Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:31:00
Conference championship game day
Just so’s you all know, no Rock of Love tonight as it is NFL conference championship day. My predictions: Tomlinson and Rivers are both starting. All this “Rivers is questionable” is a lame effort to get the Pats to prepare for Volek, which will backfire as they will be prepared for both. Pats 38, Chargers 24 unless (or rather, when) Rivers goes out on that knee, then Chargers 17. I refuse to call LaDainian Tomlinson “L.T.,” by the way. There was and will ever be only one L.T.. So the kid has a stupid first name. Learn to pronounce it and call him by it.
As for the NFC...I predict Green Bay: freeze pops, Giants: block of ice. Seriously. Have you seen the weather report for Lambeau? It’s minus 3 right now with 15mph winds. It’s only gonna get colder. Looks to be a low-scoring game full of pulled muscles, dragon breath and giant propane heaters. I’ll be honest, I kind of want to see the kid pull it off and lead the Giants to the big show. On the other hand, how many more times will Favre get a shot at it? No hate for The Pack in my heart. I think the Pats can beat either of ‘em. In the end I see Eli folding under the pressure and the bitter cold and the Pack winning, 21-14. Or 17-10. I don’t think it’s Eli’s year yet.
I’ll be wearing my Welker jersey, and we have paid homage to the Vrabel image on the calendar, with some advance homage to Matt Light (February’s photo). I’ve done all I can do for the Patriots. The rest is up to them. :)
*UPDATE* EIGHTEEN AND OH! Maroney had one ever-loving hell of a game. Pats proved once again, they can beat you in every way there is. Brady had an off night and they still made things happen. Chargers put up a fight but failed to convert inside the 20, and that meant 3 point instead of 7.
Can I make one more observation about a flaw in the Pats organization? Why does the defensive coordinator insist on using Rodney Harrison in the secondary? Every time he played inside or rushed the passer he made big plays. Every time he hung back over the middle or floated into the secondary, he was kind of useless. Play him inside! Harrison and Seau make a monster rushing combo.
OK, off to watch the Ice Bowl.
*UPDATE*
Wow. Hell of a battle. Giants deserved that win for certain. Looks like I need to eat my words, it *is* Eli Manning’s year. Even if they lose, it’s a pretty great accomplishment to get this far. Fuckin’ Giants. I should hate them. I want to hate them...after all, in my heart of hearts I’m a Bills fan. I should wish death upon every human that has worked or ever will work for the organization. Somehow I just don’t.
Saw the moment with Favre and Manning after the game. Can someone tell me who replaced Bret Favre with the really old-looking dude and exactly when that happened? That has no bearing on my age, right? I exist outside of time. Bret got older, but I didn’t. That is the way it works right?
Right?
I bet everyone’s looking forward to playing in the sun. Go Pats.
Posted by JimK at 02:31 PM on January 20, 2008
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Comments:
#2 Posted by ErikTheRed 
on 01/20 at 08:11 PM -
One word - ouch.
#3 Posted by supercore on 01/20 at 08:14 PM -
I hope Favre gets one last super bowl game. Small chance of picking up another ring but it’d be nice to see him there. Kind of like the new Rocky movie. You know he won’t win but I want to see how much guts he still has left.
#4 Posted by randyp5 on 01/21 at 02:49 AM -
In the end I see Eli folding under the pressure and the bitter cold and the Pack winning
The “frozen tundry” myth can now be put snugly to bed. Its NO real advantage for the fudge. Cold weather simply isn’t an advantage to either team. Period. Its a myth based on a game played 40 years ago.
#5 Posted by matthean on 01/21 at 12:04 PM -
Actually, Vick was the QB who started to expose the idea that Lambeau was so tough to play in. Plus, a team that has to deal with that kind of cold on a daily basis is going to be better at dealing with it than say a team from the south. The Giants are also a cold weather team, so it wasn’t a huge change for them. Eli has been quoted as saying how much he hates playing in the cold, so that was another factor that people picked up on.
I live in MI, so I have somewhat of a fondness towards the Packers since the Lions suck so hard. However, being a U of M fan, I have been rooting for the Pats due to the Brady factor for some time. I was drooling at the idea of a Pats/Packers SB, and honestly wanted both of them to win because both stories would have been awesome. As much as I’m disappointed in the Pack losing, it makes cheering for one team in the SB WAY too easy. It’s like being a villain, missing out on getting to fight the big super hero(Peyton), and then stumbling upon their sidekick(Eli).
The SB will be good and close, but the Pats will do what they do all year. Wait for you to make that one mistake and make you pay dearly for it. It’s not like the Giants didn’t show flaws against the Packers. Plus, the Giants hung with the Pats before, but caved at the end.
#6 Posted by Janna on 01/21 at 01:14 PM -
I *hate* Eli and did not want to see him in the big game. I am working (volunteering) at some of the events surrounding the game. If I see him I might have to cheap shot him.
I also know which hotel the NFC and AFC teams are staying him… *thinks maniacal thoughts*...eh, I’m to much of a chicken and like being a law abbiding citizen. Oh well, I have no worries that the Pats will DESTROY the other Manning and his team. muahahahaha
#7 Posted by Buzzion on 01/21 at 01:57 PM -
Oh well, I have no worries that the Pats will DESTROY the other Manning and his team. muahahahaha
You mean like they “destroyed” them in the season finale?
Where the Giants almost pulled off the upset. The Super Bowl will be a lot closer than people think.
And the Patriots never cover the spread of the Super Bowl.
#8 Posted by matthean on 01/21 at 03:34 PM -
The spread is way too high, so I would be stunned if the Giants don’t cover.
#9 Posted by Buzzion on 01/21 at 04:36 PM -
The spread is way too high, so I would be stunned if the Giants don’t cover.
That’s just the current spread. I expect it to be at 10 points maybe lower by next monday. And won’t be shocked if its only a touchdown by gameday.
#11 Posted by chrisbg99 
on 01/21 at 08:12 PM -
Heck the Packers are unbeatable at Lambeau thing has been dead since at 1998 when the Vikings went in and decimated that Packers team. Moss pretty much always had his run of the Packers and the last time that I know he faced the Packers back in 2005 in the Wild Card game he made Al Harris look like a joke on a bad leg. He also rubbed his ass on their goal post.
#12 Posted by artmonkey on 01/22 at 12:48 PM -
I never doubted Big Blue for a second.
I’ve had many people giving me condescending giggles
over the past week when I told them the Pack just wasn’t equipped to get past Big Blue’s D.
And I’ll say the same for the Pats on Feb 3.
I’ve got nothing against Brady or the Pats, of course. Incredible team with incredible talent that has everything going for them going into the ‘bowl.
And you’re right when you say it only takes one mistake for them to capitalize on… but that doesn’t make this the “given” that everyone seems to think it is.
Besides, it goes both ways.
I see the Pats stacking up against the run for the
first half, with a lot of pressure on Eli, in hopes he’ll crack (which he won’t.)
Then, in the second, after failing to force turnovers, they’ll adjust to pass coverage, and open themselves up to heavy yardage by Jacobs.
In the end, I say it’s too close to call- but being a Giants fan, I’ll call it for Big Blue anyway. (just cuz I gotta.)
My pick, a shocker upset;
Giants 24
Pats 21
#13 Posted by Drumwaster on 01/25 at 09:30 PM -
The spread is way too high, so I would be stunned if the Giants don’t cover.
I managed to get down two bets on the game - The Giants with the points, but the Pats winning the money line bet. Which means that the Giants need to stop the Pats from covering the spread (which was at 12.5 points when I got my bet down, then slid to 12), but the Pats will win the game.
#14 Posted by Ryley R. Hayes on 01/27 at 01:04 AM -
All the Patriots close games were in cold, windy conditions. All their blowouts were in warm, calm conditions. And it’s not really hard to figure out why… they’re a big play passing team.
More importantly, they were playing at half speed the first half of the regular season finale.
And even more importantly, Bill Bellichick > Tom Coughlin. BY FAR.
#15 Posted by Ryley R. Hayes on 01/27 at 01:06 AM -
On a more serious football discussion note, for the Pats fans, has anyone else noticed what a beast Logan Mankins has turned into this year, especially down the stretch?
I think he’s the next Steve Hutchinson. Lawrence Maroney will always look good if guys upfront are getting two pancakes on every play.
#16 Posted by JimK on 01/28 at 02:56 AM -
for the Pats fans, has anyone else noticed what a beast Logan Mankins has turned into this year, especially down the stretch?
Actually I did! I try to watch the linemen. Used to be one when I was a but a wee lad in the high school and so forth.
#17 Posted by hamster on 01/28 at 02:57 PM -
what a beast Logan Mankins has turned into this year
I have as well. Many of the interviews I’ve heard with players indicate he’s the one guy you’d want to have your back in a fight. Has a mean streak a mile wide and plays that way.
On an aside - Jim - my wife my be challenging your better half for “Wife of the Year” Honors.
Thursday I helped my dad set up his new Sony Bravia. Sweeeeet. but he’s go all the seperate components, and I tell him to go pick p an HDMI cable when he gets a chance and I’ll set it up for him. I went home and tried to convince my better half that we needed also needed to upgrade from out 27” tube...no dice. she was the immovable object.
Friday night she’s at school and I’ve got a commitment at work so our 3 kids are at my dad’s - I pick them up at 8:30 and my dad hands me a bag and I pull an HDMI cable out.
I ask him if he needs me to hook it up for him right now - and he say’s “No - thats for you from Jen - look in the bag”
A note from my wife and a receipt for a ProScan 42” 1080p LCD waiting to be picked up at Sears.
God I love my wife, and I know you can relate.
Go Pats!
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I’m rooting for the Patriots for no reason other than I am a Randy Moss fan from his fantastic Vikings days. I want him to get his ring take it to Minneapolis and flick off the entire Vikings nation for blaming him for everything that went wrong for the Vikings in his 7 years here.
The Packers/Giants game is a game with two teams I hate. So I want them both to lose. Maybe a meteor hits Green Bay or something. Favre would probably survive.