Super Bowl XLIII

I always find the Super Bowl to be a hilarious event…there are usually a bunch of guys gathered to see a good football game and then a bunch of girls who are there to watch funny commercials and the half time act….therefore it is hard to determine when talking is allowed.  I root for talking during the actual playing of the game…you don’t have to hear anything to see a bunch of guys running and tackling each other.  But, like usual, I digress…now onto the game. 

First of all, whats up with the Roman numerals?  Does the NFL think that they’re so cool that they’re above just calling it Super Bowl 43?  How hard would that be?  I mean, the one good thing is that it keeps me practicing the Roman numerals….Anyway, I digress.  The “Big Game” is finally here, and since the two teams who are playing on Sunday are rather understated and modest, there hasn’t been too much of the usual over the top hype for the game.  Well, I am here to change that.  How, by giving you some of the unrelentless hype that you’ve come to expect from the Super Bowl?  Of course not, who do you think I am, ESPN?  I’m here to tell you the important things, aka how to look good at your Super Bowl party on Sunday.

That being said, here are  a couple of key storylines that you need to know:

• The Cardinals head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, used to be the offensive coordinator for the Steelers.  He was passed over, along with Russ Grimm, one of his assistants, when the Steelers hired Mike Tomlin as their head coach a few years ago.  Both coaches are in their second season, and both teams are happy with their decisions.  It will be interesting to see if Whisenhunt’s experience with the Steelers will give the Cardinals an edge on Sunday.
• The Cardinals quarterback, Kurt Warner, will be starting his third Super Bowl game.  He is 1-1 in his first two, both as QB of the Rams,  having beaten the Titans in Super Bowl XXIV and losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXVI. 
• Two of the Steelers best offensive players,their QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Hines Ward, are battling injuries coming in to the game… Roethlisberger has a sore shoulder and ribs, while Ward has a sprained MCL. 
• In case you were wondering, the Steelers have won 5 Super Bowls in their history, while the Cardinals have never won one.  In fact the Cardinals have the second longest title drought of any team in pro sports (60 years), behind only the Chicago Cubs (100 years). 
• Larry Fitzgerald, the wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals played college football for Pittsburgh…talk about the irony….

Hopefully you’re going to be watching the game with family or friends on Sunday, and by the way, this girl will be rooting for the Cardinals… remember my post about Larry Fitzgerald…well it wasn’t too hard to pick after that…hopefully you have the “Cardinals 1, Steelers 0″ block in your block pool, because the Cardinals are going to pull the upset:  Cardinals 31, Steelers 20 (this part is my husband’s prediction…I think it is a high score, but we will see who is right. 

Now, if you are going to be hanging out with a bunch of people for the game and want to wear the colors of one of the teams…go with red & white for the Cardinals and black and gold for the Steelers (as I’ve noted before, who really wants to look like a bumble bee?)

Enjoy the game, I’ll be back with some non-football posts during the week!

-sportsgirl

PS…sorry girls, I haven’t heard much excitement about the commercials this year, but at least we have Bruce Springsteen to look forward to at half time.  Oh..and if you are a fan of “The Office” then you have an hour episode after the game as well….Monday could be a good “personal day.”  This sportsgirl already took the day off..not for the game, but because I am away for the weekend….enjoy

And the hype begins…

In my last post I talked a little bit about the excitement that I’m feeling since the upcoming Super Bowl is the last football game we’ll have to suffer through until August/September…. well, the downside to that anticipation is that the hype building up to the game is almost unbearable.  On the bright side though, a lot of the stories that will come out in the next few weeks will appeal to us girls, and hey, can’t complain about that, right?  We need something to keep us interested between commercials!

One of the first “interesting for a girl” pieces that I read appeared on ESPN.com earlier today, written by Rick Reilly, who used to write for Sports Illustrated.  His article talks about the Cardinals awesome wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and his father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., who happens to be a pretty big-name sportswriter for a paper in Minnesota.  Well, of course Larry Sr. has to cover the game in Tampa, and there is a rule in sports that no cheering is allowed in the press box, so he will have to sit silently, work and watch his eldest  son play in the Super Bowl.  Could you even imagine how hard that would be?  Also some pretty interesting stuff in there about his hair and its connection to his Mom…it seriously brought tears to my eyes…I love Larry Fitzgerald and his dad….so cute.

 

Check out Reilly’s article and start getting in to the hype so you’re prepared to dazzle at your Super Bowl parties… seriously, sportsgirl might have a new favorite wide receiver even though his squad defeated my beloved Eagles last week.   I might even draft him first in Fantasy Football because of this article (JK guys).  And don’t forget to keep an eye on college basketball, the season is starting to heat up and I’ll be writing more about it, whether I like it or not (blahhhh).  Until then…

-sportsgirl

 

PS…if there is anything else that you want to hear about, let me know…I already got a request for some hockey stuff…so I need to read up

And then, there was 1…

Ladies, I can’t even believe we’ve made it to this point, but we are finally to the point of the year where after Sunday, there will only be one football game left to suffer through!  Now, obviously that game is pretty big, and I’ll have lots to write about the many subplots in the coming weeks, but can you believe we made it?!?!  That being said, Sunday’s two conference championship games, which decide who gets to play in the Super Bowl, will be opportunities for many of you to gather with friends or family and watch the games, relaxing and basking in the anticipation of a well-deserved day off on Monday.  Here’s some good info that will help keep you up to speed, making you that all-knowing sports fan in the eyes of your friends and family:

Philadelphia at Arizona (3:00 EST, FOX)

• The Eagles have now made it to the NFC Championship game five times in the past eight years… pretty impressive in itself, but when you consider that they are 1-3 in the first 4 appearances and haven’t brought an elusive Super Bowl championship back to Philadelphia, the Philly fans are still a little bit restless.  
• This will be the second road NFC championship game in that span for the Eagles, the last time they were the visitor in this game was when they lost to St. Louis after the 2001 season.
• The Cardinals play their games at the University of Phoenix, in Glendale, AZ…now the cool thing about this stadium is that the field is fully removable…since the stadium is in a dome with a retractable roof, the field crew put the turf out in a secure field to get sun and then put the turf back into the stadium before the game….I just say…keep the roof open during the week…seems like a lot of work.
• The Cardinals have never (that’s right, NEVER) made it to the NFC Championship game before… they are hoping to keep their hot streak going with a win at home on Sunday over the Eagles.
• Last week the Eagles beat the defending Super Bowl Champion NY Giants (sorry Christine)… did you know that in the history of the conference playoffs, teams that beat the defending Super Bowl champs are 0-11 in their next games?  Not a good sign for Eagles fans, but as I usually say…there is a first time for everything…Philly is hot right now after a World Series Win in October!
• Eagles fullback Dan Klecko will be trying to advance to the Super Bowl with his third different team, after having played in previous Super Bowls for the Colts and Patriots… his team has never lost a playoff game when he is active (Eagles fans are hoping he is active tomorrow!)

Now if you are going to a Cardinals vs Eagles party….it would be smart to dress appropriately…Cardinals are red & white and Eagles are green & black…my theory is…”green” is all the rage…so if you can’t decide…you can at least say that you are being “green!”

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (6:30 EST, CBS)

• The Ravens and their outstanding defense will visit the cold in Pittsburgh on Sunday, in what could be a fun game to watch since there is a chance of snow.  These two teams have had slightly more historical success in their histories than the teams on the NFC side… The Steelers (5) and the Ravens (1) have combined for six Super Bowl titles in the 42 years since Super Bowl I.  The Eagles and Cardinals have combined for…. zero..again, there is a first for everything.
• These two teams have already played twice this season, and the Steelers won both times, but both were close games:  one was decided by 4 points, the other by 3 points.
• This is the fifth time in history that two divisional foes will meet in a conference championship game after one team swept the season series… 3 out of the past 4 times the team that was victorious during the regular season completed the sweep in the conference championship game (the 1982 Dolphins over the Jets, the 1986 Giants over the Redskins, and the 1999 Titans over the Jaguars… the only team that lost in that situation was the 1983 Seahawks, who lost to the Raiders in the AFC Championship.)

If you are going to a party to watch this game…and want to dress appropriately, the Steelers are black and yellow and the Ravens are black and purple…unless you are a huge Steelers fan (sorry friends)…root for the Ravens…you don’t want to be at a party looking like a bumble bee, now do you?

So, hopefully you will be enjoying the games on Sunday in a nice warm place… speaking of warm places, although the Cardinals stadium is a retractable dome and the weather will be great in Phoenix, look for the roof to be closed so the crowd noise echoes and affects the Eagles (at least thats what the Cardinals are hoping… should we remind them about that game on Thanksgiving night?)  Enjoy the games!

-sportsgirl

The third time is the charm

Hey ladies… so the first two games of the NFL Divisional Playoffs are in the books, and both road teams came out victorious, with Baltimore and Arizona moving on to the AFC and NFC championship games. One cool stat from Saturday’s games…Joe Flacco, the Baltimore Ravens’ QB is the first rookie to win 2 playoff games….craziness… So,  Sunday brings us two interesting matchups, the Chargers visiting the cold weather in Pittsburgh, and the Eagles travelling up the NJ Turnpike to take on their division rival the NY Giants.  Here’s a couple of facts to keep you in the know for tomorrow’s games, and at the insistence of my loyal reader Christine, a pick for the popular Eagles-Giants game in the Meadowlands.

San Diego at Pittsburgh, (4:30 EST, CBS)

• The Chargers all-world running back LaDainian Tomlinson is probably not going to play due to a torn tendon in the groin area… doesn’t sound very pleasant if you ask me, almost sounds like something an angry girlfriend might inflict on a guy.
• The wind-chill in Pittsburgh is expected to be at or below zero, so I’m guessing the boys from Southern California might not be too comfortable on the frozen sludge of Heinz Field. 
• The replacement for Tomlinson is Darren Sproles, who is listed at 5′6″, which apparently is also a “generous” listing, meaning he is likely even shorter than that.  Can you imagine playing in the NFL at 5′6″?  That’s 3 inches shorter than me, and I’m a little bit intimidated just watching on TV.

Philadelphia at NY Giants (1:00 EST, FOX)

• The Eagles are the sixth and lowest seed in the NFC playoffs, while the Giants are the #1 seed and have homefield advantage up until the Super Bowl.  Since these two teams play in the same division, they have already played twice this year, with each team winning on the road.
• I was a little nervous when my husband’s Sports Illustrated came in the mail…the Eagles were on the cover highlighting their victory over the Minnesota Vikings.  If you are wondering why I was nervous…well that is because there is a “curse” that when a player or team are on the cover…that player/team loses.  My husband reassured me that the cover was done on a regional basis, not national…so maybe this means the “curse” does not apply???
• Apparently the wind currents at Giants Stadium are pretty vicious, which wouldn’t be good for the hair if you were attending the game (Thank goodness that a ponytail is a very “in” hairstyle at all times…) Look for the wind to play a big factor either in the kicking or passing aspects of this game…Eagles kicker David Akers is only 7 for 16 kicking field goals in his career at Giants Stadium.
• As I mentioned before, both road teams advanced on Saturday, and my husband says usually only one or maybe two of the road teams win on this weekend in the playoffs each year.  This doesn’t bode well for the Eagles’ odds.  But… I can’t let two totally independent situations impact my pick.  Therefore, here’s the prediction:  The third matchup between these teams will be the charm for the Eagles.  The winds will cause the Giants to muff a big punt from the Eagles midway through the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles prime field position for a short Akers field goal and a 16-14 Eagles win, setting up a date in the desert next week for the Eagles and the Cardinals.  (And ladies, if you want to seem like you really don’t have a clue on Sunday just say that both of the ‘Bird’ teams won on Saturday, why not continue the trend on Sunday?)

Obviously my pick is a bit biased, but hey, can you blame me?  We’ll see what happens in the games… keep in mind that after Sunday there are only 3 football games left in the season, which means the man in your life might actually pay attention to you on Sunday!  Enjoy the games.

-sportsgirl

A lot can happen in 21 years…

So the second round of the NFL playoffs is upon us, with two games coming up on Saturday at 4:30 and 8:00.  For those of you who are veteran football fans, apparently the games used to start at 12:30 and 4:00, but a few years ago they determined that they might get more viewers and interest if they started the Saturday games later (Gee, you think?  No one I know likes to go out with friends and watch football on a Saturday night… How could it have taken that long to figure this out?  Plus, this lets us ladies get our Sat. morning shopping done…before the social hour(s) begin)  Anyway, I digress.  Saturday’s matchups are intriguing for a few reasons… if you happen to be out celebrating your 21st birthday on Saturday night you won’t know the difference, but if you’re older you may notice a common thread:  none of these teams that are playing on Saturday were in existence 21 years ago.

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans (4:30 EST, CBS)

• These two teams currently do battle in the AFC North and AFC South, respectively.  Did you know that those divisions weren’t even in existence until this century?  These teams used to do battle as part of the AFC Central, with Warren Moon and Bernie Kosar leading their teams into battle back in the 1980’s (well, at least thats what my husband told me…I have no idea who these guy are….but their names are much more classic than say “Ocho Cinco”.

 

Apparently this is Warren Moon...

 

 

• The Baltimore Ravens have only been around since 1996… after the 1995 season Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell packed up the franchise and moved to Baltimore, but a series of legal challenges forced him to the leave the “Browns” identity behind, and thus the old Cleveland Browns are now the Baltimore Ravens.  Good trivia question to stump your friends… which current Baltimore Raven was on the team when the move took place?  Kicker Matt Stover… in fact, he is the only active player remaining in the entire NFL from the original Cleveland Browns. (Love this fact…)
• The Tennessee Titans were “born” in 1997 when the Houston Oilers moved to the Smoky Mountain State.  They played their games in Memphis for two years as the “Tennessee Oilers” until their stadium in Nashville was ready, and in 1999 became the “Titans”.  Another fun trivia question… there is one remaining active player in the NFL who played for the Houston Oilers, can you name him?  Answer to come at the end….ha ha…that’s just to keep you reading…

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (8:00 EST, FOX)

• It might seem as if the Cardinals have been around as doormats forever… they have, just not in their current location.  After the 1987 season the St. Louis Cardinals packed up and moved to the desert, playing their games in Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium until a couple of years ago.  (And yes, St. Louis used to have two teams named the Cardinals, one in baseball and one in football..at least if you were a girl during that time you had a good shot of knowing the name of the pro team).
• The Carolina Panthers are an NFL expansion team that started play in 1995.  Based in Charlotte, they have played in one Super Bowl, losing to the Patriots after the 2003 season.  Their owner, Jerry Richardson, was a good NFL player in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s… if you’re looking for a team to root for in the playoffs it might be his, a few weeks ago he was placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant, so maybe a winning team will do him some good.
• When the Cardinals beat the Falcons last week it was only their second playoff win in the last 60 years, not a very impressive record if you ask me, and they are a pretty solid underdog heading into this game.  Their record coming to the East Coast has been awful, they are 0-5 this year in Eastern time zone games.

Hopefully that is some good info you can use to impress your friends/family/potential dates, etc as you watch the games on a potentially snowy Saturday night in the Northeastern part of the country.  I know that a lot of you out there are looking forward to my Eagles-Giants preview tomorrow… patience is a virtue, and good things will come to those who wait.  Oh…and for those of you who waited for the answer to the earlier question, the last remaining Houston Oiler is Jon Runyan, currently an offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles.  

Until my preview tomorrow…

-sportsgirl

All I Want for Christmas is a Break From Sports….

Hey ladies… hopefully you made it through Monday. I am totally in countdown mode for my holiday vacation to kick in….I am so over sports right now because I have gifts to still buy, parties to attend and decorating to finish.    Just a quick post here to recap another weekend full of sports.  Maybe you were lucky enough to avoid a heavy dose of televised football and basketball, but I’m sure some of you weren’t, and I’m sure that some of you want to impress the cute guy at the office, so that being said, here’s what happened this weekend:

• On the “Hot Stove”… what’s the “Hot Stove”, you may ask??  Thats what my husband tells me they call offseason baseball talk and transactions since the thoughts of baseball keep you warm in the winter… Anyway, the Phillies made some news by signing 46 year old Jamie Moyer to a new contract… not just a one year contract, but a 2 year contract!  This is crazy, it means that he’s going to be a professional athlete when he’s 48 years old, which is comparable to a woman being a 48 year old Victoria’s secret model….and I don’t know if you saw the Victoria Secret fashion show a few weeks ago…but I can’t even imagine.  Also, it is confirmed that Pat Burrell will not be returing to the Phillies…at least he got to ride in the carriage pulled by the Clydesdales for the Phillies World Series parade…I am sure he is super disappointed though….
• In the NFL, the Cowboys put aside their differences to beat the Giants in a big Sunday night game.  In case you hadn’t noticed, the Cowboys, particularly Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, and Tony Romo, have been bickering more than the cast of “The Hills”, but apparently they were able to overcome it for one night and beat the Giants to keep their playoff hopes alive.
• Sam Bradford, who is Oklahoma’s QB, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.  He seemed to be a pretty nice soft-spoken guy at the ceremony, and he’s only a sophomore, so there’s always the chance he could join the very thin ranks of multiple Heisman winners (can you name any of them?  More on that next time)

 

Sam Bradford...Cute or Not Cute???? The verdict is still out....

 

 

Also…one more thing that I almost forgot to tell you….if your man is involved in Fantasy Football…which it seems like pretty much every guys is….most leagues have the championship coming up this weekend…therefore you might notice the guys in your life having a little more free time and away from their computer…enjoy it…

 

Hope you’re enjoying the week so far and making it through, the holidays are almost here (along with College Football bowl season, which starts Saturday! Ummm, I’m not so psyched)  I’ll have the answers on the multiple Heisman winners next time, along with an update on some things to watch for later this week.  Until then…here’s to wishing that next week I can have a small break from any sports on the television (doubtful.. but we’ll see)…

-sportsgirl

Everything comes back into fashion…

Hey ladies… a shortened post today due to some time constraints, but wanted to give you a quick overview of what you need to know for this Sunday’s Week 14 NFL games… there are two games that will be the focus, with one of them in particular conjuring up memories of the 1970’s… here’s a quick look at what you need to know, if you’re not lucky enough to escape to do some shopping:

Dallas (8-4) at Pittsburgh (9-3), 4:15 EST (FOX)

Bell bottoms, plaid, oversized sunglasses, Cowboys vs. Steelers… wait a minute, Cowboys vs. Steelers?  Thats right girls, you may have heard your Mom or an older relative always tell you that fashion is cyclical, everything that goes out will eventually come back into style, and the same holds true for this great NFL rivalry.  The Cowboys and Steelers were consistently the two best teams in the 1970’s, and the two franchises have met each other in the Super Bowl three times (X, XIII, and XXX).  The rivalry is renewed this weekend, as the Cowboys visit Pittsburgh for the teams second meeting this decade (the Steelers won 24-20 in 2004).  Should be a good game, and the two quarterbacks in this one also have been known to date some pretty famous girls, so keep your eyes on the fan shots during the broadcast.

Philadelphia (6-5-1) at New York Giants (11-1), 1:00 EST (FOX)

This might seem to be a bit of a mismatch on paper (the Giants are favored by a touchdown), but these two teams always seem to play very close games against each other.  The Giants have had a lot of controversy over the past week, with Plaxico Burress’ self-inflicted gunshot wound and Antonio Pierce’s alleged cover-up, so this game won’t lack any off-the-field drama for the announcers to discuss and you to chat about with your viewing partners.  Also, the Eagles QB Donovan McNabb welcomed twins to his family last week prior to Thanksgiving, so maybe we’ll see if he can win a big division game for his new kids.. after all, if the Eagles lose one more game their playoff hopes are officially toast.

Sorry for the shortened post today ladies, hopefully this will give you at least some of the crucial facts for Sunday’s games while you’re watching, decorating the tree, dreaming of new clothes, etc.  Hope you’re having a great weekend, I’ll be back soon with a recap of some key events this weekend and also a little more basketball info.  Until then,

-sportsgirl

You shot yourself in the leg? Sounds like “old school” Britney…

OK ladies.   As college football winds down and the NFL heads toward the playoffs I’ve been hearing about some other women who are having the same problems I’ve been experiencing (TV permanently showing football games, husbands/boyfriends who wouldn’t notice if you suddenly gained 60 lbs and didn’t shave for a month, etc).  These are not good times.  Of course we’d all like to be watching Gossip Girl or be out shopping for new clothes, but when all else fails and you’re really miserable in front of the TV, just remember that at least you didn’t pull a “Plaxico”.  What is a “Plaxico”, you ask?  Allow me to explain, within the context of two of today’s top games:

New York Giants (10-1) at Washington Redskins (7-4), 1:00 EST FOX

• Plaxico Burress is the best wide receiver on the Giants, and he is also a bit of a headcase/problem child.  You may remember him or his name because he caught the winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning in the Super Bowl last year to take down the previously undefeated Patriots.  In addition, he has had a tumultuous year in that he has had a few suspensions and fines from the league for his behavior on the field, not showing up to practice, etc.  Well, Plaxico decided that catching the winning TD in the Super Bowl isn’t an adequate way to be remembered, so he elevated his game.  While out at a Manhattan nightclub on Friday night, Plaxico accidentally shot himself in the leg!!!!!  First of all, why do you need a gun when you’re out at a nightclub?  I am sure he has a ton of body guards or at least some big guys who are part of his group that were out with him if any problems were to arise.   Second of all, how exactly do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg?  He was going to miss today’s game with a previous injury anyway, but a gunshot wound tends to keep you out a bit longer than a strained hamstring…This guy seems a little crazy to me…sort of like Britney Spears last year when she just kept digging herself in a deeper whole with all of her antics…its like, when is it enough?  It seems that Britney is back to her old self…lets hope that Burress can get there too…hopefully this was the last straw..
• This is an important NFC East divisional battle, as the Redskins (7-4), need to keep pace with the Cowboys (8-4) and a few other teams in the NFC in the Wild Card chase.  The Giants (10-1) have a pretty dominating lead in the division title race, but every win counts as we approach the playoffs and battle for home-field advantage.
• Besides the Plaxico Burress storyline…there is more drama as the Washington Redskins will be honoring the late Sean Taylor who was killed in a home invasion a year ago today.  Running back star for the Redskins, Clinton Portis, will be carrying a flag in his honor in the beginning of the game…I am sure this will be televised…and this sort of thing usually pulls at the heartstrings of us ladies…so might be worth catching the first 5 mins….then back to decorating.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at New England Patriots (7-4), 4:15 EST CBS

• Patriots QB Matt Cassel started out slow but has been making big strides in his development each week as he fills in for the injured Tom Brady.  He has thrown for over 400 yards in the last two games, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this trend up against the tough Steelers defense.  
• These teams played at New England in December of last season, and the Patriots embarrassed the Steelers 34-13, on their way to the undefeated 16-0 regular season.  I’m guessing that the Steelers haven’t forgotten about that beating and will be out for a little revenge this afternoon…
• Also, the Patriots are usually very strong after the Thanksgiving holiday…I read on FoxSports.com, that looking historically at all of the games that the Patriots have played in the week following Thanksgiving since 2001, their record would be 48-9…the Steelers will need to come on strong to close the gap in this stat.  
• This game is the national TV game at 4:15 today ladies, so unfortunately most of your televisions will be tuned in to it.  One thing that could make it a little bit more interesting to watch, although not quite as interesting as a good “Lifetime” Christmas movie, is that the weather is supposed to be lousy for the game today in New England, lots of mud and sliding around, should be slightly entertaining.  Actually, the only place that mud is truly entertaining is when it involves a nice luxurious spa treatment, but thats another story.

Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend, and maybe you’re wrapping it up today by doing some holiday decorating around the house and trying to pry your guy away from the TV so he can help you with the lights… fat chance, I’m sure.  Here’s something to keep in mind:  today is only 9 weeks until the Super Bowl, and the period after the Super Bowl is typically the worst sports period of the year (aka “heaven” for the ladies)… but more on that later.   For now, enjoy the games (if you have to) and the rest of your holiday weekend.

-sportsgirl

If the Stores Are Closed Shouldn’t Sports in General Take the Day Off Too???

Well ladies, one of the more popular days of the sports year is here.  Apparently for most guys there is nothing better than a day that consists of sleeping in, eating a huge, delicious meal, and ‘working it all off’ by dozing off in front of football games on a nice HDTV.  Doesn’t sound quite as good as shopping, champagne, and a good chick flick to me, but hey, their loss.  Anyway, here’s some good facts that will impress everyone at the Thanksgiving feast…

Thanksgiving and football are linked together unlike any other holiday with a particular sport.  Tradition plays a big factor in the scheduling of the games each year too… you probably haven’t noticed but the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are always the home teams for the two Thanksgiving Day afternoon games.  Do you know why, or how that started?  Didn’t think so, and thats why I’m here:

• The Detroit Lions were the first team to start the tradition… in 1934, their owner decided to schedule the game on Thanksgiving as a way to draw additional fans to the games.  The attendance at the Thanksgiving game doubled their average for the previous home dates, and the tradition was born. Since 1934, the Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game every year, except for a six year gap during World War II (if anyone at your Thanksgiving day gathering is old enough to remember this, well, they deserve a toast and another glass of wine).  This year the winless Lions take on the Titans (12:30 EST, CBS), in what should be an easy win for the Titans, although the Lions usually play well on Thanksgiving.

• In the mid 1960’s the NFL was starting to become more popular, so league executives went searching for another team willing to host a Thanksgiving Day game in addition to the Lions.  Incredibly, none of the teams wanted to do it, saying that scheduling a Thursday game so late in the season would disrupt their routines… but, the Cowboys decided to accept the chance and they played their first Turkey day game in 1966… it became incredibly popular, and that season was the first of 20 straight winning seasons for the Cowboys.  The Cowboys have hosted a game on every Thanksgiving afternoon since then, except for 1975 and 1977.  This year the Seattle Seahawks are paying a visit to Big D (4:00 EST, FOX)… Dallas is a big favorite, and rightfully so… keep an eye out to see if Tony “ouch my pinkie” Romo still has the splint on his finger, and also keep an eye in the stands to see if Jessica Simpson is there too…the controversy…missing dinner with the family to see your boyfriend play football….interesting…

• Two years ago the NFL decided to expand its Thanksgiving schedule by adding a night game that would be televised on the NFL Network.  That game rotates between different teams each year, and this year it involves the Cardinals at the Eagles.  At least the whole country will be able to watch the next chapter of the McNabb-Reid saga unfold.

OK…I think we have some good facts here for the big Thanksgiving celebration….but if you want to get out of watching football…I have a few ideas for you….

1.  Feed the sports-lovers a TON of turkey…its supposedly loaded with that tryptophan stuff which makes you sleepy…they can all fall asleep and you can watch what you want on TV.  

2.  Surf the web in the AM of T-giving and search out the best price for a plasma tv…print out the information, hand it to your guy and urge him to go stand in line at Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart or wherever nice and early so he can get the good deal and a new TV…he will be so shocked you are allowing the purchase that he won’t rationalize the situation…

3.  If the ladies cooked the dinner, announce to everyone that it is “guys do the dishes” type of Thanksgiving…explain that this is an equal opportunity celebration…and claim the tv before he gets a chance…

I am sure there are plenty of other ideas you can think of…these are just my top 3!

 

Alright, have a fantastic Thanksgiving…I want to THANK YOU for continuing to read my blog and pass it on!  I will be back tomorrow with your College Football info….

- sportsgirl

If These Were Girls…They Wouldn’t Need an Excuse to Drink Champagne…

OK ladies, we’ve made it through another weekend of sports.   Here’s what you need to know to stay knowledgeable when you’re back at the office for another ‘thrilling’ Monday morning…the only thing that I can say is…it is a short week…we can do this!

In the NFL, the Titans lost their first game of the season, falling to the Jets at home, bringing their record to 10-1.  Looks like the 1972 Dolphins can pop their champagne, as there will be no undefeated team this season… and unfortunately the Tennessee loss eliminates the chance for the first ever 11-0 against 0-11 matchup on Thanksgiving day when the Titans visit Detroit.  As for me, I’m always up for popping some champagne, maybe I’ll have to celebrate with them…plus you can’t beat the warm Miami weather…I am already sick of the cold weather here…

The big controversy of the NFL weekend was the benching of Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.  The Eagles were routed by the Ravens in Baltimore, and McNabb’s typical erratic performance in the first half landed him a prime spot on the sidelines for the second half.  Kevin Kolb is the back-up QB for the Eagles and he also did not give a good performance …this means that most likely the big story in Philly all weekend will be whether or not McNabb will play in the Thanksgiving Night came against the Arizona Cardinals…. Does this lead to the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philly?  We’ll have to see, but I must say that all good things must come to an end at some point… although some should get the chance to stay around a little longer (Lipstick Jungle, Dirty Sexy Money, and a few of my other favorite shows).

 

In college football, Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech on Saturday night, setting up the potential for even more BCS chaos.  In case you didn’t know, the BCS method for setting up the National Championship game is pretty controversial, and a lot of people (including the President-elect) are in support of setting up a playoff system.  Now that there is only one unbeaten team remaining (Alabama), there will be a number of one-loss teams staking their claim to a matchup in the National Championship game.  Alabama and Florida will play in the SEC Championship game in two weeks, and if Florida wins that game then there will really be some controversy. 

Other College Football news is that Penn State clinched their place at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day when they beat Michigan State….the crazy thing is that on Sunday (one day after their win)…JoPa (Joe Paterno), the coach, had hip replacement surgery and should be able to coach at the RoseBowl…just from the press box…this man just doesn’t want to give up…I hope for him that Penn State wins the RoseBowl…just in case he is finally ready to retire after this season. 

 

Alright…I will be back with a bunch of sports information this week…with the Thanksgiving holiday this week, there is plenty of sports to watch…UNFORTUNATELY. 

Have a nice short week….

-sportsgirl