MMBSD: Wintery Goodness

Every year we're told about Dallas' talent. Heck every week someone says something about Romo's smile healing Zimbabwe or how they're the best defense in the NFC or whatever. However for several years now come December Dallas yanks the football away from the average Cowboyphiliac to lay a giant dud on the ground. It doesn't particularly matter anymore why or against who (in this case giving up 33 to the Ravens) but the bottom line is the team doesn't have the Heart to be a winner and shame on you to believe Cowboys are anything but a mirage.

Speaking of mirages....Brett Favre has begun his swan dive. After beating the Titans, which feels like last season at this point, the Jets were mentioned as AFC Championship material. Whether they were playing over their head, or the season wore them down or the cold weather got into the aging former superstar the Jets seem hell bent on giving away their playoff spot.

Shh..Favre is resting so he has enough energy not to retire...again

I was impressed.... and surprised by the Titans win. They had stumbled as of late, had an injured star in Haynesworth, and were playing the Steelers who seemed poised to take homefield advantage. Now I'm not sure if the Titans can recover 5 fumbles in the playoffs but its hard at this point not to have the Titans as the de facto favorite or at least until 5 minute from now.

A close game... between the Giants and Carolina. I'm still perplexed why Tom Coughlin doesn't cover his face as I swear at this point he's suffered frost bite on his frost bite. That said outside of perhaps Atlanta its unclear who could stop a playoff rematch between these teams as no one of the other potentials would I predict to win on the road.

NBA Notes
The Lakers, one of the supposed premier teams, are failing on their big road trips. Well maybe not failing but showing that they aren't one of those historically great teams. A good team but still soft in the middle, the same problem that led to their undoing last year. Andrew Bynum hasn't stepped up into the next level of play and without him the Lakers simply will not be able to defeat whoever comes out of the East

I maintain the Pistons made their trade of Billups for Iverson as part of a rebuilding move but that doesn't mean we have to ignore the NBA until 2010. So at least for this year the Pistons sans Billups and with Iverson seem quickly falling out of the ranks of the elite or potential elite as symbolized by their loss to the Hawks.

College Football
While I will be doing a quick bowl preview later this week just a few bowl games before the main serving of bowl fun starts. On Tuesday two of the best of the non-BCS go toe to toe with #11 TCU v. #9 Boise State. Outside of Utah these are probably the two best non-BCS schools. On Wednesday get a helping of schadenfreude as Notre Dame tries to break it 14 year bowl losing streak (It hasn't won since 1994 in the Cotton Bowl)