What's Up is Down

By Pat Callahan


Random thoughts from a former football genius...

- This is by far Tim and my worst year for making picks. How do you prognosticate when the Steelers have one less win than the 49ers? When the Pats lose two straight at home for the first time in the Belichik era? When Miami loses at home to Green Bay , then goes to Chicago and easily beats the Bears?

- The Birds are still in good shape, playoff-wise. Even with a daunting schedule ahead, the Giants have come back to the pack and are racked with injuries; Minnesota and St. Louis are pretenders; and Atlanta is way too inconsistent. If the Giants hold on in the East, Philly realistically will only be battling Dallas and Carolina for one of the two wild card spots.

- Peyton Manning is the NFL’s best quarterback; sorry, Timmy Mac...from the NFL Coaches handbook: never take points off the board. Rams Coach Scott Linehan did (a Jeff Wilkins FG) and ended up losing to Seattle by two….fantasy players: how many of you drafted Shaun Alexander instead of LT?...ESPN has got to cut it out with these in-game interviews. It is really an insult to true football fans who just want to watch the game. ESPN knows you are gonna watch, regardless – so shut up and watch. It’s a disgrace – what, three guys aren’t enough to tell me what’s going on, not including the two (females, of course) sideline reporters? You need to bring someone else in? Oh, for the old school days of Ray Scott and Paul Christman.

Keep listening.