Brett Favre.

No matter what color the uniform, or how old he is, this image of Brett seems to be a constant. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)

As a huge Brett Favre fan, I must point out that not only did he throw 33 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions in the regular season, but he only had one multi-pick game (against Arizona when they were embarrassed on Sunday Night Football because their offensive line didn’t make the plane to Tempe).  He didn’t tire out at the end of the year, and despite Adrian Peterson not having big rushing games (because everyone insisted if he had success it would be because A.D. was averaging 400 yards a game), he even managed to take over and dominate a few of these games.  Favre helped his team finish 2^nd in the league in points-per-game, 5^th in total yards, and 8^th in total passing yards.  He made Sidney Rice (whose career was dying in Minnesota) look like the second-coming of Jerry Rice.

However, even after all this success there was still the thought that Favre would choke under the playoff pressure.  So in comes Dallas, arguably the hottest team coming into the playoffs, and what happens?  Favre and

About 90% of the NFL-watching population had no idea who this kid was, until Favre became his quarterback.

the Vikings take them out to the woodshed.  Favre throws for four touchdowns (each more amazing than the previous), zero interceptions, and the Viking defense shut down an over-rated Cowboys O.

I just want to point that out that no matter what happens to the Vikings, whether it be in the next game or in the Super Bowl, Favre has more than proved he is still one of the best.  Maybe it was time for him to go in Green Bay, maybe it wasn’t, but we will never know.  All we have to go on now is the enormous amount of success he is having with the purple and gold…GO VIKINGS!

Moving on to something that I have to comment on…Gilbert Arenas.  For all those people who sat back and thought “Wow, how dumb is Plaxico Burress?” Arenas decided to prove there was someone dumber.  As the story goes, after an argument over unpaid gambling debts with teammate Javaris Crittenton, the two pulled guns on each other.  And if that wasn’t enough, it wasn’t like the two of them were there for a team meeting and snuck them in, oh no, they both had guns (plural) stored in their lockers.  I guess for all the gang violence that takes place at practice?

Are you kidding me?  Arenas claimed that he had brought them from his home to his locker so his children would not find them and play with them.  How noble.  Buy a safe idiot, hide them where your kids can’t reach, put them in a room and lock the door, I mean how many other options are there before you think “I got it! I’ll just bring them to work.”  Imagine a regular person doing that, “Morning Sally, the meeting is still at 10 right? Oh, don’t mind these, I don’t want my kids playing with them.” You would be fired immediately.

Nice Gilbert, way to try and play it all off as a joke. People always pull guns on other people in jest, I could see the misunderstanding.

That must have been the same logic Arenas used when he tried to play this whole thing off as a prank. Or perhaps when he turned his hands into six-shooters during a pregame “dance” before they played the Sixers, to show how much of jokester he is.  As you can imagine, NBA Commissioner David Stern took action, suspending Arenas indefinitely.  Then the legal department stepped in, and Arenas now has to wait until March to find out what kind of sentencing he will receive.  NBA commissioner David Stern has yet to make a decision on what will happen to Arenas after his sentencing (hopefully his career is done).  The team is left scrambling for an answer, but they are just as guilty as he is in my eyes.

Get this: the Wizards organization said they had known about the guns in his locker – apparently he had informed them about the guns when he first brought them in – and they “never thought something like this would come of it.”  Really? I would love to hear them describe the situations that they thought might arise from having firearms in a locker room.  As if the NBA couldn’t be any worse (or more out of control) they decide a good P.R. move would be to let athletes have guns in their lockers?  This way fans get more of a “Beirut circa 1975” feeling when they come to games.

TCU played teams from a BCS conference this year (and lucked out by beating BYU, who beat Oklahoma in week 1) and they were rewarded with a BCS Bowl Game.

First, it ruins the tradition of the college football regular season.  College football has the best regular season in all of sports because – unlike any other sport – every single game matters.  No other sport can offer that.  Sure some regular season games matter, but – demonstrated by last year’s NFL playoffs – teams can lose up to seven games and still have a shot to make the playoffs, or the Super Bowl…that doesn’t sound like every game matters to me.   That’s what makes college football so exciting; every weekend there is a big game that a team – pursuing a National Championship – cannot afford to lose.

With that being said, let me move on to why the fans have every right to complain – but the teams don’t.  First, win every game on the schedule.  If a team has one loss, then that is the reason you will probably not play for a National Title.  However, there are plenty of one-loss teams that have played, or been in contention to play, for a National Title over the years.  Which brings me to next point…scheduling.  If a team like Utah, or Boise State, has a problem with their Non-BCS conference schedule failing to provide them with a BCS Bowl bid, they should use their non-conference openings to schedule BCS opponents.  Every team has up to four non-conference games they can schedule, so if I am a coach at Utah, I would try and schedule at least two of those four slots against BCS conference opponents (and decent ones too).  That clearly paid off for TCU and Boise State this year – both played some BCS conference teams and now they are playing each other in a BCS bowl.  Now if they want to compete for a chance to play in the National Championship, then they need to schedule some even tougher opponents in those slots (i.e. Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Florida).

The Crimson Tide's hard work finally paid off, as they won the toughest conference in College Football and will play Texas for a National Championship.

This doesn’t just go for non-BCS conference teams, but every college football team.  I have always wondered why teams like Florida wouldn’t play teams like Texas in the regular season.  The obvious reason would be they might lose, and then their season is done from Week 2 and on…but teams have done that and still been in contention for a National Championship (i.e. Ohio State vs. USC).  That game is a non-conference game and possibly the best one in the entire season (next to Florida State vs. Florida…up until recently).  Personally, I think that would make a college football season that much more exciting and would go a long way in somewhat fulfilling the public’s desire to see a college football playoff.

In closing, a college playoff will probably never happen (even though it would be fantastic to watch) for several reasons.  The tradition of the college football regular season, the length of that same season (with playoff games added on top of that), and finally – and most importantly– the amount of money they make off the BCS system.  Despite how exciting March Madness is, it does not make anywhere near the amount of money that a bowl system does.  So unfortunately for the avid college football fan, no matter how many schools and fans complain, money will always outlast their grievances.

Sure it's a joke, but it's not too far off from what this whole scandal has done to his golden-boy image.

We start with Tiger Woods.  There isn’t much to say about this other than “wow.”  Who would have thought that precious, golden-boy Tiger would be cheating on his wife with – not one – but nine women.  It was so bad that one of his first mistresses couldn’t even handle it, confessing that she couldn’t take how many women he was seeing at the same time (yea, tough break, imagine how his wife must feel).  The only thing worse than this is having your wife beat you up with a golf club (which defines irony) so bad that when you go to run away from her in your SUV, you crash onto your neighbor’s lawn…nice.  Of course Tiger has yet to actually speak on the matter, so all that is speculation, but the longer he waits to finally come out and talk, the worse this story is going to get.  Do yourself a favor, Tiger, confess and move on – it worked for Kobe, it worked for A-Rod, it’ll work for you.

We move along to a much more heart-warming story…for me at least. Allen Iverson returned to the Sixers this past week, and debuted this past Monday against the Nuggets.  Sure it was a losing effort, and A.I. isn’t the same as he used to be, but there is something about seeing that ol’ #3 run around that court that just scratches me

I almost wept like a 6-year-old girl when I saw this intro. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

right where I itch.  After watching his second game against the Pistons, I thought to myself how everyone must be enjoying this, except Andre Iguodala.  Here is a guy who was told the Sixers were his team, that he is the new A.I. and that Philly is now his city.  Well so much for that.  Iguodala and the rest of the Sixers were lucky if four fans and a homeless man (strictly there for the running water and heat) came to watch their games.  Since “the Answer” has returned, two back-to-back sellouts.  That has to sting a little.  Finally, for all those who don’t like this move because Iverson could be a bad influence…you are idiots.  This team stinks and there is no future here for A.I. to corrupt – at least now we get to watch some close-to-decent basketball being played while Iverson – who certainly is not the same caliber player he left Philly as – shows everyone what he has left.

On to college football.  How bout that Lane Kiffin?  His first full year at Tennessee results in a winning season, no SEC Title, no major bowl bid, and no quality wins.  Yet somehow Lane has managed to make Tennessee the most talked about program in all of college football.  He has been caught committing six secondary NCAA violations, and is currently being investigating for the best one of them all – using sex to recruit.

"What can I say gentlemen...sex sells!"

Apparently, the Volunteers coach was not only using females to ensure his recruits had a good visit on campus (like all colleges do, everyone who has seen the movie He Got Game knows how that works), but Kiffin made sure his recruits kept Tennessee in mind when they were at home.  The story goes that he would send certain women “Volunteers” to travel to players’ home towns to watch them play and help “convince” them to come to Ole Rocky Top.  Some of these girls – now being referred to as “hostesses” – would travel as far as 200 miles to help Lane recruit.  Again, all hearsay, but this one looks to be true and the only thing that is missing is a Lane Kiffin apology and some photos of what these women look like to complete this wonderful, wholesome college football story.

Oh no, Sosa found a way to even top cheating in the sport he played.  He bleached himself.  Sosa claimed his skin was feeling old and needed some “rejuvenation,” so he started bleaching his skin? To quote this Michael Jackson wannabe, “It’s a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed…I use it to soften my skin, but has bleached me some,” he admitted.  Some!?! He resembles a Dominican-version of the kid who starred in Powder.

This doesn't even look like the same person. I guess "bleached me some" and "completely different" mean the same thing to Sammy.

What about taking vitamin D? Or rubbing some lotion on your skin? Then, Sosa managed to top that by adding green eyes to his new faded white skin.  What are you doing, Sosa? You went from being a super-slugger to a reject in the cast of Twilight.  He is now a faded has-been – literally – who just realized that he could buy contacts that change the color of his eye.  When I saw this, I was legitimately scared.  I am surprised there weren’t any stories about someone at the Latin Grammys just dropping their jaw, screaming, and running out because Sosa smiled at them.

Switching gears from complete stupidity to utter stupidity, we move to the Tennessee Volunteers.  Three of first-year head coach Lane Kiffin’s highly touted recruits were charged with attempted armed robbery.

Apparently, Janzen Jackson, a starting safety, and Nu’Keese Richardson, a starting wide-receiver, were among four people who decided a great Wednesday evening activity would be robbing a convenience store.  Defensive back Mike Edwards, and their “Wheel-man” Marie Montmarquet – a 22-year-old female – were charged with three counts of armed robbery at a gas station.

They held up three people in a parked car at gun-point while wearing masks.  The victims got the make and model of the car, a Toyota Prius, and get this – one of them was wearing Tennessee football gear and a victim caught a glimpse of it (apparently they had on either shorts or a t-shirt with the Tennessee football logo on it), the police haven’t said what it was yet).  When the police finally caught the suspects, they located the hoodies and masks, and an air-powered pellet gun (nice touch gentlemen).

"It was exciting holding those men at gun-point, I think next time though, we shouldn't wear our jerseys out to rob people." (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

So let me get this straight.  You get a full-scholarship to play football at the University of Tennessee – a program that is on the up-and-up right now – and you have a shot to play pro-football if you make the best of your time at this university (which is all free by the way), and you decide that’s not enough?  No, no, no, a better path is driving around in your “girlfriend’s” Prius and robbing people at gun point for what? $75-$100 at best?

Yeah, you won’t ever make that much in the NFL, or receive that as an allowance thanks to your free ride at Tennessee.  Even better, do all this while you’re wearing Tennessee football gear, great plan.  I read this and just thought to myself, “How dumb can you be?” I don’t by any means condone this plan, but if you are going to go through with this poorly thought-out scheme, and you have the ski mask on as well, wouldn’t taking off your Volunteers football gear be the next step?  I could only imagine the two of them wearing their jerseys and ski masks thinking “Let’s rob these people, they will never know who it is.”

"People can barely remember that I used to be good...let me go spit on someone to remind them who I am." (AP Photo/Dick Whipple, File)

Johnson decided the best way to vent his frustrations would be to verbally assault members of the media, his coaching staff, and the organization by using a gay slur.  He especially targeted new coach Todd Haley, claiming that he wasn’t a good coach and didn’t know how to use him (correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Haley the only reason Johnson still had a job? Because no one would have taken him after the two years he just got done having).  L.J. also mentioned how his dad playing on the Titans team from the movie Remember the Titans, and those people knew how to coach football – which implied that his new coach didn’t.

Now, let me make it clear that while I am a Chiefs fan, I am also an NFL fan…so I am not ignorant.  I know I am a fan of a bad team, we are rebuilding (and have been for quite some time), and I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be a “star” and be stuck on that team (I felt bad for Tony Gonzalez before he got traded to Atlanta).  However, that does not give anyone the right to critique that situation, especially when he is a big part of it.  Todd Haley and I may not know as much the members of that team from Remember the Titans, but we both know that L.J. stinks – and we will be lucky to get anything in return for him if we trade him…on the other hand, Johnson will be lucky if he can still find a job in football after this mess is done.

Larry wants his touches, but when he gets them, he doesn’t do anything with them.  He hasn’t had a solid, injury-free-season, since 2006.  Now, one can easily argue that he hasn’t had a good team since 2006 (no O-line, and the loss of fullback Tony Richardson didn’t help either).  In my opinion, he is done; he has nothing left, maybe one solid year left.  He is now 29-years-old and isn’t getting any younger.  Couple that with the fact that he is a problem off the field (spitting on and accosting women at clubs, openly criticizing the organization, and – recently added – using gay slurs to describe media members as well as his new coach).

"Why can't we be as good as everyone says we are?"

On a side note, USC got smashed by Oregon.  The Trojans, who the BCS computers had sitting pretty at #5 (even with one loss to a then, and currently, unranked Washington Huskies team) – and people (Kirk Herbstreit and EPSN analysts) still had them playing in a National Championship.  Unfortunately, USC had to play Oregon (then #10 in the BCS), at Oregon, and got beat down 47-20 (and the Ducks only allowed the Trojans to score three points in the second half).

All this game did was prove me right, and show the country (yet again) that USC is overrated and should not be involved in National Championship talks until they beat a BCS opponent that isn’t Ohio State or from the PAC 10.  Oregon, a team who got beat by Boise State – now #7 in the BCS – and also managed to lose their “star” running back at the end of that game, managed to destroy the mighty Trojans and hand them their worse loss ever under head coach Pete Carroll.  How they manage to only fall to #12 in the BCS only proves my point – they get favored.  They should at least have fallen out of the top 15 with a loss to Oregon and unranked Washington.

But enough of harping on USC, because to be honest, every team looks overrated so far this season.  Alabama looks solid, but the two teams ahead of them – Florida and Texas – both look inconsistent.  With all the frauds this season, I am routing for Iowa…any team that has a QB who throws five picks and can still win (and manage to make that game look like a blowout) gets my support.

I was warned by many not to get involved.  I was told it’s a waste of time, that it will make you root against your own team, and that you can’t enjoy the games because you’re always checking the computer.

Such warnings I ignored and proceeded to sign up for, not one, but four fantasy football leagues this year…and trust me, I’ve learned my lesson.  So with that in mind, I give you the six things that I have learned from the first six weeks of playing fantasy football.

The biggest sign I ignored was probably the fact that the best "action" pose that McFarlane could get for their LT figurine was of this.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson hates me: Maybe it was all the preseason hype. Everybody saying, ”Oh yea, LT is completely healthy, he’s been working out like he used to.” On ESPN they’ve got the segment on him running up hills, and talking about how last year was a fluke and he hasn’t lost it yet. I just got sucked in and I went for it. I swear if I ever see any of these people on the street I am punching them square in the face, no questions asked. I don’t care what happens afterward but for at least that second there I will feel so much better. So I go and use my first round-pick believing that things would change.  I could have had Drew Brees, or Tom Brady, or even taken Wes Welker who was hurt for the first three games of the season.

So, by the end of the first quarter against the Raiders, I was already regretting drafting him. I can really only blame myself, I guess all the signs were there. Honestly when they talked about him working out, I couldn’t help but to think about those Youtube videos with him and Kimbo Slice.  The one where he’s bench-pressing air conditioners and boxing refrigerators.

2. Online drafts with auto-pick are the workings of the devil: I know it’s made for convenience and all, but if you’re doing fantasy football you really should be there for the draft. In my case, 2.5 of the four leagues I’m in ended up being auto-picked for me because either: A. It wouldn’t let me sign-in or B. I just missed it. And each time I ended up with half my team being running backs or wide receivers. I actually got Jason Campbell because of that crap. And nobody in their right mind is taking him as a free agent, let alone in a trade. Speaking of which…

3. People refuse to make trades unless it is completely in their favor: Here are the only trade offers that I have received since the start of the season (and most of these have come in the one league I’m actually doing well in). An injured Calvin Johnson for a coming-into-his-own Brandon Marshall.  Or T.O. and Tim Hightower for Marques Colston. Or how about Brian Westbrook for Cedric Benson.  And the one that just insults my intelligence which is Larry Johnson and Devin Thomas for Adrian Peterson? Really? And every trade that I have offered has been either ignored or declined. MAKE A MOVE DAMN IT!!

Davis had 7 receptions for 93 yards and 3 TD's while keeping my bench warm...I just can't win.

4. Matt Forte hates me too.

5. Without fail, I always seem to make the wrong decision about who to play: The biggest problem that I’ve run into week after week is struggling to choose between starting Kellen Winslow or Vernon Davis. No matter which one I play, the other one sits on my bench and scores 20 plus points. I don’t think I’ve gotten this right once all season long. This week I played Winslow and sat Davis only to watch him pick up three touchdowns in the second half, which then left me to have to watch last night’s game hoping the Eagles don’t kick any field goals because I’m only up nine points (and I should have been up 36). This actually brings me to my 6th and final point and probably the biggest reason I hate fantasy football.

6. I really feel like an A-hole watching these games: Allow me to explain. First and foremost, I’ve found myself rooting against my own team. Ochocinco, Benson, and Carson Palmer are all on at least one, or more, of my teams. So, since I am a Bears fan, watching the Bengals destroy them left me quite torn.  I didn’t know whether to celebrate or be mad every time each of them did something good for my fantasy team. I watched the game not knowing who to root for. Here my Bears are getting absolutely slaughtered, but I’m supposed to be happy because these guys are having a big day?

Damn you fantasy football! This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, yet week by week you seem to just not want to allow me to enjoy it. I definitely won’t be doing this again next year. Ok, I‘ll probably only have two teams…tops…probably.

"C'mon guys...what's the big deal if the kid has lunch with me?"

I understand he lied to NCAA officials about his meeting with former NFL defensive back Deion Sanders; my other question is why would he even have to lie about that?  Unless this kid met up with Deion, ran routes against him and some current NFL players, accepted a paycheck for it, and then talked to an agent…there is nothing wrong here.

One of the stories I read said that Sanders is associated with sports agent Eugene Parker, and because Bryant foolishly lied about the meeting, officials are worried that this meeting might have had certain illegal intentions (money, promises, talking about being a pro before he is one).   I get all that, but I just don’t understand what the big deal is.

There are rules and regulations, I get that, and I am one of the few people who appreciate these rules (especially when these kids accept money prior to becoming a pro), but this is a little ridiculous.  Unless I find out more details, I am on Dez Bryant’s side.

Now, Bryant would have been a Heisman candidate had this not happened.  Since then, talks of Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen winning the Heisman have crept up.  This is another head-scratcher.  Clausen has done nothing Heisman-worthy, and yet somehow he is being talked up as a candidate…and possible winner.

I know Clausen has demonstrated late-game heroics, but look at who these wins were against.  A big come-back win against Michigan State? An overtime win against Washington (that his defense won)? Another big win over Purdue (that Purdue’s head coach handed him)? Squeaking by Boston College? And a loss to Michigan and now USC (the USC game ended with him throwing the ball to a receiver that was on the ground)?

Clausen avoiding the rush like we should be avoiding using his name in Heisman talks. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

That resume doesn’t scream Heisman Trophy to me.  He has thrown for 2,050 yards and 16 TDs against just two interceptions, so he has been playing well…just not well enough to be in the top five for the Heisman.  I know everyone is impressed because he is the only Clausen that has witnessed anything close to success, but his older brothers didn’t set the bar very high.

Let me read off some stats from a QB who did win the Heisman (and should have went to the NFL right after it).  Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford won the Heisman after throwing for 4,720 yards, 50 TDs and just 8 picks – those are impressive numbers.  Clausen has six regular season games plus a bowl game left to try and beef up his stats, but it is highly unlikely.

Sometimes I think voters just don’t know who else to include, so they pick a kid from a big-name, marketable school and throw him in there for no reason.  I will give Clausen all the credit in the world if he can turn it around, but from where I am sitting right now, he won’t be winning it and shouldn’t be involved in talks.

"Here's to me doing nothing in the postseason!"

Here’s the thing: first, it’s not that big a deal.  Pitchers do it all the time when they are relieved and no one can be sure that, if the game had not ended, Manny would NOT have come back out.  Fortunately for this Phillies fan…we will never know.

The second thing is that Manny has done something much worse that no one seems to have noticed: He hasn’t been the same since being on his 50-day “vacation” for violating the MLB’s substance abuse policy.  After Manny got busted for steroids (or women’s fertility drugs) he simply hasn’t been the same.  I know there are some people who will argue that he is getting old, or that missing those 50 games hurt him as far as getting into the swing of things – but the numbers do not lie.

This year Manny finished with a .290 batting average, 63 RBI and just 19 home runs.   That’s the worst Manny has done since his second year in the majors at Cleveland (when he ended with an average of .269 and 17 homers).  So maybe he had an off year, but the whole point of having Manny is his power and run-production, especially in the postseason.

So in this year’s NLDS and NLCS, Manny should have been a big factor for the Dodgers, right? In eight games Manny posted the following: a .281 average, four RBI, and one HR.  Narrow that down even further to just the NLCS against the Phillies, and he went .263 with only two RBI in 19 at-bats.

So who cares if Manny is leaving a game early to shower? Dodgers fans should be concerned about what Manny is doing before that shower…not hitting or driving in runs.  The “slugger” is supposed to be worth all the headaches and distractions off the field because of his performance on the field.  That hasn’t been the case ever since Manny had to get off the juice.  Even if the thirty-seven-year-old’s age is a factor, it is a little ironic that his career suddenly starts to fade out right after he gets caught using illegal substances.

"Nice job Manny...way to fail when we needed you most."

Even if Manny comes back and has a huge year for the Dodgers – the team that is suddenly regretting signing him to that long and expensive a contract – critics still was raise the question, “is he on the juice again?” Too big a coincidence on too big a stage for it to be ignored because everyone wants to focus on Manny showering – after he had been yanked – before a game is over.

Many may recall that I have voiced grave concern over the summer about the makeup of this team. I had several worries that were leading me to believe that Philadelphia could be in for a long year. Well, so far my trepidation has been for naught. I know they’ve only played three games so far, but after three wins, the club is head and shoulders above where I thought they would be. I will now address some of these issues and then detail why they aren’t (at least currently) the problems I believed they would be.

• Ray Emery: Alright, when the Flyers eschewed the steady Martin Biron and Antero Nittymaki for the head case that is goalie Ray Emery, I wasn’t pleased. While
  

  Call me Razor... or I'll cut you.

  Emery did take the Ottawa Senators to the Finals a few years ago, he became such an off-ice problem and was so streaky that no team wanted to take a chance on him and he was banished to Russia’s KHL. However, after a full year there, Philly took a chance on him. After all, the city loves rebuilding projects (see: Michael Vick, Jeremiah Trotter, Brad Lidge, Pedro Martinez, Paul Coffey… the list goes on and on), so it made perfect sense. But who knows? Maybe the KHL did Razor some good. Through his three wins he has looked extremely sharp, quick and square to the shooter. However, most of all, he’s been incredibly composed. That’s the main thing. There hasn’t even been a hint of psychosis yet. A shutout in his first game against Carolina was impressive. Against New Jersey the other night, I thought the short-handed goal he gave up to Jamie Langenbrunner was a bit soft, and he also iced the puck on the power play (which should never happen), but otherwise he was brilliant and I can’t take anything away from him. And yes, last night against the Caps he did let up five tallies, but most of them weren’t his fault (though I didn’t love the Morrison goal. I felt rebounds were a problem for him through the preseason). So, while he hasn’t been perfect, he hasn’t needed to be and he does look solid. I may have to eat my words on this one, but then again, he IS streaky and we’re only three games in.

• The signing of Chris Pronger: Whoa, take it easy. I don’t have a problem with Pronger. He’s awesome, and a future Hall of Famer. The problem was that I thought it might leave us a little thin on D, taking into account Pronger’s salary, Luca Sbisa leaving in the deal, the subsequent demotion of Randy Jones, and the fact that the team might be relying on the aging backliner a little too much. However, Chris has only lightened the load on his fellow defensive mates and made them better. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn no longer have to shut down the opposition’s top players on their own, and they already appear much fresher with Pronger logging a ton of time. Also, Matt Carle (4 assists last night!) has been stellar alongside Pronger and is now looking like a poor man’s Scott Niedermayer. It seems that the coach, John Stevens, is using everyone properly, and with the four of them working in tandem (and not solely asking Pronger to do everything) I’m not worried anymore.

• The goon patrol: No one has any idea how elated I was to see the opening night lineup without Riley Cote and Arron Asham on the roster. While the Flyers don’t have a true heavyweight, they have plenty of toughness with Dan Carcillo and Ian Laperriere. I really thought Stevens was going to start the year with all four of these grinders on the ice (not to mention the nights when Ole-Kristian Tollefsen plays), and the resulting penalties and lack of offensive would sink the squad. Thankfully, cooler and smarter heads prevailed. And let’s give double thanks that rookies James vanRiemsdyk and Mika Pyorala were good enough to make the team (and look great). Granted, the team has still taken a ton of penalties and that’s going to continue, but the penalty kill has been fantastic and will need to continue to perform like a top-ten unit all year for the Flyers to have a chance. Sure, there will be nights when, depending on injuries and the team they’re playing, that Cote and Asham do dress, and tensions will boil over to resemble a scene from Slap Shot, but at least it will be interesting. Besides, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards look incredible right now, so maybe the team will still have enough offense on those nights to win.

It’s gonna be an interesting year, for sure, but regardless of what happens, I feel an orange and black attack coming on.

            With some playoff history in their very recent rear view mirror, these two teams will try to summon the ghosts of playoffs past.  For the Rox, their ascension to post season relevance is nearly as remarkable as their historic September of 2007 when they went berserk and stormed into the playoffs on the way to a first round sweep of the Phils.  The defending world f@*king champs, who admittedly lost some of their swagger in the final week of the season, aren’t looking as far back as Colorado, instead focusing on last year’s relatively easy run to the crown.

Without last year's swagger, this scene may not be 'repeated.'

            So, who do we like?

            Why the Phils will win

            It’s hard to overlook what this team did last year, going undefeated at home and losing only three games in the postseason.  Such experience can’t be overvalued, and though the team has some noticeably different parts (Cliff Lee, Raul Ibanez, J Happ), few teams get to boast the bling they earned in baseball’s second season. 

            With a lineup that’s almost video game good on most days, the Phightins’ can pound pitchers from both sides of the plate with a flurry of doubles and dongs.  Couple that with one of the league’s premier defenses, particularly up the middle, and the championship recipe isn’t all that much different than last year’s blend.

            For the Rockies, a young pitching staff that is a bit banged up could cause itself problems, and while the lineup does feature a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1B Todd Helton and a young stud SS in Troy Tulowitzki, the Phils’ is simply better 1-8.

'Tulo' could have a major say in the NLDS outcome.

            Lastly, despite what critics say about Phils’ skipper Charlie Manuel’s southern drawl and limited vocabulary, he has a knack for getting his guys to play.  While Rox manager Jim Tracy is a lock for NL Manager of the Year for his team’s unprecedented success after his hiring, he lacks what Manuel has.  A ring.

            Why the Rockies will win

            I have to admit that I’m terrified of this series.  The Phils’ 2008 championship was marked by a gutty, gritty approach to a September comeback that seems all too familiar to Mets fans.  They had to play their way in.  They had to get hot at the right time. Their pitching staff, from top to bottom, gelled at the most opportune time.  They had a certain quality I think this year’s version lacks. 

            Perhaps it was leading the division for so long.

            Perhaps it’s the World Series hangover.

            Perhaps it’s complacency.

            Whatever it is, I just don’t like them in this year’s NLDS like I did in last year’s.

            The pitching staff is just beleaguered by injuries and inconsistency right now, and I’ll spare myself a diatribe on the bullpen.  Moreover, when the game one starter isn’t clear cut two days before game one, that’s a problem.

The ghost of playoffs past could haunt Lidge and the Phils.

            The lineup, as I mentioned, is very good, but it also relies far too heavily on the long ball.  Last year’s championship was marked by a lack of production with RISP, a trend that certainly cannot be repeated.  Last year’s bench was much more formidable and could give opposing manager’s pause.  I’m not sure Tracy will be concerned about Eric Bruntlett, Miguel Cairo or Paul Bako in this NLDS.

            Rockies’ closer Huston Street has undergone his own Renaissance since his trade from Oakland in the Matt Holliday deal.  Though he is oft injured, Street’s 35 saves against 2 blown saves makes the Phils’ back end look even worse by comparison.

            If the Rockies can get early leads in games 1 and 2, like many teams have done against the Phils down the stretch, they could make this a very short series for the defending champs.

            Almost Prediction

            For some reason, I just don’t like this matchup for the Phils.  Phans of the champs would have much rather faced a Dodger team whose number the Phils have and who have played equally as poorly down the stretch.  Let’s face it; no NL team has repeated as champs since the 1975-76 Reds, so history is not on our side.

            Rockies take the series in four.