RANDOMIZATION: 12/18/07

Christmas schedule. Posting will be practically non-existent from Friday through Tuesday, as we go into full Christmas mode around here. In typical "radio people" fashion, we're doing our Christmas party on January 11*, naturally on a date that I can't attend.

(* - This isn't a slam on the company I work for at all. Radio people are perpetually late, to the point where I have tricked myself I have to be at a 7:00pm hockey game by 4:45pm.)

I allowed myself to get roped into this Secret Santa deal. When I get something from someone, I'm probably supposed to guess who got it for me. I'm not going to have any idea. Why do we do this? I mean, there's probably a 65% chance I'll get something related to the Packers or UMD. Odds might even be higher than that for all I know. The normal line you get is that "we all need to get to know each other", but does anyone really do that? No. Instead, we just assume that since the girl in the sales cubicle down the aisle really likes dogs, we should get her something related to dogs. What if she doesn't want anything related to dogs? Then we just look stupid.

And why am I ranting about Secret Santa?

Mitchell Report fallout. First off, I'm one of those people who believes that if you've been caught in this report, you should just be a man and come clean.

See, even if Mitchell says you did steroids in 1994, it's not like you didn't think there was something wrong with doing steroids. After all, they were banned everywhere, including society. Odds are that you knew this and knew you were simply taking advantage of spineless, clueless leadership in baseball.

But for you to deny taking steroids at this point is kind of childish. Stupid, too.

With that said, what might be even worse than denying it altogether is trying to make me believe that all these guys just took stuff once. That's it. Just that one time to recover from an injury, or out of whatever reason, but only once! Or maybe you just took HGH because you were hurt all the time.

Seriously, do you think I just fell off the proverbial turnip truck?

Do you think the cop believes you when you told him you've never driven drunk or sped before?

Do you think the boss believes you when you told him you've never snuck in the back door ten minutes late before?

I suppose your spouse believes you when you say that you've never made out with the gardener before?

Stop. Just stop. If your answer is "Well, I only did it once, and if I offended anyone, I apologize", then just don't bother, because I don't want to hear it anymore. It's been five days, and I'm already sick of it.

Congrats on the stupidity, NFL. The Pro Bowl system is so broken that words don't even describe it. The rosters have been announced, and it's probably a good thing no one watches the game, because this is ridiculous. As expected, the 12-2 Cowboys put a lot of guys on the NFC team. But 11 is a bit much, especially considering that the other 12-2 NFC team, Green Bay, has four.

Hilariously, Green Bay's best defensive player, Nick Barnett, isn't going. Neither is their best defensive back, Charles Woodson. Instead, the Packer defense sends the deserving Aaron Kampman and the not-so-much Al Harris. Apparently, the majority of the Pro Bowl voters don't get the NFL Network, because they didn't see Harris have a horrifically bad night against Terrell Owens and the Cowboys a few weeks back.

On the other side of the ball, Brett Favre and Donald Driver are going, as they should be. Where the hell is Mark Tauscher? Am I the only one that noticed Scott Wells having a great year in the middle of that offensive line?

Meanwhile, the 8-6 Vikings have seven players on the NFC roster. Seven?

What?

(Side note: Congrats to the voters on their posthumous voting of Sean Taylor as an NFC starter. That was a super gesture, and hopefully leads to a ceremony in Hawai'i honoring his memory one last time.)

Seven?

(Including starting NFC safety Darren Sharper, who might be having his worst season as a pro. Seriously? I mean, you're better off with Atari Bigby.)

I mean, who are you people kidding? Even when you factor the 30% or so of the selected players that won't bother to play, opening up holes for alternates, this is beyond a joke.

On the other hand, it underscores what the Packers have been selling us, and each other, all season long about this being a team and not a group carried by outstanding individuals. I'll take 12-2, a bye week, and four Pro Bowlers any day over 8-6, fighting for the playoffs, and seven Pro Bowlers.

(/rant)