Please, please, please, please, please! A thousand times, please! Yo quiero mucho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, a recap:

Astros: Made run, caused much score checking and watching of WGN and FSN Midwest, still fell short, but pleased nonetheless as anything above .500 exceeds expectations. All in all, a good year.

Brewers: Made playoffs. Thanks largely to Ryan Braun (grrr…) and the rather large CC Sabathia. On an unrelated note we have decided that now is the perfect time to show solidarity and sympathy for another franchise Ed Wade has left his clammy mark on and support the Phillies (Egads, we just realized that means our ninth inning hopes once again rest on Brad Lidge. *Has flashback, weeps softly in corner*)  

 Cubs: Win NL Central, prepare to be swept. By a Joe Torre team. That has Manny Ramirez. And isn’t the Yankees. Or Red Sox. But IS the Dodgers. Seriously, five years ago would anyone have believed this scenario to be possible? 

The NFL came back, and there was much rejoicing. (Yay.) 

Tom Brady: Knee asploded.

New England: Put on suicide watch.

Matt Cassel: Ruining fantasy football by not being Tom Brady. (We drafted Randy Moss for a reason! Throw it deep! You look like Pennington Jr.!)

Aaron Rodgers: Decent. Actually, more than decent, flat out good. *crosses fingers that shoulder isn’t separated* (Also, since when is Matt Flynn ahead of Brian Brohm on the depth chart? This is a beyond confusing concept and has caused much consternation in U-Hall 128.)

Packers: 2-2. tied for division lead. Still the most storied franchise in football, so we’re all good. Oh, and Lil Wayne is a big fan, so there’s that.

Bears: Somehow 2-2 despite being quarterbacked by Kyle Orton and his neckbeard.

Chad Javon Ocho Cinco: Still wearing a C. Johnson jersey, thanks to Reebok. We are sorely disappointed.

That’s all for now, but a post for later in the week is already being drafted, as are possible link additions to this one (We promise nothing).

Awesome, just freaking awesome.

Well, he passed away last night. The world has lost a great young man. He inspired and touched so many lives, even of people he never met, even the usually cynical and sarcastic commenters at Deadspin are showing their respect and admiration for John. 

A truly remarkable young man, Rest In Peace John Challis.

Oh! And The Fonz was there! Henry Winkler, beloved equally (around here anyway) for playing both Fonzie and lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development, was in town for the unveiling of a bronze Fonzie statue in Milwaukee. Joining Winkler were many of his Happy Days collegues, including Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham! The pregame ceremonies featured the introduction of everyone on hand from the show, a speech from Winkler, a video message from Ron Howard from the set of Angels and Demons (which we are anxiously awaiting, by the way), Potsie singing the national anthem, and Winkler throwing out the first pitch. All in all, it was pretty darn cool. 

And something struck me as I wandered to Miller Park concourse during the bottom of the seventh: the sound of booing is absolutely gorgeous if you are a visiting fan. There was a close play which resulted in Gabe Kapler being called out at first that set off a cacophony of boos and complaints from the multitude of Brewer fans.

Without even seeing the play I started to smile. It was a smile that stayed with me right until the end, when Jose Valverde became the first Astros closer I’d seen live, and he did his thing, ending the game in a great victory for Houston.

It is with much pride that we present a Ten Cent Head Investigative Report: Mannings=Bluths?

For those unfamiliar with one or both of the above mentioned families we provide a little background information: The Mannings are considered the first family of football, boasting Archie Manning as the patriarch, wife Olivia, and sons Cooper, Peyton, and Eli. Both Peyton and Eli have won Super Bowls, also both receiving Super Bowl MVP awards. The Bluths are the fictitious family at the center of the acclaimed television series Arrested Development. It features George Bluth, Sr., Lucille, sons George Oscar (GOB), Michael, and Buster, and daughter Lindsay. The premise of the show involves George Sr. being arrested for shady dealings involving the family’s company, and Michael’s attempts at keeping everything together. Really, a fantastic show.

Anyway, it would appear after some investigation that the Mannings may have been part of the inspiration for the Bluth family. The evidence is as follows:

George Sr.                                as                               Archie-

Considered great in their field, both suffer tremendous downfalls that taint their legacies. In George Sr.’s case that is prison, in Archie’s its ten years spent on the New Orleans Saints. Honestly, we have no idea which is worse. Other similarities include having 3 sons that follow in the family business, and a wife that bonds rather creepily to her youngest child.

Lucille                                        as                Olivia-

Not that many direct comparisons can be made here, especially since Lucille is just a monster, and Olivia seems quite nice actually. The best are once again having three sons and an odd relationship with their youngest son that extends long into life.

G.O.B. as                             Cooper-

Ah, now this gets fun. G.O.B. is the oldest son and family screw-up, the son that denies the family business and becomes a magician. He is also the least liked of all the children by both of his parents. In a similar fashion not only is eldest Manning son Cooper not in the NFL, he didn’t even play quarterback, instead choosing to be a wide receiver. Interviews with the Mannings also indicate that Cooper was the loudest of the children, known as the natural entertainer. And while Archie and Olivia will never admit it, they love Peyton and Eli more. (Kidding…maybe…)

Michael                               as                      Peyton-

The middle son, Peyton was the first to take up the family trade at quarterback, although he did follow a different route, attending Tennessee instead of Ole Miss like his father. He went on to set many records in college and become a premier NFL player, achieving much of the success his father never did, even winning the Super Bowl following an extended period where that was the only goal he couldn’t achieve. Michael Bluth is also the middle son, and when George Sr. goes to jail he takes over the family business. He also decides to do things differently from his father, refusing to lie and cheat, instead doing things the right and fair way. He achieves quite a bit of success, getting the company stock up and eventually achieving his seemingly unobtainable goal of clearing his father’s name and getting the company back on track.

Buster                                   as                         Eli-

Buster Bluth is a man that has an unhealthy attachment to his mother, still living with her at a very advanced age and doing anything she says, trying to constantly please her. He is also extremely quiet, the product of an education at the Millford School, where children are to be “Neither seen nor heard.”  Eli also has a very close relationship with his mother, which includes hobbies such as antiquing with her. Eli is also described as the quietest one of the family, deferring to his older brothers. Also, some casting director HAD to have had Eli in mind during tryouts for Buster.

Annyong                                  as               Matt Leinart-

In the show Lucille decides to adopt a Korean child named Annyong to get back at Buster. This brings to mind the NFL Sunday Ticket commercial where Archie “adopts” Matt Leinart. And with the Buzzsaw clinching their spot in the Super Bowl on February 1, Leinart has his chance for revenge staring him in the face.

So there you have it, all the evidence laid out for you. We’ll let the reader decide from there…

And it tastes delicious. Better even than a good turducken.

But still, we do have a few weeks until the real games get underway. So how exactly does one kill that time? A personal favorite of mine (try and keep up with the form changes, they come quick and often) is to keep tabs on the ‘ol watercooler buzz as to who will be the performer at halftime of the Super Bowl. Now, seeing as I work somewhere that has neither a watercooler nor co-workers that care about such shenanigans, this is really more of a solo scouring of the internet for tidbits of information. 

And lo and behold: we have rumors!  

Yes, the early word out of Miami is that Bruce Springsteen will be this year’s halftime performer. Yet another aging rocker has been tapped to entertain the masses at football’s biggest game. 

This led us (see, changed again!) to go back and look at the last few Super Bowl entertainers, starting in 2000.

The list is as follows: 

2000, Rams over Titans-

Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Ilgesias, and Toni Braxton. Just…wow, I mean Phil Collins AND Christina Aguilera? Just an odd mix if you ask me (or is it us? We can’t remember).  

 2001, Ravens over Giants-

Aerosmith, N’Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. I remember watching this game, but don’t remember much about this show. It is honestly the most bubblegum pop/fad driven show they could have produced, with the odd inclusion of a decent and lasting band in Aerosmith. 

2002, Patriots over Rams-

U2. One of the best halftime shows of all time, as the legendary Irish band paid a moving and beautiful tribute to those lost in the September 11 attacks. 

2003, Buccaneers over Raiders-

Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting. Huh, I don’t remember any of this show, but it sounds like it would have been decent enough, even though its pretty obvious that they were trying to appeal to EVERYONE at some point. I’m sure they still didn’t do it. 

2004, Patriots over Panthers-

Jessica Simpson, Nelly, P. Diddy, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, and, of course, Janet Jackson’s nipple. The infamous halftime show that really ended the attempts at trying to get tween girls to tune in for at least halftime. Given the quality of the acts that follow this one, I see the “Wardrobe Malfunction” as a blessing in disguise for football fans everywhere. 

2005, Patriots over Eagles-

Paul McCartney. When I think football, I think old English guy playing the piano. Seriously, though, this was a heck of a show. Paul carried it all by himself brilliantly. I absolutely loved this show, especially “Hey Jude.” A great way to get over the previous years’ fiasco. 

2006, Steelers over Seahawks-

The Rolling Stones. Sticking with the old English guy theme, this was another great show, though I may just think that since I love the Stones. There was a complaint about this selection that I must agree with however: for a Super Bowl in Detroit to have zero motown or other Detroit based musicians is a minor travesty… 

2007, Colts over Bears-

Prince. Elaborate set and show, but the immature minds that run this blog really only remember this. (He was REALLLLLY excited to be there, if you catch my drift…)

2008, Giants over Patriots-

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The first halftime show I can remember being really excited to see, and Tom did not disappoint. Third best show on this list, and possibly all-time, behind only U2 and McCartney. 

So thats that. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more, but for now it looks like the Boss is the leader in the clubhouse. Honestly, we’re not that excited over here (maybe we’re just too young to appreciate this one…), but as long as it keeps the Jonas Brothers far, far away from Tampa Bay it gets a big thumbs up.

See, I’m an 18 year old resident of the great state of Wisconsin. This makes me a Brett Favre lifer. Ever since I could grasp the concept of football, put a name to what my parents watched religiously every Sunday, Brett Favre has been there. Through two Super Bowl runs (thisclose to a third), three NFL MVP awards, every significant passing record, I saw it all firsthand from a place that worshiped the ground that man walked on. 

I’ll admit, I did too, still do. That’s not to say I don’t think he made his fair share of mistakes in this situation, far from it. Neither side played this situation right, and sides were remarkably hard to choose. In the end I firmly believe that while Brett should have gone about his comeback in a far more professional manner, and much sooner, Green Bay should have still given him a shot. As soon as he rescinded his demand to be the immediate starter, as soon as he offered to compete for the job, this should have been over. Every other position in camp is technically up for grabs, but the QB role wasn’t? Seriously? 

But no, that was far from the end of it, as, well, everyone knows. This story was inescapable, and if you think it was bad throughout the country, try weathering the storm from inside the state limits of Wisconsin. We got Brett Favre news 28 hours a day, every day. And so it trudged on, this story that refused to go away. I thought we were done once again on Monday, when Brett and Deanna arrived in Green Bay after Roger Goodell reinstated Brett. It looked like the path that should have been taken from square one would be the result by default, and I was just fine with that. 

But still, no. We find out that “Brett’s future is not in Green Bay” and he heads back to Mississippi, setting off yet more media frenzy and wild speculation. For a while it seemed like a surefire lock he was going to be a Buccaneer. Chris Mortenson even uttered the phrase “Packaneers” on ESPN. And so we waited, waited for the confirmation. And it never came. As it drew nearer to midnight here in Wisconsin it looked like we’d have at least one more day of waiting for an outcome.

And then it happened. 

Reports started surfacing of a trade to the Jets. And then confirmation of those reports. And then it really sunk in. He was gone. Brett Favre would be playing football in a Jets uniform. Suddenly everything seemed wrong, upside-down. I know he’s just a football player, but he’s MY football player. There are those who are going to see this as too much emotion being attached to one player. But please, how often does Brett Favre come along? A player, in the most important role on one of the most storied franchises in the most popular sport in the country, who wins fans over by winning, and enjoying himself as he does it. Along the way he plays through everything, never missing a start for physical or emotional injury. I remember the game after his father died as one of the most surreal, amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. He sets every important passing record, wins more games than anyone else, and does the whole thing with a lovable, goofy kid-grin permanently etched on his face. If watching all that from close-up provided a kind of joyous connection that is impossible to properly put into words. 

So now Ted Thompson has had his way, and Brett is gone from Green Bay. The Jets official website has Brett Favre Jets jerseys for sale. I can barely stand to look at them.

They’re the wrong shade of green…