NFC and AFC Championship Games

Ed Reed versus Dr. Harry Edwards in the battle for facial hair superiority.

The fact that Ed Reed looks like a a cool Ex-Black Panther/Future Berkley Sociology Professor with his facial awesomeness is not enough for us to choose the Ravens this weekend....

Baltimore Ravens.....Highly Unpalatable.....They're a decade old, already have a Championship and they wear purple...No Dice.

Philadelphia Eagles....Moderately Unpalatable.....They won the World Series last season, their QB doesn't know the OT rules and Cholla is from Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh Steelers....Slightly Unpalatable.....They beat us last week and have won approximately 44% of all Superbowls played...another re-run.....Polamalu is from SC, though.

Arizona Cardinals.....A Slice of Ginger after a Spicy Meal.... Representing the West. Representing God (Kurt Warner). Training camped in our College town where I once rode my Trek through a coaches huddle in front of the School of Business.....a huddle which centered around D-Line Coach, Mean Joe Greene. Zuhlke is a fan. Go Cardinals.

SO.....

We said all week that there would be no football viewing this weekend with the Chargers having been eliminated. Alas, who are we kidding, it's January---when football is best! However we can't be bothered to do an extensive write-up so we will link you to some good stuff we have read this week.

The Legend of Cecilio Guante---A post on the four assassins who man the Centerfield for the final 4. An excellent post with good video footage. We think Berman and the boys stole the story because we saw it this morning on ESPN....Click here.

DCSteeler Nation---Pittsburgh Point of View/Baltimore Raven Hate....Click here.

Deadspin----Will Leitch Answers questions about the team with the fewest fans...Click here.

I got nuthin' on the Eagles. If you care..... go find it....it's out there.

Go Cardinals!

...and so it ends, Chargers 24 -Steelers 35

Probably not the one play we ran during the 3rd quarter

The Chargers kick a FG and position themselves to go into the half with a lead....but then the dreaded "Prevent" defense rears its ugly head and right quick we're down 10-14 going into the half. I don't remember who posited the ol' maxim that, "the Prevent defense, Prevents you from Winning", but boy does it ring true. It would be a harbinger of things to come.

The 3rd quarter began with an old fashioned 8 minute drive which was quickly followed by a big Sproles return and an even bigger tipped Philip Rivers passed, picked off by Larry Foote.

When the 3rd quarter was all said and done we had possessed the ball for :17 seconds....1 play...and 2 turnovers.... and a season slipped away.

Upon reflection it's worth noting that when you have to look at all of these little moments within the contest and you begin to play the "if this, if that game".....it quite simply means that you weren't the better team. The better team won out today.

Forthcoming will be the 2008 Season Obituary...it seems fitting, as I purchased the Headstone for 2008 back in August.

A FINAL NOTE:

When the game was over, the house cleaned up and family and guests gone for the night I walked outside and sat down on the patio. In one arm I held my little Daughter who came into this world during the Chargers' preseason (a baptism by fire) and in my hand a mug, from which I drank the cup of coffee of the year (Blue Mountain Jamaican of which my brother had no business buying for me). The moon slowly crept over the easterly mountains, full, bright, and orange. I hadn't seen a moon look like that since a spring break in Punta Penasco (Rocky Point).

Here I sat, in mid-January, short sleeves, bare feet, outside and watching a killer moon ascend into a crystal clear star filled sky induced by our all too frequent Santa Ana Winds ( they are becoming more frequent, so it seems). I thought, boy am I lucky.

I just spent the whole afternoon with some of my best friends watching a football game. College friends and family....high fiving and cursing...eating, drinking, laughing. Thanks for spending the day with me. While it was not the outcome we wanted I couldn't have asked for better company to suffer through it with me. I thought about this good fortune as that moon appeared from out of no where and realized that it was a sign... a sign of future days and and seasons...a sign of hope. Maybe this was the obituary? Better put that headstone up so they know we were here......

Thanks Big Fella

Chargers versus Steelers: Divisional Round

What to say? I just watched the Charger Power Report and after seeing clips of the #1 Defense in the NFL, the most obvious of questions presents itself: how on earth can we win this game?

The Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, moves with such speed and hits with such ferocity that there is legitimate worry that the Steeler D could do all of the scoring on their own and win this game. We'd be remiss if we did not mention the talents of their other stellar defenders such as, James Farrior, Lamar Woodley, Larry Foote, Brett Keisel and the "Man Who Does Everything"--Troy Polamalu. This is the sort of defense that WE ALL want to watch play in January...except when they go against YOUR team! They are the epitome of what Defensive Football is supposed to be....so how do we win? It's quite simple really...

Last week against the Colts we mentioned that a key to the game was winning the turnover battle...we were wrong on that one, as we managed to turn the ball over more yet somehow pull out a win. That won't be the case today. It's a guaranteed loss if we turn the ball over in the Red Zone and don't convert points. It's a guaranteed loss if we turn over in our territory and give the Steelers a short field to work on....Here are the keys.

1. Control the Ball. There must be a commitment to the run and commitment to a short efficient passing game. Control the ball and minimize risk. PR should NEVER be hopping around in the pocket looking down field....it spells fumble/tipped pass/INT.
2. Our defense is not the same as it was back in early November. Perhaps the most important key to the game. Get after Ben...scramble his brains. Stop the RUN. Steeler football in January is predicated on the running game. If you want to be Champions start by stopping the run. We may very well need a Defensive TD in this game...
   
3. Special Teams. It's asking a lot but we need a repeat from Mike Scifers. We'll be punting A LOT today. If we can make Pitt use a long field all day it bodes well for us. Conversely, our Punt/Kick return teams must give us a short field to work with. Scoring points will be at a premium in cold, wet, windy, sloppy conditions. We may very well need a Special Team score to win this game.

Simple and we have history on our side, undefeated during the Playoffs in the 'burgh. Now the above requests (Defensive/Special Teams TDs) are akin to a Serial Killer asking for early parole: extremely unrealistic! We had to ask though when we tried to consider how many points our O will score against the #1 ranked Defense, on the road, and in extraordinarily crappy conditions. Our consideration led us to a max. of 13 points and that doesn't seem like enough... an ST/D TD gets us to 20 which should be enough (or the game could go Carolina/Arizona style from last night...which of course we'd love). We could very well see another 11-10 game.

What do we have to hang our hats on in lieu of Special Teams/Defensive TDs? Intangibles...

Intangibles such as camaraderie, forged through the difficult blast furnace that was the 2008 regular season and of course the most notable of all intangibles....

Troy Baldamalu

Enough of the Messianic figure roaming the secondary, disrupting and raining down hellfire on mere mortals.

We have taken his beard. We have taken his hair. All that remains is a shell of a smiley Samoan. Man's chances have improved...

Providence visits not in the form of long haired bearded prophets but from the heavens itself...bolts of lightening!




Chargers 20 Steelers 17...



~Blue Ballzed...again

The Upcoming Week In Voodoo...

Which direction will the Pittsburgh Steelers take us this week? Better know yo history...

Denver Donkey Voodoo Snowman
Week 16: Needing a Charger win in Tampa and a Bronco loss at Mile High against the Bills
Voodoo Snowman / Ghost of Jake Plummer delivers a smashed face to Jeff Garcia via Quentin Jammer, then helps Broncos choke, in thin mountain air. Later melts into CA. sunset...

Denver Donkey Voodoo Doll: Jay Chokler/Lil' Hillbilly Edition
Week 17: With AFC West Championship on the line versus the Broncos, The Little Hillbilly is rattled early and often...two picks w/ one coming in the end zone. Work of art, however extremely dangerous with pins poking every which way. No Children Harmed.

Manning de Milo Voodoo Doll
Week 18: Wild card round of the playoffs, 2008 MVP picks up healthy chunk of yardage but has little to show for it in the way of points. Takes only sack of game at most crucial time, resulting in another 1st round Colt exit. De Milo knock off retired to Canton, OH.

Pittsburgh Steeler Edition
Week 19:.......oh what we have planned...

Remember our credo during this 2008/2009 playoff installation...

DO NOT FUCK WITH WINNING COMBINATIONS, PEOPLE