No Thank You!

Is there a better day than Thanksgiving? Think about it. Thanksgiving is essentially a holiday which celebrates eating and football. In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than that. Unfortunately, there is very little to be thankful for this year. Here’s what we’re stuck with:

Tennessee vs. Detroit 12:30 PM EST

I don’t even know where to begin. Normally, I am quick to point out that Detroit always plays well on Thanksgiving, but at this point that is irrelevant. This Lions team is an absolute joke. Unless Daunte Culpepper miraculously returns to 2004 form, the Lions will not win a game all year. That’s a bold statement, but looking at their schedule I honestly don’t see any opportunity for a win. It definitely won’t come here, as Tennessee is peaking just at the right time. This one will be over early, as the Titans win in a rout.

Prediction: Titans 34, Lions 10

Seattle vs. Dallas 4:15 PM EST

When the NFL schedule was released in July, this looked like an excellent game. Unfortunately for Seattle, when your leading receiver is John Carlson (27 receptions, 298 yards, 2TDs), and Seneca Wallace is your QB, things can’t be good. Dallas has had their problems, but with a healthy Tony Romo and the home crowd, this will also be a rout.

Prediction: Cowboys 41, Seahawks 17

Arizona vs. Philadelphia

This actually should be an excellent game. But due to the late start time, it may not be of much interest. After the first two games, my body may not want to watch football again for a long time. I like the Eagles in this game (and you won’t hear that out of my mouth very often). Sure Kurt Warner looks poised to win a 3^rd MVP award this year, but Philadelphia is tough place to play, and after several tough losses I can see the Eagles getting on a roll.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Cardinals 24

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we often talk about what we’re thankful for. But this miserable NFL schedule got me thinking…there are a lot of things that I’m not thankful for. Heres just a few:

The BCS- I could go on for hours arguing against the BCS, but I’ll keep it simple. Every other major sport, be it in college or the pros, employs some form of a playoff (even NASCAR does it). Considering all of the controversy that surrounds the BCS, what would be so bad about an 8 team playoff? Even Barrack Obama agrees with me on this.

The Rooney Rule- Hey, I’m all for allowing minority coaches an equal opportunity, but the Rooney Rule is about as effective as the drinking age on a college campus. It almost seems like a slap in the face to many potential black head coaches. If I were black I would want to be interviewed because I was a good candidate, not because of my race.

NASCAR- I find nothing about NASCAR appealing in the slightest bit. Maybe the post race scuffles, but that’s about it.

Jim Rome- I can’t quite figure out what it is, but the man just annoys me. He comes across as arrogant and abrasive, which is bizarre because quite frankly, who the hell is Jim Rome?

Luis Castillo’s Contract- Pretty self explanatory. The guy sucks, and we owe him $17 million

Officiating in the NFL and MLB- Just bad all around. I don’t know what it is, but this year they seem to be screwing up more than usual. There are several times this year that games have been decided by bad calls. And in the World Series, I couldn’t believe my eyes at some of the calls that were made (and it went both ways)

Living in Philadelphia- As a Mets fan, I could not have picked a worse time to move to Philly. I was the first to congratulate the Phils when they won, and I am not bitter at all. But the general attitude of Phillies fans bothers me. They are more interested in rubbing it in my face then celebrating their win. Two words: Inferiority Complex