Poor Richard's Scorecard

You Can Keep Your Clever Anheuser-Busch Marketing; Just Give Me a Good Game

Does it make me mature or just cranky that I don't give a damn about the commercials that will air today, I just want to see a good game? As noted previously, the league's two best teams are here, so that shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

For Indy and Nola, a Victory of Talent Over Hype

In the Colts and the Saints, football has the Super Bowl match-up it deserves. The obvious best team in each conference has advanced to the championship game. The winner can be seen legitimately as football's best team this season.

From a storyline perspective, though, I suspect a lot of folks--especially our friends in the media--were pulling for Sunday's losers.  Brett Favre may be an exasperating narcissist, but he makes for copy. And the Jets, well coached by Buddy Ryan's son (!) and quarterbacked by a charming, good-looking rookie, would have been the underdog you just couldn't help but root for.

In the Colts and the Saints, football has the Super Bowl match-up it deserves. The obvious best team in each conference has advanced to the championship game. The winner can be seen legitimately as football's best team this season.

From a storyline perspective, though, I suspect a lot of folks--especially our friends in the media--were pulling for Sunday's losers.  Brett Favre may be an exasperating narcissist, but he makes for copy. And the Jets, well coached by Buddy Ryan's son (!) and quarterbacked by a charming, good-looking rookie, would have been the underdog you just couldn't help but root for.

Phodder: 'Who's the Teacher?,' Coming Soon to a Philadelphia Classroom

Pardon me for not getting overly excited about the Phillies' new draftees; the window on these guys is so long and the requisite breaks so numerous that it's simply easier to wait and see. ... Oh, goody: Philadelphia will host six of the next nine Army-Navy games, ensuring that even if the Eagles are lousy, crappy football will continue to be played at Lincoln Financial Field in December for years to come. ... Pity Pennsylvania's poor, poor Democratic establishment, scared shitless that Congressman Joe Sestak might actually wage a senatorial primary campaign against new D Arlen Specter. It's called democracy, guys: We don't anoint our leaders, we elect them. ... Because, y'know, Philadelphia doesn't have its share of meatheads roaming the streets, Tony Danza is said to be interested in teaching school here as part of a reality television show. No, really. ... The Eagles now have 5.3 million more reasons not to bench Donovan McMabb over the next two seasons. Hope Kevin Kolb doesn't get too many calluses holding that clipboard. | PRS

Phodder, a collection of brief thoughts regarding some of the week's happenings in and around Philadelphia, appears Saturdays in Poor Richard's Scorecard.

At Least Wearing His Eagles Jammies to Bed Doesn't Cost the City Anything

So Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has temporarily changed his last name to Steelerstahl in support of the Steelers' push to reach the Super Bowl, which they can do by beating the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. A similar option is, of course, unavailable to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, since the city is in such an abysmal fiscal situation that it would be unable to afford the administrative fee the court would charge to enact the change. Here's hoping the mayor dug into his own pocket to buy the Eagles baseball cap I've seen him in lately. | PRS