Playoffs? Christmas? Bowl Games? New Year's?

PACKERS

That was a beat down of epic proportions. Strangely, if Hasselbeck doesn't throw 14 INTs (he just threw another one) Seattle actually kind of sort of moved the ball on us. Hasselbeck threw more INTs in the last two games than Rodgers has ALL SEASON. Rodgers is really, really, really good.

As weak of a schedule as we played this year, it is pretty disingenuous to say 15 games into the year that our defense hasn't proven anything because we got eaten up by Minnesota (twice) and Pittsburgh. And we "padded our stats against bad teams". The thing is, there are approximately 25 bad teams in the NFL this year so EVERY team played a bunch of bad teams. There are two 40 point blowouts every week. So you can save the criticism (Brian Billick) for someone that is a fucking moron (i.e. anyone that thinks anything Billick says is right). The Packers have a large hole in their defense (Jarrett Bush). But if they can get to the QB, they can mask the deficiencies. They also have a large hole on offense (the line), but if the receivers can get open and catch, Rodgers is good enough to mask this. This is the same story for every other team in the league. Everyone has a glaring weakness. The good ones can cover it up. I'm not sure what my point is other than we are what we are, a pretty fucking dangerous team, that is completely capable of shutting you out, or letting you throw for 500 yards and score 40 on a given day, while also putting up 40 of our own. I give the Pack a puncher's chance against any team in the NFC right now. They should be no more than touchdown underdogs against anyone.

Next week could get awkward. The Pack will know by the time they play what needs to happen. They can basically pick their opponent, although I'm not sure I recommend trying to lose. Depending on how things shake out, they could be at Minnesota, Arizona, Philly or Dallas. Say they know the following at kickoff next week: a) win and they will come back to Arizona next week, b) lose and go to Minnesota. I say they better fucking win. OR a) win and go to Dallas, b) lose and go to Arizona. Now you've got a different decision potentially there are a million scenarios, but what if they are better off losing? Do you take the chance of basically laying down? My thinking is that in the NFL, you can't do this because you will get punished. Even if you are resting all of your starters, your backups have to play a normal game.

Dear Giants, thank you for sucking.

CHRISTMAS

No vacuums for me this year, although I did get a garbage can holder last year. I got a GPS, a bunch of clothes, some books, and some cash. Pretty nice haul.

I also got the equipment to hook my PS3 up to the internets. Playing Madden online is pretty life altering when you do it the first couple of times. It was like getting a whole new game. Other games were not so good online. Madden was by far the best.

Being back at work sucks.

BOWL GAMES

Speaking of being back at work, everyone in the U.S. should be given off the rest of the week after today. Reason? I've stated this before, and it applies again: If there is a major U.S. sporting event (if the sport is not normally played on a weekday afternoon) on DURING THE DAY, it is a holiday, and you shouldn't be working. Tomorrow there is a bowl game on at 3:30 p.m. I'm pretty sure Wednesday there is too. The Badgers play Ohio St. at 1 p.m. on Thursday. I have to work all of those days. It should be against the law.

NEW YEAR'S

Going to be getting blacked out at a buddy's house. I somehow have to work all day on New Year's Eve. I'm old enough that going to the bars doesn't sound like fun at all.

Day one brings vindication

All of our 1 and a half readers out there will be pleased to know that the senior member of the Terrible Twosome has already given me some ammunition for my reoccurring item.

Here's a response to Hardicourt's blog posting about covering the Brewers draft today from a man with the handle of BetterThanGlenn.

"Tommy, please, just post the names. Don't interject your opinions because we all know you (along with all the hayseeds on this blog) have no knowledge of these guys. As someone who follows the amateur scene, it's hilarious to see casual fans (and casual reporters) try to expound on these guys. Just post the names, rube."

Of course Tom being the upstanding writer that he is, can't resist taking a shot back at BetterThanGlenn in another response.

"I appreciate BetterThanGlenn telling me how to do my job, because as we all know, he's the smartest baseball man in the world.

Anyway, for those who understand that nobody covers the Brewers drafts ever year as well as I do, I'll be posting more than the names when the Brewers select them.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, if this guy really is "BetterThanGlenn," I feel really sorry for Glenn. Really sorry."

I've been around the internet for about a decade now. I think the first thing you learn when you start diving into the internet's community is that there are a few certains. Everything you can search on google will eventually devolve into a porn site listing, spammers and advertisements are a scourge on every website, and if you post something for public view that a lot of people will read, you are going to get forum trolls. Do you know how to beat forum trolls Tom? You ignore them you dumbass. They are like a two year old that hits their leg on a coffee table, if you ignore them they will go about their business, if you acknowledge that something might have happened to the child, they will notice this reaction and immediately start crying. Forum trolls tend to give up if no one ever reacts to what they post because the only reason they ever post anything is to get a reaction out of others.

Now I know Hardicourt is like 62 years old and the "interweb" is a new fandangled whosimawhatsit, but seriously man, figure it out by now... I think the reason he gets so pissy in his reactions is because BetterThanGlenn is spot on with his assessment of Hardicourt being an amateur.