Becca Manns Picks Up Where Texas High School Cheerleaders Leave Off - Litterally

Not to be out-done in the young-white-girl-gets-naked-has-picts-taken-which-are-on-Internet storyline is Becca Manns. Becca Manns is the University of Louisville Cheerleader who had her sexy pics spread all over the Internet. Some say it was the fault of a jealous boyfriend, but whatever the reason Manns was kicked out of college entirely and her parents are fighting to get her back in. This is far worse than anything Britney Spears has done, but given the buzz on this, she may start later on.

Time Out! Click here to buy or sell NBA home tickets online!

I've got to wonder why it is that the woman of focus is always white and blonde? Why? I mean it's not as if there aren't Black women out there shakin it for the camera, right? But the ones that are always mentioned are blonde. That's weird. It can be this or some teacher-sex scandal, but the one constant is the woman is a hot blonde.



I don't think that's the fault of hot blondes, but rather a kind of racial and sexual discrmination commonly practiced. But what seems to make this just fine with the people in charge is how many women-of-color are going to step-up and claim equal time with horny white chicks?

I am waiting for the one who does. It could happen with the right backing. Meanwhile, Ms. Manns should consider the sex industry.

The Apprentice LA: Resting In Its Own Tent City

I'm watching The Apprentice LA now and as a person who's not missed one of these segments, I've got to write that I'm not really down with the LA style. OK, I like the women -- who would not?

But look, the relocation to LA was just plain stupid. New York's the center of commerce, so either keep it there or if Donald Trump's going to try a new city, it should have been Chicago.

But LA? It's not working for me.

The other aspect of the problem with this show is that by placing one group in a mansion and another -- the losing group -- in a kind of tent city, the drama and interplay of the people as a whole is totally destroyed. There's no rivalry to really sink one's teeth into at all. Whoever came up with that idea may have doomed Apprentice LA to a tent city of its own, right at the bottom of the ratings.

Finally, while his daughter's certainly good-looking, I can't see her as a viable replacement for Carolyn. She just does not have "it." What she has is a bitch-approach that she thinks passes for being a woman in business. It's played. I know far too many women who are not like her and get the job done just as well.

I'm not sure this is the right formula..

Time will tell.

NFL Superad - Vote At http://www.nfl.com/superad/vote

Today's the day -- and the last day -- to vote for your favorite Super Bowl ad. The winner gets a trip to Super Bowl XLI in Miami. You can see all of them at Super Bowl Ad

Zennie Returns!

Yep. I'm back. It was just a long layoff and much needed rest, not to mention a landlord controversy. But I'm back!

mnhsfabfive2007's photos - Texas High School Cheerleader Scandal Pt 2

ME!!!
Originally uploaded by mnhsfabfive2007.

More of her or as she put's it "Me." As to the rest of the story...

From MSNBC...Jan. 2, 2007 - The pictures posted on MySpace.com looked like the latest installment of "Girls Gone Wild." In them, cheerleaders from McKinney North High School in Texas exhibited all variety of bawdy behavior. One shot showed a bikini-clad girl sharing a bottle of booze with a friend. Another featured a cheerleader and several other girls in risqué poses offering glimpses of their panties. But the most infamous photo of all was taken in a Condoms To Go store. Five smiling cheerleaders dressed in uniform posed with large candles shaped like penises. At least one of them appeared to be simulating fellatio. "It would be an overstatement to describe any of the photographs as pornographic, but it would be an understatement to describe them as harmless high jinks," wrote Harold Jones, a lawyer hired by the school district to investigate the incident. "Quite frankly, I personally found it 'creepy'."

mnhsfabfive2007's photos - Texas High School Cheerleader Scandal Pt 1

one CRAZYYY night!!
Originally uploaded by mnhsfabfive2007.

To me, this is just a normal photo, but it seems to be part of a set from a girl that's the ring-leader of a group of high school white girls who acted like "The Heathers": totally out of control and in control of the school. I don't know why this is so fascinating to everyone, but it is. So let's take it away...


Also, check out our new blog "San Francisco's Sexiest!"

Here's a video on the story from Fox Television:

Giants Playoff coverage#2

NY Times Reporter David Picker tells us the difference between Vishante Shiancoe and Jeremey Shockey

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Jan. 4 — There is nothing subtle about Jeremy Shockey. His hair is surfer-dude blond, his arms are emblazoned with tattoos, and he barks at opponents and officials when things do not bounce his way.
Shockey’s teammates would not change him one bit.
“He’s our emotional leader,” center Shaun O’Hara said before practice Thursday. “Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. But you know you’re going to get the same thing from him every time, and I love him for it. I wouldn’t want anybody else out there.”
There is a chance the Giants will have to play with the backup tight end Visanthe Shiancoe instead of Shockey in Sunday’s wild-card game in Philadelphia. Shockey, who practiced Thursday for the first time since injuring his left ankle against the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 24, was listed as questionable. Coach Tom Coughlin said Shockey was making progress.
When Shiancoe has started in place of Shockey, the Giants’ offense has changed considerably. Shiancoe is widely regarded as a blocking tight end; Shockey led the team this season with 66 receptions.
But in terms of confidence and self-promotion, Shiancoe and Shockey appear to be on equal footing.
“Look, man, I’m 6-5, 255 pounds,” said Shiancoe, who is listed as 6-4 and 250 pounds in the Giants’ media guide. “I run a 4.5. I’m strong as — excuse me — hell. So I can basically do anything the coaches tell me to do, and they know that.”
He added, “If Shockey is not able to go, of course I could get 100 yards.”
That would be a first. Shiancoe had a career-high 12 catches this season for 81 yards and no touchdowns. He has never caught a pass longer than 17 yards in his career.
But Shiancoe might be a better blocker than Shockey, who was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl this season. And he certainly seems to be more durable. Shiancoe has played in every game since being drafted by the Giants in the third round in 2003, while Shockey has missed 11 games in five seasons.
The swollen ankle forced Shockey to miss last Saturday’s regular-season finale in Washington.
“I just felt like I couldn’t compete as hard as Visanthe Shiancoe and the other guys,” Shockey said Wednesday when asked about not playing against the Redskins. “They got an opportunity and they did very well.”
Shiancoe started in Washington and had 1 reception for 8 yards in the Giants’ 34-28 victory. Tiki Barber rushed for a club-record 234 yards on 23 carries. Coincidence? Shiancoe said he did not think so, and he may have had a point. The Giants appeared to stick with the running game longer than they would have had Shockey been available.
The Giants also did not miss a beat when Shockey was limited by an injured right ankle at the start of the season. They won six of their first eight games with Shiancoe occasionally filling in. With Shockey sidelined in the overtime of the Giants’ 30-24 victory in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, Shiancoe wrested away a 9-yard pass from safety Brian Dawkins, sustaining the game-winning drive.
But Shockey is clearly a better fit in the offense. When Barber was asked Tuesday about the impact Shockey’s absence had in Washington, he said: “We were forced to run the ball. It hurts our intermediate pass game, and this is not a slight on Shiancoe at all. But he’s inexperienced in there.”
Barber, who ran for touchdowns of 15, 55 and 50 yards against the Redskins, added that Shiancoe was a good blocker.
“I try to maul people, man,” Shiancoe said about the subtleties of blocking. “Tiki’s all over the place, man. You don’t know where he’s going to go. And usually, for some reason, he follows behind me.”
Even if Shockey is healthy enough to play Sunday, Shiancoe will likely work up a sweat. He started three games in which the Giants opened with dual tight-end sets, and he is a fixture on special teams, playing on most kickoff returns and field-goal attempts.
But if Shockey is on the field, Shiancoe’s role will be limited at best. Still, he insisted he was not bothered by being overshadowed by Shockey.
“Everyone thinks that they’re starters,” Shiancoe said. “Nobody wants their whole career to not be really a strong part of the offense. But it’s my role here — the backup tight end.”

Jets Playoff coverage#2

NY TIMES Jets Beat Reporter Karen Crouse's take on this weeks Wildcard game-My Slant at the end...


Punishment Laps Help Jets Kick Penalty Habit

By KAREN CROUSE
Published: January 5, 2007
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Jan. 4 — The realization came during training camp. The Jets’ owner, Woody Johnson, was watching a practice from the sideline when his franchise quarterback, Chad Pennington, jogged past while running a punishment lap for making a rare mental error. It was then that Johnson knew that his new coach, Eric Mangini, would be a stickler for correctness.

Under Mangini’s predecessor, Herman Edwards, the Jets did a good job when it came to self-discipline. They led the N.F.L. in fewest penalties during Edwards’s rookie season, in 2001. And last season, despite a 4-12 record, the Jets inflicted relatively little harm on themselves, finishing with the fifth fewest penalties in the league.

But this season has been even better, with the Jets ranking No. 3 in the league in fewest penalties (70) and No. 2 in penalty yardage (560). Of the 12 teams in the postseason, no one has better penalty numbers than the Jets, a testament to their self-control and a clear factor in their surprising success.

In a season in which the Jets were breaking in a rookie head coach, using coordinators who had never called plays in the N.F.L. and relying on a backfield bereft of Curtis Martin, there was virtually no margin for error, no way for the Jets to succeed if they tripped themselves with repeated penalties. They didn’t.

Mangini’s message of playing smart was reinforced through the running of extra laps for practice infractions that fell under the category of self-destruction, like turnovers, penalties and mental errors. All those laps later, the Jets are getting ready for a first-round playoff game on Sunday against New England.

“Those laps have a lot to do with it,” safety Rashad Washington said Thursday with a wry laugh. “Those things get tiring, especially after you’ve been practicing twice a day and you end up having to run a lap in the middle of practice, then come back and jump right back in. You try your best in practice not to make dumb penalties so you don’t have to run, and it carries over to the game.”

The discipline displayed by the Jets received mostly lip service from the playoff-bound Giants. Despite having a coach, Tom Coughlin, with a reputation for being a disciplinarian, the Giants were among the most penalized teams in the league this season. They ranked No. 22 in fewest penalties, with 101, and were 23rd in fewest penalty yards (881). Last season they were even worse.

In fact, each New York team has been a reflection of its coach, with the Jets playing with the dispassionate poise of the poker-faced Mangini and the Giants (8-8) playing with the questionable composure sometimes displayed by Coughlin.

The Giants were called for 18 personal fouls in 16 games this season, the worst number of any team. The Jets had five, which was tied for the second-fewest in the league with five other teams.

The Jets were also one of five teams that did not incur an unsportsmanlike penalty during the regular season. Jets tight end Doug Jolley was called for one in a preseason game against the Giants, when he head-butted defensive back Sam Madison.

After that game, a 13-7 loss, Mangini talked about Jolley’s foul being “really unacceptable” and “selfish.” Within days, Jolley was gone, traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a seventh-round draft pick.

If the laps did not drive the message home about penalties, Jolley’s banishment probably did. “The coaches emphasize not making stupid penalties,” Washington said, “and being focused and committed to what we’re trying to get done.”

There are at least two people with officiating experience at every practice, and at Mangini’s behest, they call practice as tightly as any game crew. “It is a significant emphasis,” Mangini said.

Erik Coleman, the Jets’ third-year safety, gave an assist to the practice officials for the feat the Jets pulled off of going nearly eight games this season without drawing a defensive pass-interference penalty.

The streak was snapped when safety Kerry Rhodes was called for interfering with Oakland tight end Courtney Anderson in the fourth quarter of the Jets’ 23-3 victory last Sunday. “I didn’t think it was pass interference,” Rhodes said, smiling.

Corwin Brown, the Jets’ defensive backs coach, said during a chance encounter in a hallway Wednesday that he was not aware of the streak. His players are positive that his fingerprints are all over their success.

“Corwin’s been working with us on being patient and calm when the ball is in the air and just looking at the receiver,” the rookie cornerback Drew Coleman said. “We call it not losing your moxie.”

What does the moxie mantra cover? “Playing with a little poise instead of getting rattled when stuff goes bad and getting all out of whack,” Washington said. “Just calming yourself.”

Moxie by proxy: it is the Jets’ way. The question to be answered Sunday is if the Mangini-mirroring Jets are disciplined enough to defeat a team that is heavily favored to beat them.

EXTRA POINTS

Eric Mangini tried to make light Thursday of the cold-fish handshakes that he and his mentor, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, exchanged after each of their regular-season meetings. “We do a lot of self-scouting after the game: what we did well, what we did poorly,” Mangini said. Breaking into a smile, he added that he thought his handshake was strong and firm. “I’ve experimented with a couple other different kinds that haven’t worked for me,” Mangini said with a laugh. ... Center Nick Mangold did not receive any votes for offensive rookie of the year despite making 16 starts and few mistakes. But, Mangini said, “He got center of the year for us.”

So Karen Is Right: The Jets are one of the Least Penalized teams in pro football. When we attended Training camp in July, They ran 2 laps in the 90+ degree sweltering heat(that made my wife pass out after a panic attack) for every Penalty incurred.

Jets Playoff Coverage#1

Jets Beat writer Tom Rock Leads off our best of the Jets coverage leading up to Sunday's Match up with New England

My Comment at the end:

Why not them?


BY TOM ROCK
Newsday Staff Writer

January 3, 2007

No one came out and said "I told you so," likely because no one had actually said it to begin with. But mixed in with the feelings of elation and joy that pervaded the Jets' locker room following Sunday's playoff-clinching win over the Raiders was a tone of vindication.

"I'm glad I'm not in the business of making predictions," left guard Pete Kendall said of the dire reports many in the media provided at the beginning of the season, prognostications that proved to be quite wrong. "I never took personal offense at what people from the outside said. It seemed, I guess, relatively well thought out. But the perception and the reality that I saw when we got together in August, there was quite a bit of difference. I'm not going to sit here and say that I thought at that point we were a 10-win team, but I knew that what I had read and what I was seeing were two different things."

The Jets trudged through the season, overcoming bad losses to the Browns and Bills, earning emotional wins over the Patriots and Dolphins, and now head into the playoffs. Finally, this team gets some respect.

But then comes the nine-point spread from Vegas, even though the two Jets-Patriots games this season were decided by an average of five points, one of them a Jets win, and five of the last eight meetings were decided by a touchdown or less. Following closely behind are the statistical analyses, pointing out that the Jets are ranked 25th in overall offense, 20th in overall defense and 24th in rushing defense. Then come the backhanded compliments, about how the Jets have had a nice season and it's an accomplishment just to be in the playoffs, but how can they compete with the dynasty Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have forged in New England?

The Jets played 16 games to escape the doomsday predictions that were floated in August, only to emerge and find similar thoughts in January.

"I don't really put much stock in what people from the outside think or say about us," Kendall said. "We know that we control our own destiny, so whether people think we're a one-and-done team or we're going all the way. If we play poorly, we're a one-and-done and if we play well enough, we'll see where it winds up. There's nothing that any talking head or pundit is going to do to affect that."

The Jets may not be putting any weight into the buzz surrounding their wild-card game against the Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday, but they certainly hear it. Whether it rankles them, drives them or amuses them depends on the player.

Tight end Chris Baker said he's pretty sure about the answer most teams would give when asked whether they preferred to play the Jets or the Chiefs, the other AFC wild card.

"People would probably say they'd rather play the Jets, that nothing jumps out at you on film," he said. "They don't do this well, they don't do that well. That's been the perception all year. They're a product of this or that or whatever. I think we had a pretty good year."

Linebacker Matt Chatham has been on the other end of the Rodney Dangerfield scale of respect when he won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. He said the NFL is set up for teams like the Jets to outperform any preseason naysaying.

"This is such an odd league that we have where you can come in and do anything each year," Chatham said. "I know the mentality of this city is tough and expectations might not have been quite as high for us, but any team in the league should have the expectations that they are going to do things until proven otherwise."

Which is why the Jets refuse to believe they don't have a very good chance to win Sunday.

"Why wouldn't we?" receiver Laveranues Coles asked. "When you say we don't have a chance, it's probably the same people who are doubting us. Look at who's saying we don't have a chance. How smart have they been this far?"

Key matchup
Justin Miller vs. Laurence Maroney

One foot. That's how much better the Jets' Justin Miller was than the Patriots' Laurence Maroney when it came to returning kickoffs this season, topping the NFL with a 28.3-yard average compared to the rookie's 28.0. Where Miller separated himself was in touchdowns (he had two, including a 103-yarder) and volume (his 46 returns were fewer than only one other returner whose average was in the top 10). Although Miller hasn't busted one loose since Week 8, he has been steady, averaging 26.0 yards during the second half of the season and 25.7 in the last four games. In what is expected to be a slugfest Sunday, every foot of field position will help. Edge: Jets

Previous matchups:

D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Richard Seymour. Edge: Patriots

Reche Caldwell vs. Hank Poteat. Edge: Jets

And my Slant: The Jets are right: Why Not them? if anyone can beat New England, it's the Jets. So why won't the Oddsmakers in Vegas give the Jets any Play? maybe it's because they never give anything away to an east coast team, much less a NY team. I remember SB XXI, and the Vegas Boys were giving the edge to Denver, weather they were close geographically, or everyone loved Elway and Reeves. there was lost of Denver money on that game. I even heard that a few Texas Gamblers who just Despised NY were going with Denver. Guess they losta few oil wells that day. My point is that here goes the oddsmakers again going against a New York Team. If anyone can make it happen like last years Steeler's team,..it's Eric's Genius Jets.

Giants Playoff coverage#1

Newsday's Shaun Powell Let's us know why The Giants have Eagles Coach Andy Reid to thank for This Sunday's Game in Philly. My comment at the End:

Shaun Powell
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Just Reid and weep for Coughlin
January 2, 2007

The upcoming Giants-Eagles game was made possible by a coach who was set up to fail. Midway through the season, he lost his best player for good, his team began losing, the city began grumbling, his job came into question and everything was on the verge of collapse. All those forecasts about making the playoffs died quickly, like a New Year's resolution to hit the gym.

Andy Reid found a way, though. The better ones do. He plugged in a replacement quarterback with a weak arm, tweaked his game plan, changed his clipboard and challenged his players.

Instead of accepting disaster, which was widely assumed once Donovan McNabb went down, the Eagles shook up the NFC East and all conventional thinking. Rather than finding excuses for losing, the way the Giants do, Philly listened to Reid and believed him when he said the season wasn't over, it was just beginning.

That's why Reid should be coach of the year over the two boy wonders: Eric Mangini of the Jets, who had a healthy quarterback and enough sick-looking opponents, and Sean Payton down in New Orleans, blessed with Pro Bowlers Drew Brees, Will Smith and Jammal Brown.

Reid had to adjust his approach on the fly, without much time to prepare, the hardest task in the coaching biz. This is what separates the good from the average, or more bluntly, Reid from Tom Coughlin.

While East Rutherford burned all around him, Coughlin did not find a way, and the Giants reached the postseason mostly despite him, not because of him.

Like Reid, Coughlin was handed a joker from the bottom of the deck. He lost Michael Strahan, the Donovan McNabb of his defense. There were plenty of other injuries to various parts of the team. And the bad luck spilled onto the field, where Mathias Kiwanuka didn't wrap up Vince Young.

Coughlin had unexpected issues, agreed. But again, this is where coaches earn their large paychecks. This is where they can make an impact. They can't tackle or pass or run the football, but they must plug holes and inflate confidence when all looks lost and the bandwagon is broken.

Given how the Giants ruined a 6-2 start with too many bad and unforgivable losses and needed the mediocrity of the NFC to slip into the playoffs, we can all conclude that Coughlin's job should be and is on the line.

The question now is: Does he make the decision to fire him a tough one or an easy one? Does he go to Philly and beat Reid, or do the Giants take yet another foot in the behind?

What Coughlin needs to do, for the first time this season, is surprise us. Make us notice his coaching. Shake up the playoffs. Do a better job of dealing with weakness: Cover his team's, exploit the other team's. Instill faith, belief and confidence in a locker room lacking all three. Remind his players, over and over, that they're playing in the NFC, where everyone's got problems. Most of all, do for the Giants what Reid did for the Eagles.

That's really what this season, and Coughlin's employment, comes down to: his performance in a game nobody expects the Giants to win.

He took one step forward when he stripped the play-calling responsibilities from John Hufnagel, something that should've been done long ago, back when Tiki Barber was feeling "insignificant." Now Coughlin must get radical with a defense that gave up nearly 400 yards and almost blew a 27-7 lead to the Redskins. The Giants can't pressure the quarterback or defend against the pass or stop the run when it counts. Good luck, Coughlin.

Reid was hearing about his job when the Eagles were 5-5 when McNabb went down. Then they were slapped around by the Colts. They've won every game since, after Reid gave up the play-calling duties and balanced an offense led by Jeff Garcia, who couldn't keep a job in Cleveland last year. They passed the division leaders along the way, leaving the Giants and Cowboys choking on exhaust, and won the NFC East.

"We're a little bit like zombies," Reid cracked. "Back from the dead."

"Dead" is a fair description of the Giants right now and Coughlin's chances of coming back next season. Too many bad mistakes and losses and, to be fair, injuries have us checking for a pulse. To rise like Lazarus, or even Andy Reid, will require a big game from someone in particular. Will we see Coughlin or coffin?

My only disagreement here is that it doesn't matter what we all(Fans-Writers-Bloggers-radio and TV hosts) Think. John Tisch and John Mara are not firing the Coach THIS year. Why?? simply because for thesecond year in a row the Giants have had too many injuries, esp on the Defense, to cost a coach his job.

New York Giants and New York Jets In NFL Playoffs

It's been a few years since both NY city area Pro Teams made the Playoffs at the same time. During this week we will keep all of our readers updated on the doings of the Jets and Giants as they prepare for their matchups with New England and Philidelphia.

The Jets drive to the post season has been a great story to say the least, while the Giants rise and fall has been anything but steller. Later today we will start posting matchups for both teams, as well as various beatwriters' take on both teams, as well as my own commentary on both teams.

Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank's Firing Of Jim Mora, Jr. Not A Good Business Move

Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank's New Year's Day firing of Head Coach Jim Mora, Jr. was not a good business decision. The simple reason is that his record not just of 26-22 will be hard to top but his record of winning the NFC South division and his development of Quarterback Michael Vick as well.

The problems the junior Mora had were very fixable. The real focus should be on the defense, but the media's fixation with Vick seems to have infected the Falcons ability to adress this area. The counter to this is that they did make trades to improve the defense, but more change is needed in the area of scheme. Their defense is far too predictable. Perhaps making a change in defensive coordinator would have helped. Indeed, certainly it would. But Blank has thrown out the baby with the bathwater.

I think what did in Mora Jr. was his comment that he would want to coach at Washington. I understood what he meant, but it was taken far out of context. It was the focus of too much anger and in some cases way over the top. But what's done is done. It should not have cost him his job.

Arthur Blank will be hard-pressed to find a coach that will be as successful as Mora has been. I know that watching his team lose game after game this year was hard. But he needs to take a long terms view of the firm under Mora Jr. and take a few steps back. His decision seems based more on emotion than on cold hard analysis. For example, after three years of development of Vick into a passer, the Falcons now leave themselves without a guarantee of continuity in his training. This is a bad situation. What's the plan? I'll bet there's not a business plan in Blanks's office that answers this question. There should be one.

The weeks ahead will show what kind of owner Blank is. Does he have a good plan? Can he make a coaching choice that will cement the progress of Vick as a passer? We shall see.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just a very Happy New Year wish to everyone who reads our blog. 2007 will be an exciting time for us!

James Brown Passes At 73 - CNN.Com

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- James Brown, the legendary R&B belter, a singer and songwriter who created a foundation for funk and provided the roots of rap, a man of many nicknames but a talent that can only be described as one of a kind, is dead.

Brown died early Monday at Atlanta's Emory Crawford Long Hospital of congestive heart failure, his agent said. He was 73.

Brown was in Atlanta for a dental appointment when he fell ill and was admitted to the hospital over the weekend for treatment of "severe pneumonia," said his agent, Frank Copsidas.

"It appears what happened is that he did die of a heart attack as a result of his pneumonia," Copsidas told CNN Radio.

Brown -- known variously as "the Godfather of Soul," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One" and "Mr. Dynamite" (and often introduced as all of the above) -- was known for his elastic dance moves, razor-sharp musicianship and all-stops-out performances. (Watch the incomparable Brown perform )

He was, literally, an impossible act to follow: The Rolling Stones were said to have been terrified to come on after Brown in "The T.A.M.I. Show," a 1964 concert that appeared on film the next year. ("Nobody could follow me," Brown told "T.A.M.I. Show" director Steve Binder, according to a Los Angeles Times article.) Brown's performance in that show even earned an ovation from the backing band.

"You have the Rolling Stones on the same stage, all of the important rock acts of the day, doing their best -- and James Brown comes out and destroys them," producer Rick Rubin wrote in Rolling Stone. (i-Report: Your thoughts on James Brown)

His influence was broad and deep. He was a soul innovator, bringing a churchy rawness to R&B with his early hits "Please, Please, Please" and "Think." He essentially created funk with mid-'60s songs such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Cold Sweat." His grooves were sampled by rappers and hip-hop artists. (Gallery: James Brown through the years)

He was tough on his own backing band, the Famous Flames -- which included saxophonist Maceo Parker, guitarist Jimmy Nolen and drummer Clyde Stubblefield -- famously fining them if they missed a cue. They even walked out on him in 1969; Brown simply recruited a new band, which included bassist Bootsy Collins. (Many of the Flames later returned; they were renamed the J.B.'s.)

He provided the ground that much of black music -- much of pop music -- stands on. (Story: James Brown's greatest hits)

"James presented obviously the best grooves," rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy once told The Associated Press. "To this day, there has been no one near as funky. No one's coming even close." (Watch "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business" do his thing )

Despite much-publicized personal problems that included a rap sheet and drug troubles, he also was a community leader. In the 1960s, he was a voice for calm during a period of urban riots; J. Anthony Lukas' book on Boston race relations, "Common Ground," notes that a 1968 Brown performance the day after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination helped keep the Massachusetts city from exploding.

Later, dismayed by the school shootings of the late '90s, he spoke out against violence in schools, even writing a song, "Killing's Out and School's In."

"We need to protect the kids by giving them something to do," Brown told CNN in 2001. "[It's about] making them interested, making them love mom and dad more, love the family more, love themselves more and love their school. So there won't have to be killing in school."

'Superhuman determination'
James Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina. His early years were rough. Abandoned by his immediate family, he was taken in by friends and relatives and grew up in an "ill-repute area" of Augusta, Georgia, he once said. He shined shoes and danced for change, and he also served time in a reform school for breaking into cars, rescued by the family of friend Bobby Byrd.

Byrd invited Brown to join his group, the Gospel Starlighters, which later changed its name to the Flames and then the Famous Flames. The group was signed to King Records and released its song "Please, Please, Please" in early 1956. The song hit the R&B Top 10 and the group worked it hard, touring the "chitlin circuit" -- as the series of African-American clubs and theaters was called -- incessantly.

"What made Brown succeed where hundreds of others failed was his superhuman determination, working the chitlin circuit to death, sharpening his band, and keeping an eye on new trends," Richie Unterberger wrote on Allmusic.com.

A second hit, "Try Me," gave the group staying power, and from there it was hit after hit: "Think," "This Old Heart," "Bewildered," "Lost Someone," "Night Train," "Prisoner of Love." Brown eventually scored more than 50 Top 10 hits on the R&B charts. Seventeen hit No. 1.

Despite the occasional pop hit, crossover stardom eluded him until 1963, when "Live at the Apollo" -- still considered one of the great live albums of all time -- hit No. 2 on Billboard's album chart. In 1965, Brown hit the pop Top 10 with the groundbreaking "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," a song that incorporated the intricate start-and-stop rhythms that would come to define funk, and his mainstream stardom was sealed.

Brown's music was bold: 1968's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" was a defiant statement of black pride; 1970's "Get Up (I Feel Like Being Like A) Sex Machine" was blatantly sexual; 1971's "Hot Pants" leering. His sound was unlike anything on the charts and was copied by many artists, including Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament -- who, in turn, gave it their own spin.

Influence on disco, hip-hop, rap
Brown went into eclipse in the mid-'70s. His 1974 song "The Payback" was his last Top 40 hit for 11 years, and even his appearances on the R&B/black music charts were irregular. He returned to the Top 10 with "Living in America," the theme from "Rocky IV," in 1985, but it was his last hurrah on the pop chart.

Brown also was plagued by personal problems. In the late '80s he was in the news for being accused of assault and battery by his then-wife. In 1988, high on PCP, he led police on a chase through two states before officers shot out the tires of his truck. He received a six-year prison sentence, serving 15 months in prison and 10 months in a work release program before being paroled in 1991, according to the AP.

But his musical influence was undeniable. He was part of the first group of artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He won Grammys for "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "Living in America." He received a Kennedy Center honor in 2003.

He knew what he'd accomplished.

"Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I'm saying? You hear all the rappers, 90 percent of their music is me," he told the AP in 2003.

Brown's traditional performance close -- wailing "Please, Please, Please," falling to his knees, being covered with a cape, led almost off stage, still singing quietly, only to rise again, returned to the center, bringing the crowd to its screaming feet -- is indelible. It suggested nothing short of a life force, one that lives on in his many followers.

Which was what James Brown hoped for.

"I would like to pass on the want to do something," he told CNN in 2000. "The need is there. Good lyrics are good things, but I would like to pass on that drive, that vigorous undying determination."

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

"Vince The Great" - Vince Young Leads Titans To 30-29 Win v. Buffalo Bills - NFL.com

Young keeps Titans' streak, hopes alive

NFL.com wire reports

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Dec. 24, 2006) -- If Vince Young keeps this up, the Tennessee Titans just might do the unthinkable and make the playoffs.

The rookie first-round draft pick has the Titans (8-7), who started the season with five losses in a row, alive in the AFC playoff race entering the final weekend after rallying them to a 30-29 victory against the Buffalo Bills.

The doubters have motivated Young all season long.

"That's all you heard all season, that a rookie's not going to be able to do this and that," Young said. "And I took that as, 'Hey, let's show the world that you can do that.' "

Young threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another to engineer his fourth comeback in the fourth quarter or overtime. This time, he helped Tennessee overcome a 29-20 deficit in the final 12 minutes. After hitting Brandon Jones for a 29-yard touchdown pass, Young engineered a 14-play, 75-yard drive, which Rob Bironas capped with a 30-yard field goal with 2:10 left.

Young's most electrifying play came at the end of the first half, when he scored on a 36-yard keeper on a fourth-and-2.

The loss knocked the Bills, now 7-8, out of playoff contention.

"This loss really hurts," said linebacker London Fletcher, whose team entered the game having won five of seven. "We had everything fall into place the way you want it to fall. We played a home game in a situation where you have to beat a team. And we just didn't get the job done."

Young improved to 8-4 as a starter and has led the Titans to six consecutive victories as they attempt to become the first NFL team to qualify for the playoffs after starting the season 0-5.

Tennessee still needs help, and must win its season finale when it plays host to New England next weekend.

"Every week he does something to amaze me," Jones said. "I can't believe some of the things that he does."

It was a wild, back-and-forth contest, featuring seven lead changes.


Vince Young made more magic when he beat the clock with his 36-yard touchdown run before halftime.
The Bills had a chance to pull it out but failed in the final minute.

Facing fourth-and-5 at the Titans 28, J.P. Losman scrambled out of trouble and threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by Reynaldo Hill at the goal line. On the play, the Bills elected against a field goal. They were driving into a wind that was gusting up to 20 mph.

Losman finished 19-for-33 for 266 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice. Willis McGahee had 95 yards rushing and a touchdown.

"All we wanted was an opportunity," Bills receiver Lee Evans said. "It came down to the end of the game and, defensively, they made more plays than we did offensively."

The game turned after Rian Lindell, with a career-tying fifth field goal, put the Bills ahead 29-20 late in the third quarter.

Young took over and led the Titans on a nine-play, 62-yard march, which he capped by hitting a wide-open Jones over the middle at the 10. Jones eluded Terrence McGee, who slipped on the play, and ran it in for a 29-yard reception.

After the Bills went three-and-out, the Titans turned to running back Travis Henry in a drive that ate up 7:15 and, more significant, produced the winning points.

Henry had 41 yards on eight carries during the drive, and finished with 135 yards rushing while facing his former team for the first time since being traded to Tennessee in 2004.

More surprising is that Henry arrived in Buffalo late after he missed the Titans' flight the day before.

"I was home just chilling and I got a call from a teammate like they were going to leave," Henry said, noting he had misread the Titans' travel schedule. "I got on the first flight that was available and I had to connect through Charlotte. ... It was crazy."

Young laughed when asked about Henry's late arrival.

"He's got a lot of money to book him another flight," Young said. "He got here, no problems, and went out there and played the game."

GAME NOTES:

With six victories in a row, Young moved into a tie for third with Pittsburgh's Mike Kruzcek for the longest streak among rookie NFL quarterbacks.
Losman has 12 touchdown passes in his past eight games, eight of them for 20 yards or longer after he hit Evans for a 37-yarder on Sunday.
Bironas hit all three field-goal attempts for Tennessee, including a tough 42-yarder into the wind.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

Baltimore Ravens Smell Miami; Rout Steelers 31-7

Ravens keep rolling, rout Steelers 31-7

NFL.com wire reports

PITTSBURGH (Dec. 24, 2006) -- Minutes after they ended the Pittsburgh Steelers' run as the Super Bowl champion, the Baltimore Ravens were ready to proclaim a new NFL title favorite -- themselves.

Steve McNair, masterfully running an offense that was productive and efficient, threw three touchdown passes and Baltimore took a big step toward securing a first-round AFC playoffs bye with a 31-7 victory over the Steelers.

The Ravens (12-3) matched a franchise record for victories in a season set by their Super Bowl championship team in 2000 and swept the series from the despised Steelers (7-8) for the first time since the former Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996. They also won in Heinz Field for the first time since their initial game there in 2001.

"The satisfaction is what we're trying to accomplish, it's not about ending the Steelers' season," cornerback Chris McAlister said.

The Ravens got some unexpected help from the Houston Texans, who upset the Indianapolis Colts 24-21 to move Baltimore ahead of the Colts (11-4) for the No. 2 seeding in the AFC playoffs. Baltimore, which still can surpass San Diego and be seeded No. 1, will finish at home next Sunday against Buffalo (8-7).

"We're in a prime position to get home-field advantage," linebacker Ray Lewis said. "With the way we're playing defense and the way our offense is clicking, we're going to be a hard team to beat in the playoffs."

If this was Bill Cowher's last home game as Steelers coach, and there is a possibility it was, his players didn't throw much of a going-away party.

With Ben Roethlisberger (156 yards passing, two interceptions) and Willie Parker (29 yards on 13 carries) again having rough afternoons against one of the NFL's top defenses, the Steelers (7-8) became the first defending Super Bowl champions since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 to miss the playoffs.

"We just didn't play the way we played last year," wide receiver Hines Ward said, pointing to a season-long problem with turnovers -- 35, including three more in Week 16. "You never give yourself a chance to win when you turn it over."


Mark Clayton continues to be a deep threat with a 35-yard TD and 108 total yards.
The Steelers tried to rally by winning five of six following a 2-6 start, but now can finish no better than 8-8 -- the same record they had in 1980, the year after they won the fourth and last of the Super Bowls under coach Chuck Noll.

"Nobody expected us to be in this position," linebacker James Farrior said. "Everybody is going to have to pick themselves up after this."

Parker, a Pro Bowl running back, had averaged 144 yards rushing in the previous four home games only to be held below 30 yards for the second time in a month by Baltimore. He had 22 yards on 10 carries in the Ravens' 27-0 rout on Nov. 26. The Steelers were out-gained 634-423 and outscored 58-7 in the two losses to the Ravens.

The Ravens defense wasn't quite as good as the first matchup, when it sacked Roethlisberger nine times and forced three turnovers, but it didn't have to be the way McNair (21 of 31, 256 yards, two interceptions) took advantage of repeatedly good field position.

"To me, he's the secret weapon this year," Steelers lineman Brett Keisel said of McNair, acquired from Tennessee in a trade earlier this year. "He's the reason they are where they are. He came into a new system and now he's taking them to the playoffs."

Who are the greatest Super Bowl champions of all time? America's Game on NFL Network answers that question every Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Jamal Lewis helped out with 77 yards, giving him 1,063 yards for the season, and a 1-yard touchdown run.

After Baltimore got the ball at the Steelers 43 late in the first quarter following a short punt by Chris Gardocki, McNair found Mark Clayton behind Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu on a 35-yard scoring play. The touchdown came one play after McNair kept the drive going by barely gaining enough ground on a fourth-and-1 sneak.

Another short punt by Gardocki on Pittsburgh's next possession led to McNair's 1-yard scoring pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox on fourth-and-goal.

The Steelers had gained only 34 yards in the first half until a McNair-thrown interception on a tipped pass led to Roethlisberger's 1-yard TD pass to Heath Miller seven seconds before halftime.

The Ravens regained control on their opening drive of the second half, with McNair finding Demetrius Williams open behind Polamalu down the Baltimore sideline for a 25-yard touchdown. That made it 21-7, and the Steelers were so desperate to score after that they went for it on a fourth-and-2 at their 37 midway through the quarter. They didn't get the first down -- a perfect summation of their failed season.

Polamalu, an All-Pro safety last season, returned after missing the Steelers' previous three games with a knee injury.

Notes: McNair is 10-4 against Pittsburgh. ... Baltimore has won eight of nine. ... The Steelers were 2 of 14 on third downs, with both conversions coming on penalties, and 3 of 26 against Baltimore this season. ... Six of the last eight Super Bowl winners held a first-round bye. ... McNair had thrown 163 passes without an interception. ... The Ravens have allowed 57 points in their last six games. ... Baltimore finished 5-1 in the division. The Steelers are 2-3.

Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart Sprained His Left Shoulder Against 49ers - NFL.com

Cards QB Leinart sprains throwing shoulder

NFL.com wire reports


SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 24, 2006) -- Matt Leinart sprained his left shoulder late in the first half of the Arizona Cardinals ' game against San Francisco, ending the quarterback's strong rookie season one game early.

Leinart was hurt when Roderick Green sacked him on third down during a drive that ended in Neil Rackers' 39-yard field goal with 1:57 left in the second quarter. Leinart went to the locker room after the hit, and returned to the sideline in street clothes as Kurt Warner finished off the Cardinals' 26-20 victory.

Though the injury apparently isn't serious, Arizona coach Dennis Green said Leinart will be shelved for the season finale at San Diego on Dec. 31. Leinart won't need surgery, but is scheduled for an MRI exam Dec. 27.

"It hurts pretty good, but it's nothing serious, so that's a good thing," said Leinart, who was told such injuries require about four weeks to heal. "Nothing popped, nothing tore. There were no noises. I just fell on it hard."

Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, was outstanding against the 49ers, going 9-for-13 for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald as Arizona took a 20-3 lead.

Leinart has passed for 2,547 yards and 11 TDs this season despite sitting out most of the Cardinals' first four games. Arizona won four of its last six games under Leinart, but is out of playoff contention after an eight-game losing streak early in the season.

Warner, who lost his job to Leinart in October, passed for 105 conservative yards in the second half as Arizona barely held on.

"When you come in with a situation where somebody is doing well, you just don't want to mess up what's going on," Warner said. "It was really about managing the game at that point."

NFL TOTAL OFFENSE RANKING TO 12/25/2006 - NFL

Offense ranking and stats by NFL:



Stat list order:Games Plays Yards Game Play Game Eff Eff Game of Poss
Yds/ Yds/ 1st Dn/ 3rd Dn 4th Dn Pts/Avg Time


1. New Orleans Saints 15 1024 5967 397.8 5.8 21.1 45.1 57.9 26.1 32:19
2. Indianapolis Colts 15 943 5671 378.1 6.0 23.5 56.1 0.0 26.7 29:27
3. San Diego Chargers 15 954 5453 363.5 5.7 19.9 43.3 54.5 31.0 31:31
4. St. Louis Rams 15 998 5351 356.7 5.4 20.6 37.1 64.7 21.7 31:04
5. Philadelphia Eagles 14 868 5284 377.4 6.1 19.4 41.2 40.0 25.1 28:19
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 15 967 5243 349.5 5.4 19.9 42.2 47.6 22.0 30:38
7. Dallas Cowboys 14 907 5206 371.9 5.7 21.5 48.4 53.3 27.6 31:51
8. Cincinnati Bengals 15 940 5167 344.5 5.5 19.9 35.6 66.7 23.7 29:07
9. Green Bay Packers 15 1007 5085 339.0 5.0 18.7 37.7 41.2 18.3 30:21
10. Jacksonville Jaguars 15 924 5026 335.1 5.4 17.9 38.9 50.0 22.7 32:22
11. New England Patriots 15 994 4955 330.3 5.0 20.7 42.9 78.9 23.0 31:43
12. Atlanta Falcons 15 926 4932 328.8 5.3 17.7 35.5 44.4 18.3 29:27
13. Chicago Bears 15 988 4883 325.5 4.9 19.1 38.1 66.7 28.0 31:04
14. New York Giants 15 942 4859 323.9 5.2 18.7 36.5 46.7 21.4 29:41
15. Washington Redskins 15 917 4850 323.3 5.3 18.3 37.0 45.5 18.6 29:51
16. Kansas City Chiefs 15 936 4748 316.5 5.1 19.1 40.4 57.1 19.7 30:04
17. Baltimore Ravens 15 951 4745 316.3 5.0 17.6 41.1 72.7 22.3 32:34
18. Minnesota Vikings 15 964 4650 310.0 4.8 17.0 32.4 71.4 17.4 31:51
19. Seattle Seahawks 15 973 4633 308.9 4.8 18.9 36.7 25.0 20.8 29:18
20. Denver Broncos 15 909 4626 308.4 5.1 17.7 37.9 53.8 19.7 29:59
21. Carolina Panthers 15 934 4610 307.3 4.9 17.2 31.0 25.0 15.9 29:55
22. Detroit Lions 15 891 4587 305.8 5.1 17.9 30.6 38.1 17.7 27:23
23. Arizona Cardinals 15 944 4556 303.7 4.8 18.6 38.8 66.7 19.6 30:13
24. San Francisco 49ers 15 842 4500 300.0 5.3 15.1 33.3 55.6 18.1 28:20
25. Tennessee Titans 15 879 4468 297.9 5.1 16.3 33.0 43.8 20.1 27:05
26. Miami Dolphins 14 912 4353 310.9 4.8 17.7 38.3 50.0 16.3 30:07
27. New York Jets 14 885 4301 307.2 4.9 18.4 42.9 33.3 20.0 30:40
28. Houston Texans 15 913 4286 285.7 4.7 18.1 39.5 69.2 16.9 29:44
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15 923 4034 268.9 4.4 14.8 37.1 26.7 13.6 28:27
30. Buffalo Bills 15 846 4018 267.9 4.7 14.9 31.2 40.0 19.5 28:22
31. Cleveland Browns 15 874 3927 261.8 4.5 15.4 33.0 42.9 15.5 28:46
32. Oakland Raiders 15 899 3730 248.7 4.1 15.4 36.8 33.3 11.0 28:34

2006 NFL PLAYOFF SCENARIOS - NFLMedia.com

From NFLMedia.com

2006 NFL PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
________________________________________________________________
(Before 12/25 Philadelphia-Dallas & N.Y, Jets-Miami Monday night games)
December 25, 2006 - Christmas Day

For Week 17
AFC:
Clinched: San Diego - West Division and first-round bye
Indianapolis - South Division
Baltimore - North Division
New England - East Division
Eliminated: Oakland, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, Buffalo, Pittsburgh.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
San Diego clinches homefield advantage:
1) SD win or tie
2) BAL loss or tie
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Baltimore clinches homefield advantage:
1) BAL win + SD loss
Baltimore clinches a first-round bye:
1) BAL win or tie
2) IND loss or tie
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Indianapolis clinches a first-round bye:
1) IND win + BAL loss
DENVER BRONCOS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
Denver clinches a playoff berth:
1) DEN win or tie
2) KC loss or tie
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
Denver clinches a playoff berth:
1) DEN win or tie
2) KC loss or tie
3) NYJ loss or tie + CIN loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
NEW YORK JETS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
NY Jets clinch a playoff berth:
1) NYJ win or tie
2) CIN loss or tie + JAC loss or tie
3) CIN loss or tie + TEN win
4) DEN loss + JAC loss
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
NY Jets clinch a playoff berth:
1) NYJ win + CIN loss or tie + JAC loss or tie
2) NYJ win + CIN loss or tie + TEN win
3) NYJ win + DEN loss + JAC loss
4) NYJ tie + CIN loss + KC/JAC tie + TEN tie
CINCINNATI BENGALS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth:
1) CIN win + NYJ loss
2) CIN win + DEN loss + KC win
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
1) CIN win
2) CIN tie + KC/JAC tie + NYJ loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
TENNESSEE TITANS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
Tennessee clinches a playoff berth:
1) TEN win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + KC win
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
Tennessee clinches a playoff berth:
1) TEN win + NYJ loss or tie + CIN loss or tie
2) TEN win + NYJ loss or tie + DEN loss + KC win
3) TEN win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + KC win
4) TEN tie + NYJ loss + CIN loss + JAC/KC tie
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
Jacksonville clinches a playoff berth:
1) JAC win + NYJ loss + CIN loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
Jacksonville clinches a playoff berth:
1) JAC win + CIN loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
2) JAC tie + CIN loss + TEN loss + NYJ loss or tie
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
IF NY JETS BEAT MIAMI
Kansas City clinches a playoff berth:
1) KC win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + TEN loss or tie
IF MIAMI BEATS NY JETS
Kansas City clinches a playoff berth:
1) KC win + NYJ loss or tie + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss
2) KC win + NYJ loss or tie + CIN loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
3) KC win + NYJ loss or tie + DEN loss + TEN loss or tie
4) KC win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + TEN loss or tie
NFC:
Clinched: Chicago - North Division and homefield advantage
New Orleans - South Division
Seattle - West Division
Dallas - playoff berth
Eliminated: Detroit, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Washington, Minnesota,
San Francisco.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
IF DALLAS BEATS PHILADELPHIA
New Orleans clinches a first-round bye:
1) NO win
2) DAL loss
3) NO tie + DAL tie
IF PHILADELPHIA BEATS DALLAS
(NEW ORLEANS WILL HAVE ALREADY CLINCHED A FIRST-RD BYE)
DALLAS COWBOYS
IF DALLAS BEATS PHILADELPHIA
(DALLAS WILL HAVE CLINCHED NFC EAST DIVISION)
Dallas clinches a first-round bye:
1) DAL win + NO loss or tie
2) DAL tie + NO loss
IF PHILADELPHIA BEATS DALLAS
Dallas clinches East Division:
1) DAL win + PHI loss or tie
2) DAL tie + PHI loss
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
IF DALLAS BEATS PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia clinches playoff berth:
1) PHI win or tie
2) NYG loss or tie
3) GB loss or tie + CAR win
4) GB loss or tie + STL win
5) GB win + NYG win strength of victory tiebreaker over GB
IF PHILADELPHIA BEATS DALLAS
(PHILADELPHIA WILL HAVE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF BERTH)
Philadelphia clinches East Division:
1) PHI win
2) DAL loss
3) PHI tie + DAL tie
NEW YORK GIANTS
IF DALLAS BEATS PHILADELPHIA
NY Giants clinch a playoff berth:
1) NYG win + NYG clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over GB
2) NYG win + PHI loss
3) NYG win + GB loss or tie
4) NYG tie + GB loss or tie + STL loss or tie + ATL loss or tie +
CAR loss or tie
5) GB loss + STL loss + ATL loss + CAR loss
IF PHILADELPHIA BEATS DALLAS
NY Giants clinch a playoff berth:
1) NYG win + NYG clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over GB
2) NYG win + GB loss or tie
3) NYG tie + GB loss or tie + STL loss or tie + ATL loss or tie +
CAR loss or tie
4) GB loss + STL loss + ATL loss + CAR loss
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Green Bay clinches a playoff berth:
1) GB win + NYG win + GB clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over NYG
2) GB win + NYG loss or tie + STL loss or tie
3) GB win + NYG loss or tie + CAR win
4) GB win + NYG loss or tie + ATL win
5) GB tie + NYG loss + STL loss + ATL loss or tie + CAR loss or tie
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Carolina clinches a playoff berth:
1) CAR win + NYG loss or tie + GB loss or tie
2) CAR tie + NYG loss + GB loss + STL loss or tie + ATL loss or tie
ATLANTA FALCONS
IF DALLAS BEATS PHILADELPHIA
Atlanta clinches a playoff berth:
1) ATL win + CAR loss or tie + GB loss or tie + STL loss or tie
2) ATL win + CAR loss or tie + GB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie
3) ATL tie + CAR loss + GB loss + NYG loss + STL loss
IF PHILADELPHIA BEATS DALLAS
Atlanta clinches a playoff berth:
1) ATL win + CAR loss or tie + GB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie
2) ATL tie + CAR loss + GB loss + NYG loss + STL loss
ST. LOUIS RAMS
St. Louis clinches a playoff berth:
1) STL win + NYG loss or tie + CAR loss or tie + ATL loss or tie
2) STL tie + NYG loss + CAR loss + ATL loss + GB loss

Justin Timberlake - Video - Rock Your Body

This is the song that catapulted Justin Timberlake into mega-star status. "Rock Your Body" was released in 2003 and rose to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It's also the song he was singing at Super Bowl XXXVIII and during the famous "wardrobe malfunction." Justin's going on a multi-city concert tour. You can get tickets with a click here.

Here's the video:

More Behind Art Shell Firing Rumor Than Meets The Eye

It's all over the news and the blogs that Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reported that Oakland Raiders Head Coach Art Shell will not be back to coach the Silver and Black next season. It's also now all over the same news and blogs that Schefter's report was rejected by the Raiders and in a tone that can only be described as "testy."

The Raiders reportedly issued a press release with a message that looked like this:

"ADAM SCHEFTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FALSE RUMOR MONGERER WITH RESPECT TO THE RAIDERS AND ANTI-RAIDER BASED UPON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DENVER AND WITH MIKE SHANAHAN.
NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE RELATIVE TO THE 2007 OAKLAND RAIDERS NOR WILL THEY BE MADE FOR SOME TIME.

ADAM SCHEFTER COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN HIS INFORMATION FROM A "RELIABLE SOURCE" BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE RELIABLE SOURCE AND HE DOESN'T TRUST ADAM."

Ask Raiders fans if Shell should go or stay and you get a variety of answers and a mix of "yes" and "no" according to Raiderfans.net But all of the talk about this seems to mask one fact: the supposed source was a "High Placed" Raiders Official, so it's another case of "Here we go again" with the attacking news coming from inside the organization.

It reminds me of the movie "When A Stranger Calls" where the weird phone calls were coming from a weirdo who was inside the house the poor girl was at. That poor girl is Art Shell. But who the caller could be is anyone's guess: earlier in the season, some pointed to Raiders Senior Assistant Mike Lombardi. But regardless of the same, the Raiders organization once again takes a massive slap in the face for looking like a haven for backstabbers. It's a sad scene.

But with all of this, one area of the Raiders that is really good is in media relations, where Mike Taylor runs a tight ship. Yak it up, but remember, Mike's job is gate-keeper in the Raiders organization, and from that perspective, he's good at keeping the Raiders at Bay. Mike understands where the power is and leads from the position of being next to the ear of the leader, Al Davis. So, Mike's not the one to backstab. Forget it.

I think the backstabber person who is one to do so would be more able to work in stealth and without a normal job title.

Hmm......

From Newsday-A Farewell to Tiki Barber - By Bob Glauber

Farewell to Tiki
December 22, 2006

It dawned on Tiki Barber the morning after the Giants beat the Eagles with a dramatic comeback in Week 2. That's when he knew this would be his final season.

"I felt like I was 50 years old," Barber said Thursday. "I consciously told myself, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I want to move on with the rest of my life.' "

The Giants staged a remarkable fourth-quarter rally against the Eagles and beat their divisional rival in overtime. Barber was exhausted.

"Literally, the next morning, I couldn't pick my head up off my pillow because I had an injury to my neck and back," he said. "My kids wanted to play with me, but all I could do was lay in bed. Jeremiah Trotter hit me like 20 times. I was tired. I was beat up. I didn't recover from that game until probably the next Saturday."

He thought seriously about life after football, and about some of the great players who are living with the wounds of their NFL careers. He did not want to be one of them.

"I don't want to be like Earl Campbell when I'm 50, not being able to walk, especially with all the opportunities that I have, that I have a passion for," said Barber, who plans a career as a television broadcaster.

After that, it was over. .Barber knew he still had enough left to give his best for the rest of the season, but he knew he could go no further. On Sunday, he will walk out of the tunnel against the Saints knowing it will be his final game at Giants Stadium.

"This is a stadium I've been coming to for 10 years, and there are tons of memories for me," he said. "But I think the emotion won't come until later, because I'm so focused on my job and the things I need to do."

But Giants fans should be very emotional about the most productive running back in franchise history. They should chant his name over and over, knowing this will be the last time they see him at the stadium where he produced so many memorable moments.

"Very special, very emotional, to be honest with you," coach Tom Coughlin said after practice. "It will be a very special day for all Giants fans, the last day that Tiki plays in Giants Stadium."

Coughlin and Barber have had their differences over the years, especially with Barber's occasional public criticism of the coaching staff, particularly after last season's playoff loss to Carolina. But Barber insists their relationship is misunderstood, and he shared a story rarely told.

"People think we're combative and that because of my personality and his personality we don't get along," Barber said. "His first season, my son had problems with high fevers and ear infections, and he had a seizure when we played our first game in 2004. was great. He pulled me aside and said, 'Whatever you need to do, you go do it. If you have to leave, leave.'

"We formed a bond there that most people aren't aware of, and it opened a dialogue on a non-player/coach relationship, and it allows us to have a better .relationship as a player/coach."

Bottom line: Barber has .enjoyed his greatest years under Coughlin, to the point that his 10-season career is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Even if he believes that he won't be the Barber to get into Canton.

"I see myself walking up to that podium and introducing my brother into the Hall of Fame," Barber said of his twin, Bucs cornerback Ronde.

"People say if I don't make it to the Hall of Fame that he was a pretty good player. That's all that matters. I never played this game to be a Hall of Famer. I played it to try to win championships. I went to one; we lost to the Ravens. I want to get back again. If that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But I won't define my life whether or not I win a championship or get to the Hall of Fame."

So many great games. So many splendid memories. But there's one that stands out from all the rest.

"A lot of people will point to that beautiful game we played in the 2000 NFC Championship Game when we beat the Vikings, or the Kansas City game last year where I set the single-game rushing record," Barber said.

"But I think my greatest is when we played the Redskins that same year, after Wellington Mara passed away and I had an opportunity to do something a lot of guys don't get to do, which is thank the Mara family for what they've been to me and to my career the only way I can: by putting on a great performance [206 rushing yards], scoring a touchdown and giving the ball to his grandson, and saying, 'This is for you. I love you guys, and thank you.' You can't write it any better than that."

No, you cannot. Unless there is an unexpected run to the Super Bowl this season, especially when the Giants look like they just don't have it in them.

That's why Giants fans must appreciate Sunday all the more. It's their last time to pay homage to one of the greatest players in franchise history. One final time to chant his name and salute his legacy.

New York's "21" Club Loses A Legend - Jerry Berns - NY Times

This NY Times article was sent to me by my friend Mike Dotterer, who I took to dinner at 21 this year. It's my favorite restaurant in all the World.

Jerry Berns, '21' Club’s Pre-eminent Greeter, Is Dead at 99

By TIM WEINER
Published: December 22, 2006

Jerry Berns, a proprietor of the “21” Club for a half-century and the last link to the restaurant’s past as Manhattan’s most celebrated speakeasy, died yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 99 and had homes in Rancho Mirage, Manhattan and Southampton, N.Y.

At top, Jerry Berns, right, and H. Peter Kriendler in 1985. Above, Artie D. DiRusso, a doorman, early that year trying to find a taxi for a patron.

His daughter, Cecily Berns Rosenthal, his banquet manager for 14 years, noted that he died on Dec. 21. The cause, she said, was complications of surgery.

Under a ceiling hung with toy planes and trucks, Mr. Berns, his brother, Charlie, and their cousin, H. Peter Kriendler, created a center of Manhattan’s social swirl at “21.”

For the better part of the 20th century, Mr. Berns and his two partners were the faces of “21.” He received the most powerful people in the nation as they arrived at the restaurant, housed in a brownstone at 21 West 52nd Street, walked past an honor guard of lawn jockeys and stepped inside. He was a host to every president of the United States from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter, the chiefs of corporate America, potentates and panjandrums. He made a practice of kissing prominent women on both cheeks.

Some well-heeled regulars ate at “21” almost every day for 50 years, and the ever-present Mr. Berns helped make the club a tradition through generations. Couples celebrated the birth of a child by stocking wine to be opened when the newborn turned 21. The consummation of a business deal or a love affair was a cause for a table for two.

The best tables at “21” were in the original building; the outer-room Siberias opened when the restaurant expanded two doors down on 52nd Street. Mr. Berns knew who sat where, whether it was Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra or Humphrey Bogart, who proposed to Lauren Bacall in the restaurant.

More than once, his daughter said, Mr. Berns averted disaster by making sure that the third party in a love triangle was seated out of sight.

Mr. Berns saw “21” evolve from a clandestine saloon to a grand salon. Before World War II, writers and actors and slumming millionaires drank elbow-to-elbow. Groucho Marx might rub shoulders with J. Paul Getty. After the war, the scene began to shift to brokers, bankers and the business elite.

The rooms smelled of cigars and money. The place practically invented the power lunch. It was very likely the first restaurant to charge $21 for a hamburger, a pinnacle it hit 21 years ago. It was perhaps the priciest place in the world to chow down on chicken hash.

The menu became fancier but the aura faded after the Berns and Kriendler families sold the restaurant to a business magnate in 1985 for $21 million. But “21” was never about the food. It was about the mood.

Herman Jerome Bernfeld was born on Feb. 19, 1907, one block north and five blocks west of “21” in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. His parents had emigrated from what is now Poland. His father, Abraham, was a tinsmith who made the old-fashioned ceilings still found in Manhattan tenements.

His brother, Charlie, ran a string of speakeasies that were “21” precursors. His mother, Sophia, demanded that Jerry leave Columbia College to avoid the risks of running rum in New York. Sent to Ohio, Mr. Berns received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Cincinnati in 1929.

His first wife, the former Martha Baeffsky, died in 1976 after 45 years of marriage. Their daughter Diane died in 1986. He married Suzanne Pogany in 1977; she died in 2000. In addition to Mrs. Rosenthal, he is survived by his wife, the former Dorothy Lyons, whom he married in 2005; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Charlie Berns died in 1970; H. Peter Kriendler in 2001.

The club opened at its present address on New Year’s Day 1930. In 1938, Jerry Berns, then the drama critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer, left the footlights of the Midwest for the grander stage on 52nd Street. For more than 12,000 nights thereafter, he was the first man the guests of the “21” Club met after they checked their hats and coats.
More Articles in New York Region »

Pro Bowl Rosters

AFC
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Marvin Harrison Indianapolis Colts
WR Andre Johnson Houston Texans
WR Chad Johnson Cincinnati Bengals
WR Reggie Wayne Indianapolis Colts
OT Willie Anderson Cincinnati Bengals
OT Tarik Glenn Indianapolis Colts
OT Jonathan Ogden Baltimore Ravens
OG Alan Faneca Pittsburgh Steelers
OG Will Shields Kansas City Chiefs
OG Brian Waters Kansas City Chiefs
C Nick Hardwick San Diego Chargers
C Jeff Saturday Indianapolis Colts
TE Antonio Gates San Diego Chargers
TE Tony Gonzalez Kansas City Chiefs
QB Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts
QB Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals
QB Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers
RB Larry Johnson Kansas City Chiefs
RB Willie Parker Pittsburgh Steelers
RB LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers
FB Lorenzo Neal San Diego Chargers
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Derrick Burgess Oakland Raiders
DE Aaron Schobel Buffalo Bills
DE Jason Taylor Miami Dolphins
DL Casey Hampton Pittsburgh Steelers
DL Richard Seymour New England Patriots
DL Jamal Williams San Diego Chargers
OLB Shawne Merriman San Diego Chargers
OLB Terrell Suggs Baltimore Ravens
OLB Adalius Thomas Baltimore Ravens
ILB Zach Thomas Miami Dolphins
ILB Al Wilson Denver Broncos
CB Champ Bailey Denver Broncos
CB Rashean Mathis Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Chris McAlister Baltimore Ravens
SS Troy Polamalu Pittsburgh Steelers
FS John Lynch Denver Broncos
FS Ed Reed Baltimore Ravens
PK Nate Kaeding San Diego Chargers
KR Justin Miller New York Jets
Special teams Kassim Osgood San Diego Chargers

NFC
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Anquan Boldin Arizona Cardinals
WR Donald Driver Green Bay Packers
WR Torry Holt St. Louis Rams
WR Steve Smith Carolina Panthers
OT Jammal Brown New Orleans Saints
OT Walter Jones Seattle Seahawks
OT Chris Samuels Washington Redskins
OG Shawn Andrews Philadelphia Eagles
OG Steve Hutchinson Minnesota Vikings
C Matt Birk Minnesota Vikings
C Olin Kreutz Chicago Bears
TE Alge Crumpler Atlanta Falcons
TE Jeremy Shockey New York Giants
QB Drew Brees New Orleans Saints
QB Marc Bulger St. Louis Rams
QB Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys
RB Tiki Barber New York Giants
RB Frank Gore San Francisco 49ers
RB Steven Jackson St. Louis Rams
FB Mack Strong Seattle Seahawks
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Aaron Kampman Green Bay Packers
DE Julius Peppers Carolina Panthers
DE Will Smith New Orleans Saints
DL Tommie Harris Chicago Bears
DL Kris Jenkins Carolina Panthers
DL Kevin Williams Minnesota Vikings
OLB Lance Briggs Chicago Bears
OLB Julian Peterson Seattle Seahawks
OLB DeMarcus Ware Dallas Cowboys
ILB Lofa Tatupu Seattle Seahawks
ILB Brian Urlacher Chicago Bears
CB Ronde Barber Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB DeAngelo Hall Atlanta Falcons
CB Lito Sheppard Philadelphia Eagles
SS Roy Williams Dallas Cowboys
SS Adrian Wilson Arizona Cardinals
FS Brian Dawkins Philadelphia Eagles
PK Robbie Gould Chicago Bears
KR Devin Hester Chicago Bears
Special teams Brendon Ayanbadejo Chicago Bears

Pro Bowl Selections - What, No Chad Pennington??

Look for my comments at the end.....

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

December 19, 2006, 7:52 PM EST

The San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears lead the NFL in wins -- and Pro Bowlers.

The Chargers placed nine players on the AFC squad Tuesday and the Bears had seven on the NFC team, which also includes a quarterback -- Dallas' Tony Romo -- who wasn't a starter when the season began.

San Diego's contingent includes quarterback Philip Rivers, who sat on the bench for his first two seasons behind Drew Brees. The former Chargers quarterback signed as a free agent with New Orleans in the offseason and will start for the NFC.

Also among the players representing the Chargers is linebacker Shawne Merriman, last year's defensive rookie of the year, who made it despite missing four games for flunking a steroid test.

"I'm very proud of our team and players," said general manager A.J. Smith of the Chargers, who like the Bears are 12-2. "We have a special group of players. These individuals are being recognized, but this is also a positive reflection on their teammates and the overall strength and depth of the entire roster."

The game will be played in Honolulu on Feb. 10.

Chicago's representatives demonstrate how the Bears won: with defense and special teams.

Three of the seven Bears, led by linebacker Brian Urlacher, are on defense and three are on special teams -- kicker Robbie Gould, specialist Brendan Ayanbadejo and rookie return man Devin Hester, who has shattered records with six returns for touchdowns on three punts, two kickoffs and a missed field goal.

Center Olin Kreutz, a perennial at his position, is the only Bears Pro Bowler on offense.

The NFC team also includes the Barber twins -- running back Tiki of the New York Giants and Ronde of Tampa Bay. The first twins to make it together, they now become the second set of brothers to make the Pro Bowl for three straight seasons -- Shannon and Sterling Sharpe from 1993-95 are the others.

"With this being my final season in the NFL and the final time my brother Ronde and I will be teammates, the honor carries even more significance than in previous years," said Tiki Barber, who described himself as "emotional and ecstatic."

In a year of outstanding rookies, Hester is the only one to make it, although Tennessee quarterback Vince Young is an alternate.

And Romo is almost a rookie. Until this season, he hadn't thrown a pass in three seasons with Dallas, mostly as a third-stringer.

But he is 6-2 as a starter since taking over from Drew Bledsoe at halftime of a loss to the Giants, leading the team to a playoff berth and control of the NFC East. When his potential selection to the Pro Bowl came up after his fourth start, coach Bill Parcells called it "ludicrous."

Like Kreutz, Urlacher and the Barbers, many of the Pro Bowlers are perennials although Ray Lewis of the Ravens didn't make it -- beaten out at inside linebacker on the AFC roster by Al Wilson of Denver and Zach Thomas of Miami.

One non-perennial is Reggie Wayne of the Colts, one of the league's best receivers for the past few years but always in the shadow of Marvin Harrison and never before a Pro Bowler.

"I really didn't think he would make it, not that he didn't deserve it," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "But it's a tough perception to overcome -- that your No. 2 receiver is better than 28 other receivers in the league."

Harrison also made it, although he is a backup to the two Johnsons who will start at wide receiver -- Chad of Cincinnati and Andre of Houston.

Buffalo linebacker Aaron Schobel and Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker are two of the nine first-time selections on the AFC squad, including Rivers and Wayne.

"From this day on, I guess I'll always be remembered as a Pro Bowler," Schobel said. "That's something nobody can take away from me."

Arizona safety Adrian Wilson joined 12 others, including Romo, Hester, Gould, San Francisco running back Frank Gore and St. Louis running back Steven Jackson as first-timers on the NFC team.

Wilson said he got a phone call from Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill on Tuesday afternoon.

"I had to go in the closet because I didn't want to scare my son," Wilson said. "I was pretty ecstatic."

The position with the most repeaters is traditionally the offensive line.

Guard Will Shields of Kansas City will go for the 12th time, tying a mark held by former Viking Randall McDaniel, also a guard. Another guard, Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca, will represent the AFC for the sixth straight time.

The AFC quarterbacks in addition to Rivers are the Colts' Peyton Manning, who'll start, and the Bengals' Carson Palmer.

The Rams' Marc Bulger joins Brees and Romo as the NFC's quarterbacks.

And My Spin: What, No Chad Pennington?? there are about 5 or 6 others that come to mind but The Chadster is the most glaring omission from the AFC squad. Also Jets Rookie Center Nick Mangold has Made people forget Kevin Mahwae ever played there. BC(draftnik)

Apple CEO Steve Jobs Annouced Apple iTV - Video

If you watch this video of Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing Apple iTV, you'll see a revolution in digital media unfolding before your very eyes. In the video, he takes a movie downloaded from iTunes and shows it on a large-screen television. That movie, The Incredibles, can also be purchased as a DVD. But if you can use your cheaper (I think) ITunes download version and see it on your big screen television, why would you bother to buy or rent a DVD?

I don't think most people understand the implications of this new product, set to be introduced next month. Here's the video:

Giants dive for Birds-Eagles win 36-22

Eagles give Giants taste of own medicine, 36-22
The visiting Eagles used two late fourth-quarter touchdowns to bump the Giants back down to .500 making the playoff question mark larger.

BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer

December 17, 2006, 10:47 PM EST

The Giants still control their own playoff fate. Yet how can anyone expect them to maintain control after playing the way they did Sunday?

With a chance to solidify a playoff position in front of a home crowd and against a hated opponent, the Giants came up small. Their 36-22 loss wasn't decided until Eagles defensive end Trent Cole intercepted Eli Manning's pop-up pass and danced 19 yards into the end zone with 2:47 to play, but the Giants (7-7) already had killed themselves in a game the Eagles (8-6) were begging them to take.

Manning was intercepted twice and the Giants lost two fumbles. The defense, charged with holding a 22-21 lead with 6:59 to play, allowed an 80-yard drive in easy fashion to give the lead back. The Giants' offense failed twice on first-and-goal situations, as it did against the Cowboys in a similarly important home game two weeks ago. Again, getting field goals instead of touchdowns was costly.


Still, thanks to the weak NFC, the Giants still can make the postseason by winning their final two games, against the Saints at home Sunday and against the Redskins on the road. And even a split might be good enough, depending on what other contenders do.

"Right now, we're not playing like a playoff-caliber team, especially with the mistakes we're making," said Tiki Barber, who had an 11-yard TD run on the Giants' second play from scrimmage but only 64 yards on 18 carries after that. "The way we played, we're destined to be a .500 team. There's a lot of mediocrity in the NFC. And we're certainly in that class."

The Giants trailed 14-10 at the half and clawed into the lead with a pair of short Jay Feely field goals, the second a 24-yarder after the Giants got the ball at the Eagles' 7 after Will Demps' sack and forced fumble, which Antonio Pierce recovered.

On the ensuing kickoff, Reno Mahe went 64 yards untouched to the 36. Two plays later, on third-and-2 from the 28, the Eagles used a timeout and came back with a four-wide-receiver set. Tom Coughlin said his defense had the play called correctly, anticipating a run, but Brian Westbrook sped through a gap in the left side of the line and went 28 yards for a 21-16 .Eagles lead with 12:36 to play.

"There's no excuse for that," Coughlin said. "We've got a call to stop the run. We're thinking run."

The Giants were thinking it most of the day, but they did little to stop Westbrook (19 carries, 97 yards, two TDs) and Correll Buckhalter (eight carries, 48 yards, one TD). The Eagles were the ones who came into the game with a porous run defense, but they were far stingier.

Still, even after Visanthe Shiancoe fumbled the ball away after picking up a first down on a short pass, the Giants came back to take the lead. Demps picked off Jeff Garcia, who rolled away from trouble most of the game, and the Giants were in business at the Eagles' 35. A pass-interference call gave the Giants a third first-and-goal situation, and Brandon Jacobs, who hadn't played since fumbling after a 12-yard gain in the second quarter, bulled in on his second try from a yard out.

The two-point conversion failed, but that didn't matter. Trailing 22-21, the Eagles needed only 4:02 to go 80 yards and take the lead back. Already well in field-goal range, Garcia and the Eagles stayed aggressive, calling a play-action fade route on second down from the 19 that Reggie Brown hauled in behind R.W. McQuarters in the right side of the end zone.

Still, the Giants had the ball at their 20, 2:57 on the clock and two timeouts. But on the first play, Manning didn't see Sheldon Brown coming on a corner blitz, and Brown hit him as he threw. The floater fell into Cole's arms after Barber unsuccessfully tried to bat it down, and by the time he reached the end zone, the game was over.

"He should have seen it," Coughlin said of Manning, who completed 28 of 40 for 282 yards and two interceptions after going two games without a pick. "It's just one of those key plays that could have been key [for us] in the game."

Coughlin's postgame speech was positive, according to several players. The message was clear: No finger-pointing, no head-hanging, because there still are two games to play.

Those games will decide the fate of the team -- and the coaches.

"There's no feeling sorry for ourselves. Anything we did, we caused for ourselves," Coughlin said. "We're going to work and play as hard as we can and see if we can't win the next two games and see what happens."

It sounds like a plan. But the Giants haven't shown much reason to have faith.

"Considering what was at stake, how close we were to taking great steps toward the playoffs," Barber said, "we took an enormous step back."

Rocketboom Fight on Yahoo! - Andrew Baron's Recap Of The Weekend Fight

Over at his blog Rocketboom creator Andrew Baron posted this response to the weekend online fighting with Amanda Congdon ....

Well, I feel as though it's a mess around here this weekend for sure. I just put my chain saw away and had a look around at all the damage.

I feel like I just lived through an epic war film.

This all started a long, long time ago.

When Amanda Congdon quit and went public with major attacks on my character, that was the hand I was dealt and most who know me know I didn't have the experience to deal with it.

And then I never really got to say my side of the story.

It's okay to say what you need to say, get it out and move on, but that didn't happen originally.

So this weekend, I finally set out to get it all out and off my chest and I did.

Over the last several months, I feel as though Amanda has misrepresented herself and has continued to speak out with personal attacks and so I became more and more effected by my own silence. Even today she is still making claims about "how I am" that are just meant to hurt me, in my opinion.

Most people probably don't know the details of what I have been going through, and they probably also feel as though it's still muddy and silly.

But I feel as though this weekend I have finally shown my side of the story. It's only one side, yes, but its mine and its been missing all this time.

That is, I feel as though I adequately showed that she (a) gave up and left, (b) took the projects with her, (c) has not been forthright about all of this information, and yes, (d) it is my position that she forfeited her share when she quit (which is why she said she was fired).

There is more to come and more to resolve but I have said all I need to say publicly on this topic.

All in all, this has been the most difficult year ever, and its also by far been the best.

For the first time in my life, Im really proud of what I have accomplished.

Im ready more than ever to take on 2007 and I expect it to be the best, most progressive year of my life.

That's a great outlook, but I think he should soften his views on Amanda. She's actually been his benefactor.

TIME Magazine's Person Of The Year? You (And The YouTube Guys Chad Hurley and Steve Chen)

There has been much speculation of who or what the TIME Magazine "Person Of The Year" was going to be. Al Gore, for his pathbreaking movie "An Inconvenient Truth"? Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat from San Francisco (Yeah!) and the first female majority leader? Or how about YouTube as the what?

Well, TIME tripped us up again. This time the Person Of The Year is you...and me too. It's me because in part of what I'm doing now, which is blogging. But it's also YouTube and its founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. What I mean is TIME decided to focus of them, but it seems like they went beyond just making Chad and Steve the selection, and with the logic that if no one used YouTube, there would be no popularity of it, no change in media, and no Chad and Steve to be considered as Persons Of The Year.

The video below features Chad and Steve talking about how YouTube started with Charlie Rose.

Dallas Cowboys Beat Atlanta Falcons, 38-28

Cowboys power past tricky Falcons, 38-28 as Terrell Owens Admits Spitting In Cornerback D-Hall's Face.

NFL.com wire reports

ATLANTA (Dec. 16, 2006) -- Michael Vick and Morten Andersen got their records. Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys got a crucial victory.

Owens hauled in a couple of touchdown passes, Marion Barber scored on two punishing runs and the Cowboys protected their NFC East lead with a 38-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Dallas (9-5) bounced back from a 42-17 home loss to New Orleans to bolster its playoff hopes. It was a devastating defeat for the Falcons (7-7), who had climbed back into the NFC wild-card race with two straight wins and overcame an early 14-0 deficit in this one.

Owens, who was kept out of the end zone by Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall when the two faced off in the 2005 opener, took care of that blemish. Owens made a 7-yard touchdown reception with a brilliant one-handed catch, then blew past Hall to haul in a 51-yarder.

T.O. toasted both scores with the same gesture. He faced the crowd with his arms outstretched -- that's the 'T' -- then clasped his hands in a circle above his head -- that's an 'O.'

Vick tied a career high with four touchdown passes and eclipsed Bobby Douglass' 34-year-old record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback. He has 990 yards, breaking Douglass' mark of 968 with the 1972 Chicago Bears.

Andersen, meanwhile, became the leading scorer in NFL history. The 46-year-old kicker booted four extra points, giving him 2,437 points for his career and breaking Gary Anderson's mark of 2,434.

It wasn't enough to hold off the Cowboys. Barber put them ahead for good on a 9-yard run with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, leaving Chris Crocker sprawled on the turf.

Barber added a 3-yard TD run with 2:18 remaining to clinch the victory.

Tony Romo, coming off his worst game since taking over the starting job, completed 22 of 29 for 278 yards. He spread it around -- Terry Glenn had five receptions for 96 yards, Owens caught five for 69 yards and Jason Witten pulled in five passes for 56 yards.

Vick had one horrible pass, which was intercepted by DeMarcus Ware and returned 41 yards for a touchdown on the first play of a wild second quarter. Otherwise, the Atlanta quarterback played well, completing 16 of 24 for 237 yards and running eight times for 56 yards.

The four touchdown passes tied Vick's personal best from an overtime tie with Pittsburgh in 2002, his first year as a starter.

Still smarting from their blowout loss to New Orleans, the Cowboys started this one like they wanted to do the same thing to the Falcons.

Dallas jumped ahead on Romo's first TD pass to Owens, who pulled the ball in with his right arm before falling out of bounds with Hall all over him. Then it was Ware's turn for an even more spectacular play.

Vick, under pressure from Chris Canty as he dropped back to throw, managed to flip a pass over the defensive end -- and right into the arms of Ware, lurking behind his teammate. He took off the other way, breaking a feeble attempt at a tackle by Vick on the way to giving the Cowboys a 14-0 lead.

The Falcons didn't fold, however, getting back in the game after a big play by their defense.

Just three plays after an interception by Lawyer Milloy was wiped out by a penalty, Romo had a pass tipped at the line by Rod Coleman. The fluttering ball fell into the arms of Atlanta linebacker Michael Boley, who returned it 40 yards to the Dallas 12.

Vick ripped off an 11-yard run, then flipped a 1-yard touchdown pass to Griffith to pull the Falcons to 14-7.

The Atlanta offense did all the work on its next possession, driving 63 yards in five plays for the tying touchdown. Vick threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins, left all alone in the left side of the end zone.

After that touchdown, Andersen punched through the extra point that broke Anderson's career scoring record. The 46-year-old kicker threw up his arms and leaped into the arms of holder Matt Schaub before being mobbed by his teammates.

Romo went deep to Owens to put Dallas back ahead. The receiver cut to the inside and ran right past Hall, catching the ball in stride for a 51-yard touchdown.

Vick capped off the 35-point quarter with his third TD pass, this one with just 11 seconds remaining in the half.

After an illegal formation penalty negated a scoring pass to Griffith, Vick fired a blistering pass to Ashley Lelie for an 8-yard touchdown, the ball seeming to go right through the hands of defender Roy Williams.

Vick put the Falcons ahead for the first time on the first series of the second half. He hooked up for the second time with Griffith, who again managed to get all alone for a 5-yard TD catch.

It was all Dallas from there. Martin Gramatica connected on a 48-yard field goal, and Barber did the rest.

Terrell Owens Admits Spitting In Atlanta Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall's Face During Game

The Dallas Cowboys won a hard fought battle against their NFC foes the Atlanta Falcons 38 to 28 tonight. It was a game played with emotion -- perhaps too much so. After the game, Falcons Cornerback De Angelo Hall said Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Terrell Owens spit in his face during the contest.

De Angelo Hall said that in the middle of the first quarter after a third down play they wer walking back to the huddle and "He just hauled off and spit in my face."

Approached with this accusation during an after game interview with Rich Isen, Deion Sanders, and Steve Marriuci, Owens admitted that he did just that. When Deion Sanders asked him why he did it, Owens said "The kid was bothering me. He was annoying me. Getting into my face." Sanders then asked "You know what you did was wrong? Owens said that he appologized for it and it's time to "move on."

Wow. He admitted it. And as I write this, Isen, Sanders, Marriuci, and now Marshall Faulk are still talking about it.

The next question is what will the NFL do about it in the way of a fine? Another question is how will this alter Owens reputation around the league? If the reaction of the seasoned NFL alumns on the NFL Network is any indication, it's taken an immediate turn for the worst.

Stay tuned for more on this.