Another Delayed Ramblings

For the second week in a row, my Football Ramblings were pushed back a day because I wanted to talk about some new snow first. I really hope this isn't going to become a weekly thing that lasts until February. Anyway, on we go...

-So, for the first time since the 1940s, there will be an NFL game played on a Tuesday night. The game which was originally scheduled for Sunday night in Philadelphia was pushed back because of the snowstorm. Now, because the NFL apparently represents all things American, this has led to two days of debates about what the state of our Nation is if we allow concerns over weather to impact schedules. Some people are arguing that this clearly means we've become soft. Now, while I'm never a fan of cancelling events just because something might happen, I don't think this means we should call England and ask if we can be their colony again. Perhaps it just means we've gotten more cautious. Honestly, the main person I was annoyed with was Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who said that while the roads might have been bad "by East Coast standards" they were fine for hearty Midwesterners who would not have rescheduled the game. Um, excuse me, Visanthe, but you guys play in a dome and haven't won a game in freezing temperatures in almost 20 years. How about you not try and tell us how bad-ass you are about cold weather?

-Normally I wouldn't even care if they outright cancelled this game, because I don't have a rooting interest in either the Eagles or Vikings and it doesn't effect the Patriots' seeding for the playoffs. However, I am currently in the Championship game for my Fantasy Football league and while I am up 30, my opponent has a Vikings' wide receiver in his lineup. Now, there is virtually no chance he can win and all this has done is delay the inevitable, but if they don't play the game then I'm going to have to spend all summer hearing about the 'what-if' and that my win was tainted. Therefore, play the game, shut him up and give me my Championship, dammit. (Once again, Fantasy Football Champion: a situation in which I am a winner, but also a loser.)

-So, ESPN is firmly into bowl season and has taken to adding a graphic to the bottom line ticker which will tell you how many pro prospects there are in any given bowl game. However, some of these bowls are pushing it in terms of talent and the scouting department is clearly stretching to make everyone feel included. For example, last night I saw the graphic and it said the game would feature the 35th-ranked running back prospect. Considering only 20 or so running backs get drafted in any given year, why not amend that graphic to read, Pro Prospects: None.

-I found it fascinating to watch Carson Palmer, enduring one of the worst seasons of his career, have an outstanding game despite being without his top-two wide receivers. Coming on the heels of the Patriots jettisoning Randy Moss and then watching as Tom Brady turn in one of his finest seasons ever, I am beginning to wonder if we have seen the last of the 'diva' wide receivers who demand the ball at all turns. It makes sense to assume quarterbacks would be more comfortable if they could simply throw to the open guy instead of trying to force it to one player just to shut that guy up. They say the NFL is a copy-cat league, so I'll be interested to see if this catches on.

-I'm a big believer that little things can be an indicator of much larger issues. Because of that, even if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers manage to sneak into the playoffs, there is no way I would ever back them on the road, and here's why: I was watching the game in Tampa this week and all the Tampa Bay players were wearing longs sleeves and ski masks for a game that was being played in the mid-40s. If they couldn't handle a little bit of cold then there is no way they could ever go on the road and survive a place like Chicago or Philadelphia. The only way that team is having any kind of post-season success is if they have home-field throughout the playoffs. Even then they might want to invest in some of those heated benches.