NFL's Best Rivalry

ESPN.com today had a poll of what is a better rivalry, the Jets-Patriots or the Steelers-Ravens.  I voted for the Steelers-Ravens and it produced the results of 51-49.  Really?  Has anyone paid attention to football and what good ole fashioned hate is in the NFL. 

The Steelers-Ravens is by far a long shot the best rivalry in the NFL, it’s the closest thing we have to what the Bears-Packers used to be.  With free agency, and coaches being fired rivalries now only exist amongst the fans really.  Especially when you see players go from like the Bears to the Packers, or Bears to Vikings or Eagles to Redskins.  It has really hurt those hatred rivalries.  Would Howie Long want to sign with Denver, Kansas City or San Diego.  Probably not.  Would Butkus or Singletary go to the Packers.  HELL NO. 

But the hatred that has come from the Steelers-Ravens and the smash mouth football, the hard hits, and just hate…it’s the best.  They play 2, maybe if we are lucky 3 times a year.  The AFC North has been won by either of the 2 teams 7 of the past 9 years.  The games they play are important. 

The Patriots and Jets has had buds in the past with the Parcells/Belichek tie in, Curtis Martin, and now Rex Ryan.  But how big have the games actually been?  The Patriots have won the division 8 of the last 10 years.  The Jets, once.  The games are blown up by the east coast media.  But it’s not the best.  I would say that the Patriots-Colts is a better rivalry than the Pats-Jets.  They have played more high profile games and are more marquee. 

So sorry Jets and Pats fans, enjoy the game this weekend.  But you aren’t the marquee game.  The other AFC game this weekend is. 

Final 2010 GFR College Football Rankings

Well this maybe a great reason for a playoff.  After the bowl games, we have 2 unbeaten teams left.

Congrats to the 2010 GFR National Champions.

FINAL TOP 20

1. TCU

2. Auburn

3. Boise State

4. Oregon

5. Stanford

6. Ohio State

7. Oklahoma

8. Oklahoma State

9. Nevada

10. LSU

11. Wisconsin

12. Alabama

13. Arkansas

14. Michigan State

15. Missouri

16. Virginia Tech

17. Northern Illinois

18. Utah

19. Florida State

20. Tulsa

COMPLETE POLL

Best and Worst of the Weekend

Brayden at Monster Jam

Best - Friday night after going out to eat with the family, Brady and I headed up to Wells Fargo Arena for MONSTER JAM and Monster Trucks!  I wish I could have video taped it and his eyes when he first saw the track and the Monster Trucks come out.  He loved it.  After the late night he crashed pretty good too!

Another was Saturday when mom and dad came down.  Dad and I ran another big load of crap to the dump and mom touched up paint.  Saturday Night after doing some more cleaning/sorting and stuff the house is almost back to normal.  Just need to finish up Ryleigh's room and will be ready for her arrival in 6 weeks.

Worst -Well Brady did throw a little fit again at the mall, but not as bad as last week at Jordan Creek.  Other than the the worst is that the weekend is so short.  I feel there is so much to do but not enough time.  Why does Monday - Friday and the work week have to get in the way?

Who's in your 5 - NFL Post Season Moments

So it's time for the NFL post season in a day.  My pick this year is Steelers over Bears.  Hopefully the next 5 weekends will produce some great memories like these next 5 have.

Honorable Mention - All the close Super Bowls we've had.  The closer the games, the better the games.  Keeps us as fans into it more and makes the memories last.  Sure if your a fan of a team that wins in a blow out, you'll keep that in your memory bank toward the top, but I'm sure you won't disagree with the following either.

#5 - The Fog Bowl - Bears vs Eagles - 1988 NFC Divisional Playoff Game
I remember this one like it was yesterday.  You could hardly see anything on TV and the announcers had trouble calling it, but some how, some way the players saw what was going on and the Bears won 20-12 to move on the NFC Championship game vs the 49ers.



#4- Don't kick it to Devin Hester!
How many times have you heard it.  Don't kick it to #23.  Tony Dungy did it once in Super Bowl 41 and well the rest is history.  Too bad the Bears couldn't pull this one out.  Bad Rex showed up and threw a pick, but Bears fans will always remember how this one started.


#3-The Greatest Comeback in NFL History
I remember this one more so for what I didn't see.  The Oilers were up big on the defending AFC Champion Bills and we went out to a family dinner.  I was cheering for the Oilers since I used them in Tecmo Bowl and just threw passes all the time with Warren Moon and the WRs they had.  When we got home after the meal, the Bills had won.  HOW?  They pulled off the greatest come back in NFL History.


#2-The Music City Miracle
One of the most shocking, amazing plays in NFL history.  In #3 the Oilers were stung by the Bills.  Here, the Titans (formerly the Oilers) got a little revenge on Buffalo.  Was it a lateral pass...ehh maybe, but it was an amazing play.  And we don't have the great Rams-Titans Super Bowl with out this play.


#1-SUPER BOWL XX!
Like I said to open, you remember the great plays and great games but if your favorite team has a blow out win in the Super Bowl, that's your memory!  And that's mine!  Quite simply the best team ever for a single season.  15-1, 3-0 in the playoffs, only 10 points allowed in the post season.  The Super Bowl Shuffle.  Ditka.  How much better could it have got?  If only Sweetness could have scored a TD!






These are my moments, who's in your 5?

Playoff GridIron Challenge

Group: Wide Right
http://games.espn.go.com/gridironpc/en/group?groupID=17672

Password: beer

Fantasy Football is over, come and play the Playoff Challenge!

2010 NFL Playoff Predictions

From my 2010 NFL Predictions, I got 7 of the 12 playoff teams correct, maybe not in the right order but got them at least in the post season.  My Super Bowl Pick then was Colts over Packers.  Not going to go with that this time, though it is the NFL and anything could happen.  But right now I'll go with this.

In the NFC I think the last game that Vick played vs the Vikings showed the league something and the Packers move on.  New Orleans wins in Seattle.  Sets up the Packers going to Atlanta.  As much as I like the Falcons, I think the Packers will be rolling and the week off will hurt the #1 seed.  Packers win.  The Bears then get the Saints back in Soldier again, and with the help of the the elements knock out the defending champion setting up an NFC North NFC Championship game.  Teams split in the regular season, home teams won, and home team wins again.  Bears go to Dallas!

In the AFC, I think the Jets and Ravens will both roll through the first round setting up a great second weekend of rivalry games.  In Foxboro Rex's fettish runs out and the Fighting Brady's put a big spot on the Jets again.  Then in another hard hitting contest the Steelers avoid another Broken nose and move on to the title game.  I think only 1 team can go in to Foxboro and win and that is the Steelers, and I think they control the clock and hit the Pats hard enough to win the AFC.

Super Bowl comes down to Pittsburgh and Chicago and the Steelers win title #7 after Cutler tosses two interceptions, one to Troy Palomalu who returns it to the house, 20-14.

Of course this will probably all be wrong after the first weekend....but that's what makes sports fun!

	Green Bay
	Philadelphia	Green Bay
		Atlanta	Green Bay
				Chicago
		Chicago	Chicago
	New Orleans	New Orleans
	Seattle
					Pittsburgh
	NY Jets
	Indianapolis	NY Jets
		New England	New England
				Pittsburgh
		Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
	Balitmore	Baltimore
	Kansas City

Best and Worst of the Weekend

Mom, Dad and the grand kids (-minus Missi's 4)

Best - By far this was going home and spending time with my mom and dad and brother and his family on the 1st for my side of the family's Christmas.  My parents moved out of the houses I grew up in 3 summers ago but still its home.  I got to hang out with dad and Mike and watch a little football with them and talk the Hawks, Big Ten and other stuff.  Then for the last time this holiday season I got to see my kids reactions to opening gifts.  Priceless.  Maybe better was seeing my dad's reactions to watching the joy on my kids face.  I do wish that Missi & Jason and their boys could have been there.

Worst - Well Sunday if you were in Jordan Creek, you heard.  We were heading home and my son threw the biggest tantrum he's thrown in a long time.