The Show.

This weeks edition: 'Ol time football, karma, Rex and the Jets, All Star Captains and Al Davis. Yeah, he's still alive.

What Up Old School Football - The Bears and Packers are playing in the NFC Championship game this week and I have a strong urge to watch the game on a black and white TV or listen to it on some old wooden radio. These are two huge rivals who go way back, and the best part is that they play the way they've always played. Gritty, nasty, greasy, hard-hitting, freezing cold football. I love complex offenses and trick plays and all that as much as the next guy, but there's really nothing better than two teams, who are bonded only by the field they share and the hate they mutually feel toward one another, just beating the crap out of each other all day. I'm pretty excited. And I'm also picking the Packers, not because they're better but because they were one of preseason Super Bowl picks, so I need something to brag about since the Ravens decided to make me look dumb.

What Up Karma - You've done it again! Since last week's Lebacle featuring #6 in your programs and some number much higher than 6 in your hearts, the Heat have lost 4 straight, including one to the Clippers, who are well below .500 at this point in the year. LeBron was out with an injury for a few of these games and of course you never want to see a guy get hurt, but it's worth mentioning: don't mess with karma. So I guess LeBron was right about one thing. Karma, you are a b****. And I'm not gonna mess with you. Actually, constantly belittling LeBron probably earns me some good karma right?? I can tell you two aren't really buddy buddy right now. The Heat play the Raptors next so that'll probably put an end to the losing streak but who knows? Miracles have happened before.

I heard a story about a guy who, prior to the 2007-2008 NFL season, placed a $400 bet in Vegas saying the Patriots would go undefeated that season and win the Super Bowl. By the Super Bowl, the bet made it's way to $12 million. That's a tough bet to make (and if you read on you'll find out what happened to that bet!), but an even tougher bet would've been to say the Dallas Cowboys would start this year with a 1-4 record. I don't know anyone who would've guessed that, especially considering the majority of people considered the Cowboys a favorite to represent the NFC in this year's Super Bowl. So what exactly is going on in the big D that has the football world scratching its head?

At first glance it's tough to see why the Cowboys are struggling so much so far this season. After all, they're in the leagues top 5 in total offense, (400 YPG - *all stats as of week 6*) total defense (281 YPG) passing (305 YPG) and passing yards against (180 YPG). They seem to be getting production from the places they're expected to get production from, however some key aspects have made all the difference for the struggling Cowboys. Only 5 teams have been penalized more times so far this season (and the Cowboys have only played five games), and the teams turnover margin is -4 - 27th in the league. Compare that to the Jets who have a +11 margin. Needless to say, it's hard for the opposing team to score if they don't have the ball. The team has got to be frustrated because they know that their record is a reflection of their own careless mistakes and missed opportunities. Wide receiver Roy Williams told Sports Illustrated, "We're 4-0. The Dallas Cowboys are 4-0. Our losses are because we beat ourselves. We can't turn the ball over, and make all these mistakes. I'm tired and I'm frustrated, because we're better than what we're doing.'' So while they've had the ability to win many games they've lost, the Cowboys have learned first-hand that little things done wrong add up, and ultimately lead to being unsuccessful. All four losses this year have been by 7 points or less, so it's clear that they've been in every game, but with that being said it's evident - as cliche as it is/sounds - that little mistakes and blown chances can be the difference between a winning and losing record. Between being the team you should be and the team you are.

It's clear that the Cowboys have all the talent a football team could want, so it's certainly conceivable that they could turn things around and maybe even find themselves in the playoff hunt, but it won't be easy at all for them. If they want to make the playoffs they're going to have to win at least eight or their remaining eleven games, but with two against the Giants, two against the Eagles, one against the Colts, one against the Saints and one against the Packers, they had better figure some things out soon or they're going to be hitting up the golf courses early this year instead of playing for the Super Bowl on their home turf like everyone expected them to.

In the midst of all the disappointment and frustration going on in Dallas, they seem to be sticking with what they have. Jerry Jones made it clear that Wade Phillips' job is safe (for now at least) which may not be a popular decision in Dallas but it does tell you that the organization seems to trust their original plan, and they see what they have as being adequate. Speaking of adequate, I (as promised) have to explain what happened with that Patriots bet. Before the Super Bowl the place the man made the bet with told him the bet had been raised from the original $400 to $12 million. They said he could back out before the game and they'd give him $6 million on the spot, or he could stay in and go for the $12 million. Perhaps not seeing the $6 million as adequate or maybe being blinded by the Patriot's overwhelming status as favorites and shoe-in's for the Lombardi Trophy, he stuck in there, going with his original plan (much like the Cowboys are doing now) and ended up -$400. Come to think of it, maybe Dallas shouldn't stick with Wade Phillips...

If you'll all remember a few weeks back for me when the New York Jet played the New England Patriots, you may recall an interaction between two disputing athletes. In case you forgot, it was settled with this:





Making that one-handed catch was ex-Patriot wide receiver Randy Moss, and struggling to catch him was Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. What makes this interesting is the fact that Revis was quoted as calling Moss a "slouch" during the offseason, and with the media being what it is, the match-up was built up and hyped like crazy. After getting beat on the play Revis went out with a hamstring injury, and a lot of people have speculated whether the injury was an excuse or for real. Luckily for those people, answers may come this Monday night as the Vikings and newly acquired wide receiver Randy Moss take on the Jets with recently-healed and expected-to-play Darrelle Revis. Reports this week claim that Revis has been practicing and is expected to play on Monday night in the Meadowlands.

It's as if they were meant to be together. Just as Revis is getting back to full health, Moss gets traded and will immediately test that newly rehabilitated hamstring that he burned just a couple weeks ago. My guess is that Revis is going to have somewhat of a "lingering" pain in the hammy making it hard for him to cover Moss (and make sure to look for extra limping from Revis any time a receiver he's covering makes a catch). I'm putting my money on Moss, and don't be surprised if Revis is on the DL again come Tuesday.