What about Bob? Glauber's NFL Blog

You can check out Newsday handicapper Ed McNamara for his gridiron guide that goes against the spread, but we'll give you a look at our picks - straight up, no spreads - for the Beat Bob Glauber contest. Even though the season is in full swing, you can still sign up and win the weekly $50 gift card to Best Buy.

Here goes:

Jets over Bills: Buffalo's injury problems are just absurd. Jets will have to try hard to lose.

Eagles over Giants: Donovan McNabb has to be frothing at the idea of facing the Giants' secondary.

Ravens over Browns: Divisional rivalries always seem to produce some odd twist, but the Ravens are clearly the better team. Then again, it's never easy in the Dawg Pound.

Cowboys over Rams: Isaac Bruce has guaranteed a Rams win. Don't think so.

Bears over Lions: Brian Griese to the rescue. But Chicago's defense will have its work cut out against Mike Martz's Lions' offense.

Dolphins over Raiders: Joey Porter guarantees Miami will win. Agreed.

Packers over Vikings: Brett has often struggled in Metrodome, but we like him to keep things going. We also like the Pack's defense against a mediocre Vikes' offense.

Buccaneers over Panthers: I don't think Jake Delhomme plays, and it's a huge dropoff to David Carr.

49ers over Seahawks. Holmgren always struggles when he goes back home to Frisco.

Steelers over Cardinals. Pittsburgh is the best AFC team this side of Indy and New England.

Falcons over Texans. Matt Schaub returns to Atlanta, but we like the home team in this one. Texans' offense very banged up.

Colts over Broncos. At the dome, give me Peyton every time.

Chargers over Chiefs. Could be ugly for Herm.

Patriots over Bengals. No Rudi Johnson for Cincy. No defense, either.

Great thoughts this week, people. Thanks for all the feedback.

NKR on Michael Vick testing positive this week for marijuana:

"Why is it that sometimes you put a bunch of money in someone's pocket and they find it impossible to enjoy the endless opportunities to do things that are exciting, fulfilling, and LEGAL? Vick. Landis. OJ. Bonds. Mercury Morris. Tank Johnson. Pacman Jones. Celebrities - not limited to sports stars - so often give us examples of how not to live our lives. These guys are not becoming role models as we always hope. They are selfish and greedy. We should start with the assumption that celebrities, sports stars or not, are or will become losers, cheaters and pariahs. Train wrecks waiting to happen. Sigh."

(NKR, you're in the running for the Annual Comment Contest Winner, which we just came up with because this is such an insightful post.)

Richard Siegelman on the Bills cleaning out injured tight end Kevin Everett's locker because they didn't have any more locker room space available:

"Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron's broken (!) promise, that injured Kevin Everett's locker would not be cleared out this season, admits Jauron to an ignominious "club" of team owners and politicians who have publicly declared themselves to "support one thousand percent" various employees and appointees - before firing them a few weeks or months later."

Tom on his insight into the bubble gum poll:

"Bazooka had the best flavor, but that didn't last long. Bubble quality-- mediocre.
Bubble Yum had the longest-lasting flavor, and blew great bubbles.
Dubble Bubble was way in the rear, IMO. It's flavor was not on par with either of the aforementioned two, and its bubble quality left a lot to be desired."

Ok, so we've asked you to delve into T.O. vs. Randy Moss, and we'll come up with more as we move forward (plenty of burning NFL issues out there, people). But I'm also curious about your penchant for bubble gum, which has been a personal favorite. Please advise:

Bazooka, Dubble Bubble or Bubble Yum?

Or something else, if you prefer.

Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, both of whom have been involved in more than their share of controversies throughout their careers, are off to phenomenal starts so far.

Moss has reinvigorated the Patriots offense and is playing some of the best ball of his career. And Owens is doing the same in Dallas; it's especially impressive in that the Cowboys don't have Terry Glenn (knee) to take some of the double-team pressure off.

Your question for the day: Which player would you rather have and why?

It's looking more and more as if David Carr will be taking over at quarterback Sunday when the Panthers play the Bucs. Jake Delhomme hasn't practiced all week because of an elbow injury he suffered last Sunday, and Carr has gotten the reps with the first-team offense.

Now the question: If Delhomme is out, then for how long?

A quarterback with an elbow injury is often a ticking time bomb. Elbow problems are ultimately what ended Joe Montana's career with the 49ers, and Phil Simms' Giants career ended after he underwent elbow surgery.

Panthers coach John Fox is highly secretive about injuries, and he isn't giving a hint about Delhomme's status, only to say that he isn't practicing.

We'll keep an eye on this one. It could mean a huge difference in the NFC playoff equation.

And, technically, that's a football-related item, since Heather plays the game known around the world as football. Except in the U.S., where football is known as soccer and football is, well, football. Oh, whatever.

A strange confluence of media happenstance occurred as I was prepping for an appearance on ESPN First Take, the morning show that Neil Best has conveniently ignored in his blog, even though the ratings are up significantly in recent months and the show is gaining traction - just like this here blog.

Anyway, I happened to look in on Best's blog, and noticed that he referred to Ms. Mitts' commentary on ESPN's broadcast of the women's World Cup. I was no more than 50 from Heather when she was making those comments in another studio.

A few minutes later, I introduced myself to Heather, and I showed her Best's blog, and she got a kick out of it. We then traded war stories on the soccer field. She said she'd torn her ACL several months back, and of course I told her I tore mine two years ago during our first men's league game of the 2005 season.

She's hoping to be back for the Olympics next year, and at age 29, this could be her last shot.

In the meantime, she'll keep an eye out for Best's blog, and perhaps scribble a few snarky remarks so Best can get a decent post out of it.

Well, Michael Vick's in trouble again.

The Falcons suspended quarterback got nailed in a drug test for marijuana, meaning further restrictions will be placed on him as he awaits sentencing on dog-fighting charges. We thought we'd heard the last of Vick until at least Dec. 10, when a judge will hand down the sentence. But no.

Yesterday, Vick was indicted by a Surry (Va.) County grand jury on charges related to his dog-fighting operation, and he faces additional jail time as a result.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vick indefinitely, but Goodell might not have to lift a finger in being more specific about the suspension. Vick might simply never make it back from all the trouble he's in.

Just got a press release from NBC advancing Sunday's Giants-Eagles game, and in it, former Giants RB Tiki Barber says absolutely nothing that's newsworthy. Which, of course, is newsworthy, considering the potshots Barber has taken in recent weeks/months at Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning.

Tiki isn't even quoted about Coughlin, and he has this to say about Eli and Derrick Ward, who has been a pleasant surprise in Barber's absence.

Tiki on Ward: "I'm not surprised at all. This guy has ability and surprising speed. The Giants stole him off the Jets practice squad and that's the right word for it -- it was a steal."

Tiki on Eli: "Eli's been phenomenal through the first three games. He's definitely been one of the Giants bright spots."

Man, when is this guy gonna say something worth reading? :-)

Really, what else was the Bears' coach supposed to do?

The team is 1-2, facing a critical stretch of NFC North opponents, and quarterback Rex Grossman had just one touchdown and six interceptions in the first three games.

I've been a defender of Grossman in the past, arguing that Bears fans were simply not patient enough during last season's Super Bowl run. And Smith was correct in sticking with Grossman during his slumps last year.

But Smith is also correct in pulling the plug this early in the season. With a defense this good - Sunday night's collapse against Dallas notwithstanding - the Bears need an offense that isn't gonna screw it up as much as Grossman was doing. The kid was simply forcing too many passes.

Now, I will say this about Rex: I believe that he will be a factor sometime this season, whether it be because of Brian Griese's ineffectiveness or an injury. And it could be a huge difference maker for Grossman's long-term future in Chicago - if there is one.

His contract expires at the end of the season, and while General Manager Jerry Angelo has staunchly defended Grossman in the past, he may have no choice but to look elsewhere next year for a different quarterback.

Ok, let's not keep Neil Best in the dark any longer. I'd like to introduce you to the "real" Bob Glauber, and he's quite an impressive dude.

Here's a blurb from his bio at the Harvard Center for Business and Government.

In September 2006 he retired as Chairman and CEO of the National Association of Securities Dealers (that's the NASDAQ Stock Exchange, people) and was a Visiting Professor at the Harvard Law School during the spring semester 2007.

He served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Finance from 1989 to 1992, where he was responsible for domestic policy, which included the regulatory overhaul and recapitalization of the S&L industry, deposit insurance reform of commercial banks, and changes to the procedures for auctioning Treasury securities.

Prior to joining the Treasury, he was Professor of Finance at the Harvard Business School and Chair of its Advanced Management Program. From 1992 to 2000 he was an Adjunct Lecturer at the Kennedy School.

In 1987 he served as Executive Director of the Brady Commission, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan to study the October 1987 stock market crash. His research interests focus on the regulation of financial institutions and markets and on corporate governance issues. He holds an AB and DBA from Harvard.

(I've never actually met my more famous namesake, but I'd venture to say that, like all Americans in the computer age, he's Googled "Bob Glauber" and seen a bunch of football columns in Newsday. I dare say his contributions to society are far more important than the meanderings of a pro football scribe ... then again, who knows? Maybe he's a diehard football fan and comments regularly on this blog under an assumed name.)

At least that's what I gather from reading about these two fine rugby players - actually, bit players - who knock heads over in England.

The "other" Tom Rock, the one who provides fine reports on your Jets and who looks like Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corrigan, gave me the heads up on his slightly famous English namesake. But our Tom Rock doesn't have the kind of self-indulgent personality of Best and I, so he's not likely to put this in his own blog.

But we'll do it for him, because he's a generally good dude and listens to my inane remarks about seeing dead guys just as Kellen Clemens is leading the Jets down the field against the Ravens in the final minutes.

Was just searching the Internet for a blog posting I'm about to do about the "real" Bob Glauber, and I came across this item that publicizes my incessant need to rib you about your penchant for massive blog posts.

A website called "Cantstopthebleeding.com" quotes me poking fun of you for your then-record accomplishment of 18 blog posts in a single day. And Best, the website even has bookmarked your fine blog. Congratulations. You haven't mentioned this one, so you'll have to give the guy a shoutout in a future post, the way you do anyone who writes about you.

As our distinguished colleague Dave Anderson, who recently announced his retirement from the New York Times, would say: what a business.

By the way, Best, the "real" Bob Glauber is a tad more impressive than the "real" Neil Best, that hooligan rugby player who apparently couldn't get onto the field in that match you wrote about the other day. You know, the article that attracted all that reaction from the 35 rugby enthusiasts on Long Island.

The "real" Bob Glauber really is an important fellow, it turns out.

I'll post later.

In the meantime, while you're in the basement blogging away in your jammies tomorrow, I'll be in Philly checking in on the Eagles before their big tilt with the Giants. Blog away, Best. I'm still a few days away from getting that thingamajig card that allows you to blog from anywhere on the planet, so I can't possibly keep up.

Not that I'd really want to if I could. You can have all the Hillary Duff posts you like. I liked her movie when she went to Italy and became a rock star.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (3-0) (1): Get used to it, people: Tom Brady to Randy Moss … touchdown!

2. Colts (3-0) (2): Can't we just fast forward to January and the Colts-Patriots AFC Championship Game?

3. Cowboys (3-0) (3): In a word - Wow! Pokes smoke the Bears at Soldier Field, as Tony Romo’s amazing story continues.

4. Steelers (3-0) (4): Shades of 2005?

5. Packers (3-0) (13): Shades of 1996?

6. Panthers (2-1) (9): Panthers playing smashmouth on offense, but when Joey Harrington carves up your defense, there are some issues.

7. Ravens (2-1) (10): Kyle Boller to the rescue again.

8. Texans (2-1) (8): Texans may one day close the gap with Colts. Just not until Peyton Manning goes away.

9. Seahawks (2-1) (12): Matt Hasselbeck does just enough against Bengals to pull it out in the end.

10. Jaguars (2-1) (26): David Garrard spearheads huge upset win at Mile High. Looks like Jack Del Rio kept the right quarterback.

11. Broncos (2-1) (6): Still a lot to like about Broncos, but not the way they played against Jags.

12. Chargers (1-2) (5): Granted, they’ve played three tough teams. But the Chargers are supposed to be pretty tough themselves. They’re not playing like it.

13. Bears (1-2) (7): Problems. Big problems. The quarterback can’t play. And the defense got torched by Dallas at home.

14. Bengals (1-2) (11): Defense still a huge problem for this group.

15. Eagles (1-2) (17): Donovan McNabb to his critics: How’s 56 points? Up next: at Giants.

16. 49ers (2-1) (14): Niners are improved, but not to the point where they’re ready to play with the big boys.

Brett Favre looks like a kid again. So does Chad Pennington. Donovan McNabb answers his critics in dramatic fashion. And what in the world is wrong with the Chargers?

A look back at the best and worst Week 3:

Jet of the week: QB Chad Pennington. The last time he played at home, Pennington was cheered after suffering an ankle injury. Rather than stick his middle finger out to the fans for that rude behavior, Pennington instead responded with a nice effort against the Dolphins, throwing for two touchdowns in a 31-28 win to stop an 0-2 skid.

Giant of the week: WR Plaxico Burress. He didn’t practice at all during the week, and was dreadful in a first half dominated by the Redskins. But Burress turned it on in the second half and finished with five catches for 86 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Best performance by a 37-year-old quarterback: Brett Favre, Packers. Looks like the Favre of old in beating the Chargers at Lambeau, throwing three TD passes and no picks. One more TD pass, and he breaks the tie he now holds with Dan Marino for most TD passes in a career (420). We now have just one request of Favre: Please play forever.

Best performance by a 36-year-old quarterback: Kurt Warner, Cardinals. Replacing an injured Matt Leinart against the blitz happy Ravens, Warner brought the Cards back into a 23-23 tie with two TD passes. The rally just fell short, but Warner showed there’s still some magic left.

Best performance by an undrafted quarterback: Tony Romo, Cowboys. How do you not love what this kid is doing? He carved up the mighty Bears' defense on the road and helps the Cowboys make a statement that they're tops in the NFC. (Ok, we understand if Giants fans don't love what this kid is doing.)

One team in trouble .... Chargers. They lost only two games all last season, but have already lost that many after going down in Green Bay. LaDainian Tomlinson is left to wondering what the hell is going on. So are we.

... The other team in trouble: Bears. Rex Grossman has one TD and six INTs. Time for a seat.

Dominating performance award: Steelers. In a battle of two 2-0 teams, the Steelers made the 49ers look like the junior varsity in a 37-16 win at Heinz Field. Willie Parker’s 133 rushing yards led the way on offense, and a stifling defense plundered QB Alex Smith and RB Frank Gore.

Player of the week: Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles. What a week for the Eagles’ veteran passer. His remarks on HBO about the increased scrutiny of African American quarterbacks created a firestorm of controversy. But rather than wilt under the pressure, he had one of his best games ever, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns as Philly smacked previously unbeaten Detroit for its first win of the year.

Comeback player of the week: Kyle Boller, QB, Ravens. He beat the Jets last week filling in for the injured Steve McNair (groin). Yesterday, he came off the bench in relief of an ailing McNair and staved off the Cardinals by driving for the game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock. Not bad for a guy who was nearly run out of town.

Coach on the hot seat: Norv Turner, Chargers. He’s got one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but a 1-2 start leaves you wondering whether he’ll meet with the same fate he did in Washington and Oakland. One problem for Turner: defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell is a huge step down from Wade Phillips.

Best play: Allen Rossum’s 98-yard kickoff return for touchdown. The play gave the Steelers a 7-6 advantage over the previously unbeaten 49ers, and they never looked back.

Worst play: Ok, four worst plays. The Redskins’ play sequence in the final minute against the Giants. First-and-goal from the 1, spike. Second-and goal, incomplete pass to fullback Mike Sellers. Third-and-goal. Ladell Betts for no gain. Fourth-and-goal: Betts for a two-yard loss.

Surprising performance: Jaguars beating the Broncos on the road. Gritty effort by David Garrard, who has the Jags believing in themselves after upsetting the Broncos 23-14 at Mile High. Garard passed for 154 yards and ran for 52 to help Jacksonville improve to 2-1.

Disappointing performance: Rams losing 24-3 to the Bucs. Man, is this team bad. We knew the defense was iffy, but now the offense can’t do a lick. At 0-3, it might be over.

Best coaching move: Last week, we gave it to Mike Shanahan for icing Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski by calling timeout just before Jano made what would have been the game-winning field goal. He missed on the next attempt. Raiders coach Lane Kiffin learned well. He did the same thing to Cleveland’s Phil Dawson yesterday. After initially making the would-be game-winner, Dawson’s next attempt was blocked, and the Raiders hung on for their first win.

Worst coaching move: Gibbs’ play-calling at the end of yesterday’s game against the Giants. We once referred to Gibbs as the greatest living coach during his first go-round with the Redskins. Can’t do it now.

Deal of the week: The Eagles’ signing of free agent wide receiver Kevin Curtis. The Lions were in the market for Curtis, but he chose Philly. In yesterday’s 56-21 win over the Lions, Curtis had a career-high 221 yards and three TDs.

Rookie of the week: Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings. Man is this kid great. I know, first-round picks are supposed to be great, but that isn’t always the case. Ron Dayne. Blair Thomas. Curtis Enis. D.J. Dozier. This list goes on and on. Another 100-yard performance by Peterson, this time in Larry Johnson’s house.

Rookie writer of the week: Adam Abramson of Newsday, who made his first appearance in an NFL press box at Giants-Skins and whipped out two sidebars. Not only that, but he saved the day with his tech-savvy ways by getting his and our stories in by deadline after the high-speed Internet suddenly disappearaed at FedEx Field, an obvious attempt by the Redskins to rattle the New York press.

Coming tomorrow: Week 3 power rankings

Just looked at the leaderboard for the Beat Bob Glauber football picks contest, and we've got a ton of players involved.

Thanks for signing up. And there's still time for new members to join. Just click here and follow the simple instructions. There is a weekly $50 gift card to Best Buy that will be awarded, and the end-of-season prizes include a 46-inch flat screen tv.

Looks like I'm hanging in, despite a number of huge upsets the first two weeks. But there are plenty of folks ahead. One guy who is NOT doing well is our own Adam Abramson, who did a bangup job at the Newsday football forum the other night for select Newsday readers, but evidently isn't as expert at making NFL picks.

Stick to the colleges, kid.

(Adams knows how much I like and respect him. If he's upset and wants to stick it to me in his Campus Confidential blog, which is way more popular than this one, he can simply refer to my woeful history of making NFL picks. I have given Adam many shoutouts in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. And remember, the mere mention of his name is an indication that I consider him big-time. Truth be told, I'm just glad someone who knows what the hell he's talking about with football is right there with me struggling to figure out the most unpredictable sports league out there.)

... Adam says he'll be with us covering Giants-Redskins tomorrow in Landover. Hope Staple is ready.

I know I'm supposed to write my Sunday stuff, but reading Greg Logan's piece in Newsday today about Jeff Tambellini got me thinking about hockey. Mostly because it brings back memories from a million years ago when I covered Jeff's father, Steve, a forward for the Islanders back in the late 70's and 80's.

Steve showed promise back in the day, and was looked on as another version of Bobby Bourne, but it just never panned out for him. Good kid, though. I once took him out to lunch for an article I wrote on him, and he drove us to a diner near the Isles' training facility in his sports car. I believe at the time I felt very cool.

Tambellini is now the assistant GM of the Vancouver Canucks. When he was with the Islanders, they called him "Tamby." Most guys were referred to as something -ie. Bourne was Bournie. Clark Gillies was Clarkie. Billy Smith was Smitty. Dennis Potvin was Denny. A few exceptions were Jean Potvin (Potsie), Bryan Trottier (Trots) and Mike Bossy (Boss).

Bob Nystrom was Ny. Wayne Merrick was Bones. The only guy without a nickname was the guy who was only referred to by his nickname. Chico Resch was called Chico. Of course, the trade that sent Resch (actual first name Glenn) packing and brought in Butch Goring at the trade deadline in 1980 was a turning point in franchise history ...

At the end of Tambellini's career, he spent a season playing in Austria in a small town on the Italian border named Villach.

I was in Villach!

My daughter's marching band went on a trip to Italy and Austria over spring break this past year, and the whole family decided to tag along. Best trip ever. Stopped in Villach for lunch after driving up from Venice. Wound up in Salzburg for a few days.

Yes, it really did feel like you were on the set of the Sound of Music.

... I really have to write my Sunday stuff.

Wait!

I used to play hockey as a kid, and scored my first goal in high school after jumping over the boards because one of our forwards had his skate lace undone. I took a pass from Tommy Palumbo. When the defenseman skated toward Palumbo, he passed it back, and I scored on a wrister to the goalie's right.

... Rod Gilbert was my idol growing up.

... I liked Bobby Hull, too, and I once got his autograph - in black felt pen - before a Rangers-Blackhawks playoff game. But Hull got into a fight with Orland Kurtenbach, and I was so angry at Hull that I licked my finger and erased the autograph.

... fyi, you can get a Bobby Hull hockey card for $40. You can get one of Orland Kurtenbach for $3 ...

... I did a story on Bobby Hull when he had a look-see with the Rangers in '81 at age 42. It was at Playland Ice Casino in Rye, NY. The same rink where I scored my first goal in high school.

... I was 42 when I nearly beat former Jets tight end Kyle Brady in a footrace. He challenged me to race because he thought I wrote something disparaging about him when I said he had "decent" speed.

Really.

Thanks again to all for posting your insightful - well, mostly - comments on this here blog. It's always a pleasure to read them, both the positive and the negative ... ok, enough for now. I've got to get to writing some Sunday stuff before Norm calls and starts whining about my copy being late.

Black N Gold on Donovan McNabb’s HBO comments on racism in the NFL:

“Enough already. It's getting old. The only time we hear about race anymore is from black athletes using it as an excuse for their actions and shortcomings.
Donovan needs to look at Charlie Frye who was traded, or Chad Pennington whose injury was cheered.
Then you have Isiah Thomas who intimates that it's different for a black man than a white man to call a woman a B***h.
ESPN hires a talk show host (Steven A Smith) whose primary shtick is to capitalize on the color of peoples skin.
Differentiating in any way based on the color of a man’s skin is racism, period.
Let's encourage all man, black, white, brown, red, whatever, to quit pointing out our differences and hold all men to the same standard.”

“Bill Belichick” on the greatest invention of all time:

“The video camera. (I just need to find someone is isn't so conspicuous when operating it.)”

Chris on the greatest invention:

“What’s sliced bread, chopped liver?”

... not really, just figured some of Neil Best's readers obsessed with the Imus saga might do a google search and stumble upon this entry.

But I do have a POST-Don Imus update, or at least an impression of life after Imus.

It's not bad, actually. Not that we could stomach more than 10 minutes of Imus before he got whacked; he's been un-funny for 10 years.

Had a chance the other day while slammed in traffic on my way to the Jets to get a good listen to the Carton and Boomer Show, and I enjoyed it. Like, really enjoyed it.

Best nitpicked a few things, but I guess that's what he's supposed to do now that he's traded in his seat in the Giants' press room for the creaky chair in his basement. But I thought the chemistry was good, Craig Carton was a strong voice but not over the top, as he was reputed to have been while working for New Jersey 101.5. Chris Carlin was a perfect No. 3 with his self-deprecating style.

During the show, Boomer and Carlin placed a wager on who could lose at least 10 percent of their body weight by Thanksgiving. They even had a weigh-in: Boomer tipped the scales at 253, meaning he has to shed 25 pounds to win the bet. And Carlin checked in at a hefty 331.

If Boomer wins the bet, Carlin will donate $1,000 to Esiason's foundation to cure cystic fibrosis. If Carlin wins, Boomer gives him and his wife and all-expenses paid trip to a Carribbean island.

Good luck to both men.

Later in the show, Carton got Jim Fassel to admit for the first time publicly that he was ticked at Tom Coughlin for taking a shot about the injury situation when he took the Giants' job from Fassel after the 2003 season. And there was a funny exchange between Carton, Esiason and Carlin about the Yankees radio announcers.

I guess what I liked most about the show was that it wasn't simply diehard sports, which only gets you so far before you've got to push the button for something else. There was plenty of talk about baseball and football, which is what you want, but sprinkled in was some humor and sarcasm, which will keep you listening.

Good start, fellas.

PS: See, Boomer? I actually wrote something nice about you, so next time I see you, don't be talking about how I'm ripping you! Hey, I even put a nice picture of you in here. I'd say you weigh about 240 in this one.

I learned that lesson in my first full-time job as a sportswriter at the Tarrytown (NY) Daily News.

I covered, among other teams, the Sleepy Hollow High football team in North Tarrytown, and would try and predict the outcome of the games. If any of you have followed my NFL picks in recent years in Newsday, you know that's not an easy proposition, even at the high school level.

Anyway, in my first week on the job, I had to handicap the Sleepy Hollow-John Jay game at John Jay in Cross River, NY. If I'm not mistaken, John Jay had won the Class C championship the year before, and had a fairly decent program for a number of years. So, I picked John Jay.

Of course, Sleepy Hollow won the game.

But it wasn't until after the game that I realized how much my prediction had upset/motivated the Headless Horsemen of Sleepy Hollow. After it was over, a squatty nose tackle named Marty Fine came over to me and started screaming.

"Glauber, you son of a *@!@#$%, you no good !@#$%$@, we showed your @!#."

Fine must have railed at me for a good 60 seconds more, and I'm thinking, "What in the world is with this guy?"

Football is with this guy.

There is little doubt in my mind that Sleepy Hollow coach Bruce Thomas referred to the prediction in the newspaper to psyche up his guys. After all, on page 1 of most coaching manuals, there's usually a reference to using any means necessary to make your players believe the world is against you. Why else would Fine have reacted so angrily afterward? But it was a quick lesson in learning how passionate people are about football, and I've carried it with me ever since.

So ...

... Go Giants!

... Go Jets!

PS: I saw Marty Fine about 10 years ago at Giants training camp - he was an assistant high school football coach at the time - and he came up to me and asked if I remembered him from his days at Sleepy Hollow. I told him I could never forget.

If you're out there, Marty, I still haven't forgotten.

PPS: Thomas was one of the most gentlemanly coaches I've ever come across, and he was a true leader of young men. He retired years ago, but not before helping hundreds of kids enjoy a tremendous athletic experience.

He was also a pretty funny dude. At the end-of-year sports banquet, he was invited to the dais by athletic director Jack McCleery to say a few words. McCleery, also a terrific human being and a fine administrator, was wearing a dark green plaid suit that was ... well ... not very stylish, let's say.

"That's a nice suit you've got there, Mr. McCleery," Thomas says. "What awning did you fall through to get it?"

Spent a thoroughly enjoyable couple hours last night with a bunch of Newsday subscribers who signed up for a chance to meet the paper's football hacks. Granted, there are plenty of better things to do on a Wednesday night in September, but the turnout was good, and the questions and interaction was downright terrific.

Giants beat reporter Arthur Staple, Jets beat man Tom Rock and NFL handicapper Ed McNamara regaled the crowd with plenty of anecdotes to give them a sense of what our world is like.

So thanks to all who came out, and thanks for continuing to pick up Newsday ... or read it right here on the Internet.

... of course, I couldn't resist re-telling the story of Rock and I seeing a rather unfortunate sight the other night in Baltimore, but folks took it with the humor with which it was meant. Heck, even veteran Newsday desk honcho Jeff Weinberg saw fit to reference the blog entry in yesterday's paper, so it couldn't have been too bad. I think he suggested that readers check out our glimpse of the moon in Baltimore.

Staple addresses the issue in today's Newsday about whether or not it's time to trade the outspoken, often outrageous tight end, now that appears the Giants' season might be about to go down the toilet.

Staple opines that the Giants should keep the Shock man, faults and all. And dumb penalties, too, like the one that negated a big play Sunday because he spiked the ball afterward - a rules change adopted before the season.

I hate to do this two weeks in a row, but I have to agree with the Stape man yet again.

As much as you shake your head over some of the things Shockey says and does, and despite the key drops like the one he had on Sunday, you don't trade the guy. For starters, there is nothing behind him at tight end, so it's essentially a moot point. But even if there was a solid No. 2 on the roster, you still don't dump him.

The positive plays far outweigh the negative, and Shockey's competitiveness is infectious in the locker room. His teammates genuinely like him, and except for the occasional faux pas, he is a positive figure in the locker room.

Is he as good as Antonio Gates or Jason Witten? No, he is not as good a receiver as those two guys. But he is a better blocker.

We tend to examine Shockey through the prism of his outlandish behavior and take some of that out on his play, especially when he makes mistakes. But Shockey is too good of a player to get rid of. He's a guy you want in the lineup in a big spot. The Giants are a better team with him than without him.

As Jim Baumbach reported yesterday, Fireman Ed is on the shelf with some knee and back issues, but the Jets evidently expect his spirit to live on when they host the Dolphins on Sunday.

While we're not allowed to watch Jets' practice - other than stretching, a few basic passing drills and a couple punts - we did hear the sounds of "J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!" on the loudspeakers near the practice field.

... btw, Rock, Staple and Glauber (sounds like we could make a game of it like Rock, Paper Scissors) will make an unprecedented group appearance this evening at Newsday for some lucky subscribers who actually signed up as part of contest to meet us. College football blogger Adam Abramson moderates, and I'll tell you right now he's been spending hours prepping for the shindig.

Sources say Newsday sports honcho Hank Winnicki will attend as well to hear us regale the clientele with tales from the gridiron.

... wonder if the Eric Mangini-Bill Belichick spat will come up?

I have come to respect Donovan McNabb as an athlete and a person throughout his NFL career, but his comments during an HBO interview last night about African American quarterbacks taking more criticism than their white counterparts is simply off base.

There's no question McNabb takes his share of abuse in Philly, one of the toughest sports towns on quarterbacks, but it's not much different than in any other city with any other quarterback - black or white.

John Elway got skewered in Denver in his early days with the Broncos.

Peyton Manning was constantly questioned about whether he'd ever win a big game.

Boomer Esiason was often roasted in New York during his days with the Jets.

Phil Simms was booed when he was drafted by the Giants, and booed until he broke out in 1984 and turned into a Super Bowl winner two years after that.

And Rex Grossman is ripped mercilessly in Chicago, even though he helped the team get to the Super Bowl last season.

I can understand that McNabb would be insulted by the haters in Philly, because there are many of them. But to dress it in the cloak of racism is just wrong.

Fans don't care if their quarterback is black or white, they only care if he wins football games. McNabb has won his share in Philly, but he's also lost his share, too. Just look at all those NFC Championship Games he couldn't win. And the Super Bowl, too.

McNabb has mostly been all about what's right with today's athlete. But on this topic, he didn't get anything right.

Take the other night in Baltimore after Jets-Ravens.

Newsday colleague Tom Rock and I leave the press box at M & T Bank Stadium a little after 11 p.m., around four hours after Ray Lewis seals the Ravens' 20-13 win by intercepting Kellen Clemens' deflected pass in the endzone.

We're looking for a cab back to the hotel. Can't find any around the stadium, so we start walking back. If worse comes to worse, the hotel is only a mile and half or so from the stadium, so we'll try and flag one down as we're walking.

We pass by Camden Yards, which is a few blocks from the Ravens' stadium, and there's a hotel and a couple of bars nearby, so we figure there will be a cab there.

Then we hear him.

It's a Ravens fan outside the bar with way too many beers in him just yelling at the top of his lungs and laughing with a buddy.

Then we see him.

The dude is wearing a Ray Lewis jersey on top, and nothing on the bottom. His shorts are down around his ankles as he faces the front window of the bar. Fortunately, we only catch a glimpse of "the moon."

Of course, in New Orleans, you can find similar scenes on every corner on Bourbon Street. But Baltimore?

Rock says I have to blog it.

I tell him I don't think I can bring myself to do it.

... I guess I just did.

Plenty of movement at the top, thanks to yet another string of upsets. Pats look Super to us. Cowboys starting to make us believe … a little, anyway. Jets get a break in the schedule. Giants have turned into a break in the schedule for whoever they play.
Read on. Rip us if you must. We listen, Black N Gold. We pay attention, Craig.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (2-0) (1): Patriots haters now refer to the coach as Bill Belicheat. Say what you want about him getting nailed by commish Goodell last week, but you cannot deny that this is the best team in football right now. They pounded a very good Chargers team on Sunday night.

2. Colts (2-0) (2): Tony Dungy told his players there’d be games like this in 2007. When you’re the defending champs, you’re not always gonna be at your best. Case in point: Colts’ 22-20 nail-biter over inferior Titans team.

3. Cowboys (2-0) (8): Another nice performance by Tony Romo, who will cash in big-time with a few more now that he’s in the final year of his contract.

4. Steelers (2-0) (6): The early-season schedule is soft – they’ve beaten Cleveland and Buffalo – but the Steelers are using the same formula that won them the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Great defense, excellent running game, and efficient passing from Big Ben.

5. Chargers (1-1) (3): Mistake No. 1 by Norv Turner: Hiding the playbooks from the Patriots for fear Belichick’s staff would steal them. Please. You think with all the scrutiny on Belichick now that he’s been nailed that he’s gonna try something this soon? Chargers no match for Pats at Gillette.

6. Broncos (2-0) (13): Two last-second wins via field goals. Not a bad way to start off in Jay Cutler’s first full season as the starter. Great move by Mike Shanahan for calling timeout a split second before Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 52-yarder through the uprights in OT. On the re-kick, Janikowski hit the left upright.

7. Bears (1-1) (9): The boo birds were out in force to greet Rex Grossman, who threw two more picks on Sunday. Good thing for the Bears it was only the Chiefs, who don’t scare anyone these days.

8. Texans (2-0) (17): Most improved team of the early part of the season. Texans have stability at QB with Matt Schaub, and their defense is now better than good.

9. Panthers (1-1) (4): If Panthers underestimated Texans, they made a massive mistake. Schaub completed 20-of-28, and even though Jake Delhomme had three more TD passes, the Panthers had just seven second-half points.

10. Ravens (1-1) (11): Kyle Boller actually looked decent against the Jets, so it looks like the Ravens were justified in signing him to a one-year extension. He’ll hit the bench again once Steve McNair is healthy, but don’t be surprised to see Boller figure in later this season.

11. Bengals (1-1) (5): Chad Johnson had a brilliant game with 209 receiving yards and two TDs. But the Bengals defense might have trouble containing St. Anthony’s High.

12. Seahawks (1-1) (7): There’s something about playing in Arizona that always seems to bring out the worst in the Seahawks.

13. Packers (2-0) (23): Man, how long has it been since we’ve seen the Packers make an early-season statement like this. They might have gotten lucky beating the Eagles at home in Week 1, but they were nothing short of dominant against the pitiful Giants.

14. 49ers (2-0) (24): Niners still far from being a complete team, but they are definitely making strides. They take advantage of Rams mistakes and win what could be a key NFC West matchup in St. Louis.

15. Lions (2-0) (20): Jon Kitna saved the day after going back into the game despite suffering what he called the worst concussion of his career. We’re not fans of this kind of macho stupidity, and neither is the NFL brass. Then again, Lions fans aren’t complaining about 2-0 getaway.

16. Redskins (2-0) (25): The Redskins are an exceedingly boring team to watch … but at 2-0, no one in Washington is complaining. Up next: Giants at home.

It’s Week 2, and already the NFL is full of dramatic twists and turns. Here’s a look at the best and worst ... btw, if you scroll down a couple of posts, you'll see the "VOTE: Greatest invention of all time." There's still time to vote.

Giant of the week: RB Derrick Ward. We’re tempted to withhold the award after that dismal 35-13 loss to Green Bay, but we’ll give it to Ward, the lone bright spot with 15 carries for 90 yards.

Jet of the week: WR Jerricho Cotchery. Had seven catches for 165 yards, including a 50-yard catch-and-run on a drive that should have ended up with the tying touchdown. Instead, the Jets dropped three would-be scoring passes from Kellen Clemens.

Team in trouble. Giants. At 0-2 and with no defense to speak of, it’s a stretch to seem them turning it around any time soon.

Dominating performance award: Patriots. With the controversy over Bill Belichick’s cheating scandal swirling throughout the week, the Pats took it out on the Chargers in a 38-14 demolition at Gillette Stadium. Don’t know if we’ve seen a Week 2 performance so impressive.

Player of the week: Derek Anderson, QB, Browns. Was simply awful in a preseason competition with Charlie Frye. But after Frye was traded last week to the Seawhawks, Anderson made the most of his chances with five – count ‘em, five – touchdown passes against the Bengals. (For those of you who still don't quite remember the Browns' QB, we included a picture of Derek Sanderson, former Bruins star, as a guide. When we're not consumed with the NFL, we love tuning in to NHL hockey, even though the league has virtually disappeared off the pro sports map. Back in the day, Sanderson was one of our faves. Too bad he drank himself out of the league.)

Comeback player of the week: Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns. After being given up on by the Ravens, who traded for Willis McGahee, Lewis looked like he did during his 2,000-yard season with 215 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals.

Coach on the hot seat: Tom Coughlin, Giants. He came into the season on top of our coaches-on-the-hot-seat list, and he’s still No. 1. By a mile. You give up 80 points in two weeks, you’re in trouble.

Best play: Pats LB Adalius Thomas’ interception return for touchdown against the Chargers. He read Philip Rivers perfectly on a short pass to Rivers’ right, and took it home in the midst of New England’s thumping of their playoff rivals last year.

Worst play: Dante Hall’s dropped punt. All he had to do was catch the darn thing and St. Louis beats San Francisco in a huge NFC West matchup. Instead, he drops it, the 49ers recover and go on to kick the winning field goal in St. Loo.

Surprising performance: Cardinals beating the Seahawks, 23-20. After a miserable loss in San Fran in Week 1, Matt Leinart and Edgerrin James combine forces to upset the Seahawks. Leinart threw for 299 yards and a touchdown, and Edge rushed for 128 yards and a TD.

Disappointing performance: The Bengals. If you put up 45 points, you should expect to win the game, no? Not if you’re the Bengals. The defense was atrocious in giving up 51 to Cleveland.

Rookie of the week: Amobi Okoye, DT, Texans. He’s still only 20 years old, but the former Louisville standout was awesome against the Panthers, producing two sacks and spearheading a vastly improved defense.

Best coaching move: Mike Shanahan icing Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski just a split second before the snap on what would have been the game-winning kick. Janikowski nailed the 52-yarder, but the officials ruled the play had been whistled dead. Seabass clanked his next attempt off the left upright, and the Broncos went on to win the OT thriller.

Worst coaching move: Rod Marinelli of the Lions putting Jon Kitna back in the game against Minnesota. Look, we weren’t there and we don’t know all the medical details. But when the quarterback says he suffered the worst concussion of his career, and when receiver Roy Williams suggests Kitna had no idea where he was, it’s not good. Yes, the Lions won the game, but at what cost?

Deal of the week: The Texans trade for QB Matt Schaub. How much does one player make a difference? Try everything. Schaub has settled things down on offense after the failed David Carr era, and the Texans are off to the first 2-0 start in franchise history. Where’s Carr? Standing on the sidelines in Carolina watching his old team look like a playoff contender in Houston’s 34-21 win over the Panthers.

Coming tomorrow: Week 2 power rankings

Ok, your team has given up a combined 80 points the first two weeks. If things don't turn around, Tom Coughlin is gone.

So, who would you like to be your next head coach - Charlie Weis, whose Fighting Irish are 0-3 and are coming off a shutout loss to Michigan?

Or Bill Belichick, whose brilliant coaching legacy has been stained, maybe forever, with the cheating scandal?

Any other ideas?