Football Fever

No, I am not the one with the fever... it's the NFL that's ailing. Everywhere you look in the National Football League, you are met with sickening mediocrity. Not even my beloved Cowboys are exempt from the virus that has infected the league. After winning a huge victory over the seemingly invinceable Colts, the Cowboys have been humiliated not once, but twice, by the Saints, and the Eagles. And now, in retrospect, the win over the then 9-0 Colts is not so impressive, since Payton's team has lost 4 of their last 6 games.

Take a look around the league, and there are only 6 teams that have double digits in the win column, and all of them have clinched their division with plenty of breathing room. When you look at these teams, you can easily point out several teams that have gotten such a record by merely avoiding losses, rather than actually winning games.

In the NFC you have Chigago, for instance, with a record of 13-2. When you consider that only 2 teams they have beaten have a winning record, then you start to realize that they aren't as great as their record may reflect. When you look at the Saints, who have a record of 10-5, you see their most recent loss to a weak 5-10 Redskins team, and couple that with the fact that only 2 of their wins come off of teams with winning records. Seattle is at the top of the NFC West, with a poultry record of 8-7, and trying to end their 3 game losing streak this Sunday. When you consider they have only beaten one team with a winning record you start to see the reality of their situation. And last on the list, merely because they just dethroned the Cowboys from the NFC East, is the Philadelphia Eagles. Left for dead after the injury to McNabb, they are considered to be the red hot team in the NFC, trying to extend their 4 game winning streak this week, and coming off of a stomping win over Dallas. But, put them under the microscope and you find that they have only won 2 games against teams with a winning record, and dang if they both weren't against my Cowboys.

Let's examine what the press has called the stronger of the two conferences, the AFC. In the AFC East you have the Patriots at 11-4, who have only beaten 2 teams with a winning record. In the North conference, you have Baltimore who are coming off of a 3 game winning streak and a record of 12-3. They have only proven to be better than winning teams 4 times this season. Indianapolis looks good on paper when you consider they have beaten 7 teams with winning records, to contribute to their 11-4 record. But they were 9-0 at one point and have fallen 4 times in their last 6 games, with pitiful showings from their defense. The only team that has played solid and consistent football in the AFC has been the 13-2 San Diego Chargers, who are on a 9 game winning streak, with 6 of their wins coming against teams with a winning record.

All in all we are seeing the level of play around the league reach a level that should be embarassing to the players on the field. If I were to choose a Superbowl combination out of this bunch I would be stumped in the NFC, and only mildly confident about an AFC champ. But here it goes:

Tony's week 16 Superbowl picks:

San Diego Chargers vs New Orleans Saints

The Very First Noel on DVD

I forgot to mention this here... That little Christmas special I worked on is out on DVD now. Grab a copy of your own at this website:

The Very First Noel

It is a nicely stylized and well animated story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of the 3 wise men, narrated by Andy Griffith. This is destined to be a classic in my opinion. The writing is superb and the music is outstanding. I enjoyed working on the project immensely, and now have my copy on DVD. I feel it's a must have for any Christian home.