What about Bob? Glauber's NFL Blog

Brett Favre hasn't missed a start since the 1992 season, and the way he and coach Mike McCarthy were sounding after he suffered elbow and shoulder injuries in last night's game against the Cowboys, the streak won't end any time soon.

If anyone has hit their funny bone, imagine hitting it 10 times as hard with a hammer," Favre said. "That's what it feels like."

McCarthy suggested that Favre would be ready to play when the Packers host the Raiders a week from Sunday.

Craig on the Giants defensive players being prohibited from making friendly locker room wagers on their weekly performance:

"The NFL sees a slippery slope, performance incentives slides into bounty awards, and the league will not approve on anything resembling gambling. If they drop the cash component they can work around it. RB's, QB's have been rewarding their Oline since the beginning of time. Plenty of wiggle room there."

Lance on our take that Terrell Davis shouldn't get into the Hall of Fame because his career was cut short by injury:
"Are you kidding? TD was one of the best running backs ever to play the game. While everyone believes that Curtis Martin is a shoo in because he gained so many yards over so many seasons, he never won a super bowl or dominated in the playoffs like TD.
The only Denver Bronco in the HOF is John Elway for the same reason Matt Holliday lost out on the MVP to Rollins this year. Denver sports teams have never been taken seriously or respected on the national stage.
Granted, I'm a homer, but I don't believe that Rod Smith should be in the HOF either, because he never dominated at any time. He played well over a long period, but that doesn't make him more than an above average player.
TD was special and should be recognized as such. Once were on the issue, what about Gary Zimmerman and Steve Atwater too?"

kafoste on the aftermath of the Sean Taylor shooting:

"I saw a few blogs where people were saying he had what was coming to him.I cant believe the barbaric thinking that some may have today in our society. This young man is a fellow human being with friends and family just like some of you regardless of what you may think of his on or off the field behavior. I wish him the best as well as his family ... Wake up, American ... Wake up."

Hmm ... this is the second look-a-like involving a Super Bowl winning coach and a professional golfer. Click here for Bill Parcells-Colin Montgomerie look-a-like, which led to add-ons Bill Walton and Jerry Van Dyke.

Oh, boy.

Packers fans have to be in a tizzy this morning on two counts. First, Green Bay lost to Dallas in the long-awaited showdown with the Cowboys at Texas Stadium.

Second, and far more importantly, Brett Favre got hurt. Maybe badly.

He was hit hard in the first half and suffered a separated non-throwing shoulder and an injury to the elbow on his throwing arm. Asked about it afterward, Favre said he thought he'd be ok. We'll see. The Packers have plenty of time off before a Dec. 9 home game against the Raiders, and Favre hopes to use that time to heal up.

But the elbow injury ought to be the one that concerns him most. He hopes there's no ligament damage, but it doesn't sound good when you tell people your hand is numb as a result of the injury.

The only good news in all this: backup Aaron Rodgers actually looked decent in relief of Favre, going 18-of-26 for 201 yards and a touchdown. When Favre left, he was a dismal 5-of-14 for 56 yards and two interceptions.

Rodgers did all he could to keep the Packers close, but it was Green Bay's normally reliable defense that was shredded by Tony Romo, who had four touchdown passes.

(Many thanks to my neighbor Matt for allowing me to watch the game on his DirecTV. We kept the noise down, we didn't drink too many beers, and we watched one heck of a game. We always learn something about football from Matt, who might be the biggest gridiron junkie we know. He rivals Adam Abramson for his sweeping knowledge of the college game, and he will be hired as an official blog consultant around draft time, much the way Black N Gold has been hired as our full-time staffer on all matters concerning the Heinz Field playing surface.)

Best is never one to miss a good plug to his Watchdog blog, but he must have missed this one.

The "Can't Stop the Bleeding" blog mentioned his post on Mike and the Mad Dog's questionable commentary earlier this week. Here's the link, Neil. Maybe you can make a post out of it on your blog and get a jump on life-after-Imus-returns-to-the-airwaves-and-thus-cuts-down-on-your-page-views.

"Can't Stop the Bleeding" has been kind enough to link to a couple of our posts, too, most recently the one where we were an eyewitness to the grossest thing we've ever seen at a football game - namely, a drunk Jets' fan picking up a piece of sausage off the ground, dipping it into his own vomit, and then eating it.

Love the title to this post: "Never let it be said Glauber's blog is one big (technicolor) yawn."

It was an emotional day yesterday for the Redskins, who got back to practice for the first time since safety Sean Taylor succumbed to his injuries from a gunshot wound early Monday morning.

Here's a link to my newspaper column from the visit to the team's training site in Ashburn, Va.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame came out yesterday with its list of 26 semifinalists for enshrinement, and there are plenty of guys worthy of discussion. Long discussion.

I've printed the list below, and let us know if you think certain guys do or do not belong.

One of the more intriguing debates might center on Terrell Davis, the former Broncos running back who helped the team to its two Super Bowl victories. Davis certainly had Hall of Fame talent, and he did rush for over 2,000 yards in 1998. But longevity is my big issue with him, and that's why I believe he won't make it.

Davis played from 1995-2002, but had only four seasons where he rushed for 1,000 or more yards. Four. It's just not enough.

It's certainly not Davis' fault that knee problems shortened his career. But it's a factor you simply cannot ignore in the Hall of Fame debate. Again, the talent was there, the longevity wasn't.

(UPDATE: Davis was a semifinalist last year as well, but didn't make it in. The major factor cited: his shortened career. Even teammate Mark Schlereth, now an ESPN analyst, agreed Davis didn't play long enough. Here's a link to a story about it.)

Here's the list. The Hall of Fame selections will take place the day before Super Bowl XLII.

Have at it, people.

Cris Carter, WR – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
Terrell Davis, RB – 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
Dermontti Dawson, C – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
Fred Dean, DE – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-85 San Francisco 49ers
Richard Dent, DE – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Randy Gradishar, LB – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos
Darrell Green, CB – 1983-2002 Washington Redskins
Kevin Greene, LB/DE – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
Russ Grimm, G – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Ray Guy, P – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Charles Haley, DE/LB – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
Lester Hayes, CB – 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Rickey Jackson, LB – 1981-1993 New Orleans Saints, 1994-95 San Francisco 49ers
Joe Jacoby, T – 1981-1993 Washington Redskins
Cortez Kennedy, DT – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
Bob Kuechenberg, G – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
Randall McDaniel, G – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Art Monk, WR – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles
Andre Reed, WR –1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Ken Stabler, QB – 1970-79 Oakland Raiders, 1980-81 Houston Oilers, 1982-84 New Orleans Saints
Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Steve Tasker, Special Teams/WR – 1985-1986 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
Derrick Thomas, LB – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
Andre Tippett, LB – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
George Young, GM/Administrator – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League
Gary Zimmerman, T – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-97 Denver Broncos

Best was beating himself up yesterday for stammering during his appearance on live national television, but he's certainly not alone.

Best tells us he felt a little better watching the tape of his segment on ESPN2's "First Take," a complicated discussion of the NFL Network's problems getting its product onto cable systems across the country.

But if it makes him feel any better, we've had our share of stammers while appearing on the program. On one particular segment when the show was called "Cold Pizza" and was produced in Manhattan, we had an item on the future of Bills receiver Peerless Price.

It didn't come out quite as smoothly as hoped, however, when Jay Crawford asked about it:

"P-P-P-P-P- ... Peerless Price ..." was how it came out.

Welcome aboard, Neil ... and tell Mrs. Watchdog hello. Actually, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mrs. W. for the TV stuff.

I'm at the Redskins training facility to do a piece on how the team is coming to grips with the tragic death of safety Sean Taylor, who died early yesterday morning of a gunshot wound suffered during a break-in at his Miami area home early Sunday morning.

As you might expect, the mood is extremely somber as the team tries to get back to some semblance of normalcy. The players, coaches and staff met this morning with Taylor's father, Pedro, who flew in from the Miami area address the team.

We spoke briefly with one of the team's pastors, Brett Fuller, who was understandably emotional talking about how the team was coping with the unprecedented situation.

Stopped by a makeshift memorial to Taylor, where fans are free to stop by and pay their respects. Hundreds upon hundreds of flowers, candles, signs, surround the tree. A Taylor jersey, autographed by dozens of well-wishers, hangs from one of the branches.

Sad. Very sad.

Five things you need to know right now about the NFL:

1. Simeon Rice must really stink. He was released for the second time this season. That's pretty grim news for one of the NFL's all-time leading sack specialists.

2. The season's over for Pats linebacker Roosevelt Colvin. It's just beginning for Troy Brown.

3. Ricky Williams' comeback lasted exactly six plays. Is there anyone out there who thinks this guy will ever play again?

4. Is Bobby Petrino going back to the colleges? Falcons don't think so.

5. Memo to Steelers fans: Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes might play this week.

Bonus entry: The Steelers are considering the installation of a synthetic playing surface in the wake of Monday night's quagmire. What's to consider? How can they not put down a rug? That field was unplayable the other night.

Neil Best is so excited about getting out of the basement and into the city that he has announced his appearance later this morning on ESPN2's First Take

Of course, if I made an announcement every time I was going on ESPN2's morning show, I wouldn't have much room to write anything else on this blog, since it's a pretty regular gig. But I understand Best's excitement, and I'm delighted for him. He now gets to join in the world that Dana Jacobson and Jay Crawford have so ably hosted over the years.

They are terrific people who will now get to talk to my good buddy Best about the most boring subject on earth: the NFL Network's battle with local cable companies on the eve of tomorrow night's Packers-Cowboys game that will be seen by no one. Relatively speaking, anyway.

Break a leg, Neil!

The NFL announced yesterday that the Packers defensive players were let off with a warning about their locker-room arrangement involving certain on-field incentives. Now it's the Giants who have been told to knock it off for a similar arrangement.

ESPN reported last week that Packers players offered to pay the team's defensive linemen $500 each if they were able to hold Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards rushing two weeks ago. They offered another $500 for holding Carolina to under 60 yards rushing as a team the next week.

The Giants' defensive linemen started a pool early in the season where players would throw money into a kitty and rank themselves for on-field performance, based on the coach's grades. There were weekly winners, and then they'd planned to reward the player with the highest grades at the end of the season with more money. Osi Umenyiora was in the lead by a huge margin.

But we've been told by three people familiar with the situation that the league has prohibited the players from engaging in such activity because it violates the league's "bounty rules." Two Giants officials told Newsday the league had already notified the team, and that the players have been informed of the ruling and no longer have the pool.

While the Giants did not target specific teams or players with their reward system, it still constituted a violation of the league's system. League rules prohibit teams and players "from offering or accepting bonuses to a player for his or his team's performance against a particular team, a particular opposing player or players, or a particular group of an opposing team."

1. Patriots (11-0) (1): A nailbiter against the Eagles, but the Pats do just enough to stay unbeaten. We’ve gotten so used to the blowouts, but don’t forget, this is the way they used to beat teams in their three Super Bowl seasons. They were rarely as dominant as they’ve been this year.

2. Cowboys (10-1) (2): Cowboys feast on Jets on Thanksgiving Day, and now it’s on to the Game of the Century against the Packers at home on Thursday. The game will go a long way toward deciding homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs. Which could go a long way toward deciding who goes to the Super Bowl.

3. Packers (10-1) (3): Brett Favre has lost his last eight against the Cowboys in Dallas, so he suggested to coach Mike McCarthy that perhaps he’s not the best one to talk about what it’s like to play in Big D. Good advice. Then again, the last time the Packers played in Dallas was 1999.

4. Colts (9-2) (5): Peyton Manning looks more like himself in Thanksgiving night win. Then again, he was playing the junior varsity in Atlanta. Now it’s on to the big boys against Jacksonville at home.

5. Jaguars (8-3) (4): What I like most about David Garrard is he doesn’t turn the ball over. I assume Jack Del Rio likes that, too. Now we’ll see if it’s good enough to beat the Colts in a game that could decide the AFC South title.

6. Steelers (8-3) (6): Never seen anything quite like this one. With monsoonal rains pelting a newly sodded field, the Steelers get a field goal in the final seconds to beat winless Miami 3-0. Unbelievable. Honestly, I don't know if the Patriots could have scored more than three points last night on that surface.

7. Browns (7-4) (8): The Browns are getting better by the day. Now we’ll see if they can win on the road in Arizona and stay within striking distance of the Steelers.

8. Buccaneers (7-4) (10): Bucs hope Jeff Garcia’s bruised back won’t keep him out against Saints on Sunday.

9. Seahawks (7-4) (9): Had it not been for Gus Frerotte’s fumbled snap on fourth and goal from the 1, the Seahawks might be licking their wounds from a colossal upset in St. Louis. Instead, they get the win and take a decisive step forward in the NFC West race.

10. Giants (7-4) (7): Eli Manning at his worst with four picks, three of which were returned for touchdowns and the other that set up another TD. At Chicago on Sunday. Not easy.

11. Chargers (6-5) (12): All’s well again in San Diego, where the Chargers thumped the Ravens. Then again, it could be catastrophe next week, the way this team has been all season.

12. Saints (5-6) (18): Drew Brees is back in business after a two-game slump, and the Saints are alive again in the wild card race.

13. Eagles (5-6) (17): Andy Reid says Donovan McNabb is his guy once he’s 100 percent. Question is: Who determines when or if he’s 100 percent?

14. Bears (5-6) (22): If the Bears beat the Giants at home on Sunday, this is going to be one hell of a wild card race.

15. Broncos (5-6) (11): Broncos nearly pulled it off in Chicago, but their decision to kick and punt to Devin Hester proved disastrous.

16. Titans (6-5) (14): Vince Young does a whole lot of nothing against the Bengals’ awful pass defense, and Tennessee suffers a major blow in Cincy.

Had an interesting talk late yesterday with Giants GM Jerry Reese, who had some pointed things to say about his team - and his quarterback - but expressed overall optimism about where the team goes from here.

Big Ben is Back! and Black N Gold let us know that he heard Boomer and Carton talking about it on WFAN this morning, so we're touched that the morning dudes would refer to Newsday. Of course, BBiB! and B N G are in a good mood today, having survived that narrow escape in the muck last night in the 'Burgh.

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died. He was 24.

Taylor was died early this morning from gunshot wounds suffered early yesterday morning in what police believe was a robbery at his home in Palmetto Bay, Fla.

Incredibly, incredibly sad news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Taylor's family, the Redskins, and anyone who knew the young man.

Sorry for the late arrival. The system is acting up again, and we're having it checked out. They're not sure whether it's the tin cans at either end, or the sting connecting them that's the problem. (Oops, don't want to insult the techies out there. We're sure it's a very complicated problem that only a select few humans can understand. We'll just stick to the football. Cheers.)

Giant of the Week: Plaxico Burress. Playing on a bum ankle that’s bothered him all season, Burress finished with seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Ok, so the TD came in garbage time, but the guy played tough all game.

Jet of the week: Oh, boy. When you’ve got punter Ben Graham as the player of the week, you’ve hit the bottom of the barrel. Not that there’s anything wrong with Graham; more like there’s everything wrong with the offense. He had eight punts for a 46.1-yard average, including a 61-yarder.

Offensive player of the week: Here’s a name we haven’t heard much all season: Chad Johnson, the Bengals wide receiver. He finally had a breakout game against a very good Titans defense, finishing with 12 catches for 103 yards and three TDs. After one of them, he took over a television camera, panned the crowd, and trotted back to the bench. The NFL will be taking some coin in fine money for that one, but Johnson doesn’t care.

Defensive player of the week: Patriots CB Asante Samuel. He had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the first quarter against Philly, and then made a game-clinching pick in late in the fourth quarter to keep the Pats unbeaten.

Special teams player of the week: Matt Bryant, K, Bucc …. Oh, no, we’re not gonna make that mistake again. Sure, Bryant kicked four field goals for the Bucs in their 19-13 win over the Redskins, but it was Bears return man Devin Hester who was the star of the day with a 75-yard punt return for touchdown and an 88-yard kickoff return for touchdown in the third quarter of the Bears’ 37-34 thriller in OT against the Broncos. (Big Ben is Back! I guarantee you started yelling at your computer when you read Bryant's name. "He did it again!!")

Dominating performance award: The Chargers. They beat the Ravens 32-14 behind a strong performance from Philip Rivers, who threw for three TDs and kept the Ravens’ defense from chirping about how good they are.

Understudy award: Eagles QB A.J. Feeley. Subbing for the injured Donovan McNabb, Feeley threw for three TDs and nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year. The Eagles just fell short in a 31-28 loss, but Andy Reid will have an interesting decision on his hands once McNabb is healthy.

Surprise of the week: The 49ers’ 37-31 overtime win in Arizona. The 49ers had lost eight straight and looked awful in doing so, but they came alive against the Cards, sealing the win with a sack and forced fumble of Kurt Warner in the endzone in OT. Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, a charter member of the All-Name Team, recovered for the winning touchdown.

Career is all but over award: David Carr, a former No. 1 overall pick, is just about done in Carolina. He was only playing against New Orleans because another former No. 1 pick, 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde, couldn’t play because of a sore back. Carr was benched and replaced with a rookie free agent.

Goat of the Week, Part 1: Eli Manning, QB, Giants. Tied his career high with four interceptions, three of which were returned for TDs.

Goat of the Week, Part 2: Gus Frerotte, QB, Rams. On fourth and goal from the 1 with 27 seconds to play and the Rams trailing Seattle 24-19, Frerotte fumbled the snap and was tackled for a four-yard loss to end the game.

Coach on the hot seat: John Fox, Carolina. We personally think Fox deserves a pass because of his quarterback situation, but team owner Jerry Richardson is not a patient man. What might save Fox: The Panthers are on the hook for about $15 million in salary after this year.

Statistical anomaly of the week: Honestly, we bring back this award because we just wanted to use the word “anomaly.” The winner: The Vikings’ secondary, which came into yesterday’s game against the Giants as the 32nd ranked pass defense with only 13 interceptions in the first 10 games. Against the Giants, they picked off Manning four times and ran back three for scores. Go figure.

Coaching second-guess: Herman Edwards of the Chiefs in the final minutes of yesterday's 20-17 loss to the Raiders. On third-and-5 from the Raiders' 27, Brodie Croyle hit Eddie Kennison for a 4-yard gain, but Edwards challenged the ruling, which was upheld. He lost a timeout as a result, then used another timeout, and then went for it instead of kicking the tying field goal. Edwards has been criticized for being too conservative, but this time, he should have taken the safe route by going for the tying score.

Redskins safety Sean Taylor was shot early this morning at his home in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay and is in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, according to police.

Taylor's chances of survival are not known at this time, as his family is asking that all information regarding Taylor's condition remain private.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Taylor's family.

(UPDATE: Here's an updated story on Taylor's condition, which remains grave. He was shot twice in the lower body and suffered extensive blood loss.)

My esteemed Newsday colleague Anthony Reebert drew attention to the subject of Jets fans selling many of their tickets to Steelers fans for last week's game at Giants Stadium, which felt more like a Pittsburgh home game. And in doing so, he invoked our blog post where we criticized fans for their front-runner mentality.

We're glad Reebert used our opinion for a launching off point, even if he was simply pandering to those Jets fans who needed a pat on the back for acting like frontrunners by selling out becasue the season has gone bad. In fact, we're touched, especially by the fact Reebert spelled our name correctly. And Reebert even said he loved us!

Right back at you, A-Reeb.

Oops, it's Riebert. I mean Rieber! :-)

I wrote about Jets' fans today as well, using last week's series of unfortunate events - including the "Gate D" fiasco - and suggested that the Jets ought to be taking the events of this season very, very seriously moving forward. It's not just about a losing season any more. With a new stadium coming on line in 2010 and the team pulling up stakes from Long Island entirely by 2009, the Jets are running the risk of alienating a good portion of their fan base. Especially with a new pro league (the United Football League) coming on line next year and planning to put a franchise at Hofstra, where the Jets currently train.

The former Giants linebacker suffered severe injuries in a paragliding accident in Chile.

Widmer told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle by phone from a hospital in Chile that he fractured a vetebrae, which required the removal of two ribs to stabilize his back. He did not suffer paralysis.

"We are still not out of the woods yet," Widmer told the paper on Friday. "We are still kind of taking it a day at a time."

Widmer said he crashed shortly after takeoff when he tipped a wing "and it shot me into the side of the mountain."

Widmer, 38, played eight seasons for the Giants, and was one of the hardest working players you'd ever want to see. Not blessed with great talent, he made a career for himself with his terrific work ethic and a football savvy that brought him a long way.

Widmer was a seventh-round pick in 1992 out of Montana State.

As if the Panthers didn't have enough problems, now it's 44-year-old quarterback Vinny Testaverde's back that's acting up.

Testaverde didn't injure it during practice, and may have hurt himself in his sleep. He woke up this morning with a sore back, and is now questionable for tomorrow's home game against the Saints.

It was only a few days ago that Panthers coach John Fox anointed Testaverde as the starter until further notice over former No. 1 overall pick David Carr, who has been a complete washout with the Panthers. Now it looks as if Fox might have no alternative but to switch to Carr if Vinny T. can't go tomorrow.

Oh, boy.

The Eagles have downgraded QB Donovan McNabb (ankle, thumb) from doubtful to out.

Wonder if NBC now regrets not switching off the Patriots for another Football Night in America blowout. Then again, not much to choose from this week. Honestly, a pretty dull slate of games, at least on paper.

Not everyone reads through all the comments on the blog, but we just had to draw attention to this story submitted by our own Black N Gold from a few posts back. He was talking about the era when the Steelers used to play at Pitt Stadium. Priceless.

"Quick story about the Pitt Stadium days. Where I grew up I had a neighbor whose father was a rough and tumble contractor who always had a bull dozer or two he was rebuilding on his property and always had a stogie in his mouth. This man used to go watch the Steelers at Pitt Stadium in the mid '60s. He and his brother purchased three season tickets - one for each of them and one that they used for the trash can full of beer and ice that they'd bring to the game.
My how things have changed."

Sorry I'm late on this. Guess a little too much turkey yesterday.

Jay on Jets’ fans after last week's game against the Steelers:
It's time to face the facts that Jets fans and most NY sports fans are frontrunners. We aren't as passionate and dedicated as we are made out to be. Plus, you should be congratulating the Jets fans who did show up Sunday, like myself who drives four hours each way for every game (including preseason). Most fans who sold their tickets don't really care what people think anyway. They will just have excuses for everything.
I've really tried to stop caring what other fans do. I am at the games for my entertainment. I don't need other Jets fans there to make it better. And when this team hosts the AFC Championship game in 2009 season, my group will enjoy it that much more since we attended games like these.

NKR on suggestions for changing the Jets' nickname from “Gang Green”
Uh, The Green N White? I think first the Jets need to change their sucky colors. Anything but aqua, coral, white and navy. Or navy blue, light blue, red, light red, white, royal, and nickel.
I really like "Nautical Blue", "New Century Silver", red, and white, but I think those colors are taken ... Thought of a few with the current colors:
Clean n Green - hmm. Doesn't really apply to an NFL team.
The Green Party - More apt, perhaps, but taken.
Big Green Men - they put the little green men in their place.
The Fighting Algae
The Greenbacks - you have Quarterbacks, Nickelbacks... And of course the obvious reference.
The Jolly Green Jets?

Lee on the Browns’ resurgence:
After Charlie Weis' first year at Notre Dame and Romeo Crennel's first year at Cleveland, who would have thought that their teams would be going in complete opposite directions only a few years later?
The Browns could easily be 7-3 and in first place in their division if Phil Dawson put a little extra juice into his kick against Pittsburgh.

When I write these blog posts, I'm so immersed in the subject matter that I tend to get a little tunnel vision, so I don't notice everything on the web pages. But I did notice that there are advertisements on our little slice of the blogosphere, which is a good thing. Who knows? Maybe the ads have been here the whole time, and I just haven't noticed, choosing instead to see if NKR or Black N Gold or Big Ben is Back! have weighed in on anything and everything.

But I've seen Rachel Ray advertising Dunkin Donuts, and I saw a PC Richard ad at the top of the page. And I just saw an ad where you can win two tickets to see Hannah Montana! My daughter is a big fan, by the way, and we've been known to tune in a time or two while she snuggles up after dinner.

All of which means the Christmas shopping season is upon us ... and, more importantly, that you are reading enough of these blogs to convince advertisers to spend their dough on our website.

All of which is very, very good news to Newsday bloggers, because it means we'll get to keep writing this stuff and make some cash for the company at the same time. And provide some entertainment for your viewing pleasure all the while.

Keep reading! Buy Dunkin Donuts! Buy high definition TV's at PC Richard! Buy Hondas at South Shore Honda!

Spend! Spend! Spend!

That epic 23 1/2-point spread for Sunday night's Patriots-Eagles game looks as if it might be ... too low!!!

Reason: Donovan McNabb missed practice again today, and is listed as doubtful because of ankle and thumb injuries. He ain't playing.

Patriots vs. A.J. Feeley.

Pats 49, Eagles 3.

Check out my newspaper column today, and you'll find out.

Packers running back Ryan Grant scored a touchdown for the Packers just moments ago in their game against the Lions, leaving some Giants fans to wonder what it might be like if Grant were still on the team.

Grant, signed as a rookie free agent before the 2006 season, missed all of last season after suffering nerve damage in an accident in a New York nightclub. But he came back in terrific shape for training camp. He looked excellent during workouts and his limited time in games, and he was all set to make the roster.

But a few days before the final cutdown day, the Packers offered a sixth-round pick and the Giants took it. Actually, it wasn't a bad deal for an undrafted free agent.

But now that Brandon Jacobs is hurting with a hamstring problem and Derrick Ward is still out with ankle and groin problems, you wonder what kind of impact Grant might have made at this point.

The Packers are delighted with his production, and he has stepped in beautifully because of injuries to the Packers' backfield.

... fyi, Grant grew up in Nanuet, NY.

I lived in Nanuet for 12 years ... less than a mile from Grant's house.

Small world.

Enjoy the food.

Enjoy the family.

Enjoy the football.

Five things you need to know about the NFL right now:

1. Priest Holmes has called it a career after re-injuring his neck.

2. Adrian Peterson is practicing again, but don't expect him to be in the lineup against the Giants on Sunday.

3. Remember when the Jets were wrestling with what to do with LaMont Jordan? Well, he's about to be released by the Raiders.

4. The 49ers are so desperate for help on offense that they've re-hired coach Ted Tollner.

5. Talk about adding injury to insult: The Steelers lost to the Jets on Sunday, but might be without Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes.

(btw, yes, we are experiencing some technical difficulties with the Newsday blogs, which are operating on dial-up speed. We've informed the company that services our blogs that they either need to get some geeky techie on the matter at once, or else instruct the hamsters to run faster on the treadmill that seems to now be in use for powering the blogs.)

With three games on the docket tomorrow, here's a gentle reminder to get your picks in if you've joined up in the Beat Bob Glauber contest. Even if you haven't joined in, you can still do so and be eligible for weekly prizes.

Glauber himself is riding somewhat of a hot streak, nailing 12-of-16 last week, although such chest-thumping usually means that a cold streak is about to begin. Immediately. But he's at least reached an important milestone in this competition, and that's surging ahead of our own NKR, whose unique and complicated formula of picking games had her on a red hot streak early on.

Had he paid more attention to Big Ben is Back!'s angst about his beloved Steelers, he'd have gotten another one right. Instead, Glauber will honor BBiB!'s contributions with an especially annoying conversation in the third person a la Bo Jackson.

Here's to a great day of Thanksgiving NFL football, people. Eat up and enjoy.

It took them long enough, but after years of seeing their talent overshadowed by the on- and off-field nonsense, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are all about football these days.

It's what we wrote about in our column for the newspaper today, and how refreshing it is to see these guys doing their best impersonations of Jerry Rice: Be great, and act with class while you're at it.

There's no guarantee either or both will keep up their stunningly good behavior. But for 10 games so far this season, it's been a pleasure to behold their athletic talents, not their boorish behavior.

... he once offered a hilarious one-liner when he coached the Giants back in the day.

Parcells had always battled weight problems, but one year - I'm thinking it was 1986 or 1987 - he showed up a few pounds lighter. When a reporter asked him about it during a press conference, Parcells quipped: "Yeah, I lost about 10 pounds or so ... but that's like throwing a deck chair off the Queen Mary."

These days, Parcells really is much fitter than he was back then. In fact, he looks so healthy and well-rested that it's probably only a matter of time before he throws his hat back in the ring looking for another heading coaching job. Or perhaps a general manager.

1. Patriots (10-0) (1): Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, Giants. Can any of these teams remaining on the schedule beat the Patriots? Not if New England keeps playing like this.

2. Cowboys (9-1) (2): So this is what it’s like when Terrell Owens decides to concentrate on football and not the other nonsense. Four more TDs on Sunday ties Bob Hayes’ single-game franchise record.

3. Packers (9-1) (3): We keep talking about Brett Favre, and that’s all well and good. But it’s Green Bay’s defense that’s every bit as good as the offense.

4. Jaguars (7-3) (6): Jags smack Chargers at home and pull to within a game of Colts. If the teams played today, Jacksonville would win.

5. Colts (8-2) (5): Give credit to the Colts for hanging in, but these injuries are really starting to take a toll.
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6. Steelers (7-3) (4): How do you lose to the Jets?

7. Giants (7-3) (9): Giants do just enough to get past Lions on road. Hardly dominating, but you never apologize for a win, no matter how ugly.

8. Browns (6-4) (13): One of the strangest endings to regulation you’ll ever see. Phil Dawson’s kick goes off the upright, caroms off the curved poll holding the crossbar and is initially called no good. Then the officials reverse the