What about Bob?

It's February, football is over, free agency has yet to commence, and the draft is still more than two months away.

That still hasn't stopped some terrific comments being written on this blog, some of which we applaud here:

(Come to think of it, we even had the pleasure of posting what should have become a country music hit about the life and times of former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.)

Greg Costa/ Northport on the A-Roid controversy:

"These latest revelations about Alex Rodriguez steroid use is another perfect example of how major league baseball has become a burlesque mockery of itself with its relevance now running parallel with the WWF. As commissioner Bud Selig, as well as the baseball owners desperately try to salvage every vestige of baseball’s legitimacy through the policing efforts of the Mitchell Report, the hall of fame, and most importantly the record books, baseball fans must finally come to the realization that any authenticity this sport once possessed has been replaced by mere show business. And not that there is anything wrong with that, but a true perspective must be explained to your kids. Any fan holding out for baseball to clean itself up and returning to the “good ole days” should pass along the Kool-Aid your drinking to your fellow fan who is most likely out of work and is struggling while this overpaid commissioner, prima-dona players, and greedy owners milk your intelligence dry with their significance."

Craig on the possibility of the Vikings being interested in the twice-retired Brett Favre:

"Snowballs in hell, these dopes should move on."

Islander505 on our questioning of those who banged the drums for the Jets to trade for Favre, only to rip the deal after it fizzled:

"It's called "the thrill of the hunt" mentality.
Kinda like being in high school and doing everything you can to woo and charm the head cheerleader, even though you know she's gonna eventually break your heart and get caught underneath the bleachers with the QB and her panties down.

Continue reading "Comment contest winners" »

We're supposed to get a new blog system in a few months, and it won't be a moment too soon. The difficulty in posting comments, especially in recent days, is utterly absurd. Anyway, our own Charlie Chilkoot has figured out a way to get around the problem. Please read below for instructions. Thanks, CC.

Tom on 30-year anniversary of "The Fumble" - or, as Eagles fans call it, "The Miracle at the Meadowlands."

I was 11 years old, was four months moved into North Bellmore from the Inwood section of Manhattan, a Giant fan from birth, who's still aggravated his uncle gave up his season tickets in 1960.

Seeing and hearing the clip brought back immediate memories of the horror: the roll of the credits, and then as the play developed, the awakening of Don Criqui from definitely going through the motions to making an exuberant, disbelieving, and might I add, great call. That definitely was THE turning point for the franchise, and a question forms: Is this the greatest turnaround for a sports franchise that has suffered a defining losing moment?

Now 41, I marvel at the stability of the franchise and am still proud to call myself a Giant fan. While that old Giant fan in me lingers, I have confidence in their ability to continue their winning ways, and hopefully, start a little dynasty of their own.

*****Did anyone catch Criqui's well wishes to Eagles' owner Leonard Tose after his bypass surgery right at the very end of the clip? Thought immediately of the bad-luck, good-guy owner/boozer who gambled away his fortune and lost his team.

Crazy Eddie on our post about Boland's exuberance about the possibility of the Jets securing homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over the Titans:
"Erik is new to the jets, he'll learn in a year or two."

(Boland: When the Jets get the top seed, I'll buy you a beer. BG)

Rupert on experiencing Glauber Nation for the first time:

So how does this work Glauber?

I was a Neil Best devotee and he steered me your way - now I do not go back to him at all...

How do I tell him gently that his vacations and column writing whining drove me into the blog of another?

I am playing catch up here I know - what is a Bob Mantz?

Your new pal

Rupert

(please for the love of god tell me you did not go to Cornell and will not mention it every 5 minutes)

(Blogger's note: No, I did not go to Cornell, and thus I will not mention it every 5 minutes. But my new linemate, La Monica, did go to Cornell. The good news: He won't mention it every 5 minutes, either. In fact, he likes the fact that people are incredulous that he went to Cornell. What is a Bob Mantz? This is a Bob Mantz. And don't give up on Best just yet. He's a fine fellow.)

Here are Chilkoot's instructions for getting the comments past the "comments submission error screen:

A "forced" refresh appears to solve the problem. Try this:

Type comment (or paste if plagiarizing from another net site).

Select All (Ctrl-A).

Copy (Ctrl-C).

Put number in and cross fingers.

If you get the submission error message, click on "go back to previous" hyperlink at the end of the message.

Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the chasing green arrows (or hit the F5 key) which forces the browser to reload the page from the web server.

Put cursor back in comment box

Paste (Ctrl-V)

Punch in numbers and try posting again.

For some reason, this week seems to stand out more than most, especially with the comments. I dunno, maybe that column on whether the Jets could just as easily be 5-3 with Pennington instead of Favre got things going.

Whatever.

In any case, another great week of commenting from the troops. It was three Glauber Nation originals who led the way, although there were certainly more that qualified. Here's what we liked:

Black N Gold taunting Boland about yet another horrifying Browns collapse against the Broncos, this time responding to Boland's complaint that Steelers fans should leave Browns fans along because of the Super Bowl trophy mismatch:

"I actually lived in the 216 for a couple of years in the early-mid eighties. Really wasn't such a bad place. It's just sooooooo much fun to rub the Steelers success in Browns fans faces. Of course we weren't doing that from 1957-1965 when you all had Jim Brown. :-)

One of the best stories I have about the rivalry was how one day I was ragging on young priest I knew from Cleveland about the rivalry. He shared a story with me about how, before he entered the seminary, he and a couple friends were drinking in Cleveland one night and decided to make the 2+ hour drive from Cleveland to Pittsburgh just so they could urinate on the side of then Three Rivers Stadium and immediately drove back to Cleveland."

BBiB! in response to our posting of an unidentified picture of a buxom young lady who is associated with Reggie Bush. We offer the picture here, just so you can get the drift of his comment ... yeah, that's the ticket. Actually, Big Al made us post it.

"Kim Kardashian."

Next comment from BBiB!

"... or he really likes eating at Arby's."

And last, but not least, Islander505 offering one of his vintage riffs about ... well ... everything. It started off as a response to Eagles coach Andy Reid suggesting fans for Sunday night's game against the Giants would get "a running start" to lubricate their emotions.

"Okay....here's the REAL Audacity of Dope.I have a favorite bartender in 505land that is plus 5k on my "Giants Picks" this year. (Disclaimer-I NEVER "play" for or against my favorite teams)
Andy "Either my wife or my dog finishes my 3:20AM Grand Slam" Reid is dead on with his call this Sunday.

It's a no play game....from either side. The "Running Start" is kinda like showing up at Koots on Spenard around 215AM on a Tuesday night in 1982 with a handful of cash in search of the perfect one night stand knowing it's you versus (I know you hate that word Glauber) 15-20 overworked and cash horny 6 week at a time slope workers timbering up on the tree stumps with 5-6 "snow" bunnies cruising the perimeter in search of potential cab rides home in the morning. Everyone makes "a deal" with Rocky the Bartender in the privacy of the men's room and and brings his best game to the bar.

Properly equipped....the odds are in your favor with the bunnies....but there are no guarantees....
Unless you promise to stop at the 24 hour Spenard Liquor Store for a pint of Chivas on the way home..
Let's see what Reid brings to Lincoln Field on Sunday.
(Just know that if Reid loses, he's likely to get an official looking notice with a Kutztown postmark to report to the nearest cotton field at 7AM the morning after Barack's coronation..........for orientation) .

Wow....so much to digest there.

Just some meandering thoughts....from two time zones away."

With news flying fast and furious, we've been way too remiss in acknowledging comments these days. There have been some absolutely spectacular ones. Thank you thank you thank you.

LTmeansLawrenceTaylor on Mike Ditka's idea of removing facemasks to make the game safer:

I LOVE Ditka's idea. Players in football wear too much protection, which raises the level of collision, which may actually mean more injury. If people had to think about their own well-being instead of throwing caution to the wind and relying on 60 years of protection innovation, maybe they'd play smarter. Shoulder pads of today have more impact protection than some car bumpers.

Maybe a few more broken noses, but a few less concussions. Downgrade all the padding. Let the men be real men. Maybe the next startup league will take this on and really have something different to sell to the public.

Craig on Laveranues Coles suffering his third concussion in the last 22 months:

Coles' situation has me furious, given what's known about concussions how was this player cleared to re enter the game?

Jets have a sordid history dating back to Toon. Their medical staffing, i.e. Pellman, made a joke of the league's early head injury efforts. Jets' joker of a team physician heading the league panel? No thanks.

Where the hell was the union on that? This is insane, in this day and age to return a concussed player to the field is inexcusable.

Where is Goodell? What is league policy on sideline and in game examinations? Coles career possibly ended, another shot this Sunday could have sent him into a coma because his condition was misdiagnosed or ignored. Sorry Roger, this is much more important than Michael and his dogs, Pacman making it rain, and Tank's armory.

I'm pissed, and I'm not a jets fan or on Coles payroll. It just ain't right, enough is enough.

BBiB! on Arthur Staples column suggesting that Brett Favre's conversation with former Lions prez Matt Millen was unseemly:

Nice job out of Staple IMO. I agree. Brett's legacy is fast becoming that of a whining, bitter, old man. At a whopping 3-3 with a loss to the Raiders(!), the Jets are probably wishing they had kept Chad P. On the plus side, Mangini is kind of getting a free ride while everyone focuses on the has-been at QB.

Last, but not least, Islander505's followup to his announcement that he's running for President and considering Black N Gold (BnG) for his running mate:

Well, BnG, until now I've been considering, Joe Sixpack, Larry the Cable Guy and Joe the Plumber.
But I'm comfortable that you embody the qualities within your own stature that those other guys would bring to the ticket in their own way.
A beer drinking guy that can rewire the White House with HDTV in every room, yet has a softer side that puts a fresh roll of toilet paper on the dispenser when he uses the last sheet. (that'll get the women votes!!)

And I am confident that we can easily overcome any Murtha'd preconceptions about your past.
We'll just pound and pound your handle in the media.....and that in itself will surely attract a core group of the Democratic demographic as well as the high powered money segment of the Republicans.....

Islander505 and Black N Gold!!!!
America!!!
Forget "Change for America", Forget "Vote for Change"

Vote for us and "WE WILL CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!!"

Before we get to the comment contest winner, I would like to pay homage to Chicago Norm of Final Score fame. On his most recent post, he writes:

" I offten visit TMZ.com, both for laughs and because I am turning into a moron."

lol ... (CN: I will still file too many words for the Sunday newspaper. Sorry.)

Ok, on to more important matters.

This week's contest winner is a regular poster on this and other Newsday blogs. This time, he went above and beyond, taking one of our shots aimed at WatchDog's Neil Best and turning it into a stroll down memory lane that any baby boomer would want to read. I had take a line from the Jay Mariotti rant against former Chicago Sun-Times teammate Rick Telander, in which JM said that RT was stuck in 1973, and applied it to Best. To which Islander505 replied:

"Okay Glauber.....1973??
Nothin wrong with being stuck in 1973.
It was a pretty good year...some downers....but mostly highs.

Steinbrenner bought the Yankees. CBS has never been the same.
The KNICKS won a championship. The Knicks have never been the same.
Roe V Wade. A lot of kids have never been the same.
John McCain released from prison. Staying at a Hilton has never been the same.
A Republican President ended 13 years of Democratic inspired misery in Vietnam after over 50,00 lives lost. The Dem's are still the same.
The same Republican President got his dickey caught in a Washington Hotel. Wiretapping has never been the same.
The World Trade Center opened in NY. No comment.
Ron Blomberg became the answer to a trivia question. Baseball has never been the same.
505 graduated High School. Insanity has never been the same.
The DEA is founded. See above
Coincidentally the Watkins Glen Festival is held, no members of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers or The Band are arrested. Live Music has never been the same.
Secretariat won a Triple Crown. Siring has never been the same.
Billie Jean King kicks Bobby Riggs' butt. Male Chauvinism has never been the same.
The Israeli's introduce "pre-emptive strikes" in the successful Yom Kippur War. Warmongering has never been the same.
Billy Joel writes Piano Man. "What are you doin here" has never been the same.
OJ runs for over 2000 yards without the benefit of a white SUV.
Running for Daylight has never been the same.

Kids were allowed to leave, and in fact encouraged, to get the hell out the house without parental escort or adult supervision.
Fun has never been the same.
Kid's could get into school without enduring a cavity check by TSA forerunners.
Education no longer knows the same.

Six of the top 10 movies were The Exorcist, The Sting, American Graffitti, Papillon, Magnum Force, and Live and Let Die. We'll be lucky to get ONE MOVIE of that caliber this year. But everyone in Hollywood is certain of who belongs in the White House now.
Entertaining has never been the same.
Gallon of Gas? 40 cents
Runnin on Empty has never been the same.
The "Endangered Species Act" is signed into law, thereby guaranteeing Woody Hayes continued employment.

Johnny Damon is born, Steinbrenner is livid.

Marlon Brando refuses an Oscar for The Godfather over the plight of our own Indian Nation.
Casino gambling has never been the same.

George Harrison's, "Concert for Bangladesh", recorded at MSG in 1971 wins a Grammy for Best Album. (505 sold ice cream at the concert....the show... sucked).
The Grammy's are still the same meaningless off base awards today.
Miami completed an undefeated season in winning the Super Bowl.
Don Shula has never been the same.
The King of Afghanistan was deposed by his cousin while having eye surgery in Italy.
Revolutions have never been the same

1973 was a GREAT YEAR.
2008 doesn't have a chance of coming close.
We should all have the chance to live the same as those of us who lived in 1973.

Anyone (you and Mariotti) who thinks otherwise is simply insane.

And that's just my rant for the month, from the same two time zones away."

We noticed that Islander505 got into a tizzy when we didn't mention him in the Sarah Palin-Tina Fey look-a-like entry. Evidently, his extensive experiences in and around the establishments of the fine state of Alaska - including the now famous Chilkoot Charlie's - were sufficient to include him in connecting the dots on a sports connection for the look-a-like.

For that, we are truly sorry, for I505's comments are one of the best things about this blog - and many others at Newsday and throughout the blogosphere, we presume.

Perhaps winning yet another comment contest will assuage his angst.

Thanks to one and all for all your terrific insights this week and every week. Enjoy the games tomorrow and Monday.

Islander505 on Rodney Harrison complaining about fans who cheered when Tom Brady was injured:

Until the "Brotherhood of NFL Players" demonstrate a little more class on the field, and a little less trash talking, dancing over downed opponents, finger wagging, and other self absorbed grandstanding behavior, I will have a hard time giving any credence to these kind of "opinions".
Is it correct for fans to cheer and applaud injuries?
NO......I SAY THAT ADAMANTLY.
But let's face it Rodney and all you other NFL Player Apologists.
As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
It is YOUR behavior on the field that provides the inspiration and in fact spawns this aberrant behavior by fans.
Start policing your own yard before preaching to society.
And that's just my opinion.

(Editor's note: This is an all-timer that certainly hit a chord with many other Glauber Nation readers. Thanks again, I505. Cheers.)

Tony A. on the exorbitant prices for Giants Personal Seat Licenses:

You hear everyone and their mother whine about how you can't take your family to a baseball game anymore, but is football really that much better?
Sure, there are only 8 home games a year so the cost should be higher for football, but I would have to sell an organ to afford Giants tickets!

Alan from Ridge on Terrell Owens saying he got too big for Philly and for Donovan McNabb:

Boy, the Eagles-Dallas rivalry isn't hot enough, now T.O. stirs it up even more! He puts P.T. Barnum to shame. Bob, even better than the blog post are the comments that follow it - great stuff. I'm sure the blogs in Philly are just as bad. It pains me to say it, but I think T.O. may be somewhat right, though. McNabb has struck me as a sensitive sort throughout his tenure in Philly; he seems to read and listen to all of the talk and reacts (in my opinion) too publicly to it. Maybe it goes back to draft day when the Birdbrain fans booed him, egged on by then-Mayor (and now PA gov.) Ed Rendell. We are a dysfunctional bunch!

Islander505 on all the Brett Favre hoopla of the past month:

"All of the this "F" word stuff for the last 3-4 weeks has given me hives. So instead of scratching, I've been scouring the country in search of Joe Pisarcik, to bring sanity back into my life.

And now I'm enamored by a coupla beach babes, one of whom has made me proud by marrying a 2nd string baseball catcher and the other who may or not be available again depending on whether "The Ring Found in the Sands of Beijing" (has kinduva 40's romance movie sound to it, dontcha think?) was hers or an old Cracker Jack discard.

Either way, they are filling my dance card nicely as I await Amanda Beard's splash in the natatorium (topless for PETA anyone?) as well as the debut of the hit Softball Trilogy "A Finch Chits on the China".

Football simply does nothing for me right now. (Unless Boland decides to release the rest of his Jet's Girls pictures)."

George M. on Laveranues Coles' unwillingness to share his thoughts on the Brett Favre trade/Chad Pennington release:

"Mr. Coles job is to catch ball thrown in his direction by the Jets quarterback, whatever his name might be. When he starts paying the salaries of his fellow teammates, then he can have something to say about moves the team makes. Until then...who cares? Too much concern about non-entities. Just play the game and keep quiet."

Noted Steelers fan Black N Gold on a post about our trip to Cleveland for Brett Favre's introduction to the Jets:
"That's nice Bob... by the way...did you get to see the Browns trophy case while you were up there? How many Super Bowls have they won again?"

(We were going to include another crude comment from B N G about Browns fans - "Cleveland fans aren't known for their brains....or else they wouldn't be Brownies fans" - but we decided Boland might be offended so we left it out ... oops.)

We've been remiss in not citing our top-shelf commenters in recent weeks, and for that, we apologize. Or, as BBiB! might prefer us to say: I apologize.

Here's Alan on my post about Eagles fans being somewhat ... um ... passionate in their support - and criticism - of their beloved Birds. And how Best admits to being scared about attending sporting events in Philly.

"As someone who grew up in Philadelphia (like Mrs. Watchdog), I'll vouch for the passion of the fans. We do show up to cheer our teams on, but if we perceive a lack of effort, we let them know it as well. I will say that many Philly fans take things to the extreme when faced with a fan from the opposing team. However, it wasn't always that way.

"I attended Eagles games with my father from 1971-1987 (when I moved to DC) and each year my aunt, a huge Dallas fan, came with us to the Eagles-Cowboys game. She dressed in full Cowboy regalia, and the fans in our section got on her case, but not physically and not in a vicious manner. She gave back as good as she got, and at the end of the game the other fans would tell her "See you next year!" Sadly, I'm afraid it's not that genteel any more, which is one reason my dad gave uo his tickets in the mid-90's. If I were Neil, I'd stay in the basement in my PJ's when the Giants visit the Linc!"

(A gold star to anyone who can guess why we'd include a picture of Santa Claus with this post.)

Wow, what a performance by Islander505 and Black N Gold, who went at it brilliantly about a post regarding the Rangers-Penguins series.

As we eagerly await Game 5 - yes, a game we can actually SEE because it's on a television network (NBC) we actually GET - here are two of our favorite commenters going at it:

Islander505:

An Islander fan says something nice about the Rangers and some Black and Gold, Iron City swilling Steelhead Speckled Lout gets top billing? (No offense B and G- but I love a great metaphor)

First 15 minutes of Game 5 may very well decide the series.
Pens will hit the ice with a hellstorm of fury.
It will be the ultimate test to see whether Henrik is the championship caliber goalie that the Ranger fans have hoped for.
IF the Rangers can withstand the onslaught, and Lundquist can steal this game from the Pens....it's a brand new series.

At that point it's back to MSG for Game 6 where the young Pens run into the wrath of a Garden crowd chanting "1975" or "33 years" ("33 years" sounds better).
IF it comes back to MSG for game 6 it is paramount for the NY Press (are ya readin me Zip and Staple?) to MAKE NO MENTION of any references to "Pens choke again 33 years later?" stories until AFTER Game 6.

Let the Garden crowd get that thing started.

HEARING it, before READING is far more effective on the players.

And then ANYTHING can happen in a game 7.

Just my opinion and blueprint from 2 time zones away.

(Not that I want the Rangers to win....but I DO love fun hockey, and whenever the Rangers do drop out, I am not looking forward to all the Ranger Ice Worms spewing their venom on Logan's blog).

Black N Gold:

First, it's hard to follow such stellar posts by Islander505.. great work !

Secondly, works been a $#^%. Right after the game ended last night the roof caved in and I've been digging out of the hole all day.

As for 1975. I remember that clearly. On April 26 the Pens lost at home to the Islelanders (The 1942 Red Wings lost their series against the Maple Leafs on the road).

Four days later, on April 30th the last Marine was airlifted off the US Embassy roof in Saigon as South Vietnam fell.

Two Days after that, I graduated High School and entered the USAF.

Oh yeah, it was a great week for me. :-)

Not for nothing but that 1975 Penguins team didn't have near the talent that the current team does.

Ron Schock, Syl Apps, and Jean Pronovost were their top producers and Gary Inness was in goal.

Not exactly, Crosby, Malkin, Hossa and Fluerry.

If you'd have told me before the series began that the Pens would be headed into game five, on home ice, up 3-1, I'd have taken it.

Now, The Pens have to win one of the their next three, I think this crew can handle that against the Rangers.

(Editor's note: Brilliant, gentlemen.)

We've been remiss in not posting the comment contest winners on a more regular basis in recent weeks. Maybe it's the lull before the draft. Or maybe it's reading the article "jeffp" sent along that indicates bloggers occasionally burn out as a result of their jobs. Whatever.

Thanks for posting comments. Thanks for reading. Thanks for making this all worthwhile. Hopefully I will write a few thousand more posts before my head explodes.

In the meantime, get your mock drafts ready. Tuesday's the day. Top 10, plus the Giants' pick at No. 31.

BBiB! Prepare thy spreadsheets!

Karl on Brett Favre possibly waffling on retirement:“I don't believe he's coming back. I love Favre and will miss him, but it's a good time. He had a great year, and knows that he is walking away with mostly good health, most of the QB records of all time, 1 Super Bowl win, 4 NFC championship title games, and a great last season. He is home mowing, raking, clearing brush, and hunting. Sounds like an ordinary guy who enjoys life … Congrats on the new job with Indiana.” (That’s a Tom Crean reference. Thanks, Karl.)

gmen79player on Favre:
“When it’s time to get ready for week 1 and the preseason and offseason stuff is over, and Favre still hasn’t shown up to play, then I'll believe he's done for good. But not until then. I still don't feel Brett's ready to completely give it up yet. Brett Favre is still too good to stop now, even at 39.”

Craig on the Olympic torch relay protests:
“Yeah, this is blowing up in their faces big time. And the traveling paramilitary troops guarding the torch are not helping the matter.”

Nearly halfway through the month, we have substantially closed the gap with Neil Best's WatchDog blog. We're still not there yet, but we suspect next month will be a key one with the draft. We're also not counting out this month either.

In fact, La Monica told us this morning that if we do a post of Elliot Spitzer's "friend" and include a picture and some sort of catchy theme, it might put us over the top. Then again, we're a bit concerned that our morals could go completely to waste if we did that.

We'll consider all suggestions, however. My guess is NKR will come up with something clever.

In the meantime, this week's winners:

rnargi on Tom Coughlin's contract extension:

One of the great debates amongst Giants fans the last couple of years has been the foolish lambasting of TC because of remarks he made at his very first press conference regarding injuries and penalties.
It's interesting to me that there are still fans that do not understand what he meant by the "cancer" statement. TC rid this team of the country club, look at me first, attitude and built a staff and team that is unified and accountable to each other. No one wants to milk an injury and go on IR anymore. No one wants to take that stupid personal foul anymore. No one wants to let the team down.
That's what TC was trying to build, and that's what he was talking about when he first spoke 4 years ago. Hopefully, some of the people laughing and ridiculing him for those remarks now see the truth and meaning behind what he was trying to say.
TC deserves this contract, and I'm proud that I can root for him and the Giants. This team represents what is good about team sports, and should be looked at as a model by all coaches at every level with regards to team pride, sportsmanship, and hard work.

Anonymous on the seemingly endless coverage of Brett Favre's retirement:

Breaking news....Brett Favre had frosted mini-wheats with 2% milk this morning ... Enough already.

LTMeansLawrenceTaylor on Michael Strahan's thoughts of retirement:

If Strahan thinks he can take the physical toll in the coming season, it's the best possible scenario for him.

1) He doesn't need to carry the team
2) He doesn't need to carry the defense.
3) Heck, he doesn't even need to carry the D-line. He can be just one of the boys, a group of vicious dogs going wild in a system designed for them to do so, with coaches that value them.
4) The team is primed to succeed again.
5) He'll get paid.
6) Nothing to prove, no pressure, just pleasure.
7) Play to win, don't have to win, already has the ring.
8) He gets a big stage to speak from, and continue to enjoy.
9) Another year of fun with the guys, without much weight on his shoulders.

All the hard work has already paid off, career-wise. If he comes back, he's already got the cake, the rest is extra frosting... delicious, creamy, rich frosting.

We've been remiss in getting to this on a more regular basis, and we apologize.

You folks have done yeoman's work improving the level of discourse on this blog, and it's you who have given us four straight months of career-high numbers. For that, we are eternally grateful. (Ok, BBiB! ... I am eternally grateful.)

Black N Gold on Myron Cope's passing:
"There are so many wonderful Cope stories... one of my favorites was on his radio show that the term "Immaculate Reception" was minted to describe the great Franco Harris catch. A caller, Sharon Levosky, called Cope and mentioned that her friend, Michael Ord, had used the phrase to describe the catch while they were watching the game in a local Pittsburgh Shot and Beer Steelworkers bar. It was the Jewish Cope who popularized the phrase which was an obvious play on the Catholic derived term.
So to explain how popular Cope was in Pittsburgh, it was standard practice in Pittsburgh to turn down the sound on the TV and turn on the radio to hear Cope call the game."

Black N Gold on our post of a streaker getting knocked silly at a cricket match in Australia: "I always wondered what a 'naked bootleg' looked like."

Richie G (Lynbrook) on Brett Favre's retirement announcement.
"I really hope he reconsiders. He is the last player from my generation and he plays the game the way it was meant to be played. For fun. I'd love to see him make one last run. And then another. And then another."

Richie G (original, I think) on Hank Steinbrenner look-a-like: "He looks like Ray Liotta after a couple months in Vegas."

Neil Best on our record-setting 32-post day last Friday (something we never plan to attempt again.):

"Oh . . . my goodness gracious. Congratulations, sir. I am proud of you."

Craig on his real-life use of the term "Go Kendall," popularized by DC Jets Fan as a way of describing how one can talk his way out of an organization:

"Fair enough, I'm going to Kendall my boss Monday. Will let you know how it goes."

(Any news, Craig?)

ag on whether Osi Umenyiora was talking trash about Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light:
"I don't think that's necessarily trash talk, but why does it seem like players such as Light and Seymour are getting pointed out when the ones who are clearly dirty like Wilfork (ask Losman and Jacobs) and Vrabel (Mr. leg whip) aren't being called out. I've always thought the idea of "bulletin-board material" was overrated but the way our Giants have been exploiting the disrespect and "us against the world" angles have changed my mind!"

Luke on how an addicition to Glauber Nation blog posts and Conan O'Brien's resemblance to the woman president of Finland is greatly reducing his intellectual pursuits:
"When I had some downtime at work I used to read interesting articles about social issues and world affairs. Now I'm googling a woman who looks like Conan O'Brien and watching paparazzi footage of Tom Brady leaving his girlfriends house. What has become of me... I blame you Mr. Glauber."

(I apologize, Luke.)

Poppy on our Nan's definitions of "a lot" and "it":
"Your Nan was right...if you have a close-knit family, you'll always have "a lot" and you'll never be without "it."

A mélange of award-winners today, based on yet another in a long line of spectacularly clever comments from you good people out there.

In honor of the phenomenally frigid weekend soon to be upon us, we have a few cold-weather anecdotes – including one from All Pro Newsday blogger Neil Best himself. We went to four winners, because, quite frankly, it was impossible to limit it to three.

Besides, we make the rules around here.

:-)

1. Hookslide on predicting the divisional playoff round – as well as a few other predictions and comments: (As you can see here, Hook took a doughnut in the picks, but we’ve given him the business enough about that.)

Jax 24 - NE 20
Ind 28 - SD 17
SEA 17 - GB 10
Dal 24 - NYG 14

Best name: bigfroe

Some other predictions for 2008:
- The price of oil will hit $110 a barrel this winter.
- People in the Middle East will kill each other over religion.
- Jeff P will continue to scour the google image search for look-alikes
- Bob will let his youngest daughter make football picks based on who has the cutest starting QBs.....(and probably improve from 2007)
- One of the "Hollywood bad girls" will show their privates in public.
- Bill Gates will earn a lot of money.
- My kids will spend less time playing sports and reading, and more time playing video games, watching Family Guy, South Park, 24, and Scrubs.
- Someone will win the Presidential election...Democrats will advocate change, equal rights, and protecting the environment...Republicans will look for strength, stability, and a free-market economy...the winner will vow to unify the country...
- The Knicks will have a new coach

2. Devout Packers fan and loyal reader Karl on losing out to a nun in an essay contest to take part in the pre-game coin toss at Lambeau Field:
I also submitted my essay to Packers.com trying to win tickets for the game. I wrote about how I wanted to take my dad to our first Packer game at Lambeau together.
There were 4 other essays in competition, but the fans all voted for her story. I guess the fans thought that she provided Divine help. Next time I write an essay to win Packer tickets I am going to mention that I am a pastor...

3. Neil Best on the coldest he’s ever been:
The coldest I ever have been was walking from the Sheraton to the Carrier Dome for a Syracuse-St. John's game, which is uphill but only a quarter mile or so. I was walking with Dave Cummings, then of the Daily News, now of ESPN The Magazine. I have lived in Ithaca, NY, and Anchorage, AK, but I never, ever have been through anything like that. It was minus-43 with the wind chill.

I truly believed if we had taken a wrong turn or found the door to the dome locked, we would have died on the spot. This was in the early 1990s sometime. We ended up going in through a fan entrance because the media entrance was around back, and we would have been dead by the time we got there.

4. Black N Gold’s “coldest ever” story:
January 19th 1994. I was living in Pittsburgh and training for my 30th marathon. I was working as an CTO for a large mortgage finance company and training twice a day.
My lunchtime runs were typically an easy 6 miles over Pittsburgh's hilly terrain. My training partner, a 'C' programmer for the company, was a nationally elite marathoner who had recently run a 2:16 marathon and was training for the 1994 Boston marathon. He approached my office that morning to confirm that were 'on' for our normal six mile effort.
It was -22 F !
Dressed in running gear, we made our way along our usual route. More than one motorist nearly swerved off the road seeing two idiots pounding the pavement.
I spent the rest of the afternoon, holed up in my office, with my work spread out in front of the heating vent, with a space heater turned up full blast.

Our beloved Black N Gold was in mourning over last week's Steelers loss to the Jaguars, although he felt it coming all along. That said, we were a bit tough on our guy for being so down in the dumps about his team, but he hung in the pocket better than his team's quarterback. So for that, we are appreciative.

We're going off the beaten path here just a bit and will include an exchange between BBiB! and Black N Gold, which came about partly as a result of our incessant jabs at B N G. Craig is on the board once more with his insightful take on the Giants' coaching job in Sunday's win over the Bucs.

From BBiB!:
BNG,
I deserve to give you an apology. BG clearly ws stirring the pot with his comments and I fell for it. I thought you put money on the game (like, with a book). A bet for a pizza is absolutely fine and I can see how you could root against yourself on that one. Hope that free pie was tasty!
BBiB!

And then Black N Gold responds:
No Worries BBiB!
Seems it's the season for Big Ben apologies.
I was disappointed to see that while the real Ben took the bullet for the Steelers loss Mike Tomlin would not admit to having made an "in-game" coaching errors.
I like Tomlin, but wish he would admit to his fallibility.

Craig on the Giants' coaches:
Notable from Tampa, I cannot recall the coaching staff having a game like that since the Parcells era. Well planed, solid in game adjustments to play calling and personnel. TC haters beware, he not just coming back, he is getting a nice extension. I'm not sure what surprised me more, the RW interception or the fact that Webster actually had a solid game. A win at Dallas would be huge.

Thanks for yet another week of terrific comments on our little slice of the blogosphere. We enjoyed another personal best in page views for the month of December, and that was on top of last month’s previous high. Newsday Internet guru Mark La Monica gave us a nice shout-out to the bosses, which is always nice.

What's it all mean? It means that you enjoy reading about football, about fans who dip a piece of sausage in their own vom-... (oh, stop it already) ... you appreciate Lou Holtz-Granny Clampett look-a-likes (thanks again, Jeff P.) and you take advantage of the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion about sports. Many, many thanks.

Big Ben is Back! tops the list, although he had any number of entries this week that could have qualified. He was on top of his game. Now we’ll see if his beloved Steelers are on top of theirs heading into tomorrow night’s AFC Wild Card game against the Jaguars.

Big Ben is Back! on our choice of Brett Favre, and not Ben Roethlisberger, as Comeback Player of the Year:
“Sigh. Had you picked one of the self-inflicted guys as Comeback Player of the Year, my computer screen would have suffered. Thought for sure you were going with Moss. It's tough to argue against Favre, so if you prefer the guy who held up his team annually with the "I may retire, I may not" nonsense over the guy who nearly died a year before making the Pro Bowl and outplaying every other QB not named Brady in only his 4th (that's right Eli and Rivers - take note) year, then I'll have to live with it.
As for the other awards, it's near impossible to make a rational case against any of your selections. The Pats deserve every award they get, AP was a no brainer as is Willis. I guess one could quibble over Sanders when Cromartie, Willis, and DeMarcus Ware are sitting out there. It's tough to win an award based on the intangible aspect you bring to the team like Sanders clearly does. His stats don't make a case.
All in all, a good job out of Glauber the Blogger.
Lou Holtz and Granny was a classic. Have any for Charlie Weis?”

Jeff T on Bill Belichick winning Coach of the Year:
“Let’s see, first -- HE WAS FINED FOR CHEATING!! That should disqualify him for coach of the year automatically.
Second, he had - BY FAR - the most stacked with talent team in the entire NFL! That's like weaving gold into gold. Not very impressive.
Congrats to the team for working hard and making history, but Bill does not in any way deserve this award. Shameful.
That's the new America. Cheating is OK, as long as you win. Great message for our kids, and sports in general.”

Richie G (who once wrote a song for this blog entitled "That's Samari") on Terry Pluto’s column about the Browns’ sad playoff fate:
“No wonder Terry Pluto is depressed. Not only did Cleveland suffer a 'Brown-Out', but his planetary namesake got downgraded to a 'dwarf planet'. Things haven't been this sour out there since the Cuyahoga River caught fire back in June, 1969. Poor bastards, even when there's a will, there's Elway. (Note to self.... never move to Cleveland)
Happy New Year, Lake Erie, and please don't cry in your snow shovels. It just makes it that much heavier to bear. On the bright side, .... uh, er, um, oh yeah, there is no bright side.”

giantsfan1 on whether or not Tom Coughlin should rest his players for tomorrow night's game against the Patriots:
"I would rest the guys that are injured or slightly injured such as Burress, Jacobs, Pierce etc.. As far as the healthy starters I would play them for at least the first half, maybe 3 quarters. If they are in the game, finish it out with a chance to break the Pats win streak. If not, put the backups in to get them some experience while resting the main players.
The Pats have a week off, the Giants don't. I don't care if the Giants beat the Pats streak. It would be great if they did but the main thing is to stay healthy and rested for the Bucs the next week on the road."

Black N Gold on the debate over whether the Giants should attempt to derail the Patriots' attempt at "history."
"Let's get one thing straight right here, right now. History is the battle of Gettysburg - not 16-0."

(Editor's note: Black N Gold, you keep this message board grounded. Well said.)

Hookslide on B N G's various playoff predictions:
"Black, we all see through your tactic, falsely predicting your team loses and San Diego wins. This way, you can prepare yourself early for a disappointing weekend...and if you are correct, you can say you brilliantly picked it...in writing no less...I used to do that too...like when the Knicks played the Washington Bullets in the early 70s...when I was ELEVEN.
If your logic is accurate, and Pittsburgh has nothing to play for, then would it really be considered that big of a "huge surprise upset"
A big upset would be if 5,000 people are in the stands at the Meadowlands for the start of the fourth quarter of the Jets-KC game."

giantsfan1 on whether or not Tom Coughlin should rest his players for tomorrow night's game against the Patriots:
"I would rest the guys that are injured or slightly injured such as Burress, Jacobs, Pierce etc.. As far as the healthy starters I would play them for at least the first half, maybe 3 quarters. If they are in the game, finish it out with a chance to break the Pats win streak. If not, put the backups in to get them some experience while resting the main players.
The Pats have a week off, the Giants don't. I don't care if the Giants beat the Pats streak. It would be great if they did but the main thing is to stay healthy and rested for the Bucs the next week on the road."

Black N Gold on the debate over whether the Giants should attempt to derail the Patriots' attempt at "history."
"Let's get one thing straight right here, right now. History is the battle of Gettysburg - not 16-0."

(Editor's note: Black N Gold, you keep this message board grounded. Well said.)

Hookslide on B N G's various playoff predictions:
"Black, we all see through your tactic, falsely predicting your team loses and San Diego wins. This way, you can prepare yourself early for a disappointing weekend...and if you are correct, you can say you brilliantly picked it...in writing no less...I used to do that too...like when the Knicks played the Washington Bullets in the early 70s...when I was ELEVEN.
If your logic is accurate, and Pittsburgh has nothing to play for, then would it really be considered that big of a "huge surprise upset"
A big upset would be if 5,000 people are in the stands at the Meadowlands for the start of the fourth quarter of the Jets-KC game."

Another fine week of commenting on this board. Well done to one and all, and to all a good night.

NKR on our suggestion in the Power Rankings the Jets scored a "moral victory" over the Patriots by keeping it close:
"Oh stop fawning over the Jets. Moral victory, my ass. The Pats had both the real AND the moral victory."

Richie G on whether Bill Belichick should be Coach of the Year:
"Of course it's Belichick, and I can sum up the reason in two words.
Randy Moss. The guy was a pariah, universally viewed as a highly talented, but ultimately selfish player. Now, he's Mr Team Guy, model citizen, and why is that? Because he drank the Belichick Kool Aid, like everyone else in the locker room. BB created a Robo team in his own image, and oh yeah, they're going 16 and 0. End of story."

Craig on the Roy Williams suspension for a third "horse collar" tackle this season:
"Lost in the Roy Williams debate: no penalty be for Hamlin's vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on the Eagles tight end? It was textbook Chuck Cecil, with the expected result, a knockout. I hate all things Philly, contrary to what they say, it is never sunny there. But Reid was right to fume over the lack of flag, it was Headhunting 101. As far as I can tell the league has said/done nothing. If that's the case I assume Williams suspension vs. another fine was his choice of victum, not the infraction."

Honorable mention:
DuMont Burger on Parcells going to the Dolphins:
"Tuna to the Fish. How nice. Hey doesn't Francesa arch-enemy Sid Rosenberg have a talk show there? Time for Sid to get the exclusive."

(Editor's note: We institute the "honorable mention" category this week to honor Mr. Burger, who we know is a regular poster to our friend Mr. Best's blog. He's certainly come up with better comments than this, but we revel in tweaking Best by siphoning off as many of his readers as possible. In fact, NKR is our pride and joy when it comes to this phenomenon. She was one of the first to come over to the dark side. We anticipate Burger stepping up his comments in the weeks to come.)

Man, oh, man. What a week. Between the Michael Vick sentencing, the Bobby Petrino resignation and Spygate II, this has been wall-to-wall.

The comments were spectacular.

"Craig" was on a roll this week, and wins two of the top three prizes:

Bill Champlin on whether Michael Vick should ever play football again:
"Michael Vick should not be permitted to play ever again. What kind of message does this send to our younger generation? It's high time this country takes a stand on these types of issues with anyone who is in the public eye. By allowing Vick back in the game we are condoning his crime. This is a grown man that knows the difference from right or wrong."

Craig on the same subject:
"I think he can and should get the opportunity to try out once the NFL reinstates him. Will he be worth the cost? Contactually and socially to the organization that signs him? Probably not. A few years removed from training, his physical skills will have diminished. This QB wins games with his legs more often than his arm. I am not sure the risk v reward proposition is favorable to the signer; but there will be one."

Craig on the Petrino resignation:
"Love it! Mora was tossed out like trash while Blank smoked his Vick pipe. Chickens, fried no doubt, have come home to roost."

Tony Maturo on Spygate II:
"Just more about nothing. If Mangini had permission, and he must've since the league didn't intervene, then it's a non-story. The fact is Belichick BROKE THE RULES by taping DURING A GAME from the SIDELINES. PERIOD. Teams do stuff all the time, and go right to the edge of legality sometimes, to gain an advantage. So for blatantly breaking the NFL's rules after having been warned by the league, Bellichick deserved to be reprimanded. Does it have anything to do with beating the Jets or any other team during his tenure? I doubt it. The Patriots have out game planned and out executed their opponents, with the emphasis on EXECUTED. When division rivals meet, each team pretty much knows what's coming 80% of the time. It's about execution. The Pats are very good at it and that's why they are who they are."

We reached out for a one-liner about the Lions' misfortunes in the Power Rankings, and you came through in a big way:

The winner, posted by richie g: "Lions chances of making it to the playoffs? One in a Millen."

Honorable mention:
Busey: "When Kitna said they would get 10 wins..... he was 'Lion' "

Islip Pride: "Just as Zigfried and Roy announce comback - lions dissappear."

Jay Lund: "The Lions looked more like Toto than the Kings of the Jungle."

Craig on the Giants defensive players being prohibited from making friendly locker room wagers on their weekly performance:

"The NFL sees a slippery slope, performance incentives slides into bounty awards, and the league will not approve on anything resembling gambling. If they drop the cash component they can work around it. RB's, QB's have been rewarding their Oline since the beginning of time. Plenty of wiggle room there."

Lance on our take that Terrell Davis shouldn't get into the Hall of Fame because his career was cut short by injury:
"Are you kidding? TD was one of the best running backs ever to play the game. While everyone believes that Curtis Martin is a shoo in because he gained so many yards over so many seasons, he never won a super bowl or dominated in the playoffs like TD.
The only Denver Bronco in the HOF is John Elway for the same reason Matt Holliday lost out on the MVP to Rollins this year. Denver sports teams have never been taken seriously or respected on the national stage.
Granted, I'm a homer, but I don't believe that Rod Smith should be in the HOF either, because he never dominated at any time. He played well over a long period, but that doesn't make him more than an above average player.
TD was special and should be recognized as such. Once were on the issue, what about Gary Zimmerman and Steve Atwater too?"

kafoste on the aftermath of the Sean Taylor shooting:

"I saw a few blogs where people were saying he had what was coming to him.I cant believe the barbaric thinking that some may have today in our society. This young man is a fellow human being with friends and family just like some of you regardless of what you may think of his on or off the field behavior. I wish him the best as well as his family ... Wake up, American ... Wake up."

Another great week of comments in our little corner of the blogosphere. Thanks for all your efforts.

Big Ben is Back! on Giants running back Brandon Jacobs complaining about getting hit low:

"Heard Jim Everitt called Brandon Jacobs. He wants his "wus" label back."

Hookslide on ... well ... a lot of stuff, including my promise to eat my notebook if the Jets beat the Steelers:

"Mean Joe
Actually, I had the tix on eBay and the auction just ended...
I had them on for one day.
A Steeler fan bought two tix and a parking pass...
paid a lot too...
oh well...
Bob wrote the notebook line for one reason....
to suck up to you Steeler fans...
Some images to think about....
Sunday..4th quarter...close game...Jets up by 3....Bob in the press box wondering if he could actually eat a notebook...maybe put it in a blender with some chocolate milk and wheat germ...might make a cute segment on ESPN2
April 2008...Some Modell's in New Jersey...Brandon Jacobs making an appearance...a trembling Black N Gold waits on line for a handshake and an autograph...he nervously looks up at a gargantuan man in incredible shape...asks for an autograph for his "son" and says that even though he grew up a Steeler fan, he always had a lot of respect for Jacobs because of his tough "Rocky Bleier" attitude....shakes his hand and says "thank you very much mister Jacobs"
Go Jets"

Lance on Ricky Williams now saying he loves football:

"He's about as sincere as Britney Spears at an AA meeting!"

Some very, very insightful comments this week, folks. So many that we're adding a fourth to the list. Many thanks.

Glenn212 responds to our choice of Randy Moss as Comeback Player of the Year:

"Why is Randy Moss comeback player of the year?? Let's see.. for the last, say, 5 years he has been a total jerk, non hustling, cancer on teams he SIGNED lucrative contracts with and were forced to trade him because of it..There is no worthy player coming back from a severe injury that deserves "your award" Bob? Pac-man will be back soon, maybe he can replace Randy by years end."

Big Ben is Back! on moving the Steelers up in our Power Rankings:

"I opened this site with the hopes of complaining that the Steelers were too low once again. But you clearly have come to your senses. They are the 3rd best team in football and by the end of the year, the rankings will show it. Mike Tomlin for coach of the year! By the way, Joey Who?
The NFL should institute a European soccer tradition and relegate the 'Fins, Rams and Jets to the NFL World League (or whatever this year's name for that League is). Judy would be thrilled.
Charlie Weis and Eric Mangini are a combined 2-16 this year!! Who would have thought Romeo Crennel would be the best of the bunch to come out of NE?!

Eli (no, not that one) on our decision to purposely leave out a comment for the Jets in the Power Rankings and then explaining that we'd run out of synonyms for the word "awful:"

"Have you considered a thesaurus? You haven't used 'pathetic choking suckdogs' yet, right? If not, why not?"

Karl on Donovan McNabb saying he's not the only one at fault for the Eagles' problems:

"My favorite thing about McNabb is when he tells people to not compare him to Brett Favre. When they played earlier in the year, the question was asked about their similarities. McNabb made sure that everyone knew that Favre was nothing like McNabb because of Favre's interceptions. (He could have pointed out that Favre was going to or had already broken every passing record, started 16 years in a row whereas McNabb can't make it through 1 season, Favre 3 time MVP, Super Bowl Champion, etc.) So instead of complimenting Favre as the champion and leader that he is, McNabb said that interceptions are what distinguishes the two.

Fastforward to yesterday, McNabb was asked about the team's losing. Who does he compare himself to now? That's right, Brett Favre. Wow. T.O. made it easy to like McNabb, but McNabb himself makes it easy to root for anyone playing the Eagles."

A rather unique set of circumstances this week, thanks to the tremendous string of comments arising from the issue of whether Bill Belichick ran up the score on Joe Gibbs last Sunday:

First, NKR says: "Maybe Boston shouldn't have run up the score in Game 1 of the World Series? Come on. This is football. NFL football. Not a namby pamby politically correct pick-up game. Humiliate the suckers if you can. And humiliate them the next time, too."

And Black & Gold comes right back with: "NKR, this isn't college football, there's absolutely no BCS poll to impress. At this point of the season the Pats aren't worried about 'tiebreakers'. Running up the score that late in the game is NOT in the best interests of the Pats!
Imagine it's December, you're Joey Porter. The last time the two teams met the Pats took pleasure in embarrassing you, now it's 52-0 and Brady drops back to pass, his arm up, exposing his ribs... you have a clean shot... a split second to make a decision, hit him waist high and get the sack, or hit him helmet to ribs and get some satisfaction?
Your comment is appropriate when you're talking about players on the teams the Pats beat doing the complaining... there's no excuse for that. Just stop the Pats if you don't want them to run up the score.But if we're talking about Belicheats legacy, 'piling on' doesn't enhance it, it tarnishes it."

And, finally, from Lance commenting on our power rankings: "Can someone put my Broncos out of their misery? Three yards away and Cutler and Shanny fail to go for the jugular.
The reason there was one-on-one coverage for that last Farve bomb was because the safety was playing up to stop the friggin' run, against a team that has no running game, no less!
At least I have my Rockies. Oh wait, yeah..."

Thanks to one and all. Our blog numbers are looking super so far this month; as of Tuesday, we had already eclipsed our September totals. We realize you have plenty to choose from in this infinite blogosphere, so every time you stop by our little corner of the world is much appreciated. Really. - BG.

Pierre on our take of the Jets’ problems:

“Bob's wondering if Mangini and Co. pay attention to his or anybody's suggestions on how to fix the 2007 mess. I'm afraid they don't. The same bunker mentality seems to be reigning at Weeb Ewbank Hall as in the other much bigger disaster command center (hint, go South, home to many Redskins fans). There are indeed similarities e.g. dissent is punished, advice is unheeded and courageous soldiers, sorry, I mean players, suffer from mismanagement. Is it time to review our judgment on Manginius? How about Mini-Gini?”

Black N Gold on Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton talking smack about the Patriots’ defense:

“Who's the Cowboys receivers coach? Dale Carnegie?
I don't think there's a bulletin board big enough for all of the Cowboys receivers’ comments. Maybe Wade Phillips should stuff his mouth with some of T.O's popcorn!”

Charlie Chilkoot on Neil Best bearing a slight resemblance to Bob Hope:

“I just noticed if I squint and look at the photo of Hope, with that chin, it looks a little like Neil.”

Thanks again to all for posting your insightful - well, mostly - comments on this here blog. It's always a pleasure to read them, both the positive and the negative ... ok, enough for now. I've got to get to writing some Sunday stuff before Norm calls and starts whining about my copy being late.

Black N Gold on Donovan McNabb’s HBO comments on racism in the NFL:

“Enough already. It's getting old. The only time we hear about race anymore is from black athletes using it as an excuse for their actions and shortcomings.
Donovan needs to look at Charlie Frye who was traded, or Chad Pennington whose injury was cheered.
Then you have Isiah Thomas who intimates that it's different for a black man than a white man to call a woman a B***h.
ESPN hires a talk show host (Steven A Smith) whose primary shtick is to capitalize on the color of peoples skin.
Differentiating in any way based on the color of a man’s skin is racism, period.
Let's encourage all man, black, white, brown, red, whatever, to quit pointing out our differences and hold all men to the same standard.”

“Bill Belichick” on the greatest invention of all time:

“The video camera. (I just need to find someone is isn't so conspicuous when operating it.)”

Chris on the greatest invention:

“What’s sliced bread, chopped liver?”

Mike on the Bill Belichick cheating scandal:

"The punishment, compared to what happened with players and Wade Wilson, is laughingly light. But for Belichick to be publicly labeled a cheat in this way will turn out to be a stain he can never get rid of. When (if) he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, this will be his story. Pride really does goeth before a fall. Everything he has done and will do is tainted. This is going to make him nuttier than he already is."

Wallycls on Belichick: “Patriots Are Cheaters” - It is about time we called this incident what it really is, cheating, or alleged cheating if you must. Since this story broke, I’ve heard it referred to as espionage and spying along with “alleged violation of league policy.” We should not confuse this blatant violation of league rules by the coaching staff, and possibly the front office, of an NFL franchise with what thousands of our fellow citizens do, some at great personal risk, in defense of our nation. It belittles their efforts. Sure we can use semantics to justify the use of espionage and spying, but call it what it really is, cheating."

JETfan on our criticism of Jets fans for cheering Chad Pennington when he got hurt last Sunday:

"I hope you will accept our apology, Chad, for the idiots who cheered when you got hurt. You are a class act, and have done nothing but put the team first since you got here. I wish you a speedy recovery and 4 TD performance next game so that the boo birds will realize what a gem we have in you!"

Thanks to all for your comments. You're thoughtful, insightful, knowledgeable and ... oh, just keep them coming. The blog is definitely gaining some traction, so click us onto your "favorites" and check back regularly. - BG

Great week of comments, people. It is much appreciated, and it shows we're starting to get some traction as the season approaches. The page views are doing great, too. Looks like we're in for our second biggest month ever, trailing only draft month in April. - BG

Teresa on Michael Vick's apology Monday: "I take everything Michael Vick is saying with a huge grain of salt. I'm sure that he's listening to the same news reports we are, which say that his behavior and willingness to accept responsibility will influence the judge during sentencing. So of course it's all about damage control, and everything that he's saying now has to do with self-preservation. I mean who isn't sorry after being caught?
It's not like the dog fighting was a small lapse in judgement, a quick mistake he made and instantly regretted. This is an ongoing activity. I would have respected him a lot more if he'd just admitted that he didn't have a lot of liking or compassion for animals. But that what has happened is causing him to re-evaluate and he does have remorse for his behavior. Not some "I've found God" claim, as if this adversity, caused by his own actions, is somehow for the good."

John on Vick: "When a Bad Newz Kennell dog refused to fight it was hanged, drowned, or burned alive. The coward who ran the operation, in a pathetic attempt to save his career and fortune, despite having the best lawyers money could buy and unlimited financial resources to fight the charges just rolled over on his back. The coward will have a better fate than his victoms. But no one will ever believe a carefully rehersed word this fool says. Billy Martin and a battalion of PR specialists can't save him. He won't be forgiven. He's finished as an NFL football player. He should keep his mouth shut and just go away."

Rush on our power rankings: "Teams' front lines are key to their success. That's where it all starts and over the course of the season line play is what wins or loses games for you. And from what I know Jags and Ravens front lines are far superior to that of the Eagles or Jets. To be honest I think Jets could be in very serious trouble this season. They can't pass protect or run block on their left side. 'Dabrick' is not that good he is too light and their D is not putting any pressure on QBs. This is not a good combination."

Neil Best on his trip to ESPN while on a family vacation. "It's 1:16 a.m. Thursday. I'm going to be live on ESPN in a couple of hours. If anyone out there is awake and reading this, you might want to re-evaluate your life. But while you're up you should watch me."

Thanks to all for your insightful comments in recent weeks. Here are a few memorable ones from this week. We'll do a weekly posting of the top comments from here on in:

From "Craig" on the Tiki Barber-Eli Manning saga:

Tiki should be smart enough to see that he is misconstruing the "heart" comment, much as he claims Eli and the media missed his point re "comical." Eli said he was reading in the paper that his RB was retiring because his heart was not in it anymore. That is not claiming he had no heart on field. Yet Tiki and Ronde whined about it during their SIRI show. Enough, he started the mess, but he still has to have the last word. Is it any wonder the Giant fan base has disavowed him? He should steer clear of the Giants for a while. His hatred of Coughlin clouds every comment.

From "JHN" on the Pete Kendall saga:

I'm always amazed when the fan base turns on a player that puts his body on the line every Sunday and takes the side of management, particularly when management has acted dishonorably... i think it's clear that Kendall was 'duped' by the GM and was promised a raise this year in return for some cap help to sign the 2 high priced rookie linemen last year. All of a sudden he's a 'baby' for being pissed that he was screwed over after being a 'team player' last hear, mentoring mangold and furguson, and deferring a raise to help the team's cap issues? come on!!! Stop drinking the koolaid jet-fan and really be honest about who the bad guys in this situation really are.

From "Tom" on the Michael Strahan saga:

Coming from this unbiased Giants fan, the team is no better than 6-10 without Strahan. Goes without saying he can make the difference between the playoffs and a top-10 2008 draft pick. Hopefully, this is merely an old-school LT ploy to miss the 2-a-days; I think he'll have no problem playing a few series in next week's exhibition finale and being ready for Dallas.