NFL Conference Championships

Sunday, Jan. 21

NFC: New Orleans at Chicago 3:00 pm ET

AFC: New England at Indianapolis 6:30 pm ET
[Edited 1/17/07 15:11pm]

Conference championships this weekend.

Man, I hope that the Saints can pull off the win in Chi-town....it seems that the weather is going to be rough, but it'll be rough on both teams....hopefully, it'll work out for the boys and we can shake the "No Super Bowl" monkey.....

...for me, it'll be the Saints and Colts....Peyton plays against his Dad's old team.....quaint, huh??

Money Time

NFL players on Wild-card winning teams received $19,000 for their wild-card victory. Wild-card runner-up players received $17,000 each.

Each NFL player win or lose received $19,000 for playing in the divisional playoff games.

NFL players will receive $37,000 each for participating in the Conference Championship games.

The Super Bowl XLI runner-up will receive $38,000 each. Super Bowl winner players will receive $73,000 each.

Colts vs. Patriots is Indy's dream or nightmare come true


INDIANAPOLIS - Coach Tony Dungy calls the Indianapolis Colts' showdown with the New England Patriots "poetic justice."

That's the eloquent, optimistic way of looking at it. Typical Dungy.

If the Colts beat the Patriots on Sunday night in the RCA Dome and reach Super Bowl XLI in Miami, poetic justice will indeed be served. The Colts shed years of frustration and the Pats' postseason grip for good. A win would also knock a 500-pound, still-growing monkey named "The Big One" off Peyton Manning's back.

In other words, it's fitting the Colts must beat the three-time Super Bowl champs and arch-rivals to reach the NFL's ultimate stage.

But what of the other possibility? If the Colts lose to the Patriots, poetic justice becomes a cruel joke and the most devastating turn of events for any franchise since Steve Bartman tried to take home a souvenir baseball.

If the Patriots win again, Indianapolis shuts down for the next six months.

Not the team, the city.

"Historically, we've had our problems with New England in the playoffs," Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said.

That's one way to put it. Another way would be to say the Patriots dissected and humiliated the Colts in the playoffs two out of the last three seasons.

Another way would be to say that Colts represent the flashiest, prettiest, most heavily promoted team the Patriots stepped on en route to two of their three Super Bowl titles.

Still another way would be to say the Colts' ineffectiveness under pressure in Foxboro, Mass., helped make Tom Brady and Bill Belichick the icons they are today: Brady as the best clutch quarterback since Joe Montana and Belichick as the hooded sweatshirt-wearing NFL chess master.

To their credit, the Colts don't shy away from the facts. Then again, they don't have any choice.

"We all felt in our heart of hearts we'd see New England at some point in the playoffs," Dungy said. "For us to get to where we want to go, we'll have to beat them and it's probably poetic justice."

Dungy faced more than 70 reporters Wednesday in a media session that also included Colts defensive players Freeney, Cato June and Nick Harper and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Manning was conspicuous by his absence. He usually addresses the media every Wednesday - win, lose or Ty Law. But when the NFL dictated that Manning must be available on Friday, when media frenzy reaches its climax, the Colts decided Friday will be his only official meeting with the media all week.

So Manning has yet to address the pressing questions:

_Why does Brady have three rings, but you have none?

_Why did the Colts offense disappear like Ricky Martin's career in the last two playoff games against the Patriots?

_Is Sprint really better than Verizon?

Manning has thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in his last two playoff games against New England (a 24-14 loss in the AFC Championship game after the 2003 season and a 20-3 loss in the divisional stage after the 2004 season). He also has one TD and five picks in this playoff run. While Manning has directed the Colts to consecutive regular-season wins over the Pats, it's a memorable playoff triumph that's missing from an otherwise Hall of Fame resume.

"I think the same thing's at stake for him as for all of us," Dungy said. "We have a group here that hasn't been to the Super Bowl. We'd like to get there. We're one step away. If we play well, we can get there."

Vinatieri spent 10 years with the Patriots - kicking two Super Bowl-winning field goals - so he might have the best insight into the psychology behind the Patriots' playoff edge.

We won't be hearing that insight, however. While Vinatieri is pleasant and accommodating, he's also careful enough with his words to have a future in politics. Hey, I'd vote for the guy. He's money under pressure. But don't count on him for any sort of illuminating analysis.

Actually, he fits in well with the Colts in that regard.

"It's going to be a hard game," Vinatieri said. "If they play better than us, they'll win. If we play better than them, we'll win. It's one of those situations where their past success in the playoffs or our past success the past two seasons means nothing. It's the team that goes out there and plays the best that will win."

Perhaps poetic justice will prevail in the extreme, with Manning directing a long drive with time running out, culminating with ex-Patriot Vinatieri trotting out to kick the game winning-field goal.

How would that be for irony - to have the Colts finally beat the Patriots using one of New England's all-time favorite players?

"Vinatieri's Revenge" is a common fantasy among fans in Indianapolis these days.

They try not to think about another possible kick - the vicious one in the gut that would accompany another loss to the Patriots.

Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck played last 8 games with broken fingers



By GREGG BELL, AP Sports Writer January 17, 2007

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck revealed Monday that he played the final eight games of Seattle's season with broken fingers on his non-passing hand.

Hasselbeck said he sustained non-displaced fractures of two fingers on his left hand during a win against Green Bay on Nov. 27. That was his first game back following a four-week absence from a sprained knee.

"It wasn't fun," Hasselbeck said while he and his teammates cleaned out their lockers upon returning from Sunday's overtime loss at Chicago in the NFC divisional playoffs.

"You appreciate what your teammates go through," he said, "because I know there were guys on our team who had the same injury who didn't get the attention or sympathy that I got."

Earlier this month, Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell acknowledged that Hasselbeck's hand bothered him on snaps and when he's hit.

On Sunday against the Bears, Hasselbeck was hit from behind following a throw early in the game and held his hand while in obvious pain. On fourth-and-1 with Seattle in Chicago territory and two minutes left in regulation, Hasselbeck bobbled the snap. That ruined the timing on Shaun Alexander's run, resulting in a 2-yard loss and leading to overtime.

Coach Mike Holmgren said the hand injury wasn't the reason Hasselbeck bobbled the snap. The center snapped the ball late.

"I love Chris Spencer ... (but) he held the ball and everyone else moved," Holmgren said. "It was like, `On one.' And he snapped it on 'two.'

"Actually, we could have been called for a procedure penalty. Of all the times I've moaned about calls that they've made against us, I wish they would have made that call."

Hasselbeck finished the season with 18 interceptions in 14 games, after throwing just nine in 16 games last season -- which ended with the eight-year veteran starting the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.

He played the final seven weeks of this season with a glove over a compression wrap and later tape on his left hand. He and the Seahawks remained coy on whether the hand was bruised or broken, and whether it bothered him during games.

But Monday, Holmgren said he thought the injuries were part of Hasselbeck's inconsistency.

"I think that was part of it," he said.

Best of luck! To the New Orleans Saints.
Remember to keep the pressure on Rex.

july said:

I believe those numbers are not as much as the other sports.

lilgish said:

This not about other sports. It's great for some players who are not signed to long term contracts. These are just bonus money.
It's more of a tradition. No one has yet to refused the bonus funds. Each team has like 52 players. So it adds up.

july said:

AnckSuNamun said:

I hope indy wins today...

what time does the first game start today?

It was 16 to 7 bears. The Saints had three turnovers.

But Reggie Bush ran almost the whole field to make it.

Saints 14 Bears 16. 3rd Quarter.

Ooh it's gettin wild. Bears punting! Go Saints!

It's starting to snow in Chicago. It's going down to the wire. Come on Saints!

Im jealous of Thomas Jones' guns. Im about to get my pump on. Lets go BEARS!

july said:

"Unnecessary roughness"!

lilgish said:

"Me too" !

Well, the Saint's ain't scoring. I think it might be the weather. Saints have not seen these conditions. Snowing like a mug in Chicago.
It was cold when we played um. But we played um better. It went to overtime. This game is Bears 32 Saints 14.

Next game Patriots At Indianapolis.

AnckSuNamun said:

I know i'm late.. hadn't been here in a while.

News Ticker: Dit dit dit dit dit dit...
Reporter: "This just in, T.O. and Romo have been invited to New Yorks Times Square 2008 New Year's Eve Celebration to.. Get this.., drop the ball".

july said:

Too many mental mistakes.

StarMon said:

StarMon said:

Yeah and clenched cleats.

Well, over to CBS and the big Patriots and Colts Showdown.
(Hell, if I'm gonna watch them give the bears our NFC championship trophy)

CONGRATS BEARS FANS! I'm really happy for Lovey Smith. He's been around for a good minute.

I'll take the Colts in the next game. It'll be to have a couple of old school teams in the SB.

babynoz said:

I was pulling for the Saint's, but it is what it is. CONGRATULATIONS TO DA' BEARS. Just don't start that Superbowl shuffle shit.

THIS IS.. WHAT IT DO