So what do I know?

So, as of 3:00 the Packers are dominating their game while the Eagles are in a friggin dogfight. That Packer pick is looking mighty good. Meawhile the Panthers just scored, and the receiver (someone named Christian Fauria) celebrated like the Cats had the lead or something. I thought that was particularly classless, but then I found out he used to play for the Patriots and it all made sense.

Week, uhh, 11? 10? Shit, who cares, at least there are some picks

If you are expecting me to put the kind of effort St. Ides does putting these picks together fuggedaboudit. I don't have the time or inclination to research how well we did two weeks ago, nor do I care to color code this. Rather, I will provide our rabid reader base with exactly what they've been clamoring for: football picks. And if you want to thank anyone, you can thank Delta Airlines who have graciously stranded me in Albany Airport. We'll do a little different format this week: Visitor listed first, with the line against the home team. That's how USA Today does it so that's how I'm doing it. Any questions?

Holy poop, I'm a slacker. I blame work, the Seahawks maddeningly inconsistent season, and Anonymous for my lack of posts. Oh, and Barry Bonds. That lying fuck.

Last Time:
Samichlaus: 8-6
St. Ides: 6-8

Overall:
St. Ides: 42-45
Samichlaus: 31-56

Let's get to it...

Arizona @ Cincinatti (-3)
I like the Bengals at home, even though the Cards have been playing well as of late. Not sure why, but I think the Bengals have played far below their potential and will finally put together a solid performance
Bengals 27 Cardinals 21

Wow, look at this. I can now get away with a simple "I agree with him." Maybe I should let him pick first more often! The Cards are long overdue for a stinker, and on the road in Cinci seems like as good a place as any. Bengals 28, Cards 20.

Carolina @ Green Bay (-10)
That's a lot of points for the young Packers, who generally win their games by depending on some last minute heroics by Brett Favre. Last week's game was one for the ages but with the short week coming up I see a pre-Thanksgiving turkey for the green and gold. They'll win, but it will be closer than it should.
Packers 24 Cats 20

I took the Vikings plus a bunch of points last week, and the Packers knocked out Adrian Peterson and shut them out. I predict more of the same against a struggling Panthers offense. And check this out.. Combined age of the QBs in this game (Favre and Vinny): 82. Combined age of the starting QBs Alex Smith, Vince Young, and Jay Cutler: 71. (I tried desperately to find some rookie QBs around age 21 so I could squeeze 4 combined in totaling under 82, but the fact is just about every young QB is at least 23 or 24... ) Packers 23, Panthers 6.

Cleveland @ Baltimore (+2)
The old "home dog". We all know how my adopted dad, the senior St. Ides feels about this, but I'm going to go against my by-proxy old man. I like this Anderson kid too much and the Ravens have dissapointed all season. I'm seeing at least a field goal separating these two. Forgive me father...
Cleveland 20 Baltimore 17

I agree on this one. And for the record, in the pool I'm in with my dad this year, he's doing pretty horrible. So while his wisdom might make sense on a lot of levels, the NFL is just too damn predictable to not be flexible on certain points. Really the Browns should have beaten the Steelers last week. And the Ravens are a lot worse than the Steelers. Browns 23, Ravens 13.

Kansas City @ Indianapolis (-14.5)
Yikes! That's a lot of points for the Colts to cover against a team that knows how to play defense. Even without Larry Johnson I think the Chiefs can cover two plus TD's. Colts win, but fail to cover.
Colts 27 Chiefs 17

The Colts are WAY banged up. I mean, they were playing some dude at WR last week from their practice squad. Their defense is beat up, their offensive line is beat up, and Vinatieri missed two chip shots last week. So yeah, that's too many points. Colts 20, Chiefs 13.

Miami @ Philadelphia (-11)
Miami has wised up and is giving John Beck a start at QB. I like this kid a lot: strong arm, smart, decent mobility, and he comes from a great family. Whopsie. He's a Brigham Young guy, so at least he comes from a strange cult. Miami will win a game before the year is up, what with Rickey Williams returning next week, but this week it's Philly in an easy one.
Philadelphia 34 Miami 17

Speaking of young QBs... while doing the aforementioned search to try and find young QBs so I could say these 4's combined age is less than Vinny and Brett, Beck was on my list to check. The dude is 26. Maybe that's cause he was sent on a Mormon mission for a few years or something? I seem to remember so other BYU dude having a similar "old rookie" issue... Anyways, yeah, Beck will have some growing pains. Eagles 27, Dolphins 13.

New Orleans @ Houston (+2)
Father forgive me. New Orleans is playing good ball again, and Houston well, isn't. The Texans are following the inevitable course set by a team that has Mike Sherman on their staff: a slow march into oblivion. I'm going against the home dog again.
New Orleans 27 Houston 20

Saints had a big letdown against the Rams last week, who sent everyone and the kitchen sink after Brees. And it worked. So which team's coaches are smarter? The Saints and the ability to correct that problem and protect Brees better? Or the Texans and the ability to take that gameplan and run with it? I'll go with the Saints. (But just barely.) Saints 23, Texans 20.

Oakland @ Minnesota (-6)
Holy Fuck. Could this be the stinker of the season? And more importantly, is Minnesota really a favorite in this game?? Something is horribly wrong here, because the last time I checked Adrian Peterson was out. I don't know what I'm missing here folks so I'm just going with my gut. Oakland 20 Minnesota 17

Yeah, that line seems strange... The Vikings have zero offense without Peterson. And it seems the Packers may have found ways to run on that defense. Low scoring stinker of a game, to be sure. Raiders 13, Vikings 6.

San Diego @ Jacksonville (-2)
After a slow start, San Diego has begun to play better ball. Meanwhile the Jags posted a surprising 2-1 record under Quinn Gray, but expect David Garrard to be back in the lineup this week. Tough game to pick, so I'll go with the home team. Jags 24 Bolts 20

I like the Jags as well. The Chargers beat the Colts last week, but no thanks to Phillip Rivers. They can thank Manning and his 6 picks and Vinatieri for doing his best Vandershank impersonation. The Chargers remain mired in a pretty bad offensive slump, and the Jags have the D to keep them there. Jags 20, Chargers 16.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (+3)
This is nuts. Could I possibly pick against another home dog? You betcha. Look folks, there's a reason why my picks have been off this year and maybe this is it: I've lost my mind. But I swear I don't see Tampa losing this game, nor do I see it as close as 3. I like the Bucs, and I like Jon Gruden, and you all know what I think of Atlanta.
Bucs 20 Atlanta 10

I'm gonna take the Falcons this week. The Bucs have been up and down and their running game is struggling a bit. Oh, and check out this tidbit from my good friend Peter King. When asked by a reader who the 3rd best QB in the NFC is this year (assuming Favre and Tony "Everyone is on his peepee til he sucks in December" Romo as #s 1 and 2)... here's what he said: "As of now, I'd pick Garcia, who has been the model of efficiency playing for a quarterback coach who demands it. Brees has had one spectacular month, not good enough for the Pro Bowl, even in these watered-down QB days. Hasselbeck has been more inconsistent than Garcia." Anyways, I think Garcia is about to prove that's he's not exactly Mr. Consistent Pro Bowl QB. Falcons 17, Bucs 13.

New York Giants @ Detroit (+2)
Finally! A home dog I can get behind! Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting big for the G-men to take it to Detroit, but the Lions are some Good Rats. OK, a free beer to the first one who gets the reference. Anyway, I think the Lions have some serious firepower, and although they have some serious flaws on D I like their chances against the overrated G-men
Detroit 34 New York 27

Good Rats? What's that a reference too? There's a Dropkick Murphys song by that name about a bunch of rats who run around amuck in a bar and jump into the Guinness and get drunk and drown in it. "Come on all you good rats, we'll send you up to heaven. You'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam. Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation. A potion that turned the Guinness to gold!" Now, I'm not sure what that means exactly, and it may very well have implications of drinking the Guinness and leaving puddles of piss behind, but it's a good song. Anyways, I'm taking the Lions. Lions 26, Giants 20.

Pittsburgh @ New York Jets (+9)
Another home dog I'll take. The Steelers have been in a few dogfights this year, and have been resilliant. I like Pittsburgh in a close one, close enough to take the Jets with the points.
Steelers 27 Jets 24

Yep. I'll take the points. Big Ben is a good for a bad game, and I envision a garbage time score or two for the Jets. It won't be a close game, but the final score might be. Steelers 23, Jets 17.

Washington @ Dallas (-11.5)
Is Dallas that much better than the rest of their division? I'm not convinced. The Redskins defense is pretty good (well, except for that one game against New England)and I see Shaun Springs giving Tony Romo enough fits to keep it close. I'll take the Skins and the points, and don't be surprised if there's an upset in the making.
Dallas 24 Washington 20

Eleven and a half? That's insane. I'll keep saying it until someone believes me - Romo is overrated. Skins 23, Cowboys 20.

St.Louis @ San Francisco (+2)
St. Louis played a solid game last week while the Niners played like a bunch of fairies. That's not a gay slur by the way, and shame on all of you for thinking that. I mean just because it's San Francisco? Hell, there are gay people everywhere, even in Schnectady. Shame on all of you, you dirty little monkeys.
St.Louis 23 San Francisco 17

Lotsa home dogs this week. And they all deserve to be. And most of them will lose bigtime. Niners are horrible. And here's some fantasy football news.. going into Monday night, I needed 20 points to win my game this week. I had Hasselbeck and Vernon Davis (former first round pick, highly talented and greatly hyped TE for the Niners) going. Hasselbeck got me 17 points. Davis got me one measly point. I lost. Their pass protection was so bad, they kept Davis (a mediocre blocker at best) in the block all game. In fact, his missed block was directly responsible for a devastating sack by Patrick Kerney. Anyways, Trent Dilfer returns to QB for the Niners, and they'll lose. Rams 26, Niners 10.

Chicago @ Seattle (-5.5)
Little Rex is back at QB, or so the Bears fans at my new company tell me. Which means bet your fucking house on Seattle. Tommie Harris is playing hurt, Brian Urlacher is playing hurt, and the Bears secondary hasen't been right since week 2. Seattle at home will score points and will be smart enough to kick the ball far away from Devon Hester.
Seattle 30 Chicago 13

God, I hope you're right. Seattle has absolutely crushed teams they should beat.. and lost to the teams that are average or better. (Though they've stuck around in every game except the Steelers loss.) Seattle lives or dies by their pass rush. They have something like 25 sacks in their 5 wins, and like 5 in their 4 losses. If they can get to Grossman, they'll win easily. I just don't have enough faith in their defensive coordinator to make that happen. Too often he's content to sit back and play Cover 2, while the front 4 get zero pressure and they get picked apart underneath. I'll take Seattle just because I'm not convinced Grossman can hit wide open receivers consistently, but I'm far from sure about this one. Seahawks 20, Bears 13.

New England @ Buffalo (+16)
The only difference between this game and the last game is Bill Belichick won't have to scramble out of town to fuck Dick Jauron's wife and kids. However, I never like betting against these gi-nourmous spreads. The Bills have been good enough to keep it with in reason,
New England 34 Buffalo 20

I think I had something clever to say about the Patriots, but with this game so far down on the list, I forgot what it was. Oh well, I'm sure it'll come to me by next week. I've been taking the Patriots and laying the massive point spreads until the Colts game. So I'll go back to that tradition, though it's tempting not to against an upcoming and hot Bills team. Pats 38, Bills 20.

Tennessee @ Denver
As much as I like Denver at home, I'm going with the road dog this time. All I can add to that is I see this as a case of the better team rising to the occasion.
Tennessee 31 Denver 24

Vince Young has been brutal lately. I'll take the Broncos at home. Broncos 26, Titans 20.

Suicide Pool analysis

So, a suicide pool is not what a Dolphins fan has in his back yard to drown himself in, nor is it a bet amongst friends to see which computer consultant throws himself off the fucking roof of his hotel because he's been assigned to a project in Schenectady. It is not a group of coworkers being driven to work by the Asian guy from IT, nor is it the programming sequence that instructed the HAL 9000 to send the pod after poor Frank. That last one was technically a "Homicide Poole". But our friend and honorary Steve, Anonymous, has posed the following question for us: no point spread, pick the winner: Packers over the Cats or Eagles over the Dolphins. Here's what I think...

In no uncertain terms I believe that both these teams will win their respective games. The Eagles showed a tremendous amount of mettle against the feisty Redskins while the Packers dominated the Vikings in every aspect of the game. But if I had to pick one for this week, I'd take the Eagles.

There are several reasons.

First, the Eagles were challenged last week and rose to the occasion. They played a spirited game and rallied behind both their beleaguered head coach and their beleaguered quarterback. There's just no way they don't beat the Dolphins at home. Meanwhile, the Packers are a young team coming off a dominating win. Success is new to them, and I'm not sure they'll know what to do with it. In addition, the Packers play 4 days later at Detroit on Thanksgiving, and are primed for a "looking ahead" upset. The better play for the Packers is three weeks from now at home against the Raiders. With a possible letdown this week against the Cats, a Thanksgiving game against Detroit, and the Cowboys at Dallas the following week, the possibilities of a two or three game losing streak is not out of the question. I pity the poor Raiders if that comes to pass...

The second best story in football.

Mike Lupica, my favorite sportswriter wrote this today in his Sunday "Shooting from the Lip" column, available at nydailynews.com: "The Giants don't earn a trip to the Super Bowl if they beat the Cowboys today. They don't even make themselves the best team in the NFC, not if Brett Favre throws another one down the field when he has to and the Packers win again. The Giants don't make themselves the story of the season in pro football if they beat the Cowboys today, because the Patriots are the story of the season, and after them comes Favre, who makes you watch him even more now, at the age of 38, than he did when he was young."

So here in lies a story about the second best story of the season

I was terrified this week, what with the Vikings coming to Lambeau field after their big win against the Chargers last week. By now every sports fan in the country knows who Adrian Peterson is, and by all accounts I honestly believed that the Packers would not be able to stop him. Remember, when these teams first met Peterson had over 100 yards rushing in the first half alone, and was stopped only by his head coach Brad Childress who refused to use the explosive Peterson in the second half. Childress, who must have an IQ somewhere in the range of Carl Childers is probably the dumbest man in football this side of former Vikings head coach Mike Tice. Which is a fortunate happenstance for Packer fans come to think of it. Today, the Packers finally put together a complete game, a game the likes of which I haven't seen since the 52-3 drubbing of the Saints that Mrs. Samichlaus and I witnessed in 2005.

This was a game where Brett Favre didn't exactly start out firing strikes. Favre, looking like a cross between Nuke Lalouche and Scott Norwood was wide right, wide left and all over the place with his rocket balls, nearly decapitating Donald Driver's fingers on one pass. Can one actually decapitate fingers? Forgive me, I forget the Latin word for "fingers". Fortunately, the Packers running game finally woke up, and they did it against the stingiest running defense in the league. Ryan Grant had 115 yards and showed tremendous poise and balance finding the gaps while outrunning Pat Williams for most of the day. Grant's performance allowed Favre to relax, and by the end of the first half Favre found his groove. Meanwhile, the Packers defense put on a show that was reminiscent of the Reggie White era. They shut down Adrian Peterson who mustered a mere 45 yards before leaving late in the third quarter with a leg injury, and shut out the Vikings, who haven't been shut out since 1991.

And I have to say, I'm starting to believe that the Packers can play with any team in the NFL.

I'll be curious to see what happens in the Dallas - Giants game today. If we did get around to predictions this week I'd have taken the Cowboys and rooted hard to be wrong. And as far as the Patriots are concerned, well maybe the Packers could play with them but I'm not saying they'd like, win or anything. But the Packers season has thus far been a great story, reminiscent of the Denver Broncos story of 1997. I've been waiting 10 years to right that 1997 season, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Patriots fans still have their tits in a twist over the 1996 season. Sometimes you'd never believe they've won all those Super Bowls.

Every week the Packers show me something new and different, and every week they seem to get a little better. Almost every week they find a way to win.

And Brett Favre is playing the best football of his career.

Week 9 Picks (We're back!)

Annnnnnd, we're back! So Anonymous can STFU. Here's part 1.

...and here's part two! It's great to be blogging about sports again, because that's what we're all about. Well that and crushing our enemys, but I digress. This is a terrific weekend for football and I can't wait to get started.

Last Time We Picked:
St. Ides: 7-6
Samichlaus: 5-8

Season:
St. Ides: 36-37
Samichlaus: 23-50

BUCANNEERS -3.5 over Cardinals
Bucs had a tough loss last week at home against the surprising Jags. I think they take out their frustration on the enigmatic Cards this week. It looks like Kurt Warner is going to tough it out and continue to play with his left elbow in a ridiculously large brace. But I've said it once, I'll say it again - get a little pressure and Warner and knock him around, and he becomes very ineffective in a hurry. Bucs 20, Cardinals 13.

I agree with St. Ides. The Bucs at home gets 'em at least 3 points, and frankly I think the Cards are going to fold on the road. Bucs 24 Cards 17

TITANS -4.5 over Panthers
The Titans and Vince Young haven't been to impressive lately, but they keep winning somehow. Meanwhile, it looks like the Panthers are going back to David Carr at QB after the Vinny Testaverde experiment. Not sure if that's good or bad.

You gotta love Vinnie. First of all, he goes by Vinnie. Second of all, he's the only QB in the league that makes Brett Favre look like a kid. I'm not sure what's wrong with the Panthers, but man has John Fox's coaching stock dropped these days. I'll take the Titans by a TD. Titans 27 Panthers 20

BILLS +0.5 over Bengals
I just don't trust this Cinci team at all right now. They seem like they're about to implode. Throw in the fact that the Bills have looked pretty good lately (including that game they shoulda won against the Cowboys), and I'll go with them. Bills 27, Bengals 26.

I usually like the Bills at home, but not this week. That line is too close and the Bills keep finding ways to lose. If Marshawn Lynch has a good day this could go there way but I'm betting he doesn't. The weather has been unseasonably fair upstate, so I'm going with the Bengals. Bengals 20 Bills 17

Redskins -3.5 over JETS
The Mangini bad karma curse continues yo! Although it seems like they're going to (finally) bench Chad Pennington and give that Clemens kid a chance. I forget his first name, is it Kelly? When was the last time we had a successful NFL QB with the first name Kelly? Anyways, Jets stink. Skins 20, Jets 10.

I dated a Kelly once, and she was very pretty. Why oh why do parents continue to give their sons chick names? I used to work with a guy whose first name was Kim and his middle name was Leslie. Its no wonder this guy had to go to China to find a drinky drink girl so he could cheat on his wife. Uh oh, there I go again... uhh, Skins 17 Jets 10

CHIEFS -2.5 over Packers
The Chiefs defense has looked pretty damn good since they got Jared Allen back. He's been a sack machine, and likely will harass Favre most of the day. I actually like the Packers chances in this game, but after winning in Denver last week, asking them to win in KC the following week is a pretty tall order. If they pull that off, a back-to-back sweep of KC and Denver in THEIR stadiums (both tough to win in), the Packers are officially the team to beat in the NFC. (Screw the Cowboys.) Chiefs 17, Packers 13.

One thing that surprised me on Monday was the Packers ability to run the ball. Then again me, Mrs. Samichlaus, St. Ides and Anonymous could probably muster a good running game against the Broncos. I always like the Chiefs at home, but the Packers are starting to believe in themselves. Another odd fact is the Packers (like myself) have become quite the road warriors under Mike McCarthy, posting a better away record than home record. I'm going to be a fan here and take the Packers for the win. Packers 15 Chiefs 10 (PS: betting tip to Anonymous: take the under.)

Chargers -7.5 over VIKING
Seems the Chargers are back on track. Let me take a moment to give a lesson in the english language. The phrase is "on track". As in "they were off the track before, so now we're getting them back on track." I've seen, heard, read, and seen some more way too many "professional" media types use the phrase "untracked". Like "the Chargers have finally gotten untracked." Wouldn't untracked be the opposite of on track? Like they got knocked off the tracks? Why has nobody done a widespread education process of this all-too-misued phrase? Jesus H. Christ, it's common sense. It almost seems at this point that it's been misused so much, that people have just given in and accepted its new meaning. And it pisses me off. Anyways, Vikings blow. Brooks Bollinger (who couldn't cut it with the QB-challenged Jets) will likely start. Chargers 26, Vikings 10.

LOL!!! This is great! Last week I heard Steve Czaban rip Peter King for refering to Favre's touchdown pass as "arching" as opposed to "arcing". He also ripped King for admitting that he "went to bed before the end of the fourth quarter". Czaban correctly pointed out that it's his job to stay awake. Anyway, I hate the Vikings, but they've got something special in Adrian Peterson and they're starting to figure it out. I like the Vikes to keep it close: Chargers 31 Vikings 27

Broncos +3.5 over LIONS
Are the Lions for real? I have no idea. Their record is decent, but they've mostly beaten up on crappy teams. Are the Broncos a crappy team? I have no idea, they might be. Anyways, I'm going to guess that the Lions are not as good as their record, and the Broncos are not as bad as theirs. Broncos 23, Lions 21.

The Lions are the only team that scares me in the NFC North. They've beaten the Bears twice and are starting to get a little confidence. The Broncos are OK, but they are not a good road team. Take the Lions and give the points: Lions 31 Broncos 20.

Niners +3.5 over FALCONS
Wow, if the Falcons are actually favorites, you know the Niners are horrible. I'll take the points in what could be the Stinker or the Week! Oh wait, I see a worse game... Hold that thought a moment... Niners 20, Falcons 18.

I'm not going to peek, so I have to say I can't imagine what could be worse than this one. I won't waste a lot of time on it, but I'll take the Niners as well Niners 17 Falcons 10

SAINTS -3.5 over Jaguars
The Jaguars have some dude at QB I've never heard of before.. Something Gray I think? Anyways, somehow he didn't blow the game last week against the Bucs. (It helped the Jags D forced like 4 turnovers.) But this week, in New Orleans, I think he's exposed against the rejuvenated Saints. Saints 23, Jags 9.

That's a bold final score. I like the Saints as well. They're playing better, they're playing at home, and they're playing against a team led by, uhh, hold on I'm gonna look this up, Quinn Gray? OK. He's led the Frankfort Galaxy to the World Bowl, attended Florida A&M, and "possesses a strong arm and an ability to make plays". Yep, Saints win: Saints 30 Jags 10

BROWNS -1.5 over Seahawks
Dereck Anderson has looked awesome. He has more TD passes than anyone in the league except for Brady. Former Wolverine Braylon Edwards has turned into a top WR and Kellen Winslow is pretty dangerous as well. Coming off the bye under Holmgren, Seattle is something like 2-6. However, those 2 wins were in the past 2 years, when the coach has given the team the whole week off during the bye week. He did it again this year. Will that trend continue? I don't trust it to. Basically, the only way Seattle has a chance is if their inconsistent but talented defense can get pressure on the QB. If not.. it's going to be a very long day for the secondary. Browns 27, Seahawks 20.

Well, I hate to say it, but I agree. Seattle will hit stride in the second half but it's going to be too late. The Browns will jump on the rusty Seahawks early and will have enough points to hold them off. I'll take the browns by 4 Clevland 24 Seattle 20

COLTS +4.5 over Patriots
The undefeated defending Super Bowl champs getting points at home? That's pretty frickin crazy. I'm having a tough time deciding if I should Tivo the Seattle game and watch this one or not. That's what I would do IF there were a way to avoid knowing the Seattle score. Which of course with all the gamebreaks and tickers and updates and whatnot, is frickin impossible. So I'll probably watch the Seattle game and Tivo this one. And if the game turns out to be the classic some people think it can be, I'll watch it instead of the Cowboys-Eagles later that night. Good plan, no? Oh, I didn't talk about the actual game at all, did I? The Colts offense should be able to move the ball. It's really a question if the Colts defense can contain the Patriots enough. They have enough film and stuff now to work with at this point in the season, and I think Moss can be frustrated if knocked around and shut down early. And if any "role player" is going to go for Brady's knees, wouldn't it make sense to be someone on the Colts? Not only are the Patriots the biggest challenge to them repeating as Super Bowl champs, but Brady is seriously threatening Manning's TD record right now. Vinatieri with the game winning boot. Colts 32, Patriots 30.

The Colts have held the upper hand for the last three seasons in this rivalry, but I have little doubt that New England will win this game easily. Although both teams are undefeated, I honestly can't remember a team as good as this group from New England. First of all, no one lays a hand on Tom Brady. I mean, what have they given up, like 7 sacks? Second of all, the Colts haven't steamrolled teams the way the Patriots have. What the Pats did to the Redskins was almost unfathomable. That's a good football team in DC and the Patriots treated them like a high school squad. Maybe the crowd noise will keep it close, but in the end the Pats will win by 10. Pats 30 Colts 20

RAIDERS -2.5 over Texans
Ah yes, here it is, I promised you.. the Stinker of the Week! Sage Rosenfals (who couldn't win the job in QB-starved Miami) gets the start for the suddenly unimpressive Texans. Speaking of unimpressive, just as I was gloating about how I had said the Raiders aren't as bad as people think they are, they took a nose-dive and started proving me wrong. Anyways, the only reason this game is getting any attention is because it's preventing people in Houston and Oakland from seeing the Pats-Colts game. Raiders 19, Texans 13.

Oh. BTW, in case anyone missed it, the Texans released ex Packer wunderkind Samkon Gado last week, who was quickly picked up by the worst team in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins. I hope he enjoys the weather while he's there, because the next stop for the Nigerian Nightmare is Canada. Meanwhile I'll go with the Raiders at home, just cause St. Ides says so. Raiders 23 Texans 17

EAGLES +3.5 over Cowboys
I'll keep this short and sweet. Romo and the Cowboys are overrated. Romo has been hanging out with Britney Spears and crew. This is a divisional matchup. It's in Philly. And McNabb's knee has looked better as of late. Eagles 26, Cowboys 23.

TONY ROMO AND BRITNEY SPEARS? Dear God, what in the name of Redneck Jesus is going on here? That's a baaaaad sign, what with the new contract and Britney to spend it all. Jesus. OK, back to football, I'm going to go with the Cowboys. The 'boys have easily handled everyone they've played, well except for that loss to New England, and the Eagles are too inconsistant. I won't mind being wrong about this game: Cowboys 37 Eagles 27

Ravens +9.5 over STEELERS
The Steelers have looked good at times. That's just way too many points to give in a divisional rivalry against a defense as good as Baltimore. They're not as dominating as past years, but they're still above average. Steelers 17, Ravens 13.

Agreed. If the Ravens can shut down Willie Parker this game will close, and I'm betting they can Take the Ravens and the points: Steelers 20 Ravens 17

Cheeseheads, Chowderheads, and Dresden circa mid February 1945

I have a new job that takes me to a place called Schenectady New York every week. It's a good paying job for a seemingly good consulting company, and the client is chock full of really nice people. But Schenectady? Why? No sooner did I take this job, a former co-worker approached me about doing work in Europe, traveling all over Germany, Italy, Holland and all sorts of wonderful places I never would have the chance to visit in the foreseeable lifetime. I told her about my new job, and how in a strange way Schenectady reminded me a little of Europe. And then I added: "think Dresden, circa mid February 1945"...


Its a great time to be Packer fan. There are Packer fans all over the country and wherever I go I run into them, even here in Schenectady. The hotel I'm staying in has a media room with a 60" TV and surround sound, and it was there I watched the Packer game with some guy who happened to be from Green Bay. Nice fellow, but he was confused by me because I wasn't drinking. He kept asking me if I wanted a beer and I kept saying "not yet". Most Wisconsinites really don't get people who don't drink, especially fellow bald fat Packer fans, but eventually I said "OK, grab me a Coors light". If Wisconsinites don't understand people who don't drink, they really don't understand people who drink Coors light. "How can you drink that stuff" he asked. Since the Packers were playing were playing the Broncos in Denver I replied "I figure we'll beat their football team and drink their beer in the process". He understood that.

The best part of Monday's game for me though was the second half and the overtime. Oh, not for the obvious reasons that you might be thinking, but rather for the fact that Mrs. Samichlaus watched the game with me while we were on the phone together. As you are all painfully aware by now, Mrs. Samichlaus and I have been a little distracted by a whale of a situation that I dealt with in a previous post. As a result we haven't really watched the games together, but this week we found a way. Mrs. Samichlaus was going on and on about how every time she watches the Packers this season they don't play well. I kept saying "aww shit, it doesn't work that way" but the more I watched the game the more I started to believe that there might have been something to this. When Denver kicked the field goal to tie the game I blurted out "turn the game off, will ya" but quickly said "Wait, I'm only kidding". Truth be told I was half kidding, but I would never tell my wife that. Thank God she never reads my blog... Anyway, the Packers win the coin toss and start on their 18. And then Favre hits Jennings and the two of us start screaming. I'm in my hotel room at 11:45 at night yelling "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!!!" while my wife is on the other end of the phone yelling "IT'S OVER! IT'S OVER!!!" The magic was back, the questions about Brett's arm strenght were answered, and all was right in the Samichlaus household...

The only collective group of people in a happier place right now than the Cheeseheads are the Chowderheads. Schenectady is in Upstate New York and there are as many people who identify with New England as they do with New York. As a result I have been bombarded with "Red Sox Nation" and "Patriots Nation" since I've got here, and frankly these obnoxious fuckers have a lot to crow about. I have to say that as a Mets fan and a Yankees hater this puts me in the unenviable position of rooting for the Sawks from time to time. Not that there's anything wrong with that, history teaches us that the Red Sox have been kind to the Mets in the past. I swear if they ever build a "Monument Park" at the new Mets ballpark the first monument they stick in should be Bill Buckner. Calvin Shiraldi might get one as well. So I don't mind rooting for the Sawks, its getting lumped in with the damn chowderheads that freaks me out. Chowderheads are like Eagles fans with a goofy accent. Except that Eagles fans run the risk of getting tossed into jail at their own stadium. There doesn't seem to be any law up here for the Chowderheads, and they are free to roam the streets without fear of repercussion.

What the Sawks did to the Rockies was delightfully criminal. The Rockies didn't know what hit them, and Boston simply beat them in every aspect of the game. It wasn't even close. I suspect the Patriots will do the same to the Colts. The Colts are a young team and although they are undefeated, they are not in the same league as the Pats. If we get around to our predictions this week I'll break it down a little further but really, this game isn't going to be close. For now, the Chowderheads are reveling a deserved revel. The Cheesheads remain cautiously optimistic, and I can't wait to get home to my wife...