Blogs like a girl

My NFL non-power non-rankings

Rankings, rankings, rankings, everybody with a splog (sports blog), column, whatever deems it necessary to rank every NFL team despite a better than 99 percent chance that said person watched two, maybe four, games at best. This is probably why Peter King's rankings typically look like ESPN's.

In fact, I am pretty sure a memo has been sent to every NFL writer in this country instructing them to type:

1. Patriots.
2. Colts
3. Cowboys
4. Blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada

If somebody were to ask me for my power rankings (and why exactly is the word power in there?), I'd go Pats, Cowboys, Steelers, Colts. And, yes, before any angry Indy-ian e-mails me beseeching me to recognize that his beloved Colts are beat up beyond recognition, that is exactly my point. How can they possibly be the second-best team in the NFL when their offensive line is a M*A*S*H unit and Marvin Harrison is missing and they are out of able bodies.

Oh yeah, that's right, by reputation.
So why doesn't everybody call NFL rankings what they really are, which is NFL rep rankings or educated guesses or a space filler on an otherwise boring Monday. Either do that or slap the Cowboys in the No. 2 hole because, right now, today, they are playing like the second-best team in the NFL.

Question of the Day: The Really Old Guy Edition

Go ahead and slap me around for being a Gen Xer with zero appreciation for history but, whenever somebody brings up legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, my mind immediately thinks "Oh yeah, he's the guy who did not win a championship with Dan Marino as quarterback".

Add One Of The Few NFL Types Willing To Call A Cheat A Cheat * to his resume.

I realize many columnists, bloggers, et al, have noted that Shula has a dog in this hunt. Pats coach Bill Belichick and his Patriots have a chance to take down 17-0, a record clung to for dear life by Shula and players on that Dolphins team. Do I think said Dolphins look a little like that really cantankerous old neighbor that drives everybody nuts with good-old-days talk? Yes. But Shula is right on this and, thank goodness, somebody has the guts to take on The Incredible New England Spin Machine.

So your turn: Do you agree with Shula? Does Spygate taint whatever New England does this season?

* I would have linked to the original N.Y. Daily News story but for some reason my Mac (computer, not husband) crashes every time I try to go to that website. Any ideas, why?