Week 2

I am convinced that football may be the creation of Satan. At least, I think that's case over the last year and two weeks. It seems that football (more than any other sport) has the ability to reach into your body, drag your soul out kicking and screaming, throw it to the floor, kick it, spit on it, put it back in your body and say, "See you next week for more of the same". Or maybe that's what it's like to be Packers fan and a UT Vols fan on the week-end of the Florida game. Anyway, I have to say that this week-end had super potential. Potential like Tony Mandarich had in the early 90's. And basically it played out the same way that did.

I had one of those Saturdays this week-end. You know, those Saturdays when you don't put a shirt on until 8:00 pm because, well, you have no reason to. Yeah, that's how it was this week-end. I watched the LSU-Auburn game along with the trouncing of Notre Dame. Took a break after that and read the Green Bay Press Gazette online to get ready for Sunday's game. Then it was time for the Tennessee-Florida game. I don't want to get into it too much because I'm just not ready yet, but to make things short and sweet I only need to tell you one thing: -11 yards rushing for the Vols at home against the number seven ranked team in the country. 21-20, Florida. Heartbreaker.

I was feeling good by morning, though, and had a GREAT feeling about the Packers.. Another reason football may be the spawn of Satan is because it is the great deceiver. The memory of the ass kicking we took at the hands of the Bears just seven days ago, seemed like last year and we had the Saints coming in who we beat 52-3 last year. It all seemed to be so good.

I went to Sunday School this morning, skipped out on service, came home and put on my Sterling Sharpe jersey from 1994. It seems my Brett Favre jersey is hexed. I can't get a win when I wear it. I headed to Mulligan's in time for the kickoff and I'll be damned if we didn't force a turnover on the Saints' first possesion. Green Bay ball in New Orleans' territory. Brett Favre td pass to Greg Jennings, first score of the year, first Favre td of the year...23 behind Marino. Next Saints' possesion, forced fumble, our ball in the red zone...field goal. 10-0. Next posession, another Saints' turnover. We drive down and kick a field goal...13-0 in the first quarter. Needless to say, it did not last. We started dropping balls, couldn't block at all, our defense blew assignments and next thing we know we're down 20-13 in the third quarter. But we have Favre and he didn't disappoint (except for the first and goal pick he threw). We tie the game at 20-20 on his second td pass of the day. The Saints get it and score when our safety Nick Collins falls down on a pass play. Our ball...Ahman Green fumbles. New Orleans recovers and scores on its first play from scrimmage. 34-20, Saints. Packers ball and Favre leads them down again. TD pass to Noah Herron. Favre's third of the game...34-27 Saints. Packers hold and they get it with one more chance to go down the field. Three minutes left and no timeouts. Favre gets them into Saints territory and then runs out of bullets. There's only so much he can do. New Orleans wins 34-27. Packers are 0-2. I'm having flashbacks to last year.

After watching this game, this is what I believe: put Brett Favre with a talented team and he wins you at least 10 games...probably 12. Donald Driver is one of the best playmakers in the league, people just don't know it. In the end, it's another loss, but Favre played well and maybe proved some people wrong. The emotion is already wearing off and next week in Detroit is looking pretty good.