In shocking news, an ESPN.com poll today showed that the New York Giants are at least getting some degree of respect this season. With over 40,000 votes, I can’t make this stuff up. So does it feel Giants fans? Make some whiny comment about being under-appreciated here…

I don’t need to say much about this one. God Tom Brady delivered the best passing performance in Monday Night Football history yesterday, racking up 517 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. While I am not much of a fantasy football player because I care more about my team winning than any fantasy scenario, I did find myself in a telling fantasy scenario going into last night’s game. I draft Tom Brady with my first pick every year, which to most fantasy fans is downright stupid. That said, I found myself 1 point behind my opponent going into Monday Night Football. My opponent had QB Kyle Orton and RB Knowshon Moreno going in the late game, I had Brady and the Gronk man going for the Pats in the early game. I looked my favored opponent in the eye last night and said “Tom Brady will deliver me the victory.” I said it without any hint of doubt, and my man came through.

But enough about Brady – my secondary excitement in this game came from the Patriots 1st round draft pick Nate Solder. The Patriots entered the 2011 season with some serious concern about the right side of their offensive line. Last night I watched the 6’8 and 319 pound Solder consistently beast Miami Pro Bowl linebacker Cameron Wake – absolute music to any Patriots’ fans ears. As for the defense, well, letting up 24 points to Miami is never a good thing. That said, I’ll be the first to credit Miami – the Patriots did a good job of applying pressure on Chad Henne, who really did come through with a good amount of Peyton Manning-esque throws which were coupled with outstanding grabs by the Miami receivers. I think the defense will continue to be a work in progress for the first few weeks of the season, but despite the 24 points I think all indications point towards a vast improvement in applying pressure on opposing QBs.

We’ve got a tough one against the Chargers next week, but for now go play on the water slide Tommy boy. You earned it.

With the NFL season just about upon us (an opportunity for an I told you so), it’s time to take a look at the odds Vegas has given the top teams of ending the season by hosting the Lombardi trophy. While I’m not much of a betting man myself (but who doesn’t love themselves a little blackjack?), I do think that the NFL is a better bet than baseball, for example.

That said, preseason betting is tough in the NFL – all of the injuries that occur throughout the season threaten to derail any bet made that far ahead of time. In other words, you mine as well be spinning a roulette wheel. Or just about.

I’ve been lucky enough to go 1-1 on preseason NFL bets in my career. As for this year, here are the odds of the top teams (and the Giants for you New Yorkers) bringing home the hardware.

New England Patriots                          5-1

Green Bay Packers                                6-1

Philadelphia Eagles                               7-1

Pittsburgh Steelers                                8-1

New York Jets                                         8-1

New York Giants                                    20-1

Of those teams, who is your bet on?

By Sean Cunningham, howiGit Contributing Writer, New York, NY

***howiGit disclosure: This article is written by a graduate of Villanova University. As a result this article likely contains little to no intelligence and should therefore be rendered invalid in all ways. When I warned Mr. Cunningham that this disclosure would be running with his article, he attempted to pass this off on me: “Before I start, I have been told that I must disclose that I attended the prestigious Villanova University, which trumps St. Joe’s in every way.  Except fun.  No disputing St. Joe’s is a good time.” Way to insult my school by calling it more fun that yours. Go fudge your law school’s entrance requirements why don’t you.

In light of the recent news of Osama bin Laden’s recent death, I would like to inform America of our new public enemy #1: Rashard Mendenhall.  The Steelers running back has not only suggested that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy, but also has suggested that OBL (Osama Bin Laden) has rational reasons behind the ordering of those attacks.  Yes, both of those statements are true.  Through his ass-hattery of a Twitter account, Mendenhall released a series of tweets on Monday that are not only questioned the events of 9/11, but borderline asked if OBL’s actions were just.  Now I would like to stress that all of these statements are conjecture, because Mendenhall never flat out supported OBL, but he said enough to show not only an amazing disloyalty to America, but a blatant disrespect to the lives lost on 9/11.

I would like to first point out that Mendenhall has a history of being a moron on Twitter.  After Adrian “$11 Million next year” Peterson tweeted that the current NFL lockout resembled “modern day slavery,”  Mendenhall re-tweeted “Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel each other.” Yes, he publicly put his name to that statement. I first question:

1) Rashard do you have any idea of the history of slave trade? No one came to your house when you were 18 and said “Boy, get your ass to Illinois and play football, we will educate you for free, and you will be a tool in the cog that will get you to the NFL where you make more on 1 paycheck than most people do in a year.”

2) Do you have any idea that there is current slave trade going on in the world? Not trying to be a hater, and I understand African-Americans’ plight in this country, but educate yourself before you go making public statements comparing men making millions to play a game to men and women making nothing to be prostitutes. African Americans have had it hard in this country and still do. But just because your owner is white and most of the players are black doesn’t mean its slavery.YOU’RE GETTING PAYED YOU IDIOT! And a lot of money at that. You play for the Steelers, which is the second most respected team in the league after the G-MEN. You’re not a slave. You’re not an indentured servant. You’re an asshole with too much time on your hands.

If I were the Steelers I would cut Mendenhall right now. You call yourself a conversationalist? A bi-polar Catherine Zeta-Jones is a conversationalist when she is talking to herself. You literally list speaking as your second profession. Someone in his life really needs to tell him “Rashard, it’s time to get off your twitter game.”

How can you take this guy’s comments seriously?

So now I would like to address his tweets, one by one:

By Jimmy Cunningham, howiGit New York Writer, Manhattan, NY

Last week Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings said of playing in the NFL, “It’s like modern day slavery, you know?” Since then other players have come out to back Peterson’s claims. This is moronic for two reasons. One for the simple fact of what he said. If modern day slavery is getting paid $10.2 million from your “owner,” including medical benefits, trainers to nurse your injuries, massage therapists to make your muscles feel better, and stays in 5-star hotels, then sign me up. Rashard Mendenhall of the Steelers was one of the players to back the Peterson quote by stating “Anyone with (knowledge) of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel each other … [Peterson] is correct in his (analogy) of this game. It is a lot deeper than most people understand.” Apparently Mendenhall is not one of the people with knowledge of the slave trade. In the slave trade those slaves were taken from their home and forced to work with consequences of beatings or worse. Today’s “modern day slaves” chose to play for pay and are not happy that they aren’t getting a higher cut of revenues.

To be fair other players have come out against Peterson, my favorite quote coming from Ryan Grant of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers; “Their is unfortunately actually still slavery existing in this world. Literal modern day slavery. [Peterson's] was a very misinformed statement. I understand what point he was trying to make. I just feel like he should have been advised a little differently.” Thank you Ryan for having some semblance of sense.

The second reason that this is moronic is because of where the players stand right now in the labor dispute. It seems as if the players have the support of the fans and the media. The owners tried a sneaky deal with their TV contracts and that was shut down. The
players used their very powerful decertification card to really put the pressure on the owners. Jerry Richardson proved to be as moronic as Peterson by poking fun at Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. For the first time in the history of professional sports labor
disputes the public is favoring the players. It would seem for the players to get what they want all they have to do is shut up. Literally shut your mouths for a few months.

Turn off your twitter accounts, say no to radio interviews, and stay off television. The players that have been leading this fight against the owners have to be livid at Peterson and his backers. If these players can keep their mouths shut and not get the public upset by comparing themselves to slaves while being millionaires (in a bad economy, no less) they will win. They have the public, the media, and so far the law backing them. The only thing standing in their way is themselves and their mouths. Shut up and win. We will see if they are capable of that.

By Thalia Bardell, howiGit Contributing Writer, Boston, MA

Thursday is fast approaching and at the rate the two sides are moving it looks like an NFL lockout is impending. The likelihood that a deal will get done in the next two days is about as likely as Kendrick Perkins returning to the Celtics (too soon for the Perk jokes?). As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan an extended off-season makes me a little nervous. Extra time for Ben Roethlisberger to act like a total goon? I need that like a hole in my head. However, I have to admit that it has been fascinating watching this drama unfold. The last time that the NFL had a work stoppage was 1987 and I was … not even born yet.

When baseball players went on strike during the 1994 season I was seven years old, not yet a Sox fan, and more concerned with getting the training wheels off of my bike. I feel, oddly, like I’m witnessing a piece of history right now. If the owners and players union can’t come to an agreement then I will be in the midst of events that have the opportunity to change the NFL as I know it. To get a tiny glimpse into the inner workings of a sport that I only see from the glamorous outside of televised games, TV endorsements, and Sports Illustrated covers reminds me that sports are a business like everything else. Sure, guys like Ochocinco, Peyton Manning, and Darrelle Revis make the big money – and honestly I don’t really care how they fare in this decision, but it’s the second stringers, the no names, no covers, and no Campbell’s Chunky Soup commercial, “little” guys that interest me the most. These men are simply out there trying to make a buck doing something they love, just as we are, and they don’thave the same amount of time as most of us to do it in. The average length of an NFL player’s career is about three and a half years (perhaps Brett Favre was not included in that calculation) — that’s approximately 56 games. For these guys, to lose even one paycheck is a pay cut they can’t afford.

For the sake of the back-up benchwarmers I hope that the NFL resumes play on schedule next year. But for my self-interest I almost hope that they don’t. I can’t imagine what September will feel like without football (although it would open up more time to watch the Red Sox), but to witness an exercise of worker rights that I actually care about would be interesting to say the least. I’m curious to see the reaction of the players, the fans, and the media if the lockout extends through the summer and threatens the fall. Maybe it’s my age, but I’m history star-struck and, for me, the lack of football might be more exciting than the football itself.

By Thalia Bardell, howiGit Contributing Writer, Boston, MA

I’m just going to go ahead and skip right over the Super Bowl. The Steelers lost so I have nothing to gloat about and the only thing that matters to Bostonians is that Big Ben Roethlisberger is still one ring behind Tom Brady. I think it’s safe to assume that I can speak for most Pittsburghians and New Englanders alike when I say, I’m over it. Honestly, I was over it last Thursday. If I saw that Clay Matthews vs. Troy Polamalu hair montage one more time on ESPN I was going to tear my own hair out. Time to move on to more important things – like baseball.

Our fair city has one week left to wait for Red Sox pitchers and catchers to report to Fort Myers, Florida for spring training. I’ll tell you the first thing that I’m going to do, plop right down on my couch and watch The Sandlot. Now, I may catch some flak for this statement but it is my opinion that The Sandlot is one of the greatest baseball movies of all time. Yeah ok, Field of Dreams, The Natural, Eight Men Out, they’re good, but seriously, can anything top the scene of buck-toothed and be-spectacled Squints faking a drowning at the pool so he can get mouth to mouth from hottie lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn? I think not.

The sandlot clan played some pretty sweet ball too. The team’s conglomeration of neighborhood misfits and scrappy style of play remind me of the 2004 Red Sox; Kenny DeNunez’s windup looks a whole lot like Pedro’s, Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez is cracking homers like Manny,and “Yeah-Yeah” – totally Kevin Millar. They even have jacket and jersey clad, expensive bike riding rivals — the  Tigers — who are, of course, the New York Yankees. The sandlot crew  blew those snobs out in a backyard brawl just like the Sox blew out the Yanks in 2004′s ALCS game 7. Proving that dirt, heart, and a little trash talking à la round-faced catcher Ham Porter – “Is that your sister out there in left field, naked? She’s naked?” – were more important than expensive jerseys and highly paid free agents. Maybe it’s because I’m tired of trudging through ankle-deep slush or I’m nostalgic for a time in my life when bike riding wasn’t just for hipsters, but this movie feels like just what I need to get me through the next week and into the start of the Boston Red Sox 2011 season. I can’t wait to play ball.

Week after week, I have been writing Monday articles excited about a Patriots win, yet unable to rejoice after any sort of “telling” victory. My skepticism was confirmed yesterday, by a couple of young bucs on the Cleveland Browns — Peyton Hillis and Colt McCoy. The 38-14 loss was a terrible one for the Patriots, who needed a win to maintain their place in the division with their upcoming schedule — probably the most difficult in football from here on out. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to give the Browns credit — they played a great game.

While Colt McCoy is a bit undersized, everyone seems shocked to see him playing well in the NFL. Not I. To me, Colt has undergone the best possible training to be successful in the NFL. He set nearly every major college quarterbacking record while at Texas, but the haters note that only occurred because he was a 4-year starter. To me, that’s exactly the point — if you are a 4-year starter at a college like Texas, you are pretty damn good in the first place. Then you have 4 full years to develop, in a first class organization, and to learn to win. To draw from another sport, I see Colt’s path as the antithesis to Michelle Wie’s. Hailed as a phenom from age 12, Wie tried to jump to the LPGA tour as quickly as possible. While she’s had some success, ultimately she never learned to win at the various stages leading up to the LPGA tour. While Colt could have left Texas early, he became that much more mature, that much more of a winner for having stayed. And having a completion percentage over 70% three games into your NFL career is proof enough.

McCoy aside, this was Peyton Hillis’ game. I knew relatively little about this guy before this game, but he made be a fan. Sure, the Patriots made him look pretty damn good but he made himself look pretty damn good as well, en route to 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is a guy who never fully got to prove how good he was in college at Arkansas — after a great start to his college career he had to take a back seat to Darren McFadden. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make a name for himself in the NFL.

If I were a Browns fan, I’d be very excited about my team’s young quarterback and running back. As for the Patriots, they’re going to have to make up for this loss against a tougher team in the upcoming weeks.

Check out http://chrisross91.wordpress.com.

By Jimmy Cunningham, howiGit Contributing Writer

New York, NY

Mr. howiGit loves his comparisons, so here is one for him: a comparison of the two most iconic heroes in New York and Boston of the past generation — Derek Jeter versus Tom Brady. As with most comparisons on this blog, this one will dig deeper than just the numbers and performance on the field, but will examine the whole person — and in the end will determine the more iconic figure.

Winning - Both Jeter and Brady have won a lot in their careers. Both have been in the playoffs every year except one, with Brady missing one season while hurt in 2008. Jeter has played in seven World Series in 15 seasons; Brady has played in four Super Bowls in nine years. Jeter has won five World Series championships and Brady has won three Super Bowls. With those numbers being too close to close to call, this is a push.
Result: Push

Records - Currently, Jeter is the active leader in hits in the MLB, and looks to continue to move up the all-time list. I have a bet with Mr. howiGit  that he will break Pete Rose’s record for the most hits all-time, so we will see how that one ends up. That said, most of Jeter’s records are playoff records: leading in playoff hits, runs, and doubles. Along with that, he is third all-time in playoff home runs. Brady’s records come mostly from the 2007 18-1 season with Patriots, with his single season record-breaking 50 touchdowns being his crowning jewel. He also owns the record for most completions ever in a Super Bowl with 32 against Carolina in 2004. For both Brady and Jeter, career records have yet to be determined, but due to his touchdown record season the edge goes to Brady.
Result: Brady Wins

Clutchness – Mr. howiGit’s favorite intangible quality is clutchness. Both of these players seem to have ice water in their veins and step up when their teams need them most. Jeter’s batting average when his team is down is .317, which climbs to.322 when his team is down by one run. His career average climbs by nine points when his team is losing by any margin, from .308 to .317. His average also continues to grow on the games highest stage; the World Series, going from .308 to .321. With that, Jeter has a .400 on-base percentage in the 9th inning, to go along with a .333 batting average in extra innings as well as a .500 on base percentage in those extra innings. Brady has 30 4th quarter wins, in which his team is tied or down heading into that quarter. Along with that, he has engineered two last-minute Super Bowl winning drives and has been near perfect in overtime throughout his career. The edge here goes to Jeter. Looking at Brady’s career by quarter, the 4th has been his worst. He has his most interceptions, fumbles, and worst quarterback rating in the 4th quarter. According to quarterback rating, Brady plays his worst when his team is down, while Jeter elevates his play at crunch time.
Result: Jeter Wins

Women – Tom Brady has a gorgeous wife in Gisele Bundchen. I would question you to find anyone who would say that she is ugly. He also has dated Tara Reed, pre letting herself go, and also has a kid with Bridgette Moynahan who also is no slouch. But this one is not a contest. Derek Jeter has dated 6 women on Maxim’s top 100 lists; Jessica Alba, Vanessa Manillo, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriele Union, Mariah Carey, and Jessica
Biel. That is just the All-Star team which does not include a Miss Universe, singers, and actresses. Oh and he is engaged to Minka Kelly who was recently named sexiest woman alive by Esquire Magazine.
Result: Jeter Wins, by a landslide.

Endorsements - Jeter is endorsed and heavily featured by Gatorade and Jordan. He is also one of three athletic spokesmen for Gillette with Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, two of the best at their respective sports. Jeter makes over $10 million a year total in endorsements. He was recently in a movie, The Other Guys, staring Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrell. He also currently has the top-selling jersey in the MLB, coming in his 15th season. Brady, on the other hand, has endorsements with Smartwater and Movado watches, and makes about $4 million annually in endorsements. He also has the 14th highest selling NFL jersey, one behind Eli Manning.
Result: Jeter Wins

Personality- Derek Jeter seems to have the respect of his peers, media, and the public in general. The knock on Jeter is that his defense has declined. People that do not like him have the type of dislike that comes from respect. Brady gets much love from the media and seems to have a healthy rivalry with Peyton Manning. However ask the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have both had issues with Brady on the field, what they think of Tom Terrific. I don’t think you would ever see Jeter get in the face of a back-up left fielder, a la Anthony Smith or question how many runs his team is going to score in the World Series, a la Plaxico Burress. Something I did not know existed before doing some research for this article is dickipedia.com. It is a Wikipedia type page devoted entirely to who the public thinks are “dicks”. Tom Brady has a page, Alex Rodriguez has a page, Derek Jeter does not. Jeter also doesn’t model his hair off of a 16-year-old Canadian punk.
Result: Jeter Wins

So in the end, Jeter is the winner, 4-1-1. The on the field was very close with Jeter winning one, Brady winning one, and a push. However Jeter really pulled away in the off the field aspects, proving himself the overall better man. If any topics were missed, let the debate begin.

Check out http://chrisross91.wordpress.com.

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The Detroit Lions’ Ndamukong Suh should be suspended, 110%, for his dirty face-mask tackle and subsequent throw-down on Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Jack Delhomme (see video). This hit really looks like Suh couldn’t be trying any harder to make sure Delhomme spends the rest of his life in a wheelchair. I doubt that was Suh’s intent — I bet he was just another overly raged-up defensive back playing irresponsibly. Ultimately, the league needs to protect its players – Commissioner howiGit would dole out a 2-game suspension coupled with a 2-flat screen TV fine. Money just doesn’t give these players the message, but take their flat screens and they’ll listen up. I think the NFL will get this one right.

Check out http://chrisross91.wordpress.com.