Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Predicated
Wednesday
January 7, 2004
In a semi-subdued state of mind, thanks to the power of DayQuil, I watched the movies Fight Club and The Sixth Sense on DVD today as I put labels and stamps on our labels BTLS promotional postcard campaign. It was tremendous getting to see all of the bonus features on The Sixth Sense (which I had never seen on DVD before). Better for me to not be at DigiQuest coughing on everyone else, not to mention that it was nice to be able to lay down as need be. I did stop into DQ today long enough to pick up the postcards and the labels (and to check voice mail and what not). Hopefully waking up tomorrow will mean feeling better. It's time for the Z-Pak to start winning the war on bronchitis.
Nicole is back in Cocoa Beach -- and she told me that during her two week trip to New Jersey that she got to see Lebron James play in person. Now that's cool. I should take a trip to Orlando to see a Magic/Cavs game at some point this year to check out T-Mac vs. Lebron (and something tells me, with Orlando's squad in a tailspin, that there will be plenty of good seats still available).
Joe Gibbs being hired as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins is amazing to me. He's been out of football for more than a decade, but leave it to Daniel Snyder (the Redskins' owner) to shake things up. It's unclear how much influence Gibbs will have over personnel decisions, though Washington fans had better hope that Gibbs can convince Snyder's crew not to spend on an older free agent d-lineman (think Warren Sapp) and instead get Ohio DE Will Smith or Oklahoma DT Tommie Harris with the #5 pick in the draft (odds are that one, if not both, will be there -- if not, then TRADE DOWN!)
This is the first time in a long time that I'll be pulling for all four road teams on an NFL playoff weekend. The more balanced AFC matchups seem to be better upset possibilities, but if Stephen Davis stays healthy, Carolina is trouble. Even for the crazy, pass-happy Rams. That's not to say that Carolina will beat St. Louis in St. Louis, but don't discount Davis' capacity to keep the Panthers close.
However, the real trouble is that all four home teams have had an extra week to rest up... and that, coupled with home field advantage, probably means that three of the four will win (if history is any indication). And there is a part of me that wants to see the Rams have to travel to cold, snowy Philadelphia for the NFC Championship, if nothing else because they blew home field advantage by losing to the Lions in the last week of the regular season. You reap what you sow...
|  | | Houston Nutt (left) is staying put in Arkansas. |
So much for Dennis Green ending up in Atlanta, as the Arizona Cardinals signed Green to a multi-year deal today. Smart move by the Cards. They have much work to do to improve, but Green is a good choice to help lead the turnaround.
Am I the only person who's found comical just how much difficulty Nebraska has had in hiring a new head coach? Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said no (ending the unintentional comedy of the "Nebraska wants Nutt" headlines); Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said no thanks after the Cowboys gave him a new contract; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders removed himself from consideration to "concentrate on his NFL career" (read: if 9-3 will get you fired, I think I'll decline). Now the word is that Nebraska is considering ousted Oakland coach Bill Callahan. Seriously. The same Bill Callahan who had a near mutiny on his hands one season removed from a Super Bowl appearance (in one of the most embarrassing collapses within a calendar year in NFL history). I'm still keeping hope alive for a Steve Spurrier signing there (to really shake up the Big XII), though that seems unlikely...
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