200 & Counting!

Though it took me nearly twice as long to reach 200 posts as it did to reach 100, I've finally reached this milestone. (There were six months where I had either 1 or absolutely zero posts!) But, I have attained 200 and, therefore, like any aspect of popular culture (Am I selling myself a bit high there?), here is my second "look back" at the last 100 posts.

When you've had more than one "recap" episode, usually you mention the first one and what a great success it was. You won't want to miss the first 100!

And now, we take a glance at the recurring characters:

Immigration: This has always been a contentious topic. No posts have more comments than the ones were I suggest that we tighten up our boarders and actually obey our own laws. (That comment was probably just edgy enough to warrant a few comments of its own.)

The NFL Power Rankings: I never really figured out if anyone read these with the exception of one reader who was nice enough to let me know that they were important to her. If not for her comment on week 8, I might have stopped them entirely. If you wanna revisit any of the weeks here they are: NFL Preview, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Post Season preview I, Post Season preview II, and Super Bowl previews.

Politics: Next to sports, politics was the second most common character during these past 100 posts. The mid-term and up-coming elections taking the spotlight in this category. With Global Warming, local politics and the Spin Cycle (which could become a regular section) rounding out the top 5.

The Red Sox: There has been a surprising lack of Red Sox talk over the last 100! Some discussion because Ortiz deserved the MVP and didn't get it in '06. Then some brief comments about the fantastic surreal World Series run in '07.

Finally, our most recurring character: Barry Bonds: This really bugs me. Every time I mentioned him I said it was probably, hopefully, most likely the final time. Yeah, Barry appeared eight times during the past 100 posts. Thankfully, as he's "broken" the record and is "headed" to jail. This looks like it may be the last time we hear about him on this blog for quite some time... I hope.

The next portion of a good flashback episode is recounting all of the funny and favorite moments. Here are a few of mine:

From The American Voter

...So I asked a question that seemed only logical. I said, "You seem really concerned about that [issue], have you read up on Hillary's stance on the illegal immigration problem?"

"You know, that's a good idea!" Came her response. "That's a good idea!" Not only had she not done it, it hadn't even crossed her mind!

From Here's my free speech:

2) What if (God forbid) the student went Virginia Tech on the audience? Would we not be saying, "Why didn't they stop him? Why did they allow him to go over his time limit? Couldn't they see he was losing control?" Aren't way too many people trying to blame VT's decisions of that day for the tragedy? Seems to me the police would be the favorite target if they didn't do anything as well. Sorry people-who-daily-put-their-lives-in-jeopardy-so-that-I-can-feel-safe-while-I-sip-my-$8.57-(not-including-tip)-grande-mocha-latte-complaining-about-the-war-in-another-country-that-I'm-not-really-feeling-the-effects-of-while-I-offer-zero-solutions-to-solve-it, you're wrong no matter what you do.

From: Speaking at Harvard:

The following is a survey for potential speakers at Harvard University.

Please fill out the following questionnaire to determine your suitability for speaking at the prestigious Harvard University:


1) Are you:

A) The leader of the free world?
B) A very successful business man?
C) White
D) The leader of an international terrorist organization?
E) Anyone who strongly disagrees with the current administration?
If your answer is A, B, or C, please stop here, you are not suitable to speak at Harvard.

If you answer was D, please answer the following:

2) Which best describes you:

A) I am a reformed terrorist. I have turned in many of my former comrades in destruction.
B) I support them only with money. I have not attended any training camps.
C) I desire to see the entirety of America in flames
If your answer is A or B, please stop here, you are not suitable to speak at Harvard.

If your answer to question 1 was E, please answer the following:

3) Which best describes you:

A) I voice my dissent at the voting booth only.
B) I actively campaigned for an opponent of this administration who was not a Libertarian
C) I have been arrested more times than I can count because of my demonstrating against this administration
If your answer is A or B, please stop here, you are not suitable to speak at Harvard.

If you have made it this far, please answer yes or no to the following:

4) Do you know what an IED is?
5) Have you ever strapped one to your body?
6) Do you think Clinton should be able to serve a third term?
7) Do you think Christians should still be fed to lions?
8) Would you consider your political views "Left of the Left?"
If you answered "No" to any of these questions, please stop here, you are not suitable to speak at Harvard.

If you have made it this far, please submit this form to Harvard for further consideration. We will interview you to make sure there is absolutely nothing that appears to be common sense or main stream thought emitting from your mouth. After all, we must be open minded at such a prestigious educational institution. If you are not suitable to speak at Harvard, please go take a flying leap. Maybe Yale will take you. You may enjoy the post below this one regarding the NFL.

Please be aware: If you are the most successful African American Female in US government, you are welcome to speak at Harvard but you will face massive protests and name calling.

Thank you,
The Harvard Board of Directors

(And while we are on the subject of people speaking at universities...) Check out Yup Not In Your Name

From Living in the US is so taxing!:

I wonder if I would care that I was so taxed if I felt like there was something to show for it besides roads that there isn't enough money to repave, schools that are turning out children who can pass a certain standardized test, a boarder patrol that has more holes than OJ's alibi, a judicial branch that likes making laws and a legislative that is afraid to, health care that costs more than me taxes, and money to fund free abortions for minors rather than properly fund our foster care system. But that's probably asking too much.

From Not going anywhere for a while?:

The top ten reasons that I would want to be President:
10) To win a "popular election" because just over 20% of the entire US population actually voted for me. (Another 17% voted for the other guy, and 63% stayed home)
...
6) To hit the entire talk show circuit while campaigning (making sure to get on Oprah twice)
5) To be considered wrong by at least 50% of the US population
...
3) To spend $5,000,000 to get a job that pays $250,000 per year with a $100,000 per year pension once I'm done. All the while I get to age thirty years in the course of eight. Sign me up!
2) To know that at all times there are at least four people plotting my assassination and one Vice President who wishes one of them would succeed.
And the number one reason that I would want to be president:
1) To be impersonated on SNL!

Of course, there are always those posts that are simply impossible to excerpt. The good ones tend to fall in a few categories. Here they are:

In the interest of bettering society, I had two posts that were dedicated to recommendations that made things better:
Sports
The Oscars

Then there are the social posts:
Are we patients or customers?
Should we abstain from abstinence programs?
To Santa or not to Santa...

Finally, the political posts:
Kennedy
Generic
The War

Last but not least, it's time for "amazing moments." As we end our look back we actually have two moments to share from the same post:

I wrote these predictions on January 11th:

Saturday 8:30pm
Jacksonville at New England (-10)
The Jaguars are the sexy pick this week. Supposedly, their "power running game" will keep Brady off the field the entire game. Here's the problem: The Jaguar's can't hold a lead. They blew 14 and 18 point leads against Pittsburgh, a team that lost 34-13 to New England at home! Even if Jacksonville gets a lead, it better be 20+ or they don't stand a chance. And let's not forget that Belichick somehow always finds a way to take away what you are best at. Watch for the potent double barrelled running game of Jones-Drew and Taylor to amass 78 yards on the ground. Then watch Garrard throw to his favorite targets Samuel, Harrison, and Hobbs. Sorry, Jacksonville, your journey ends in Foxboro. Patriots and the points.

Unfortunately, The Patriots were unable to hold the Jaguars to 78 yards. Jacksonville rushed for 80. I was two yards off! And the Patriots won by 11, covering the spread.

This prediction was over shadowed, however, by the one that followed immediately after it:

Sunday 1pm
San Diego at Indianapolis (-10)
Originally, I had San Diego going into the Peyton-dome and walking out an easy winner. However, with Gates hurt, that leaves only Chambers for the Indy DBs to really concern themselves with. So, with two men on Chambers, that leaves 9 to tackle LT. However, Indy is still without Harrison and Freeny and Cromartie seemed to bewilder Peyton in their last meeting. This is definitely the hardest game to call. I know that it will be close. In the end, I'm going with my gut and saying that Rivers and company will shock Indy, winning by 4. Peyton will fail to convert on a fourth and mid during his bid for a game winning drive. San Diego outright.

People called me crazy. They said I didn't know anything about football. What happened? Peyton threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 6 to Dallas Clark on their final drive and lost to the Chargers by a score of 28-24. Whose crazy now?

Well, it took me from April of 2006 to January of 2008 to reach 200. Hopefully, 300 (which was a great movie, by the way) won't take me nearly that long!

Thanks for joining me on this trip back, I hope you'll join me on the journey forward!

Dinner with Democrats

I hope that someday I am fortunate enough to be invited to dinner with Congressional Democrats. And I hope that, after they've supped their full and we've each paid our portion of the bill, the waitress returns saying we've over paid and that the restaurant needs to return some money to us. You see, I will have only ordered water, yet when the refund arrives at our table, I will request that a portion of it go to me even though I did not pay a dime towards the bill. Sound ridiculous? I agree.

Yet Congressional Democrats are threatening not to pass Bush's bill designed to stimulate the economy by giving a little extra money back to each tax payer because there is no provision in it to give money to people who don't make enough to pay taxes. They want to block the refund because it's only being refunded to people who actually paid.

Please don't get me wrong: I'm not against helping people who don't even make enough money to pay taxes. I'm all for getting them job training so they can advance in their careers. I agree with helping them put healthy food on their tables. Providing they are law abiding people, let's send their kids to school. But please don't take something that is labeled a "refund" and try to require that to goes to everyone! What if Best Buy had a rebate program and the Dems required that the rebate go to everyone, not just the people who bought the 47in HD Plasma TV? Or if Six Flags had to close due to the weather and offered to provide "rain date" tickets to the people who were there, but the Left demanded they provide the free passes to everyone. Doesn't make much sense, does it? If Six Flags wanted to provide promotional free tickets, I'd say, "go right ahead!" I'd be firmly behind Best Buy mailing out promotional gift cards to anyone and everyone. But don't call it a refund, rebate, or return. If you want to give a handout to people who didn't pay taxes, find another way to do it. Pass a different bill. But don't try to call it something it isn't.

Honestly, I think this is simply an excuse that the (D)s are using to block this attempt to revitalize the economy. The longer it's down, the more likely they'll take the Oval Office in November. It's hard when you are not the party in power. You have to hope that the country does poorly so that you can take over. So the stock market drop is fantastic for them, as is the housing slump, and the last thing they want to do right now is pass any bill that will end the dreaded "r-word" discussion. But they can't look like they are trying to keep the economy down (or that they are hoping our troops fail) ["I don't know, fly casual!"] so they have to find a reason that they hope will disguise their true intentions. I believe it was their hope that asking that money be "returned" to people who never had it in the first place would be sufficient. It is my hope that they are wrong.

And that's just my opinion. What's yours?

All Four Super Bowl Previews II

What a weekend! Both America's team and America's QB fail to make it to the Conference Games! (Only one of which I was fortunate enough to predict.) While we're on the subject, I just want to point out that I went 3 out of 4 last week and had Dallas been able to eek out a three point win by actually scoring at the end of the game instead of being wrongfully penalized and then tossing a pick, I'd have gone 4 for 4. How's that for predictions, Dr?

So, with the NFL's final four set, I'm going to take a few minutes to preview all four possible Super Bowls. This is one of my favorite posts of the year. (Check out All Four Super Bowl Previews Vol I)

One thing I'd like to point out is that, unlike last year, there isn't really a game that I'm praying doesn't happen. And, wouldn't you know it, last years big game was the very game that we all least desired to watch. Thankfully, we don't have that dilemma this year. All four games should be very competitive.

Alright, so from least interesting Super Bowl to most:

Green Bay vs San Diego
The biggest reason why this is the most boring Super Bowl is there's no real story line here. Sure, one team started out 1-3 and the other 10-0 but there's no interteam plot line. This is a difficult game to call. The teams match up well and near seems as though they'd run away with the game. I suppose I'd have to take into account that if the Chargers are there, they beat the Patriots. But they've got some "minor" (according to the team) injuries to Brees and LT. As I think this game would be close, and I don't see Favre letting this opportunity pass him by, I think the Pack would find a way to win. Final Score: 23-21 Green Bay

New York vs New England
Oh, just what the country needs: Another Brady/Manning rivalry! While I believe this game would be the second worst option for Joe Average-NFL-Fan, with all of the Giants fans that I know, this is probably the game I'd most like to see. Then there's the rematch angle: They didn't win the first time they attempted to thwart the Patriots historic quest, perhaps they can succeed the second time. I have to apologize to my brother-in-law, I don't think the Giants are a very good team. If they manage to over come the Packers, I don't see how they can stop the juggernaut that is the Patriots. (Getting this far in the playoffs is probably one of the worst things that could have happened to the Giants. Now Coughlin won't leave for a few more years!) I've heard people say that the Giants won because you don't beat the same team three times in a year. Well, you can do it twice. Final Score: 38-20 New England

New York vs San Diego
This match up probably has the best story-line for the marketing of the game. Eli Manning was originally drafted by the Chargers but he refused to play for them because they were so bad at the time. The Giants traded draft picks for him. With those picks the Chargers got Rivers, Merriman, and Kaeding, three massive keys to their success. So, who made the better deal? If this is the match up for the Super Bowl, here is where we find out. And the answer? Final Score: 28-17 San Diego

Green Bay vs New England
This is the game the networks and NFL exec's want. The up and comer in Brady vs the time tested soldier in Favre. The rematch of Super Bowl XXXI where the Packers defeated the Patriots 35-21 in 1997. This is a tough match up. While the Patriots have proven they can stop the run, Green Bay has some very good cornerbacks who could reek havoc on Brady's passing plans. And let's not forget that New England's pass rush often flushes QB's out of the pocket. While I'm already eating my words regarding Favre's returning this year, he's still no spring chicken. If he has to scramble too much, he may be forced to make a mistake or two, and that's all the Patriots need. It really is a toss-up which game (this one or the NY-NE) I'd prefer. Of the elite eight NFL teams (DAL, NYG, GB, SEA, IND, JAX, SD) the only two the Patriots haven't defeated this year are Green Bay and Seattle. If the Patriots can face off and defeat the Pack, they'd have beaten 9 out of the 11 playoff teams. Missing only Seattle and Tampa Bay (two teams whose playoff ability was questionable at best.) That is an amazing feat. Final Score: 38-24 Patriots

Which ever teams face off in the big dance this year. It's sure to be exciting. Especially if the Patriots are making a bid at history!

Playoff predictions

I'm sure you are all eagerly awaiting my Divisional round playoff predictions so you can run to Vegas (or Atlantic City, depending on which is closer) and put your life savings on the exact opposite of what I predict. So let's get started:

Saturday 4pm
Seatle at Green Bay (-7)
Somehow I managed to pick both NFC games wrong last week and both AFC games correct. (I wouldn't be crushed if the same happened this week as well...) Seattle's running game is still not what it needs to be to get past Green Bay. Hasselbeck makes too many poor decisions in his throwing game to pass the Seahawks past the Packers, especially with Woodson and Harris covering Seattle's WRs. People talk about playoff experience (Seattle by far outweighs GB in that category) but I'll take GB's talent over Seattle's experience. Green Bay and the points.

Saturday 8:30pm
Jacksonville at New England (-10)
The Jaguars are the sexy pick this week. Supposedly, their "power running game" will keep Brady off the field the entire game. Here's the problem: The Jaguar's can't hold a lead. They blew 14 and 18 point leads against Pittsburgh, a team that lost 34-13 to New England at home! Even if Jacksonville gets a lead, it better be 20+ or they don't stand a chance. And let's not forget that Belichick somehow always finds a way to take away what you are best at. Watch for the potent double barrelled running game of Jones-Drew and Taylor to amass 78 yards on the ground. Then watch Garrard throw to his favorite targets Samuel, Harrison, and Hobbs. Sorry, Jacksonville, your journey ends in Foxboro. Patriots and the points.

Sunday 1pm
San Diego at Indianapolis (-10)
Originally, I had San Diego going into the Peyton-dome and walking out an easy winner. However, with Gates hurt, that leaves only Chambers for the Indy DBs to really concern themselves with. So, with two men on Chambers, that leaves 9 to tackle LT. However, Indy is still without Harrison and Freeny and Cromartie seemed to bewilder Peyton in their last meeting. This is definitely the hardest game to call. I know that it will be close. In the end, I'm going with my gut and saying that Rivers and company will shock Indy, winning by 4. Peyton will fail to convert on a fourth and mid during his bid for a game winning drive. San Diego outright.

Sunday 4:30pm
New York Giants at Dallas (-10)
I have bad news for the Giants. Peyton has to play his own game this week and he isn't going to be able to wear his brother's #10 and play in his stead. So Eli will have to play against the Cowboys. This means the Giants will lose. TO played on a broken leg in the Super Bowl, I think he can handle a sprained ankle. Jessica has promised that she won't be at the game so Romo will be his regular self. However, I don't think it will be a blowout. Dallas peaked a few weeks ago, but too many injuries for New York means that Dallas will host the NFC Championship game next week. Dallas wins, New York covers.

Local Politics Gone Wrong

This one is really long, but it just goes to show what can happen in politics, even at the local level, if we don't keep a keen eye on things!

Few things annoy me more than politics. Even fewer things annoy me more than dirty politics. And I find local politics to be the dirtiest! These are men and women with political aspirations who know that they will never be going to Washington. They also know that if they milk the system, the worst they'd get is a couple of years. Perhaps they start out meaning well, but many of them see the dollar sign at the end of the political rainbow.

I've railed about an excellent example of this that occurred in Connecticut a few years ago. (The state eventually won, forcing out the homeowners and allowing the land to be developed by a private developer. I'm sure no one's pockets were lined in that fiasco!) Funny thing, I stumble upon yet another perfect example of local politics flexing imaginary muscles. Wouldn't you know it, it's happening in Connecticut! In the small town of Farmington.

Farmington has a "Planning & Zoning" department that makes laws about what you can and cannot do on your own property. Basically, the entire town is a condo association where the citizens don't really have a say regarding the regulations. One of the "laws" they have on the books is one that states that if you have a trailer/recreational vehicle of any kind (travel trailer, motorhome, boat, etc) it must be stored behind the longest rear wall of your home. Mind you, there are people in this town who don't have enough room to store their 30ft trailer so that it is entirely behind the longest rear wall of their home. The town is effectively saying that these people are not allowed to have such a vehicle.

But wait, it gets worse. Not only does the town invade it's citizen's privacy by dictating what they can and can't do on the property they own and pay taxes on, but they have the gaul to engage in selective enforcement regarding who they will and won't force to comply with the zoning regulation! One person faces fines because their boat is parked in their drive way while another doesn't even know the regulation exists because they've never been bothered about the 38ft fifth wheel they've got in their front yard.

This is the foundation of the two stories that I've come across that make me livid. There are at least two Farmington residents who are being forced to comply with these regulations even though they are exempt due to the grandfather clause. People already engaged in an activity that is now forbidden are grandfathered in and are not required to comply. For example, if the driving age were increased to 19 years of age, anyone between the ages of 16 and 19 who already had their licenses would be "grandfathered" in. They would not be forced to return their driver's licenses. Now, this regulation has been around for about 20 years. Which means anyone who's grandfathered has been a Farmington resident for a long, looong time. Which also means these people aren't the youngest residents.

It doesn't end there. The power hungry local government representative has been informing these residents that they need to file an appeal. The problem is, if they file the appeal they waive their grandfather right and place themselves within the bounds of the regulation!

I found two stories regarding a 30 year resident who is an older single mom of two and a 40 year resident who is an 80 year old grandfather. Both of these people have been slammed with fines and citations because of the locations of their trailers that are not subject to the regulation. Both of these people have been purposefully misinformed by the Planning and Zoning department in the hopes that they will comply and unknowingly waive their grandfather rights.

All this from a town that charges so much in property taxes that the elderly are being forced to sell their homes and leave. This from a town who's budget is 83 million dollars this year (71 million from property taxes). There are just over 25,000 people living in this town! That's over $2,840 per person! Not even per household! (Wikipedia estimates there were about 9,000 households in 2005. That'd be nearly $8,000 per household!) Farmington really needs to further harass their elderly? They need to extort more money from them from fines that never should have been issued? They need to deceive them into giving up a grandfather right they have a legal claim to?

Farmington should be ashamed of themselves. And these pitiful power hungry local politicians need to find something better to do with their time and energy.

The CBS affiliate in Connecticut covered one of the stories. Read about it here.

Too bad Farmington just had their elections. The entire town council should be voted out. Not only are they allowing the Planning and Zoning representative to take these underhanded actions, but they couldn't even approve a mill rate freeze for senior citizens. What a joke. What does a town of 25,000 need with $83,000,000 per year?

Oh, one final thing. They only increased the mill rate by 2.4% this year. Somehow this was something that the council deserved a pat on the back for because they didn't raise it any further.

The American Voter

Today, I had a conversation with the quintesencial American voter.

One of the first things she said after mentioning the Iowa caucuses was that she was voting for Clinton. "We don't want another Republican in office, that's for sure!" She said.

Ok, I'm listening.

You see, she's from Nevada and she proceeded to go on a 7 minute tyraid about how the illegals are destroying her state. They are taking jobs, not paying taxes, taking housing, and using undeserved state programs. "They drive up in their 2007 Cadilacs and get their food stamp cards." She went on to say that there were a whole bunch of them living in the low income housing developement near her neighborhood and that she, and all of her neighbors, had been robbed by the illegals.

Now, was she being racist? Yes. Is it a guarentee that they were robbed by illegals? No. Was she sure that the problem of the illegals was the most important issue for this election? Yes.

As I was at work, I was unable to betray my own leanings. So I asked a question that seemed only logical. I said, "You seem really concerned about that, have you read up on Hillary's stance on the illegal immigration problem?"

"You know, that's a good idea!" Came her response. "That's a good idea!" Not only had she not done it, it hadn't even crossed her mind!

The American voter casts their ballot based on criteria at which I can't even venture a guess. The issues? There's a novel idea!

I can't help but think of the time of Judges and Kings, when the Lord gave them over to the desires of their hearts! Dear God, no!

Kids these days

Today's youth have it so hard! I was listening to one complain about her older brother the other day. She said, "It stinks! He listens to his Ipod so loud in the car that, even though he sits behind me in the mini van, I can hardly watch the movie!"

I don't think there's anything else I have to say about that.

Let the NFL Playoffs begin!

As you may have noticed, I did not do a week 16 power ranking. This is because when so much of the playoffs are set teams rest their players and often lose games they wouldn't normally lose. As I grade my power rankings based on the results of the games the next week it would have been impossible to grade a week 16 power ranking. I hope you understand.

However, now that the NFL regular season is over, I've taken a look at my NFL preview post and here are the results of how I did:

Here are the standings for each division. Those teams in bold are the ones that I had selected before the season began:

NFC
Division Winners
Dallas Cowboys (Bye)
Green Bay Packers (Bye)
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wild Card Teams
New York Giants
Washington Redskins

AFC
Division Winners
New England Patriots (Bye)
Indianapolis Colts (Bye)
San Diego Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Wild Card Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans

If I award one point for each division winner, one point for correctly awarding the bye week, one point for each wild card team, and one point for correct division to provide a wild card team then there would be 20 possible points. I would have earned 8 points. That's 40%. Not too terrible.

here's how I stand in regards to my original playoff predictions: Both of my Super Bowl teams are still alive. Three of my four Conference teams still have a chance. Five of my eight Division teams are in the playoffs. But I only have two of the Wild Card Weekend teams in the playoffs. If I award 5 points for a Super Bowl team, 3 points for a conference championship team, 2 points for a division team and 1 point for a wild card weekend team, there would be 46 possible points. I'd have 31. That's 67%. Much better!

So, with the Wild Card weekend teams set, here's how I see the playoffs playing out:

NFC

Wild Card Weekend
NYG @ TB winner TB
WASH @ SEA winner WASH

Division
WASH @ DAL winner DAL
TB @ GB winner GB

Conference
GB @ DAL winner DAL

AFC

Wild Card Weekend
JAX @ PITT winner JAX
TN @ SD winner SD

Division
JAX @ NE winner NE
SD @ INDY winner SD

Conference
SD @ NE winner NE

Super Bowl

DAL vs NE

winner
NE

And here is a brief power ranking for the 12 teams in the playoffs:

New England

Until they are defeated, they stay #1.

Dallas

Their loss to Washington won't happen again. This year, the 'Boys have proven they know how to win!

San Diego

What a winning streak! You look like the SD of old. Where were you for the first 10 games of the season?

Indianapolis

Their second string almost defeated the Titans. This team just won't go away.

Jacksonville

When asked what team they fear the most, Jacksonville received the second most votes. They'd be good enough to be a division winner if they played in the North or West!

Green Bay

That loss to Chicago looked BAD! It was a cold weather game ~ Your speciality. How do you expect to win in Dallas?

Pittsburgh

You've limped into the playoffs going 2-3 for your last 5. Unlucky draw getting Jacksonville first.

Tampa Bay

I'd rather see Minnesota in the playoffs than you. You're lucky that you drew the Playoff inept Giants in the first round.

New York Giants

Your performance against the Pats was impressive! Can you carry that momentum into the post season? I just don't see Eli playing to flawless games in a row, sorry.

Washington

Another team that doesn't belong here. Yeah you won four in a row to make it, but it's also because the Vikings couldn't close it out. Very lucky that you drew Seattle, they're the only NFC team you can beat.

Seattle

It's one thing when Brady and Co. decide not to run the ball, it's another thing entirely when it's Hasselbeck Inc. Try playing in another division and you aren't even a wild card team.

Tennessee

Yet another team that shouldn't be here. It's unfortunate that Cleveland choked against Cinci. You could barely beat the Colt's B-team. It doesn't matter who you play, you are one and done.

The rankings will continue until the Super Bowl!

Who has the Right to faith...the Left?

Once again, the left exposes their double standards and their true feelings towards honest faith. Presidential candidate I <3 Huckabee recently put out a Christmas "political" ad in which he basically apologizes for the number of political ads that have run this season and wishes viewers a merry Christmas season. In this ad there is a bookcase in the background that could possibly resemble a cross. Horror of horrors! Not only that, but he wishes people a "Merry Christmas" and references Jesus Christ as the reason for the holiday. Shame on him!

At the outrage announced by those who oppose such public displays of faith, I'd like to pose two questions. First, Huckabee (who is a minister! Should we really be surprised?) comes right out and says that the reason for Christmas is the birth of Christ. It's not implied, it's not suggested, it is explicit! However, the ire from those who like to find reasons to be offended have not mentioned this comment. Rather, their biggest beef is with the fact that the bookcase in the back is lit in such a way that it looks like a cross. (Better not have Hillary in front of any windows. You never know with those pesky panes...) So, my question is this: Why is the birth of Jesus so much less offensive than His death on the cross? The complaint is about the image of the cross, not the mention of Christ's birth. Perhaps people don't realize that He had to be born before He could die...

My second question is, perhaps, more to the point of this post. During this election season, the left has attempted to convince the common voter that they are just as religious as the next (conservative) candidate. Time magazine dedicated seven pages to the faith of the Liberal '08 Presidential candidates (and only the Liberal '08 Presidential candidates). They listed, among other things, their favorite hymns (75% of which were Amazing Grace (could that be because it's the only one they know?)) and favorite Bible verses (75% percent of which were John 3:16 (see previous parenthetical comment)). Yet here is a conservative candidate expressing the very same belief system that the liberals are claiming to possess ~ and he's getting slammed for it. I must have missed the memo that stated that once the left used a political strategy, the right was henceforth forbidden from employing it (even though said strategy was originated by the right.) How seriously are we expected to take the Democrats if while, on one hand, their candidates are expressing their deeply held religious convictions, and on the other they are decrying a Republican candidate because he does the same? (Isn't this the same party that likes to remove the nativity scenes from local greens?) What if the right attempted to gain votes by using the left's strategy of instilling false fear due to Global Warming and then denounced the left for actually using that same time-tested scheme? Wouldn't we be hearing about the two-faced-ness of the right? I've been listening to people complain about this "advertisement" (which is not an ad at all, simply a "season's greetings" after which he had to say that he "approved the message") for about a week now, yet I have not heard anyone mention the fact that the left is also proclaiming their faith in 2008.

It drives me a little crazy that the liberals of this country get to talk about of both sides of their mouths and no one blinks, yet anytime there even appears to be hypocrisy from the right it's the leading story on every news program.

So, the three questions (two that I've discussed above and another thrown in for good measure) that I seem unable to resolve in my head are:

Exactly what is so offensive about a child born in a stable to a young poor couple displaced by a government-required journey 2000 years ago?

Why is His cruel death as an innocent person hung on a tree between two thieves so much more offensive than his humble beginnings?

Finally, why is the left so upset about a conservative candidate not hiding his faith when they are claiming to believe the same message as him?

Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

NFL Power Rankings Week 15

The post season is really taking shape now. There are six teams that advance to the dance in the NFL. Please feel free to not the two playoff bound teams that do not have the honor of being on Just My Opinion:Just the Facts. Also note that they are both division leaders. (You may further wish to note that one of them is leading a division from which zero players were selected for the Pro Bowl. Not one man from a team in the NFC South will be in Hawaii!) With out further ado (or further noting) here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1)New England (13-0) Last week: 1

It seems that the weather may be conspiring to prevent Brady from overtaking some of the records he's chasing this year. With the inclimate climate in Foxboro the Pats had to go to the ground to beat the Jets 20-10. That leaves Brady with needing over 330 passing yards per game to hold the single season passing record for yardage, and at least 2 TD Passes per game (both to Randy so he can break Rice's record) to have his name next to the single season TD Passing record over Peyton. This and the pursuit of perfection should be enough to keep the Pats playing hard (as though Belichick would allow anything else) as they cruise into the post season. Final Foes: 1-13 Miami and 9-5 Giants. You should go 2-0. That's what most of us are hoping for. Whether we like the Pats or not, we want to see history being made. (if the Jets really wanted to hurt NE, they should have waited until this week to claim spying. That way we'd look back and question the whole season rather than the first game. Because they were caught week one, we can assume they've accomplished this feat without the use of any extra cameras on the sidelines. Don Shula thinks there should be an asterisk by this season because of "spy-gate." Of course he does! He was the coach of the '72 Dolphins!)

2)Green Bay (12-2) Last week: 3

Football fans say the NFL is more exciting because every game counts. Few things could prove that more true than last weeks match-ups. With a huge loss by Dallas there is a slight glimpse of hope that the 'Boys may have to head to GB for the playoffs! If Dallas loses either of the two games remaining and you don't, it's yours! And a 33-14 win over STL is some pretty good momentum. Final foes: 5-9 Chicago & 6-8 Detroit

3)Dallas (12-2) Last week: 2

A crushing defeat! Not only was it a loss, but it was to your division rival Eagles! TO must have been livid to lose to his former team! It was ugly, too. You didn't have the weather to contend with like Pitt/Jax, NE/NYJ, or Buff/Cleve. Just Tony's new girlfriend. Some say it was because your new flame Jessica Simpson was in the stadium that you played so terribly. They cite the fact that you played awful the last time a gal pal came to watch when Carrie Underwood was in the luxury boxes... Word of wisdom, tell them to watch it on your wide-screen plasma HD TV, they can see you better there anyway! You've got a playoff berth, but you're fighting for that number 1 spot in the NFC. Final Foes: 6-8 Carolina & 7-7 Washington

4)Indianapolis (12-2) Last week: 4

Well, you locked up the #2 seed in the AFC with a 21-14 win over Oakland. I'm not sure what's happening with your team. The score was 10-3 for most of the game and Oakland isn't very good. In fact, at one point they were leading 14-13 late in the game! Having to come from behind against the Raiders is no way to start the playoffs. Looks like you may be missing Harrison more than we first thought. Final Foes: 7-7 Houston & 8-6 Tennessee

5)Jacksonville (10-4) Last week: 5

JMO:JTF is proud of the call they made regarding your game. Pittsburgh had been undefeated at home this year at 7-0. You were reeling from the INDY loss and Pitt had something to prove after losing to NE. Yet, JMO:JTF was among the few that said that you, the underdog, was going to upset the big bad Steelers on their home turf, and you did! It was a close game, but you came out on top and those are the ones that are key to win! Finish strong and carry some of that fire into the hunt for the Bowl! Final Foes: 4-10 Oakland & 7-7 Houston

6)Minnesota (8-6) Last week: 6

While I expected you to send the Bears into early hibernation, they nearly chased you back to Greenland! You managed to pull out a win but made far too many mistakes that really would have burned you against a playoff caliber team. While the win keeps you in the hunt for the last playoff spot in the NFC, you've got some other teams itching to see you falter. You face one next week as you line up against your Final Foes: 7-7 Washington & 6-8 Denver

7)San Diego (9-5) Last week: 8

51 points! It's an accomplishment to score over 40. 51! This is the SD we wanted to see all year! A potent LT, a high scoring offense, and a string of wins in a row! You're headed to the post season and let's hope you get farther this year than last. I dunno though, your previous coach did amazing in the regular season, then lost in the playoffs. Does that mean you new coach will do just the opposite? Final Foes: 6-8 Denver & 4-10 Oakland

8)Pittsburgh (9-5) Last week: 7

What came as a surprise to many was not one to JMO:JTF. With the Pro Bowl selections out and some of your key players being snubbed, maybe this will be bulletin board material to get them to play harder. Cleveland is breathing down your neck trying to take the division from you. You can hold them off if you win out, but they are playing like the Browns of old. Don't look back, they're right behind you! Final Foes: 3-11 St. Louis & 4-10 Baltimore

9)Cleveland (9-5) Last week: 10

As professionals, you hate having to play in that kind of weather. As a non-professional, I wish I could've bundled up and played an all out smash-yer-face-into-the-snow game of tackle football with my friends in a blizzard like that! An impressive win 8-0 over Buffalo. A kicker who aims 25 feet to the left of the uprights only to have the wind curve it back in and hit the support bar again! The way you've been playing, I would not want to face you in these last two weeks. The post season may be different due to the lack of playoff experience on your team. But right now you are entertaining, playing great, and almost in the playoffs for the first time in years! Final Foes: 5-9 Cincinnati & 4-10 San Fransisco

10)New York Giants (9-5) Last week: 9

Here comes the end of the year slide. It was quite surprising to see you lose 22-10 to Washington. You'll need some better luck in the future... I'd tell you to break a leg, but you've already got that covered! Shockey, Petitgout, Kiwanuka, and Ward all out with fractures or breaks to their fibula (one of the two bones that connects the knee to the ankle). These are four major keys to victory for you. One would almost think you could weather losing Manning better than those four! You haven't yet secured a post season slot. You have to win one more. Better do it this week because the week after isn't looking too good! Final Foes: 7-7 Buffalo & 14-0 New England

Off: No one. While the Giants have lost some consistent contributors, I'd like to see what they can do against before they are removed entirely from the list. Besides, who would join the rankings in their place? TB? no. Seattle? uh-huh. TN? Absolutely not.

I saw the most pitiful spectacle this week. Miami beat Baltimore in overtime to win their first game of the season. They certainly should have lost this game. Had Baltimore gone for the win in the closing seconds rather than the tie, that would most likely have ended it. Baltimore got the ball first in OT and missed a game winning field goal. Then, inexplicably, the Raven safeties decided to take a lunch break as the Dolphins ran a short slant across the middle designed to gain 5-7 yards that went for 64 yards, a TD, and the end of their pursuit of pestilence. The sad part (besides their actually winning) was the celebration they held in the end zone following the touchdown. You'd think they just won the Super Bowl, the Rose Bowl, or perhaps even some minor really long sponsored illogically named bowl (the Sunshine State Firestone Snow Tires Rogain Mary Kay Bowl). Or perhaps some major milestone was achieve as a team (the 1000 win for example). Nope, they are now 1-13 and they are celebrating because they are still mathematically capable of 3-13. It almost brings a tear to one's eye...

Non-Sports!

Ok, I've taken some time to post about non-sports things. Even though the Mitchel report is out (listing 83 MLB Players who have taken performance enhancing drugs) I'm going to stick to purely non-sports material. Here's the table of contents: The Writer's Strike, I Am Legend, Politics, ending with I'm not making this up

Writer's Strike: I think this is ridiculous! I really don't think the leaders of the Writer's Union thought this one out. I've been attempting to hold my tongue on this situation, but it's gone on too long for me to keep quiet any longer. First question: Why would the studios give in? What do they have to lose? Reality TV is just as big as it ever was with new shows debuting daily! (Clash of the Choirs, Crowned: the mother of all pageants, and The Next Great American Band to name a few) Let's not forget the barrage of game shows that are invading our homes! (Duel, Don't forget the lyrics, Singing Bee, and that true-or-no-money show) All this strike is doing is forcing the studios and producers to invent newer and dumber ways to make shows that don't require writers. The TV stations are running repeats and garnering about 80% of their regular audience so it's not hurting them too badly. Second question: What are they striking for? Internet and on demand airings of their show! They want to be paid for each one! How does this make any sense? I can log onto NBC.com and view an episode of the Office for free, so where do the writers think the studios are going to get the money to pay them for the viewing? Are they going to start charging for each access? Guess what, they're gonna have a lot fewer people accessing their shows! As I expected certain writers are "making deals" with their individual shows so they can start making some money again. This strike will have no effect on how this new medium is handled. And if the writers truly wanted to make a point, their signs should have been blank.

Movie review I Am Legend: I'd like to begin by saying that I'm glad I learned a few more details about this movie before I actually saw it. Had I not been alerted to this massive portion of the story I'd have felt completely misled, duped, and hoodwinked. The previews in absolutely no way inform the potential audience member what this movie is about. All we know is that it's Cast Away in New York City where the part of Tom Hanks is played by Will Smith and the part of Wilson is played by a dog. I Am Legend is actually supposed to be a suspenseful scary movie. But, like most modern scary films, every scare was cheap, with a sudden visual and loud noise. There were no clever reveals, no dramatic irony, no intelligent scary moments. I shouldn't expect anything more from a director whose only made music videos and the Keanu Reeves film Constantine. Before I begin with the spoilers, if you don't mind not actually knowing what a movie is about and enjoy stories that are too slow at times and don't take full advantage of each opportunity, then go see I Am Legend. Otherwise, wait for the DVD. OK CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS. Here's what I'm SO glad I found out: This is a Vampire movie! You read that correctly! The cure for cancer causes a sickness that becomes airborne and kills 95% of humanity. Of those that survive, 1% were immune, the other 4% illicit symptoms that resemble vampires: high susceptibility to UV light, aggression, hunger for blood. Will Smith was immune and is attempting to discover a cure. While the previews are misleading, the direction lacking, and the story contrived, the message is somewhat redeeming. If I so desired, I could uncover several Christian themes. There is a disease that seems to effect all of mankind. It takes one who is immune to it to spill his own blood to rescue everyone. Also, there was some discussion regarding God's hand in the catastrophe. The most memorable line referencing that is Will's when he says, "God didn't do this, we did this." True regarding sin as well. Lots of CGI, some philosophical moments, decent acting in the confines of a disappointing story. 2 stars out of 5. I say catch a matinee or wait for the DVD, don't drop a Hamilton on this one.

Politics: Joe Lieberman (D) just endorsed John McCain (R) for president. He didn't endorse a fellow Democrat, he didn't even endorse his Connecticut comrade Christopher Dodd (D)! Is the Democratic party leaving their moderate members in the dust? If McCain doesn't win the nomination, will Lieberman return to his side of the aisle and endorse the Blue State candidate? I hope not. Perhaps this is just payback for the Democratic party supporting his opponent as he ran for re-election. Lieberman lost in the primaries and was forced to run as an independent. When he won, he promptly changed back to the Democratic party so they'd retain their narrow margin in the Senate. Looks like someone hasn't forgotten... I love politics, it's so much like junior high it makes my face break out.

I'm not making this up: A doctor in NY who donated sperm to a lesbian colleague, so that she and her partner could have children, has been ordered to pay child support. Did I mention the boy is now 18 and headed off to college? The doctor admits that for the first few years of the boy's life he sent gifts and cards signing them "Dad." However, before he was a teenager, the boy's moms took him out of state. Since the move, the doctor has spoken to him about once every other year on the phone and has not sent any gifts or cards. This is nothing more than a despicable attempt to legally extort money from a man who did something he thought was a good deed. If you truly needed the money, why didn't you take this action 15 years ago? Why did you wait until at least 7 years after he stopped sending the cards? Is he taking the position away from someone else? There are two women raising this boy, is one of them his dad? What judge thought this was a good idea?! There are two lessons in this: 1) Always get it in writing! It was agreed verbally that the doctor would have no responcibility in raising the child, but he has no proof of that. 2) I have to agree with the doctor's lawyer when she said, "I guess it's true, no good deed goes unpunished!" (The articles that I've read list only one woman, I wonder where the other one is...) Just in case you are wondering, this isn't the only account of such preseedings. A court in Washington ruled that a donor is not liable for child support unless they signed something accepting some sort of responcibility. However, a court in Pennsylvania ruled that a man was responsible finacially because he purchase a gift for the child born due to his donation. And the situation that is most infuriating is that of a lesbian couple in the UK. They had a child with a donor, then they separated. Now the woman who has custody of the child is seeking child payments from the donor. Not the woman who had agreed to be a parent to this child, no no, that would make too much sense! Do we see the messes we create when we try to play god?

Any thoughts from my readers? Feel free to disagree, after all, these are just my opinion.

NFL Power Rankings Week 14

The playoff picture is shaping up as several teams have already clinched their divisions. A few remain undecided and the wild card teams are hoping that they get to go to the big dance! Here's how the teams currently sit on the Just My Opinion:Just the Facts Power Rankings:

1)New England (13-0) Last week: 1

14-13 at the half. A Brady to Moss to Brady to Gaffney bomb to start the second half and you never looked back! Your fans must have enjoyed watching you return to the form they've grown accustomed to this season. Two slam dunks with division "rivals" Miami and New York up next. Then a trip to the Meadow Lands as the New York Giants remain the final hurdle on your journey to the perfect season. I think 13-0 is an ok time to start seriously considering that it may actually happen! Brady needs 5 more TD passes to surpass Mannings single season record and Moss needs to catch 4 of them to surpass Rices record. Watch for both to happen against the Jets as they experience the payback for "Spy-gate!"

2)Dallas (12-1) Last week: 2

WOW! 18 seconds left when you took the lead! This win was solely due to the ineptitude of the Detroit Coaching staff! They gave you too much time at the end of the first half, as you scored during the final minute, and then they let you do it again in the final seconds of the second half, on a play that any Dallas fan with eyes knew was coming: Romo to Witten up the left seam! The only reason you don't drop is because of the thumping you gave GB last week! The good teams win late, but that was pushing it!

3)Green Bay (11-2) Last week: 3

Another powerful win as you clinch your division! 38-7 vs the Oakland Recliners is a bit more than expected. Perhaps you shouldn't have been running up the score like that. Good momentum, though... You've gotta keep your team focused as you head into 3 weeks of relatively meaningless games.

4)Indianapolis (11-2) Last week: 4

Wow, talk about piling it on! 30-0 before the end of the first half! Baltimore must have used all they had in their attempt to defeat the best team in the NFL last week and had nothing to offer the Colts. They looked pretty bad out there. With the first round bye basically in the bag, you too have to find a way to motivate your players, especially as you face your upcoming daunting opponents. With contests against such foes as Oakland and Houston, I really don't expect you to lose again. (Which means you'll probably drop the final game of the season to TN at home. You usually surprise everyone by doing things like that!

5)Jacksonville (9-4) Last week: 5

You made quite a rebound! Although, taking your aggression out on CAR for the whuppin' you got from Indy doesn't make up for the loss. Right now you are the front runner for a WC spot, but you have to keep winning to stay there! Even though you do face Oakland (It seems like everyone on the list has the benefit of playing them as the season winds down) you also have to over come Pittsburgh and Houston at home. They just beat TB so don't count that one before the final horn!

6)Minnesota (7-6) Last week: 6

You proved that you belong this high in the rankings by squaring the 49ers 27-7! You have a four game winning streak, you've taken over the second WC spot in the NFC, and in the last 3 games, you've out-scored your opponent 110-34! You may only be 7-6 but you are a force to be reckoned with and I would not want to face you at this point in the season!

7)Pittsburgh (9-4) Last week: 7

Don't feel bad. No one really expected you to win. And if your safety Anthony Smith hadn't guaranteed it, no one really would have noticed that you didn't. I saw him get beat deep twice! Which means he probably gave up another play or two that I missed. You better focus more on playing and less on talking as you have Jacksonville and Baltimore yet to overcome if you want to keep your lead in the division over the Cleveland Browns!

8)San Diego (8-5) Last week: off

Welcome back! You haven't visited us since you were removed having lost to Jacksonville the week after you defeated Indy! However, after looking at your schedule and the games you've won, and after noticing that you are on a 3 game winning streak, and after realizing that though Seattle has a better record, they have a much weaker schedule, JMO:JTF has decided to have you back on! You really ought to finish out 2-1 with Detroit Denver and Oakland up next. Looks like though you started 1-3 that you just might be headed to the post season!

9)New York Giants (9-4) Last week: 8

Squeaked by the Eagles. You haven't yet locked down that place in the playoffs and there are a lot of hungry NFC teams waiting to take your reservations! Division foe Washington would love to be a spoiler and Buffalo has been a hit or miss team this year. You don't know which Bills team you are going to face! You can just count the final game against the Pats as a loss right now! is 11-5 enough?

10)Cleveland (8-5) Last week: 10

The Jets could have won this week. Lucky for you they stuck to their plan of consistently finding a way to lose! With Buffalo, Cinci, and SF as your final showdowns, it's difficult to say for certain that you are in. You nearly have to win out. Can you do it?

Off: Tampa Bay. I give you some props by putting you up to 9th spot and you make me regret it by losing to Houston! Not just Houston, but a hurt Houston without their starting QB or RB! You were the only team that prevented JMO:JTF from having a perfect week! With the ease of your remaining schedule, even if you win out, I don't expect to see you back on this list until we start talking about the playoffs.

And Miami remains winless! Only Baltimore, New England and Cinci remain. Looks like they've one real chance left, the same week the Pats play for perfection!

NFL Power Rankings Week 13

Oh my! I thought that I had posted this but there it sat in "draft" status (just like Marcus Vick) on my blog. Terribly sorry! Well, to end the suspence, here is what Just My Opinion: Just The Facts said before all of this week's games were played:

1)New England (12-0) Last week: 1

Two weeks of mortality! Is this just a "Market correction?" No better time to do it than against teams that shouldn't beat you to begin with! Of course, you can't afford to play that way against Pittsburgh. Well, maybe you can, they fell a notch or two this week anyway. Win this week and only the Giants stand the way of perfection!

2)Dallas (11-1) Last week: 2

No problem against Green Bay! I never doubted it. I didn't see it, but I never doubted it. Even though 3 of your last 4 are on the road, facing a spiralling Detroit and an up-again-down-again Philly, and a bottom of the pack 'Skins team, you should have a good chance of going 15-1. Carolina looks to be the only real opponent you have left. 15-1... What a year to do that! only to be over shadowed by a 16-0 Pats and an 0-16 Dolphins!

3)Green Bay (10-2) Last week: 3

Tough to win when you lose an MVP candidate. Though surprising sucess from his back-up! You also have a rose-garden stroll into the post season: Oakland, at St. Louis, at Chicago, and Detriot at home. Your only two losses could be to the only two teams that have been above you on this ranking the entire season! That says quite a bit about you as a team (and just a little about me as a judge of NFL power...)

4)Indianapolis (10-2) Last week: 5

I'm just going to start every description of you with "False start, Offense, #18, 5 yard penalty, repeat the down." until someone actually calls the rule! Ok, so I was wrong. You handled the Jags relatively easily. It'll be interesting to see how you manage in the post season this year. My calculations give you a first round bye, but you know how much you hate coming into Foxboro in the winter. Hey Peyton, I have your Super Bowl tickets here. Do you want the 50 yd line or luxury box?

5)Jacksonville (8-4) Last week: 4

Come on! You are built specifically to defeat your divisional rival! When was the last time you did it?! Was it while Dungy was coaching in Tampa Bay? Or while Peyton was playing PeeWee football?! You've got a good chance at a wild card spot and if you make it past the Chargers (the team you'd likely play) you'll have another shot at Indy (Providing Cleveland defeats Pittsburgh. Which is possible, we'll get a preview after Pitt losses to Brady, Moss, and Co.

6)Minnesota (6-6) Last week: off

To debut at number 6 on the chart means I've missed something! Your late season surge is paramount to that of the Rockies or Phillies of the MLB (More the Rockies though, as the Phillies "surge" required a Mets "self destruct" whereas yours requires no other team to lose.) You shrunk the Giants and dismantled Detroit! Winners of three in a row and on your way to the playoffs! Where did you come from (and don't say Scandinavia!)?

7)Pittsburgh (9-3) Last week: 6

If you had been playing any other team besides the Bungles (save Miami) you would not have won that game! Wille Parker put the ball on the ground 7 seven times! Twice recovered by the Steelers, once incorrectly overturned by official review, and four times turned over. What did the men in the orange jumpsuits do with it? NOTHING! Lost to the Jets? Won 3-0 over Miami? I don't expect this team to give NE a hard time, though there are many who think the streak ends next week. I'm pretty sure New England will be 13-0 when they face the Dolphins and Jets in weeks 14 and 15.

8)New York Giants (8-4) Last week: 8

Proving once again why there are only three NFC teams above you on the list, you easily handled Chicago. I don't expect too much trouble from division rival Philly this week as they've been stumbling recently. Looks like a wild card spot for you, can you over-come last year's unfortunate finish against Seattle? Or will it be one and done?

9)Tampa Bay (8-4) Last week: 10

Talk about sneaking under the radar. You haven't even done anything amazing except win and take the division. Let's see what you can do now that you are under the microscope of some JMO: JTF scrutiny

10)Cleveland (7-5) Last week: 9

You lost to Arizona! Normally, that's grounds for banishment from the list, but no one else did anything worthy of addition. That and I've been impressed with your recent victories. Keep it up and you may see post season play!

Off: Detriot. You've lost four in a row! And you're facing Dallas next week, that doesn't look too promising! You nearly had me believing that Kitna could bring you into the playoffs... I feel silly.

And Miami remains winless! With Buffalo, Baltimore, New England and Cinci left. They better win this week or their last chance is against the Bungles!

ok, so, again, sorry it's so late. Next weeks rankings will be up in a day or so

NFL Power Rankings Week 12

Whadaya know? I'm getting the rankings up before any of the games this week! It's week one of the NFL network sticking it to the majority of NFL fans as two 10-1 teams face of on their over-priced, under-available station! Some of my friends are going to a bar to watch the game, but I won't give the No Football the Live network the satisfaction. I call for a boycott! The greatness of the NFL used to be that everyone could see their games. Now they are going the way of MLB, and I don't like it one bit! But I digress. On to the real reason for this post: Just My Opinion: Just The Facts Power Rankings:

1)New England (11-0) Last week: 1

Philly actually made NE look mortal! They found a weakness in the NE defense: the in route! Of course, this just means that Jedi Master Belichick (or is he Sith? I suppose that depends on which team you root for) will devise a way to stop it. He is like the robot on The Incredibles: When you find a way to defeat it, it finds a way to overcome it. I considered dropping NE to #2 following this poor defensive performance, but I didn't think that GB or Dallas could overcome Brady and Co. So here they stay, at #1.

2)Dallas (10-1) Last week: 2

Shame on you for piling it on! 34-3 over the hapless Jets! (Oh, wait, you don't play in Foxboro, so it's ok if you do it.) The big show-down is this week! You're playing to force GB to come to Dallas in the postseason. You certainly don't want to have to head to the frozen tundra in January! Your secondary is suspect, but without a running game to keep you honest, you should be able to defeat Favre and the Packers. I think you'll win by 4.

3)Green Bay (10-1) Last week: 3

Had you beaten Detroit like Dallas beat the Jets you might actually have visited the #2 spot this week, but you allowed Kitna a chance to win! If you want to defeat Romo, you can't give him the same opportunity, he'll capitalize.

4)Jacksonville (8-3) Last week: 4

You are one of the participants in the best game that people will actually see this week as you showdown against your division rival the Colts! Garrard is approaching an NFL record of most passing attempts without and INT! You're firing on all cylinders and I think you leave Indy after handing Peyton "False Start" Manning his third loss of the season!

5)Indianapolis (9-2) Last week: 5

Shame on you for piling it on! 34-13 over the hapless Falcons! (Oh, wait, you don't play in Foxboro, so it's ok if you do it. And it was ok when you did it in 2004 and 2005, too. But again, not a team run by Belichick, not a team from NE, it's acceptable.) Still no Harrison, no Freeny, not looking like you once did. You are struggling (and losing) to teams that you shouldn't be (TN, HOU, SD). I believe (yes, and hope) you fall into the grouping of the 9-3 after this week!

6)Pittsburgh (8-3) Last week: 5

Welcome back to the top 5. You beat Miami 3-0 and normally winning by such a small margin over a team that may go 0-16 would plummet you on the list (maybe even off the list!) But no one can fault you in a game where a punt hit the ground and stuck like a javelin! You're ground crew falls a few notches, but you over came the swamp that they called a field, the rain, and the fish to win the game. That is no small feat.

7)Detroit (6-5) Last week: 8

For the second week in a row you've lost the game and moved up in the power rankings! Having a chance to win on Turkey day over Green Bay when you were down by three scores is something to be proud of. You couldn't close the deal, but the fact that there was even some doubt raises you up to #7.

8)New York Giants (7-4) last week: 6

Four interceptions. Three run back for six points! I could understand it if you were playing your brother, or that team that piles it on... but no one, no one should lose 41-17 to the Vikings! Is this yet another late season collapse? Should NY be looking for a new QB? Looks like the little brother isn't going to live up to the hype!

9)Cleveland (7-4) Last week: 10

Cleveland has moved up! The first time in team history they are at #9! I don't think anyone thought the Browns would be 7-4 at this point in the season. I also don't think anyone thought they'd be in the top 5 for total points scored! And their back up QB is Brady Quinn! I expect more great things from this team!

10)Tampa Bay (7-4) Last week: 9

You beat Washington by only 6. If you are as good as the "experts" are claiming, it never should have been that close. With Cleveland's success and your difficulty with the Redskins, you two switch places. At least you're still on the list!

Off: None: There weren't any truly impressive performances by any of the fringe teams (SEA, SD, StL (just kidding)) and no massive monumental collapses (save perhaps the Giants) that caused anyone to fall off, so the brotherhood of ten remains.

Miami still remains winless! As Miami was the last team to go undefeated, the sheer poetry of the possibility that the Patriots may match that record (technically break it, as the 'fins did it when they only played 14 games per season) in the same season that Miami matches Tampa Bay's infamous 0-16 season is priceless! I'm pulling for both! Miami's best shot at a win is this week when the 2-9 Jet's visit ProPlayer Stadium. (I never thought I'd say this..) Go Jet's!

1 part politics, 2 parts sports

What a surprise, this post is about politics and sports! I'll start with politics so most of you can stop reading once that part is complete:

Russia: Former International Chess Champion Garry Kasparov has been arrested and imprisoned in Russia. What was his crime? Speaking out against Vladimir Putin. That's it. All he did was voice his opinion against the Head of the Russia state. This is a despicable cowardly action that is only now coming to light because Putin has finally arrested someone of note. He's been breaking up demonstrations and quieting opposition voices for quite some time now.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it's been a few days now, and I don't hear the outcry from people who exercise the freedom in this country that Kasparov has been denied in his. I don't hear the Left crying for his release. Where is the outrage?! What if it were Bush doing this? We'd never hear the end of it (Just look at how they respond on behalf of people who want to destroy our country! Could you imagine how they'd respond if it were someone who thought that what he believed in was best for the country?!) What I would expect to hear is, "Well, it's not our country, we don't have any right saying what they should and shouldn't do, but Bush needs to release the prisoners at Gitmo!" Hmm. Funny, they welcome the criticisms of the French and Germans regarding our country (And anyone else who agrees with them, for that matter.) When did the Left because isolationist anti-world-cop? Oh, right, it was when the policies they'd normally support coming from a (D) started coming from an (R)!

So, here is Putin, recent regular critic of the White House, imprisoning a dissenting voice with seeming impunity. Well, I call for Kasparov's release! Russia is no longer a Communist Nation with disappearances and a strong armed government! Putin: Free the chess master!

AL Cy Young Award: Beckett got robbed! What a joke that C.C. Sabathia was awarded the AL Cy Young award! Everyone knows that the awards are based on stats, so let's take a look at them. There are only 12 stats that matter when determining the best pitcher in the league and they are usually separated into four groups: First and foremost (normally) is Wins, all by itself. If you lead the league in wins, you've got the best chance at the Cy Young. Somebody better be blowing you out of the water if they have fewer wins and want the hardware. The second group consists of Strike outs, ERA, and Hits given up. If you have more wins, this category is where your opponent must be head and shoulders above you to have a shot at victory. The third group that is considered, but not very important consists of Earned Runs given up, Runs given up, Home Runs surrendered, and Walks. The final group that is more academic than anything is made up of innings pitched, Complete games, Shut outs and number of starts.

So, how do C.C. and Josh compare? Well, Josh was the only 20 game winner in the Major Leagues (that's AL and NL). If Josh wore any other uniform, other than one with a "B" it'd be a given that he's the Cy Young Pitcher. In category two C.C. leads Josh in SO (by 15), ERA (by 0.06 runs per 9 innings) but gave up more hits (49 more, to be exact). This is by no means a blowout in those stats. Category three: C.C. gave up more earned runs (13), more runs (18), three more HRs, but allowed three fewer walks. Based on these stats, does C.C. really sound like a better pitcher?

Supporters of C.C.'s victory cite only two stats: Strike Outs (remember he had 15 more than Josh) and innings pitched (241 for C.C., 200 2/3's for Josh). Somehow, this is why he's worthy over Beckett! The biggest problem with this is that these two stats contradict each other! Of course he had 15 more strike outs, he had 39 1/3 more innings in which to compile them! Fans of Sabathia say that's also why he had hits, runs, etc. Hmm, I for some reason, I doubt that.

I would say that 200 innings is more than enough to gather an accurate average for a pitcher. I propose we extend Josh's season to 241 innings, just like C.C. pitched and see how the numbers compare then!

Stat.....C.C.....Josh(real)....Josh(w/241 IP)
IP......241......200.6........241
Wins.....19.......20...........24
Loss......7........7............8
SO......209.......194.........233
Hits....238.......189.........227
ERA.....3.21......3.27........3.27 (it's an average)
ER.......86........73..........88
R........94........76..........91
HR.......20........17..........20
BB.......37........40..........48

Even if we extend Josh's workload to 241 innings, he still doesn't beat C.C. in every category. He'd have given up more earned runs (2) and more walks (11). But I'd like you to note that in both cases (actual and extended) more batters struck out when facing Josh than managed to hit safely!Josh's numbers are so far and away better than C.C.'s that, if Sabathia had more wins, I wouldn't have been surprised if Josh still won the Cy Young. Which makes it even more of a travesty that Josh didn't walk away with the award!

NL MVP: It appears that the writers who voted for this award used the same criteria as those that voted for the AL Cy Young. Somehow Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies edged out Matt Holliday of the Rockies for the MVP. Just check out their stats! The only categories Rollins leads in are At Bats and Strike outs!

Stat.....Rollins........Holliday
AB........716............636
Hits......212............216
Avg......(.296).........(.340)
OBP......(.344).........(.405)
SLG......(.531).........(.607)
TB........380.............386
Runs......139.............120
2B.........38..............50
3B.........20...............6
HR.........30..............36
BB.........49..............63

It's staggering just how obvious who the winner should have been!

At least they got the AL Rookie of the Year right! Congrats PedROYa!

NFL Power Rankings Week 11

My apologies on the tardiness of this weeks rankings. I understand that three games have already been played (Thankfully, without any surprises). Therefore, I shall attempt to bestow my football wisdom as though it were before Thanksgiving and Thursday's games:

1)New England (10-0) Last week: 1

I've heard some complain that you are "piling it on." Well, can we blame you? After week one's "Camera-gate" you're out to prove that you didn't even need it. I'd hate to be one of the final 6 teams that stand between you and the undefeated season! Most of all, I'd hate to be the Jets. The NFL record for most points scored by one team in a game is 73 by the Chicago Bears in 1940. Anyone wagering that record will be broken when the Jet's visit Foxboro? Anyone? 23.5 pt spread over Philly. No question, you'll cover.

2)Dallas (9-1) Last week: 2

Your 28-23 win over Washington makes the game look closer than it really was. You've drawn the Jets on Turkey day, which means an easy win. The question is, can your secondary contain Favre's receivers next Thursday. It'll be a great game where two 10-1 NFC teams face off and no one is watching because it's on the NFL Network!

3)Green Bay (9-1) Last week: 3

Depending on how you handle Detroit, you could take the #2 spot on this list! It'll be fun to watch a team with no running game (you) play against a team that tends to give up big plays in the air (Dallas). But I think that Dallas is more well rounded and has a bit of an edge. T-day's match up against Detroit shouldn't be too difficult, they've yet to rise above the bottom four of this list all year.

4)Jacksonville (7-3) Last week: 7

You have rocketed to number 4 for two reasons: You've strung together a couple of impressive wins: TN, SD. Nobody else deserves it. I'll admit, I struggled a bit putting you this high, but someone has to be #4, and seeing your name here made my football senses squirm less than any of the other options.

5)Indianapolis (8-2) Last week: 4

Your fall continues. Yes, you won. You beat KC. But you did it by 3 and you were losing 10-3 at the end of the first half. Vinitiari had four consecutive misses and you nearly lost to a QB named Croyle! It's disgraceful! Sounds to me like Mr. Manning needs Harrison and Freeny a bit more than people like to admit. You've been handed a huge confidence booster with ATL this week (I hear one lucky fan will get a chance to be their QB) but unless you find a way to look like the Colts of old, you can expect to continue your plummet on JMO: JTF.

6)New York Giants (7-3) Last week: 6

You managed to hold off Detroit, but you sure don't deserve to move up for that win! Talk about missed opportunities! Kitna isn't exactly known for his game winning drives and he certainly shouldn't have had a chance at one this week! If you want to crack the top 5, you have to finish with 7 more than you finish with 3!

7)Pittsburgh (6-4) Last week: 5

You're lucky to still be on the list. I've removed people for less than what you managed to do this week! Losing to the Jet's is inexcusable! They sacked Big Ben more times than they sacked any other QB this season combined! Maybe you should have borrowed Belichick's tapes, you might have had a better chance! Pitiful.

8)Detroit (6-4) last week: 9

Yes, you lost and you gained a spot. There must be a reason that New York wasn't able to simply stomp on you. So for showing heart, getting some key interceptions, and keeping it close with a team that's much better than you: You get to be number 8. Let's see how you handle GB on Thursday.

9)Tampa Bay (6-4) Last week: off

I've toyed with bringing you on board a few times. Now seemed appropriate with your 31 to 7 grounding of the Falcons combined with TN's loss to DEN, and SD's lack of "Charge" against JAX. Welcome to JMO: JTF, you've shown yourself as a force to be reckoned with.

10)Cleveland (6-4) Last week: off

When I added you for defeating Cinci when you scored 52 and then removed you the next week, I thought that would be the last we'd hear of the Browns on the power rankings. But yet again, Romeo has surprised me! You've beaten Baltimore 33-30 and you've beaten 5 other teams this year! The number of teams you've beaten is more than the number of TDs I thought you'd score all year! And some of the games you've lost have been close! I doft my cap to you and welcome you back.

Off: Tennessee: A two week losing streak has dropped you from the list. But it's not just the two in a row (Detroit has managed that as well), it's also the manner in which you've been beaten. You really should have handled JAX and DEN and you were unable to do either. It may take some extra special effort for you to find your way back on the list. San Diego: Honorable mention over. Yes, you toppled Indy, and for that we thank you. But then you go and lose to Jacksonville without much of a fight. You've got all of the same "superstars" that you had last year. The only difference is Marty isn't your head coach. Maybe if you beg, he'll come back for next year. I wouldn't.

Miami remains winless. The Patriot's "net points" (254) are higher than "total points for" all but five teams (Dallas: 324, Cleveland: 288, Indianapolis: 278, Pittsburgh: 269, and Green Bay: 259.)! And the Pat's D is stout as well. Fourth in the NFL (Points Against: Pittsburgh 145, Tampa Bay 151, Tennessee 152, NE 157).

One additional thought on the NFL. The NFL Network is a terrible idea! There are some key games on that station which means 97% of football fans won't be able to see them. (the 10-1 Cowboys vs the 10-1 Packers. And New England's final game of the season vs the NYG where the Pats could be making history!) It's gotta end!

NFL Power Rankings Week 10

What a week in the NFL! It was one of those weeks where if you actually know anything about football, you'd have been lucky to have picked 8 of the games correctly! Let's see where the chips fell on Just My Opinion: Just the Facts after this semi-stunning week:

1)New England (9-0) Last week: 1

Definitely the easiest game for them not to lose all season. They had their bye. Seven teams left and seven teams gunning to be the spoiler! I think Pitt or NYG have the best shot, but in the past it's been a team like NYJ or Miami that's ended the run at perfection for other teams. But the question remains, can anyone beat the Patriots?

2)Dallas (8-1) Last week: 3

I feel as though you've somehow you've slipped under some people's radar. However, with another convincing win over the Giants, I think everyone has to sit up and listen now! Oh, that and you've knocked Indy from the number two spot.

3)Green Bay (8-1) Last week: 4

You're the only team in the NFL that only has one loss and it wasn't to the Patriots. Your loss to Chicago was painful. Mostly because you actually had a chance to win. You, too, could be undefeated which is why I've placed you at number three. That and you shut out MN. Even though they lost their RB for the year in that game, it's still not an easy task. I think there are only two teams that would definitely defeat you, too bad one of them is in the NFC.

4)Indianapolis (7-2) Last week: 2

A two game losing streak? That's unheard of in Indy! Truthfully, I don't recall the last time I watched a game and wished that somehow both teams could receive a notch in the loss column! SD scored 1 offensive TD! Adam "I'm not in Foxboro anymore, Toto" Vinitiari missed a "chip shot" 27 yard FG to win! And you can't have a six interception game and stay in the top 3. Harrison is still questionable and Freeny is out for what may be the rest of the season! I'm beginning to think you may end the season with four losses, not just two!

5)Pittsburgh (7-2) Last week: 5

You had to come from behind to beat the Browns. Just so you know, if any team beneath you had performed somewhat above expectations, you'd have dropped a spot or two even though you won. Lucky for you, nobody did.

6)New York Giants (6-3) Last week: 6

It's difficult to punish a team for doing exactly what was expected of them. You lost to Dallas. It wasn't a blow-out, you gave your fans a little bit of hope, but couldn't overcome Romo and TO. So here you'll stay this week, at number six.

7)Jacksonville (6-3) Last week: 9

Well, you evened the score. I believed that you would fall to TN just as you had earlier in the season. I was wrong! Winning convincingly helps you leap-frog over the Titans into 7th on the power rankings.

8)Tennessee (6-3) last week: 8

The only reason you get to stay at number 8 after being handed your helmet's on a platter with the 13-28 loss to Jacksonville is because there's nobody to put above you! Detroit fell, Washington fell, and SD and TB didn't do quite enough to over come you. However, yer on the block. Do something against Denver or don't expect to see your name on this list next week!

9)Detroit (6-3) Last week: 7

Someone referred to you today as an "enigma." I could not agree more! You've lost to Arizona and Washington and yet you've beaten Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Denver! If I didn't know it to be true, I'd think those stats were completely reversed! Now stop Kitna-ing around and start being consistent!

10)San Diego (5-4) Last week: off

When you topple the champs you make the list. Granted, the only power you showed was the power to run back kicks, the power to challenge the spot of the ball, and the power to be the luckiest team on the field. (However, the two interceptions by Cromartie were amazing!) You're lucky because Adam V. is usually a gimmie and there is absolutely no way that you should have 6 interceptions and still need to rely on a kicker choking so you can win the game! Consider this an "honorable mention." Do something this week to truly earn a spot in the top ten!

Off: Washington: Power has to start at home. Not necessarily on your home field, but you've gotta be able to handle the teams in your division. It looked like the Eagles took you by surprise. Even if that's not true, they beat you and they shouldn't have. Maybe you can make it up next week.

Congrats to the Rams on ending their win-less streak! Wouldn't it be poetic if the year someone matches Miami's '72 unbeaten season the Dolphins go without a win completely!?

That would be amazing!

Logic? Where?!

While watching a national "unbiased" news station the other day, I saw the following opinion poll:

"Do you think that abstinence only programs in schools should be abolished?"

Take a moment and read that again.

My basic reaction to this is, "What the..?!" Are you kidding me? Abolished? I paused to consider what rational thought might be behind this inquiry. The only one I could come up with is the age old "Well, we know they are going to do it anyway." Alright. If they are going to do it anyway, why encourage them not to? What else should we apply that bastion of wisdom to?

drugs
Let's end all of the "Just say no" campaigns. It's unreasonable to expect our teens to resist drugs entirely and, because we know they are going to do it anyway, let's provide them with clean needles so at least they aren't spreading disease.

alcohol
Clearly we are losing this battle. but, if they are going to do it anyway, we might as well provide them with the fake IDs. No sense in them spending their money on them. Let's stop arresting parents who provide their kids with booze, too. No better place to get loaded than with mom, right?

reckless driving
Why do you think their car insurance is so high? Because they're all doing it! Let's institute a "teen only" night on those roadways that we know they use. Berlin Turnpike in central CT. Route 1 on the North Shore of Boston. Meadow Road in my old home town. That way they'd only risk hurting themselves.

cigarettes
Despite the evidence and the warnings, teens are still lighting up. Seeing as we can't stop them all, we might as well manufacture a less dangerous cancer stick for youths. We'll call 'em "Cigs" and the tag line can be "these ain't your father's smokes." Half the tar, twice the taste, just as addictive.

Ridiculous, right? Why, then, do we actually hold this view:

sex
We know that nothing ends the days of youthful irresponsibility quicker than a teen pregnancy and many STDs are incurable but, we know they are going to do it anyway. So let's not encourage them not to all together and give them the tools they'd need to engage in this at risk behavior. Let's also encourage this activity so that they separate love and sex earlier and earlier ensuring that their understanding of commitment will be underdeveloped and our divorce rate will be underestimated. We certainly don't want to be viewed as "unhip" or "party-poopers."

I think the problem is that opponents of these programs that support abstinence from any of these dangerous choices feel that because we can't convince them all, we should stop trying to convince the rest. By that logic, because we can't send everyone's cancer into remission, we should attempt to save any.

Those programs helped me, and I know some people who wished that they'd listened when they were a member of the targeted demographic. Let's start acting like mentors by assisting our young people in growing to be responsible adults, rather than trying to be their buddies and not wanting to restrict their "experimentation." The 60's are dead. Let's leave it that way!

NFL Power Rankings Week 9

We're half way through the regular season and it's been another stellar week for Just My Opinion: Just the Facts! Every team but one was the victor over the opponent that they were expected to defeat based on this power ranking! That makes JMO:JTF 19 for 20 over the past two weeks! The loss by Jacksonville will cause them to fall from 7th. Where did they land? Read on to find out:

1)New England (9-0) Last week: 1

And then there was one! The Patriots have faced and defeated 3 teams this season that had not yet experienced the bitter taste of defeat this season until they faced off against New England. That, in itself, is quite a feat. But overcoming Manning, the Colts, and the zebras* was no small task either. So the Patriots have two games left that concern this writer: Pittsburgh (A saving grace is that it's in Foxboro) and the Giants (If it were the Giants in week 10, I wouldn't be worried, but it's the final game. The game Belichick is notorious for not playing his starters when they are headed to the post season). Once the Steelers are sent packing you may hear the mention of 16-0 on this list. But not before. With a bye next week, the 72 Dolphins will have to keep the Champaigne chilled until much later in the season.

2)Indianapolis (7-1) Last week: 2

It was the latest in any previous season that two undefeated teams met on the field. They are the defending Super Bowl Champions. It was on their home terf, and yet they were 3 point underdogs. Even with the help of the men in black, they were unable to overcome the juggernaught that is New England. I expect that when these two teams face off again in January, the winning team will remain the same, but the margain of victory will be much greater. The game will be in Foxboro and the refs will be unbiased.

3)Dallas (7-1) Last week: 3

That is how it's done. You showed everyone how to man handle a team and leave no question that you are superior. You effectively clipped Philly's wings and kept the post season on the endangered species list for them. Well done!

4)Green Bay (7-1) Last week: 4

I've heard some say that KC is a formidable opponent this year. I've yet to see much evidence of that. It was another come from behind win, but you overcame by 11. That'll do to keep you in the fourth spot.

5)Pittsburgh (6-2) Last week: 5

Handly defeated the Ravens. Prevented them from scoring the entire second half! Now, if I thought you could win over Green Bay that would have jumped you up a notch. But I don't think you can, so you stay where you were before: rounding out the top 5.

6)New York Giants (6-2) Last week: 6

(to the tune of "Bye-bye love") It's your bye week/ you didn't lose, so to speak/ I think you will lose, next week/ Hey do not harbor malice/ it's 'cause you're playing Dallas.

7)Detroit (6-2) Last week: 8

I debated on whether or not to bump you up over the Giants, and at 6-2, that certainly isn't out of the question. But I'm not totally sold that you can be consistant. Seems like you're beating teams you shouldn't be beating and losing to teams you should be walking all over. Display some staying power in the next few weeks and we'll see what happens.

8)Tenessee (6-2) last week: 9

You held Carolina to a single score. Now-a-days that's not so difficult, but you made it look easy. Let's see how you fare against Jacksonville next week, there's the real test. I see your two teams as fairly evenly matched, but I've got you to win, don't let me down.

9)Jacksonville (5-3) Last week: 7

You fell to New Orleans, pretty badly, too. Granted, NO isn't as low as they were, but they aren't on this list, and they probably sit somewhere below TB and SD. Putting them in 13th at best (even that might be too generous). A 41-24 loss should have been enough to plummet you to tenth, but considering what Washington did, you only drop two spots. You're welcome.

10)Washington (5-3) Last week: 10

Ok, you lost 52-7 against NE, then you barely beat the crashing 1-7 Jets by three points? You won, so you stay, but this is your last chance. Make a statement or one of the teams waiting in the wings will take your place!

Off: once again, Nobody: Sure, there are some teams that are inching they're way closer to the list. However, none, as of yet, warrent being a new addition. Once we get this far into the season, there are less teams moving on and off, and more teams moving up and down. Of course, those with the greatest risk of falling off of the list are the ones at the bottom. Watch for Jacksonville vs Tenn this week as the game of the week!

Anyone think that Miami or Saint Louis will win at least one game this year between the two of them?

*I'd just like to point out that not only did the Patriots defeat the Colts, they also defeated the back judge who obviously had money on the game! Someone explain to me how pass interference can be called on the cornerback being taken down by the wide receiver? Or on the wide receiver in the air with his back to the defender? Just wondering.