LeBlanc wrote Arlen Specter a letter regarding Spygate.

Here’s a snippet and what he got back.

I am not sure if you will actually read this or not. This is the first time I have ever taken the time to send anything to a Senator. I realize that you are not from my home state of Tennessee but I felt compelled to write. With all of the important issues facing Americans today including housing, gasoline, the war, and not to mention the economy and upcoming election, why would tax payer money and government time be wasted with continuing an investigation into the NFL’s New England Patriots and the league itself? It is time to move on and focus on things that are truly important to the country. I am a huge sports fan myself and appreciate getting to the bottom of an important issue such as cheating but please it is time to focus on the issues.

I was quite proud of myself. There was nothing fancy in it. I wasn’t rude, just to the point. I waited with baited breath to read the form email that I expected to receive. I didn’t expect this:

I receive a large volume of E-mails, phone calls, faxes and letters every week from concerned citizens like yourself.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of mail, I can only respond if you’re a resident of Pennsylvania.

LeBlanc isn’t happy with Specter. Not in the least. 

Oh dear Titans. There are questions.

Vince Young: AAAAAAHHHHHHH F**k! I’m on fire! AH AAAAHH AAAAAAAHHH

Fisher: Hello Vince.

Reporter: Coach Fisher! Does Vince Young being in a state of combustion affect the strategy of this team going forward?

Fisher: We have integrated the fire into our larger off-season strategy, but whether we will acquire the means to extinguish it depends largely on cap room and the availability of fire safety equipment on the free agent market.

In fact, I have just been made aware that the Tennessee Titans have just acquired an undrafted wet nap to address the situation.

[Tosses wet nap on Young to no noticeable effect]

Reporter: Will that be enough? The smell of burning flesh is getting to be pronounced.

Fisher: The moisture from the wet nap will extinguish the fire.

Read the rest at Kissing Suzy Kolber.

H/T CeeElCee 

And ESPN people, if you’ve ever seen a Titans game, then you know that Nashville can provide all the drunk heckling fans you need. The only difference is that unlike Jets fans, we heckle other teams, not our own.

Goldnl writes a letter to David Freeman.

….is the bottom dropping out on any potential trade in which the Titans could get anything of value for Adam “Pac-Man” Jones.

It was really only a matter of time before another negative story with Pac-Man somehow involved hit the presses.   And with it, the value the Titans can get for the Pac-Man drops yet again.  At this point, we just need to cut our losses and turn the guy loose.  I am beginning to doubt he’ll ever play a down in the NFL ever again.

We should’ve traded him while the trading was good….

Steve McNair, hero of the 1999 Super Bowl for the Titans, and NFL MVP in 2003, will announce his retirement this afternoon.   The latter years of McNair’s career were not of the story-book variety, but all Titans fans remember a oft-injured warrior returning time and again and again to lead the Titans.

McNair to Wycheck…McNair to Mason…McNair running in for the touchdown….McNair willing the Titans to win games they had no business winning.

Godspeed to you, Mr. McNair.

The NFL released the schedule for the upcoming season for all 32 teams yesterday, including our own beloved Tennessee Titans. Here it is:

2008 schedule

All times Central
PRESEASON
Aug. 9 ST. LOUIS, 7 p.m., WKRN-2
Aug. 16 OAKLAND, 7 p.m., WZTV-17
Aug. 22 at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m., WKRN-2
Aug. 28 at Green Bay, 7 p.m., WKRN-2
REGULAR SEASON
Sept. 7 JACKSONVILLE, noon, WTVF-5
Sept. 14 at Cincinnati, noon, WTVF-5
Sept. 21 HOUSTON, noon, WTVF-5
Sept. 28 MINNESOTA, noon, WZTV-17
Oct. 5 at Baltimore, noon, WTVF-5
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 at Kansas City, noon, WTVF-5
Oct. 27 INDIANAPOLIS, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 2 GREEN BAY, noon, WZTV-17
Nov. 9 at Chicago, noon, WTVF-5
Nov. 16 at Jacksonville, noon,* WTVF-5
Nov. 23 N.Y. JETS, noon,* WTVF-5
Nov. 27 at Detroit, 11:30 a.m., WTVF-5
Dec. 7 CLEVELAND, noon,* WTVF-5
Dec. 14 at Houston, noon,* WTVF-5
Dec. 21 PITTSBURGH, noon,* WTVF-5
Dec. 28 at Indianapolis, noon,* WTVF-5

The good news is we’ll be featured on national TV twice, including the return of Monday Night Football to Music City.

The less than positive news–we’re only on the Monday or Sunday night game ONCE so far. (There is a chance with flex scheduling that we could be on the Sunday night games down the stretch). Just to make my point: Cleveland, who last time I looked choked and didn’t get in the playoffs last year gets THREE such games.

No, I don’t see any conspiracies here….not at all. (That last part was sarcasm)

Oh well. Go Titans!

Former Vanderbilt and current Denver Bronocs quarterback Jay Cutler is not happy with teammate Brandon Marshall.

According to an Associated Press story, Cutler is fed up with the drama surrounding Marshall, who cut his arm at a Florida resort last month when he fell into a television set, cutting an artery, a vein, a nerve, two tendons and three muscles in his right arm.

Apprently, Marshall has had some other off-the-field incidents that have kept him from being on the field and Cutler is frustrated. Cutler said that incidents like this can’t and shouldn’t happen.

Former Broncos QB John Elway said he was “surprised” to hear Culter’s remarks.

He went on to say, “If that’s what Jay feels like he needs to comment on, he needs to do that. Personally, I would’ve done it to him. Even though I tried to settle things in the press, looking back over the years, it hasn’t been the right way to do it.”

Looking at this, I can see two sides. I can see what Elway is saying about handling these frustrations internally and not airing them to the media and world. But then again, thinking about the situation the Titans faced with Adam Jones, I wonder how our local community might have reacted if a Titans player publically expressed the frustration you must know they all feel toward Jones.

Comments?

The Commodores and the Blue Raiders will renew their rivalry on the football field according to reports this morning on 104.5, The Zone. 

The contract for the series runs for four years and will start with Vanderbilt visiting Murfreesboro.  Each team will host two games in the series. 

Now before you surf over to TicketMaster to get your tickets, I should add that the series won’t start until 2015.  Which gives both sides plenty of time to trash-talk leading up to the first game. 

Truly, I’m speechless.

ht: Deadspin

The Tennessee Titans made a great move today by signing offensive lineman Jake Scott, nee of arch-rival Indianapolis Colts. Scott is a great replacement (actually an upgrade) for departed lineman Jacob Bell, who will be suffering with the St. Louis Rams next season.

Scott makes the third key player ‘taken’ from the Colts, joining former teammates David Thornton and Nick Harper, fellow Colt-bolters. Scott is a 26 year old, five year veteran, who provided excellent protection for P. Manning.

Jimmy over at Music City Miracles had this to say about the signing:

The Titans are sticking to the plan of adding value. I love this signing because it means they will have at least 1 veteran starting at guard. A line of Roos, Scott, Mawae, Amano and Stewart is pretty dang good. Now the Titans should be able to focus on locking up Stewart and Roos.

If you have seen the movie 8 Mile, you know that in Eminem’s last battle he disarms his opponent by making fun of himself so that guy has no material left. So Big Blue Shoe, yes the Titans added another Colt to their team, and yes that makes a bunch of guys that the Colts “didn’t want” on the Titans. You can call the Titans the “South Colts” or something like that.

On the other side of the fence, Tennessean commenter, TI2NZ laughs at many of us:

LOL …. some of you diehard homers would think signing a one legged midget with a glass eye would be a good move by fisher and reinfeldt …….. hahahahahaha

Bottom line…this is a great twofer - good pickup for the ‘O’-line, and a takeaway from the Colts. Boom goes the dynamite..

Ernest Byner, who is probably most infamous to Cleveland Browns fan for his fumble against Denver in the 1987 AFC Championship game, has joined the Titans’ coaching staff today.  He’ll take over as the running backs coach for the team.

Byner did go on to Super Bowl glory with the Washington Redskins in 1991.  He’s worked the past couple of years for the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Redskins.

Hopefully, Byner can make an impact on the running backs this coming season.  The Titans have been not so hot on third and short the past couple of seasons….

Pacman Jones lawyer and agent Manny Arora in an interview with an Atlanta radio station:

(I’m) contacting college teams to see if they would be interested in having Jones speak to athletes about the consequences of making bad decisions.

Are you freaking kidding me?

The big Titan’s news today is that Jevon Kearse aka ‘The Freak’ is back in town. The Titans ponied up somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million so that we can be Kearsed for two years ($1.3 million guaranteed signing bonus). Titans General Manager Reinfeldt on the signing:

… “Our expectation for him is to rush the passer in a limited number of snaps. He has always been a dynamic edge rusher and we want to put him in those situations.”

Kearse was a pro-bowling sack monster back in the early years with the Titans, but has slipped in later years. He played 14 games last year, after missing most of the previous season with injuries. Reaction to the signing of the 31 year old defensive end is mixed:

Jimmy over at ‘Music City Miracles‘ is giddy:

I know he is not the same player that we saw here to start his career, but this signing has me giddy. His upside is ridiculous, and there is no doubt he can at least replace the production of Antwan Odom.

Tman in Tennessee comments on the Music City Miracle blog:

Can you guys just imagine how crazy the coliseum will get when they annouce him back for the first time?
How about when he gets his first sack back in Titans blue? That place is gonna go banana’s. I just got goosebumps thinking about it.

TI2NZ, a commenter at the Tennessean.com had this reaction to the story:

injury prone …. washed out reject from philly …. wow. i hope one para-medic and 3 emt’s come with the deal. they need full time qualified people to cart kearse off the field …..

Michael David Smith over at The Fanhouse:

He’ll turn 32 before the 2008 season starts, and his best days are behind him, but as a situational pass rusher, he’s not a bad addition for a Titans team whose own players are beginning to complain about the lack of moves in free agency.

Personally, I think he’s a shell of his former self (hey, it’s a sports story so cliches MUST be used), but may be useful in certain 3rd down situations. The numbers tell the story:

1999 14.5 Sacks, 57 tackles
2000 11.5 Sacks, 52 tackles
2001 10 sacks, 36 tackles
2002 (injured most of season)
2003 9.5 sacks, 41 tackles
2004 7.5 sacks, 31 tackles
2005 7.5 sacks, 38 tackles
2006 (injured most of season)
2007 3.5 sacks, 12 tackles

I see a trend, but as a fan, I have to hope that the move ‘home’ rejuvenates Kearse’s career.

I’d be dancing in the streets right now, but having the flu has really sapped my energy.

Good news for fans of NBC’s critically acclaimed series Friday Night Lights.  The show has been renewed for a third season thanks to a deal with DirectTV.

I know that several MCB contributors and readers are fans of the show and I implore you if you’ve not seen the show to give it a try.  The first season is out on DVD and easily rentable from Netflix and other such places.  And the second season will be out in a few weeks on DVD.   You’ve got the rest of the spring and summer to catch up on the best show you’re not watching….

Seriously.  Turn off the crappy reality TV and give this one a chance.  I guarantee you’ll like it.

The NFL landscape will be very different next year.

Brett Favre, long-time QB of the Green Bay Packers, announced his retirement this afternoon.  Favre said he felt he could still play, but was “mentally tired.”

Favre’s retirement comes after a year in which he broke NFL records for pass yards and touchdown passes in a career. Favre led the Packers to two Super Bowls, winning one.  He was a three-time MVP of the league and is surely a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

Favre was a great player, a great guy and he’ll be sorely missed by Green Bay and football fans.

It’s free agent time in the NFL, when the Titans lose a bunch of people to other teams who seem to have the financial equivalent of the salad bowl at Olive Garden. And though the Titans have made a few great free agent signings over the years, they seem to have a mysterious need to sign wide receivers better known for their crutch-work than their clutch-work.

On to this year’s losses and signings:

Losses:

1) DT Randy Starks signs with the Dolphins for five years, $21 million (7 million guaranteed). Probably overpaid by $19 million and 5 years, but that’s just me.

2) DE Antwan Odom signs with Bengals for $29.5 million and five years, with $11 million guaranteed. Huge loss for the Titans.

3) DE Travis LaBoy signs with Cardinals for $22 million and five years. Another bit of pain for Titans’ fans. LaBoy will be moved to outside linebacker

4) Offensive guard Jacob Bell signs with Rams for $40 million and five years. This is a loss that Vince Young is going to personally feel.

5) Logan’s Roadhouse concession stand signs with Jacksonville for $5 million and a set of ‘really cool comfy chairs

6) Jeff Fisher’s mustache goes to Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin for a specially designed coffee cup and the rights to a mustache growth for Fisher as long as it doesn’t resemble the current one

7) One of the new video scoreboards have signed with the San Francisco 49ers for ‘just plain more attention from a hip audience, than frankly we’re receiving in Nashville’.

Seven key tail-gaters are considering a deal with Cincinnati

9) The walking bridge (formerly Shelby Street Bridge) has signed with Pittsburgh to assist with fans crossing all those rivers

10) Nine Titan’s cheerleaders signed with another establishment (name unknown at this time) that will ‘provide year-long nightly employment’ for the young women.

Sports Media comments on the losses:

In the blink of an eye, defensive end Antwan Odom, defensive tackle Randy Starks and defensive end Travis Laboy all signed new contracts with other teams. They were four-year men, and as unrestricted free agents they were free to bail. Guess the big question is, Why? (ed. note on Starks: uh, he couldn’t play)

Signings:

1) Hey, we got Crumpler! whoooohooooooo

Sports Media celebrates:

Crumpler could be a good addition. He’s been one of the best TEs in the league for years, and a personal favorite of mine. But he’s 30 years old, and his playing time was limited last season due to a knee problem. Let’s hope he’s healthy—and still young enough.

Whew…sounds great, right. Goooooooooo Titans*.

*It’s ok if you let Ben Troupe go. Really. Not joking. This is the serious part of the post.

It’s one of those time in the year where non-pro-football fans roll their eyes, already covered with glaze fit for a KK donut, when people start talking openly about salary caps and free agents, and what, pray tell, are the TITANS GONNA DO?

Seriously, it’s that period in the non-season when players who are eligible for free agency get to declare their potential freedom from the team under which they’ve been playing and perhaps been paid with less than proper recompense. The Titans have a truck-load of free agents, and apparently some money to play with regarding the salary cap (around 116 Million$ this year - and no, I”m not going to discuss the salary cap).

The Titans are going into their third straight season of needing help in the receiving corps (both tight and wide). Not many big names out there, but a few interesting ones…

Music City Miracles was watching yesterday when the gates opened up:

Today is an exciting day when your team has $40 million in cap space because it is the first day of NFL free agency. We already know the Titans are in the Alge Crumpler* sweepstakes. We don’t know who else they will target yet. I figure at some point they have to bring in one of the Donte Stallworth*, Bernard Berrian*, DJ Hackett* group for a look.

It is also going to be intersting to watch and see what happens with Antwan Odom, Travis LaBoy and Jacob Bell. I figure each of them will be fielding offers from other teams in the next few days.

The Titans have already lost Randy Stark to the Dolphins for a RIDICULOUS amount of money (no big deal from this corner), but also have the potential for losing the bookends of a strong d-line: LaBoy and Odom. A lot of teams apparently have a lot of moola to spread around, so don’t be shocked to see one or both disappear from Nashville.

The Titans did take care of Albert Haynesworth (they franchised him which means he can’t declare for free agency but he has to be paid at least the average of the five highest players at his position - translation, Albert’s family will be fed). And, the team did re-sign Justin Gage who proved to be just about the only reliable receiver last year.

*Crumpler, Stallworth, Berrian, and Hackett are proven receivers testing the free agency ‘waters’. Crumpler is a great tight end, while the others are wide receivers. Sadly, other teams besides the Titan’s scounting staff have noticed their capabilities…

Update: Stallworth signs with the Cleveland Browns, for $5,000,000/yr for seven years ($10,000,000 guaranteed).  That’s the kind of money being tossed around right now.  Granted, an NFL contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on beyond the guarantee, but that’s a pretty sweet sure thing for Stallworth.   Titans haven’t shown much proclivity in the past to throwing that kind of money around.  This year, they have a lot of cap space…

Most of you are missing one of the best shows currently on TV. Jimmy, over at ‘Music City Miracles‘ is not one of the ‘missing’:

This is a call to arms. If you haven’t watched {’Friday Night Lights‘} please do so ….. It is one of the top 5 shows on TV right now, and it is in jeopardy of getting cut because no one is watching it. I know that it is partially NBC’s fault for putting it on the wasteland of TV that is Friday night, but that is no excuse for people not to watch it.

Here are 3 reasons why you should watch it:

1. It is about football. That should be enough.
2. It shows the love affair that a small Texas town has with it’s high school football team. Is it exaggerated? Sure, but I bet it is closer than you might think.
3. The marriage between Coach Taylor, Kyle Chandler, and his wife, Connie Britton, is one we can all learn from. Their interaction is classic.

We’re rarely home on Friday nights because of our wild party life (translation: we go to the movies pretty much every Friday night of the year), but we DVR the heck out of Friday Night Lights. Even if you can’t stand football or rather ignore the sport, YOU can enjoy this show. There is football, but it’s a lot more about high school, relationships and yeah, that cliche’ from high school: the human condition.

Last night on the show, the mother of THE star player was talking about her faith to her son who had lost a scholarship to the school of his dreams. Regardless of what you believe or don’t believe, TV writers are usually tone death when writing spiritual dialogue (at least since ‘Joan of Arcadia’ left the air). Normally the tone is mocking or obtuse..last night’s was brilliant.

I’d have to say now that ‘Lost’ is introducing more and more characters [when are we going to see tourists on the island participating in ‘Lost’ tours?] and losing some of the early brilliance of the ensemble, ‘Friday Night Lights’ has the best collective of actors going..and it will be going going gone, if more people don’t watch.

Here’s what the country and Tennessee are saying about yesterday’s Super Bowl:

The New York Times
In unblinking fashion — Giants 17, Patriots 14 — the scoreboard declared that the Giants completed one of the most improbable championship runs and managed one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets. But it is never so black and white. And as much as that unpredictable final score will be remembered, so, too, will the way the Giants managed to beat the 18-0 Patriots. There was the career-defining 83-yard drive led by quarterback Eli Manning, the game’s most valuable player, highlighted by his rolling escape from pressure and a 32-yard strike to David Tyree, and by his 13-yard touchdown pass to Burress.

The Boston Globe
The Patriots lost the Super Bowl. It is an alternate universe. It does not compute. It’s like hearing Tony Bennett singing, “I Left My Heart in Ashtabula,” or seeing a photo of Mitt Romney with his hair messed up. Shocking. This was supposed to be the coronation for Bill Belichick’s History Boys. They were the only 18-0 team in league history and they were poised to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only NFL teams to finish undefeated.

ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski
The Patriots’ season is history, but not historic. They didn’t choke, but they definitely suffered from a lack of oxygen. Pinching the air tube shut was a New York Giants team with just enough nerve, just enough composure to leave this Jiffy Pop-looking stadium with a 17-14 win and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Anybody who tells you this was the greatest Super Bowl upset of all time has it wrong. But it was the greatest missed opportunity in NFL history.

Fanhouse
If you wander over to Amazon.com, you can still pre-order your copy of 19-0: The Historic Championship Season of the Unbeatable Patriots for only $10.17. Don’t worry, I’m sure the refunds will be coming soon. But the book, which ranked #596 in sales, can probably be credited with helping inspire the Patriots to make it obsolete. The Patriots famously fired themselves up to beat the Eagles in Super Bowl by listening to Bill Belichick reading off the plans for the Eagles post-Super Bowl parade route.

Ben Pyle
So hats off to [the Giants]. They really did win that game. You can say what you like as a Patriots fan, we didn’t play well, we didn’t do this or that. Well I think you didn’t play well because the Giants outplayed you. I’ve been tired of the smugness all season long and its nice to see someone finally knock the “machine” off course.

Ginger Snaps
Gotta say, though…tonight’s game was great! The much-hyped commercials were somewhat of a letdown for me. I’d say my favorites were Tide, Coca-Cola, SoBe Life Water, and e-trade. Tom Petty did alright, but when I think of talent for Super Bowl Halftime Shows, he certainly wouldn’t have been my first choice. Surely they could get somebody with a little more pizazz. Oh well…

Left of the Dial
Ugh I’m glad I fell asleep early in the fourth quarter and missed it. Reading about it on the internet at 3:30 in the morning somehow didn’t sting as much. (Game recap here.) But seven hours of Ryan Seacrest and American Idol shoved up our butts not to mention EVERYTHING MANNING all day was enough to make one toss their Cheetos.

LeBlanc
First of all I would like to congratulate the New York Giants and their true fans for a great game tonight and a wonderful season. Words cannot express how, as a life long fan of the New England Patriots, I feel at this moment. Numbness, shock, anger, disgust, sadness. There, those were a few good ones. I haven’t spoken much about the Patriots this season because I believe in karma as an evil mistress, well the season is over and karma can suck it.

More as I find them. If you’ve got one that I’ve not included, drop me a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

From what I understand, today is projected to be one of the least-productive workdays of the entire year.  The subject on everyone’s lips today? Not Super Tuesday, but the Super Bowl ads. What? Not the ads? Well, some of us are talking about the ads. Nashville Blotter posted video of their favorite ads. What are some of yours? And don’t just tell me; go to Spot Bowl and vote.

Sadly, Belmont student Landon Austin didn’t win the Doritos ad contest. And I say “sadly” not just because I feel bad for him, but because the winner’s ad featured a song that I thought was excruciatingly bad. And I know I’m not alone. However, I think I may be one of only a handful of people in the country who did like CareerBuilder’s “Follow Your Heart” ad. Sure, it was a little gross at first, but the message was really great. And I loved the Ephraim Salaam/Chester Pitts SuperAd (along with every other current and former oboe player). Of course, I also loved the Clydesdale ad, Tide’s Talking Stain (really, who expected Tide to come away with a win? Fewer people than thought the Giants would), the Coke “Float” ad (technically “Balloon” but it’s funnier to say the Coke Float ad), the Coke ad with Bill Frist and James Carville (I hate I liked an ad for Coke that included Frist more than I liked an ad for Pepsi with JT), and, “naturally,” the “Avoiding Squirrels” ad by local company, Bridgestone/Firestone.

As Plaxico Burris predicted, the Giants won the Super Bowl tonight, derailing the hype machine that was the New England Patriots.

Interestingly, Burris book-ended the game for the Giants with the first and last catch for the Giants in the game and none bigger than the last one for the go-ahead touchdown.

This could be the biggest upset in NFL history.  I need to sleep on it to be sure.

All I know is it was wonderful to see the Patriots stumble on the biggest stage.  I love that all the pundits were proved wrong.   I love that the underdog pulled off the upset win.

And while the first three quarters weren’t much to talk about, the fourth quarter was one of the most entertaining in Super Bowl history.

Congratulations to the New York Giants for the big win.   And to the Super Bowl trophy staying at the Manning household.

Just heard a report on ESPN Radio that suspended Titans’ cornerback Adam “Pac-Man” Jones has missed several required counseling sessions and is still frequenting strip clubs.

The report went on to say that the Titans will trade Jones when he’s re-instated.

Thank heavens the Titans have seen that this guy, who has all the potential in the world, shows no interest in making the necessary changes to be a productive part of the team and I’m glad to hear he’ll be sent out of Music City.   Good move to a team that doesn’t need this distraction coming back in and fragmenting the locker room.

The Super Bowl is almost upon us. This afternoon, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants meet on the grid-iron in Arizona to determine this year’s NFL Champion.

Of course, as most of you know, the Patriots are going for an undefeated team and many are saying if they win, they’ll be the greatest team of all time. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Terence Moore argues the Pats aren’t nor should they be considered the greatest.

So where to start? I mean, you have nose guard Vince Wilfork’s $37,500 worth of fines this season to lead a group of cheap-shot artists on what supposedly is a disciplined team. You have the disingenuous claims of guys who say they are above responding to this and that before they tell on themselves. (For instance: They’ve whined all week about the Giants arriving for Super Bowl Week in black. “Yes, you are supposed to wear black to a funeral,” said the Patriots Randy Moss. “We’ll see who has black on after the game.”) You have those lies about Tom Brady’s supposedly bum shoulder, but despite the Patriots listing it for more than three years on the NFL’s injury list, Brady has started 126 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in NFL history.

As if that weren’t enough, accusations have surfaced that the Patriots cheated to win their first Super Bowl. Considering they were found guilty of cheating this year, I don’t find that allegation that hard to believe.

So, you can root for a bunch of liars, cheaters and dirty players or you can root for a team from New York. At least the team from New York has a classy guy at QB in Eli Manning. I know who has my loyalty this afternoon…

Is it wrong that the only part of Sunday’s big game I’m really looking forward to is the special episode of House that airs AFTER the game?

The problem is having two weeks between the AFC and NFC championship games and the Super Bowl.   There are only so many stories and ways to cover the game you can come up with before kick-off.  And I swear, if I hear one more time about the Patriots’ pursuit of perfection, I may scream.    Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know this team is undefeated and going for the perfect season?!?

I fully expect that by Thursday, we’ll hear about the guy who plants the grass at the stadium and which blend of grass he uses.   Because, by then, that’s ALL there will be left ot discuss that hasn’t already been discussed.

Don’t get me wrong–I love football and I’m mourning that after Sunday, it will be a long time before we get a meaningful game again.  And maybe it’s just that I don’t really have a team in the race and I can’t find a reason to get behind either team.  But I’m just ready for the game to start just so we can stop hearing about the same tired stories we’ve since  last Tuesday.

Well, at least the commercials will be good…and hopefully that House episode will start sometime before midnight.

Tgirsch from the Lean Left side of the world has some non-political proposals that should appeal to men, women, Christians, Wiccans (do Wiccans watch football?), Democrats, Republicans, and Paul-ites, beasts and children - that is if they care about NFL football.

If Tgirsch were the Emperor of the NFL he’d cut out that pesky, stupid, over-hyped extra week between the Championship games and the Super Bowl. Instant replay wouldn’t take so long. Cut back the pre-season games. Call offensive pass interference more often…He’s got more ideas at his place.

Personally, I’d eliminate the ‘fair catch’ and limit the number of times that LenDale White can run off-tackle per games. If I can see it coming from MY sofa, then I’m guessing most defensive coordinators and coaches probably pick up on it as well.