Back to Football: Week Sixteen Unexpected Upsets

This was a bad week for me, starting with a Thursday Night Mistake. On Saturday, I went in to my local bar to get some advice from waitron N, who actually pays attention to football things. He convinced me to change my picks to go with San Diego and Indianapolis as additional upsets, but I wasn't convinced about Houston or Cincinnati. I nearly picked Kansas City too, but the change never got recorded in my spreadsheet. I must have gotten cold feed without remembering, because on Sunday, I thought I had picked them. It is the difference between 44% and 38% this week, so I'm going with the spreadsheet, unless someone presses me on it.

Hoo doggies was that San Francisco, San Diego game frustrating. Though the looks on Harbaugh and Kaepernick's faces - what do you mean we don't get to win this game by playing crappy football and getting lucky? - were pretty amusing in the end. But in during the game, I started wondering if N wasn't messing with me, cuz he knows that I'm keeping track and my all-too-valuable pride was on the line.  Anyway, it was alright - the Bolts came back and won in overtime. Now I'm wondering if SF should really be my second favorite team, but everything could change with a new coach next year.

Cut to Monday night, pretend other games didn't happen (WTF, Colts?) and we have N's "feeling" that Cincinnati would win. Listening to this game on the radio while en route to Little Rock, then watching the end at my motel, it seems like one of the most memorable games in Cincinnati Bengals history - certainly recent history, or this season, I have no idea because I don't really pay attention. It's always more exciting when your team needs the win to stay in the playoffs. It's a lot more special when you play a team that already clinched a spot in the playoffs, and was about to secure a first round bye. Make it a high scoring game and toss in some uncomfortable weather, and fans will always remember "where they were when..." So this week, N's feelings got 63% to my 38/44%. Paying attention FTW, I guess.