt, etc. But they still can't win the big game. They have to keep trying with this group, but this should have been their year. Had they not let home-field slip through their fingers who knows what might have happened.

Coming Out Parties
I have been writing about Michael Crabtree on this blog for years and he finally made his mark on the league with 119 yards and 2 TDs.

But the unquestioned star of this game was Colin Kaepernick.
It was just an unbelievable performance. Other than one bad decision early in the game which got intercepted and returned for a TD, he did everything right. He passed when he should have passed, he ran when he should have run, and he slid or got out of bounds every time he should have, and the Packers never put a spy on him to keep him in the backfield. It was a legendary performance, calling to mind a young Michael Vick going into Green Bay and beating the Packers with a similar style.
I really think we are seeing the evolution of the quarterback. Guys like Manning, Brady and Brees are so last century. Now guys like Wilson, RG3 and Kaepernick can throw and run and one sets up the other. They are almost impossible to defend and they are incredibly fun to watch. Kaepernick's 56-yard TD was a thing of beauty.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
Why is a Redskins fan ranting this week? The Redskins are out of it, move on. Yes, but I couldn't help get very sad watching Colin Kaepernick and thinking "that's supposed to be RG3, that's supposed to be me, that's supposed to be us."
He is just as fast, if not faster, has just as good an arm, maybe more accurate, is just as exciting, and I think even a better decision maker. But injuries robbed him and us of that this year. I just hope eventually, he will have his time. And I will have mine.

Picture of the Week
I am a sucker for a good picture of a sweaty, steaming head on a cold day. Thanks, Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

The Best Weekend of the Year
It's pretty much common knowledge among football fans that this is the best weekend of the year. It's better than the first round of playoffs because the best teams are playing, its better than the conference championship weekend because there are twice as many games and it's better than the Super Bowl because the game is often (but not much recently) a letdown. And this weekend was one of the best ever. Two really great games, one that wasn't close but very fun to watch, and the last one wasn't much of a game, but we were so spent at that point that who cared.

What Happened to Parity?
The NFL often brags about its parity and that anyone can win at any time, thanks to the salary cap which tends to level the playing field. But 3 of the 4 conference finalists from last year are back this year. But since the Giants aren't, the NFL will have its 5th different champion in the last 5 years.

Cereal Offender

Kevin Garnett is a well-known trash talker who will say anything to get under an opponent's skin. His tactics worked on Carmelo Anthony who completely lost his cool because of Garnett's physical and verbal assault.
Melo tried to confront Garnett after the game, waiting in the tunnel for him to board the Celtics team bus.



Why was Melo so angry? KG reportedly told him that his wife, LaLa tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios. Melo got a one-game suspension for this which I felt was totally unjustified. Melo didn't actually do anything. He may have contemplated something, or attempted something, but like attempted murder, it's unfair to punish someone for a crime they didn't commit. If anything, for infractions actually committed, Garnett should have been whacked.

But at least LaLa has a good sense of humor about it, suggesting on Twitter that they all deserve a check from Honey Nut Cheerios for all the free advertising.

Weekly Picks

Another week, another ill-fated best bet. What else is new?

baltimore +9 DENVER
I think Denver will win. I think they are the eventual Super Bowl champions, I just think this game could be a little more difficult than we expect.

SAN FRANCISCO -3 green bay
This is probably the toughest game of the weekend to call but I'll go with the home team and the better defense.

seattle +2 1/2 ATLANTA
The Seahawks might be a team of destiny. They're really good and Atlanta seems to be one of those teams we've seen recently, really hot start to the season, coast down the stretch and never reach that level of play in the playoffs. Plus, they may not have been that good to begin with.

BEST BET
NEW ENGLAND -9 1/2 houston
The Patriots killed the Texans when they played in the regular season and that was only 1 month ago. It's been proven that blowouts in the regular season don't have a correlation to the playoffs but everything about this game says New England blowout to me.

Last Week: 2-2 (1 point)
Season: 38-51 (28 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (4-14)
Home Favorites: 1-0 (13-22)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (6-4)
Road Favorites: 1-0 (11-15)
Road Underdogs: 0-2 (8-10)

I Wanted to Punch Him Too

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is a professional shit-stirrer. Redskins lineman Trent Williams had enough of his shit by the end of the playoff game last week. Sherman was miked up for NFL Films, you can see him throughout the game being a dick to opposing players, the referees, and even the fans.



I'm surprised that Sherman didn't retaliate, and that a punch from a guy as big and strong as Williams didn't hurt more.

Song of the Week

"My Ship is Comin' In" - Jimmy Radcliffe
"You can throw away that shabby dress
Buy yourself the finest things in town girl.
Dry your eyes, we're celebratin'
Oh there's so much happiness waitin'
Baby, my ship is coming in"

A Few Things On Which Murray Chass and I Agree

My dislike for baseball writer Murray Chass is now well-known. It started in 1997, when I asked him if steroids were a big part of baseball and he dismissed me with a sneer. Now Chass is taking my position (a position I have grown into) steroids users should not be in the Hall of Fame. He also agrees that he shouldn’t have a vote, he’s giving his up. But not before he casts one – or two – defiant votes in favor of Jack Morris.
Let’s start with the steroid users. I’ve made a minor adjustment in my position and I would seek to ban all steroid users from the Hall of Fame. I admit that’s is hard-line, and my strict adherence to this principle may end up being capricious and unfair but it’s better than any other way of voting.
Some voters just say let everyone in, forget steroids, just judge based on performance whether it was steroid-aided or not. I can’t stomach that.
Others say vote in the guys who would have been Hall of Famers based on their pre-steroid performance.
Others want to punish anyone linked to steroids but not cast aspersions on those whose names (if not their bodies) have remained clean.
Here’s why I feel so absolute: It’s impossible to know when players started taking steroids. They’re liars, we can’t believe them. It’s impossible to know how their careers would have turned out fir not for steroids keeping them healthy and prolonging their primes.
It’s not fair to allow those who didn’t get caught or admit it while other better players who did the same thing got left out. If anything, we should let in the admitted users, in hopes to smoke everyone out and to get a better understanding of what exactly went on.
Please don’t tell me: players in the 50s and 60s were using amphetamines. It’s not even close to being the same thing in terms of effect on performance.
Steroids weren’t against the rules. Yes they were. They were against the law. Using illicit drugs was against baseball’s rules. Failure to enforce those rules is shameful, but it doesn’t absolve the rule breakers.

So here’s what I’ve got: Bonds and Clemens are out because they’re known steroids users.

Palmeiro and Manny are out because they failed tests.
Sosa, Bagwell and Piazza are out because of serious suspicions about them. I put Craig Biggio in that group too.
So that could result in an entire era of players, stars from the 90s and 00s, pretty much wiped out of the Hall. I’m ok with that. Hopefully a new breed of stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Buster Posey will fill those vacancies in the Hall and in our hearts.

Now, if I had a ballot for this year I would cast one vote: for Tim Raines. He was one of the greatest players at his position during his time period. No he wasn’t Rickey Henderson but he was close enough that he warrants induction as well. I would never vote for Jack Morris. His 3.90 ERA would be one of the worst of any pitcher in the Hall. His career ERA+ (adjusted for park and run-scoring environment) of 105 means he was barely an above-average pitcher. Yes he had a few great postseason games which is nice, but not enough to elevate an above-average pitcher to greatness.

The Best Part of the BCS Title Game

If you watched the BCS National Championship between Alabama and Notre Dame you probably turned it off at some point as Alabama kicked Notre Dame's ass. But I hope you stuck around long enough to see this:

The ESPN crew shows AJ McCarron's incredibly hot beauty queen, model girlfriend, Katherine Webb in the stands. No problem there. The problem came when Brent Musburger who is legit 50 years older than Webb started fawning all over her.

"When you're the quarterback at Alabama, you see that lovely lady there. She does go to Auburn, don't admit that but she's also Miss Alabama and that's AJ McCarron's girlfriend. "You quarterbacks, you get all the good looking women. What a beautiful woman."
"Wow!" Herbstreit said.
"Whoa!" Musburger chimed in.
"AJ's doing some things right down in Tuscaloosa," Herbstreit said.
"If you're a youngster in Alabama, start getting the football out and throw it around the backyard with pop," Musburger said.

The NFL is Poop - Wild Card Playoffs

Good Enough, But Not Good
I don't think the Houston Texans proved anything to anyone with this performance. They put together plenty of drives but could not finish, kicking four field goals instead of touchdowns. And that almost cost them the game. The Bengals had that one final drive that stalled late, after which Houston ran out the clock.
I actually think the Bengals should have gone for it. 4th and 11 is very unlikely. I like their chances better had they kicked a 54-yarder (no gimme) and with 3 minutes left tried to stop them and get the ball back for a final drive for a game-tying field goal.

Over Before It's Begun
You knew the Vikings had no chance to win this game once we found out Christian Ponder wasn't playing. It wasn't just the Joe Webb was bad (which he was) but that any real threat of the passing game was taken away and the Packers were able to key on Peterson, even more than they normally would have. I have been saying this about backup/young quarterbacks for a while now, their offensive coordinators are often their worst enemies. They go to incredibly conservative game plans which force the inexperienced QB to pass only in obvious passing situations, making it harder, because the defense knows he's going to pass.
With the way Aaron Rodgers played it was very possible the Packers would win this game no matter whom the Vikings started, but it seemed right from the outset the Vikings had no chance.

A Tangled Webb
I hate comparing all black quarterbacks to Michael Vick but in this case the comparison is incredibly apt. Webb is fast, and had some great runs. He has a wonderfully strong arm. Did you see the pass to Jerome Simpson over the middle, overthrown by ten yards? Or the one down the sidelines intercepted by Sam Shields, which was only overthrown by 5? It wasn't just the strong arm that was completely inaccurate, it was his uncertainty in the pocket, waiting, waiting, waiting for a receiver to come open, and taking sacks. And at least two ridiculous passes where Webb flung the ball up in the air, in the middle of the field, instead of taking a sack. Neither was picked off, but both could have been. In all it was a positively Vick-ian performance from a QB who like Vick has all the physical tools but not of the intangibles needed to be a winning quarterback, especially in the playoffs.

Someone Cover Anquan Boldin
Despite some terrible offense and many failures in the red zone the Indianapolis Colts were actually in this game until they let Anquan Boldin run wild in the second half.
Here were his catches:
50 yards on 3rd and 19 (when it was still 10-6)
10 yards on 1st and 10 (to start a drive)
46 yards (to set up the TD that put the Ravens up 17-6)
21 yards (keying another promising drive that was short circuited by a Ray Rice fumble on the next play)
18 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory
5 catches, 145 yards, all in the second half, many of them incredible catches.
Andrew Luck wasn't good and he didn't make the plays that needed to be made the way Joe Flacco and especially Anquan Boldin did.

It Can't End Like This
Ray Lewis is one of the greatest players in NFL history and his career is almost over. He missed a big chunk of the season with a triceps injury but made a comeback for the playoffs, one final hurrah in front of the home crowd. But this wasn’t Willie Mays limping around during the 1973 World Series. Lewis though diminished, (2000 Ray never would have dropped that interception) still had 13 tackles and was a major force on defense, and I suppose more of an inspirational leader for his defense than I thought he could be.

In fact, they love him so much in Baltimore they gave him one last chance to perform his dance, even at the risk of being bad sports. On the final play, the kneeldown, Lewis took the position as deep back behind the quarterback. And after Flacco took a knee, Lewis launched into his famous dance, wowing the home crowd for one final time. If he decides to stick to his retirement promise.



A Brief Rant About the Redskins
Why must my teams not only lose, but do so in the most painful fashion possible? Not just a loss, a playoff loss at home. And not just a playoff loss at home, a playoff loss at home, after blowing a 14-0 lead. And not just a playoff loss at home after blowing a 14-0 lead, the star quarterback also got hurt, who knows how seriously.
Let’s start with the game. There is no question Mike Shanahan should have taken RG3 out. There were plenty of chances to do it. The first time he got hurt, after that run when he limped to the sidelines, after the offense became ineffective because Seattle knew he couldn’t scramble, after he got sacked because he couldn’t run through the wide-open lane. If Shanahan has some balls he takes RG3 out then and Cousins at least gives the Redskins a chance to win.
I don’t blame RG3 for wanting to stay in, I blame Shanahan for not doing what was best for the team.
And now not only did we lose that game, there’s a possibility he could have suffered an even more serious injury that could affect him next year and perhaps beyond.
Maybe this is the downside of having a quarterback who plays this style, he’s going to get hurt, and we just have to live with it. But where there was once so much promise, now there is just a lot of worry.

Weekly Picks

A horrible regular season is over so now I can begin a horrible postseason.

cincinnati +4 ½ HOUSTON
I never believed in the Texans though they seem to have all the weapons. I don’t much believe in momentum but there’s definitely something to teams that either improve or get worse as the season goes along. I actually think the Bengals have a decent chance to win this game so I will gladly take the points.

GREEN BAY -7 ½ minnesota
Same exact spread as last week when the Vikings covered. I normally love when teams play twice in a row or in short proximity, just pick the first winner to win again, probably because they’re better. But in this case I think the Packers are better. They got totally run over twice in a row by Adrian Peterson. I think they’ll be able to do more to stop him this time and Aaron Rodgers will put up enough points to cover this spread.

seattle -2 ½ WASHINGTON
There was no chance I was going to pick the Redskins in this game, no matter the opposition, no matter the spread. But I do think the Seahawks are going to win this game. Their defense is great, ours is adequate. Both teams have great running games and dynamic, young quarterbacks. Both teams are better than their records indicate because they’re both on long winning streaks. Maybe because I’ve watched every Redskins game I’m more familiar with their warts, but the Redskins need to force turnovers to win. If Wilson protects the ball, the Seahawks will prevail. Assuming their secondary is all hopped up on Adderal and Viagra as they normally are.

BEST BET
indianapolis +6 ½ BALTIMORE
I actually think the Colts are going to win this game. The Ravens time has come. I love Ray Lewis and will miss him dearly but his impact on this game will be minimal, and the impact of his retirement announcement as a motivator for the rest of the defense.

Last Week: 3-2 (2 points)
Season: 36-49 (27 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (4-13)
Home Favorites: 3-1 (12-22)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (6-4)
Road Favorites: 0-1 (10-15)
Road Underdogs: 0-0 (8-8)

NFL Playoff Predictions

AFC Playoffs
Houston over Cincinnati
Indianapolis over Baltimore

Denver over Indianapolis
New England over Houston

Denver over New England

NFC Playoffs
Green Bay over Minnesota
Seattle over Washington

San Francisco over Green Bay
Seattle over Atlanta

San Francisco over Seattle

Super Bowl
Denver 31 San Francisco 23

Song of the Week

"New York Minute" - Don Henley
One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I've heard.
"In a New York minute, everything can change."

Extreme Makeover: Paulo Edition

Due to a bout of indifference stemming from my job-borne frustration, I grew my normal winter beard, but instead of keeping it neat and trim as I normally do, I let it grow wild and unruly until I looked Hasidic. But because I am starting a new job, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression (I'm going to do my George W. Bush), I had to cut my hair, shave my beard and trim the goatee portion of my facial hair. This massive transformation took place over the course of about 15 minutes in my kitchen and bathroom.

New Year, New Job

A few months ago my friend and supervisor left my place of employment to take a better job at a competitor. Someone else was elevated to his role, it was widely assumed, especially by me, that I would be elevated to that vacancy. For reasons too complicated and aggravating to explain here, that did not happen.
I was shocked, saddened, angry, confused and hopeless. But as always, the Universe takes care of me. The reason I didn't get that job is so the Universe could reward me with a better one instead. The aforementioned friend and supervisor has recruited me to join him at his new place of employment.
I will be making more money, getting a key promotion I have been seeking for 5 years, and working much closer to home. Because I no longer have to commute, in addition to the increase salary I will be saving thousands on parking, gas and tolls.
And the biggest perk of all, I get free dinner every night. Which leads me to the worst part of this new job. By the way, isn't that always the case, the best part is the result of the worst part.
My new hours will be 11a to 8p. I won't have to wake up early, or even set an alarm, I won't get dressed in the dark, which may seem better to some. But to me I will miss my afternoons off. I will be devastated when summer rolls around and I don't get to come home at 3p and take the boys to the park. And I won't eat dinner with my family every night.
But that is a small sacrifice to make in the face of all I am going to gain from this new job. And Mrs. Poop who is making the biggest sacrifice of all, facing these monsters alone everyday, is also reaping the rewards, beginning with a brand new iPhone5.
And that is how life goes, you always have to let go of what you have to open your hand to get something better. It is fitting I start this job on the beginning of a new years, because it represents new challenges, new rewards and stuff we're going to buy with all that new money.

Note: please use discretion when commenting about my past or current employers.

Note: my e-mail account and blackberry had to be surrendered when I left. So you can't e-mail me at that address or text or call me on that phone number. Stand by for new information and if you need to reach me most of you know my personal address or can contact me through social media.

Black Monday

7 NFL head coaches were fired on Monday, the day after the NFL season ended.
12 coaches made the playoffs. 5 coaches just completed their first year (hired after their predecessors were fired on last Black Monday.
The leaves just 8 coaches who missed the playoffs and kept jobs they've had for more than a year (Ron Rivera, Jason Garrett, Jim Schwartz, Sean Payton, Tom Coughlin, Mike Tomlin, Mike Munchak and Rex Ryan).
I can understand most of those, except Rex Ryan.
The Jets did fire GM Mike Tannenbaum who certainly was a large part of the problem. When the Jets were contending for AFC titles Tannenbaum pursued a very polarized salary structure (a few high-priced players, mostly low priced roster-filler) and it backfired due to injury and underperformance. He also made a huge bad gamble on by giving Mark Sanchez more money. I don't blame him for the Tebow deal, because it was low risk and never given a chance to pay off.
And that's where Ryan comes in. He continued to insist his strategies were working when everyone else knew they failed. His stubbornness in refusing to replace Sanchez, was a major failing. And it's not as if the Jets have real hopes to turn this around next season, with such weak quarterback prospects. What's the point of giving Ryan one more year when he's likely to fail anyway. Better to completely clean house, bottom out and start to rebuild.

If there's any fired coach I would have given another chance to, it would have been Lovie Smith. The Bears finished 10-6 but missed the playoffs, particularly hard to swallow given their 7-1 start. Smith has been unable to get the best consistently out of Jay Cutler. I'm starting to believe that no one will ever be able to do that. But Smith continued to field a strong defense intent on forcing turnovers and keeping the team in games. The Bears are getting older on defense, but I think Smith could have been given another season or two to try to make this work.

Unlike Andy Reid who had long since overstayed his welcome. 14 years is a long time, and despite his early success, there comes a time when change is necessary for change sake. Like Smith and Cutler, Reid wasn't able to reform Michael Vick into a quarterback who could play without turning the ball over. Unlike Smith, he's an offensive coach who should have had more success than that.

Norv Turner also was there too long. Turner is a terrible a coach. His teams always underachieve and though it's hard to pinpoint his exact problem I think it's clear at this point that he should never be an NFL head coach ever again. I think there is a good chance Andy Reid gets this job and tries to make something out of Philip Rivers.

Ken Whisenhunt is another coach who had success early on (almost won a Super Bowl) but has since faded horribly. Remember when the Cardinals won their first 4 games this season, including a win over the Patriots? Well, they lost 11 of the next 12, and that was the end of Whisenhunt. But I'm not sure any coach can win with that array of quarterbacks.

Pat Shurmur in Cleveland was also dealt a difficult hand. He got only two years and shitty quarterbacks. The team and Brandon Weeden showed promise towards the end of the season. I would have given Shurmur more time but I understand a new owner wants to come in and pick his own guys.

Chan Gailey coached the Bills for 3 seasons. They lost at least 10 games and finished last all three years. This season the team sank a ton of money into its defense, which stunk. Gailey deserved to be fired, but good luck to the next guy.

And lastly, Romeo Crennel. He took over with 3 games left in last season and was given the full-time job. Then the Chiefs went 2-14. Crennel is a nice man but not a very good head coach. But like most coaches on this list, he was the victim of poor quarterback play. His season as head coach of the Chiefs will always be remembered for Jovan Belcher committing suicide as Crennel watched and tried to convince him not to. "You're taking the easy way out," Crennel yelled, to no avail.

The NFL is Poop - Week 17

Yo, Adrian
An amazing season by Adrian Peterson comes to an end 9 yards short of breaking the NFL's single-season rushing record. The passing record fell in 2011, the receiving record in 2012, maybe next year is Peterson's year. Regardless of a record Peterson was absolutely incredible this year, especially in this game. He didn't even seem to know how few yards he fell short by when Pam Oliver referenced it in the postgame interview. And even more amazing because he tore his ACL a year ago. Amazing player, amazing season, the lack of a record doesn't diminish it at all.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
A beautiful game following the formula the Redskins have followed all season. Run the ball down the opponents throat, give up tons of yards on defense and then force the key interception. The Redskins picked off Tony Romo 3 times, the first one thwarted the Cowboys when they were poised to take an early lead. The last one pretty much sealed the game and snuffed out any hopes of an heroic Romo comeback. RGIII was clearly not himself, he rushed for 63 yards (but you could see he was holding back) and completed only 9 passes for 100 yards. But that's because the Redskins didn't need more.

The Forgotten Rookie
This year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award is going to go to Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III with an outside chance of Russell Wilson.
Note: Perhaps I'll analyze this rookie of the year race at a later date.
And though Alfred Morris is probably going to finish 4th, his season is no less remarkable just because it happened to occur in conjunction with three exceptional rookie QB seasons. Morris's 1613 yards is the best 3rd best rookie total ever. In the past 20 years, 11 running backs have won the rookie of the year (Faulk, Martin, Bettis) and Morrs's numbers compare favorably with all of them. I'm not saying Alf deserves to win. I'm just pointing out that for a guy who was a 6th round pick out of Florida International, he had a hell of a rookie season. And the 6th round pick the Redskins used to take him, that was acquired from Minnesota in the Donovan McNabb trade.

Why the Super Bowl Isn't Played in October
For much of the season the two teams competing in my mythical Today Super Bowl were the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons. Now neither team is seen as a favorite to get there. The Falcons played well enough to clinch home-field last week so they can't be faulted for losing the to the ExpensiveCornPrices and falling to 13-3. But what was the Texans' excuse? They completely shit the bed against a Colts team with little to play for and now they don't even get a first round bye. Last year the Texans, with TJ Yates starting at quarterback for the injured Matt Schaub, beat the Bengals in the first round of the playoffs. This year they draw the Bengals again but I'm not so sure the result will be the same this time.

Game of the Week
Minnesota Vikings 37 Green Bay Packers 34
This game was not just great because of all the great things Adrian Peterson did. Both quarterbacks played awesome. Rodgers's 73 yard pass to Jordy Nelson that set up the touchdown that got Green Bay back to within 3 late in the 3rd, was surpassed in beauty and accuracy only by the 65-yarder from Christian Ponder to Jarius Wright that got Minnesota back on top 34-27. After that Green Bay tied it up setting up Peterson's dramatic final game-winning drive.

Game of Next Week
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Who doesn't want to see a rematch of that one. Division rivals, Peterson vs. Rodgers. Let's see who can adjust better to stop what the other team did the previous week.

Picture of the Week
San Diego Chargers lineman Antonio Garay shows off his unique haircut. This year NFL Films Presents, one of my favorite shows, did an interesting piece on Garay.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Denver Broncos 31 Seattle Seahawks 13
Denver is one of very few things I got right this year. After Week 5 they were 2-3 but had played a very strong schedule. Their remaining games were considerably weaker, and I thought they would win most of them, but I explicitly said not all. They did win them all and thanks to the collapse by the Texans they have home-field throughout the playoffs. Seattle is still hot, but didn't play great against the Rams.

The Most Obvious Hanukkah Present Ever

Two very obvious things happened on Hanukah:
1) I got a Robert Griffin III jersey
2) RG3 got hurt the next day

I can't say this enough times, and I probably mention every week in my brief rant about the Redskins, I love RGIII. He is a great player, and a great role model for my children.
Over the summer, Chase had to create an alphabet book using a picture of an item or two starting with each letter. Normally, Q is difficult one, but not for us. We printed a picture of RGIII from the internet and said "that's our quarterback."
With his superior play, his leadership, his grace, his smile and his panache this is a player Chase and Julian will grow up watching and loving.
And by the time RGIII retires (hopefully after 15 years with the Redskins), they may fit into this jersey.

My Week With New York's College Team

Syracuse's efforts to brand itself as New York's College Team are going to take a big hit next year when it joins the Atlantic Coast Conference. One showcase it will lose is access to the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium, which has obligations to take teams from the Big East and Big XII.

This is the third season of the Pinstripe Bowl and SU's second appearance. I missed the debut game against Kansas State in 2010, which SU won thrillingly. But I wasn't going to miss their second and perhaps last appearance, so as soon as it was officially announced I ordered the tickets for Poppy and me through the Dome Box office. $60 each and only $7 total for shipping and handling, no other fees. Seats were in section 226, the third baseline, second deck 6th. Pretty good seats, along the goal line in the end zone reading Syracuse.

The game was great, SU dominated on the ground, rushing for almost 400 yards, 208 for Prince-Tyson Gulley and 157 for Jerome Smith. SU pulled away in the second half, for a 38-14 win.
The weather really stymied both teams, but I will readily admit that Syracuse is much better equipped to deal with a day such as this when it's hard to throw or catch a pass. The Orange got two safeties, and neither QB threw for 200 yards. At a certain point Syracuse stopped even trying to throw the ball.

The weather actually wasn't that bad from a fan's perspective. The first quarter it rained, which really sucked, but it makes your clothes cold and heavy. But into the second quarter it started to snow lightly which was actually cool. And by the end of the game you could look up and see the perfectly white snow trickling down, set against the pitch black sky.

The worst part of the game were the hooligans seated in front of us. A group of about 10 recent alumni, totally wasted. At first they refused to sit down. At some point they moved to an adjacent section, and remained standing, but out of our line of vision. One of them got so drunk he passed out in the bathroom and security came down to notify his next of kin. Eventually they carried that drunk dumbass back to his seat, literally carried him. But he last only about 5 more minutes before either going underneath or going home. One of his idiotic cohorts almost got into a fistfight with a West Virginia fan, but eventually they calmed down and Poppy and I were able to enjoy the game.

Which is more than I can say about the SU game I went to the previous week, basketball, at Madison Sqaure Garden in something called the Gotham Classic. Seems like a trumped up reason to get a home away from Dome game at MSG.

Billy, who is a baller now, got us some awesome tickets. We were on the sidecourt, opposite the SU bench, looking down the baseline, about 6 rows up in the first section of permanent seats (they have some risers they use for basketball games). Incidentally Scoop Jardine sat in those seats in front of us in the second half and his pants were sagging so low I saw his drawers.

The game was a total disappointment as SU went into an offensive funk early in the second half allowing Temple to take a big lead. SU closed it several times, and actually had the chance to take the lead late when on a fast break Brandon Triche pulled up for 3, inexplicably and missed, giving Temple control of the ball and the game.

The usual suspects hurt SU, shooting 56% from the line and allowing Temple to get 16 offensive rebounds on 36 missed shots.

3 things about Hall of Fame Coach, 900 game winner, Jim Boeheim. He has never figured out how to teach his guys to shoot free throws. And unlike times when he had big men missing free throws and skewing the average, in this game his point guards, Michael Carter Williams and Brandon Triche, shot 9 of 19. I have no idea why he played DaJuan Coleman so sparingly when SU needed rebounding, and boxing out. And I still don't know why he insists on playing such incredibly weak non-conference schedules.

But you win some you lose some and as a fan of SU in New York I will try to keep being there for all of it.

Weekly Picks

Thank God this year is almost over.

NEW YORK GIANTS -6 1/2 philadelphia
I don't think the Giants have quit even though they've played horribly two straight weeks when a lot was on the line.

NEW ORLEANS -4 1/2 carolina
The Saints seem to still be playing hard. This is a pretty small spread for a home team. But hard to figure when two teams are out of it.

DENVER -16 kansas city
Last time they played Kansas City kept it close. Not this time.

NEW ENGLAND -9 1/2 miami
Patriots were disappointing against Jacksonville last week. And disappointed against San Francisco the previous week. They will go into the playoffs playing better than that.

BEST BET
chicago -3 DETROIT
The Bears need this game (and a Vikings loss) to make the playoffs. Detroit is done, and probably have nothing left to care about after getting Calvin Johnson the receiving yards record last week.

Last Week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 33-47 (25 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (4-12)
Home Favorites: 0-0 (9-21)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (6-4)
Road Favorites: 1-2 (10-14)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (8-8)

Washington's Real First Lady

The whole country is smitten with our First Lady Michelle Obama. And they love her even more in Washington DC. Her normal stay-at-home mom wardrobe, her perfectly toned arms and her wonderful caring anti-childhood-obesity program are enough to make you swoon. But there are some holdouts, probably racists and right-wing nuts.
But Washington does have a first lady we can all agree on, Rebecca Liddicoat, soon to be Mrs. Robert Griffin III.
By all accounts, Liddicoat and Griffin have a great relationship. They met and fell in love at Baylor and RG3 proposed to her last year with a love song he wrote himself. The fact that they are different races doesn't matter to them, or anyone who is not Rob Parker.
They certainly look happy.

But there's one thing that nags at me about this, she isn't that hot. Yes, she is pretty, and she'd be attractive enough to date just about any other man. But not the star quarterback, one of the best players in the league. Doesn't RG3 need a smokin' hottie like Lauren Tannehill? Or an international supermodel like Giselle?
But then again, do I really want my star QB involved with some shrew? Don't I want him to have a loving supportive wife who always stands by him and never causes trouble? I think the Mannings have done this right, Peyton Manning's wife Ashley and Eli Manning's wife Abigail are both low-key, but they're also gorgeous, more attractive than the future Mrs. Griffin III.

Poppy Didn't React Like This for His Pinstripe Bowl Ticket

A very touching video is making the rounds on the internet since Christmas. An Alabama fan gets a ticket to the BCS National Title Game, Alabama vs. Notre Dame.



Strange that Poppy didn't react that way when he got a ticket to the Pinstripe Bowl for Christmas.
I love the way the guy tried to seem happy about the hat, and they had to say "what size is it?" in order for him to notice the ticket.

Song of the Week

"Die Young" - Ke$ha
Congratulations on surviving the end of the world prediction from the normally infallible Mayans. But don't rest on your laurels and think you are going to live forever. Take Ke$ha's advice and make a New Year's resolution to live like you're going to die young. But do so in a fiscally prudent matter, just in case you do make it into your golden years.

He Was Asked to Leave His Place of Residence

Jack Klugman died on Christmas Eve at age 90. Klugman, no relation to Razor or FatScat, had been a smoker and had throat cancer and even lost a vocal cord because of it.
He was in one of my favorite old movies, the simple but elegant "12 Angry Men." He was the last surviving actor from the movie.
But he is most famous for his role as the slovenly sports reporter Oscar Madison on the sitcom adaptation of the play/movie, "The Odd Couple", which had one of the best opening themes in TV history.

The Poop's Christmas Message

A lot has been lost this year, a massive hurricane destroying the East Coast, a horrific mass shooting devastating the entire country, and a presidential election saddening about 50 percent of Americans.
It's been a crazy year, but when so much has been lost the best thing to do is to be thankful for that which we do have.
So whether you're spending this time with family celebrating Christmas, or spending it with the proprietors of your local Chinese food restaurant, take a minute to reflect on all that you have gained this year, while others have lost so much.

The NFL is Poop - Week 16

For Real
Four weeks ago I watched the Seattle Seahawks play the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks were 6-5, with one of those wins being the screwjob against the Packers. The Bears had a 14-10 lead late in the game and seemed likely to make the Seahawks 6-6, but really should have been 5-7. Then the Seahawks struck. They scored a late TD in regulation to take a 17-14 lead, then another one in overtime to win the game.
If there were such a thing as momentum, that game started it all. In the three games since the Seahawks have outscored opponents 150-30. Granted, two of the opponents were weak, but they pounded a pretty good San Francisco team.
Seattle has a great defense, with big, strong fast players up front, and in the secondary. They have a great running game which opens things up for Russell Wilson who is putting up numbers just as good or better than his more highly regarded rookie counterparts.

Choke Job
For the second week in a row the Steelers chances of winning the game and making the playoffs were erased by a bad decision by Ben Roethlisberger leading to an interception. This time the Steelers got the ball back with 44 seconds to go deep in their own territory. It probably would have been prudent to play for overtime, but Mike Tomlin trusted his veteran quarterback and Roethlisberger let him down again. Big Ben got intercepted and after one long pass by Andy Dalton the Bengals kicked the winning field goal knocking Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.
Once you win two Super Bowls you pretty much get a free pass for the rest of you career, at least in regards to choking under pressure. But clearly Ben knows the team he is on now is not nearly as good as the ones he used to play for. And tries to do too much, to win games by himself, and sometimes he ends up losing them.

Welcome to the NFL
So you want to be an NFL quarterback? Greg McElroy finally got his big chance and probably wishes Mark Sanchez had started and taken that ass-whipping. McElroy was sacked 11 times, and hit 16 times in total (sacks are included in that). But it's not just the offensive line that's decimated. McElroy was throwing to such luminaries as Clyde Gates, Hayden Smith and Konrad Reuland. The Jets are a terrible team right now and though I agree with giving McElroy the start, the players around him are so bad, it doesn't even seem fair to judge him based on this performance.

Game of the Week
New Orleans Saints 34 Dallas Cowboys 31
In a game the Cowboys absolutely needed to have, they dug themselves a hole, and had Tony Romo dig them out of it. Trailing 31-17 with 4 minutes to go, Romo led a furious comeback with some great passes to Dez Bryant for a big gainer, to Dwayne Harris for the first touchdown, and Miles Austin for the second.
Both quarterbacks threw for over 400 yards, Marques Colston had 153 yards, pretty good, but not compared to the 224 by Dez Bryant.
The good thing for the Cowboys was that this game was basically meaningless for them. Win or lose they still need to beat the Redskins in Week 17 to make the playoffs.

Game of Next Week
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Two bitter rivals, winner take all, most likely the loser misses the playoffs. Sunday night, last game of the season.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
For many years in this space I bitched about the Redskins inability to create turnovers. This year's defense is much better at doing that. 27 turnovers (18 INTs, 9 fumble recoveries) for a +13 turnover margin. It's a good thing they can do that, because they can't stop anyone. The Eagles dominated this game early but the Redskins made the big plays to thwart their scoring opportunities. And eventually they tightened up, though the bend but don't break philosophy almost cost them, but luckily they put enough pressure on Foles to force him into a game-ending mistake.

Picture of the Week
Carolina Panthers cheerleaders dressed for the Christmas season.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Seattle Seahawks 31 Denver Broncos 24
I would not want to play the Seahawks right now, but please remember the Broncos have won 10 games in a row and face the Chiefs with a chance to earn home field throughout the playoffs.

All the Wright Moves

I have been calling for a total dismantling of the New York Mets since around 2009. I have blamed the Mets fans and their desire to keep up with their obnoxious neighbors for preventing the Mets from doing what they need to do to win a World Series.
Here is how you compete in baseball today: draft well, develop those draftees, sign the ones that show the most promise early in their major league careers to long-term deals to lock them up until at least their age 30 seasons. Something the Mets can afford to do, given their market size and revenues. And once you've done all that, and you have 5-6 really good players locked up to cost-effective contracts, then you sign a couple veterans to short deals, 1 or 2 years, 3 at the most.
The Mets are finally embracing that philosophy and it's promising to pay dividends, probably not in 2013, maybe not in 2014, but by 2015 the Mets should be on the road to contention. And trading R.A. Dickey was a huge part of it. I love R.A. Dickey. What a nice man, a class act and a great pitcher, but he had to go.
Even if the Mets were in position to be competitive this season, I still would favor this trade. Dickey is old (entering his age 38 season). He throws a knuckleball, which may mitigate some of the expected decline of aging, but can also be a fickle mistress, meaning his magic could fade quickly. Speaking of magic, let's take a brief interlude to appreciate just how awesome, Dickey's knuckleball is.



Plus, he's coming off a Cy Young season, even if the Mets were on the verge of contention, selling high on Dickey would be the right thing to do.
But the Mets aren't good. And Dickey was seeking a 2-year extension for $25 million, through his age 40 season. And the Mets got two very good prospects for him, Travis D'Arnaud who could be a solid hitting catcher for a long time for the Mets. And a hard-throwing righty Noah Syndergaard who will fit in the nicely with the young arms the Mets are already developing. Add that to Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jon Niese and the Mets have a promising young rotation.

The lineup is another matter which is why I like resigning Daving Wright. The Mets lineup is very weak, and doesn't have the youthful reinforcements the way the pitching staff does. Wright is an excellent player at a very important position. His presence will likely help the development of younger players like Davis and Duda (who I think still has potential and should be given fielding lessons and the everyday left field job).

I'm also a pragmatist. I understand this is a business. Wright has marquee value and even though the fans are idiots, the Mets need those idiots to buy tickets and jerseys and to watch SNY so keeping Wright was a very important gesture to keep those fans. Sure, I would have liked the slew of prospects a trade for Wright could have brought in return, but I understand his value to the team goes beyond his contributions on the field.

And Wright is entering his age 28 season which means, when the team Sandy Alderson has expertly crafted is ready to compete, Wright should still be performing at a high level, hopefully high enough to return the Mets to the World Series.