NFL - late season excitement

[Roy Hersh]

Who are you rooting for? Does Port go with watching NFL games? Madeira? What do you envision will be the Division outcomes? Conference? SB?

[Andy Velebil]

Does Port go with watching NFL games?

Port goes with everything except soccer (where copious amounts of beer is required)

[Tom D.]

My first season as a fantasy football guy (playing in a league with some CellarTracker folks) has actually made it much more interesting to watch the games. I'm in the league's third-place game today, so will be watching several games with interest, especially having lost my two top scorers to injury last week. I'm also watching our local Green Bay Packers, who unexpectedly find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.

We've had great Port weather here this month, lots of snow and cold -- good hibernation weather. As I watch the games today, I'll be nursing the remains of a bottle of 66 Taylor left over from Christmas Dinner. I've had two incredibly good bottles of this in the past couple years, but this was one of several that has shown a bit too spirity for its generally light style, so we'll see if extended air helps at all...

[Roy Hersh]

My team is "blacked out" this weekend, so there's no paying to watch the game on DirecTV. I am bummed. Now I need to figure out if there is ANY way to watch the game LIVE on the web. If worst comes to worst I can pick up their radio feed, but am dying to watch. Can anybody help a guy out?

[Glenn E.]

Have you tried NFL.com? I think they stream some games from there, but I don't know which ones.

[Roy Hersh]

Today is the first time I ever paid to watch a NFL game, but the cost of a bottle of young Port was worth it. I had a blast watching my team dominate the KC Chiefs, embarrass them at home for bragging rights ... and going 6-0 within their Division having beaten KC, Denver and San Diego twice apiece this year. 8-8 and going nowhere this year, but a massive improvement and taking some steps towards becoming a force in the AFC after many years of dismal failures.

[Glenn E.]

I was cheering for the Raiders today because they just made history - they're the first team in the history of the NFL to sweep their division yet not qualify for the playoffs. So not a great way to make history, but it's still cool!

[Glenn E.]

And another mediocre team from the West makes history - the Seattle Seahawks are the first team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs with a losing record!

[Roy Hersh]

On the Seahawks ... a dismal 2nd half of the season collapse. They'll likely be one and done.

As for the Chiefs, they were badly exposed today. I suspect they will be beaten early and often next Sunday.

The Raiders' 6-0 record in the AFC West division was a great thing, because they got swept by the AFC South this season plus overall were 2-8 outside of their own division. Not a recipe for success. Nonetheless, the bigger deal for them is that this is the first non-losing record of any season since 2002. It means nothing more than they finally have gained a modicum of respect, beat four teams in smackdowns at least as brutal as today, if not even more domineering (remember the Seahawks game?). Tomorrow we could still read that they fire their coach. With Al Davis still running the show, it is like trying to bet on who will win the lottery.

[Roy Hersh]

In addition to the Chiefs being "upset" there were several others this week, probably the biggest 3 are:

Minnesota (or anyone) losing to Detroit

Tampa Bay beating New Orleans ... how????

Dallas beating the tough Eagles ... wow!

[Moses Botbol]

This Masshole is rooting for the Pats all the way! I prefer Madeira with NFL, Port with NHL.

[Eric Menchen]

Minnesota (or anyone) losing to Detroit

Detroit was a bit of a force this season. They won 6, and were within a touchdown of winning in 6 more games.

[Roy Hersh]

Honestly Eric, I was very happy to see Detroit doing "better" this year. It was certainly a turn around rebuilding year. Good for the psyche of those who are in the devastated state of MI. I am happy when they have something to cheer about there as it is not often with the Lions that they ever get to be excited.

Now onto the playoffs, does anybody here care?

[Moses Botbol]

Honestly Eric, I was very happy to see Detroit doing "better" this year.

They may not win as much as they deserve, but Detroit has been good at covering the line for couple seasons.

[Roy Hersh]

Wow, the Seahawks dismantling Drew Brees and the former NFL Champions, New Orleans Saints today 41-36. Matt Hasselbeck throws 4 TDs? This was a 7-9 team beating up on a world class thoroughbred 13-3 team. Stranger than fiction!

P.S. I am not a Seahawks fan, but I do root for the hometeam, at least when my team is not in the running.

[Glenn E.]

Breaking News:

Residents of major cities across the nation were startled this evening by huge flocks of crows taking to the air. Ornithologists were at first puzzled by the migration because they appeared to be in random directions, but eventually determined that the crows were fleeing cities where NFL pundits reside. Presumably out of fear of being eaten.