Warning: This game talks about sex. This may make you feel uncomfortable. Sorry if it does (Not really.)

So there I was, thinking about what to blog, and not coming up with any answers. Our blog didn’t get even come close to the amount of normal amount of views for our podcast and George’s soapbox posts last week. I needed a good topic that would put us back on the map. I needed a post that would intrigue enough of my friends to the point of “fine, I’ll read your dumb blog.” I turned to my play of Dragon Age: Origins, hoping for some divine inspiration. I then proceeded to woo two of my female companions, one after the other, in the same night. I then proceeded to invite them to ”join me in my tent” as my Human Noble Warrior so eloquently put it. That’s when it I realized my topic. If there’s one subject that can gain reader’s attention, that subject would be…

SEX!

Sex! It's just as good as these balloons!

Or secks, however you want to spell it. Sex is a sensitive subject in the United States. For some reason we’re ok with children watching Pikachu shock poor Meowth to a burnt crisp, but heaven forbid if Pikachu were to find his (her?) soul mate and make little Pikachus on the show. We allow kids to watch violent movies all the time, but cause a humongous ruckus when they see Janet Jackson’s boob while watching the Super Bowl.

VS.

I haven’t heard of any stories where kids run around trying to rip off women’s clothes. Stories of kids beating the shit out of each other trying to be Goku however…

I digress. Sex is a very important subject in entertainment, especially in video games. The interactive nature of the medium can create very powerful moments in love (see: Mass Effect). It can also create some very…controversial ones too.

Sex FTW!

VS.

Sex, FTL! (Game is Artificial Girl 2, look it up.)

So what should the medium do?  There are a thousand ways to view love and sex, yet we only see it portrayed in a couple of ways in video games.

1: Sex As the Ultimate Goal

Don’t get me wrong, I love BioWare. However, relationships in their games, and many other story-driven RPGs, are treated like mini games. What’s waiting for you at the end? A hot cut scene and an achievement notification. This is the least offensive of the ways that sex is being used in video games. It demonstrates that relationships need to be built up over time, and are not a guaranteed thing if you refuse to say the right things. There are however, some fundamental design flaws that fail to capture the essence of the relationship between sex and love between people.

The first issue I have with this style is the message that the gameplay sends. All a player has to do is say the right thing out of two or three options. They can also gift bought items over and over (I’m looking at you Dragon Age) and women will fall madly in love with you (on second thought, maybe this is accurate…). There’s no incompatible people. There’s no heartbreak. If you want her, you can have her (or him).

Second of all, after the start of a relationship (or you have sex), it doesn’t alter the game. Those in a relationship and those not in a relationship will know, people tend to view your choices, decisions and what you say in a very different light when in a relationship. It has a profound impact on a person’s life. If a relationship does alter the game, it’s minor. Maybe your partner might say something flirtatious in private. Maybe he or she might add something extra in dialogue, or show faint feelings of jealousy if you flirt with an NPC. However, it doesn’t fully explore the consequences of the relationship when the player is in one.

This isn’t to say that this approach to sex in video games isn’t bad. It just isn’t good. It fails to capture the nuances of relationships and the beauty of sex. I almost dare to say that games like Mass Effect should include a sex game. But that would make Fox News really angry.

LOL, Fox News fail!

It would also lead to comparisons to…

2: Sex as a Game

Call me Mr. Controversy, but sex games have some merit. Talking with a former EA intern (you know who you are) really made me consider the value of sex games. If there are paintings meant to capture “still life,” then there are video games that are meant to experience “life in movement.” If done well, a sex game has the potential to capture the beauty of a part of the human experience.

The problem with sex games, of course, is that simple-minded design and quick attempts to capitalize on someone’s strong libido has more than diminished the ability of this genre to be recognized as something that could be a legitimate part of the medium. It’s like the difference between a beautiful sex scene in a movie (300) and pornography.

Sex games more often than not focus on “how many girls you can bag” and treat women like objects. Even the taboo “H-game” basically comes down to “experiencing” pornography. It doesn’t help when you have games like Rapelay, a Japanese game that focuses on the main character raping three members of the same family. It has sparked widespread controversy in the United States, even though it’s never been released in the States.

WTF Japan.

Sex can’t be the only part of the game. It has to be one part of the game, just like sex is only one part of the relationship.

3: Sex as a Product Differentiation

Let’s face it, most gamers are straight guys. Designers are constantly looking for ways to differentiate themselves, to draw gamers toward their product. How does Dead or Alive differentiate itself from Soul Caliber? How did Tomb Raider differentiate itself from Soul Reaver? How does Bayonetta distinguish itself from Devil May Cry?

wait, what? Were you blogging?

Boobs. Gorgeous bodies. Women are objects for men to stare at while they play games. Video games are not the first medium to do this. Every entertainment medium has done this. I’m not saying it’s wrong either. I’m just saying video games has the potential to do better.

In the End…

Video games have the potential to tug on the heart-strings and capture the essence of a relationship. Not every game has to center around violence. Conflict can be captured in other ways. There are other ways to design a game. I’m waiting for the game that captures the ups and downs of relationships, of love, of sex!

All you need is love! Love is like Oxygen!

I’m waiting for the “chick flick” game, that dramatic game that leaves you breathless. It’s time video games expanded beyond the role of blockbuster action and sci-fi/fantasy. It’s time that the different genres of romance and drama are done well, and not Barbie Horseback Riding or Leisure Suit Larry

Ew.

Ew is right. Let’s do better game designers!

It’s hard to believe that we’re all witnessing the greatest season in the history of the New Orleans Saints franchise.

Right now.

Eagles/Saints | Feb. '07

At no other time in the past 42 years has the team been any better or more successful than it is today. I thought 2006 was great, with the re-opening of the Superdome and all the emotion and success that came with that season. We were still living in Mobile at the time, and the three games I made it to that year were the Falcons (Dome re-opening), Eagles (divisional playoff game) and the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field in Chicago. Not a bad trio. Given the Saints’ past, if any year felt like THE year, it was 2006.

Soldier Field | Feb. '07

Then we moved to Orlando for two years and the Saints missed the playoffs for two years. So much for momentum. It was still nice having the DirecTV Sunday Ticket package.

But now we’re back in New Orleans during the best 10 game run this city has ever seen. I get to go to games again and help cover the team for WDSU, which I haven’t done since 1998 when I worked at WLBT in Jackson, Miss.

Mondays are so much better after a Saints victory. And I haven’t had a bad Monday since we moved back in August.

For so many seasons, as long as I can remember during my 34 years, Saints fans have wondered aloud if “this is the year.” Not only could this year really be THE year, but a Saints trip to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV would coincide with presumably the team’s best finish and a record-setting season offensively and defensively.

Here’s hoping for a few more happy Mondays. And one Super Sunday on February 7th.

På trosdag är det enligt Amerikansk standard Thanksgiving och det finns egentligen inte ord för hur mycket jag vill Amerikanisera mig. Jag vill släppa alla anti-konsumenthelgspänningar och rosta en fet fylld kalkon i ugnen och göra potatismos och sås och paj och alla annan höstig mat jänkarna plockar fram för att fylla sina kroppar med en såhär lite lagom stund före jul.

Detta beror troligtvis på att jag gått omkring den senaste veckan och varit duktigt hungrig efter massivt surfande på matsajter efter en tårta jag lovat baka till min mor och plastpappa som båda fyller år på onsdag. (Således blir det troligtvis ingen kalkon i husåhållet). Jag är mystiskt sugen på allt och om det inte vore för mitt anhang skulle jag snart börja misstänka att jag övertagit kroppen av en höggravid kvinna från  Louisiana.

TOM BRADY VS. BRETT FAVRE IN THE BIGGEST SPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR!!!
I AM CALLING IT NOW~

Wow, While looking for a Picture of Thomas, I read the most interesting story on some Christian Site or something.. I didn’t realize I was Internet Bible Thumping until it was said and done, but it was definitely Odd~ Check it out RiGHT HERE

Audiences around the globe will tune in to the most spectacular of America’s sporting events when CBS airs Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, 2010.  As always, the commercials will drive many to their TV sets, giving the network high ratings in an otherwise lowly media environment.  But CBS doesn’t need to wait until next year to feel the effects of its showing the Super Bowl.

As of this week, the network announced that nearly all of its commercial spots have been sold, with a mere 6 to 12 remaining.  More than 60 30-second ads are usually sold for the Big Game, and CBS has already outpaced its ad sales for 2007, when it last aired the contest.

CBS has sought between $2.5 million and $3 million for each ad, with higher prices allocated to prime real estate, such as the first ad spot in the commercial breaks closer to the start of the game.  Many of these spots have already been sold.

As for interested companies, sources say Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch, Bridgestone and GoDaddy.com are definites for the braodcast, with Motorola also chipping in.

Last year, no American car manufacturer placed an ad for the Super Bowl.  This year, foreign automakers have already singed up and rumors say GMC might use ad space to promote its newest vehicles.

Here’s one of several great commercials from Super Bowl XLIII:

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What a great NFL season it has been so far. I am in first place in the rankings and have an outstanding record. How good is it? I am 43-28 on the year in the NFL and that is an amazing 61% on the year! I was named NFL Handicapper of the Month for October and I am on pace to be the best for this year!

I work hard to produce a winning record in the NFL and provide in-depth writeups for every game! These write-ups are full of stats and trends that will show you why I am on the winning side. The public is all over a favorite tomorrow and it will be a loser if you don’t get my info and the best part about all of this is that my picks are free!

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NFL Free Pick November 22nd

Ravens take on the Colts Sunday

The Colts are off the biggest win of the season and will run into a brick wall when they hit the Ravens. The Ravens need to win every game if they want to make a run at the playoffs and they are well rested after playing the lowly Browns. The Ravens are 36-13 ATS at home versus non-division rivals. They will be able to beat up a weak Indianapolis pass defense and get the win at home.

Play Ravens -1

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Your tax dollars at work………………….it just makes you sick

This was recently in the UK papers but not the papers here…

Michelle Obama Takes Girls to London for Fish and Chips

A Boeing 757 and a fleet of armored cars for Michelle’s sightseeing tour!

On Sunday, President Obama flew back to the United States on Air Force One. His wife, two daughters and her mother did a bit of shopping in Paris before taking their own Boeing 757 (C-32) over to London to do some sightseeing. We all remember Obama’s admonishment to corporate CEOs in February:

“You can’t get corporate jets, you can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.”

Apparently that doesn’t apply to his wife.

The London Times opened its description of Michelle’s visit this way:

Motorcycle outriders, armoured Chevrolets and bullet-headed men in raincoats criss-crossed London yesterday as Michelle Obama and her daughters spent a second day on an unofficial visit to the capital.

The Times went on to describe that when Michelle and the girls arrived at Westminster Abbey, the building was closed to tourists with people already in told to “wait against the wall.” An American visiting the Abbey said “Right then I knew it was probably someone from our ‘royal family’.”

Michelle’s motorcade shut down the  London street above as the First Lady of the World and her children go for Fish and Chips at a pub in  Mayfair . The entourage inside the restaurant was 15 people while dozens more wait outside. Include the dozens of Air Force personnel to fly and service the plane, embassy personnel and other staff and we are talking about a serious expenditure of taxpayer dollars.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans have lost their jobs and won’t be able to take their family on a summer holiday. Despite their circumstances they’ll still be expected to fork over the tax dollars to pay for Michelle’s trip!

Le groupe anglais sera de retour aux Etats-Unis en 2010.

Les experts du rock, The Who, seront sur scène à la mi-temps du Super Bowl XLIV le 7 février 2010. Emmenés par Roger Daltrey et Pete Townshend, Les Who joueront sûrement leurs plus grands classiques ” My Generation, Baba O’Riley,… “.

Chaque année, lors du ” Halftime “, un groupe prestigieux ( U2, Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty,… ) vient enflammé le public ainsi que près de 90 millions de  téléspectateurs rien qu’aux Etats-Unis.

Pourvu que Pete et Roger ne cassent rien…

Source : Billboard

I meant to do this ranking prior to Week 9, since that’s the unofficial midway point of the season, but I got caught up in the resurgence of Carolina football (two top 25 teams in two weeks!!)

Without further ado:  

New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts

“We poppin like Champagne Bottles, but we never shook”

-Lil’ Wayne “Money 2 Blow” Remix 

That has to be the theme in New Orleans and Indianapolis as the Saints finally have a defense to go with their prolific offense and the Colts still have Peyton Manning.  As the last two undefeated teams in football, there really is nothing that worries these teams, especially the Colts who disposed of their chief rival on Sunday Night.  Stay tuned as both have tough match-ups coming up.  Colts in the ultimate grudge match (I think they may have played in Baltimore at some point…) and Saints (The Patriots come to town soon).

New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, and Minnesota Vikings

“Don’t think I don’t think about it”

-Darius Rucker “Don’t think I don’t think about it”

Each team has to have certain moments from the season on their mind.  The Patriots are one foot away (on a fourth down conversion against the Colts) from knocking off the AFC’s top team and putting distance between them and a middling division.  The Chargers are one sensational fourth down play (see: Lewis, Ray vs. Sproles, Darren) away from challenging for the AFC’s top spots.  The Vikings are one mishandled Chester Taylor pass away from perfection.  Though, each team is playing at a high level, which helps to quell those “what if’s”.  On a sidenote:  Props to Darius Rucker, Country newcomer of the year.

Cincinatti Bengals

“I’ll step on your porch, step to your boss/Let’s end the speculation, I’m talking to all you.”

-Jay-Z “Ain’t no Love (Heart of the City”)

Marvin Lewis has the Queen City Team playing like a bunch of bullies.  The Bengals are wearing the “Me against the world” title better than anyone this side of Tupac and the mid-90s Knicks.  Punishing defense, crushing run game (even more now that they’ve signed Larry “I didn’t mean to insult homosexuals, just Todd Haley” Johnson)… Still.  I don’t believe in them.  That “Hard Knocks” series before the season revealed something (not as much as I thought as I made constant “So this is what a 4-12 team looks like” remarks), but something.  I’m not ready to put them up in the second tier division, yet.  I know they swept the Ravens and Steelers, but still… there’s something still lacking.

Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons

“Woe is me, baby, this is tragic/ ‘Cause we had it, we was magic/ I was flyin’, now I’m crashin’”

-Kanye West “Knock you Down”

Each of these teams went from being sky high to well, not.  The Broncos started the season media darlings before being brought back to earth by the Ravens and Steelers in consecutive weeks, understandable.  However, the inexcusable thrashing they suffered at the hands of the Washington Clinton Portis’ was baffling.  The Steelers, more understandably, were swept by the Bengals.  The Cowboys were upended by the Brokeback Packers (not a gay diss, just an Aaron Rodgers diss… He looks like Jake Gyllenhal) who haven’t been able to win many games (only three out of their last ten!!).  The Eagles suffered back-to-back losses that weren’t very close.  The Falcons just lost to the Panthers…

Needless to say, each of these teams needs to regroup, much like Kanye in this whole post-award show backlash.

New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens

 “Reasons, like seasons, they constantly change and the seasons of last year, like reasons, have faded away.”

-Something Corporate “Me and the Moon”

The success of last season has (mostly) been missing for these teams.  All of them have struggled with the pre-season expectations and (more likely) their adjusted schedules.  The Giants raced out fast only to quickly be in search of answers losing four of their last five.  The Dolphins have introduced a lot of new wrinkles to their wildcat formation without the electric success from last year.  The Ravens have lost four games by an average of 5.3 points, the close games they thrived on finding ways to win last year.  Just like the tier above and below these teams, they need to find a way to right the ship or the next season (off-season) could be filled with many, discontenting reasons.

New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers

“But heaven ain’t close in a place like this/Anything goes but don’t blink you might miss.”

-The Killers “Somebody Told Me”

What a grab bag of teams here… Each team has been great and awful this year (as has everyone else); however, these teams tend to be less “killers” than anything else.  Though, as with every season, each team still has a glimmer of hope to redeem what’s left, but, if they blink, they’ll miss.  Can Mark Sanchize pull a Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco and get his entourage to the play-offs?  Can Vince Young keep up his magic (3-0 since he became the starter)?  Can Maurice Jones-Drew carry the whole team every week?  Will Jay Cutler continue to try his hardest to submarine the play-off chances of the Bears?  Does anyone want to win the NFC West!?!?!?!  By week 12, we will know all of these answers and more.

Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans

“Maybe, in the future, you’re gonna come back, you’re gonna come back to me.”

-Ingrid Michaelson “Maybe”

This is surely what the QBs of these three teams are saying in terms of their fan support.  Donnie Darko-Rodgers caught a break with a win over Tony “It must be getting cold outside because I’m losing games I should win” Romo and the Cowboys, but Green Bay won’t forget he’s not Favre (especially with the Vikings having swept the Packers already this season).  Poor Jake of the man, Steve Smith and the Charlotte fans are done with him.  It’s official.  They’re now, firmly, in the Sam Bradford/Troy Smith Sweepstakes.  As for Houston, all the passing yards look nice, Matt Schaub, but win a game of importance or stay healthy for a whole season.  Either one would be nice at this point.

Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks

“I know that it’s coming, I just hope that I’m alive for it.”

-Drake “Successful”

Yes, this entry needed a follow-up lyric to the first installment.  That’s really all there is to say about these teams.  Poor Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell… I would say I’m surprised by Josh Johnson play except that I’m more surprised by how well Josh Freeman has played.  He’s been consistent and stepped up when he needs to most… the two things he embarrassingly lacked at K-State.  The Ron Prince Era looks better and better.  Oh, and Matt Hasselback was washed up two seasons ago.  I’m frantically searching for evidence to the contrary.

Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Oakland Raiders

“See potential in ya, let me mould that/I can transform ya, I can transform ya.”

-Chris Brown “I can Transform Ya”

This one goes out to the young Bills (Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, and Roscoe Parrish), young Lions (Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Kevin Smith), and young Raiders (Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, Louis Murphy, and JaMarcus Russell… Well, maybe not Russell).  Better times are coming guys.  Whether that means you get traded to well-managed franchises or you’re indentured until you hit free agency, hope is out there.  Or your GM could talk himself into Tebow being the Spread QB to break the trend and you get to chase after his wobbly ducks all next season.  It could really go either way at this point.

St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs

“It never stops, when my mama ask me will I change/ I tell her yeah, but it’s clear I’ll always be the same.”

-Tupac “Until the End of Time”

It feels like the Rams and Chiefs will continue to be horrible until the end of time.  The Rams can’t find anyone to buy them and will probably end up moving back to LA where they weren’t really liked in the first place.  If they were smart, they’d change their name in transit.  Maybe fool the West Coast into thinking they were someone else for a few years.  Steven Jackson is football’s version of Zach Greinke.  The Chiefs are a mess and I blame Todd Haley.  One person hasn’t ruined a team this badly since Toni Braxton was making her rounds in Dallas.  How do you alienate a future hall of famer (Tony Gonzales), a perennial pro bowl running back (Well, Larry Johnson has his own demons and would’ve self-destructed eventually… but Haley hurried the process), and a rising star wide receiver (Dwayne Bowe, too, is a moron, but at least he doesn’t post moronic Twitter updates and inspire a whole city to petition him out of town)?  Herm Edwards and Carl Petersen just keep smiling wider and brighter each week on their respective television appearances.

Cleveland Browns

“We see the sun about three times a year!”

-Hastily made Cleveland Tourism Video

This is, roughly, the same number of wins Browns fans can expect in any given season… And now they want to use Lebron in football games!?!?!  Whose idea was it to bring football back here, again? 

There is  a very controversial trial scheduled for New York City. It involves people ,one in particular,Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who were involved in the masterminding of the 9-11 attacks. Many people have weighed in on the fact that the trial is being held in lower Manhattan, not far from Ground Zero itself. There have quite cogent arguments both for and against this particular decision. But there are so many elements of this decision worth discussing no matter what one thinks of the locale.

The Attorney General, Eric Holder said it was his decision and he informed the President as he was flying to China. He further said that he discussed it with his wife and his brother who is a retired Port Authority officer and lost friends in the attacks. He told Jim Lehrer that he told Obama of his decision, not that he consulted with him. I’m sorry, just not buying that one even though David Axelrod backed it up. Trying for a little plausible  deniability it seems.

Second item that is generating concern. The decision has been made to employ civilian over military courts. I read comments that compare this trial to Nuremberg and how  those  trials  did not advance the cause of the accused and thus this trial will not. Problem, WWII was over and those trials were military tribunals. This little insight may be telling in that regard. Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano says 9/11 type attacks should be condidered”man cused disasters ,” what ever that means.This backs up the Attorney General’s position nicely.

Finally, and bear in mind that the trial will occur at some future date, listen to the President(himself a lawyer) answer a query from NBC’S  Chuck Todd about concernS  over the legal rights the defendants are getting. Read it carefully. ” I don’t think it will be  offensive at all when he’s convicted and the death penalty is applied to him.”  That is a stronger guarantee than Joe Namath made when he promised a Super Bowl win way back in 1969.

Ok, to his credit Todd had a great follow-up. He said that using a civilian court over a military one was a way to show the fairness of our legal system. Now, you have just said he’s going to be convicted and given the death sentence. Ole Chuck is getting real close to losing White House access. Now, the President fires back.” Look, what I said was that people will not be offended if  that’s the outcome. I’m not prejudging it.” Only one problem with those last 2 sentences. They are wrong. Not being a well-trained legal mind, I cannot be certain. But, has he not poisoned the case? Must not have had TOTUS  close by.

This trial will be  a doozy.

He was the guy who tried to dance into the End Zone in Super Bowl 27 and, like a goofball, got the ball knocked out of his hand inches from the line by Don Beebe. Anyone remember? Of course!! Leon Lett. That wasn’t his only slip-up–remember when he tried to grab the ball after a blocked field goal attempt against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving in 1993? The Cowboys lost that one, thanks to Lett.

Here’s the point: Lett was probably one of the best football players in the history of the sport–2 time Pro Bowler and 3 time Super Bowl winner. But Leon Lett will forever be remembered as the master of the football blunder.

So what will you be remembered for?

Generational theory acknowledges that the Baby Boomers have flexed their muscle so much over time that Generation X has responded with a generally laid-back, almost anti-power attitude. Conversely, Millennials are shaping up to excercise even more “power” than the Boomers, using technology and information-sharing to further globalize culture and change the world.

So it seems that Generation X is becoming the piece of bologna in a generational sandwich–sufficient to be a place-holder, but not enough meat to make things…tasty. The fact is that Generation X has the capacity and the position to assert massive influence, but despite all the talent, our unmemorable posture of malaise threatens to relegate us to the moniker “the Slacker Generation”–we are becoming the Leon Lett of modern human history.

How can we, Generation X, use our unique place in time, our talent, and our role in the Great Commission to effect change in the world?

We must find ways of becoming the generational catalyst. With the Boomers in the twilight of their influence and Gen Y charging over the horizon, Xers have an unprecedented opportunity to take the best of–and the lessons learned from–the Boomer’s reign and pass it on to the next generation. The key to this role is mentorship. Whether you’re reading this as an Xer or Millennial, I am challenging you to find someone from the generation older than you and proposition them to mentor you. If you’re a Boomer, select an Xer in your life to pour into–one who will turn around and invest in someone younger. Xers… you got it. Find a Millennial to coach. Position yourself as the hinge-pin between the two.

A friend said to me once (I think he was quoting someone else), “Everyone needs a Paul, everyone needs a Baranbas and everyone needs a Timothy. Can you imagine if we became the synapse that carried the greatness and filtered the mistakes for the future church? Can you imagine the impact that would have on the Kingdom of God? It’s amazing to think about…

What are you doing to become the generational catalyst? What have you seen work? What doesn’t work? Who is doing it better than anyone you know?

Gen X will leave it’s mark on history. It’s up to us and the choices we make to determine what that will look like. Leon Lett? Bologna.

[*Warning: this post contains strong sexual innuendo courtesy of the NFL.]

I never knew I liked watching football until a couple of years ago.  I was living in Boston when the Patriots began their string of Super Bowl wins, and began tuning in on weekend afternoons after I met a couple of friends who were really into it. And I must say, watching football with gay people is a really fun thing to do.

There are a few reasons for this.

1) Growing up, the rules of football were not something you learned, but something you knew.  For instance, I would never have asked why something happened, what a call meant, why a player did this or that, or what all the pretty lines were for.  Never.  It’s not because I actually feared being ridiculed or injured, but I just never thought of it.  It simply wasn’t done.  Watching with gay people, however, in an environment where and among friends with whom I felt perfectly comfortable, I started asking questions.  And oh my god, suddenly things started making sense.  It’s amazing how even the vaguest understanding of rules and strategy turns a football game into something, dare I say it, exciting! (And I’m talking pro ball here; I never got into the college stuff.  I think there may be some residual baggage from having grown up in an Ole Miss Rebels household and unknowingly decorating my bedroom with Confederate flag paraphernalia.)

2) Some of the players are really hot, and it’s fun to be able to talk about that.

3) Calling uniforms “outfits” is not frowned upon and won’t get you hurt.

But most importantly …

4) The commentary.

Bless their hearts.  The guys who narrate football games simply cannot have any idea how gay they sound.

I say this because in such a hyper-hetero industry, you’d think if they knew they wouldn’t do it any more, but I keep tuning in week after week … and I am never disappointed.  Put on your listening ears next time you’re watching a football game and see if you can’t identify some of these jewels.

• He’s big, he’s smooth, and he’s always relaxed.
• He goes down in the arms of Mitchell.

• Those two have been getting it on all afternoon.

• He grabbed the ball with one hand while getting a face full of Jeff Saturday.

• He has been on his back a lot.
• They were able to open a hole and he came right into it.
• That was a great big sack.

• Those guys hooked up 17 times during the regular season.

And what must be the all time greatest commentary from any game ever (thanks JB!): When that guy’s coming right in his face, it’s a whole different story for the quarterback.

So my last post was a little confusing for some, and I had hoped to update people on what I’m working towards and my plan to change the world but that will have to wait. These past couple weeks have been crazy and I would like to let people know what has happened in our lives. So…over the past week we’ve:

-Received so much food from our church that we don’t know where to put it all

-Printed out over 50 newsletters and got them in the mail

-Booked 2 churches

-Had leftovers from our church’s Thanksgiving lunch on Sunday and have been invited to two houses for dinner this week, leaving us to not have to cook at   all for the week

Maybe to a regular couple or individual this doesn’t seem that crazy but to us, this has been an absolute miracle. We had just found out last week that our monthly support wasn’t as high as we had thought and well…we were scratching our heads saying “we know we are going to be taken care of, so how is it going to happen this month?” Well…this is the confirmation that it is happening. We know that it isn’t going to be easy, and there still are challenges to the next couple months, but we know we are taken care of and we know that in the end, we are loved and cared for.

With God working around us, with us being able and open to see, we are quite excited about what is to come. We don’t know what is coming but we arnow dreaming and seeing how these dreams are in the process of being reality. That’s exciting. More to come on that later….I have been going around (well not really going around to the world) telling a few people that I’m really excited for the Nikon Festival and the chance to win $100,000. What excites me the most is the thought that I don’t need that money. I don’t need to keep any of it because I know that I am loved and cared for. Steph and I are in the process of talking about what we would do with that much money, but here is a short business plan that I firmly believe will change the world…

I’m planning on officially launching Feed The Need as an advertising/production house. Our mission, to change the world through advertising. I firmly believe that the world market is changing and revolving back to the good ol’ days when you bought from those you trusted, from people you knew, and from companies who are not just making their riches but contributing to the world. As the market changes I believe companies will need to start advertising what they are doing to connect with their communities, as well as how they have changed. Feed The Need will connect those companies with actual needs around the world and locally. Our projects will include these to start:

-Feeding the host city of the SuperBowl. How amazing would it be if Super Bowl Sunday was the day that people knew was going to transform a city, not just on a day, but forever by making sure that people do not go hungry there anymore.

-Porn Addicts Anonymous: This project is focused on taking the mask off of the elephant in the closet in our society. The porn industry brings in roughly 90 Billion dollars every year, destroys lives, marriages, and imagine the dent in the economy. The goal is to show real people, well respected main line addictive medicine, and the economics behind it to make a moral point or statement.

-The Oil Crisis in the Niger River Delta: The Niger River Delta is being destroyed by companies such as Shell and 76, and yet the only way people seem to put pressure on them is by aggressively going after them. If the market is really changing, the working theory is that positive advertising of the good that they are now doing may actually be practical, less costly for them as companies, and both parties will be satisfied. I’d love to be apart of the solution and see these companies not just settle but start fixing the problem because they see that it is beneficial and a good business practice.

I’ve always longed to be the featured champion on a box of Wheaties. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh, but when I was a small kid, I possessed an incredible degree of power and strength. I beat every kid in my class in callisthenic, strength and endurance tests in nearly every event, especially those involving running and jumping. And learning dance only provided me with greater agility and breakaway speed—handy when you’re playing Wide Receiver BTW. [Yes, of course! Tomboy here.] In 1984, I even beat Gold Medalist, Evelyn Ashford’s time by a hair in a 100-meter dash with 10.63 versus her Gold Medal/World Record time of 10.76.

But all that greatness and potential is lost. No Wheaties box for me. Other than an occasional moment of playtime, I’m not really as sporty as I once was. I certainly can’t Jazzercize my way into the champion-seeking hearts at General Mills. And hills STILL own me in my running, sometimes wiping me out more than another two more miles would. Even if I breeze up those monsters with ease, running won’t get me there. I’m slower than a slug now, not even close to the blazing flash of lightning I once was. I don’t know what happened.

No…I do know.

I never really strove to develop and hone my skills, to increase my strength, to improve. Because it all came naturally, I didn’t feel the need to practice or pressure to get better. I beat everyone who ever dared to race me, boy or girl. I WAS a winner…a champion, owning a slightly better time than a World Record holder and Olympic Gold Medalist “Eeee-ven”…sans Snagglepuss from Laff-A-Lympics. “Heavens to Murgatroyd!”

To become a champion, and remain one—in whatever your passion may be—, you need to bring your A-Game every time, carrying the certainty that you can attain your dream and also have it snatched away at any moment by someone else. If you don’t act as though you have heat on your heels, it can all be lost. Writers should approach their passion for words with the same intensity athletes do their games, races, matches, meets and competitions. So, what can you do to be Wheaties-worthy?

LEARN THE RULES: As rules exist in sports, there are many in writing beyond grammar and we hear them plenty: show don’t tell, no head-hopping, no passive voice, no abundance of adverbs or adjectives, no be-verbs, no huge blocks of internalization, no breaking the fourth wall, no stopping action for long blocks of description…

Once you understand what the rules are and why they’re important, you can learn to break them according to your story’s needs.  If you know what you are doing and why, then you can demonstrate this deliberateness.

Like with passive voice, let’s say you’re in First Person and your character IS passive or sees everything as a martyr or victim or is unreliable, then a sense of detachment and distance might be appropriate.  Or if you understand that hanging three adjectives on every noun creates drag over pretty language, you can then choose to use this technique when you do want to slow things down, maybe increase suspense, like describing a room where everything looks creepy to the observer.

Familiarize yourself with the rules, particularly those regarding narratives and structure. If you don’t have a firm grasp of narratives, how will you be able to spot head-hopping when it creeps into your story or know if your work would present better in Omniscience? You need to know the difference.

No matter what your story calls for, you can then demonstrate you’re a true player in the game and not just flying by the seat of your pants, doing whatever you want.

PRACTICE, TRAIN & STRETCH: To become excellent, you need to keep working. Push yourself in uncomfortable directions and attempt things you never thought you would do. I tried a celebrity vampire story when I didn’t think I could do it, and the story came out great. It didn’t win the contest I entered, but I’m so glad I got it done. Choose a difficult task or goal for your character or a crazy outcome and wrestle your way there. Practice and try something new and different like a villanelle or flash fiction. The more you stretch, the better you will become.

GET IN THE GAME: Once you have the playbook in hand, get in the game, what are you waiting for!? You can comb over it again and again, but you’re never gonna know your story’s worth or what you’re capable of if you don’t put yourself out there. Find some critters, adopt a thicker skin and let your baby be ripped to shreds. I know exposure is scary and that it’s painful because writing is so soul-baring, but you need to get in the game and risk some injury if you want to become a champion.

When you’re aware of your weaknesses, you can adapt your methods, rid your bad habits and make your work indubitably stronger. Even becoming aware of a little thing like repeat words—“huffed” for me—and fixing that will improve a work. You likely wouldn’t notice such a thing on your own. You need feedback, desperately, so get it. Once your work is polished and shiny, you’re ready to seek expert opinion and publication. Go! Get in the game.

PLAY WITH SPIRIT: In order to enjoy writing and make your pieces as engaging as possible, you need to find your own style and voice. People can help you along, give you guidance, offer suggestions, but only you can tell the story brewing inside you and innately know the best way to tell it. You may need to work and wrestle and dig deep to find your voice, but once you do, your words will string together much more smoothly, your characters will come to life much more easily and your plot turns will surprise you. If you’re just writing to get words down or meet a contractual obligation, it will show. Don’t lose your soul’s fire. It’s normal to have down days, to get disheartened and discouraged, but stay in the game, maintain your energy and excitement, stay focused and be true to yourself.

HAVE A VISION OF SUCCESS: Where do you want to be as a writer? What do you hope to achieve? Visualize that. Don’t just picture it in your mind; learn what you need to do in order to make that happen, set goals and work at getting there. There are tons of books and online resources, including agents’ blogs, that give you the tools you need to write well and get attention. Seeing yourself as the champion of your dream will help you maintain a positive attitude even when all hope seems lost. Your vision of success may need to change, and that’s fine; adapt as you go along.

DON’T QUIT: If your work ends up being not as wonderful or as well-received as you assumed, that’s okay. Start over, change things up or write something else. The first novel I wrote has great elements, especially the romance between the adorable characters, but it depends too much on coincidence, and taking out one thing would collapse the whole rickety thing. It’s in a purple folder somewhere and that’s likely the only binding it will ever be in. If you write something that isn’t suitable for mass consumption, that’s okay. Try again. Very few people are fabulous on their first go. It can take several efforts before you have a winner. Stay tenacious. Even if you don’t get validation in the publishing world or never sell one self-published book beyond your family members and friends, don’t stifle your creative breath, don’t quiet those characters crying out for birth, don’t put down the pen. Keep doing your best for YOU.

Will I ever be on Wheaties everywhere? Doubt it. Not unless General Mills considers plume athleticism worthy of their boxes. Maybe then I’ll land up there for my most awesome excellence. It takes just as much, if not more, determination, wits and skill to be a master of words—words that can stir laughter, draw tears, sooth a soul, infuse hope, empower, change a life—as it does to catch a 4th-and-goal touchdown pass from the 2 to win the Super Bowl.

Don’t just write; become a champion, great enough to be on Wheaties.

~ CV

For over 20 years the Super Bowl, the biggest American sporting event, has used the game’s halftime show to feature outdated, “safe” acts that are rarely offensive. (Who didn’t roll their eyes when the Anaheim High School Drill Team preformed during Super Bowl I, am I right?) And the practice needs to end. Soon.

Here’s a short list of outdated and “safe” acts that have graced the Halftime Show:

Super Bowl XXII, 1988: Chubby Checker

Super Bowl XXVI, 1992: Gloria Estafan

Super Bowl XXVII, 1993: Michael Jackson

Super Bowl XXVII, 1994: The Judds

Super Bowl XXVIII, 1995: Tony Bennet

Super Bowl XXX, 1996: Diana Ross

Super Bowl XXXI, 1997: ZZ Top, James Brown

Super Bowl XXXII, 1998: Boys II Men

Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999: Gloria Estafan (again!), Stevie Wonder

Super Bowl XXXIV, 2000: Phil Collins

Super Bowl XXXVII, 2003: Sting

Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004: Janet Jackson, Janet Jackson’s weird nipple-clipped boob

Super Bowl XXXIX, 2005: Paul McCartney

Super Bowl XL, 2006: The Rolling Stones

Super Bowl XLI, 2007: Prince (toned down, given religion and losing most of the sexy)

Super Bowl XLII, 2008: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Super Bowl XLIII, 2009: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

And now, introducing our new inductee that promises not to offend or confuse any viewer:

The Who in 1975 when they were releasing records without shit like "Baba O'Riley," which is an awful song no matter who plays it. (Photo from Wikipedia Commons)

The Who.

Once treated as a dangerous, insane band, The Who are now old men.

Very old.

And they’re now just Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry. They’re sober. They eat right. There may be explosions during the show, but rest assured that they will be handled by professionals, and not a drunk Keith Moon.

So, what the fuck is the point of having The Who then?

Because out of all those artists listed above, how many do you like at least one song of, or could hum at least one song? Each and every one of them. And when you get into The Stones, Bruce, Tom, Paul and Prince: We all like them. Those guys all rock and anyone saying different is a liar who should be dressed like a wolf and set free near Sarah Palin.

We all like these artists because these peeps crank out the hits. One wrote “Satisfaction.” Another wrote “Purple Rain.” Good lord, Paul McCartney was a Beatle. These aren’t some namby-pamby one-hit-wonders. These cats are destined for a prolonged superstardom even in death. But they’re all old acts. All of them. No one watching has to see something too new, something they could describe as “the shit the kids listen to now-a-days…”

That’s my issue here. There are very few instances of featuring even newish acts in the Super Bowl. In 2001 at Super Bowl XXXV Britney Spears performed–but with Aerosmith. Justin Timberlake performed in 2004–but with Janet Jackson and her boob. Whenever there is something new, it is curbed with something old and safe…or at least that’s attempted.

What if we did this in other events, or in the game itself?

Bob Costas: “All right we’re about to start here in Dolphin Stadium here in beautiful Miami, Florida. Football fans over 50 will be glad to see that for the first few snaps the Steelers are starting Joe Namath as an ode to Super Bowl III, we assume Ben Rothlisberger will be starting after that followed by a cameo by Joe Montana for a critical 3rd down early in the 2nd half.”

I’m not asking for the Decemberists to play, but why not Wilco? How about Kayne West?

The NFL has allowed Up with People to perform four times, dammit! I’ve never met a football fan who likes motivational, happy, dancing/singing troops in my life. Why not allow for a band composed of members under 40, just at the very least?

Giants Stadium

1) The Giants play the Falcons this upcoming week, and Michael Turner got hurt.

2) Cowboys lost, and RT Marc Colombo got hurt, and may be out for the year

3) Eagles lost, and RB Brian Westbrook suffered yet another concussion

4) Just about every member of the Giants is practicing (besides RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who is trying to prevent his foot from breaking any more than it already has. Thankfully, Aaron Ross is still practicing, which is always good news. Apparently Justin Tuck’s shoulder has continued to be an issue and says the week off was very good for it. Although Eli Manning claims his foot hasn’t been an issue, he also said the week off was good for him.

Good signs, people.

I’ve always longed to be the featured champion on a box of Wheaties. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh, but when I was a small kid, I possessed an incredible degree of power and strength. I beat every kid in my class in callisthenic, strength and endurance tests in nearly every event, especially those involving running and jumping. And learning dance only provided me with greater agility and breakaway speed—handy when you’re playing Wide Receiver BTW. [Yes, of course! Tomboy here.] In 1984, I even beat Gold Medalist, Evelyn Ashford’s time by a hair in a 100-meter dash with 10.63 versus her Gold Medal/World Record time of 10.76.

But all that greatness and potential is lost. No Wheaties box for me. Other than an occasional moment of playtime, I’m not really as sporty as I once was. I certainly can’t Jazzercize my way into the champion-seeking hearts at General Mills. And hills STILL own me in my running, sometimes wiping me out more than another two more miles would. Even if I breeze up those monsters with ease, running won’t get me there. I’m slower than a slug now, not even close to the blazing flash of lightning I once was. I don’t know what happened.

No…I do know.

I never really strove to develop and hone my skills, to increase my strength, to improve. Because it all came naturally, I didn’t feel the need to practice or pressure to get better. I beat everyone who ever dared to race me, boy or girl. I WAS a winner…a champion, owning a slightly better time than a World Record holder and Olympic Gold Medalist “Eeee-ven”…sans Snagglepuss from Laff-A-Lympics. “Heavens to Murgatroyd!”

To become a champion, and remain one—in whatever your passion may be—, you need to bring your A-Game every time, carrying the certainty that you can attain your dream and also have it snatched away at any moment by someone else. If you don’t act as though you have heat on your heels, it can all be lost. Writers should approach their passion for words with the same intensity athletes do their games, races, matches, meets and competitions. So, what can you do to be Wheaties-worthy?

LEARN THE RULES: As rules exist in sports, there are many in writing beyond grammar and we hear them plenty: show don’t tell, no head-hopping, no passive voice, no abundance of adverbs or adjectives, no be-verbs, no huge blocks of internalization, no breaking the fourth wall, no stopping action for long blocks of description…

Once you understand what the rules are and why they’re important, you can learn to break them according to your story’s needs.  If you know what you are doing and why, then you can demonstrate this deliberateness.

Like with passive voice, let’s say you’re in First Person and your character IS passive or sees everything as a martyr or victim or is unreliable, then a sense of detachment and distance might be appropriate.  Or if you understand that hanging three adjectives on every noun creates drag over pretty language, you can then choose to use this technique when you do want to slow things down, maybe increase suspense, like describing a room where everything looks creepy to the observer.

Familiarize yourself with the rules, particularly those regarding narratives and structure. If you don’t have a firm grasp of narratives, how will you be able to spot head-hopping when it creeps into your story or know if your work would present better in Omniscience? You need to know the difference.

No matter what your story calls for, you can then demonstrate you’re a true player in the game and not just flying by the seat of your pants, doing whatever you want.

PRACTICE, TRAIN & STRETCH: To become excellent, you need to keep working. Push yourself in uncomfortable directions and attempt things you never thought you would. I tried a celebrity vampire story when I didn’t think I could do it, and the story came out great. It didn’t win the contest I entered, but I’m so glad I got it done. Choose a difficult task or goal for your character or a crazy outcome and wrestle your way there. Practice and try something new and different like a villanelle or flash fiction. The more you stretch, the better you will become.

GET IN THE GAME: Once you have the playbook in hand, get in the game, what are you waiting for!? You can comb over it again and again, but you’re never gonna know your story’s worth or what you’re capable of if you don’t put yourself out there. Find some critters, adopt a thicker skin and let your baby be ripped to shreds. I know exposure is scary and that it’s painful because writing is so soul-baring, but you need to get in the game and risk some injury if you want to become a champion.

When you’re aware of your weaknesses, you can adapt your methods, rid your bad habits and make your work indubitably stronger. Even becoming aware of a little thing like repeat words—“huffed” for me—and fixing that will improve a work. You likely wouldn’t notice such a thing on your own. You need feedback, desperately, so get it. Once your work is polished and shiny, you’re ready to seek expert opinion and publication. Go! Get in the game.

PLAY WITH SPIRIT: In order to enjoy writing and make it as engaging as possible, you need to find your own style and voice. People can help you along, give you guidance, offer suggestions, but only you can tell the story brewing inside you and innately know the best way to tell it. You may need to work and wrestle and dig deep to find your voice, but once you do, your words will string together much more smoothly, your characters will come to life much more easily and your plot turns will surprise you. If you’re just writing to get words down or meet a contractual obligation, it will show. Don’t lose your soul’s fire. It’s normal to have down days, to get disheartened and discouraged, but stay in the game, maintain your energy and excitement, stay focused and be true to yourself.

HAVE A VISION OF SUCCESS: Where do you want to be as a writer? What do you hope to achieve? Visualize that. Don’t just picture it in your mind; learn what you need to do in order to make that happen, set goals and work at getting there. There are tons of books and online resources, including agents’ blogs, that give you the tools you need to write well and get attention. Seeing yourself as the champion of your dream will help you maintain a positive attitude even when all hope seems lost. Your vision of success may need to change, and that’s fine; adapt as you go along.

DON’T QUIT: If your work ends up being not as wonderful or as well-received as you assumed, that’s okay. Start over, change things up or write something else. The first novel I wrote has great elements, especially the romance between the adorable characters, but it depends too much on coincidence, and taking out one thing would collapse the whole rickety thing. It’s in a purple folder somewhere and that’s likely the only binding it will ever be in. If you write something that isn’t suitable for mass consumption, that’s okay. Try again. Very few people are fabulous on their first go. It can take several efforts before you have a winner. Stay tenacious. Even if you don’t get validation in the publishing world or never sell one self-published book beyond your family members and friends, don’t stifle your creative breath, don’t quiet those characters crying out for birth, don’t put down the pen. Keep doing your best for YOU.

Will I ever be on Wheaties everywhere? Doubt it. Not unless General Mills considers plume athleticism worthy of their boxes. Maybe then I’ll land up there for my most awesome excellence. It takes just as much, if not more, determination, wits and skill to be a master of words—words that can stir laughter, draw tears, sooth a soul, infuse hope, empower, change a life—as it does to catch a 4th-and-goal touchdown pass from the 2 to win the Super Bowl.

Don’t just write; become a champion, great enough to be on Wheaties.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Remember that kid in your junior high class that always got in trouble, but never really got in trouble because he always knew how far he could push the limits – and never quite went beyond that point?  He was always able to smile and joke his way out of trouble.  Well, in today’s marketing world, that kid is Captain Morgan rum.  And their latest little prank?  Coaxing NFL players to strike the semi-famous Captain Morgan pose after scoring touchdowns during their games.

Evidently, the good ol’ Captain was quietly offering to donate $10,000 to the Gridiron Greats fund (a charitable organization?) every time a player struck a pose after scoring a touchdown.  Before being ratted out, the donation was due to increase to $25,000 in the playoffs and $100,000 in the Super Bowl.  The first instance happened when Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek struck the pose after scoring in a recent game against their rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

It didn’t take too long before the NFL sniffed out the sneaky marketing ploy and laid down the law against future attempts at what they called “ambush marketing.”  While Celek didn’t get fined, the NFL made it clear that if it wasn’t making money on the marketing, they’d be making money off the resulting punishment.

The Captain?  He’s over in the corner laughing to himself.  He knows he just got away with a marketing coup that will likely get more attention now than it might have if the NFL hadn’t pointed it out to all of its viewing audience.  I can’t imagine rogue college players striking the same pose … or fans standing behind Game Day broadcasters?  Or players in any number of other sports, for that matter.  Even more ingenious – if you want to give credit – is that the ploy probably cost them a fraction of what it would have actually cost to advertise on an NFL game … and probably got more attention.

Think you’ve seen the end of the Captain in guerilla sports marketing?  Think again.

Geez, where did this day go? Since it’s already so late in the day, I’m just going to sum everything up into tidbit format:

Wanda Jackson at the 5 Spot

Jack White apparently got bored between his 3 bands and is producing a new album for recent RNR Hall of Fame inductee Wanda Jackson. I can’t see how this could be anything but awesome, and maybe better than his album with Loretta Lynn. I had the distinct pleasure of photographing her show at the 5 Spot back in Feb. of this year. Amazing show…. (Via Nashville Cream and Pitchfork)

The Who are strongly rumored to be the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl XLIV. No official confirmation from the NFL yet, though. (Via A.V. Club via Sports Illustrated)

Finally, please do go feast your eyes on this amazing bird photography project by Andrew Zuckerman. Call it bird portraiture maybe? Regardless, you won’t be able to pull your eyes away from it until you’ve seen them all. (Via Kottke)

Big Monday Night Football Game!

The Ravens play the Browns on Monday Night!

It was another great NFL Sunday as I nailed my NFC Game of the Year with a big win with the Panthers over the Falcons. Now I am back with another winner in tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Ravens and the Browns. I am a documented 61% in the NFL this year and tonight will be another winner in the NFL. Don’t miss this game tonight!

I have tonight’s game covered with a great writeup, stats, and trends! Start winning now! It’s all here tonight for just $24.99

Buy the MNF NFL pick here!

After you purchase the game email to mregaw@yahoo.com and I will send the game to you!

Tonight’s Free Pick:

Portland Blazers +3.5

The Blazers can get revenge for an earlier meeting they lost at home to the Hawks. The Haws have been very surprising and have played very well beating some of the elite teams in the league. The Blazers will be ready and have proven to be road warriors this year on the road. The Blazers are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 games overall and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games. The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the road team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

Sign up and use the Bonus Code REGAW and get 40% on your first deposit as a great bonus for the game!

The talk of the football world is the 4th and 2 Belichick call to go for it, which as a result ultimately did in the Patriots. For the unaware, there is a historical comparison to what Belichick did last night. Back in 1995, the Cowboys faced a similar situation against the Eagles on the road. Instead of punting when leading by three late in the fourth quarter and in their own territory, then-Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer decided to put his offensive line to work on…twice. Suffice to say, this did not work out. Jump to 1:23 on the video and see the mayhem begin.

The epilogue on this game is that Dallas went on to win the Super Bowl in part due to a rash of good fortune involving other teams around the league. Not many people thought they would be holding the Lombardi Trophy after this game. Take heart Patriots fans, this could be you.

This campaign is live across the US at the moment!
Neil Duerden created this as a major style shift for Kraft to link their cracker-like products with the Super Bowl.
As you can see, the final version was a clear and precise execution of the brief (unlike Neil’s usual work, created to a depth of illustration seldom seen)… cheesetastic!