Yay Sports, Yay Report (Part I)

Alright, that's enough of politics for a moment. Now, on to sports. It's Divisional Playoff time this weekend, and here are my predictions:

New England over Jacksonville
If there is any game I might be wrong about, this is it. Jacksonville has all the pieces in place that, on paper, could drop the Patriots: a strong, two-headed running attack, a defense that bends but doesn't break, and a quarterback who can move out of the pocket and make plays. I think everybody in the country (except New England fans) is hoping for the legitimate Jaguars to pull off the upset over the annoyingly good Patriots...but with the way Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and that defense is playing, I just don't see it happening.

Indianapolis over San Diego
Last year, the entire conversation centered around Peyton Manning and his lack of a Super Bowl ring. He had an immense amount of pressure surrounding him and it showed in the Colts' first two playoff games, where he had mediocre games. This year, however, the pressure is on New England. Manning, a notorious perfectionist, will bring the Colts back to the AFC Championship.

Green Bay over Seattle
I am not sold on Seattle at all. They beat Washington, but the game was closer than the score indicated; were it not for a mistake or two late in the fourth quarter, the Redskins pull it out. Green Bay, however, is for real: Brett Favre taking big gulps out of the Fountain of Youth and playing like he did back in the day, a rushing attack that is surprisingly stout, and a playmaking defense. I think Green Bay is going to win, and they're going to win big.

New York over Dallas
Yep, the Upset Special is back. Since he was drafted, Eli Manning has recieved criticism for being a choke artist, unable to perform in big games. This year, it seems like he's beginning to shake it off. He played well against New England in a losing effort with literally the entire world watching, then efficiently picked through Tampa Bay's defense in the first round of the playoffs. I think the Cowboys are going to underestimate the Giants, and pay for it with elimination.

Steelers fans have recently learned that Hines Ward played a large part of the season with injuries that probably should have sidelined him. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the guy has more heart than just about anybody in the league. Not only did he play hurt for months, in a losing effort against Jacksonville he had ten catches for 135 yards. Here's hoping Hines recovers well from his surgery and comes back doubly dangerous next year.

And this is my open letter to Steelers management: Please, please, please do everything in your power to keep Alan Faneca on the team. The man is among the top two guards in the league (next to and perhaps ahead of Vikings G Steve Hutchinson) and has anchored the Steeler line for ten years. He's blocked for everybody from Bettis to Zereoue, Fu to Willie Parker, and has done it damned well. Anybody we get to replace him, no matter how good, will fall short and that will have adverse consequences for Willie, Ben, and the team as a whole. He's been the bright spot on an otherwise shaky line, and we cannot afford NOT to resign him.