I know jack about college football (I hate the BCS ranking system so much that I don't follow the sport at all), but my best friend attends Iowa State and therefore I can certainly attest that OSU losing to the unranked 5-5 (I think that was their record at least, don't quote me) ISU was a pretty big deal. Either way when championship matchups are decided by popularity it just signifies a dumb, broken system anyway.

I was a Packers fan when I first started watching football because they were the best team at the time (during Favre's peak, my first season was when they beat the Pats for the Super Bowl), but I've since migrated to my hometown Bears. That said I still feel a niggling nostalgia for Green Bay and therefore don't hate them quite as much as I should as a Bears fan, so this undefeated season they have going is something I actually feel kind of pumped for. It's cool to see just how thoroughly they're trouncing their opponents. There's been what, two close games and the only one they were actually in any danger of losing was the game against New York a few hours ago? Considering their only real threats for the rest of the season are Oakland (if the good Oakland shows up, you never know with that team, and even if the good Oakland shows up they'll still need a lot of luck to win) and Detroit just murdering their players because they're a bunch of unruly thugs I'm no longer rooting for, they've got a pretty good shot of pulling off this perfect season. And I disliked the Patriots more during their almost perfect run than I do the Packers now. At least they aren't coached by a Bond villain and lead by a pretty boy douchebag (I've since come to love Brady but Belichick can suck it). No, they've got a fan football dad coaching them and Bizarro Clive Owen leading them, muuuuch easier to root for.

In regards to the Bears game today, we deserved to lose. That was such a pathetic showing from both teams, we should have both lost. Hanie overthrowing everybody, Knox giving up a third interception, the D is the only thing looking okay, especially since we just lost Forte for 2-6 weeks. My dad and I have been saying for years to give Hanie a shot because he looks so good in the preseason games he plays and he performed well under the pressure of coming in for an injured Cutler during the NFC Championship game last year, but goddamn he's choked hard these last two games. He definitely made me look silly. This was the first Sunday I've had off in three years, and this was the game I got to watch. Guh.

When I was a kid, I was really into the Bears, but as I got older I got into girls, but then I got into the Bears again because I learned that there are times that girls won't fuck you but the Bears will always fuck you.

Are you talking about Handegg or only your sexual life? It can be misleading.

Another serious injury of a player of Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League match.

Atleast you have the pleasure of Champions League football. Liverpool don't even have Europa League this year...

That great pleasure of making last place in the group while sustaining serious injuries to the starting 11 throughout. hahah

That's a blessing. 19 games to win a trophy? No thanks!

and BAM! Both Manchester clubs are out of the Champions League! The only 2 games United could win were against the groups whipping boys. Serenity now!

United fans on RedCafe not pleased.

The "Carling Cup of Europe", as they call it, beckons for both Manchester clubs.

The jokes are beginning to pour in; Man Utd and Man City have collaborated to release a new fragrance in time for Christmas. Channel no. 5.

I guess you have to live in England to get that one.

NHL fans: thoughts on the realignment?

I'm quite sceptic about it, to be honest. Also, 8 teams for the west ones and 7 for the east....And when other teams will move (yes, Phoenix and a team in Florida are doomed to go), it will have to change again, it won't be difficult to change though. But yeah, why change the whole thing drastically? I'm not a close minded guy, but a small move would had been better (Detroit to the east, Winnipeg to the west...). I guess we'll see. The important thing is, we'll see at least each team twice a season, that's for the best.

'' Now by cutting the divisions down to four, it isn’t possible for the divisions to match. That, my friends, is one of my biggest problems with baseball, and the idea of it migrating to hockey is vastly unsettling. Any sport in where the divisions or conferences are uneven is fundamentally flawed as it gives advantages to certain teams.''

Yup, my thought exactly, dude. Why not 5 divisions of 6 teams, too complicated? Fuck off Bettman, you dumb hobbit.

I'm done watching Bears games for the year, and if Tebow gives credit to his lord and savior above his defense and kicker and the media plays him up as the hero, I'm done watching football for the rest of the season, period. This game completely killed my enthusiasm for anything. Completely done, FUCK that game depressed me.

Yeah, Bears nation has to be understandably upset at the circumstances of that loss to Timmy Tebow's team. I'm hooked; it's been a great story and I find it hard not to root for the guy, admittedly. His game isn't pretty but the dude knows how to win.

Todd Haley got fired today. I saw this coming. Not all his fault due to key injuries but only four yards of offense in the first half of yesterday's game (FOUR YARDS!) pretty much seals the fate of an irascible guy like that. And if I never have to watch Tyler Palko again it will still be too soon.

Tebow got all the credit for the game. I don't care if he and Elway know he's just really lucky and needs to improve, as long as this is Tebow's league, the NFL lost a fan. Denver won due to two beastly field goals, a timely strip, and the fact that the Bears hold on to leads like slippery fish. It'd be one thing if he three a beautiful hail mary 60 yards downfield as time expired, but he didn't. He puts together one meaningful drive and half the universe lines up to suck his dick. Bitch didn't complete a pass in the second and third quarters, and you've got people like Skip Bayless trying to tell me he's better than Rodgers now or than Steve Young ever was. I'm done, I'm locking myself out of football until his panflash fades.

Don't worry, the Tebow hype will fade away once the broncos get vanquished in the playoffs.

TebowTebowTebowTebow....thats all I ever hear in the sports media these days. Now I got nothing against the guy; well he is a little over the top with the whole religion thing (we get it, you love Jesus, nothing wrong with that but seriously, no need to remind us of that every chance you get...) but otherwise he is a solid quarterback. Its just that...arent the Packers undefeated? I'd say that Aaron Rodgers is unquestionably better. Tom Brady, winner of 3 super bowls, he's better too. Ben Worthlessburger, as much as I hate the guy and his team, well, I gotta admit he's still a better NFL QB too. (maybe Roethlessburger can use a little Jesus for his soul!) Just, enough about Tebow already. Guy gets too much press considering what he's done. Why aren't people talking about Cam Newton who is already performing better than Tebow despite this being only his first season?

Newton is blowing him out of the water in every stat except wins and interceptions. The wins are the D's fault and the picks, well that's literally the only thing I give Tebow credit for. He doesn't turn the ball over. The thing is that Tebow is the "right" faith and Newton has the stigma of the recruiting scandal. I don't hate Tebow for his faith, in fact I love that he's trying to spread a positive message instead of being all Fred Phelps GOD RULES FUCK THE FAGS and whatnot, but let's face it, if he were Muslim, he wouldn't be nearly as popular. Should he really be getting anti abortion commercials during the Super Bowl? He gets extra leeway as a result of his faith and that's my only issue with it, and that part isn't even really his fault.

Haifa - Schalke (0:3)
The game took place yesterday evening and Haifa had been one of the worst performances I have seen in a while. Schalke played with the b-team and even that had been better by a long shot.

Did you know that 'tebow' has now officially been added to the English dictionary as a word because of all this buzz? No joke.





Of course Tim Tebow is nowhere near the level of the 6 elite NFL quarterbacks(Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, Rivers and Roethlisberger) but that's the whole reason about the hype behind him right now in the first place: that such an "un-passer" like quarterback has led Denver's resurgence after Tebow's biggest detractors of all-team president John Elway and coach John Fox-were so reluctant to use him coupled with the fact that he is a demigod with a huge fanatical following being that he played for the Gators and happens to be the best college football player of all time.

And if The Broncos beat New England this week, we're gonna hear his name even more.

The Houston loss to the Colts tonight: pathetic.

Indy still has first dibs on Suck For Luck but they play lowly Jacksonville next week. They can't possibly screw this up, can they?

I quite like the idea of it. As a Tampa fan I'm not too happy that we've got such an unfair traveling position and I'm sure Florida arent too happy either but there you are, those teams with power got what they wanted and thats all that matters to them.

Playoffs sound quite fun, more of a chance of getting a playoff spot means towards the end of the season will mean most teams are still in with a shout.


And speaking of Tampa....urgh...another loss. I have no idea whats happening, at this rate we wont even make the post-season


Oh and fuck you champions league, I knew we'd get AC Milan first round

8 games for Suarez. What a load of shit. We need another striker anyway, I think this revelation may seriously change the perspective on who the club was looking at purchasing.

Watching my Cowboys suck ass, yet again. Back up QB and RBs in a week before the game that determines our playoff appearance..Yay.

Doesn't matter, there is no way we can match up with any of the teams that will make it in the playoffs. I am expecting the 49ers to take the the NFC championship, the Patriots in the AFC. The matchup of Frisco's defense against the Patriots offense will be pretty great. Patriots defense being weak, I expect the 49ers offense to take themover, giving the 49ers a sixth superbowl.

Just my amateur opinion.

Two months is absolutely retarded, even if he was actually being a racist. He likely wasn't though, but even in considering both sides I don't see how the FA seemed to arbitrarily decide that Evra was right and Suarez the wrong. It was literally one man's word against another's. The whole thing is silly and has only further ruined the reputation of the FA.

Unfair travelling position? Last I checked, everyone in the division is in the same time zone...

Well yeah but the two Florida teams are lumped with the northeasternmost teams, so they have to skip over 7 perfectly viable cities to get to their division rivals. I haven't heard a single explanation for why this one happened, it seems so simple, cut it in half, fucking hell. I think it was so Pittsburgh and Philly didn't get split.

EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH IT, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT THE MORE PISSED OFF I GET.

As much as I would LOVE for you to be right, and as much as I love the 49ers and root for them whenever I can catch a game on TV...the matchup of Frisco's offense vs. the Packers defense will be pretty ugly. Meanwhile Rogers and his receivers should be able to have their way with SF's defense. Hope you're right and I'm wrong but...sadly Green Bay is just too dang good; they should win their second consecutive championship easily. I think last week was a fluke; they were resting their players for the playoffs. Maybe that will backfire a la Indianapolis a couple years ago; that'd be great.

I think you're right. The 49ers' defense is outstanding, but while they're good enough to slow down Green Bay's offense, they don't have enough offensive firepower for that to matter against a team like the Packers. The only team I see having a shot at dethroning the Packers is the Saints. They've got a good enough offense to engage in a shootout with Green Bay, and possibly win. However, you've gotta figure that Green Bay would still be the favorite.

As for the AFC, my Ravens are looking scary, but not in a good way. They're an extremely talented and complete team on paper, but they just can't seem to get it together at times (especially on the road). They almost pissed this one away vs. the Browns. I've never seen so many dropped passes in a game!

Greenbay is very good, but the 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL. And I think if there is any defense right now that can match up with the Packer offense, it is Frisco's. I'm not by any stretch a 49ers fan, I just see them getting stronger each week. I think if they hold on to their defense and get their receivers more into the game then they are capable of making big things happen.

Funnily enough, last time I checked Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo werent down the road from Florida or Tampa. And like BastardHead says, they missed out some perfectly closer teams to put us and Florida with. But oh well the Ivory tower teams got what they wanted Im sure they'll pay for ours and Florida's extra costs.....oh wait, they wont.

I reckon it will get reduced to maybe 5. Would make for an interesting game against Man Utd, a whole month of will they wont they shake hands.

Lol Ive read that they're going for a swap with Ba and Tiote from Newcastle and Carrol, now that would be an interesting swap and one that Liverpool would probably want, even if that means being put out 30 odd million.

Liverpool do need to get a proven goal scorer in January, I'd take a punt at Billy Sharp from Donny Rovers. Now I know its a Championship player, but he's got such a good record at a team which have pretty much no fucker to work with, he's basically keeping Donny in the hopes of staying up, he'd be pretty cheap too. Or maybe Long from WBA?

Green Bay looked pretty vulnerable last week. I know they are missing Greg Jennings but their offensive line got decimated by the Chiefs so I'd be more worried about that. Also, I wouldn't want to play against the Lions right now.

Yeah, a flight from Tampa to Boston is three hours at the most, and within the same time zone. The other cities are either closer or not too much further out of the way. Travelling should have absolutely no hindrance to the Florida teams playing games within the division. The only exception would be when they have a 3-in-4, which every team goes through.

But on the flipside, a few of the arrangements are a bit awkward, I agree. Oh well, just give it another 7-10 years and the league will probably revise the conferences again anyways. This will be interesting enough to watch for now.

I dunno about Ba really. He's having a great season with Newcastle, but he's not yet proven himself. I'd personally prefer someone like Adebayor.

Ba is good and showing his worth thus far, but I don't see why that trade should happen for Newcastle, let alone Liverpool. Without Tiote we can already see how that handicaps the squad, but getting rid of the back bone and the top/prolific goal scorer midway through a season, where they are already seeming to peter out, is just asking for failure.

Exactly. Newcastle have done so well just to get where they are. They finally seem to making progress, and who's to say someone like Ba would do well at someone like Liverpool? I really don't think he'd be great for us. At best, a squad player.

In another events, the boxing day test in Melbourne is setting itself up to be an interesting affair. I'm neutral on the teams involved, but its nice to see Punter getting himself a 50.

Yes was good to see punter get a 50, however now on day four, and it looks like Australia could win this first test either today or tomorrow. The Indians are down six wickets for less than a hundred runs in their second innings

I'm also a Ravens fan so I know exactly what you mean. This upcoming game against Cincinnati scares the shit out of me. I hate to be pessimistic but if we don't at least get divisional round at home it's going to be another early playoff exit.

Happy that Finland beat the US in the Hockey JWC, and thus showed that they are better than you would think after the game against Canada.