More NFL today, which is a good thing. First up, Eagles/Giants. Last week I would have been rooting for the Eagles, and still am, nominally, but I am firmly on the Cardinals bandwagon.
Then, a replay of the Steelers/Chargers from 15 or so years ago. I think you know who I will be pulling for in that one.
Just Some Fuckhead
Looks like the Eagles are going to contest this game. I know that must be a relief to Eagles fans.
robertdsc
Perhaps Darren Sproles can teach Tunch some of his training regimen.
I would be cringing right now because of Big Ben’s condition. Dude has problems and I’d be worried sick about it. I was like that with my guy Steve Young back in the day.
Ugh
Stillers-Beagles Superbowl?
Adrienne
Aww come on JSF. I told you what it was going to look like last night!!!! They are our division rivals. It is ALWAYS a brawl. Eagles + Giants/Cowboys = Great Game.
We may not show up against shitkickers like the Bengals, but count on us to come to play against our division rivals.
R-Jud
A Pan-Pennsylvania Superbowl would cause absolute carnage in my family. So, you know, I really hope it happens.
Ella in NM
Completely OT:
John Cole: I am on a mission to save fat cats everywhere from dry food. Please, for Tunch’s sake, read my screed, inspired by the picture of Tyler, the giant tiger, under Jan 10: NFL Open Thread.
Thank you and have a good day.
Adrienne
It should be a PA native’s wet dream, or maybe I should just speak for myself!!!
I’m an Eagles fan through and through, but I went to boarding school in Central PA where the loyalties are divided. So the Stillers are my AFC team and every year I hope for a PA Bowl.
GuyFromOhio
Lots of third-and-longs by both teams in this first quarter – flags, too.
Adrienne
I’m convinced that Brandon Jacobs is part mouse. The way he squeezes his rather large body through such small holes in our DLine has me rather suspicious.
Kathy
What’s with these guys? Since when did illegal blocks to the back become trendy?
That said, Adrienne, a PA bowl would be the answer to many of prayers/dreams as well, but we have a long way to go.
Litlebritdifrnt
OT – someone asked yesterday what a "square turn" or "quarter turn" was when it comes to a marching band. Well luckily for me the nice people at Columbus County Schools have put up a video of DH’s band at yesterday’s inaugural parade including the turn. (Yes I know I’m bragging but there ya go)
http://www.columbus.k12.nc.us/
Adrienne
This is some crazy shit. Giants safety from an intentional grounding call? We now only have 5 yards of offense 4 minutes into the second quarter. You gotta be kidding me.
GuyFromOhio
@R-Jud
It’s only fun because your family is the only collection of people who will forgive you almost anything, while endlessly needling you about same, but its okay because it’s a package deal.
R-Jud
@Adrienne: I might actually get up to watch it here in England, as long as I can also have a webcam in my parents’ living room in the Poconos, as my Dad (from Philly) and my brother-in-law (from Pittsburgh) try not to make one another bleed too much on Mom’s new carpeting.
Alternatively, I could just stick my head out the window and listen for the screams.
assyrian64
Crazy is the norm when the Giants play the Eagles.
The Grand Panjandrum
I want to thank Donovan McNabb for playing like: Donovan McNabb. S-A-F-E-T-Y …
Adrienne
The refs are very trigger happy today. I usually like the black guy that’s officiating today, but they are really "extra" today – or is it just me?
assyrian64
They are trigger happy today. However on that last penalty Bradley looked like he was giving that Giants O-Line guy facial cosmetic surgery
GuyFromOhio
The refs are very trigger happy today.
The ref is also the face and the voice for all. Any of these guys can throw the yellow hankie, and they certainly do seem to be doing a lot of that.
Just Some Fuckhead
Looks the Giants are having some of that Titans magic.
Adrienne
Well, as an Eagles fan, I much prefer the Giants to have phantom points than actual points.
So, I’m cool with that.
Just Some Fuckhead
Rut ro. Interception.
Punchy
Eagles trying to give this away. From that safety to a pick, McNabb looks like he’s throwing the game. Pun intended.
jharp
Ex Browns fan now living in Indianapolis and a 10 year Colts fan.
Couple of points. The old Browns/Steelers matchups were fantastic.
And I like what the Steelers stand for. Tough team. Great old time classic NFL team from a great city. I miss traveling there even though it is impossible to find your way around. The people that live there can’t even do it.
Yet today I’m rooting for the Chargers. I think Rothlesberger is a horses ass. Tries to do too much and it ends up costing them. Though I’ll give that he is a really good quarterback.
Adrienne
That’s just our offense. That’s just how we play. Think of it as Obama’s ju-jitsu translated to football. At least that’s what I do to keep myself from ju-jitsuing my teevee.
Kathy
I prefer heavy drinking. Booze can be expensive but it costs less than teevees :)
Kathy
Jeeze we just got more offensive yardage in the last 45 seconds than we did the entire first half.
bh
"but I am firmly on the Cardinals bandwagon."
and if philly wins the NFC conference championship game will be in Arizona. I’m fairly certain I’m living in an alternative universe right now. I’m going to head outside at halftime just to make sure the sky is still blue.
Adrienne
If I drink heavily, my vision blurs and I get sleepy. then I won’t be watching anything! I just prefer heavy self delusion during games and heavy boozing afterwards.
The Moar You Know
@Litlebritdifrnt: My God, I haven’t heard that term in forever. A proud survivor of four years of marching band here.
It’s a lot harder than it looks, people.
Bolts are in it to win it. You’re goin’ down, sucka.
Adrienne
See Kathy? Ju-jitsu.
Thlayli
It would be nice if Eli would, y’know, throw a spiral.
Even so, the D looks good, Jacobs looks good … it’s still there.
namekarB
My gawd John,
I read your posts faithfully and each week just when I have you up on a pedestal, you come out with these American Gladiator posts about football.
American sports is nothing but the opiate of the masses. A pox on all of them.
Real men spend our Sundays like me, constructing my HO gage model railroad. Please stop wasting your life on meaningless sports.
Punchy
What’s up with Norv Turner’s face/neck? Why is the skin so f’ed up?
Just Some Fuckhead
@Punchy: I’ve always suspected Norv Turner and Janet Reno were the same person since they were in Washington together so it might be the makeup breaking his face out.
J. Michael Neal
Ugh. Gophers played their worst hockey of the season this weekend. Worse, it was in Grand Forks. God, I hate North Dakota.
Just Some Fuckhead
That was a close one with the Robbins interception. Thankfully his legs screamed no, no, we can’t do this and promptly collapsed.
Face
McNabb saw Delhomme’s performance last nite and said "I can do better than that". So yes, he’s now trying for six interceptions.
Adrienne
Chill out. He has 2. Two is bad but its not nearly an epic fail of Delhomme’s craptasticity. Considering that contrary to popular opinion, McNabb doesn’t throw that many interceptions AND he’s playing the Giants, in Giants stadium with crazy wind, I’m more than willing to cut him some slack as long as we win this thing.
EDIT: That 3 and 20 conversion definitely helps. Even if Kevin Curtis dropped a perfect pass that would have definitely been a TD.
Kathy
Thank God, only 3 points after the interception. There really are a shed load of penalties today. 3rd and 20 whoo hoo!
Wow, that was going to be snark and it turned out McNabb got the 1st down. Adrienne, I am now bowing to the Ju-jitsu Gods.
Kathy
Want to update that Face?
Adrienne
I usually don’t root for injuries, (ok, who am I kidding I’m an Eagles fan and we’re mean) but if Justin Tuck goes out, I just might have do a dance. Hopefully it’s not super serious, just serious enough to keep him out for a little while.
EDIT: DAMN. He’s back. Oh well.
Kathy
I would have agreed if Jason Avant didn’t just have some major problems getting up.
Beware of bad ju-ju, as opposed to ju-jitsu.
Just Some Fuckhead
I actually wish
oneeither team would break it open. We need to take down Christmas.Adrienne
Point taken.
The tale of the "bend but don’t break" defenses.
Adrienne
Damn, that was a beautiful pass by EM. I can’t deny that one. It was perfectly thrown in pretty good coverage.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Adrienne: Yeah, I said the same thing. It was just perfect, can’t defense against that.
DMG
I’m rooting for the Eagles, just for the novelty of an NFC Championship Game in Arizona. Plus I already have tickets if the game is here and those could be worth something.
Adrienne
@ JSF: Yeah, I couldn’t even be mad at our D for that. At least we are holding them to a FG…
Wait – FG is no good. 2nd missed Giants FG. That’s gotta be infuriating to the Giants. That’s six (phantom) points right there.
Adrienne
@ JSF: Yeah, I couldn’t even be mad at our D for that. At least we are holding them to a FG…
Wait – FG is no good. 2nd missed Giants FG. That’s gotta be infuriating to the Giants. That’s six (phantom) points right there.
Kathy
Yes, a lovely pass by EM, but it didn’t result in any points, what a defense. I think Christmas might need another week JSF.
Kathy
What’s with these officials, that looked like interference to me, not that I am biased or anything.
Besides, it looked like a facemask just before the interference call.
Ok, at least they caught the facemask on LJ Smith :).
J. Michael Neal
A TD by Philly here may end this.
Adrienne
@Kathy: It didn’t just "look like interference". It WAS interference.
We need this TD right here and a 2pt conversion to make it a 10 pt game. We have been lacking in the red zone this season though, so let’s all hail the Ju-Jitsu Gods on this one.
TD! Ju-Jitsu Gods in FULL EFFECT!! I could KISS Celek right now.
J. Michael Neal
So, will the Steelers be the only home team to win this weekend?
Adrienne
@J. Michael Neal: Let’s hope so cuz it’s looking like it.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES! Our defense is kicking ass today. No Giants TDs so far. We ought to keep that up.
J. Michael Neal
Last night, I dreamed that the Arizona Cardinals were hosting an NFC Championship game, and that Scarlet Johanssen needed me badly.
Kathy
Opps, somehow double clicked, my bad.
Kathy
Totally stomped them on 4th down! All hail the Ju-jitsu Gods!
J. Michael Neal
If I’m the Eagels, I go on 4th right here and try to bury the Giants. You can’t punt when you’re inside the other team’s 40 yard line.
Adrienne
And the QB Sneak gets NOWHERE!! Eagles get the ball on the 45. I’m loving it. I’m so in l-l-love with our D and old azz Jim Johnson right now.
Adrienne
@J. Michael Neal: Well 1 out of 2 ain’t so bad:-)
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead: See #33. The train stays up.
Adrienne
Our D is fucking sick today. 2 back to back defensive stands on 4th down. Bunkley is a beast. If the Cards are watching this game, they should be afraid, very afraid.
1st and Goal at the 1 yard line after McNabb airs it out to the Rookie? Check.
If I were calling the shots, we would have went for it. If we lose, they get it on the 1.
J. Michael Neal
I hate Tom Coughlin, so I hope he doesn’t figure this out, but you can’t mount a credible 4th quarter comeback if you won’t throw the football.
Kathy
Yes, stopped them on the 4th down again, I hope the offense can do more with it this time. If the Eagles can score now and perhaps J. Michael might get part of his fantasy.
Kathy
Oooh that pass from McNabb was just as pretty as the EM pass earlier.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: lolz. I actually thought about that when I read him. Then I thought about taking a picture from the corner of the train/village looking towards the big screen television mounted from the ceiling (it’s a billiards room after all) where the football game was on and suggesting real men could in fact do both.
But then I thought that was too much work and called for the minions to bring me another beer.
Just Some Fuckhead
Still, sucks a tiny bit seeing the Giants shoot themselves in the leg.
Adrienne
EASY Q. Mikell interception of a shitty pass by EM. That oughta do it. Our D is SICK SICK SICK.
E-A-G-L-E-S!!!
Just Some Fuckhead
lolz.. Donovan McNabb answered the Giants phone. That’s worth a small penalty.
Kathy
Interception! and Eli looks dejected. I feel the stirrings of hope, perhaps my dream of the Eagles in the Super Bowl as a 6th seed and Colin Firth telling me he needs me might come true.
gwangung
@Adrienne:
Given the first, you may as well go for the latter….
Adrienne
@Just Some Fuckhead: Yeah, they seem to be having problems with that.
The damn refs are SO extra today! They are calling all types of crazy shit. Gotta make sure the players don’t get too hype and don’t have to much fun. I mean, answering the phone was a little mean, but whatever!
Either way, we are going to play the Cards who we murdered during the regular season to start our improbable march to the playoffs. All hail the Ju-Jitsu Gods!!!
Kathy
Wow, another throw from Eli to an Eagle (who dropped it), is he doing his Jake Delhomme impersonation?
Just Some Fuckhead
The announcers said this is the first time the top three seeds failed to advance. Teehee, next they’ll be claiming a black man was elected President.
2liberal
Philly will lose in the desert.
Cards to the super bowl !!
Kathy
WoW! If I were Pittsburgh I would be afraid (don’t worry I am rooting for them), but the Ju-Jitsu Gods are not pleased with home teams this weekend.
Adrienne
@Just Some Fuckhead: Yeah, everything I thought I knew about the world (white people won’t vote for a black man, home field advantage means something, etc) has been completely upended in the last 6 months or so. Life is funny like that!
23-11. First time an NFL game ends with that score.
Adrienne
@2liberal: Crack is whack. Step away from the pipe, it only leads to misery.
Thlayli
#$%^&*#$%^&*#$%^&*
2liberal
@adrienne
That was a short week night game on the east coast after a tough game (played the giants tough) and they had all but clinched the division by then also.
don’t count on murdering the cardinals in their own nest….
Adrienne
@2liberal: Umm excuses are tools of incompetence that build monuments to nothing. We murdered the Cards. It was a short week for us too.
Also, your O-Line is nowhere near as good as the O-Line we just pushed around all game. Don’t get a big head by the game you played yesterday. The Panthers were an EPIC fail yesterday on BOTH sides of the ball. McNabb is not Delhomme and we are NOT the Panthers. Our D is top five in the league, and definitely top 3 in the NFC (only the Giants rival).
Adrienne
@2liberal: Umm excuses are tools of incompetence that build monuments to nothing. We murdered the Cards. It was a short week for us too coming off a demoralizing game against the Ravens where McNabb was benched.
Also, your O-Line is nowhere near as good as the O-Line we just pushed around all game. Don’t get a big head by the game you played yesterday. The Panthers were an EPIC fail yesterday on BOTH sides of the ball. McNabb is not Delhomme and we are NOT the Panthers. Our D is top five in the league, and definitely top 3 in the NFC (only the Giants rival).
Just Some Fuckhead
Hey, did Donovan McNabb ever murder anyone? Because we oughta do something about it if so, or if not so, at least hash it out while the bloom is still on the rose.
Adrienne
@Just Some Fuckhead: Nah, McNabb is a square. I’m from Philly and I almost never hear of him even going out at all. He just stays home with Mama McNabb eating Campbells soup. Somehow, I don’t think you catch many bodies that way:-)
Kathy
JSF, McNabb is a total class act off the field. He married his high school sweetheart and is a great dad. He does a good amount of charity work but that’s about all I hear of him outside of football.
Actually that was one of the many things that ticked me off about the Rush Dumbaugh comments. With all the thugs in the NFL he picks on the devoted family man. What a jerk-off.
Kathy
Jeeze, a SD touchdown. No one’s going to want the bye and homefield advantage anymore.
Just Some Fuckhead
There is a new football thread.
Adrienne
@Kathy: This weekend it’s looking like they should rename it the homefield curse.
Willie Parker and the run game is looking good though.
2liberal
@adrienne
we will see in about a week. i am content to allow the results of the playoff games speak for themselves. crack may be my weakness, but overconfidence is yours.
also we scored 29 points vs the giants.
Neue Internetpräsenz
Why has the phrase "Stan Humphries" not yet appeared in this thread? Natrone Means? Remember that song the Pointer Sisters did about him? "I’m so happy doing the Natrone dance"?
r€nato
Eagles may win (they are a very formidable opponent… but so was Carolina), but it will not be a blow-out. The T-day game means nothing.
As was pointed out – Cards were uninspired, playing on a short week’s rest on the East coast.
The January Cardinals are not the same team as the November (or even mid-December) Cardinals.
I sure hope that the Eagles are as smug as adrienne, though. There’s going to be plenty of crow to go around for adrienne, Philly fans, and all those professional sportswriters who still aren’t giving the Cards a chance.
r€nato
Rush Limpballs never misses a chance to prove what a ginormous waste of skin he is. Remember his atrocious slam against Chelsea Clinton, then 13 years old? Jesus christ, what kind of a soul-less douche do you have to be to call a 13 year old ugly?