Superbowl 2008

I traditionally get a bit depressed this week of the year - it marks the end of pro football season. For the last 10 years or so I've been in a football pool with some friends of mine - it's not fantasy football because that takes too much energy and research. This is called Any Given Sunday and all you have to do is pick one team to win that week, each week. Once you pick that team, you can no longer use them for the rest of the season. Sounds easy? The trick is to use up the teams that you think are bad, but good enough to win in the short term. And save the teams you think will make it to the play-offs. The points are on a curve as well, so one week may be worth 15 points and the next worth 2 points. I am not an overly enthusiastic sports fan; I'm a casual watcher at best. I do like to watch the scores, strategies; the only fantasies are my thoughts of how to spend the money when I win. I did win it all last year (for the first time) and am still enjoying the flat screen TV that was purchased with the winnings, but my hopes for a repeat were dashed the last two weeks. I burned up all the good teams and am left without a pick going into the Superbowl. I can no longer work on my elaborate spreadsheet, tracking all the team wins and losses, and those of the pool participants as well. My visits to NFL.com and USAtoday.com/sports will stop until next August. This is the dry spell and you may notice a mood shift. I don't want to wish my life away, but I am already looking forward to next year's season. Well, enjoy the Superbowl. I am quietly pulling for the Giants because I hate to see clean sweeps, plus I think it would be cool for a back-to-back-Manning-led Superbowl win. I may call upon my friend Justin who can rattle-off all the Superbowl winners in chronological order like he is saying the ABCs, and post them on the blog - it's kind of a tradition to hear this recitation. Have a great Monday. I have to go to work now.