Post by TheShadow on Dec 2, 2008 17:07:29 GMT -5
msn.foxsports.com
by ADAM BEST, Fan-Sided Blogs, Special to FOXSports.com
Adam Best and the rabid football fans at Fan-Sided Blogs will weigh in with the perspective from the bleachers, couches and sports bars after each week's games.
I've bungee jumped. I've skydived. I've been on crazy Canadian cross country skiing expeditions. I've played Jackass: the Home Version. I've moved around like a nomad with ADD. Tats cover about 10 percent of my body. Basically, I'm a pretty crazy dude. Mile High Club, Polar Bear Club and every nightclub from the City of Angels to the MIA. I'm kidding of course, but it's not too much of a stretch.
I'm getting older -- I'm more like Johnny Carson nowadays than Johnny Knoxville -- but I definitely walked on the wild side during the first 30 years of my life. Nothing I've ever done, however, has been more dangerous than what I did this past Sunday.
I ventured into the Coliseum for the sold out Kansas City Chiefs-Oakland Raiders game decked out from head to toe in Chiefs apparel. Bright red jersey. Bright red hat. I'm 6-foot-3, too, so I definitely stood out.
Appropriately enough given the season, I felt like Rudolph. Except in this "Tales from the Hood" version of the classic holiday fable there were roughly 60,000 black-nosed reindeer. These Santa's helpers weren't just drinking milk with jolly old Saint Nick either. North Poles? Only in prison cells and strip clubs. As for me, I was Adam the Red-Jerseyed Fan, except my story appeared to be a tragedy instead of a comedy.
By now, you've all heard the war stories about the Silver and Black stomping grounds: Gang shootings outside the stadium; Detroit Lions fan hospitalized. You've seen the YouTube clips of the Raider faithful reenacting "Gangs of New York" with San Diego Chargers rooters. You've seen the angry mob in the Black Hole throw around that giant Chiefs doll like it was the new guy at San Quentin prison. Any fan would be scared you-know-whatless to venture into the Crypt Keeper's crib donning another team's colors, but I'm a Chiefs fan. Raiders fans hate us about as much as OCD king Howie Mandel does shaking "Deal or No Deal" contestants' hands.
My Raider buddy and I arrived at the stadium early to watch warm-ups, avoiding most of the crazies in the process. Honestly, I felt gypped. That's when I decided to take a lap around the stadium concourse. I was rocking a red Dwayne Bowe jersey, but I felt like I was wearing a KKK robe. There were more F-bombs directed my way than Eddie Murphy dropped during the '80s. I seriously felt like Steve Bartman might if he were forced to do a Wrigley walk of shame.
As for the game itself, I was half hoping that the Chiefs would lose yet another one. Why? A. I desperately want the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft; B. I desperately want that hack Herm "Harm" Edwards to get fired; C. I figured the chances of me getting shanked would be reduced by roughly 50 percent. Somehow, the Chiefs actually won. Actually, it was more like they didn't lose, because the Raiders shot themselves in the foot, er, thigh Plaxico style.
Tom Cable coached like Tom the cable installer. JaMarcus Russell was about as accurate as the National Enquirer's reporting. Even Nnamdi Asomugha, possibly the best defender in the league, suffered third-degree burns while attempting to cover Tony Gonzalez. The Raiders played so bad that for a minute there I thought the seagulls circling the stadium were actually vultures (maybe they're waiting on Al Davis?). The one time I wanted the Raiders to actually beat my Chiefs and they couldn't even pull it off despite the Chiefs fielding what Herm himself calls "a college team." That's about as pathetic as the concrete hole they call a stadium.
On Thanksgiving weekend, the Raidahs were the one franchise screwed up enough to make me thankful to be a Chiefs fan. I was also thankful because nothing happened to me after the game, which made me feel weird. I never expected to go into the Coliseum, "drink their milkshake" and leave unscathed. Typically the Raiders lose and then their fans lose their minds, but not during my journey into the black hole wearing the scarlet uniform. The Raiders may have lost, but their fans actually kept their wits. Meanwhile, I kept my life and Herm might have kept his job. Thanks and no thanks.
Around the League
AFC East: What is up with this division? Last week the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets looked like world beaters. This week they just looked beat. To make matters worse, the Miami Dolphins squeaked by the lowly St. Louis Rams. Prediction: No AFC East team will advance to the Super Bowl.
AFC North: Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens could wind up repping the AFC in the Big Game. Pick yourself up off the floor, wait until your ribs stop hurting and read it again. The Ravens have the pieces to make another Super Bowl run. They're consistent and they haven't lost to a bad team all season.
AFC South: Andre Johnson. Super Mario Williams. The Houston Texans showed us that they're headed somewhere during their first-ever MNF appearance. On the other hand, those all-red uni's looked hideous. Seriously, the big boys looked like the Kool-Aid Man.
AFC West: -- Dr. Jay and Mr. Cutler. Holy Schizophrenia! What is up with the young quarterback and his Denver Broncos? Just how out there have the Broncos have been this season? Well, their feature back is a white dude -- and he's good. Peyton Hillis was the best Peyton in the league last week hands down.
NFC East: Even during a week where the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles looked brilliant, the New York Giants left no doubt as to who's the beast of the East. That bullet may have grazed Plaxico Burress' leg, but the fallout didn't do even that to the G-Men. This unflappable team looks destined to repeat.
NFC North: Now we know why Zygi Wilf spent a bajillion bucks on Bernard Berrian and Jared Allen this past offseason. Berrian caught a backbreaking 99-yard bomb and Allen lassoed himself three sacks. If the Minnesota Vikings had better quarterback play, they'd be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
NFC South: -- Michael Turner: 31 carries for 120 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson? Try 14 for 24. If the Burner's not already better than L.T., he will be. The San Diego Chargers are now the team who let both Drew Brees and Turner walk. Way to go, A.J. Smith.
NFC West: What is it with the Arizona Cardinals and their complete inability to travel East? It's almost like a weird Derek Zoolander inability-to-turn-left thing at this point. The Eagles were already tied to the tracks, yet the Cards were the ones who got ran over. Some things never change.
by ADAM BEST, Fan-Sided Blogs, Special to FOXSports.com
Adam Best and the rabid football fans at Fan-Sided Blogs will weigh in with the perspective from the bleachers, couches and sports bars after each week's games.
I've bungee jumped. I've skydived. I've been on crazy Canadian cross country skiing expeditions. I've played Jackass: the Home Version. I've moved around like a nomad with ADD. Tats cover about 10 percent of my body. Basically, I'm a pretty crazy dude. Mile High Club, Polar Bear Club and every nightclub from the City of Angels to the MIA. I'm kidding of course, but it's not too much of a stretch.
I'm getting older -- I'm more like Johnny Carson nowadays than Johnny Knoxville -- but I definitely walked on the wild side during the first 30 years of my life. Nothing I've ever done, however, has been more dangerous than what I did this past Sunday.
I ventured into the Coliseum for the sold out Kansas City Chiefs-Oakland Raiders game decked out from head to toe in Chiefs apparel. Bright red jersey. Bright red hat. I'm 6-foot-3, too, so I definitely stood out.
Appropriately enough given the season, I felt like Rudolph. Except in this "Tales from the Hood" version of the classic holiday fable there were roughly 60,000 black-nosed reindeer. These Santa's helpers weren't just drinking milk with jolly old Saint Nick either. North Poles? Only in prison cells and strip clubs. As for me, I was Adam the Red-Jerseyed Fan, except my story appeared to be a tragedy instead of a comedy.
By now, you've all heard the war stories about the Silver and Black stomping grounds: Gang shootings outside the stadium; Detroit Lions fan hospitalized. You've seen the YouTube clips of the Raider faithful reenacting "Gangs of New York" with San Diego Chargers rooters. You've seen the angry mob in the Black Hole throw around that giant Chiefs doll like it was the new guy at San Quentin prison. Any fan would be scared you-know-whatless to venture into the Crypt Keeper's crib donning another team's colors, but I'm a Chiefs fan. Raiders fans hate us about as much as OCD king Howie Mandel does shaking "Deal or No Deal" contestants' hands.
My Raider buddy and I arrived at the stadium early to watch warm-ups, avoiding most of the crazies in the process. Honestly, I felt gypped. That's when I decided to take a lap around the stadium concourse. I was rocking a red Dwayne Bowe jersey, but I felt like I was wearing a KKK robe. There were more F-bombs directed my way than Eddie Murphy dropped during the '80s. I seriously felt like Steve Bartman might if he were forced to do a Wrigley walk of shame.
As for the game itself, I was half hoping that the Chiefs would lose yet another one. Why? A. I desperately want the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft; B. I desperately want that hack Herm "Harm" Edwards to get fired; C. I figured the chances of me getting shanked would be reduced by roughly 50 percent. Somehow, the Chiefs actually won. Actually, it was more like they didn't lose, because the Raiders shot themselves in the foot, er, thigh Plaxico style.
Tom Cable coached like Tom the cable installer. JaMarcus Russell was about as accurate as the National Enquirer's reporting. Even Nnamdi Asomugha, possibly the best defender in the league, suffered third-degree burns while attempting to cover Tony Gonzalez. The Raiders played so bad that for a minute there I thought the seagulls circling the stadium were actually vultures (maybe they're waiting on Al Davis?). The one time I wanted the Raiders to actually beat my Chiefs and they couldn't even pull it off despite the Chiefs fielding what Herm himself calls "a college team." That's about as pathetic as the concrete hole they call a stadium.
On Thanksgiving weekend, the Raidahs were the one franchise screwed up enough to make me thankful to be a Chiefs fan. I was also thankful because nothing happened to me after the game, which made me feel weird. I never expected to go into the Coliseum, "drink their milkshake" and leave unscathed. Typically the Raiders lose and then their fans lose their minds, but not during my journey into the black hole wearing the scarlet uniform. The Raiders may have lost, but their fans actually kept their wits. Meanwhile, I kept my life and Herm might have kept his job. Thanks and no thanks.
Around the League
AFC East: What is up with this division? Last week the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets looked like world beaters. This week they just looked beat. To make matters worse, the Miami Dolphins squeaked by the lowly St. Louis Rams. Prediction: No AFC East team will advance to the Super Bowl.
AFC North: Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens could wind up repping the AFC in the Big Game. Pick yourself up off the floor, wait until your ribs stop hurting and read it again. The Ravens have the pieces to make another Super Bowl run. They're consistent and they haven't lost to a bad team all season.
AFC South: Andre Johnson. Super Mario Williams. The Houston Texans showed us that they're headed somewhere during their first-ever MNF appearance. On the other hand, those all-red uni's looked hideous. Seriously, the big boys looked like the Kool-Aid Man.
AFC West: -- Dr. Jay and Mr. Cutler. Holy Schizophrenia! What is up with the young quarterback and his Denver Broncos? Just how out there have the Broncos have been this season? Well, their feature back is a white dude -- and he's good. Peyton Hillis was the best Peyton in the league last week hands down.
NFC East: Even during a week where the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles looked brilliant, the New York Giants left no doubt as to who's the beast of the East. That bullet may have grazed Plaxico Burress' leg, but the fallout didn't do even that to the G-Men. This unflappable team looks destined to repeat.
NFC North: Now we know why Zygi Wilf spent a bajillion bucks on Bernard Berrian and Jared Allen this past offseason. Berrian caught a backbreaking 99-yard bomb and Allen lassoed himself three sacks. If the Minnesota Vikings had better quarterback play, they'd be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
NFC South: -- Michael Turner: 31 carries for 120 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson? Try 14 for 24. If the Burner's not already better than L.T., he will be. The San Diego Chargers are now the team who let both Drew Brees and Turner walk. Way to go, A.J. Smith.
NFC West: What is it with the Arizona Cardinals and their complete inability to travel East? It's almost like a weird Derek Zoolander inability-to-turn-left thing at this point. The Eagles were already tied to the tracks, yet the Cards were the ones who got ran over. Some things never change.