Well..We're getting closer to that time of year, and I think we can safely narrow down the field to a few choice predictions. I'm seeing a Giants vs Titans Superbowl. Wishful thinking maybe. Here's the latest stats to help you make up your mind. :-)

DECEMBER 21, 03:07 EST

NFL Standings

By The Associated Press

W L T Pct PF PA

Miami 10 5 0 .667 296 202

Indianapolis 9 6 0 .600 398 316

N.Y. Jets 9 6 0 .600 301 287

Buffalo 7 8 0 .467 273 327

New England 5 10 0 .333 252 311

Central

W L T Pct PF PA

x-Tennessee 12 3 0 .800 315 191

x-Baltimore 11 4 0 .733 299 145

Pittsburgh 8 7 0 .533 287 234

Jacksonville 7 8 0 .467 342 299

Cincinnati 4 11 0 .267 178 343

Cleveland 3 13 0 .188 161 419

West

W L T Pct PF PA

x-Oakland 11 4 0 .733 427 290

x-Denver 10 5 0 .667 447 360

Kansas City 7 8 0 .467 342 325

Seattle 6 9 0 .400 297 363

San Diego 1 14 0 .067 248 406

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

East

W L T Pct PF PA

y-N.Y. Giants 11 4 0 .733 300 221

x-Philadelphia 10 5 0 .667 335 238

Washington 7 8 0 .467 261 266

Dallas 5 10 0 .333 294 330

Arizona 3 12 0 .200 207 423

Central

W L T Pct PF PA

x-Minnesota 11 4 0 .733 387 340

x-Tampa Bay 10 5 0 .667 374 252

Detroit 9 6 0 .600 287 284

Green Bay 8 7 0 .533 336 309

Chicago 4 11 0 .267 193 335

West

W L T Pct PF PA

y-New Orleans 10 5 0 .667 333 279

St. Louis 9 6 0 .600 514 450

Carolina 7 8 0 .467 301 258

San Francisco 6 9 0 .400 379 384

Atlanta 3 12 0 .200 223 400

x-clinched playoff spot

y-clinched division

-- kirsten (kritter@adelphia.net), December 21, 2000

Answers

Raiders vs. Tampa Bay-with Tampa getting the home field advantage. Just a hunch.

-- SydBarrett (dark@side.moon), December 21, 2000.

Exactly what I said Syd. Raiders'n'Bucs.

Warrick Dunn will be the difference. Lil' dude is awesome!!

Love to see them 'Noles make good.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), December 21, 2000.

Gotta agree with Syd and Deano on the two combatants but the Raider’s will prevail 27-17.

-- Barry (bchbear863@cs.com), December 21, 2000.

If not for the following, I too would have picked the Bucs...

Bucs travel to Green Bay this week where they must win in order to stay in the chase for the division title. Bucs have never won a game when the temperature is below 40 degrees at kickoff and will therefore lose against the resurgent Packers. Entering the playoffs as a wildcard results in having to play an additional game along with losing home field advantage in the event they seed-up with the Giants or Vikings. Therefore, Superbowl XXXV will be...

Vikings vs Titans

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), December 21, 2000.

CD

I forgot about the 40 degree threshold. That's got to end sometime. But then again, you'd think they could run a kickoff back for a TD too (something they've NEVER done in the history of the franchise).

Dunn will be the difference this year though.......it's why they play the game!

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), December 21, 2000.

now i'm not a smart man fella's...but a gint's win coupled with a viking's loss and guess who has home field all through the playoff's...? nobody want's to play in the ghettoland's in the middle of january...particullarly keyshawn...he'll get a nice welcome back...not...!!!

-- forrestgump (forrest@gump.com), December 21, 2000.

Prediction:

Culpepper and Moss start playing both offense and defense in the second half of the first-round game, and keep doing it throughout the playoffs. Advertising revenue drops like a dot.com index as the games are blowouts by the second quarter. Dennis Green starts John Randall at QB to keep things interesting. Vikings vs. Titans in the big one.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), December 22, 2000.

Giants vs. Titans. Titans win. Had to go with my homeboys up to the superbowl, then, well, eddie george.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), December 22, 2000.

I will have to agree,the Titans will not be denied this year.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), December 22, 2000.

Giants did the job today...beating Jacksonville, and gaining home field advantage all the way through. It was a weird game though. I walked away at the two minute warning, and when I walked back a minute and a half later,.. Jacksonville had scored twice, and the Giants once. I was like "huh?" Gotta love Football.

Still think Giants / Titans.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), December 23, 2000.

Over-Excited Football Fans May Suffer Heart Attack

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Football fans take heed: the upcoming Super Bowl game may be your last if the suspense and excitement of the big game is too much for your heart.

A new study has found that deaths from heart attacks jumped a whopping 50% during a Dutch football match in 1996 when the Netherlands lost to France and were shut out of the European championship. The researchers attribute the deaths to the increase in stress the men may have experienced.

Scientists at the University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands evaluated the number of deaths that occurred on the day of the fateful football match and compared it with the figures recorded 5 days before and after the match and in the same period in 1995 and 1997.

Their findings are published in the December 23/30 issue of the British Medical Journal.

``In men, (death from heart attack) or stroke was significantly increased on the day of the football match (41 cases) compared with the 5 days on either side (on average 27.2 cases),'' according to researcher Daniel R. Witte, a doctoral student, and colleagues.

``Our findings show that an important football match can similarly provide sufficient triggers to cause a rise in (death from heart attack) and stroke,'' the authors conclude.

SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2000;321:1552-1554

-- cin (cin@cin.cin), December 23, 2000.

Damn! Looks like there's a good chance I'll drop dead if the Vikings make it to the big dance. Wow, talk about an ironic twist of fate.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), December 23, 2000.

super Bowl prediction:

1) The commercial messages will be very numerous and extremely expensive.

2) Mass quantities of chips and beer will be consumed.

3) Millions of people will yell repeatedly at their TV sets.

4) The game itself will be of mediocre quality, but most fans will feel perfectly satisfied with the experience of watching the game. Especially if they consume mass quantities of beer and chips.

5) Once again, I will have more important things to do. It isn't that I wouldn't like to watch sometimes. The Super Bowl is rather entertaining. But I really do have more important things to do on Sundays. I visit my daughter for most of the day every Sunday -- without fail. She could give a flying fig about the Super Bowl. So...

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), December 23, 2000.

WE should have a Unk's Football Pool. No money, of course, but bragging rights? But I want money. It's no fun without money. Bah, forget it.

-- Giants@Fan.here (kritter@adelphia.net), December 24, 2000.

When the final history of football is written, this Giants team will be noted as the greatest ever in one area. They are expert at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 25, 2000.

Put me in for the Giants, and the Jets. Hey, it could happen! We already got baseball...

Happened in '69, we had the Mets and Jets.

<:)=

(Die hard Jets fan...)

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

What's that, the Jets aren't in the playoffs? Darn, so close...

Oh well, put me in for Tennessee, & that other New York team...

<:(=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

The Eagles (pronounced "Iggles" by loyalists) come out of left field and surprise everyone with their Super-bowl victory! Crowds cheer, men faint, women swoon......then I wake up.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

Nope. Unk. Tampa Bay finally puts the 40 degrees and under curse behind them as the defense smothers McNab and the Bucs go to the second round.

-- SydBarrett (dark@side.moon), December 26, 2000.

I cannot believe Gramatica missed that kick.

Lil' dude never misses!!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday........work still sucks!

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), December 26, 2000.

Gramatica != Automatica.

The two teams the Vikes hoped would not get into the playoffs did barely make it, T.B. and St. Louis. Yikers. They actually may be the class of the NFC. Mr. Culpepper, Mr Smith, Mr Carter and Mr Moss may have something to say about it. I'm looking forward to the playoffs.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), December 26, 2000.

Anyone wish to reevaluate their predictions NOW? :-)

Obviously I would like to change mine...since the Titans bit the dust. So..Giants are looking good at halftime, I'll still go with them and Eh..the Raiders.

Giants vs Raiders. (subject to change!!!) ;-)

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 07, 2001.

Raiders vs Vikings. Raiders will win. Of course I could be wrong.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), January 07, 2001.

Raiders vs Vikings. Vikings will win. Of course, there's a minuscule chance I could be wrong.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 07, 2001.

Just checked the opening line... Vegas odds:

Raiders are favored by 5.5 over Baltimore (38 o/u)

Vikings are favored by 1 over NY (41.5 o/u)

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 07, 2001.

Baltimore

NY

Baltimore-Super Bowl winners

I'll buck the odds,Tn is gone,what the hell.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), January 07, 2001.

well Costavike-it is me an you or you and kritter-but next week ya gotta come to our house-and ya haven't been outside since thanksgiving. I have already ordered the wind and the snow flurries-I believe Kritter is supposed to order the low temperatures. Come on down to Jersey culpepper and moss, and we shall see.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), January 07, 2001.

I was at the Vikes/Saints game. Do you remember watching or playing HS or even little/pwarner league football, and there's always this one player who's way better than everyone else, faster, stronger, more instinctive? that's what watching Moss is like. When he caught that ball on 3rd and one at the Vikes 40, everyone in the metrodome could see he was going to score. It was great. Smith, Culpepper and Chris Carter are kinda OK too :^) Giants be hurtin'.

I now say Vikes/Raiders in the S Bowl, and it won't be like '77.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), January 08, 2001.

Good to see a fellow Vikes fan around here, Bemused. Congrats on making it to the Saints game. I'm jealous. Next season the Vikes are scheduled to play the Saints *in* New Orleans and I've already begun planning my trip. ('Naw Lins' is a great place to spend a few days!)

Good analogy with Moss being compared to the high school standout we all remember. The guy's simply incredible. And considering the Giant's less than stellar secondary, I have a feeling he's going to torch 'em again this week.

PS- Can we just not talk about '77 please? And as far as that goes, can we also avoid bringing up '70, '74 & '75 while we're at it. Argh!

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 08, 2001.

The Raider’s game with the Raven’s will be a blue collar smack down for the ages.

The Raider’s will play the game of their lives and survive with a 17- 10 victory.

The Giant’s have some magic going this season and will find a way to beat the Vikes in the Meadowlands.

The Raider’s will destroy the Giant’s in the Superbowl.

-- Barry (bchbear863@cs.com), January 08, 2001.

Cd-

What's the matter with the Giants secondary? As far as I could see, no one was getting open last Sunday, and not too many folks have been open for the last 6 weeks. You underestimate John Fox-a defensive genius. Rather than a war of words we will see on sunday, eh?

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), January 09, 2001.

What's the matter with the Giants secondary?

I don't follow Giants football but, from the sports reports I've read, it's common knowledge that their secondary is their defense's weak link. This from nydailynews.com - "Whatever the Giants' plan, the Vikings represent something of an ultimate test for a defense that had severe coverage problems this season in losing to the likes of the Titans, Rams and Lions." [my bold]

As far as I could see, no one was getting open last Sunday

As I see it, the Eagles are only capable of 2 things offensively. Short passing game and McNabb scrambling. That meant the Giant's front 4 didn't have to look at the run at all. They pass rushed on every play. Because Philly couldn't throw deep, the coverage came up and took away the short pass. Then they put a spy on McNabb and that took away everything they could do. Against the Vikings, they will have to move the safeties back to protect the Moss/Carter deep threat and, considering Robert Smith, the front four will have to play the run much more than they did against Philly.

Rather than a war of words we will see on sunday, eh?

Aw c'mon, FS. Not even just a little bit o' smack-talk before the big game? By the way, looks like your order for bad weather next sunday didn't get processed. Seems the extended forecast is calling for temperatures in the 50s. That's barely sweater-weather my friend.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 09, 2001.

I don't care for the man too much. Hey, he was a damned Hurricane and now a Raven, but that Ray Lewis is one bad SOB. He pretty much single-handedly(sp?) handled the Titans' offense.

If the Jags weren't 38 million over the salary cap..........geez.....

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), January 09, 2001.

Yahoo sports poll

53611 votes since Jan 9 2001 Giants over Raiders 8%

Giants over Ravens 4%

Raiders over Giants 12%

Raiders over Vikings 26%

Ravens over Giants 6%

Ravens over Vikings 10%

Vikings over Raiders 21%

Vikings over Ravens 9%

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 11, 2001.

Just getting this thread warmed up again...being Sunday and all.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 14, 2001.

Superbowl final score:

Raiders 56, Giants 37

-- (thesilverandblackattack@is.back), January 14, 2001.

I'll be cheering for the Raiders this afternoon, my friend. Then, when they win, all bets are off! :-) Good luck!!

-- kirsten (kritter@adelphia.net), January 14, 2001.

CD

My condolences to you. I am a die-hard fan, as I know you are, and I know how hard it must have been for you to watch that game. Good luck in the future to the Vikings.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), January 14, 2001.

Well, at least it wasn't a Hail Mary pass that did them in this time, CD. The Vikes just didn't bother to show up.

It was good to see Harry Carson and Phil McConkey on the sidelines. This Giants defense made the Parcell's-era guys proud.

Is Dilfer the worst QB ever to lead his team into the Super Bowl or what!

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), January 14, 2001.

I would like to revise the revision I made to my earlier prediction. Baltimore, see ya in two weeks. ;-)

Nay nay nay nay, nay nay nay nay....hay hay...

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 14, 2001.

Thanks for the kind words, FutureShock. Very much appreciated. And a congrats to you on your team's well deserved victory today. Sincerely hoping I can tell you the same thing two weeks from today. Once again, thanks for the class post.

Well, at least it wasn't a Hail Mary pass that did them in this time, CD. The Vikes just didn't bother to show up.

Rich- Good point about the game at least not hinging on one of those Hail Mary type endings. (I have a couple bricks in the backyard and I don't think my tv set would have survived another one of those.) Somehow it's a lot easier to deal with losing in a blowout. As far as the Vikes not showing up... Yeah, this definitely wasn't the the same team that stuffed the Saints last week. But I'm afraid that even if they had brought their "A" team to East Rutherford, they still would have been steam-rolled by that Giant juggernaught today.

Off now to cry in my beer...

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), January 14, 2001.