Finally something Milwaukee's SportsRadio 1250 and I agree on. Packers got their cheese unexpectedly curdled yesterday in the divisional match-up with the New York Giants - NY 37, GB 20. Season over - first time in NFL history a 15-1 team went one and done.
So the Packers got beat in OT by the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC wildcard game yesterday. I've boycotted Green Bay last season and this season, opting to follow Brett Favre to the New York Jets, then the Minnesota Vikings. Tough situation for me as I'm from Wisconsin. I could care less the Packers lost but I prefered that the Vikes and Pack not meet in the playoffs should that scenario play out.
You can go on the Internet and find out all the stats on the game. The Pack had plenty of chances that they botched. The TEAM lost - not just the defense or Driver (fumble led to TD) or Crosby (missed FG) or Rodgers (INT led to TD, fumble led to TD) etc., etc. So here's my observation:
Packer fans, particularly anti-Favre fans (after Brett was traded to the Jets) bitched in unison that it was Favre's fault the Packers lost the NFC Championship game against the Giants in 2007 because of his INT in OT. There were clearly many other instances where the Packers, as a team, failed to take charge of that game. But it was Brett's INT, which later led to a Giants' FG to win the game, that lost the game; therefore, it's all Favre's fault. Remember these are the same fans who've been bitching the last two seasons that Favre is a selfish diva. "There's no "I" in "TEAM", they say.
If there's no "I" in "TEAM", why blame just Brett Favre for the loss? Contradiction. More importantly, when Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball in OT last night against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFC Wildcard playoff game, why are there no anti[Favre fans bashing Rodgers, saying, "Rodgers lost the game"? Everything I've heard or read points to less than 1% of Packer fans blaming Rodgers.
So why is it different for Brett? Same situation...QB makes an error that leads to the other team winning. Same thing. By anti-Favre fans' own logic, why shouldn't the loss yesterday be pinned solely on Rodgers? Hypocrites.
For Week 17, the final week of the regular NFL season. The Vikes killed the Giants, 44-7. Favre was awarded his 5th Air Player of the Week award for the season, tied with Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints for the most of any player.
Will Brett get the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award like he did in 2007? We'll see. SKOL FAVRE!
Why are Brett Favre and Jared Allen giddy? A) Jared Allen can't believe that Favre will be the first 40-year-old QB to ever start in a playoff game, or B) The Vikes won big against the New York Giants AND because the Philadelphia Eagles got their asses handed to them by Dallas, we (Vikes) hold onto our 2nd seed in the NFC and get a bye next week in the playoffs? SKOL FAVRE! SKOL VIKINGS!
Brett started his 286 consecutive game (regular season games, adding to his NFL record for QBs and all non-kicker players) and performed brilliantly...25 for 31 in the completion department for 316 yards and 4 TDs for a 148 QB rating - in just 3 quarters (he was pulled with about 3 minutes left in the 3rd)
Not really sure what the hell was wrong with the Giants, but their downhill slide was quite evident in today's "non-play". The Vikings operated on all cylinders and played a nearly flawless game. Even Giants Coach Tom Coughlin got in on the Viking hoopla by donning a purple face for the day.
Four of Favre's receivers – Sidney Rice (112 yds.), Visanthe Shiancoe (94), Percy Harvin (59) and Bernard Berrian (50) – had 50 yards or more.
As the No. 2 seed, the Vikings will play the higher-seeded team of the two that emerge from the wild-card round - either Dallas, Arizona or Green Bay. Click on READ MORE! to see more photos from the game.
Rice and Berrian celebrating.
Rice goes up for a Favre TD pass. And he caught it. You see, this is why Favre wanted the Packers to sign Randy Moss when he was available (he later signed with New England)...for his leaping abilities. But alas, that request fell on deaf ears. Packer fans bitched right along with Favre - until Favre left Green Bay. Then Favre's Moss request was repackaged as more or less the rantings of a diva.
Favre signaling after a TD.
Favre celebrating with Rice after FB Tahi's first TD of the year.
Brett cheering on the troops.
Jared Allen had one sack (I think) that resulted in a forced fumble and recovery by the Vikes.
3rd most yards in one season for Minnesota. Look for my post in the next few days summerizing Brett's first season with the Vikes.
Hope it was worth it, tough guy. You - Mr. Cowboy. Mr. Gangsta. Loaded weapon in a nightclub. You're one bad mama jama, Plax. Ya...your team beat the Packers in OT and went on to win the Super Bowl. Great memories...and great memories to hold you over for the 2 years you're gonna spend in the pen, Bitch! Ain't so tough, be'in tough. This song's for you, BRO!
I was thinking about today's football players and the endorsements they're involved with. Brett Favre has pushed Snapper, Mastercard, Wrangler, etc. Peyton Manning has pushed everything else. Here's an ad I found in a 1980 Playboy - Joe Pisarcik, NFL quarterback for the New York Giants, endorsing the book, "How to Pick Up Girls". Interesting. I misplaced my copy years ago.
*(Pisarcik began his NFL career with the New York Giants, and is best remembered for his role in a November 19, 1978 game where the Giants, up 17-12 with only seconds to play and the opponent out of time-outs, lost after his ill-advised handoff (a play called by offensive coordinator Bob Gibson over Pisarcik's objections) to Larry Csonka was fumbled and returned for a touchdown by Herman Edwards of the Philadelphia Eagles. The play has ever since been remembered as "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" by Eagles fans. Handoffs must not have been covered in that edition of "How to Pick Up Girls".)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada sports books lost a record $2.6 million on Super Bowl bets when the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The sports books handled just more than $92 million on the game, the third-highest amount ever but down for the second consecutive year. The record was set in 2006 when $94.5 million was bet. The last time the books lost money was in 1995, when the San Francisco 49ers blew out the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, and Nevada books lost $400,000.
Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Frank Streshley says large amounts were bet on the money line that the Giants would win outright. The payouts on those bets were as large as four times the original bet because New England was such a huge favorite.
The game ended with the Giants winning 17-14.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had no interest in watching this game, nor was I interested in the outcome. The Green Bay Packers weren't playing so 'who cares?'.
I ended up watching only the 1st quarter as I was at the home of my friend Maria's parents - along with Donovan and Grace (her husband and daughter - I mentioned them in previous posts; I watched all the Packers' games with them). I wanted to see the McCann-Glovers and Maria's parents and I had a wonderfully, homecooked meal. I didn't find out the final score until after the game was over.
Upon finding out that the New York Giants upset the overly confident (Brady to Plexico Burress - '17 points? Give us some credit'.) New England Patriots (I won't say, 'congrats, Giants, as they beat us in the NFC Championship remember), I will say I'm utterly joyous the Patriots didn't complete the perfect season AND that Belicheat gets what he deserves. He flaunted the NFL's rules in the world's face by illegally taping the defensive signals of an opponent during the first game of this season (known as SPYGATE). Whether those tapes made any difference or not in the Patriots' season, Belicheat was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and they lost a 1st round draft pick. The team turned over the tapes which were then burned by the NFL commissioner. Why - I have no idea. And then the Patriots and the NFL seemingly went on with their business like nothing happened. (I don't think THAT story will end with this season.)
So I say with a clear conscience: Fuck you, Belicheat and the owner, Mr. Kraft. How dare you think you're above the rules that govern the NFL - YOUR employer. How dare you think your actions are above and beyond Coach McCarthy of the Packers or any other coach in the NFL OR owners.
A writer from Fox Sports captured it best - 'They (the Patriots' fans) came for a coronation. They witnessed a decapitation.' You got what you deserved. THIS time - your just desserts happened on earth for ALL of us to witness. 18-1. How does That feel, bitch?
NOTE: Shame on all you fans who jumped on either one of these teams' wagons AND shame on you, Mr. John Travolta, who stated on national TV that, though he's a NY boy he's picking the Patriots in what he hopes is a good game. What a whore.
- Jesus Christ, on the Green Bay Packer loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field, in overtime, 23-20.
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.
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.
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.
A current MSNBC poll asks readers to vote on a number of categories comparing the Green Bay Packers versus the New York Giants: coaches, QBs, special teams, secondary, RBs, WRs, intangibles, etc.
Nearing 170,000 votes as of Saturday, 9:32 a.m. PST, the Pack lead every category by a landslide - except defensive line, which shows the Giants with a slight edge over the Packers - 60% to 40% - the only category they lead. See for yourself: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22655354/
It's just a poll. It means nothing - until the night these two teams meet on the Frozen Tundra in Green Bay. Sorta like the polls that show the American people don't want to be fighting in Iraq - but we're still there.
1.) How to beat the Giants? Same tips for how we beat the Seahawks. Follow this link: http://jeffircink.blogspot.com/2008/01/four-reasons-seattle-should-tremble.html. Add to that the fact that GB is the No. 2 offense in the NFL and the No. 11 defense.
2. Lambeau Field - once the mystical venue where visiting teams had difficulty winning, the last couple years Lambeau has lost that mystique with a 4-12 and 8-8 record (but an improvement). This year changed. Yeh, the Giants are on a 9-game road win streak. Big deal. We have Lambeau Field - where we were 7-1 at home, 8-1 with the Seattle victory. And that's ONE stadium - not 8. Another tidbit about Lambeauuuuuuu Field - Brett is 43-5 at home when the temperature dips below 34 degrees at kickoff. It's supposed to be high of 7 degrees at kick-off...give or take. And it WILL drop below freezing.
...Packer the Bulldog.
We don't have one. We should for the NFC Championship Game Sunday.
"Brett Favre led the Pack to a 42-20 icing of Seattle. Next visitor to the tundra: the Giants". This for the NFC Champion and a trip to Super Bowl 42. I borrowed that headline from Packer News but I really can't think of a better one. GO PACK!
Brett Favre looked more like the QB he IS - with 3 TD's and an ass-whooping of the New York Giants yesterday at NY AND beating out John Elway as the QB with the most wins ever. The Packers also looked more like the team they are capable of playing like. Nice job, boys.
For highlights, here's the link: http://www.packers.com/multimedia/video/recent/
Go to Week 2 highlights.
Oh - and Eli Manning WAS the starter. Hey, Eli...what did your daddy and brother tell you about your team's piss-poor performance at home when you called them crying on the phone? Bitch.
Next Week: Chargers @ GB
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