No Manning=Fun

I have returned from the land of Queens and Pasties. Oddly, I find myself not having too much to say so I’ll do something I forgot to do last week as well as write a little bit about the NFL playoffs. First, I neglected to pass along the final tally of the Coin Flip Challenge. The final standings looked like this:

Jake--------118-113-9
Coin Flip---100-131-9

I clearly dominated the Coin Flip in the challenge but was my success enough to make money? Not quite. Assuming that all bets were $110 to win $100 (the $10 goes as commission to the bookmaker), I would’ve lost $630 on the season had I wagered on every game. The break even point would have been 121-110-9. I missed that by three games.

The Coin Flip, on the other hand, would have lost $4,410.

The NFL playoffs took an interesting twist this week as co-favorites Indianapolis and New England were eliminated. Since that means that Peyton Manning won’t be winning the Super Bowl this year, I will be content with whoever wins. I watched a little bit of the Pittsburgh/Indy game at my hotel in London. In fact, I watched it with a man from Akron. Coincidentally, the Griswald’s also met someone (a couple) from Akron on their European Vacation. I can’t believe that Nick Harper pulled a Tyler Ecker and cut back when he could’ve beaten Big Ben to the corner and gone the distance to send Indy to the AFC Championship game. Bettis would’ve been remembered as a goat of Ernest Byner proportions if that happened. Also, we got to see Peyton Manning’s face after Mike Vanderjagt missed a 45 yard field goal. Remember when Vanderjagt said that Manning needed to be more emotional as the leader of the Colts? Apparently, saying that someone should be more emotional is an insult in the Manning family as well as not winning a Heisman, playing in San Diego, and quite possibly winning a playoff game. Anyhow, If you remember that, then you probably remember Manning calling Vanderjat an “idiot” who got “liquored up and ran his mouth off.” Well, it’s been three years since that statement and Manning still can’t do didly squat in the playoffs. Vanderjagt was right back then and his miss kept him right now.

All four teams remaining are solid football teams. Denver has to be the odds on favorite to win since they get Pittsburgh in Denver and Seattle and Carolina could both have running games far less effective than what they had in the regular season. My feeling is that the winner of the Denver/Pittsburgh game will win the Super Bowl. It is very possible that the winner of the 2006 Super Bowl will be the worst Super Bowl Champion in a number of years. Pittsburgh was 7-5 at one point during the season not to mention that they are one of the least talented Steelers teams in the last few years. Denver has Jake Plummer at quarterback and the entire defensive line of 2004 Cleveland Browns. Need I say more? With DeShaun Foster and Stephen Davis out, Carolina has one offensive threat. Also, the injuries make this Panther team virtually the exact same team that didn’t make the playoffs last year. That brings me to Seattle. I’d like to play a game with you the reader. In your head, name as many Seattle Seahawks as you can. Did you start slowing down after four? This game is null and void for readers who are from Detroit but root for the Seahawks over the Lions. Anyhow, none of the four teams are overwhelming. The winner will easily be the worst Super Bowl Champion of my lifetime. That’s not such a bad thing though. Carolina or Seattle could win its first Super Bowl or Denver and Pittsburgh could add to their rich legacies. Either way, no Manning means excitement for everyone.