NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers (14-3 and a bye) host the New York Giants (12-6).

There's a party goin' down in Green Bay this weekend. We're all waitin' for you, New York Giants. This Sunday, January 20, 2008 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 5:42 p.m. CST. NFC Championship Game. Winner goes to Super Bowl 42.

The Ghost of Vince Lombardi, former Packer coach, will be roaming the field. Yelling, screaming - cheering his Packers on. He's the guy who coined the phrase, "Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing," and changed the face of the NFL. The Super Bowl championship trophy - named for Vince. There's a reason for that. The last time GB met the Giants in the postseason was in 1961 - on this field. GB won. Vince's first championship. He went on to win many more, including Super Bowl I and II. Oh-h you can bet your sweet ass Vince will be waiting for you.

#4 is waiting for you, too. The Hall of Fame "Ironman" who plays the game with a uniqueness that is unmatched. Owns every major QB record in the NFL. He'll make his 274 consecutive start (this includes playoffs) when he meets you guys Sunday. That's fucking insane. Hasn't missed a start since 1992 - over 200 QBs have started for other teamsin that time from. We're all unique, sure. But this sonofabitch's mold is broken. Blocks like a linebacker and won't take shit from no one. Legend.

He's 38 but plays the game like he's 17...makes the game of football fun. That's why people wanna watch him play. That's why he's respected and feared by his peers - active and retired. Played one season with a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Ran in off the bench one time after getting a concussion, threw a TD then got yanked from the game. Survived EVERYTHING that's been thrown at him. Had two "off" years in the 16 years he's been with the Pack. The day after his daddy died he threw for 399 yards and 4 TDs at Oakland. Even the Oakland fans applauded him - and they don't applaud their own team half the time. Critics told him to retire - you're washed up. The critics can kiss my ass. The media asks him the same retirement questions every year. They can kiss my ass too. Watch him - he pulls plays outta his ass you only see once in a lifetime - like the one against the Seahawks last weekend. Problem is there's more where that came from. That's 'cause he's #4. Put Manning, Brady, Montana, Young, Elway, Staubach, Bradshaw and all the greats on the field AT ONE TIME and we'll put #4 against them all. Hero worship? Naw. We Packer fans are just enjoyin' this once-in-a-lifetime treasure before he packs his gun and rides off into the sunset. You should all be so lucky. Everyone seems to trip over their tongues talkin' about him; they wouldn't if weren't so damn good. No he's not mistake free - he's human, like you and me. But unlike you and me, I didn't even mention his name and I saw you quiver. Can't you already "hear the lamentations of your women"? Even Conan respects #4.

The Green Bay Packers will be waiting for you. With previous seasons of 4-12 and 8-8, they were maybe picked to finish 8-8 this year...perhaps 9-7 if things went their way. Young team but too young to make a dent. Driver. Jennings. Jones. Tauscher and Clifton. Spitz. Pickett. Barnett. Woodson. Harris. Atari. Grant. Jackson. Lee. Martin. Bubba and KGB. Crosby - most points in the NFL this season. And Favre. No running game in the first half of the season. 2nd year coach and a washed up QB to boot who just came back for the records. Smallest market in the NFL. Owned by the people. No cheerleaders. Who the hell are we, huh? We ARE the Green Bay Packers, baby.

And yep, even former Packer great, QB Bart Starr will be there as the Packers' honorary captain Sunday. Starr is a two-time Super Bowl MVP (SB I & II), NFL Hall of Famer and leader of five world championship teams under Lombardi in Green Bay. Starr will present the George S. Halas trophy on behalf of the NFC to the Packers should they win the game. This is the guy who, on Dec. 31, 1961, with the temperature 21 degrees and a wind chill of 5 in Green Bay, led a 37-0 rout of New York with three touchdown passes to earn the franchise's seventh NFL title. This is the guy who did it again the next year at New York. This is the guy who snuck the ball into the endzone during the 1967 Ice Bowl victory over the Cowboys (the equivalent of the NFC Championship today) - 40 years ago...just a couple days ago. On this very field. It was -47 degrees that day. Starr then led the Pack to Beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

And Lambeau Field is waiting. The "Frozen Tundra". She's 50 years young this season. She may be an inanimate object to you but she's a living, breathing entity that will eat you up this time of year. Home of the famous Ice Bowl . One sports anal-yst commented that "Frozen Tundra" is redundant. That's true. But when it hits -46 degrees and the turf feels like cement, I think you're well within your rights to say, "the frozen, frozen of Lambeau Field". Now, you Giants may have a 9-game road win-streak goin', but we're 8-1 here this season - at the same place. Oh - and Brett's 43 and 5 here when the game-time temp is 34 degrees or below. It's supposed to be 7...give or take, and it'll drop below freezing later in the game. Eat you up.

And the fans. Yes, we too are waiting for you. Too many of us to put a photo up, but I think you get the picture. In Wisconsin and around the world...we'll be watching. My family and friends. Me in CA with Donovan and Maria and baby Grace. Uncle Fran in Madison will be watching even though he hates Eli Manning - my uncle was a QB and doesn't respect Eli. Uncle Fran will turn his head when Eli has the ball. Brother Jason will be home with Mom and Dad - even though a big party's a-brewing at the Schmidt household (the Pack has a history of losing when Jas watches games at the Schmidt's). Not sure who but I will know people in the stands. Diehards. Season tickets waiting list over 30 years long. Loyal. Loyal enough to fill Lambeau for an inter-squad scrimmage, or show up in the tens of thousands for a parade to honor the Pack when they lost the Super Bowl to Denver. They'll give you the shirt off their back - even when the temperature's below zero.

Better put on your jock strap nice and tight Eli - and since you've matured over the last few weeks as a QB, better bring your "A+" game - 'cause you ain't never been in anything like this. This IS what the NFL is all about. GO PACK GO!!!