Only thing better than watching the Colts lose..

[Swish]

...was watching the Cowboys lose and then seeing T.O. cry. OMG it doesn't get any better than this. Along with the stunned expression on the face of owner Jerry Jones and the 'deer in the headlights' look on Tony Romo (go ahead, give him an even BIGGER contract next year, just for grins and giggles). Priceless.

Actually, I don't hate the Colts, but they won last year. Now what needs to happen is for the Packers to beat the Giants (a likely event), and then go to the Super Bowl to beat the Patriots (what, you think San Diego has a shot? Ha!). One can dream, can't he?

Swish

[Slosh]

Yoko Romo

[3-LockBox]

I was a Pats fan back in the late '70s when Steve Grogan was the QB, watching them lose to the Raiders in the playoffs. I was a Pats fan when everyone else claimed to be a Bears fan. I rooted for the Pats when they lost to Green Bay (when everyone claimed to be Packers fan). And I've been a fan of Brady since he played for Michigan. I rooted for the Pats in all their Superbowls, and was prepared to root against the Seahawks if they played against them.

I ain't about to jump ship now.

Go Patriots!

[Troy]

Tom Brady went to the same High School as Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

For me, the Championship games are going to be an anticlimax. I'm still confused as to how SD beat the Colts without LT and Rivers. My mind boggles. My mind also boggles as to how badly NE is going to annihilate SD with those guys out or playing in diminished capacity.

Giants too, looks to me like they didn't win that game, but that the Cowgirls lost it. WAY too much is being made about Romo banging the starlet. BFD, it's been determined that sex before high stress competition is good for you. Eli is not a mudder and will fold in 0 degree temps. Green Bay will shred the Gints depleted secondary. McQuarters will be toast.

And yes, T.O.'s crocodile tears were absolutely priceless. Man, did that make my day.

[bobsticks]

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[Duds]

Mudd in temperatures below zero? is that possible?

anyways, hope the Pack destroy the giants. I f'ing hate the manning brothers. Nice friggin Oreo commercials you dorks.



Tom Brady went to the same High School as Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

For me, the Championship games are going to be an anticlimax. I'm still confused as to how SD beat the Colts without LT and Rivers. My mind boggles. My mind also boggles as to how badly NE is going to annihilate SD with those guys out or playing in diminished capacity.

Giants too, looks to me like they didn't win that game, but that the Cowgirls lost it. WAY too much is being made about Romo banging the starlet. BFD, it's been determined that sex before high stress competition is good for you. Eli is not a mudder and will fold in 0 degree temps. Green Bay will shred the Gints depleted secondary. McQuarters will be toast.

And yes, T.O.'s crocodile tears were absolutely priceless. Man, did that make my day.

[GMichael]

GO JINTS! They are better than they get credit for. Not that beating the Packers would be easy.

I've been a Patiots fan sinse Bill took over. He's got a lot on the ball. But I'd still like to see them loose. Maybe I just don't want to see anyone match the 72 Dolphins. Larry Zonka was a crushing back. Has any team sinse had two backs go over 1000 yards in one season?

[3-LockBox]

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A: Yes, I believe Pittsburg's Rocky Blier and Franco Harris both rushed for over a thousand in a season back the mid-70s.
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[Audio Girl]

I am a HUGE Dallas Cowboy fan...and you know that Slosheroo and Swishy. I believe the reason you are making alot of these statements and posting pix is to see if you can flush me out. :0 Well you won...I am here now to kick your bottoms.

My dad started taking me to games (when they were the Dallas Texans) before I could officially walk. Tony Romo is the best thing to happen to this team in many years. This guy truly loves the game ~ even before he began making mega millions. Regarding T.O. ~ say all that you will, make fun of him crying, but I enjoyed his participation this year and I love that he is a team player...Jones simply removed Parcells, and T.O. became a much better player. I love the fact that he would get choked up defending his quarterback and friend over a STUPID accusation that the media ran with (most of this media probably evolved out of New York or Phillie, right?).

Personally, I think the Eagles STINK (aka SUCK) and I cannot stand this team, have never liked them or the Washington Redskins. This is a rivalry that goes deep, and we will kick all your bottoms next year.

I am now pulling for Brett Favre. Hopefully, he will send the two-timing, multiple baby-making, no responsiblity machine Brady back to his homeland with his tail between his legs. :-)

How 'bout them apples from a good little Southern Baptist girl?

Happy New Year and Love To All,
Ag

[thekid]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Q: Has any team sinse had two backs go over 1000 yards in one season?

A: Yes, I believe Pittsburg's Rocky Blier and Franco Harris both rushed for over a thousand in a season back the mid-70s.
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They may have but for historical purposes you may want to remember that Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka were the first to do it in 1972 with the Dolphins

[3-LockBox]

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I am a HUGE Dallas Cowboy fan...

That's OK. We like you no matter what size you are ;)

[kexodusc]

I have to admit, I had no idea who the hell Norv Turner was after we sent Schotty packing, but he's done a nice job, and something no coach has been able to do in 13+ years or so...lead SD to a playoff win.

That said, I don't have a freaking clue what the game plan could possibly be against the Pats. Short of gooning Brady early, there's probably not much of a game plan. Turner ain't out-coaching Belichick. Rivers is doubtful, and LT and Gates are hurting if they make it.
Pray for Volek! If he wins Sunday, he will be canonized as St. Billy the Deliverer.

Only thing I know for sure - If the Pats don't win the SB this year, it will go down as the biggest choke in the history of sport.

[johnny p]

Mudd in temperatures below zero? is that possible?

The Frozen Tundra is not so frozen....... they have heat coils under the turf........ I don't expect it to be muddy though!

[johnny p]

P.S.

As a happless Browns fan, I'm pulling for the Pack!

[MindGoneHaywire]

The Dallas Texans didn't become the Cowboys, they were an AFL team that moved to Kansas City & became the Chiefs.

[3-LockBox]

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The Dallas Texans didn't become the Cowboys, they were an AFL team that moved to Kansas City & became the Chiefs.

Good catch, I didn't notice that on the first read through. There were two Texans teams, the first being with the old All American League (the Browns first league) and they were a notorious laughing stock of a team.

[MindGoneHaywire]

I know I can look this up on Wikipedia, but didn't the 49ers come out of the AAFC also? Somehow I'm remembering there was a Brooklyn Dodgers football team in that league as well...remembering this crap gets kinda geeky, but have you ever seen the sites devoted to old sports teams uniforms? There are some pretty incredible ones with old football colors, pro and college...they seem to take the helmets especially seriously. No joke. But there are a couple with great old photos to compliment the virtual reproductions. I think they're linked on uniwatch.com, which is an outgrowth of a column I was reading in the NY Press more than a decade ago at this point.

Some years back I read 'Fatso' by Art Donovan. He played for the Texans, and he played for the Colts under Weeb Ewbank, who he hated perpetually even though that team won championships with Unitas at the helm. Interesting guy, I can't remember if he was in commercials or what, but he became kind of a sideshow celebrity in the 80s. I remember a great appearance on Letterman about 20 years ago. He was funny. His father was a boxing referee, high-profile. Like, Joe Louis, Yankee Stadium, 1938 or thereabouts...was it Max Schmeling he fought there? Can't remember. Good disposable sports read, though.

My Giants are going to the Super Bowl. Kind of hard to believe, especially since Troy predicted a 42-7 loss, but they played the Patriots better than any team this year except the Ravens, and I'd be surprised if the Pats are favored by a wider spread than the Bills were over NY in 1990. I do think these Patriots are better than that Bills team, significantly better, probably the best team I've ever seen, superior in every level of the game to their competition, but they win with the class and finesse of the dynasty 49ers, not the dominant nature that tends to burn dynasties out before their time, except for the 70s Steelers. I never thought I'd see a QB better than Joe Montana, nor a team better than those Steelers teams, but this is the one.

Which of course don't mean squat if they don't get it done against the Giants, and I think the Giants to match up well. Given their opponents, I don't think this Giants run compares to 1990, but it's still pretty impressive watching a team plagued by inconsistency come together all at once. What's even more impressive than seeing Eli Manning finally find his stroke, is having an undisciplined team that allowed penalties to hamstring it wayyyy too often suddenly become relatively mistake-free, which was the one thing we expected when Coughlin came in, and it took 3 years for it to happen.

Totally dig hearing the Hives on the bumpers. I was sorely disappointed with the last album, but this one is great. Fox always seems to program stuff that's definitely more punk than one would expect to hear in that venue, and Joe Buck always seems to not know what to say when they come back from commercial with songs like Tick Tick Boom playing.

[Troy]

My Giants are going to the Super Bowl. Kind of hard to believe, especially since Troy predicted a 42-7 loss, but they played the Patriots better than any team this year except the Ravens, and I'd be surprised if the Pats are favored by a wider spread than the Bills were over NY in 1990. I do think these Patriots are better than that Bills team, significantly better, probably the best team I've ever seen, superior in every level of the game to their competition, but they win with the class and finesse of the dynasty 49ers, not the dominant nature that tends to burn dynasties out before their time, except for the 70s Steelers. I never thought I'd see a QB better than Joe Montana, nor a team better than those Steelers teams, but this is the one.

I'm more shocked than you are about the Giants, believe me.

For the last 2 weeks I've been saying the 5th seed Giants don't stand a chance. They came out and won each game because their opponent came out flat, not because of their exceptional play. They played good enough to win against teams that played poorly.

Don't kid yourself MGH, the Giants backed into their superbowl berth. Both the higher seeded and overall better Cowflops and Packer teams lost those games rather than the Giants decisively winning them. The NFC side of the playoffs was loaded with mediocre play by every team. The Packers just gave the game away on countless inexplicable penalties.

The Giants are one of the weakest teams in a long time to make it to the SB. Weaker even than the 90 Giants.

It just shows how mediocre the NFL and NFC in particular has become. Except for the Pats/Jags game the level of play in most of the Playoff games this year has been abysmal. Sloppy and lackluster.


Which of course don't mean squat if they don't get it done against the Giants, and I think the Giants to match up well. Given their opponents, I don't think this Giants run compares to 1990, but it's still pretty impressive watching a team plagued by inconsistency come together all at once. What's even more impressive than seeing Eli Manning finally find his stroke, is having an undisciplined team that allowed penalties to hamstring it wayyyy too often suddenly become relatively mistake-free, which was the one thing we expected when Coughlin came in, and it took 3 years for it to happen.

Nobody "matches up well" with the Patriots.

I said it before the playoffs started, there aint nobody in the NFC that will be able to go toe to toe for 4 quarters with the Pats. Maybe they can stay close for the first half, but by the 4th quarter they will make it look easy, almost like they are simply toying with the other team. They did it to the Chargers yesterday. They did it to the Jags the week before. They did it to the Giants, Colts and Ravens. They did it over and over, all season long.

IMO these Patriots are the best team in the modern era because they are so sneaky. They make it look effortless. Everybody seems to think they have a chance against them and every time, they pull an easy TD out of their rectums when it counts.

Don't expect the Pats to come out flat or play poorly in the superbowel like they did yesterday.


Totally dig hearing the Hives on the bumpers. I was sorely disappointed with the last album, but this one is great. Fox always seems to program stuff that's definitely more punk than one would expect to hear in that venue, and Joe Buck always seems to not know what to say when they come back from commercial with songs like Tick Tick Boom playing.

Joe Buck is actually Greg Marmalard from Animal House. The physical resemblance is as uncanny as the smarmy tone, and I've never seen them in the same place at the same time . . . I rest my case.

[MindGoneHaywire]

>They played good enough to win against teams that played poorly. Don't kid yourself MGH, the Giants backed into their superbowl berth. Both the higher seeded and overall better Cowflops and Packer teams lost those games rather than the Giants decisively winning them.

I'd agree with all of that, but they were on the road for each game, which mitigates that. At some point even a series of mediocre efforts from superior opponents has to yield an analysis that gives some credit to the one team beating all of these supposedly better teams on the road in the playoffs. It's not like an also-ran that gets hot at the end of a long season & pulls off a meaningless dominant streak.

>It just shows how mediocre the NFL and NFC in particular has become.

Weren't a lot of people saying that about the AFC for more than a decade? When you have a team as dominant as the Patriots have been it can skew perception a bit. In a high-stakes game I think a couple of the better NFC teams could beat any AFC team outside of Boston.

>Except for the Pats/Jags game the level of play in most of the Playoff games this year has been abysmal. Sloppy and lackluster.

Maybe, but I don't always rate games on whether or not the play is sloppy. There can be great games that nevertheless feature turnovers (which usually generate excitement) and penalties (ditto, if to a lesser extent, but they can certainly keep exciting drives going, or either sustain or change momentum) all game long. I didn't see the Pats/Jags game, but I did see the Chargers beat the Colts, and that was one of the better games I've seen in a long time.

>Nobody "matches up well" with the Patriots.

Disagree. When a team can come within less than a touchdown against perhaps the greatest team of all time, then I'd say they can match up well. In this case, if you look at head-to-heads, obviously the Pats dominate on both sides of the ball. But the game isn't played on paper. There are intangibles, and I think some of that has to go to the team that's done what the Giants have done in the playoffs, not that it hurts that Coughlin won a Super Bowl ring while a member of the same staff as Belichick. The Patriots have satisfied expectations; the Giants have far exceeded theirs. Does it make sense that they should only beat the Chargers by 9 points when the best running back in the league couldn't go?

None of this will mean anything if, as expected, the Pats roll. But did anybody expect the Red Sox to do what they did to the Yankees three years ago when they were down 3-0? I sure didn't expect the 1990 club to play well against the scary dominant Bills. I wouldn't have expected the Ravens or Eagles to come as close as they did against the Pats this year, but the Giants scored nearly 15% of the points scored against the Patriots the entire season, in one game. They held the largest lead the Pats were on the downside of at any time during the season. I know the Pats have the ability to pull those victories out of thin air, I've been watching this game for a few years now. What happened in that Ravens game hardly shocked me. But that was a case of Baltimore beating themselves with a bad penalty or two just like you say the Packers did yesterday. And the Giants are certainly better than a Ravens team that couldn't even make the playoffs & fired their head coach.

More to the point, they're not beating themselves, which is sometimes the most important thing. And it's not like they're only capitalizing on turnovers, and don't have an offense that's firing on all cylinders, because they do. If they weren't, they couldn't have mounted that drive at the end of the first half in the Cowboys game after Dallas had that long, long drive. And they couldn't have consistently moved the ball against Green Bay, which they did even though nobody expected them to.

I saw on the news earlier that Tom Brady was filmed limping today. I don't know why, but I have more optimism heading into this game than I did when the Giants were up against a team quarterbacked by Trent Dilfer. Belichick is the most significant person on either squad who's really due for a bad game. And folks in Cleveland would probably suggest that he's had his share.

The Giants are underdogs for a very good reason, but I like their chances more than most double-digit Supe Dogs. We shall see.

[3-LockBox]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">I'll give the Giants their due. No, the Cowboys nor the Packers played their best, but its their fault, not NY's. I'd said earlier that Favre was capable of having a crappy game. He played like sh!t in Chicago, complained about the cold weather, then had a bad game Sunday (not terrible but bad enough). He can't stand the cold like he used to (gettin old).

And Romo couldn't get out of his own way in Seattle last year either; talk about immaturity. But if not the Cowboys who? The Giants may have beaten the Seahawks in Seattle the way Seattle played the last half of the year (they had to pass every down); hell, they were no real test. Pittsburg won a Superbowl a couple of years ago beating teams who pissed themselves at the last minute. And sometimes your car engine blows up on the last lap of a race...doesn't make the guy who crosses the finish line a better driver perse', but he gets the trophy and the guest spot on a Fishing With Roland Martin episode.

But, if the Giants can contain the Pats just a little, grind it out on the ground, make the Patriots run, no wait...pass, no wait...who knows? The Pats got so many weapons. They may be the deepest team ever. Where has Kevin Falk been all year? His performances in Superbowls have been near MVP worthy. Same with David Patton, who has played both ways (now now). Remember, this NE team is similar to the teams that won 3 SBs without Stallworth, Moss, or Welker. Or Maroney. And there was Falk, coming out of the backfield last Sunday, turning 5 yard screen passes into 10-15 yard gains. Brady played just OK in two of the Patriots SB wins - its been the role players who made the plays, not stars. Looks like that wasn't lost on Belichik.

But this Giants front four is pretty killer. Their DBs played decent enough pass defense just on account that 2 of those front four need to be double teamed every down; they can load the passing lanes with bodies. Now Tuck is healthy and can play end or tackle. Should be entertaining for two or three quarters.

I'm pulling for The Pats and history, but I hope its close. I kinda like that Alfred E. Manning kid.

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[MindGoneHaywire]

I'm more shocked than you are about the Giants, believe me.

For the last 2 weeks I've been saying the 5th seed Giants don't stand a chance. They came out and won each game because their opponent came out flat, not because of their exceptional play. They played good enough to win against teams that played poorly.

Don't kid yourself MGH, the Giants backed into their superbowl berth. Both the higher seeded and overall better Cowflops and Packer teams lost those games rather than the Giants decisively winning them. The NFC side of the playoffs was loaded with mediocre play by every team. The Packers just gave the game away on countless inexplicable penalties.

The Giants are one of the weakest teams in a long time to make it to the SB. Weaker even than the 90 Giants.

Nobody "matches up well" with the Patriots.

I said it before the playoffs started, there aint nobody in the NFC that will be able to go toe to toe for 4 quarters with the Pats. Maybe they can stay close for the first half, but by the 4th quarter they will make it look easy, almost like they are simply toying with the other team. They did it to the Chargers yesterday. They did it to the Jags the week before. They did it to the Giants, Colts and Ravens. They did it over and over, all season long.



The Pats just scored to take the lead, and they will probably win this game, though it's not over yet. Just wanted to provide a little, er, context.

Of course, it's only fair to point out that Troy is not the only person who feels this way, and I've said since early in the season that this Pats team was the best I've seen in my lifetime.

Not in this game, though.

[bobsticks]

The Pats just scored to take the lead, and they will probably win this game, though it's not over yet. Just wanted to provide a little, er, context.

Of course, it's only fair to point out that Troy is not the only person who feels this way, and I've said since early in the season that this Pats team was the best I've seen in my lifetime.

Not in this game, though.

Yeah, it's been a lot closer than most would have predicted...fortunately we had Tom Petty and the Cryptkeepers to liven things up at halftime.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Not much of a fan of those Heartbreakers, I prefer Johnny Thunders' original edition, but man...that Tyree catch...wow.

The Pats still have 3 timeouts, so this game's NOT over, but this is difficult to believe.

[Rich-n-Texas]

It's all over now. Congrats to the NY Giants.

[Swish]

Not much of a fan of those Heartbreakers, I prefer Johnny Thunders' original edition, but man...that Tyree catch...wow.

The Pats still have 3 timeouts, so this game's NOT over, but this is difficult to believe.

...viewers at the party down the street that the Giant would win the game if they got to Brady and controlled the clock, and they did both. They were the best team on the field, no question. The Patriots may have the best offensive team in NFL history, but their defense wasn't on the same level. The Giants proved, once again, that good defense will beat good offense most of the time. As much as I hate the Giants, I was really getting tired of hearing about how great the Patriots are, how wonderful Tom Brady is, and how much of a genius Bellechick (spelling?) is, and they can kiss my rear. I was glad to see them lose.

Swish

[bobsticks]

... As much as I hate the Giants, I was really getting tired of hearing about how great the Patriots are, how wonderful Tom Brady is, and how much of a genius Bellechick (spelling?) is, and they can kiss my rear. I was glad to see them lose.

Swish

...completely apathetic. Folks here in some backwater, quasi-paternalistic, hillbilly way adopted Eli Manning for no other reason than his relation to Peyton..."weyall, uh huh uh huh, mebbe at least one Manning should win..." What the hell's that?

It turned out to be a good game and I'm glad I watched, but in the end I had the same emotional involvement as watching a latenight ESPN replay of the 1993 World's Strongest Man Competition...And the winner is...Magnus ver Magnussen!! Yay.

[MindGoneHaywire]

>Belichick is the most significant person on either squad who's really due for a bad game.

4th & 13?

?!?

Am I the only one who was really, really surprised at that?

[3-LockBox]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">I'm disappointed because I did want the Pats to win, but I'm glad the game played out the way it did. The Pats can't blame it on distractions, bad officiating, or injuries. The Giants just flat out played them. Brady looked average. The Pat's lack of a running game was a glaring weakness. Some really questionable play calling as well (going for it on 4th and long). They seemed to be trying to force the issue, abandoning their rather successful short passing game and kept trying for the homerun ball...like they wanted to make sure no one would say they cheated if they won. And the Pats defense looked old and tired in the 4th quarter. They didn't choke though; they had a chance to win and they should have won, but couldn't stop Manning at the end of the fourth.

The Giants played a great game on both sides of the ball, but their defensive front four has to be one of the best ever. Strahan might only be the third or fourth best player on that line. Now lets see if Coughlin can keep them together.


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[Troy]

I can't disagree that the Pats were long overdue for a loss and that with 20/20 hindsight anyone could see it coming, but jeez, how do you go 18-0 and then lose the superbowl? I just don't know what to make of that.

Oh christ, and so many of the obnoxious New Yorkers I know are absolutely insufferable today. No MGH, not you, but why do so many fans act like they were on the field themselves? Puffed-up douchbags . . .

I though Petty was a crushing bore. Sleepy countrified ballads by arthritic statues are not what I want from a SB halftime show. Especially after the spectacle that was Prince last year.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Bad winners are obnoxious. Watching the Yankees win a few wasn't something where I thought it was necessary to be a jerk, even considering the rivalry with the Red Sox. There were no riots in Boston this past October, were there? I hope not. I hated seeing that in 2004, though after 86 years, perhaps it was to have been expected more than in college towns when teams win the NCAA basketball or football championships.

Outside of fans going on the field, I don't think there were riots here in 1969 for the Mets or Jets, or the late 70s Yankees. And there was no violence during the Yankees' championship run, though there may have perhaps been an incident or two. And none last night that I know of.

Tomorrow's parade is something that concerns me. Lower Broadway is not in any condition to host a Canyon Of Heroes Parade. The streets are all torn up, some are closed off, it's still the same mess it's been since 9/11, though you don't hear much about it. There are some local scandals involving how little has been done around here & how hazardous some of the streets actually are, or at least difficult to navigate. I hope nobody gets hurt, really, not from violence, but from the physical aspect, logistics...parades typically attract at least a million people. I can't imagine that the area is in any condition to hold that many people.

As for the game...what do you think Tiki Barber is thinking right now?

I'm a little surprised the game played out as it did; Plaxico Burress destroyed the Packers after they chose to cover him with Al Harris, creating a huge mismatch. Belichick overcompensated, so while they covered Burress well the entire game, it left too many opportunities for Manning to hit secondary targets. He's become too good to assume that he can't win even if he can't throw to his most dangerous receiver.

As for Brady, I think it was a major mistake to not try to establish more of a running game, or at least low-risk plays like screens. I don't think the adjustments the Pats made were sufficient, considering their superior level of talent on both sides of the ball. Brady was turned loose in a situation where their offense might've had a better chance attacking from another angle.

I'm not a coach or professional analyst, but I don't think it's a reach to suggest that Coughlin thoroughly outcoached Belichick, which speaks directly to what I said two weeks ago, and I'm not trying to be an 'I told you so' d*ck, not at all. If anything, I'm surprised. But hell...wasn't Belichick's refusing to remain on the field for the last-second play extremely classless?

I'm not sure I agree that anyone could see it coming. I still think that regular season was the best I've ever seen, so I'm as shocked as anyone else. I do think the Pats were better than the '72 Dolphins, but considering their performance declined game after game in the playoffs, perhaps they were just out of steam. But then I think the '85 Bears were better than those Dolphins, loss or no loss. Add the best of the Steelers SB winners (probably the 1978 team) along with the best of the 49ers teams (1984, most likely), and, along with this year's Pats, I think those are probably the five best teams of the Super Bowl era (difficult to include the 60s Packers only because it is tough to gauge their performance against the AFL teams they beat since you're factoring in a fairly unknown quantity).

Man...this one is sweet.

[3-LockBox]

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But not all is lost for the Patriots. If memory serves me correctly, they're still in the AFC East. And they play the NFC and AFC West next year. There is no reason why they shouldn't expect to win another 12 or 13 games next year.

And I'm not worrried about what NY fans are going to say. The Giants were road warriors this year because they had to be. They were crucified by fans and media alike. If Eli Manning wanted to stand up on a podium and tell reporters to kiss his butt (which they will anyway) and walk off they'd be hard pressed to complain (but complain indignantly they would). They can have their parade, but if I were a NY Giant, I'd take the accolades, but check my back every so often for a handle sticking out.

I am not bothered by this win at all, as it was pretty cool watching Eli's ugly duckling transformation. Sure there was some luck involved, but when is luck never a factor? New England's ran out. But this isn't the upset everyone is saying it is, nor is it a choke job by the Pats. There is just too much talent in the NFL for teams to suck the way they do at times. This season, and its ending, shows how important desire and determination is besides talent. Last night, the Giants had more grit and determination.

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[Swish]

I am a HUGE Dallas Cowboy fan...and you know that Slosheroo and Swishy. I believe the reason you are making alot of these statements and posting pix is to see if you can flush me out. :0 Well you won...I am here now to kick your bottoms.

My dad started taking me to games (when they were the Dallas Texans) before I could officially walk. Tony Romo is the best thing to happen to this team in many years. This guy truly loves the game ~ even before he began making mega millions. Regarding T.O. ~ say all that you will, make fun of him crying, but I enjoyed his participation this year and I love that he is a team player...Jones simply removed Parcells, and T.O. became a much better player. I love the fact that he would get choked up defending his quarterback and friend over a STUPID accusation that the media ran with (most of this media probably evolved out of New York or Phillie, right?).

Personally, I think the Eagles STINK (aka SUCK) and I cannot stand this team, have never liked them or the Washington Redskins. This is a rivalry that goes deep, and we will kick all your bottoms next year.

I am now pulling for Brett Favre. Hopefully, he will send the two-timing, multiple baby-making, no responsiblity machine Brady back to his homeland with his tail between his legs. :-)

How 'bout them apples from a good little Southern Baptist girl?

Happy New Year and Love To All,
Ag

...had to widen the seats in the new stadium. :)

But seriously, the Eagles has a lousy year but were pretty much in every game but one, losing most by 7 or less. However, beating Dallas on their home turf and making Romo look like crap was tons of fun. I can't wait to make T.O. cry again. He's getting near the breaking point and will be off the deep end with one more loss to Philly.

Swish

[Rich-n-Texas]

That's all well and good Swish, but the Eagles had the Pats right where they wanted them in their game earlier in the season until bonehead Feely threw it all away. That game really pi$$ed me off. I sure hope McNabb gets his sh!t together next season.

[MindGoneHaywire]

If you read Troy's comments about the Pats toying with the teams that played them closely, like the Eagles & the Ravens, what he's saying makes sense. That magic nearly ran out in the last regular-season game, and was finally spent by last night. They were a worn-out team. The conditions didn't seem to be optimal, either--I heard the announcers talking about how it was really humid in there, and in the 4th quarter they were showing some Giants having to come off the field for a play here or there, mostly D-line I think.

My point is, I wouldn't call Feeley a bonehead. The team the Pats were even at that point were still the team I had decided were the best team I'd ever seen. What's amazing about the loss is that they did everything right--except pace themselves. The decline in performance in each successive game in the playoffs speaks to that.

I do think it's interesting--and this is in no way a knock on the Eagles, just an observation--that of the 8 teams who have won 3 Super Bowls, 3 are from the NFC East. Actually, if anything, it's a compliment, since one could make a case that they've had some extremely difficult competition.

[3-LockBox]

I do think it's interesting--and this is in no way a knock on the Eagles, just an observation--that of the 8 teams who have won 3 Super Bowls, 3 are from the NFC East. Actually, if anything, it's a compliment, since one could make a case that they've had some extremely difficult competition.


That's why I think its going to be easier for the Pats to get back than the Giants. Dallas is still a good team. The Redskins can be a good team, if the front office gets it together - they may even have the Giants 'D' coordinator for a head coach.

The Eagles are in a funk they may or may not be able to shake. If they can pull themselves together and adopt the Giants' "us against the world" mentality, then they could easily be a factor next year. Then again, the NFC east might mirror the NCAA southeast conference, where talent laden teams beat up on each other and knock each other out of contention.