No Game Seven, Please

What a mess. It would be in the vein of true NY v Boston sports to have the Celtics be the first team to ever overcome a 3-0 deficit and move on to the next round. What a pathetic couple of games these boys have played, and now returning to Boston for a game 6, one just cannot feel at all confident about this debacle. Luckily I've been watching some of the other games, like Golden State and Denver, which was pretty thrilling last night. That Stephan Curry is fairly awesome. I'll enjoy these next few games before every just gets swept by Miami. Four game 6's tonight alone. At least when the Knicks start eating their own shorts I'll have something else to switch over to.

Root For NYC With An OKC Backup

Saw this new SI cover and remembered it's NBA finals time. I don't get too worked up over these games, maybe watch the finals, but i will follow them. I think the Knicks can actually make it out of the first round, poor Carmelo. But when they undoubtedly get booted from the competition I will be rooting for this guy, because nobody likes a dynasty.

No Rematch, No Rematch, No Rematch, Stop!

I remember 2008, walking thru the Miami airport and seeing the end of the Giants/Cowboys game on a bar television. The whole place erupted, dollars got new owners and drinks were ordered. It was an exciting time to be a Giants fan. Little did we all know what lie ahead. Now it's 2012 and this time it's different. A surprise party is fun when you don't expect it. This year I feel like I should expect the Giants to win the super bowl. Back in the end of November I remember trying to figure out who I was going to root for come post season because the Giants looked awful and it wasn't even a thought that they'd make it to the conference championship. Now that they're there and playing the 49er's (the team I chose to root for sans Giants) I am quite uncomfortable going into tomorrow. I do think they can win, but that opens up a whole new set of worries. I kind of don't want the Giants to play New England in the Super Bowl. What a buzzkill that will be if (and when) Brady & Belichik finally get their revenge on the blue menace. It won't make up for destroying their potentially perfect season, but it would suck. Another interesting game would be Baltimore vs San Francisco, brother vs brother, but they tried that at Thanksgiving and I think it was a snooze. So, of course, by default I'm rooting for the Giants to win, but I'm gonna go against my better sense and root for Baltimore to meet them in Indy. No rematches. I'd take SF and NE if I have to, but I won't like it.

So, I got my burgers, I got my chipotle chips, apparently there will some sort of skype session so I am ready for that. Let there be two good games and I won't be disappointed. I guess.

I Eat Pistachios When I'm Nervous

The Rest Overslept Themselves

And then there were eight. From the Agatha Christie book. No? And Then There Were None. Anyone? You know the original title of that book? I'm getting off topic.

Football! That's right, playoffs this weekend, with four games, one more intriguing than the other, and I gotta get my two cents in. And I'm so terrible at picking winners and scores, you can mostly chalk this up to some comedic relief before the game. It's better than that hack Frank Caliendo and his "comedic" picks.

So let's go in order...

Saints Vs 49ers

What to say about this game? I think that the winner of this game goes to the Super Bowl for the NFC. That's one thing I can say. I've been following the 49ers much more than the Saints this year tho. The only bit I saw of them is when they slaughtered the Giants during the regular season. Embarrassing. But I think my money is on the 49ers today. I don't know why but I think after that defensive domination I saw in the BCS championship by Alabama, I feel like people are figuring out how to quash these potent offenses which is all New Orleans really is. Plus I think if Brees isn't getting his normal easy completions he's gonna start throwing bombs everywhere and I like the chance for some turnovers on San Francisco's side. I dunno. Let's say a low scoring game New Orleans 19, San Francisco 23. That is low scoring for New Orleans.

Broncos Vs Patriots

Good vs evil. East vs West. God vs the Devil. Call it what you will, it's gonna be a good game I bet. Brady & the Belichiks on the brink of inobscurity. Tebow and his minions going out with nothing to lose and everything to gain. I will not be surprised to see the Broncos really give the Patriots a hard time out there and keep it real close. I think the Patriots are going to use a strategy of intelligent design (no pun intended) to try and confuse Tebow and stifle his explosive plays, but I think what they take for granted is that Tebow doesn't play intelligent football where he reads defenses and gets a feel for the blitz and so on. He just yells hike and let's his neanderthal instincts take over. Tebow GO!. Ha. Watch this... Denver 31- New England 28. Surprise.

Texans Vs Ravens

Okay, I gotta admit I don't care as much about this game as the other three, but in saying that I do think that the winner of this game goes to the Super Bowl for the AFC. And I think that team will be the Ravens. I just think it's their time, with Steelers gone, Colts a joke, Patriots not their old selves. This is the fourth born kid taking center stage after the oldest leave the nest. And I don't mind that. Baltimore and 49ers in the Super Bowl. Two teams I haven't seen there lately. One step at a time tho. Houston 10, Baltimore 25. Only blowout.

Giants vs Packers

It's easy to be a humble Giants fan this year, after the hot and cold season they had and the way they backed into the playoffs, for once competing in a pathetic division, but after the last couple of games against the Jets and Falcons, I'm sorry, you gotta feel good about this team and at least a little excited to see them give Green Bay a run for their money. I don't want to jinx and make comparisons to 2007's run to the Super Bowl and so on, but the Giants seem to be clicking here, running, passing, blocking, sacking. They look darn good, but it's not hard to imagine the Packers have been laying low and letting everyone lower their expectations so they can come out blazing tomorrow night. Yeah, that's what they're doing. So this is a biased pick, but aren't they all. New York 34, Green Bay 31.

The Carbon Alarm Session

Our carbon monoxide alarm went off, for the second time in two days. It was going off when we got home from the grocery yesterday but we just changed the battery and it didn't come back on so I figured everything was fine. Then it went off again today, about 20 minutes before kickoff of the Giants game. I figured it wasn't a coincidence so I hurried the family out into the brisk air and called the fire brigade. They were there lickity split and while we wandered the yard taking some photos the firemen informed us that we have a detector set for very low levels of CO which was present and maybe a good cleaning of the ol' pellet stove was in its due. I agreed and after a nice airing out of the house with winter air we have it up and running again with no alarm yet. And we got back in time to see kickoff. Go Giants.

The Carbon Alarm Session

We're Gonna See The Salsa Moves

Big game today, in an hour or so now. I am belly full o' pancakes and ready to plop on the couch. Prepared for whatever may come, win and move on to play Green Bay I think, or lose and go home. Just want a good game from the suddenly exciting defense and receiving core. Maybe a salsa dance or two.

Some people are more confident than I.

Cruzing On In

I know, terrible.



On more than a few occasions last night while watching the Giants game I resorted to my sinister laugh and sunk cozier down into my recliner and sipped my tea. As far as I'm concerned the season could end today and I would be satisfied. I have no delusions of the Giants going on and beating any combination of the Saints, 49er's and Packers, even tho they showed up pretty well against 2 of the 3 this season. First things first tho, Atlanta is coming to town next week. Let's see what happens. I'm just excited to see these guys play some more, and we all remember what happened in the 2007 playoffs now don't we........

...And That's, Two

That was nerve-wracking!



See ya later.

Not One For Dynasties

This is gonna come off like an anti-Phillies or an anti-Yankees post, but it's really not. It's more anti-dynasty, and I'm being completely forthright when I say that I don't even wanna see the teams I root for winning championships every year. That's just boring. Mix it up, give somebody else the chance, spread it around. And that is exactly why I am loving every minute of these baseball playoffs. I don't think I'm alone in never imagining the Rangers & Giants being one win away from playing each other in the world series, but such a notion has me excited to actually watch it. Who wants to see Philly & NY in a repeat of last years series besides their fans. That's selfish.

When it comes down to it I'm pulling for San Francisco. Could ya tell? That game last night was pretty awesome, not to mention that all these guys were on different teams when the season started. It's kind like the island of misfit toys. Cody Ross is playing far superior to how he started this year in Florida. Mike Fontenot was on the Cubs, Pat Burrel was in Tampa Bay and Javier Lopez was in Pittsburgh. And I love how Bruce Brochy is moving these players around, giving everyone a shot, mixing it up, giving somebody else a chance, spreading it around.

Please Dip, Be Plentiful

Salsa, Check. Cream cheese, Check. Chili, Check. Cheddar, Check. Chips, Check. Remote, Check. Today is a good day to be home and alive. Between the baseball playoffs and the football games, my "last channel" button is gonna be worn blank. Good thing my muscle memory is finely tuned. At 1:00 it'll be bouncing between Texas & Tampa on a potentially deciding game where I will pull for the Rangers and Texas playing the Giants where I will be anti-Lone Star. At 4:30 I will be routing against both my arch nemeses, for Tennessee against the Cowboys and for my highschool faves S.F. Giants against those blasted Braves. 8pm brings the potential of seeing Favre go down even tho they are high on Moss and for the love of God can Cincinnati win a single game against the Phillies! Even the healthiest sports heart would be overwhelmed today.

Still In The Hunt, But Barely

Now that's what I'm talking about!! A 33 point annihilation to stay in the playoff picture. That game was put away so fast I had the chance to pass out in the 3rd quarter and not wake up worried. Something about the fire and the football and the curry chicken (that's right we had it for dinner again, twice in three days, IT'S GOOD!). But I did feel sorry for the Redskins a few times last night. Like that fake field goal shift last play of the half that first got them called for a penalty and then when they tried it again ended up in a Giants interception. Embarrassing really. If Zorn wasn't fired yet that call may have been the nail in the coffin. Kick a field goal dude, put some points up. That's a shame. I how about that fight between Jacobs & Haynesworth and then Haynesworth is the only one penalized. Sucked to be a Washington fan last night.

But the reason I'm happy today is the Giants are still in it. I know it's not a very big likelihood but there's a chance. Let me lay it out for you (and me).

The Giants now have an 8-6 record, one game behind Green Bay (9-5) and Dallas (9-5) in the chase for the two NFC wild-card playoff berths. Two of those teams will qualify and one will not. Everybody's got two games left. Giants against the Panthers & Vikings (yikes), Packers against the Seahawks & Cardinals (who are already in the playoffs and have nothing to play for), and the Cowboys have two division games against the Redskins & Eagles, who will hopefully still be looking for blood. Should there be a tie in the final standings, the Giants would prevail over either the Packers or the Cowboys because they have the edge in the tie-breaking formulas, but the Packers and Cowboys have to lose at least one game and the Giants have to win them all. Best bet is Cowboys dropping to Philly who won't wanna end the regular season on a divisional loss or that the Cardinals are still playing all their starters and actually show up for the Packers game. Either way the Giants still have to beat Brett Favre & Adrian Peterson who will probably be coming off an easy win at Chicago (sorry Dani). It's possible but, a lot's gotta happen.

For now let's enjoy last nights win. It may be the last highlight.

Well, What's Left?

[sigh]

The inevitable. How miserable. I'm already over it, so I won't go sit in the corner and pout. I'll just pick out of what's left and rout for them. So let's see...

the Baltimore Ravens

This is the team to hate, but I kinda love them. They're defense is sick and when the Giants were in the race I was hoping the Ravens would lose so we'd never have to face them, but nowwwww.... it is kinda fun to watch offenses get pummeled. Plus how could you not like a rookie QB story like Joe Flacco's? You can't! that's how.

the Arizona Cardinals

I think this is the team that's gonna receive most of my support, mainly by elimination of the others, but I do like the Kurt Warner story and how he's all but made a distant memory of ass-faced Matt Leinart, but also Anquon Boldin & Larry Fitzgerald are quite enjoyable to watch fly down the field. So Cardinals it is! Of course this means they will lose next weekend.

the Philadelphia Eagles

Probably the most likely candidate to receive my vote for a championship, geographically speaking anyhow, but how do you rout for the team that just knocked yours out of the playoffs. I like Donovan McNabb and most of the players but, I won't make it thru a summer working with Philadelphia natives if both the Phillies and the Eagles win it big.

the Pittsburgh Steelers

Could be the safest choice as far as a team that has the defense, offense & momentum going into the finals games but I still can't get over that weasel Ben Rothlisberger and his antics from Super Bowl 40, which they won so, c'mon, give someone else a chance. Plus, Polamalu still hasn't cut that mop.

No Horse, No Worries

First Day Of October. What better time to post my MLB playoff predictions. Once again, I have no horse in the race. Actually my horse was taken to the glue factory, so we probably won't be hearing from him again. Anyhow, no horse means no worries and I can sit back and enjoy the games.

Without further adieu...


Notice I chose the Angels to win it all for the second year in a row. Something about them, like that team. May be my new team. My new horse. Anyhow, I'd love to see the Cubs win it all too, but I'm afraid they'd turn into the Red Sox; the I-just-wanna-see-them-go-away team. So yeah. Happy October. Hopefully there's no more of those obnoxious Dane Cook baseball ads. Can someone send him to the glue factory?