Something Worth Watching

On Thursday, before Cincinnati’s game against the Jets on Thanksgiving Day, CBS Sports aired this video. It really puts a lot into perspective.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving from UDU.

Three Down, 14 to Go

Another crazy week in the NFL is in the books, and sometimes we wonder how this league continues to function. Front runners lost,underdogs won… It may be shocking to the fans, but at the end of the day it is yet another week in this unpredictable league.

Game Analysis

49ers 10, Chiefs 31
The Chiefs are 3-0, the Niners are 0-3. Which one of those did you see coming? The Chiefs seem to have it all together – Matt Cassel has some zip behind his passes, the running game is working pretty well behind Jamaal Charles, and their defense has plenty of fire power. Can they keep it up? Next week they have the Colts, a major test for a team who has just recently discovered winning. For Mike Singletary’s 49ers, they need a win, and fast.They are still struggling behind Alex Smith,and if their defense had a hard time with Kansas City, there will be no stopping Atlanta this week.
Player of the Game: Thomas Jones had his best game since coming over from NY, with 19 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Lions 10, Vikings 24
This is old-school Minnesota winning – you play, win, and survive on the back of Adrian Peterson. Peterson got the hand off, and the Vikings flourished… all despite Brett Favre. Believe it or not, both Sean Hill and Favre had almost exactly the same stat lines: a little over 50% completions, one touchdown and two interceptions each, and just over 200 yards per quarterback. While we expect this sort of game from Detroit, the Vikings have some issues to deal with: Their 100 yards in penalties show just how sloppy they played, Favre has control issues, and their defense had problems handling the Lions. It is going to be a long road, and we bet this is the year Aaron Rogers finally beats Brett.
Player of the Game: Obviously, it has to be Peterson. His 160 yards and two touchdowns sealed the game for Minnesota.

Buffalo 30, New England 38
There was a point where the Bills look like they could actually win this game. Despite a nearly perfect performance from Tom Brady, the Pats still managed to let Buffalo in the game. For the record, almost all of New England’s stat lines are perfect: they won the turnover ratio, they had a balanced attack through the air and on the ground, they controlled the clock and they played well on defense. What that tells us is that despite a couple lackluster outings, the Pats are still dangerous and legit.
Player of the Game: Brady went 21/27 with 252 yards and three touchdowns.

Atlanta 27, New Orleans 24
Hello world, meet the Falcons. It only takes one statement win to get your name on the board, and that is what this overtime stunner did for Atlanta. They were able to slow down the Saints, and magically did not allow them to take over this game. Matt Ryan showed poise, Michael Turner went for over 100 yards, and their defense played a solid game. Of course, that was helped by three New Orleans turnovers and pretty good secondary coverage on Marquis Colston and Pierre Thomas. This doesn’t raise as many questions for the Saints as it does for Atlanta… you know, like “where has this team been hiding?” and “can they keep this up?”
Player of the Game: Turner went for 114 yards and a touchdown, but we have to make this a joint venture because Tony Gonzales had eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Tennessee 29, Giants 10
The Giants are on a downwards spiral – is there any way to stop it? This loss falls on the back of the entire team. Eli Manning thre two interceptions, Brandon Jacobs was nearly invisible, and the entire team did not seem to be able to take the rough play from Tennessee. Speaking of the Titans, what rebounding week for them. Vince Young went up against a tough defense and did not make any mistakes, albeit that he was not allowed to throw the ball very much. Of course, they are another team that went back to basics this week, and ran the ball on the back of Chris Johnson. Hey, whatever works right?
Player of the Game: Johnson had 125 yards on two carries.

Pittsburgh 38, Tampa Bay 10
Analysts said at the beginning of this season that was a chance that Pittsburgh would return from the Ben Roethlisberger suspension unscathed. They are at that point. The Steelers are 3-0, gaining this win on the back of Charlie Batch. Although Batch wasn’t flawless – he threw two interceptions – Pittsburgh played good old-fashioned Steeler football… run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. Thankfully, Rashard Mendenhall can handle the work load. It also helps that Mike Wallace can catch; he caught three balls for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Game Ball: Mendehall had 19 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Cincinnati 20, Carolina 7
Let me say one thing: Just because Jimmy Clausen couldn’t get the offense started with only one week of practice as the starter under his belt, does not mean he will not be successful. It does, however, show that he isn’t the next Joe Flacco. Clausen couldn’t do much with his no-name receiving core, and DeAngelo Williams couldn’t get his feet firmly planted. Voila! No offense. This win was not pretty for the Bengals, who had to rely on Cedric Benson, and only Cedric Benson for their offense. No Carson Palmer. No Ochocinco. Just a little T.O. Not enough. Bottom line: this type of win doesn’t come every week, and the Cats should be thanking their lucky stars.
Player of the Game: Benson had 81 yards and one touchdown rushing, but also another recieving touchdown.

Cleveland 17, Baltimore 24
Cleveland was winning this game until the fourth quarter. Do I have to repeat that? They had that hard-nose pound-it-out mentality, and behind Peyton Hillis’ 144 yards, they were actually competitive in this game. It is only a question of when the Browns will be turning around, not if anymore. For the Ravens, this game was the arrival of Anquan Boldin. They had him running all over the field, and it is clear that he was clicking with Flacco (who played equally well himself, to the tune of 262 yards and three touchdowns). The Ravens have to get better to keep ahead of the Bengals and the Steelers, and they have to play a more disciplined game to do that.
Player of the Game: Boldin had eight catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns – 21 of the Ravens’ 24 points.

Dallas 27, Houston 13
We did think this years’ battle of Texas would be a little more entertaining, but yet again the Texans lost the wind in their sails and failed to impress. While their wins against Indiapolis and Washington still count, once the attention is turned their way, Houston seems to fizzle out, Matt Schaub especially. Schaub threw for 241 yards and a touchdown, but his two interceptions didn’t help his team’s plea. Dallas showed resilience this week – they saw that their offensive schemes were not working, and made more plays towards Roy Williams instead, which obviously threw the Texans off. The ‘Boys defense wasn’t too shabby either, and DeMarcus Ware’s three sacks proved that they are still a scary team to play against on both sides of the ball.
Player of the Game: Roy Williams has never gotten a P.O.G. nomination, so this week we have to go with him. Williams had five receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns, one of his best performances as a Cowboy.

Washington 16, St. Louis 30
Huh? What? Who? The Redskins can’t be for real here. DeAngelo Hall can’t have let this happen, could he? Following a tough loss, you would have though Donovan McNabb and the Redskins would have come out firing. Instead, they played a horrible game. Of course it doesn’t help when your star wide receiver is fumbling or Donovan McNabb doesn’t seem to be into the game at all. But Sam Bradford got his first win as a Ram – and that is a hot commodity in St. Louis. He wasn’t exactly picture-perfect, but Bradford threw for over two hundred yards and managed the game Sunday, a huge step for the rookie.
Player of the Game: If we had to choose one, it would be Stephen Jackson yet again, this time for that first quarter 42 yard touchdown that set the tone for the rest of the game.

Philadelphia 38, Jacksonville 3
It was hard to imagine that Michael Vick could play better than he did in his first two games, but it is safe to say that he did not shy away from the starting position. Those who argue that Vick never had the chance to throw in Atlanta may start seeing their argument be proven right: although Vick did run for 30 yards on Sunday, he connected with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin for over 230 of his 291 yards combined. We also have to give major props to the Philadelphia defense, who sacked David Garrard six times on Sunday. Trent Cole, Trevor Laws, Asante Samuel, and even rookie Nate Allen… all the familiar names were on on this one.
Player of the Game: We have to give it to Vick, again. He went 17/31 with 291 yards and three touchdowns.

Indianapolis 27, Denver 13
Another week, another Indy win that shows just how good they can be when they are allowed to play their game the way they want to. That’s the thing – Denver allowed them to get started and turn into that well-oiled machine everyone dreads. That Bronco defense doesn’t look like they can stop a runny nose, let alone the great Peyton Manning. And if you can’t stop them, you sure don’t want to get into a shootout behind Kyle Orton, who had yet another game without a memorable play (unless you count his interception). We can say the same things about Indy every week, but it’s Denver that has to start worrying.
Player of the Game: We will give this week’s to Austin Collie, who had 12 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

Oakland 23, Arizona 24
One of the most interesting stats of the game: BOTH, yes we said both, teams had 100+ yards in penalties. This is what West coast football has become… well this is what Oakland and Arizona have become. The Cards are perfecting winning despite of Derek Anderson, and it is amazing just how bad two teams can play. But in the scheme of things, both of these teams look pretty horrible and have a lot to work on – but we aren’t going to go for all of that in this paragraph.
Player of the Game: No… not one. No stand-outs.

San Deigo 20, Seattle 27
You win any way you can, and Seattle did it on the back of Leon Washington. They have turned him into a special teams extravaganza, but the main story here is how San Diego, year in and year out, struggles to start the season. They just look horrible, and although the Seahawks exposed them on special teams for 14 points, there should be no reason that the upstart Seahawks were allowed in this game. Their defense has holes, Phillip Rivers can’t keep the ball away from the other team, and they are obviously missing they’re obviously missing Vincent Jackson’s ability to split the D. This is going to be a longer year than the Chargers thought.
Player of the Game: There is no choice – its Leon Washington. Washington had two returns for touchdowns – one for 101 yards and one for 99 yards, you know… the game winner.

New York 31, Miami 23
Personally, we think it was Tony Sparano’s sunglasses that clouded his vision/play-calling on the last series that eventually won it for the Jets. Or you can give the NY defense credit, or Rex Ryan, or Mark Sanchez. This was a total team effort by the Jets. From Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards shocking Miami’s secondary, to LaDanian Tomlinson reawakening, to Jason Taylor’s sack, Miami didn’t have a chance. Even after Brandon Marshall caught ten passes for 166 yards and a touchdown (thanks to Antonio Cromartie), the Phins couldn’t finish this one. The lesson here: You make no mistakes, you win a football game. Then you go on to the next week and the next AFC East opponent.
Player of the Game: Because we aren’t sure how much longer this will last, for the second straight week we are going to give this to Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns and a 120.5 passer rating.

Green Bay 17, Chicago 20

Green Bay took this loss in their own hands. They beat themselves. Oh, sure, Jay Cutler’s halfway decent performance (although he did show faint signs of the “old him”) had something to do with it. But it was related more to the 152 yards in penalties, two turnovers, and complete lack of a rushing game. Chicago had the right game plan, and with their offensive line neutralizing Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers playing his game, the Bears took this leg of the fight. The only thing I would be worried about if I was a Chicago fan would be the fact that Jay Cutler looked confused and much like his mistake-prone self we are all used to towards the end of this game.
Player of the Game: Eh, no standout starts, but Brian Urlacher looked ten years younger.

News & Notes:

– Injuries: Cowboy’s tight end Jason Witten sprained his knee in Sunday’s win. The Cowboys have said that they expect him to play barring a setback… For the second week in a row the Jets have released that they do not expect cornerback Darrelle Revis to play. Revis is still struggling with a pulled hamstring… Running back Ray Rice hopes to be able to play against the Steelers in Week 5. Rice is still recovering from a knee sprain…
– If you believe Colt’s president Bill Polian, the 18-game season is now a reality. Polian told reporters that it was a “done deal” and the NFL would begin playing 18 games next season.
– The 49ers fired their offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye on Monday following the team’s 31-10 loss to the Chiefs. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that linebacker Takeo Spikes and safety Michael Lewis also may lose their starting spots for Week 4.
– After a convincing first start by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Bills let Trent Edwards slip onto the waivers Monday morning. The Bills had reportedly been shopping Edwards, but decided to cut him after not receiving much interest.
– The funeral for Denver wide receiver Kenny McKinley was held Monday in Austell, Georgia. Late last week, authorities released that they believed McKinley shot himself after suffering his second straight season-ending knee injury.
– One day after Garrett Hartley missed a sure-thing field goal against Atlanta, the Saints are said to be in the market for competition. Harltey has three other misses this season, but Sunday’s 29-yarder that was shanked left is obviously

And the UDU Game Ball Goes to…

It was about time Adrian Peterson put his name in for consideration. Peterson took the Vikings on his back on Sunday, traveling 160 yards and putting up two touchdowns in the process – the difference between Minnesota and Detroit.

2010 NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers
57-25
1st seed in the Western Conference

The History:

It seems like only yesterday that the Los Angeles Lakers were headlined by all-world center Shaquille O’Neal and the favorite to win their respective conference year after year. Kobe Bryant, now widely believed to be the best basketball player in the world, was merely a sidekick in those days. This season, and for the past six, he’s been the top dog in the City of Angels, and his revived version of “Showtime” is making their third Shaq-less Finals appearance in the past three years.

Bryant, once widely criticized for his selfish behavior, has seemingly embraced the mindset that teams, rather than individual performances, win championships, and this mix of players seems poised to repeat. Only the Boston Celtics stand in their way.

The Superstars:

Kobe. That’s all you need to know. The Lakers will win because of Kobe Bryant or they will lose because of Kobe Bryant. He’s such a dominant force and brilliant basketball mind that he can literally take a game over by himself. The only problem with this is that he knows it. He knows how good he is and has often been accused of trying to do too much. If Bryant knows his boundaries and continues to trust his teammates like he has all season, the Lakers’ chances of winning the series improve greatly.

No basketball team can rely solely on one player, but they may need to if Pau Gasol plays like he did the last time these two teams met in the NBA’s days of summer. In the 2008 Finals, Gasol backed away from every bit of contact like the frightened center a high school girls team. Hopefully the Lakers’ prized off-season acquisition Ron Artest can bring his streetwise attitude and give the gold and forum blue a little bit of mental toughness.

The Storyline:

If the Lakers can manage to take four games from the C’s, they’ll find themselves merely two titles away from Boston’s league-leading seventeen. It’s apparent that Kobe Bryant’s days of single-handedly dictating the pace of games are quickly fading, and his team may only have a few years of Western Conference domination remaining. He’s still two titles behind Michael Jordan, the man he strives to be compared to. Don’t think he doesn’t know this.

2010 NBA Finals

Boston Celtics
50-32
4th in the Eastern Conference

 

The History

Nearly three years ago, the most storied franchise in all of professional basketball pulled off a trade that the sports world questioned on a variety of levels. The Boston Celtics traded a lottery draft pick (Georgetown’s Jeff Green) to the then-Seattle Supersonics for sharpshooter Ray Allen. Now, instead of adding to their young nucleus, the Celtics added another dynamic scorer who demanded the ball in order to be successful. It wasn’t until later on in the off-season when the Celtics traded most of that young nucleus to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Garnett that the trade began to make sense.

They said all the right things. They seemed committed to sacrificing individual success to attain team glory and have their names remembered in Boston hoops lore. A year later, a banner was raised in their honor and the group was poised to repeat. After a series of unfortunate injuries and a run of tough luck, the Celtics watched their chances for a second consecutive title fade. Now, though, the Celtics are healthy once again and determined to capture the championship that eluded them last season.

The Superstars

The Boston Celtics are a rare find in today’s NBA. They don’t have one dominant scorer, but rather, they have four capable athletes who can go off on any given night. Between point guard Rajon Rondo, shooting guard Ray Allen, small forward Paul Pierce, and power forward Kevin Garnett, the Celtics have a plethora of options to keep their opposition guessing.

Their off-season addition of score-first forward Rasheed Wallace was thought to be one of the best moves around the league last summer and finally seems to be paying off with his play in the postseason.
In addition to their offensive prowess, this Boston club can be considered one of the best defensive teams in the league. All-Defense first teamer Rondo gave the 60-win Cleveland Cavaliers fits in the second round and former Defensive Player of the Year Garnett and low-post presence Kendrick Perkins turned the league’s “most dominant center” Dwight Howard into a mere mortal in the Conference Finals.

The Storyline

Should the Celtics beat the Lakers in this series, they would be awarded with their eighteenth NBA title, the most of all time. Seeing as three of the team’s “Big Four” are reaching into the twilights of their careers, this could be their last opportunity for a championship for an extended period of time. In addition, Ray Allen is heading into a summer of uncertainty, as he bottoms out a free agent class led by the likes of superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

— Matt Shanley

Draft Woes

Change Hurts

By Matt Shanley

I don’t hate the National Football League. As a matter of fact, I love it with every beat of my heart. I love the preseason, I love the awful commentators, and, maybe more than anything else, I love the draft.

It combines my passion for college athletics with the allure of the professional ranks, and, in all honesty, where else can you see a disaster of a haircut like you can see on Mel Kiper?

But honestly, NFL, what gives?

This year, the first round of the draft takes place on a Thursday night. The second round takes place on Friday night. The remaining rounds will take place over the course of the weekend. Instead of viewing the entire thing of two days, Commissioner Roger Goodell decided it would be a good idea to spread the draft out over a four-day process so the event could get some primetime air play on national television.

Call me a fan, call me a loser, call me crazy, but I’d much rather sit on my couch for two full days watching the entire event several rounds at a time than spread the process out round-by-round.

I’m a college student. Do you know what Thursday and Friday nights mean to me, Mr. Goodell? I’m guessing your answer is “No.” These two nights are my nights to relax. Thursdays and Fridays are my time to forget about school, chill out, and, yeah, you caught me, become a victim of binge drinking. I don’t want to have to worry about how the Giants are going to blow their first-round pick on an I-don’t-like-to-cover-corner. I’d rather do that on a Saturday afternoon while I recover from the previous evening of shenanigans.

More importantly, though, what about the college students the NFL will be inviting into the green room for this fateful event? Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has been projected to be drafted anywhere between the first and fifth rounds this year. Is he going to go to Radio City Music Hall four days in a row just to hear his name called?

I sure wouldn’t. In spite of his past successes and the potential that his future holds, that’s simply embarrassing. Even the proudest of Alabama Crimson Tide fans would begin to feel sorry for the kid.

Hopefully, the NFL will revert back to its original process sooner rather than later. Much like holding the Pro Bowl in Miami, as opposed to Hawaii, the Sunday before the Super Bowl, instead of the week after, this switch simply doesn’t make sense.

I’d say I’ll boycott viewing the selection process this year, but I’d be lying. Beware, though, Rowan speakeasy attendees: a few drinks in and my reactions to certain draft picks may be a little angrier than usual.

The Death of an Eagle

Donovan McNabb’s Career in Philadelphia will Rest in Peace

by Matt Shanley

PHILADELPHIA – McNabb, Donovan Jamal was traded Sunday, April 4, 2010 to the division rival Washington Redskins for a 2010 second round draft pick and a conditional pick in 2011.
At Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, McNabb was a three-sport star. He led his football team to a state championship, excelled in track and field, and played basketball with former Boston Celtic Antoine Walker. After receiving a football scholarship to Syracuse University in New York, McNabb started every game of his college football career. After shattering the school’s record for touchdown passes, he was rightfully named the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Decade for the 1990’s.

McNabb’s Philadelphia career began in 1999 to a chorus of boos, foreshadowing several moments to take place in years to come. After being drafted second overall, behind only Tim Couch of the Cleveland Browns, McNabb became the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Eagles since the forgettable Brad Goebel eight years prior. He would start six of the Eagle’s final seven games that season, earning his first two victories along the way.

As the years went on, McNabb would accumulate a variety of notable accolades. He was named to six Pro Bowls, was awarded the 2004 NFC Offensive Player of the Year, threw for more than 200 touchdowns, and led his team to four division titles. The most impressive accomplishment McNabb participated in, however, may also be his downfall. In ten seasons at the helm for “The Birds,” he captained the team to conference championship games in half of them, only advancing to the Super Bowl on a single occasion. Football historians and casual fans, alike, know how that one turned out.

Despite the claim that “McNabb could never win the big one,” some beg to differ. In all fairness, he was really only partnered with one legitimate offensive threat, Brian Westbrook, throughout his tenure in green, unless you count a season cut short with Terrell Owens. That year, they reached the game’s biggest stage and almost prevailed, even with T.O. fresh out of leg rehabilitation.

McNabb is survived by Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb. Vick, one year out of prison for a dog fighting scandal, is hardly considered one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. He played sparingly last season and is not expected to inherit the starting job. Kolb, going into his third season, has made two starts for the Eagles in his short career. After his second start, a 2009 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kolb was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his 327-yard, two touchdown performance. While full of potential, Kolb has yet to bear the cross of full-time athlete for a Philadelphia sports team.

Whether Eagles fans admit it or not, Donovan McNabb will be missed. Well, maybe not so much since they’ll still see him twice a year.

Services will be held at FedEx Field in Washington D.C.

Happy Hour!

We haven’t filmed one in just about a year, but this week’s addition of Happy Hour features our annual baseball preview. Feel free to agree – or disagree – and let us know!

Bracket Update

We gave you our brackets… Unfortunately. Although all of us have given up on March Madness, we couldn’t leave the results from being published. So as of the Sweet 16, here are your results:

John Russo: 1st rnd: 23/32 (23 points) + 2nd rnd: 7/16 (14 points) = 37 points with a possibility of 91
Matt Shanley: 1st rnd 22/32 (22 points) + 2nd rnd 9/16 (18 points) = 40 points with a possibility of 68
Josh Wheeling: 1st rnd 22/32 (22 points) + 2nd rnd 7/16 (14 points) = 36 points with a possibility of 59
Cori Egan: 1st rnd 20/32 (20 points) + 2nd rnd 7/16 (14 points) = 34 points with a possibility of 59

The Madness of March

Upper Deck Underdogs is proud to bring you the second annual UDU Bracket Challenge.  Check out Matt and Cori’s bracket, along with our guest-bracketologists (Team2Beat’s John Russo and CSNPhilly.com’s Josh Wheeling), and see where you match up. Fair warning: We are not experts.

Cori:

Matt:

John Russo
Team2Beat

Josh Wheeling
CSNPhilly.com

A Valentine’s Day Message from UDU

A Message From Matt…

I’ve only known three girls in my entire life with which I could have intelligent sports-related conversations. Needless to say, I dated two of them, and for their own protection, no names will be given.

Girls, if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, a lack of basic sports knowledge could be why. Guys, above all else, want someone they can talk to. Believe me, I am one. Sure, I’d love to listen to how your day was or how you can’t believe another girl was wearing the exact same thing as you, but at the end of the day, my best conversations involve sports and those who play them.

I have a ton of pet peeves. My main annoyance, though, is when people talk during a game. Even more than that, is when the conversation has nothing to do with the current contest. Ladies, let’s not kid ourselves. You all know you’ve been guilty of this.

I don’t care how light Alex Rodriguez’s eyes are. I don’t know why their uniforms are so ugly. I have no idea why the Knicks would name their team after a pair of pants. Just let me watch the game. I cringe when I see females wearing jerseys of franchise players. Most outfitters don’t make women’s jerseys in lesser-known athletes, and understandably so, but every Eli Manning top I see at local sports bars makes me sick. Probably because these females don’t, and may never, understand the love-hate relationship real fans have with the team’s quarterback.

I’m not asking for the next girl I meet to be able to “Stump the Schwab.” My expectations are realistic. I’m simply asking for a little effort. If you can’t understand a simple game of basketball, you should at least try to appreciate why I love it. For instance, if I ask you to attend a Cleveland Cavaliers game with me, you need to know that every set of eyes in that arena will be fixed on LeBron James. Yes, LeBron is his first name.

No, I don’t want to go get food if it’s the middle of the fourth quarter.

Valentine’s Day is a beautiful thing, but in order to celebrate one, you’re going to have to sacrifice. Many times, girls, that means stepping up your game when it comes to knowing your man’s favorite games.

____________________________________________________________________________________

A Message from Cori…

For most, Valentine’s Day is a day of chocolates and candle light dinners, flowers and love notes. While girls are dressing up and getting nice jewelry and plenty of balloons, I am not even coming close to thinking about that. February 14th is the NBA All-Star game. It’s the day before hockey players take their trek to Vancouver for the Olympics. It’s the Daytona 500 for God’s sake.

There are those girls, as Matt pointed out, that don’t take the sports world seriously. Then there is me. My day, my job, my life revolves around sports. It’s inconvienant. Most guys can’t take it. They just don’t understand when I have a meltdown if the Flyers get kicked out of the playoffs. Or why I have a tattoo of hockey sticks on my body. They are so used to hearing whining when they want to watch a game that they are shocked when I sit down right next to them with my jersey on and a beer in my hand.

So, politely, I say no thank you to dinner. No movies please. I can do without the candy and the flowers too. I want a steak dinner on a TV table. I want a cold beer and a quiet night in. Put ESPN on and rub my shoulders. If you need a gift idea – I need a USA hockey shirt so I am not forced to wear my Canada jersey for the next two weeks.

Or a Darrel Revis jersey… Or… dare I say… a Kevin Durant jersey… No, chuck that. I want season tickets to the Red Sox. On the Green Monster.

Thats going to cost a lot of moo-lah. I guess I’m going to have to marry a lawyer. Or a doctor. Let’s be realistic: I’m going to need to marry an athlete.