Life and Stuff

With the blessed holiday of Thanksgiving just two days away, I thought it would be a good time to count my blessings and compile a list of ten things I am thankful for in regards to both the NFL and this column. So without any further ado, this is it.

1. I'm thankful for the people who invented a sport that combines violence and huddles that emulate office meetings.
2. I'm thankful that when everyone laughed at me for taking him in my fantasy draft, Adrian Peterson came through for me, thanks man.
3. I'm thankful that I live in the region with unquestionably the best franchise in the NFL today and the most passionate fanbase in all of America.
4. I'm thankful for football on Thanksgiving Day, with the possible exception of the Super Bowl, no other day allows you to stuff your face and watch football at the same time.
5. I'm thankful for Vinny Testaverde, the ageless wonder whose continuous inept play will allow me to rag him for many weeks to come.
6. I'm thankful for the media's hatred of the Patriots, it only motivates them to do better next week.
7. I'm thankful for Bob Kraft, whose checkbook prevented the Pats from moving to St. Louis, and who transformed the team into one of the model franchises in pro sports.
8. I'm thankful for the stupidity of Roger Goodell, who in attempting to punish the Pats for spygate, took away the lower of the Pats first round draft picks. He apparently forgot that the Patriots have the rights to the 49's first round pick, and with the way things are going, the Pats could have the second overall pick in next year's draft.
   
9. I'm thankful for the jealously of the 1972 Dolphins, who are scared because their sacred greatest team of all time moniker could be surpassed. That's why they continue to look for reasons to discredit the Patriots achievement.
   
10. Most of all, I'm thankful for all my family and friends who read this column on a weekly basis and tell me how they enjoy it. Your continued support means a lot to me. Now then, on to the commentary.

• Who was the genius at NBC who thought the Bills Patriots game would be a marquee and hard-fought game? I'm sure the majority of people turned the game off at halftime. That is why the guy who made that decision is this week's moron of the week.

• Hey John Madden, I think Tom Brady an all-time great too, but to say he's the best you've ever seen is an overstatement at this point in time.

• Shame on the Buffalo fans for booing the Patriots for not electing to kick a field goal on 4th and 1 when they were up by over 20. If a defense can't stop them, why bother with settling for 3. This is the NFL, a league in which most defensive players are paid good money to stop an offense on any down regardless of the score. I'm sick of this running up the score nonsense, everybody's just jealous and frustrated cause no one can stop this offense.

• Chargers Linebacker Shawn Merriman, told the media after the team's loss to Jacksonville, "You got to hate to lose period." "Whatever we not doing right we got to fix it." This has been another obvious statement of fact sent with wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving from the people who brought you duh.

• The Cardinals defense "Rolled" to a victory on the back of Antwain Rolle and at 5-5, are in good shape in the NFC playoff picture.

• It's a shame that the Vikings can't do anything else right, because they have the best running back tandem in the NFL in Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson.

• The Raiders have now lost 6 in a row, so much for the "Just win baby" philosophy of Al Davis.

• The game of the week was no doubt the old Browns and the New Browns, better known as the Ravens and the Browns. Cleveland was up 13 in the fourth only to see the Ravens come back and take a three point lead. Then, Browns kicker Phil Dawson kicked a field goal that went through the crossbar and off the support rail of the goal post. It was almost as if Dawson was doing his imitation of a pinball wizard. After initially ruling the kick no good, the officials reversed the call and the Browns went on to win in overtime. That my friends is the very definition of excitement within a football game.

• If I were the Eagles, I'd be thankful I played the Dolphins last week and dreading a matchup with the Pats on Sunday night.

• Falcons coach Bobby Petrino needs to learn to stick with a good thing. Joey Harrington won for them in the last 2 weeks. but yet he was benched in favor of Byron Leftwhich who was absolutely manhandled by the Tampa Bay defense. Tiki Barber said that Leftwhich needs to work on his release, it is clearly two slow and a defender is already in his face when he is ready to throw the ball.
  

• You know how at the end of the college football season they have that game called the Senior Bowl which showcases the best college seniors for the last time? They should have used that moniker for the Packers and Panthers on Sunday. Favre and Testaverde combined for the oldest combined age of starting QB's in NFL history.

• The Colts are doing what the Patriots used to do, scores enough points to keep it close and rely on the foot of Adam Vintieri to win you the game. Thankfully, it worked on Sunday.

• Proving that you can't keep a tough man down for long. Jaguars RB Maurice-Jones-Drew was leveled by Charger LB Carlos Polk as he was returning a punt. A couple plays later, Jones-Drew creamed the aforementioned Mr. Merriman on his way to the goaline.

• A healthy Stephen Jackson alone has already paid dividends for the Rams by resulting in two straight wins.

• The Steelers are like the Ravens, great defense, bad offense, and a special teams unit that was evidently too busy thinking about their impending night on the town in always trendy NYC to stop Leon Washington from helping to lead the hapless Jets to victory.

• Jets coach Eric Mangini said that because his team won only their second game all year, the apple pie will taste better on Thursday. That might be so, but the humble pie that Belichick will make him eat on December 23rd, for ratting him out will taste even better.

• Love him for his great hands or hate him for his showboating style, no one can deny that Terrell Owens is a superstar in the NFL. Without him, the Cowboys would be in a fight with the Giants for the division crown.

• Until next week, happy Thanksgiving, and be sure and save the drumstick for me!