The Town of Odyssey

Week 14:

Thursday:
CLE @ PIT
Sunday:
KC @ NYJ
TB @ JAC
NE @ WAS
ATL @ CAR
IND @ BAL
PHI @ MIA
MIN @ DET
NO @ TEN
OAK @ GB
HOU @ CIN
CHI @ DEN
SF @ AZ
BUF @ SD
NYG @ DAL
Monday:
STL @ SEA

Result: 11-5



I had to make a really tough decision this week. I knew what I had to do, but I really didn’t want to.
I finally took over first place in my real life cumulative season pool thanks to having my best week so far last week. But I’m ahead by only one game. With just a few weeks left in the season, I really have to pick carefully.
So this week, I had to pick against the Vikings.
I hated it, but I have no choice. There comes a time when strategy has to trump fandom. I will still be rooting for them on Sunday, but I couldn’t pick them to win because I can’t afford to make risky picks now. I have to focus on the big picture.

The big picture=The Draft. At this point in the season. Yeah, I have never in my life been there. But as I always say. We should of won the super bowl. But Rodger Goodell robbed us. You can't have a bit of snow. (Which would have favored the Bears.) But you can have a MINI HURRICANE (Which favored them as it caused about 3 of the turnover if I remember right.) in the super bowl.

I meant my big picture, not the team’s. I can’t make picks that go against common sense anymore because I need to hold the lead in the cumulative pool.

Bookworm are you a Vikings fan? Because I am.

I am. I have three teams: New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings; not necessarily in that order. It varies by the season.
None of them are my geographic team, but I have reasons to root for each.
I was really hoping for a great Vikings season this year because if they won the Super Bowl then one of my three teams would have been the world champions for three consecutive years and that would have been totally awesome. Guess I’ll have to be happy with the Packers this season instead. Which isn’t that hard.

Sunday:
KC @ NYJ
TB @ JAC
NE @ WAS
ATL @ CAR
IND @ BAL (Sadly Dan Orlovsky is our best qb right now and should get us a win against the Jags but he will not get a win against the ravens)
PHI @ MIA (I just can't give up on the eagles)
MIN @ DET
NO @ TEN
OAK @ GB
HOU @ CIN
CHI @ DEN (Tim Tebow vs. Caleb Hanie)
SF @ AZ
BUF @ SD (Don't know which Buffalo will show up)
NYG @ DAL
Monday:
STL @ SEA (Marshawn Lynch)

I go out caroling with my church ahead 10-0. I find out at the first house it's 10-10 with 3 seconds left. Last house 10-13 thanks for the Christmas presents Cowboys.

Wow, it’s too bad you missed it KF! That was one of the most amazing finishes I’ve seen in a long time.

It's sad. If Jay and Matt hadn't gone down we could of won 9 straight going into Christmas. And had a fighting chance then. But now it looks like next year. And the defense is getting older. Unfortunately it could be another 8-10 years before we are competing again. And to rub it in, I've got a Packers friend going to their game next week.

bookworm wrote:Wow, it’s too bad you missed it KF! That was one of the most amazing finishes I’ve seen in a long time.

+1

My favorite team won and moved into the wild card spot, and my second favorite team pulled out another amazing win.

Sorry, KF.

Congrats on the win, AE!

*goes in corner and cries after the Bengals blew a decent lead and probably ended any realistic hope of a playoff run *

American Eagle wrote: Sorry, KF.

Yeah right! You were rooting for that the whole way.

I was disappointed to see two potentially game changing errors this week.

First, on the final play of the Vikings/Lions game, a Detroit player made an obvious pull on the Minnesota QB’s facemask, but somehow wasn’t called on it. That caused a fumble that the Lions recovered to end the game. Unbelievable no call, there’s no way you could miss that. His head was clearly pulled sideways.

Second, when the Bears/Broncos game went into overtime, Barber had a big catch that could have set the Bears up to win it. I thought the ball hit the ground, but since it was in overtime there are no challenges, review can only be called from the booth. They didn’t say to have a look at it, and the catch stood. This one really upsets me, because it’s not just this one incident, it’s any situation like that, and there are several.
If they aren’t going to allow challenges, then they have the responsibility to call for booth reviews on any potentially game changing play. This particular one was close, it could have probably gone either way, but even if the catch would have been confirmed it’s the principle of the thing. If only the booth can review, then they have the responsibility to do it!
I take great issue with the no challenge rule in the last two minutes and in overtime. Why can’t coaches challenge there? That is exactly when challenges are most needed, because the game is on the line!

I actually did't see the Vikings football game I heard it on the radio. So if there really was that and it was called then we should have won.

It was one of the worst no calls all season. Not just because it was so obvious, but because if it had been called it’s very likely the Vikings would have won instead. It would have negated the fumble, and they were at the one yard line.

I saw that replay, and that was so unfair! It should have been a penalty, and it changed the entire outcome of the game. The Lions are a dirty playing team.

Laura Ingalls wrote:The Lions are a dirty playing team.

Did you figure that out just now? Or was it after Suh’s ejection against the Packers? Or their three personal fouls against the Saints?

Laura Ingalls wrote:I saw that replay, and that was so unfair! It should have been a penalty, and it changed the entire outcome of the game. The Lions are a dirty playing team.

QFT

bookworm wrote:

Laura Ingalls wrote:The Lions are a dirty playing team.

Did you figure that out just now? Or was it after Suh’s ejection against the Packers? Or their three personal fouls against the Saints?

Hurts, doesn't it?

The Lions and Michigan State have had so many games blown by a bad call against them, so this one actually feels good.

American Eagle wrote:The Lions and Michigan State have had so many games blown by a bad call against them, so this one actually feels good.

That’s what I keep hearing from people trying to defend it. But that’s ridiculous. The answer to that is to have the officials stop making bad calls against anybody, not to start letting more people get away with them!