Football and other things that make me mad

1. You're right on the Panthers. I thought they were lucky to be there last year. Now Steve Smith is gone too? Forget it. 38 yards from Davis and Foster combined? They're done. The Packers--not the best team in the league by anyone's stretch of imagination--just kicked them in the crotch. Or, more appropriately, Ahman Green kicked them in the crotch. Thank goodness he's on one of my fantasy squads. Panthers are a joke, and will, by my modest (know- nothing) prediction, finish out of the playoffs along with the Patriots, the Ravens, and all the sucky teams like Arizona.

2. Quote in the Tennessean yesterday from the Titans said something akin to: If Chris Brown can't go against the Colts, we're confident in Smith and Holcolmb to get the job done.

Really?! Seriously?!?! Are you kidding me? It's not like the Titans are Denver (who, by my count, has had at least three consecutive awesome running games...leading me to speculate that it's as much about Denver's kick-ass ability to run block as it is about the runner). I mean, if we're confident in an aging Halfback and a vaguely known Fullback to carry the running load, then Eddie George and Greg Comella would still be wearing Tennessee colors and starting every game this year! That's retarded. We need Chris Brown and he proved why in the preseason and in Miami. We need a runner that can kick ass....period. If the Pats were confident Smith could kick ass, wouldn't the twice-champion team have kept him? I would love to see the day when a head coach answers such a question about a star player's injury with something refreshingly honest like, "Yeah, we're real concerned about that. We're totally f***ed if he can't come back." I mean...I know teams like to keep a positive spin in the media, and want to stay optimistic, but sometimes it's just silly. It's like Indy losing Peyton, Marvin, and Edge in one game and saying, "we're confident that Rhodes, Mungro, and our backup QB, whose name I can't even remember, can get the job done."

3. Here is a truism....a saying completely busting with sooth: If you're in more than one fantasy league, you'd better draft the same exact guys in each league or you are positively screwed. You'll go batty rooting for Shawn Alexander while you're rooting against him. Someone get a straightjacket ready for me, because I'm going to need it by week 10 for sure.

4. I think the Vikings, the Eagles, The Colts, and the Bengals will all be prominent players in the post-season. I'd say the Seahawks too, but everyone thinks that. People are wrong about the Patriots, the Panthers, the Packers, the Ravens, the Chiefs, and the Titans.

5. I'm watching the final game of the World Cup of Hockey right now. Canada kicks ass. They are the yankees of the world hockey competitions....too freaking stacked. Might have something to do with the fact that they invented and perfected the sport. Regardless...it's the last hockey game I'll see professionals play in a looooooooooooooong time. Sob.

6. Preds fans and hockey fans take note: The Admirals, reigning minor league Calder Cup Champions (best farm team in hockey) will play at least one game at the GEC this year, as announced by the team late last week. That's awesome. I'll so be there. It'll be cheap, plus the roster is stacked with current and future Preds like Shishkanoff, Upshall, Haydar, and tons others. And it's looking like Tootoo and Hamhuis will be there too, since the team wants them to get a whole year's playing time and they don't have to clear waivers if they get sent down. I'll be foaming at the mouth for hockey by then, so I'm going. I don't care if I miss my brother's wedding, my nephew's confirmation, or my own kidney transplant. Give me hockey!!

7. Last thing. The new ESPN NHL 2K5 is out and it rules hardcore. It is the single best video game ever, and a true hockey simulation. You can hook and slash and spear. You can deke and protect the puck. You can pin players on the boards, and you can literally control where the puck goes while you handle it. Most importantly, you can play finally play video hockey with the mindset and strategy of real hockey....and win. For years I've lost to bastards that find the glitch in the game, the one move the goalie can never stop, and then do that move over and over while I struggle mightily to set up a power play or a tic-tac-toe pass. At long last, there is a game that rewards the player who understands the flow and logic of hockey...and I'm in heaven. If you have an Xbox, buy this game. If you don't...buy and Xbox and then buy this game. Sports/Hockey fans will love it. Also, the announcers (Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, sounding as realistic as a real game with their comments) humorously mispronnounce Hamhuis's name as Hahm-Hoos. And they mistakenly place the emphasis on the second syllable of Vokoun and Hartnell's names. It's pretty funny. But hey, the Preds are really good in a hockey video game for once! Hazzah for the GameKeep!! It's like crack, only more addictive and without the pesky hassle of a trip to the ghetto to see Cheese, the dealer with a limp and one eye.