1) The World Cup brings together a pretty awesome collection of people
Soccer fans are fun and a little crazy. Soccer fans who travel to the World Cup are rowdy and pretty much insane. Soccer fans who travel all the way to South Africa for the World Cup? Absolute mayhem. It’s the kind of atmosphere where you love your team and love everyone else around you. You make friends from all over the world – Europe, South America, Australia, America, Mexico…and every person you meet has a crazy story and a fun-loving personality to go with it. Best story we heard? Meet Ian, a quiet British kid staying in a tent outside our hostel. On the way to dinner we’re all talking about our lives, our jobs, where we’re from, etc. A good 45 minutes into the conversation we finally learn that Ian spent the past 365 days biking from England to Cape Town. Yes, biking. Oh and he made a pit stop along the way to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At some point in the Sahara he ran out of water and didn’t think he would make it, until he came across a group of nomads who took him to a Moroccan army base. If that kid doesn’t have a blog I’m quitting. Our other favorite encounter was with some boisterous Germans after Germany vs. Ghana. The story begins with Craig, who has a strange fascination with the German national anthem, and spent a good amount of time coming up with his personal version (part 1). When we ran into these Deutschland fans we immediately begged them to teach Craig the anthem so we wouldn’t have to hear “Volkswageeeen” any longer. They happily agreed (part 2). To complete the cultural exchange they surprised us with a German accented rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame (part 3). Trust me, you want to watch this video.

2) South Africans love their meat
The first word I learned was braai, the Afrikaans term for barbecue. I learned it before I learned how to say “Where’s the bathroom?”, because braai is significantly more important than any essential bodily function. South Africans barbecue an average of three times a week, so all you grill-crazy Americans are officially owned. Factor in that they can barbecue through the winter AND have ostrich, kudu, and all sorts of game available…you can just give up now. We had our braai experience at Mzoli’s outside of Cape Town where you order meat by the pound, wait two hours for it to cook while you drink at the beer garden, and then devour it caveman style.

3) Soccer City owns Cowboys Stadium
Step aside Jerry Jones, Cowboys stadium might be snazzy but nothing beats the aesthetic beauty of Soccer City. You can see the stadium from all over Johannesburg and it catches your breath every time. Designed to look like an African pot, it seats almost 85,000 fans. I’ve never seen anything like it in the US, where all the focus is on giant flat screens and high priced club seats. We watched Germany vs. Ghana here and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.

4) Sharks look like stuffed animals
Seal Island, home to 60,000 Cape Fur Seals, and Dyer Island, home to thousands of African Penguins, form the shallow channel called Shark Alley off the coast of Gansbaai. Shark Alley is home to the highest concentration of Great White sharks in the world…hello Shark Week. We went shark cage diving with Brian McFarland, a shark hunter turned researcher when hunting was outlawed, and it was easily the coolest thing I’ve ever done. The sharks were surprisingly not terrifying at all, and I’m pretty sure it had to do with the complete lack of movement in their eyes (they’re almost blind), so they looked like giant stuffed animals. They were pretty nonthreatening and could have easily bitten off a foot or hand since we were holding on to the cage bars. Here are a couple pics, keep in mind my underwater disposable camera had no zoom…

5) The world is scared of the potential in US soccer
One of my new-found Brazilian friends put it perfectly after the US lost to Ghana: “You Americans use a bazooka to kill a fly.” If the US devotes itself to soccer similar to football, baseball, and basketball, we WILL dominate. The amount of money and athletic talent in this country is unparalleled, and so much of it is wasted in the NBA and NFL funnel. If you take half the kids whose football and basketball careers end in college and put them into soccer from the get-go, America will be at the forefront of the international scene and will internally develop the sport itself to another level. It’s already there at the grassroots level, almost every kid growing up plays soccer for a few years, there’s just no incentive to keep at it. The soccer market needs to grow significantly, and it probably won’t happen after this World Cup. But the US team is only going to get better, they just need some young talent to fill a couple roster holes, and the time will come when Brazil 2014 hits. The entire world knows it, I had countless conversations with people from Europe, South America, Africa, etc. about this topic, and they’re all nervously anticipating the inevitable rise of American soccer.

6) It’s a rude awakening each time you realize how recently apartheid ended
On our way to Soweto we drove by the prison in downtown Johannesburg. Our driver shuddered, “I hate that place. So many bad memories.” We asked why. “I was imprisoned there for a year.” We asked why. He proceeded to tell us a story about his teenage self playing soccer in the park with some friends when cops walked over demanding to see their identity cards, a regulation under apartheid that specified an individual’s racial group. They had left their cards at home so they could play soccer and were thrown into jail. He’s in his early 30s. By far the most jarring part of this trip was the constant realization that apartheid happened in everyone’s lifetime. Every generation has a story to tell and every person has a vivid memory of South Africa 16 years ago. It’s an unsettling experience to talk to someone your age about their memories of the Soweto uprising. We visited the Apartheid Museum and for each date on the wall I could recall how old I was and where I was in my life.

7) Craziest fans – Spain and Brazil
We encountered fans from all 32 World Cup nations, and by my scientific and well-researched standards, the most enthusiastic (i.e. insane) fans were the Brazil and Spain supporters. Brazil is an obvious one, they’re the Yankees/Lakers/Cowboys of soccer. They have (originally bandwagon) fans from all over the world and have the strongest history as the only team to appear in every World Cup and with the most championships. It’s a sheer numbers game, more fans = more crazy people. But then there’s Spain, a team with zero World Cup championships (until now). Maybe it was the very real potential for that first championship that lit a fire under Spain fans, but they were at another level of fandom. We were lucky enough to get caught in the middle of a massive group of Espana fans outside the Spain vs. Portugal match, so I’ll let you see for yourself.

8) South Africans are a lot friendlier than New Yorkers
TIA…This is Africa. It’s a slang term we heard all over, and it basically means “hey, it is what it is, just go with it!” TIA combined with Shakira’s Waka Waka song provides a pretty accurate portrayal of the South African attitude – easygoing with a great sense of humor, and proud of a beautiful culture. Everyone we met was a joy to talk to, and at least half of what I learned came from our random conversations with friendly South Africans who went out of their way to tell us about their lives, experiences, and favorite places to eat. There was our hostel security guard from the Congo who left his studies there when the warfare escalated. He told us to try the ostrich at Nelson’s Eye steakhouse where the owner, a retired surfer, told us about his shark encounters and discussed the differences between soccer and rugby fans. We stopped along the Waterfront for info on a boat cruise, and the captain gave us a full tour while telling stories from his time in the Navy. The waiter at our first restaurant in Joburg practically died of laughter after successfully convincing us there was a 200 Rand minimum per person, and our waiter at Cape Malay gave us free appetizers with the phone number of his best friend who owns a racetrack in San Diego so we could get tickets. We learned about the underground hip-hop scene from the kid working at the Puma store, and our cabbie from the airport showed us his favorite African trance songs. Some Americans we met thought the friendliness was a facade so foreigners would leave with a good impression of South Africa. Call me naive, but I didn’t see anything artificial about it. I saw a desire to finally show the world how far South Africa has come, and genuine pride in the culture and beauty of the country.

9) Ronaldo is the T.O. of soccer
That’s Cristiano Ronaldo, mind you. Felt the need to clarify after a friend got into an angry shouting match with a female Cristiano fan for wearing THE Ronaldo’s jersey. I make the above claim pretty loosely because obviously T.O. is a joke at this point, but in his prime he was the diva of the NFL, and if there’s one word to describe Cristiano Ronaldo it’s diva. For all you people who hate the way soccer players dramatize every trip and scrape, he is the king of acting. Everyone hates him, the entire crowd started booing the first time he dove and clutched his leg at the Portugal vs. Spain match. You could see the look of disgust on Puyol’s face when he helped him up, and I’m pretty sure he whispered in Ronaldo’s ear to cut the crap. Here’s the thing though, the guy is good. There’s a reason he’s considered one of the best players in the world, he’s skilled and he’s lightning fast. Watching it live is even better, he could run circles around the guys out there. I say we get him on a reality show with the NFL’s finest divas. I can just imagine T.O. breaking down into tears when he realizes Ronaldo dresses better than him, “that’s my style!”, or Ronaldo teaching Jay Cutler how to use hair gel and have illegitimate children. Come on MTV make it happen.

10) God Bless America-n fans
Those of you who think US fandom will never extend to soccer are severely underestimating two things: how much Americans love America, and how much Americans love watching America kick booty. When Brazil 2014 comes around and the US team is stronger than ever, we’ll see nationalism at its finest. We were unfortunately in Cape Town for the US vs. Ghana match and couldn’t make it out to Rustenberg. So instead all the Americans staying in hostels across Cape Town rounded up and took over a bar on Long Street. We sang our hearts out for the Star Spangled Banner.

11) Standing on the tip of the African continent makes you feel like Captain Planet
Team Awesome conquers the world. This requires no further explanation.

12) We all need vuvuzela rehab
No they are not annoying and yes they are that fun. It’s an addiction. They’re everywhere and each time you see one the urge kicks in. I know everyone’s dreading it, but I can’t wait to bring all 16 of mine to the Monday Night Jets vs. Pats game. Hey Brady, you thought those cardboard Bridget Moynahan faces were startling? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

13) “Don’t feed the animals” takes on a new meaning in Africa
I came home to a squirrel scampering up a tree, and in my exhausted state I stared at it for a good five minutes waiting for it to transform into a giraffe. American wildlife you failed me. We saw a pretty great assortment of animals between our safari, shark diving expedition, and drive down to Cape Point. It was like watching The Lion King morph with Madagascar.

14) Mandela’s presence is everywhere
The admiration and love South Africans have for Nelson Mandela is omnipresent. You can see it in the Mandela paintings hanging around the city, you can see it in the Mandela exhibit at the Apartheid Museum, and you can hear it in their voices every time they say his name. Our tour guide at Robben Island was an ex-political prisoner who was imprisoned at the same time as Mandela, and hearing him talk about their days on the island while looking into the cell where Mandela lived for 27 years was a powerful and unforgettable experience.

15) South Africa proved the world wrong
Leading up to the World Cup there were doubts raised throughout the media – Will the stadiums be ready? Isn’t it too dangerous? Is the infrastructure strong enough? Is South Africa ready to host the world’s largest sporting event? One month later and South Africa proved the world wrong. There wasn’t a single moment during the entire two weeks of my trip where I felt unsafe or unable to do what I wanted to do.
Technicalities aside, the atmosphere at the first African-hosted World Cup was electrifying. The South African energy was contagious, I wanted to learn the Waka Waka dance the second I saw a mall full of people doing it, and my first purchase was a Bafana Bafana track jacket. People’s faces lit up when we told them how much we loved South Africa, and so many responses were “Come back! There’s so much more to see!” The entire country got behind Ghana once South Africa was eliminated, and literally the only thing that could have put a smile on my face after the US loss was walking out onto Long Street and seeing a mass of people singing “It’s time for Africa!”

A question that was constantly in the back of my mind was how beneficial the World Cup would actually be for South Africa. It without a doubt served the purpose of uniting a country to show the world how amazing South Africa is, and the tourism industry made a killing off the jacked up prices for lodging, transportation, souvenirs, tours, etc. But the money spent on preparing the country was at another level as well, especially considering the lack of future use for new places like Soccer City stadium. The real eye opening experience was our visit to Soweto, an originally black township in Johannesburg with a great deal of history from the anti-apartheid movement. We visited a squatter camp and talked to the children, knowing our money spent went back towards the community. That was probably the only money they saw from the World Cup.

I left South Africa full of thoughts that even a 32 hour itinerary back couldn’t conquer. Going to South Africa for the World Cup was a trip of a lifetime, and I came out with two resolutions:
1) Return to South Africa and see all the things I didn’t get to see
2) Brazil 2014 here I come…

Conspiracy Theory ALERT: HBO is behind it all. LT, Holmes, Jason Taylor, Cromartie…those Hard Knocks producers are drooling. $100 says all of Cromartie’s illegitimate children mysteriously show up at training camp. And it’s not hard to picture the LT vs. Kris Jenkins race to the buffet line (om nom nom nom nom). Or they’ll hire dozens of scam GQ photographers to surround the field so Sanchez and Taylor can scratch (yes scratch) each other to get in front of the camera.

All jokes aside it feels good to experience something that few sports fans can truly appreciate – satisfaction with your front office. Ask any Lions fan, the worst fan experience is to be utterly disgusted with your franchise. Records and Superbowl rings aside, true happiness comes with knowing that your team will do anything and everything it needs to do to win. The Lions aren’t winning a Superbowl anytime soon, but with the devil/He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gone, their fans know that it can only go up from here. Isiah Thomas single-handedly ruined the NBA for me, and it’ll take years (or King James) to bring Knicks fandom back to its 90s stature. So hang in there Raiders fans, or take matters into your own hands and drop Al Davis in Loch Ness where he can be reunited with his next of kin.

Woody Johnson, Mike Tannenbaum, and good ol’ Rex have done a fantastic job of putting together a dangerous Gang Green. Quick breakdown of our offseason moves so far:

• Antonio Cromartie – The Cromartie/Revis pairing is the best in the league. Cromartie gives the Jets the flexibility to switch around matchups, which is what killed us last year against the Colts.
• LT – We essentially got another Thomas Jones for less money. He fits right into a great RB system with Shonn Greene and Leon Washington, so worst case scenario he’s an excellent complement to Greene as a 3rd down back and in passing scenarios.
• Santonio Holmes – Former Superbowl MVP for a 5th rounder? STEAL. Coming off his most productive season, Holmes fills the gaping hole at the #1 receiver spot. Sanchez finally has a solid receiving corps to boost our passing game.
• Jason Taylor – From a purely performance perspective, he’ll obviously be good to take some snaps from Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas, and Vernon Gholston can learn from an experienced player. But let’s face it, the dude hates us and we hate him. He doesn’t want to play for the Jets, he expressed his desire to stay in Miami, and he’ll have a lot to prove when he puts on that uniform. I understand we’re a business at the end of the day and we need to take what we can get to win, but there’s a mutual hatred between Taylor and Jet nation that needs to be remedied, starting with him. Get over yourself. You’re a Jet now and it’s time you embraced the team and its fans.

So how will the Jets fare next season? The schedule’s out and I’m calling a 10-6 season to take the AFC East:

Week 1 – W vs. Baltimore
Week 2 – L vs. New England
Week 3 – L @ Miami
Week 4 – W @ Buffalo
Week 5 – L vs. Minnesota
Week 6 – W @ Denver
Week 7 – BYE
Week 8 – L vs. Green Bay
Week 9 – W @ Detroit
Week 10 – W @ Cleveland
Week 11 – W vs. Houston
Week 12 – L vs. Cincinnati
Week 13 – W @ New England
Week 14 – W vs. Miami
Week 15 – W @ Pittsburgh
Week 16 – L @ Chicago
Week 17 – W vs. Buffalo

Cheers!

Now Tim Duncan is a pretty expressive person, and his faces range from tragically pathetic…

…to frighteningly enraged

But neither holds a candle to THE face. I’m talking about the I-just-fouled-but-I-totally-didn’t-deserve-that, C’mon-ref-pleeeeease, Look-at-how-sad-I-am, I’ll-do-my-best-Little-Foot-Land-Before-Time-impression-to-show-you-how-upset-I-am Tim Duncan face. You can see it every single time he fouls, his pleading brontosaurus-esque face towering over the ref. But I have yet to see a picture that truly embodies this mixing pot of emotions.

Find the face and I’ll devote an entire post to you (best prize ever. I know.)

Create the face here and you can guest write a post (WOW.)

The TRUE Defensive Player of the Year.

Jets over Bengals
From an objective perspective this game is a complete mystery to me, since I don’t think last week’s game is any sort of window to the way these teams will match up. Revis is going to shut down Ocho, so it’ll really come down to Benson versus our run D and how many interceptions Sanchez is allowed to throw. I do think the Jets D will frustrate Palmer in the pocket and force some mistakes. It’ll be a close one but I’m taking the J-E-T-S!

Ravens over Pats
Wes Welker out is a huge blow to the Pats offense. I recall a time early in the regular season when the Pats were a dazed and confused team, which also happened to be the time Welker was out. Edelman is decent, but without Welker and a perfectly healthy Brady the Pats aren’t in the position they need to be in. I’ve been disappointed with the Ravens D, but Ed Reed is back and ready to dominate.

Packers over Arizona
Arizona always does well in the postseason, but I have a lot of faith in the Packers. Their game has improved tremendously the second half of the season and they have the potential to take it all the way. Aaron Rodgers may be a rookie but he’s waited a lot of years for this moment and he’s not going to let Arizona get in the way of meeting the Vikings in the playoffs.

Me in muppet form:

I get it. We got lucky. The Ravens, Broncos, Dolphins, Titans, AND Jaguars lost. The Colts controversially decided to forgo a perfect season. The Bengals sat some of their starters, but that really doesn’t explain the massacre that was last night’s game. So yes, we entered the playoffs through the backdoor, but you know what? We deserve it. Now before you lambast me for being an obnoxious and arrogant Jets fan, here are a couple of interesting stats. Numbers don’t lie.

The Jets lead the league in
- Points allowed
- Points allowed per game
- Rushing yards
- Rushing yards per game
- Total yards allowed
- Total yards allowed per game
- Passing yards allowed
- Passing yards allowed per game
- Total first downs allowed
- Passing first downs allowed
- Third down conversions allowed
- Rushing first downs
- Fourth down conversion percentage
- Passing completion percentage allowed
- Yards per pass attempt allowed
- Passing touchdowns allowed

The Jets are top 5 in
- Rushing touchdowns
- Yards per rush attempt
- Yards per rush attempt allowed
- Average yards per reception allowed
- Average yards per kickoff return
- Punt return yards

The Jets are top 10 in
- Rushing yards allowed
- Rushing yards allowed per game

It’s indisputable that the Jets D has dominated this year, and the fantastic O-line has paved the way for a Leon Washington-less running game that also clearly dominated. So although the Jets barely slid into the playoffs, they deserve to be there.

PLAYOFFS BABY.

Now that we’re less than four weeks away from the end of the season it’s time to reassess what I’m coining the “wack factor”. (Please note the lack of an “h”, thus this is derived from “wacky”, not “whack”.) Football-wise I’d rate this season a mere 4/10, with points mostly attributed to the Bengals and Saints. Here’s a look at the current first place teams: Cowboys, Vikes, Saints, Cards, Pats, Bengals, Colts, Chargers. Nothing completely mind-blowing and not a lot of major turnaround from preseason predictions. Even the Bengals aren’t that huge of a surprise with their strong finish last year and Palmer back in the game.

Wack Factor Power Rankings*:
1. Bengals
2. Saints
3. Cowboys
4. Vikes
5. Colts
6. Pats
7. Cards
8. Chargers
*- Division leaders ranked by level of wackiness, determined mostly by variation from preseason favorites.

So yes, standings-wise there’s nothing completely out of the ordinary. But standings alone don’t put us on the edge of our seats every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. The day after the SuperBowl isn’t the most depressing day of the year because of a couple stats. This is the NFL! Roger Goodell can regulate QB hits all he wants but he can’t contain the insanity these guys bring every season. So how does this year’s wack factor rate on those unmeasurable elements that make this the best five months of the year?

- Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila. ‘Nuff said.
- Ochocinco stages a Lambeau Leap.
- Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick brings T.O. back to Fantasy life.
- Brett Favre is back (again) and somehow gives the green light for this Sears commercial.
- Detroit wins a game!
- Belichick makes a universally bad call.
- Vick signs with the Eagles amidst controversy, and soon becomes irrelevant. The Eagles might as well hand him over to PETA at this point.
- Jerry Jones accuses punters of actively trying to hit the giant screens at the top of his brand spanking new stadium.
- Jim Zorn still has a job, but is slowly being relegated to Queen of England status. Hey Jim, keep looking pretty(?) on the sidelines while we handle the play calling over here!
- Troy Polamalu is frighteningly good. Equally frightening is the impact of losing him on the Steelers D.
- The Titans go from 0-6 to win five in a row. Welcome back to the NFL Vince Young.
- Jeff Fisher dons a Colts jersey during the 0-6 run. Too soon man, too soon.
- Everyone and their mother becomes a part-owner of the Dolphins.
- The T.O. Show is just as awful as it sounds.
- Athletes on Twitter trump the Associated Press in breaking news.
- Detroit wins 2 games!

Overall wack factor? 7/10. And it’ll just keep getting better.

On to predictions! A good amount of the division races are pretty much decided, so it’s time for a little extra effort on my part. Playoff predictions included below!

NFC East: EAGLES
This is based purely on schedule. Eagles have the Falcons, Giants, Niners, Broncos, Cowboys and I think they’ll go at least 4-1. Cowboys have the Giants, Chargers, Saints, Redskins, Eagles and I don’t see them doing better than 3-2. It’ll be a close call, depending on who wins their matchup, and I’m going with the Eagles on this.

NFC West: NINERS
Yeah it’s a huge stretch, but I think it could and will happen. With Warner probably out the Cards take a huge hit offensively. They have the Vikes, Niners, Lions, Rams, and Packers. I can see them going 2-3 at best, and could possibly lose to the Lions as well. The Niners have the Seahawks, Cards, Eagles, Lions, and Rams. I think they’ll go 4-1 and beat the Cards on a tiebreaker.

NFC North: VIKINGS
This is essentially a lock. Green Bay is three games back and the Vikes have an easier schedule.

NFC South: SAINTS
Obviously a lock. Also, this team is impossible not to like, especially if you’re an AFC fan. Rock on Saints!

AFC East: PATS
Miami could potentially make this a race, especially with the Pats and their abhorrent road record playing three away games. But Miami has a tougher schedule and I don’t see them catching up.

AFC West: BRONCOS
Broncos take on the Chiefs, Colts, Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs again. They’ll go at least 3-2, and I could see them going 4-2 with a win against the Eagles. The Chargers have the Browns, Cowboys, Bengals, Titans, and Redskins. I think they could go 2-3 with both the Cowboys and Titans being road games. Obviously this pick is a stretch, especially since the Chargers win the tiebreaker here, but that’s what picks are for!

AFC North: BENGALS
Time for my told-ya-so gloating. Called it! The Bengals have proven to be dominant in a tough division, and their easy enough schedule will coast them to the division title.

AFC South: COLTS
Crazy I know. I’m such a gambler.

Wildcard Round
NFC
Niners over Cowboys
Packers over Eagles
AFC
Broncos over Chargers
Ravens over Pats

Divisional Round
NFC
Saints over Niners
Green Bay over Vikings
AFC
Colts over Broncos
Ravens over Bengals

Conference Championships
Green Bay over Saints
Colts over Ravens

Superbowl
Colts over Green Bay

So it’s the 5th week of the NFL season, and while it’s certainly been a wacky year already, not much has changed. Yes some teams predicted to finish second may now have jumped to first, but really nothing dumbfounding has happened. Come on Lions, you should be 4-0 at this point! Fear not though, I have complete faith in the utter ridiculousness of the NFL, and something outrageous like the Cardinals going to the SuperBowl will happen this year (oh wait…)

NFC East: GIANTS
It’s pretty obvious that the Giants are one of, if not the, strongest team in the NFL right now. Sadly my earlier pick of the Eagles was yanked away with the usual Westbrook injury and a not-that-usual-but-still-somewhat-usual McNabb injury. I’m not giving up hope on the Eagles and I still think they have a shot at the division, it’s just impossible to not pick the Giants here. Oh and plantar fasciitis sounds like a tapeworm to me, so I’m going to pretend that Eli will be fine instead of trying to figure out what that means.

NFC West: NINERS
Ha! Y’all made fun of me but it’s clear now that I’m awesome (and right). Under normal circumstances they might have dropped out of my predictions with the Gore injury, but we’re talking about the NFC West here. It’s essentially a UFL division thrown in with the big dogs for our personal amusement. The Niners D looks pretty money, and now that Crabtree has resigned from diva status, they’re absolutely going to take this. Sorry Seahawks, maybe next year you can convince your players the field is more fun than the infirmary. Oh and remember when the Rams became this year’s Lions? Ouch.

NFC North: VIKINGS
I don’t understand why people are suddenly OK with Brett Favre now that he’s playing well. We always knew he’s a great player, he just completely sucks as person. His glove-less hands crushed a town that devoted its entire existence to him, AND THEN HE WENT TO THE VIKINGS!!! COME ON! Anyway, the Packers have some serious O-line issues that are preventing the potential offensive powerhouse to even begin to reach its full potential. The Vikes look pretty great on all sides, I think they’re overhyped, but they’ll win this.

NFC South: FALCONS
I stayed with the Falcons for two reasons: I still really love this team, and one of the favorites needs to fall and I think the Saints will be it. The Saints have a much tougher schedule ahead than what they’ve beat so far, and I think the Falcons will regain their footing after their loss to the Pats in time to beat out the Saints for the division title.

AFC East: PATS
Surprised? Take it from a Jets fan, we are NOT that good. The Saints game put our weak offense on display and unfortunately our defense can’t win all the games. Our D dominated the Pats, but their offense is far far superior, especially now that Wes Welker is back. Obviously I pray that I’m wrong, but I’d be very surprised if we finished at the top. Side note: Apparently the Jets don’t feel like participating in next year’s draft. Braylon Edwards? Ugh.

AFC West: BRONCOS
What a turnaround for this defense. Never thought I’d pick up the Broncos D/ST in fantasy, but weirder things have happened! Before the Steelers/Chargers game I might have still picked the Chargers, but that game was a complete blowout until the end. Kyle Orton, you may be ugly but you’re proving to be a lot better than we expected.

AFC North: BENGALS
Don’t worry I’m laughing just as hard as you are. This is my wacky pick in hopes that this will actually happen. Come on NFL, we need to prove how ridiculous you really are! In all seriousness, the Bengals D has been money and Carson Palmer looks decent. And let’s give Ocho a little love for staging a Lambeau leap (love it). The Ravens will probably win this, great team and its offense is shaping up to be almost as dominant as its defense. But hey who doesn’t want to see Ocho mouth off in the playoffs?

AFC South: COLTS
Peyton is the man. I think this is the strongest team in the league right now (with the Giants in close second). And do you really see them losing the division to the Jags, Texans, or Titans?

But what about the flip side? If a woman is a strong enough athlete to be competitive in a male environment, what’s wrong with her competing against men? When kids play in rec and travel leagues, age groups follow the format of 16 and under, 14 and under, etc. Older kids have a physical advantage so they compete in their own leagues, but younger kids who are talented enough are allowed to move up to older leagues. It seems to me like this mentality could work with coed sports. If a woman can compete with top men in sports like tennis, basketball, and even track, then why shouldn’t she be allowed to? The controversy over Semenya brings to light an issue that could come to the forefront of sports, and considering how poorly this situation has been handled, it’ll be interesting to see how athletic associations deal with gender issues in the future when the lines are blurred.