After missing a 34-yard field goal that cost the Packers a victory at Pittsburgh, Brett Favre has found a new friend in the Packers' placekicker, because with this loss, the Minnesota Vikings are NFC North Champions. Crosby had a chance to eliminate the Super Bowl champions from the playoffs, and he became the goat, leading to the Steelers' 37-36 win. Mason Crosby just gave Brett Favre a great holiday gift of an NFC North title. Memo to Ted Thompson: why don't you give Mr. Crosby a nice Christmas present: getting cut and never come back to Lambeau Field. Every Vikings fan is happy for Crosby's failure, and if Minnesota does win the Super Bowl, Viking ownership could give a share of the winnings to Mason Crosby, whose missed field goal tonight gave Brett Favre the division championship. Also, Brett Favre can thank Jarrett Bush for his failures, too. Brett Favre must be gloating right now, thanks to the brain cramps of Mason Crosby and Jarrett Bush. And Brad Childress may give Christmas presents to Crosby and Bush for giving them the division crown even before they play the Panthers tonight.

http://www.bangcartoon.com/2008/perfect.htm

If you think this video is funny, then you want General Motors to close down, laugh at Detroit's high dropout  and homicide rates , Mayor Kilpatrick's troubles and October 31st.

Nobody ever made fun of the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14).

Nobody made fun of the 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1).

Nobody ever made fun of the 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1).

Nobody ever made fun of the 1943 Steagles (0-11, team made up of Eagles and Steelers during WWII).

I looked at this video, and it is a slap in the face to the team, the people of Detroit and to the Lions organization.

I think the Ford family should see this and tell Bang Cartoons to take this repulsive cartoon off immediately.

I listened to the Irish-Rutgers game tonight on 89 WLS (Chicago) while walking to Canonsburg (I live in Canonsburg, PA, 20 miles south of Pittsburgh), and when the Knights were closing in on tying the Irish, Jack Nolan (voice of the Fighting Irish) said Mike Rosario was the best free throw shooter in the Big East. And LaPhonso Ellis told Jack to say 'He doesn't miss free throws' 3 times. Guess what? Rosario missed a free throw! And Notre Dame won tonight! Jack Nolan and LaPhonso Ellis: lifetime members of the Leprechaun Legion! They were there for all 45 wins during the win streak at the JACC, now they help ND win a key game so they can make it to the NCAAs! Well done, fellas!

Also, LaPhonso's record of most double-doubles by a Notre Dame player might soon be history. LaPhonso has 56 double-doubles. Luke Harangody is closing in on the record. By the way, Jordan Cornette (who filled in for LaPhonso on the ND radio broadcasts against WVU and Providence) replaced #20 as the all-time leading shot-blocker in Irish history, he did it in his last game, March 2005, in their NIT loss to Holy Cross.

Notre Dame basketball on the radio...Everyone's Irish, even the announcers!

Go Irish, beat UConn.

Just want to tell everyone at ROTB that the 2008 National Football Conference champs return back to PHX today at 4 pm eastern/ 2 pm local time as their plane will return to Sky Harbor International Airport. Question: Will anyone be there to welcome the Cards home? Also: Will there be a post-game celebration at University of Phoenix Stadium later on tonight? Here in Pittsburgh, I am not going to listen to the Steelers championship parade. KTAR Radio (by way of Internet) thinks Pittsburgh plays too rough. And NBC's John Madden said it! Hope the Suns can turn it around, hope Gretzky can guide the Coyotes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and hope the D-Backs can win the World Series. Nice hanging out with you for Super Bowl 43...If you want to talk about D-Backs-Padres, you are welcome to join in at http://www.gaslampball.com. Thanks. YOU DID THIS TOGETHER, NEXT YEAR YOU WILL WIN IT ALL TOGETHER!

UConn 69, The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame du Lac 61. Home streak snapped at 45/20. Details in RoM later. Longest home winning streak in ND history is over. Last ND loss at Joyce Center: vs. Marquette, 2/25/06. I just heard it on the Notre Dame Basketball Network. Irish home winning streak snapped at 45/20 by UConn. I am saddened by this right now. Let's start a new winning streak on Monday night.

2 ND students attacked, they were going to the game against SDSU:

http://www.ndsmcobserver.com

Why didn't the students fight back against those thugs?

Someone tell Father Jenkins about this, because the safety of the students should be a top priority.

If there is another student attack at ND, then Father Jenkins is to blame.

And if there are any more student attacks, what might happen in the future could end up in lost lives.

Hey, since Arizona's very own John McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, the D-Backs have lost 8 out of 11, and are now in 2nd place. I know McCain and Palin will win on November 4, but since this is Sen. McCain's favorite baseball team, has this cursed the D-backs? I also guess this has not been a great year for Arizona's major league teams. Shaq could not help the Suns at all, they were eliminated in the 1st round by the Spurs, and then Mike D' Antoni was hired by the Knicks, and it looks like Phoenix will never get a chance at an NBA title. The Coyotes have been an NHL Draft Lottery participant every year since Jobing.com Arena opened, and they don't have a prayer, even if  coach Wayne Gretzky is still an icon in sports. And the Cardinals are going to be bad, as USC's Heisman winner Matt Leinart, after that preseason debacle against Oakland (What has other Trojan Heisman winners like Charles White and O.J. Simpson-post 6/12/94 done lately?) is a failure, and Kurt Warner will do a decent job, but another dismal year at a stadium that sounds like the University of Phoenix might join the Pac-10.  Oh if you're wondering: The D-backs wear red, the color of Republicans, the color of McCain.  The Dodgers wear blue, the color of Democrats, the color of The Chosen One The Disgusting One, Barack Hussein Obama. D-back fans, which do you rather have? John McCain or Barry Bonds Obama? Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama that poor example of a politician's wife? Sarah Palin or Joe Biden? Brandon Webb or Brad Penny? Eric Byrnes or Manny Ramirez that player wearing 99 and has dreadlocks? Bob Melvin or Joe Torre?  As a member of Gaslamp Ball, please read my signature. It says "Padres rule, Dodgers suck!" But since my Padres are struggling, D-Backs rule, Dodgers suck. Then everyone here at AZ Snakepit will know that the D-backs will win. And so will McCain and Palin. So from a member of Gaslamp Ball to everyone at AZ Snakepit, beat the Dodgers tonight, and I hope you can snap out of your 3-8 record since McCain chose Governor Palin. Change you can believe in,my arse! Go D-Backs, Go McCain!

After this week's debacle at the ballpark at the Ravine 125 miles north of America's Finest City, I checked out the Friar Fastball report in the Union-Tribune this morning (as in 9:20 am Eastern time), and we might be bringing back a tradition that would make founder/original owner C. Arnholt Smith proud...

We currently own the worst record in major league baseball!

Here is the proof courtesy of http://www.signonsandiego.com:

Friars    53-86

Nats      54-85

M's        53-85

Yes, if we go 9-14 the rest of the way, we will have our 1st 100 loss season since '93, the wonderful year when Andy Benes and Mr. Padre were all-stars in Baltimore.  The year Phillip Alan Plantier, who was a Jr. Padres Club member back in '84, hit 34 homers for San Diego. (And Phillip Alan would be traded to the Astros on 12/21/04 for Kenneth Gene Caminiti and Steven Allen Finley, marking the birth resurrection of the New Padres, brought to us by John Moores.) And oh, yeah: San Diego got rid of some big stars (McGriff, Sheffield, Santiago, Randy Myers, etc.) that turned a playoff contender into a doormat, brought to us by one of the current owners of the Red Sox who was also the executive producer of those 2 classic disaster sitcoms, "3rd Rock from the Sun" and a certain show that I will not say, because the star who shared the title of the show embarrassed the team and our country back in 1990 when one of the current Red Sox owners who used to own the Padres (and it's not Larry Lucchino) sung the Star Spangled Banner so off key the New York Post (which is owned by the same Australian media mogul that gave us back Saturday afternoon baseball, American Idol, Bill O'Reilly and from 1998 to 2003 ripped the Lost Angeles Dodgers from the O'Malleys--another reason to hate the Dodgers) had a huge headline for this comedienne's performance at the Murph/Q: BARR-F! (Mr. Werner should've had Phylicia Rashad, star of the Cosby Show-a Tom Werner show- to do the anthem, in my opinion). But do remember, as well, '93 was the year Trevor William Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, came to the Padres in the Gary Sheffield trade. Then things started to look good. But now, the Padres are fighting for the worst record in baseball. I'll just follow the Padres as the rest of you, until the season ends 9/28 against a Pirates team that's been cursed by Barry Bonds.

But right now, 4 things will be in my mind for the rest of 2008.

Notre Dame football starts Saturday against SDSU, and I expect the Fighting Irish to go 8-4 this year. No 38-0 embarrasments to Michigan and USC, no 2-game losing streak to Navy after we beat them 43 in a row, no more 3-9, or 2-10, or 1-11 or 0-12. Ever. (Check out http://www.rakesofmallow.com, SB Nation's Notre Dame blog.)

The Chargers open up at the Q Sunday against the Panthers. Shawne Merriman will have a great season, and get 25 sacks (even with that damaged knee), Antonio Cromartie will have 15 interceptions, Philip Rivers will pass for 4,000 yards and LT will rush for 2,200 yards and score 35 touchdowns. And the Chargers will beat Philly in Super Bowl XLIII. (Why can't SB Nation have a Chargers blog?)

Notre Dame Basketball returns in November, and I predict that center Luke Harangody will be 1st team All-American, and sweep the National Player of the Year awards. And the Irish will be in the Final Four in Detroit in April, they'll destroy everyone to win their 1st NCAA championship in basketball! (Remember to check out http://www.rakesofmallow.com for the latest Irish hoops news.)

And finally, since the Padres season is a disaster, I'll enjoy my other favorite sports icon:Finlay! The Fighting Irishman from the WWE is right up there with LT, Andrew Bogut (of the Bucks) and Adrian Gonzalez (of the Padres) as my favorite sports stars. I found a great site for fans of Finlay, it is http://www.myspace.com/fitfinlayfansite and I am also part of the Finlay Fan Nation on Facebook and I am known as Finlay Fan on the Chargers Forum at http://www.chargers.com.  And it's all to celebrate the upcoming 50th birthday of one of the greatest international wrestlers of all time, Finlay himself. Love to see Finlay get a chance at the Padres managerial job in 2009...

Anyway, I'll keep on posting throughout the year as Finlay's 50th birthday "Year of Finlay" continues. Oh, by the way, Padres fans: Found out from one New York sports forum that the Padres will help the Mets open up Citi Field (the Mets new home) on April 14, 2009. That is subject to change, but the Padres will be opening up Citi Field next year. And I hope Finlay is the Padres manager. ("My name is Finlay, and I love to fight...but I hate the Dodgers!")

Go Padres, avoid 100 losses.

Go Chargers, beat the Panthers, win the Super Bowl.

Go Irish, beat SDSU, destroy Michigan, have a winning season, win a bowl game, return to glory!

Go Finlay and Hornswoggle, best dynamic duo in sports since Jake Peavy and Chris Young, LT and Philip Rivers and Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman.

Happy Birthday, Finlay... (on October 20!)