Wild Card Weekend is almost upon us. No, I’m not talking about SUICIDE KINGS this time — although this weekend would be a great opportunity to go out and buy it — but about the NFL.

The Giants are out, but the Jets are still in it (it’s good to have two teams), travelling to Cincinnati for a rematch with the Bengals. Needless to say, I’ll be pulling hard for this game to turn out the same way as the last one. Cincy will be playing all their starters this time, so I expect the game will be closer, but I do think the Jets have an excellent chance of winning again and advancing to the next round. Let’s Go Jets!

That’s the game that matters most to me, of course… but it’s no fun watching a football game unless you care about the outcome, so I’ll be rooting for certain teams and against others in the other three wild card games as well.

I hate Evil Little Bill, so of course I will be cheering for the Ravens to upset the Patriots and eliminate them from this year’s tournament. I have mixed feelings about the Ravens themselves. I don’t much like Ray Lewis, but I’ve always been fond of Bawlmer, and of course I am an Edgar Allen Poe fan. But I’d cheer for almost anyone against the Vile BB.

I also hate the Philadelphia Eagles, but not as much as I hate the Dallas Cowboys, so I guess I have to cheer on Donovan McNabb and company. If the Cowboys get eliminated, extending their long drought of playoff victories, Jerry Jones will probably fire Wade Phillips and the Cowboys will start all over with a new coach, which always causes a certain amount of chaos.

So here’s hoping the Eagles win. (Then next week I can cheer for someone else to beat them).

In the Arizona – Green Bay game, my feelings are mixed. I think Green Bay treated Brett Favre shabbily; but then, I’m more a “loyalty” guy than one of those “it’s a business” guys. On the other hand, I love the Green Bay fans, the history and tradition, and the fact that the team is publically owned, rather than being the personal plaything of some asswipe billionaire like Jerry Jones. (More teams should be publically owned). On the Cardinals side, I like Kurt Warner, who was a class act when he was with the Giants, as a mentor to Eli. But I don’t like the Bidwells, or the fact that the Cardinals still refuse to give up the championship they stole from the Pottsville Maroons. Tough call… but Pottsville takes it. May the curse endure. Go Packers!

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Various sources are reporting the Pepper Johnson might be a candidate for the defensive coordinator opening on the Giants, created when Bill Sheridan was released.

That would be a risk, maybe — Pepper doesn’t have the experience of most of the other candidates — but it’s one I’d be glad to take. I have fond memories of Pepper from his days in the Giants defense of the late 80s and early 90s. He was always a fiery competition, a real leader, and the Giants defense desperately needs some fire right now. The last thing we want is another Xs and Os guy like Sheridan. Pepper has never been a coordinator… but neither had Steve Spagnuolo until Coughlin hired him, and Spags was great.

Other reported contenders include Dick Jauron, Romeo Crennel, Percy Fewell, Bob Sutton, and George Edwards. Some of them might be okay… but if it was me, I’d go for Pepper.

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