Centerfield

My idea of good news for fans of George R.R. Martin's work. If the author wasn't hands-on involved my take would be considerably less optimistic.

Interesting article on the Pats, bk. I don't have to take the writer's advice, since I already don't watch all the post-game coverage and analysis or listen to sports radio through the week. I watch a little pre-game and I watch the games, and I only read local coverage of the Eagles after games. It all seems boring and superfluous. I'd much rather talk to another live human being about a game we both watched than watch two other guys talk about the same game on TV, followed by three guys talking about the game, right before four guys argue about it and two and a half guys analyze it. Maybe that's why I'm one of the few non-New Englanders rooting for the Pats over the Colts.

I hear ya. We have one good local sports show I do like to watch, but I mostly find the jockocracy unbearable.

You're an east coast guy, right? Boston, NY, and Philly like grit, so I bet there are a fair number of people from those environs who want to see the overexposed talented guy who tightens up in the clutch toss up another hairball. Be honest, you rooting for NE, or moreso against Peyton Salesmanning?

And admit it, if by good fortune the Patriots beat Indy and face the Saints in the Super Bowl, we're the evil empire, right?

I wouldn't consider the Pats the Evil Empire were they to fact the Saints in the Super Bowl, but I would probably be pulling for the Saints. Unless you were a bona fide Pats fan or had some beef with the Saints, you'd pretty much have to. I don't even consider the Saints beating the Eagles enough of a beef to root against them at this point.

I love the existential angst of Boston fans worrying the Pats are like the Yankees. What is it with Boston anyway, can't they feel good about having a consistently good sports team without self-doubt. Where have all of the old Celtics fans gone?

Hey Boston, grow up!

Oh, we feel good. Actually, a better word is grateful. Angst has nothing to do with it. We just know the Yankees are evil. That's all there is to it.

The Yankees aren't evil, nor are the Pats. Great team and great coach. Year after year, they crank it out. I am rooting for the Pats to win and Manning to lose. Pats can do it and I won't be surprised but they need a great game. I had a strong feeling they were going to beat Chargers and number 80 made it happen.

Saints might trip over the Bears if their shrink can find a better defense against the blitz and their recievers have a great day. Maybe theri D can play O. They are underdogs I suspect and can play at home and for broke. Saints D has shown it can blow games and the vaulted offense has to deal with a great defense. Don't be shocked if it is Bears v Pats. A few turn-overs and poof...

Pats could go all the way too. As you can see, I like three out of the four teams. I didn't think Chargers would make it, but I never suspected the total meltdown of the Steelers, nor the Raven losing to the Colts. Actually I thought Ravens might go all the way. Giants were fair and the Jets a bit better. Eagles ran out of gas.

I feel for Romo. Pats stole one against Chargers, but great teams often do.

There is one key difference, as the essay mentioned - unlike the Yankees, or the 70s Cowbows, the Patriots don't have decidedly more cash than the rest of the league. They just have a great coaching staff. They have some good players, but there are plenty of teams with players just as good that aren't doing as well.

We just saw a newish opera, Philip Glass' "Barbarians at the Gate". It's good, but in no danger of displacing Mozart.

Actually, Jon, there are two key differences. In addition to not massively out-spending everybody else, the Pats don't go around acting like they are little tin gods who everybody in the nation ought to worship. That was always what irritated me more than anything about the Cowboys -- even the Yankees weren't quite that obnoxious. A little humility goes a long, long way.

My condolences, bk. I almost posted a “Woo, Doggie!” comment at halftime when the Pats were looking like they were going to cruise past the Colts. In hindsight…

Yup, we had our foot on their throats at 21-3 and 1st down on the Indy 30, and couldn't finish them off right then. I knew that'd haunt us. Add the Reche Caldwell face to the faces hall of fame, too. I took those drops as bad omens.
When Manning choked on 3 straight downs right after we took the lead, I though that was destined to be his defining moment. All we needed near to make it so was 1 first down to seal the deal. Oh well, can't win 'em all. It's not so hard to take with what with the recent successes. Even so, Go Bears.

Didja see Parcells retired?

Oh, yeah. That's big news in Eagles country.

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