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Everybody makes them, no one remembers, and if you are wrong they slide into that dustbin that most know-it-all pundits' opinions end up inhabiting; if you're right you get to gloat for years, never mind how often before you were butt naked wrong. With that as my preface, here we go with predictions for the Divisional playoffs:
AFC:
I do not think that the Steelers are that good. But they are good enough to beat a Jets team that will come up short in yet another big game. Personally, I thought Chad Pennington was fully justified in going after those clowns in the New York media (I think it is time for this generation's Jim-Everett-humiliating-Jim-Rome-moment in player-media relations, truth be told; I'd nominate anyone dumping Stephen A. Smith on his keister, personally, but I welcome your choices). Nonetheless, the Jets' affable and well-spoken quarterback sure did himself no favors with his play to close out the regular season. There is something wrong with his shoulder, and it is worse than we think. The Steelers are just a bit too good.
Steelers 21 Jets 17
You've all read my comments on the Colts. This is a huge tautology, I know, but here goes: Until the Colts beat the Patriots, they cannot beat the Patriots. Video game numbers do not Super Bowl winners make. Ask Dan Marino. Sure, I have an emotional stake in this one. But I still say Belichick and Brady and Vinatieri and Tedy Bruschi, the single most underrated player in football, and the rest of the boys in red, white, and blue (which, to steal from Gregg Easterbrook, is simply the most successful color scheme in the history of the world) will have enough to handle the Colts in another tough win at the Razor in Foxboro.
Patriots 34 Colts 27
NFC:
Do you trust Mike Martz in a big game? Me neither. The Falcons are dreadfully inconsistent, but I think the nation is going to realize that they are a lot more than Michael Vick's showcase, though they are that as well. This one might be a lot of fun to watch.
Falcons 37 Rams 31
Here is my upset special. The Eagles dominated a crappy conference and then rolled up the carpet with a month to go. I can understand being gunshy after losing someone like TO. But I think of the approach the Pats took, playing their starters deep into the second half in a basically meaningless game to close the season in order to send a message, is still the best one. Guys get hurt. Playing to avoid guys going downjust does not work. Meanwhile, the Vikings seem to have rallied against their lightning rod for condemnation, Randy Moss. Two weeks ago, when he walked off the field with two seconds to go, the outcry was warranted (to a degree). But I think most of the guys on the Vikings are rallying around their temperamental superstar after the latest contretemps. (By the way, did Jason Whitlock steal from Rebunk this week on his ESPN Page 2 column? You've read my piece; now read his; you decide. I'm just sayin' is all.) I think Moss explodes and the Vikings offensive machine takes on a hint of their September greatness for another week. Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb and the rest of the boys in Philly spend another offseason scratching their heads.
Vikings 26 Eagles 24
Yes, I know, I've predicted four generally close games. Yes, I know there is almost always a blowout in one of the games of the divisional playoffs. Still, I don't think I know which that one will be, and so I'm sticking with what I've given you.
I'm ready to bet that there is mockery to come from the Rebunk community. I am prepared. Give it your best shot, Monday Morning pundits.
That's pretty cool.
Like any good Boston sorts fan, beneath the bravado I certainly fear the Eagles, but for now I fear the Steelers. I thought Freddie Mitchell was brilliant after the game. they are fine without TO. But I bet Michael Vick gives you nightmares, especially with that DVD running attack. Egads.
dc
David Lion Salmanson -
1/19/2005
I dread the thought of an Iggles, Pats Super Bowl. I taught a certain male-model (to use TMQs phrase) Patriot at UofM. Didn't even know he was on the team til he went to go get his ring. Rumor has it that Brian Griese was accepted to Yale Forestry and planned to do Environmental History before getting drafted.
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/19/2005
Chris --
Problem is, I too have traveled and lived internationally, and my experiences have been the opposite -- folks outside of the US do not get American football (soccer has no more of a claim to being "real" football than rugby historically) at all and they certainly do not have much better grasp of baseball, which is as international as cricket and less burdened with the imperialist past. Soccer actually does quite well in the US. There are those who bash it, for sure, but no one can deny its popularity as a sport for kids to play. Basically what you seem to be saying is that Americans are ignorant because they do not embrace soccer, cricket and rugby in the way parts of the rest of the world do. That Americans chose to embrace sports other than three imported or imposed from Imperial Britian seems a thin reed upon which to hang an argument given that Americans have in fact embraced one of them to a degree (soccer) that as much of the world plays baseball as soccer (including a good number of those Latin American countries you mention) and that in almost every part of the world where rugby is played the sport has its detractors.
That America has developed its own sporting cultures while simultaneously being able to compete in a number of sports such as soccer at a high global level (or have you not noticed the last FIFA rankings? Or are you a sexist who has not noticed the popularity and success of women's socccer in the US?) speaks well to our sporting culture. it reminds me a bit of Australia, which has one of the greatest rugby programs on earth even as Aussie rules football is more popular, or even ireland, which has great traditions in track, rugby and soccer and still has the Gaelic games of Hurling and Gaelic football.
I'm not certain I'd condemn a country and its fans, or say that they are ignorant about other sports when they in fact are a top ten men's team and number one women's team in the most popular sport in the world and when they love a whole range of sports from what the rest of the world calls "Athletics" to X-games, Yachting, and Zamboni driving.
dc
chris l pettit -
1/19/2005
DC brings up an interesting point in accusing me of gratuitous US bashing...is the US sports scene ignorant of other sports worldwide? How do we define it?
Having traveled extensively throughout much of Latin and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, I can from experience share that many people in the countries I have visited are familiar with the US games that we like to call "World" or "international" even though most of the world does not play them...most can identify with baseball, gridiron football (soccer is real football), basketball, even hockey (which half of the US does not seem to recognize as a sport either). How many Americans know the rules to cricket or rugby? Why is soccer so derided in the US sports scene? Is this ignorance? Elitism? Apathy? Someone find me the proper word here...
We can have some great debates over whether rubgy players or gridiron football players are tougher...the discussion of the origins of cricket versus baseball are fascinating (Ken Burns touches on it on his great miniseries) since both come out of the game ROunders and the difference in styles is directly linked to economic status, urban versus rural settings, white collar versus blue collar, and other great points for thought. I can never have these debates in the US, except with hardcore sports fans (fanatics) who truly care about their sports history and what it has provided for pop culture and society.
I don;t think it was necessarily US bashing as opposed to simply an observation of fact...Most Americans are ignorant of sports outside of their own cultural upbringings...it is indicative of the insulation and ignorance of the majority of American culture as a whole.
I am just thankful that the Rebunkers, Richard, and many others here are well cultured enough, and big enough sports nuts like me to be able to engage in interesting dicussions such as this.
I got three of four right. The Pats won. In all, the crow went down pretty well in that context!
dc
David Lion Salmanson -
1/18/2005
DC
How was the crow?
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/18/2005
Chris --
Come on, again, why gratuitous America bashing? Is the American sports scene really ignorant? I'd say no -- we know as much about the sports we love as anyone. that we love our own sports does not make us any more ignorant or isolated than other nations and their sports fans are. Furthermore, you can see a lot more world soccer games in the US than you can, say, major league baseball games abroad. I can see international soccer ten times a day on weekends and once or twice a day on cable on my expanded digital package here in odessa texas. It's great that you love soccer. But lots of us know and like internattonal sport. It has nothing to do with ignorance or insulation no matter how many gratuitous cheap shots you lay out there. Or are three Americans on this internet site not having a discussion on international sports? very confusing.
dc
Richard Henry Morgan -
1/18/2005
Gerrard is like Giggs -- he gives "full measure". I'd like Man U too (I like most of the players there) if it wasn't for the fact that I hate Keane. And I don't think Chelsea is as good as its record -- look for it to fold. Luis Garcia. Yeah, that's the punk. He's softer than a marshmellow.
I fell in love with Liverpool in the early 60's, when the Beatles made everything Mersey-side cool. They have 18 league cups to Man U's 15, so I think I'd say that Liverpool is the Yankees of the EPL, albeit Yankees in their 1970's phase. And don't judge the Liverpool fans too harshly. They're scousers. They can't help it. That's like expecting Clinton not to poach hummers from interns, or Bush not to suck up to the religious right.
chris l pettit -
1/18/2005
And now the FA is all up in arms about Wenger and Fergie going after each other again...it should be a nasty game...this is Yankess v. Red Sox multiplied by 100...
Funny thing is that both teams are chasing the Russian Mafiosos over at Chelsea...one of the biggest disgraces in sports is that a corrupt piece of filth like Abramovich who ruined thousands of lives capitalising on the atrocious US forced economic policies after the collapse of the USSR and getting fampously wealthy is allowed to own a football team and use his blood money to buy a championship. Even Steinbrenner is not as "evil" as this guy.
Richard...I take it you are referring to Luis Garcia? Can't stand him...I love Gerrard though...awesome player. I can;t understand how Hyypia can still be on the field for them...he can't move, can't use his feet...all he is good for is to be a big body standing sullenly in the middle of the field as the ball whistles past. by the way...really classy showing by the Liverpool fans last week when man u came to visit.
I have taking a liking to Tottenham and Man City this season...Jermaine Defoe and Shaun Wright-Phillips are two bright stars. by the way...the US boys are infiltrating as well and representing well...Briuan McBride and Bocanegra over at Fulham...and all three US goalkeepers are in the UK.
Growing up in the US, of course the only team we ever heard about was Man U, so I grew up liking them...but as I traveled and got out of the ignorance and insulation that is the US sports scene, I figured pout they were basically the Yankees of the soccer world.
One thing I must say...they have the coolest nickname for a stadium ever thought of...Old Trafford - the "Theatre of Dreams"...how cool is that?
I'm an EPL fan. Grew up a Liverpool fan, but there's been so much turnover in the last three or four years, it's hard to think of them as a team. Also, that new Spanish coach brought in a pint-sized Spanish player with a hair band who won't challenge for the ball -- every time he fails to go for it the Kop lands on him. I give him another month to get the message. Man U and Arsenal sounds like a real tossup. I'm a big fan of the Welsh Dragon, so I'll go with Man U also. And I thought it was a piece of pizza. Was it soup?
You'll never walk alone!!
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/17/2005
Chris --
Sure -- bring on the premiership discussion.
We agree on the weekend's coming games -- I'll do another fearless, peerless predict5ion post before the games.
I still have no idea what you guys are talking about with this "Fantasy Foot-Ball" stuff, however.
dc
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/17/2005
Geopolitics, football, and the refraction of light: You come to Rebunk for the trenchant commentary; You stay for the erudition of our readers.
dc
chris l pettit -
1/17/2005
I go on a 9 day surfing trip and a football discussion breaks out? The horrors!!
Playoffs in the fantasy league? when did this come about? How did I do? What the heck happened? Does it count if playoffs occur and only one team is still left playing? Hahaha...
Manning never beats the Pats...never bet on him for any big game...
Pats will stifle Ben this weekend...dream season for the kid, but has to end sometime...
Iggles will beat the Vicksens...holding Vick to around 38 yards rushing (depending on the spot)...then
NE over Philly in the Super Bowl leaves the Phanatics gnashing their teeth
oh...and Man U over Arsenal this week in Soupgate II (more on this later if anyone likes Premiership football)
CP
Dave Stone -
1/17/2005
I realize you're talking about football, not color schemes, but rather than talk about my Colts I would ask for a little perspective on the your contention about of the general success of red, white, and blue as a color scheme. After all, didn't work so well for the Patriots themselves until the last few years.
As a color scheme, RW & B has produced some world powers (UK, US), and some societies in which it's quite pleasant to live though not nearly as high on the global domination scale (Australia and New Zealand, say). Nonetheless, its success is not assured. The imperial Russian flag had those colors, and its performance on the global domination and pleasant society meters was mixed. Ditto the new Russian Federation which brought them back.
Legend has it that Peter the Great got the colors from the Dutch flag--while the Netherlands score very high on the pleasant society meter, their colors didn't help them much in keeping their empire.
And one could argue that France has been in long-term decline as a world power since shortly after it adopted le tricolour.
The lesson of history, then: like a bite from a radioactive spider, red, white, and blue brings great power and great responsibility to use that power well.
Steven Heise -
1/17/2005
I still blame my lack of total infaliability that I get when I become a grad student. Damn Vikings.
Steve
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/17/2005
I cannot wait for January 2006 when the Pats have gone 14-2 and gotten home field and the Colts have gone 12-4 but racked up impressive numbers including a win in the Wild Card round that makes all of the puindits say they are unbeatable. I can't wait for Jimmy Johnson to be the only national pundit to pick the Pats to win comfortably while the other guys look at him like he is a fool. I can't wait to eb told that the Pats D won't be able to stack up against the unbeatable Colts. And I can't wait for the Pats to pound the piss out of the Colts. Again.
Will the Colts please win something that matters, anything, before we anoint them likely winners over teams that have won recent Super Bowls and stuff?
Oh -- and that Bruschi fellow had a nice little game.
My favorite sign from the game today?
Make
Vacation
Plans
dc
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/17/2005
Steve --
You just can't see the Patriots what doing what, now? So I was three of four. I was right on everything BUT the Vikes. Huh.
dc
Steven Heise -
1/16/2005
Err. Of course that's what I meant. My excuse being that since I'm not a graduate student, I haven't been given my aura of infaliability. I hear you get those in return for selling your soul to your advisor.
Steve
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/16/2005
Steve -- by "all wrong" you of course meant "All right on day one," yes?
dc
Steven Heise -
1/15/2005
Fair enough, all wrong except the Vikes over Eagles. I just can't see the Patriots D beating Payton.
Steve
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/15/2005
Greg --
The Rome thing is absolutely one of the great moments ion sports. What i hate about Rome, though, is the callers on his radio show -- a bunch of losers feigning hypermasculinity based on what they think is going to happen in a sporting event that they'll be watching from the barcolounger, all spewed out in the cro-magnon Rome show language. Is his radio show still even on? I will also say, nearly getting pulverized realy did seem to temper him just enough to make him merely another radio host jerk, as opposed to the uber jerk.
I'd support a high school stadium named after Bruschi. he is another example of a guy who was simply a great college player, but who was not a workout monster, coming out of college. And a high school stadium seems so apt for him were it to happen, because doesn't he seem like the sort of guy who will leave the NFL and go right into coaching kids or something? Still, it is vaguely appropriate that he has a tiny bandbox of a janitor's closet turned locker room named after him, given how underrated he is.
90 minutes to kickoff of the first game. Awww yeah.
dc
Derek Charles Catsam -
1/15/2005
But to be fair, the spirit of predictions would say that if the Vikings beat the eagles, i get credit for being right no matter what the score. All of 'em are wrong? Bold call, my friend. Bold call.
dc
Steven Heise -
1/15/2005
I saw that as well, but marked it up to coincidence and, a misreading on my part.
As for your predictions, all of them are wrong. Especially the Vikes-Philly one. The Vikings have at LEAST 31 points in them for tomorrow, and if the D shows up I'd say the Eagles only get 17. It'll be a replay of the beatdown in Lambeau I hope.
Greg Robinson -
1/15/2005
One of the greatest sports incidents of the past 20 years: Jim Rome cowering on the floor as the man he taunted by likening him to a woman is perched on top of him ready to reign blows down upon him. Jim Rome is the worst thing on radio.
Teddy Bruschi went to Roseville High School which is down the road from the school I teach at and in our league. It's a little on the lower side of the economic scale, but for Roseville all that means is that the students don't live in mansions. The only dedication or homage to Bruschi at the school is a room in the gym that is literally a broom closet with a hand-carved wood sign that reads "Teddy Bruschi Room". They make our basketball team dress in there amongst vaccuums and dust rags. Bruschi is an amazing player and deserves better...like a stadium.
