AFC North Headline Of The Day...

Ok, so I'm sure there are better headlines out there this week. You know, ones that actually relate more directly to that little game on Sunday referred to as the Super Bowl. But any chance I get to rip on Pats fans logic, I'm a' gon' take it.

Here's a one paragraph excerpt from the article depicted above and found on the interwebs, here...

"This simple fact is that the very presence of the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl is at best a fluke and, at worst, a disgrace. They played in a landfill of a division. They won their two playoff games because Jake Delhomme of Carolina turned the ball over six times and because the Philadelphia Eagles all looked at the newspapers last Sunday and discovered they were in the NFC championship game again. The Cardinals are a glorified Arena Football League team with a soft defense and a running game unworthy of the name. They are in the position that they're in because the NFL rigs its season worse than any carny rigs his wheel. For all the macho posturing of its principal propagandists, between the jiggering of the schedule and the conniving of the draft and the socialistic revenue schemes, and the desperate grab for any mechanism that will flatten out the differences between really good teams and really bad ones, the NFL is the league that comes closest to the biddy soccer league philosophy of making sure that everyone gets a trophy."

Putting aside the fact that this is perhaps one of the longest paragraphs I've seen in a while, I'm assuming that this clown is a Pats fan, based on the fact that he writes for the Boston Globe and the article's central argument involves the Cardinals shitshow in Foxboro. Which, you know, first, my condolences on your innate douchebaggery...

But here's what I can't understand, right? I have to assume that because you felt the need to go postal on the Cardinals, and because in the passage above, you claim that the NFL rigs its schedule, that you think the Pats were robbed of a playoff berth.

Well, then, let me just say this...

I don't know what the hell you're complaining about. The Pats got to play the friggin' NFC and AFC West! The fact that they didn't make the playoffs is actually a joke (even without Tom Brady). Only one team out of the eight that comprise both of those divisions had a record above .500 (of course, that was the Cardinals, who you beat, but...)! Frankly, the only really tough game on that schedule was the Indy game (which you of course lost).

Fine, you wanna talk about how the Dolphins and Jets were in contention the whole time? Whatever.

Bottom line = You had a shot at the playoffs and you fell short. Face it. Besides, the Pats went 18-0 last year and appeared in their like 8000th Super Bowl this century. You'll get no sympathy from this guy.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the statement that the Cardinals only beat Carolina because Jake Delhomme turned the ball over six times. Do you not have to actually intercept the ball in order to get a turnover? They may have been bad throws but the Cardinals obviously made plays on the ball. So I'm not going to say that they don't deserve to be in the Super Bowl.

Pats fans, dude. Irrational beings. They're just pissed off because the NFL has a salary cap. Why don't you go back to watching the Red Sox spend exorbitant amounts of money on big time free agents in order keep pace in that annual pissing match with the Yankees (last year notwithstanding, of course).

This all said, Domski actually put it a little more eloquently - "Stop watching the NFL if you think its fixed. Watch golf, [insert slang term for homosexuals here]."

Feel free to chuckle about all that whilst reading these informative links...

The Thirstbuster - there's an interesting invention. Like Tec, I usually quench my thirst with beer or liquor, but you know, Hot Chocolate is good too [PSaMP]

Vote Silverback for GMC Defensive POTY (h/t Tiny!) [NFL.com]

Those kids that made the music video that's sweeping the nation...they headlined the Steelers rally at Diesel? Man, what I wouldn't give to be headlining anything at 13 [Deadspin]

XLIII things The Boss has done bigger than the Super Bowl halftime show...if you don't read this, you're a failure at life [HHR]

Never you fear, Jim has simulated the game on Madden, and the Steelers prevailed [Sportsocracy]

Apparently the facemask on the Franco statute at the airport fell off last week...and this is reportedly NOT an omen... [Post-Gazette]

Florida's divided between Anquan Boldin and Santonio Holmes [USA Today]

I bet you've all been wondering how the Steelers and Cardinals stack up financially. Am I right? Yeah... [Forbes]

Tampa's rollin' out the Black and Gold carpet for all us Steeler fans [Tampa Tribune]

Downtown rally set for Thursday at Noon. Caution, there's going to be cheerleaders, so many of you guys may not wanna go. I know how much y'all hate them. But if you do go, bring a canned good and do something decent for the world [Post-Gazette]

Interview with Ryan Clark (go to 15:30) [Sports Radio Interviews]

And this is why you shouldn't let Browns fans on the interwebs [Orange and Brown Report]

Sean McHugh was happy the Lions were losing [MLive.com]

In this reporters words - "Give him 15 minutes, and Mike Tomlin will turn you into a dreamer." I believe and I haven't even ever enjoyed 15 minutes with him [Tampa Tribune]

Remember when Bob Smizik retired? April Fools! I guess what he meant was he was becoming a blogger... [Post Gazette]

Today's riffs theme = "Songs About Going/Coming Back" [Friday Morning Riffs]

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Oh yeah, and if you want to be on the MPIE panel this week, email me, yo - onefortheotherthumb@gmail.com.