The Weak Ender

Have you ever wondered why they didn't let Junior Seau judge for Chargers Girls tryouts?

WHAT PATRIOTS MYSTIQUE?

Do the Chargers really have a chance this weekend with Marty's history of failure and Philip Rivers inexperience? Will they be able to beat the Patriots led by the inventor of pro football, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady?

Yes. Yes, they will.

You remember that the Patriots lost to the Denver Broncos in the playoffs last year, right? The Broncos led by Jake Plummer. The guy who was benched in favor of a rookie during the playoff stretch. The Chargers have a much better team than last year's Broncos and present a bigger challenge offensively. That Patriots mystique will finally be put to rest on Sunday.

But we will always have the 2001 playoffs, Tommy.

• Enough about Philip Rivers inexperience. It is way overrated. Just look at the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks over the past couple of years: Kurt Warner, Trent Dilfer, Tom Brady, Brad Johnson and Ben Roethlisberger. (And don't bring up the 2004 AFC Championship Game. That was a much better Patriots defense with Rodney Harrison back there.)
  

• Would your average Baltimore fan rather have a victory over the Colts this week or another Super Bowl? Well, other than both, you have to figure that a victory over the Colts would mean more. Ask John Elway if Baltimore fans hold grudges.

• Some Indianapolis Colts fans are suggesting that Baltimore fans don�t have room to talk because the Raven franchise came from Cleveland. And that�s true. But the Browns logos, marks and records were left in Cleveland. (After a court battle.) The Colts should have done the same.

• The ghost of Johnny Unitas will haunt Peyton Manning this weekend.

• Your upset of the week: Seattle will beat Chicago. It defies all logic, but the Seahawks will win this game. The Bears haven't won a home playoff game since the Red Grange era.

• The winner of the Saints v. Eagles game should be able to walk to the Super Bowl next week. Pity the Eagles. Remember what the Saints did to the Falcons in their return game to the Super Dome? Imagine that atmosphere combined with a playoff intensity. This can't end well for the Eagles.

• Thank you to the New York Giants organization for keeping Tom Coughlin around for another season. It is as if the Giants are just trying to spite Eli Messiah. Not that anybody minds.
  

• The Dodgers are going to have an all-you-can-eat buffet in the right field pavilion. Does that mean no more Fight Club? The Dodgers must want their fans too fat to fight.
  

• Speaking of fat people who like to take swings, can somebody explain how Cal Ripken got more Hall of Fame votes than Tony Gwynn? Didn't Ripken seem like a borderline Hall of Fame player? He showed up for work everyday, neat. Does that get you into the Hall of Fame?
  

AND FINALLY
The most appalling thing about the Barry Bonds isn't that he lied about using drugs (again) or that he threw a teammate under the bus so badly that even Kobe Bryant was ashamed. No, the worst part of this story is that Bonds takes amphetamines and he is still that lazy in the outfield.

The irony of Bonds turning on Sweeney? Bonds' trainer is sitting in jail because he is not a squealer.