The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies are the latest team in that span to attempt to stand on that mantle. Reaching the World Series for the first time in 15 years, the Phillies give Philadelphia fans hope that this is the team to finally break a curse (whether you believe in that or not) that has haunted them all these years.

It is not the first time that the hope of a champion in Philadelphia rose to this level. There have been seven times that a Philadelphia sports team reached the championship round or game in their respective sport since that 1983 76ers team.

1983 Philadelphia Phillies

Only months after the 76ers won the NBA title, the Phillies rallied with a tremendous September to win their division. With a team of aging core players such as Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose, the Phillies tried desperately to regain their championship form that had won them a World Series in 1980. Their first playoff test was to beat an LA Dodgers team that had beaten them 11 out of 12 meetings during the regular season. A 3 games to 1 win to give the Phillies the NL pennant was more than enough to give Phillies fans hope for another World Series victory. But it was not to be. After winning the first game against the AL representative Baltimore Orioles, the Phillies lost the next three games by one run and the final game 5-0 to lose the series 4 games to 1. Most notably was that Mike Schmidt, the 1980 World Series MVP, was a disappointing 1 for 20 in the series.

1985 Philadelphia Flyers

It was to be a rebuilding year for the Flyers with first time coach Mike Keenan, a young goaltender Pele Lindbergh and a team fresh off the retirement of Flyers legends Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber. But the emergence of players such as Tim Kerr, Brian Propp and the leadership of young captain Dave Poulin, the Flyers surprised everyone by winning a team record 53 games and a number one seed in the conference. After dismantling the Rangers 3 games to 0 in the first round, the Islanders 4 games to 1 in the second round, and the Quebec Nordiques 4 games to 2 in the Conference Finals, the young and aggressive Flyers team was prepared to enter the Stanley Cup Finals against the mighty Edmonton Oilers. But Wayne Gretzky and the defending Stanley Cup champions proved too much for the Flyers as they lost in 5 games.

1987 Philadelphia Flyers

The 1987 Flyers rolled through the season with a core group of players that made it to the finals only two years ago and a rookie goaltender, Ron Hextall who proved he can replace the late Pele Lindbergh as an elite NHL net minder. After a disappointing first round exit the previous year, this team brought a no quit, never die attitude. They beat the aging Islanders in a tough 7 game series and then faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadians in the Conference Finals. A Game 6 series clinching win over the Canadians that featured a pre-game brawl set the stage for a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers. With the absence of star player Tim Kerr for the series, players like Rick Tocchet and JJ Daigneault stepped up to give the Flyers two come-from-behind wins to even the series 3 games a piece. But once again, the Edmonton Oilers, quite possibly the NHL's greatest team ever, brought home the cup despite an MVP effort by goaltender Ron Hextall.

1993 Philadelphia Phillies

Before entering the 1993 season, the Phillies were a group of players struggling for an identity in the league. That all changed. After starting the season with a record of 17-5, the Phillies proved to everyone that a bunch of gritty characters like John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton could actually strike lightning for one magical season. Leading the division for the entire season, the Phillies entered the playoffs against a very good Atlanta Braves team that were on the brink of dynasty. After surprising the Braves, the Phillies entered the World Series to face the defending MLB champion Toronto Blue Jays. Down 2 games to 1, the Phillies took a 14-9 lead in Game 4 into the 8th inning poised to tie the series. An erratic Mitch Williams allowed the lead to slip away as Toronto scored 6 runs to take Game 3 15-14. It seemed nothing could stop the powerful Blue Jays offense. Except Game 5 Phillies pitcher Curt Shilling who shut them out for 9 innings to stay alive and force a Game 6. Game 6 looked promising for the Phillies as well, taking a 6-5 lead in the 7th inning. Enter Mitch Williams to close the game in the 9th. Joe Carter is only the second player in MLB history to end a World Series with a walk-off homerun. The dream was ended for Philadelphia.

1997 Philadelphia Flyers

Beaten in the Stanley Cup Finals ten years ago by “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky, the 1997 Flyers were coming of age with their own super star in Eric Lindros. Lindros emerged as a force in the league that led the Flyers back to contenders, finally bringing them to the Stanley Cup Finals with a convincing win in the Conference Championship round against the Rangers. The Detroit Red Wings won only 38 games during the season and were still licking their wounds from a sweep from the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago. Perhaps they were seeking vengeance. A competitive game 1 slipped through the Flyers when Ron Hextall let in a sixty foot shot from Steve Yzerman. The Flyers lost game 1 4-2. The series lost all competitiveness after that with the Flyers only scoring 4 goals in the next 3 games and losing to the Red Wings 4 games to 0. Lindros' only goal came with 30 seconds left in game 4 to at least make the series ending game interesting.

2001 Philadelphia 76ers

The team that gave Philadelphia its last championship would once again give the fans hope of lining Broad Street with streamers. A team with super star Allen Iverson and a group of role players such as Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill and George Lynch played with excitement and a quick defense to secure the number one seed in the conference. Adding Dikembe Mutombo late in the season helped to solidify a successful playoff run. They rolled passed The Indiana Pacers 3 games to 1 and then battled their way to two Game 7 victories against The Toronto Raptors and The Milwaukee Bucks. Their next challenge was the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers surprisingly won Game 1 and lifted the hopes and spirit of the entire city. However, the forces of Shaquille O'Neil and Kobe Bryant took charge. With some key baskets by Robert Horry in Game 2 and 3, the Lakers took the underdog 76ers apart as expected and won the series 4 games to 1.

2004 Philadelphia Eagles

It was the year of TO. After losing in three straight Conference Championship games, the Eagles called upon Terrell Owens to get them to the next level. He delivered, giving the Eagles an explosive passing game that was lacking in their previous runs at the Super Bowl. Clinching the number one seed with a record of 13-1, the Eagles prepared to enter the 2004 playoffs with a Super Bowl well within their grasp. An injury that left TO on the sidelines for the first two playoff games did nothing to stop the Eagles from sending The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons home, securing a Super Bowl appearance for only the second time in franchise history. The Eagles, with TO back, would be facing the New England Patriots, winners of 2 out of the last 3 Super Bowls. The Eagles struck first with The Patriots answering back with a touchdown with 1:21 left in the half. The Patriots would score on their next 3 possessions in the second half to take a 24-14 lead with 5:40 left to go in the game. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb took his offense down the field on the next possession with no urgency, much to the dismay of Philadelphia fans. Although it resulted in a touchdown and pulled them to 24-21, it also left the Eagles on their next possession facing a 96 yard field with 46 seconds left. A desperation throw by McNabb was intercepted and ended all hope of their first Super Bowl win.

2008 Philadelphia Phillies

And here we are with the most recent Philadelphia team ready to make their claim to be Champions. In the next few weeks, a World Series will have been played with the 2008 Phillies as competitors. Will this team join the others on this list as heroic efforts that just fell short or will the 2008 Phillies end the Philadelphia fans' long agony over the championship drought? My hope rests with the latter.

Go Phillies!

Why must we go on hating,

Why can't we live in bliss?"

-Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), "Peace Train", 1971

For thirty years, I have been an enthusiastic sports fan.

Ever since I saw the 1977 World Series on television, the one where Reggie Jackson torched three home runs against the Dodgers in Game 6 to win the title for the Yankees, I have joyously followed my local teams in baseball, football, and basketball.

I have felt blissful elation after victories, and utter dejection after losses.

I have also admittedly reveled in the misery of opposing fans at times when my teams have won, and have attempted to endure - not well - fans of the opposition taunting me over my teams' failures.

For the past few years, I have heard about some obnoxiously crazy incidents among fans of various teams all over the world, such as soccer hooligans in Europe beating up opposing supporters, a college football fan having his eye almost put out by a beer bottle at his rival's stadium, a brawl among tailgating fans before a football game that was caught on You Tube, and most tragically a soccer goalie being murdered after letting in a winning goal during the World Cup.

I have also heard and read nasty insults among people at games and on the internet, some of them directed at me, and have seen fights among people in the stands, one of which a friend of mine and I broke up at a football game a year ago.

After years of all this, I have frankly wondered if it's all worth it. Why does it REALLY matter whether a team wins or not? What's the purpose of people jumping around screaming over a bunch of millionaire and soon-to-be millionaire jocks running around? More and more I have found myself thinking

"OK, so they won. So what?"

In other words, although I still enjoy sports and have teams that I follow and like being a fan of, I have grown weary over this extreme fanaticism, the arrogance among supporters of winning teams, and the bullying degradation put on losing fans. The fortunes and won-loss records of the various college and professional teams are somehow starting to matter less to me.

I particularly feel this way due to some most regrettable incidents that I'm "fessing up about...

There was that time in the mid 1990"s when I threw ice at the mascot of my college's hated rival during a football game against them, got myself ejected from the stadium and nearly got arrested, which would have been an extreme nightmare. Even though my team ended up winning the game, I couldn't enjoy it, feeling most remorseful and depressed over what I had done in my zealousness.

Then there was that time a couple of years later, in a football game against the same hated rival...

It was a most exciting, barnburner affair of a game. My college's team had made an unbelievable comeback, scoring 17 points to tie the contest and send it into overtime, the first time that had ever happened.

I was excitingly exclaiming that point in the stands when a young girl, no doubt a fervent fan of the rival, standing behind me started yelling at me to sit down in a bit of an obnoxious way. I then proceeded to loudly reply, "No, you sit down, you bitch!!", making her cry and leading her brother and male friends to almost jump me and beat me up in the stands.

I apologized for my words, as it was in the heat of the battle, but that was still absolutely no excuse for what I said to that poor girl. A pretty nasty incident on my part, even though my team eventually won the game.

Looking back on those episodes and thinking about other crazy things I've seen and experienced as a fan of sports has led me to these realizations

In the long run, and in the greater scheme of things on this planet, whether or not a team wins the World Series, Super Bowl, World Cup, a gold medal in the Olympics or a collegiate national championship means one thing...

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Hatred among fans of opposing teams, particularly rivals, has seemingly grown leaps and bounds in recent years, and I am getting increasingly tired of it.

All the ranting, raving and shouting about "We're number one!", "We're better than you!", "We kicked your ass!", and "You guys suck!" - More and more I just feel like saying to those yahoos

"OK, so your team won the game, SO THE HELL WHAT?"

"OK, so your team won the championship, WHO REALLY CARES?"

"All right, so your team's better than my team, BIG FREAKING DEAL!"

Having said all of this, I'll admit that I still have a few teams in baseball, and one college football and basketball team in particular, that I follow and enjoy rooting for. It's not like I have completely abandoned the sporting world in disgust.

But with each passing year I'm getting increasingly tired of having feelings of animosity toward opposing teams and rivals, and the people who follow them.

With all due respect to those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, athletic contests have felt more and more like a war to me. And I am getting tired of this war.

What's more, as time goes by I reckon I will feel more that way.

Perhaps if all those fanatics out there who paint their bodies, get wasted drunk at sporting venues, scream their heads off over bright-colored jerseys and helmets, and harbor a blind hatred of anyone not wearing their team's colors or logos, behaved more like kids playing T-Ball or AYSO (the Little League of soccer), the world would be a better place, and maybe, just maybe, we could start to "live in bliss".

After all, it IS just a game.

With that incredible season behind them, there are a lot of questions surrounding this team as many personnel changes have taken place. The question is with all of these changes, what’s it going to take to get back to that level of play and repeat with another Super Bowl appearance? 

Here is a look at the additions and subtractions on both offense and defense. The hope is that everything adds up to another road to the Super Bowl.

Quarterback

Eli needs to be the Eli we saw at the end of last season, starting with the last few regular season games, going all through the play-offs and the Super Bowl. He shut up a lot of critics over the course of these games, which included: an awesome performance in the last game of the season; road play-off victories at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay; one of the most miraculous plays in Super Bowl history (David Tyree’s helmet catch on the winning drive late in the fourth quarter); and climaxed with the Super Bowl MVP award.

The bar has been raised as Eli has flat out pushed his game to another level. He has potentially propelled himself into the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the league. Now he has to prove he can do it over the long haul. Great performances now need to be the norm and not the exception. Anything less would be unacceptable. With a phenomenal championship season under his belt and his confidence at a career high, the best of Eli may be yet to come. If it is, then this is unquestionably a huge plus for this season.

Offensive Line

By the end of last season, the unit comprised of center, Sean O’Hara, guards Rich Seubert, and Chris Snee, and tackles David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie, blossomed into one of the most efficient and effective offensive lines in the league. Their ability to blow open holes for the running game and to consistently protect Eli was one of the unheralded ingredients to their championship run.

The one critical factor that helps offensive lines continually improve and become cohesive, is time played together as a full unit. This will be their second consecutive season together. With one very successful campaign under their belt, the expectation is they will be even better. This should be another huge plus for the offense.

Tight End

The subtraction of Jeremy Shockey has to be one of the biggest blows of the off-season. No one can ever doubt his talent as one of the top tight ends in all of football. No one could question his passion for the game, and desire to perform well and win. But, he carried with him a very selfish and volatile personality. Like a ticking time bomb, it was inevitable that at some point something would go wrong, and it did.

We will probably never know the true story, but let’s concede that the answer usually lies some where in between. What we do know is sometime between the time he suffered his season-ending broken leg and the end of the Super Bowl, something went drastically awry and drove a wedge between his relationship with the organization.

Management claimed that Shockey was being too sensitive, too emotional and unprofessional about trivial things. Shockey claimed the Giants showed him a lack of respect both on and off the field, starting with rumors that they did not want him on the sidelines during the Super Bowl. There was also other chatter that they proved they could win without him. The fact is they did prove that they could win without him. So, if that is what was bothering him, he for sure let his ego get in the way of his professionalism.

By the time the college draft rolled around in April, the relationship became almost completely severed, as Shockey demanded a trade. The Giants held off on pulling the trigger simply because they still wanted him, and who could blame them. But, that show of good faith did not change Shockey’s attitude as he continued to show his dismay during off-season workouts and training camps. The situation began to negatively impact the team and General Manager Jerry Reese stepped in. He realized that Shockey’s behavior and attitude would be cancerous to the defending Super Bowl Champions. So, he granted him his wish and traded him to the New Orleans Saints. Even though they will miss his talents on the field, the potential negative impact he could have had on the team is a wash.

Replacing him will be second year man Kevin Boss. Kevin proved he does have the ability to make big plays, as he did throughout the end of the season and in the Super Bowl. He helped confirm that they can win with him in the starting role vs. Shockey. The only questions that remain are his ability to perform over the long haul and his ability to block well. As much as Shockey did not like the role of a blocker, he was damned good at it and played a key part in establishing the Giants running game. The hunch here is that Boss will make it a point to improve as much as possible.

In the end, this is a wash as the positives of losing a bad attitude and already winning without Shockey, completely wash out the negative of losing his performance on the field.

Running Backs

The three headed monster of Brandon Jacobs (1,009 yards & 4 TD’s), Ahmad Bradshaw (190 carries and 1 TD) and Derrick Ward (602 yards & 3 TD), is like no other in the league. Either of these backs could be starters on many NFL teams.

Brandon will once again carry the majority of the workload. But, Bradshaw as he proved late last season, adds a much-needed new dimension to the offense. His speed and ability to break tackles, compliments Jacobs well as they once again provide a Thunder and Lightening running attack.

Derrick Ward is the perfect back for either Jacobs or Bradshaw. He can effectively run inside the tackles and get to the outside when needed. His six hundred plus yards in limited action last season proved that.  

The only question is health. But to be honest, even if one of these guys goes down, it probably won’t matter because all three are that talented.

Let’s not forget the stellar blocking of full back Madison Hedgecock. Without his bulky two hundred and sixty-six pound body leading the way, the yards would be much tougher to come by.

This unit has the ability to gain over two thousand yards on the ground. As long as they can match last year’s performance the Giants will be in good shape. There are no additions or subtractions here, just a need for them to stay healthy.

Receivers

Plaxico Burress returns as the bonafide number one go-to-guy and perhaps the unheralded MVP. Over the past few years he has helped to completely change the face of the offense. Unfortunately, he still may not be one-hundred-percent physically, but he claims he will be ready to roll.

Amani Toomer comes back for his twelfth season as the number two-man, and does so as the all-time Giants receiver, an honor he achieved last season.

Closing in on him are the returning Steven Smith, Sinorice Moss and this year’s second round draft choice Mario Manningham. This corps can only get better which is bad news for defenses. If all of these guys remain healthy there could very well be too many weapons for defenses to stop. This unit has the potential of being another huge addition to an already successful offense.

Offense Overall

From the looks of things, the offense is a plus three over last year, even with the loss of Jeremy Shockey. They have an improved Eli, a returning and improving, cohesive offensive line, and a much-improved receiving corps. On offense, the Giants should be better than last year.

Defensive Line

The retirement of Michael Strahan should not have been a surprise to anyone, after almost calling it quits last year. The Giants have been preparing for this for three years now, starting with the emergence of Osi Umenyiora a few years ago and then Justin Tuck last season.

The facet of Strahan’s game, which will be the most difficult to replace, is his leadership. This could be a huge subtraction for this team. Michael was without a doubt the leader of not only the defense but the entire team. He led by example and with his vocal prowess. He commanded respect and got it. He earned his stripes becoming one of the greatest Giant defenders of all-time and one of the best defensive ends in NFL history.

The Giant most players will look to fill this role, especially on defense, will be Antonio Pierce. He has been a quiet leader of this team for the past three seasons. Now he will have to be more vocal. No one can really replace Strahan, but someone has to step up and lead the way. Being the middle linebacker and defensive captain, Antonio should easily transition into this role. But, the question remains can he?

Without a doubt the most devastating blow to the team is the recent, unexpected loss of Osi Umenyiora for the entire season. A perennial pro-bowler with thirty-three and a half sacks over the last three seasons, including a Giants record of six in one game against the Eagles, the Giants were looking for him to step up to another level in replacing the physical presence and performance of Strahan. That is no longer a possibility.

The loss of Strahan’s leadership and Umenyiora’s talent is a double subtraction for the Giants. It’s hard enough replacing one pro-bowler, but two is nearly impossible.

The weight of the world is on Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka. Justin was slotted to take Strahan’s starting spot and most expect him to do it well as he truly began to blossom last year. But, now Kiwanuka has been switched from outside linebacker, back to his original position of defensive end to replace Osi. The question here is can he admirably fill in for his fallen comrade? If he can, he could very well turn around the loss of Umenyiora. If not, the Giants could really be in trouble on the defensive line.

Linebackers

Antonio Pierce in the middle is a stud. There is no question about that. There may be other middle linebackers with a more physical presence, but he is among the best middle linebackers in the game. The question here is where do they go from here?

Moving Mathias Kiwanuka from outside linebacker to defensive end to replace Osi is a first critical loss for this unit. They also lost Kawika Mitchell to free agency, so that is a second subtraction. This means two-thirds of last year’s starting three linebackers are now gone.

The subtraction of Mitchell brought the addition of free agent outside linebacker Danny Clark, who has been a solid player for eight seasons, most recently with the Houston Texans. He will start on one side of Antonio Pierce.

The big problem is who replaces Kiwanuka? The man in the spotlight is third year linebacker Gerris Wilkinson. Gerris does have some starting experience as he helped fill in for Kiwanuka last year after Mathias broke his leg. Giving the unit depth is four-year veteran Chase Blackburn, second year man Zak De Ossie and this year’s fourth round draft choice Brian Kehl.

If no can step up to Kiwanuka’s level, this is yet another huge loss for the Giants.

Secondary

One of the Giants top defensive backs from the past three seasons, Gibril Wilson, has departed via the free agency, creating a potential huge hole in the secondary. However, the Giants organization has been hard at work for over three years to improve and stabilize what has been their weakest link during that time.

The subtraction of Wilson brought in quite a few additions. First, the Giants signed twelve-year veteran Sammy Knight (formally of the Jaguars and Chiefs) and his forty-two career interceptions. Next they drafted highly touted cornerback Kenny Philips of Miami (FL) in the first round. Then, a few rounds later they took cornerback Terrell Thomas of USC.

These three critical additions, combined with second year rising star Aaron Ross, the leadership of Sam Madison and other key contributors like James Butler, Kevin Dockery, Michael Johnson, R.W. McQuarters, Geoffrey Pope and Corey Webster puts the defensive backs in a position to be drastically better than last year. The secondary took a huge step up a year ago and the expectation is they will continue to improve. This is a very big addition to a unit that was in the bottom tier of the league just a few short years ago.

Defense Overall

The losses of Strahan and Umenyiora are absolutely huge in both on field performance and leadership. The moves made to fill those gaping holes wound up negatively impacting the linebacker corps. So it’s almost like a triple subtraction.

However, there is huge potential for success in the secondary. Their improvements could help minimize the decrease in talent and leadership on the defensive line.

In the end, the defense will probably not be as good as last year, with the loss of both Strahan and Umenyiora being too much to bear.

Three Keys to Repeating

1. Eli needs to be as good if not better than he was at the end of last year, and the entire offense needs to be flat out better. They must be more productive and more consistent taking pressure and playing time away from the defense. Time of possession is key. The longer they have the ball, the less time a weakened defensive unit needs to be on the field.
2. Defensive Coordinator John Spagnuola will need to devise yet another scheme to get the most out of his two new defensive ends and his two new outside linebackers. Last year he masterminded a new successful system that the players brought into and ran with all the way to the Lombardi Trophy. He will have to do it again this year. 
3. If Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and a new linebacker unit can make up for the loss of Strahan and Umenyiora, this team can once again go a long way in the play-offs.

Conclusion and Prediction

Regardless of all the negatives, this team has completely jelled as a unit and has stuck together, especially since the departure of Jeremy Shockey.

They are still a very talented, well-coached, and well-run team.

You cannot put a value on what kind of positive effect last year’s success has had on their psyche. Their confidence is sky high and rightly so.

They have made some key additions to balance out the losses and to improve in critical areas that needed help.

They once again have very few believers, as most experts do not think they will be as good as last year. This is a role they love and seem to thrive in.

With that said, the Giants should improve on last year’s 10-6 record to at least 11-5. As far as getting back to the Super Bowl, the prediction here is the Giants make it back to the NFC Championship Game. There are just too many open questions to take it any further than that. However, if the additions override the subtractions, they do have the potential to win a second straight Super Bowl.

If you aren't appalled by this headline, then you aren't paying attention. According to recent news reports, thousands of horses are being injured on the racetracks of America and have had to be euthanized in the last five years.

In my last horse racing article, Horse Racing: A Truly Green Sport, I questioned how this could continue to happen.

In this article I wrote,” A racing horse is truly an awesome and inspiring creature. They are massive beasts of both beauty and grace. Their large bodies effortlessly carried by four slim legs. But the legs of these magnificent beasts are most vulnerable. We witnessed this year at the Kentucky Derby, that the limbs of a race horse can be very fragile.”

One of the current racing investigations is supposedly centered on how a race horse is bred for speed and the bones in its legs are therefore more fragile. Fragile bones break and a horse with a broken bone have to be euthanized, as keeping it lying down for treatment impounds the problem. For if a horse lies down for too long they can get a condition called “laminitis” which is a hoof infection from inadequate blood flow in the

injured leg. The race horse Barbero had this condition and he eventually had to be euthanized in spite of the efforts made to rehabilitate him.

We all know that horse racing is a sport dominated by the very rich in our society. How many people out there can afford to even own a race horse? You may sit with your beach

chair in the infield to watch the race, but face it, you are not going to make the money off the ponies in the quantities that the owners do. You can stretch out in the cheap seats

and allow the booze to numb your senses but you are not even close to being in the winner's circle.

In my last article, “Horse Racing: A Truly Green Sport” I pointed out many of the concerns that are just now coming to light in the media and are finally gaining attention. The article was and still is my opinion. Interestingly enough, I was continually insulted by a “so called” horse racing fan when my piece was originally published. This cyber bully's goal was nothing but a coward's attempt to intimidate me and silence my voice on the inhuman aspects of horse racing. Have other voices been silenced?

What about the supposed “investigation” into horse racing after Eight Belles was euthanized at the Kentucky Derby? Did someone silence that too and now suddenly again it appears in the media after the loss of Big Brown last week at Belmont?

The Jockey Panel even got into the investigation act and surprise, surprise isn't revealing

much. The owners after all do sign the jockey's paycheck. What power do the jockeys even have? Isn't the money involved intimidation enough?

How about steroid use in race horses? We all know it enhances the feats of human athletes. Did it help Big Brown to win the Derby and the Preakness? Did it hinder Big Brown at the Belmont going without it?

One major reason why previous investigations never materialized with much more than a slap of a crop was due to the fact that horse racing is big business and makes a lot of money.

Sure other major sporting events make millions of dollars too like the World Series and the Super Bowl. The only difference is that no creature is being euthanized, nor would it be accepted as a normal part of the sport.

. Can you imagine the uproar and protests if any other professional sport allowed its players to be euthanized? Wouldn't it create more controversy than the “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl a few years ago?

Back then, Janet Jackson was exposed in her womanly form and the outcry was immense. No one was killed and yet it was worse somehow, we all viewed a female breast live at Super Bowl halftime!

Yet just last month, we witnessed Eight Belles being euthanized on the track at the Kentucky Derby and did anyone even bat an eyelash?

What kind of “investigation” is exactly being conducted here anyway? Will the findings be swept under the rug, go away for a while and then business will be conducted as usual? How long before this story too disappears from the headlines?

If you aren't disgusted and outraged by the now routine slaughter of these 5,000

magnificent racing horses in the last five years, then either you aren't paying attention or the sun and beer is permeating your brain as your lounge in your infield beach chair holding your bloodied ticket stub in your sunburned hand.

Football at our house is a stand-off, with two sons on my side, and a son and daughter with my wife who can't stand any team except Navy, and then can give an expert color commentary on any Midshipman game. As I have mellowed with age, I can root for more than one team when necessary, but my two sons nearly disown me if I cheer for anybody except the Redskins. They were brought up right.

The Super Bowl is a family outing; we usually get together with a group of friends that we seldom see the rest of the year, but at game time we “religiously” migrate to the same house, stake out a recliner, head for the beer cooler, and stare at the high def wide screen. The kids are in the basement doing the same thing, without the beer, I think. The ladies gather in the living room to discuss the important issues of the day, while the guys stop communicating for a couple of hours. We generally eat at half-time and acknowledge one another's presence to watch the halftime show.

By the way, nothing reminds more that I'm getting old than a couple of years ago during the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction incident, when I was looking straight at Ms. Jackson and missed it. Some wag in the group brought our attention to the visual display, and I was first to say it couldn't be so. And I used to be so good at details too.

While I enjoy watching football, and at one time enjoyed playing, the game continues to frustrate me as I'm sure it frustrates other “armchair quarterbacks.” I used to be pretty good up until high school, when the coaches said I was too small. I was counting on speed to keep me out of the “meanies” grasp, but the coach recognized that eventually I'd be caught and he didn't want to pick up the pieces.

That taste of organized football was enough to put a longing in my spirit to play, and a judgmental attitude toward those who claim to be professionals, make all that money, and don't play the game perfectly. I break into a sweat, and my heart palpitates every time the Redskins screw-up. It gets so bad sometimes that I have to quit watching.

Our first son, the one who doesn't like football, was born on a Sunday in December and my wife's labor was long and difficult. So after a few hours she was given a muscle relaxant and the doctor went home to watch the game. I was the designated back rubber, and I heard about it at contraction time if I got distracted by a great play, or I got involved in a touchdown celebration at the wrong time. (What does she expect anyway?)

The muscle relaxant worked better than anticipated, and while the nurses were busy with other mothers-to-be, she advanced to almost full dilation in less than an hour. Meanwhile, I was getting tired of rubbing, while having to strain my neck to get my head around her to see the game during contractions. I couldn't get sympathy from anyone. She said she wanted to push and that it felt like the time, so I stepped out of the room to flag down a passing nurse. They ignored me at first until I started yelling, and then one nice nurse condescended to check. Her eyes got wide, “This baby is ready to come out,” she said, starting with my help, to wheel the bed to the delivery room.

They called the doctor, who had about a half-hour trip away, while counseling her not to push. The nurse and I had about decided that we would have to deliver this one, when he came sliding across the delivery room floor, still in his bedroom slippers and made the catch without fumbling, to collect his paycheck. We had planned a Lamaze delivery from the womb into water, but under the circumstances we were lucky to get a post-game wash off.

The Redskins managed to win that game without my full attention, and under coach George Allen had a pretty good year. Coach Allen was a master at generating rivalries, and though I'm not sure why, chose the Dallas Cowboys, coach Tom Landry and quarterback Roger Staubach, to vent against. In those days Cowboy fans in our area didn't surface much for fear of their lives. It's different now, Cowboy fans are all over the place and proud of it, while their darn team is winning again. I suffer the added humiliation of having an autographed picture of “the Dodger” prominently displayed in my living room in his Navy uniform.

We missed the Super Bowl party this year, due to a communication screw-up, but still got to see the best game in recent memory. Now that the season is over and life is back to a semblance of normality, it occurs to me that if the terrorists ever fully appreciate how vulnerable we are as a nation to the “after football” depression we may be in real trouble.

As a huge football fan, it was a treat to watch the Patriots play this season. There were times they were behind in games, but you almost knew it was only a matter of time before they came back and every time they did just that. The Patriots embody the core principles of the game of football. They played, they won, and they grew and expanded to fit and worked together to make the best football team of all time.

There was not a football fan alive today that did not fall in love with the game all over again this season. If this season was any indication, next season will probably knock our proverbial socks off. No matter what the future holds for the Patriots, I firmly believe they have the magic to pull off another undefeated season and the season after that.

I believe in magic, but only that which is created by great men. The New England Patriots have that magic and we fans are ready for the next magic showing for this truly undefeated team. They did not lose the Super Bowl, they won in the hearts of all football fans.

But don't get me wrong, I love football, I really do, but after this thing gets hyped up for two weeks, I can't help but to feel slightly disappointed. I mean, a twenty one hour pre-game show? Come on! I know I don't have to watch it but you would think we are being prepared for the integration of an alien race into our own and at half time the score is seven to three? I'm busting a nut here with excitement. And which washed up dinosaur did they dig up this year for the half time show? I didn't even get to see the appearance of Janet Jackson's old saggy boob, bad timing really, my head was turned but I did get to see the priceless response of my friends and those other people. Tom Petty wasn't bad actually, at least not bad bad, better then I expected. And don't forget the super bowl commercials. Any other day of the year, I hate the fact that I have to sit through the daily bombardment of advertising. It's like having hundreds of people following you around asking for money constantly. But the super bowl? The one day of the year when advertising is actually entertaining, we actually enjoy it. Almost every single ad makes laugh, makes us smile or keeps us guessing, but that stupid Clydesdale stuff for Budweiser has got to go. As usual, this year did not disappoint. Why can't ads be that good all the time?

At least there was a surprise ending this year. Eli redeemed himself from all those times he scrambled around, running for his life and then aimlessly flinging the ball over his shoulder to keep from losing yards, living up to that stupid look he has on his face. I'm happy for them, well done gentlemen, congratulations. I am going to miss that look on Tom Coughlins face, you know, the “oh my hell these guys suck” look, also priceless. There's always next year, Eli Manning will be back. The only thing left, until next year, is the fifty seven hour post game analysis.

Anyway, to what I thought was going to be the main point of this article: the ads.

Firstly, great job yet again by Fox with their “Declaration of Independence,” starting with Jim Brown, including Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy, throw in Lovie Smith, LaDanian Tomlinson and the Navy, Michael Strahan and the Fire Department of New York, and Marie Tillman, widow of Pat Tillman, to bring home why this document is so important, and how great America is because of it.

BEST ADS:

Pepsi Stuff:

Anything that shows Justin Timberlake getting his rear-end kicked from one end of the world to the other is the best ad ever, in my opinion.

Planters:

OK, sorry, I know it's sexist, but the woman getting all that attention for rubbing peanuts on herself and despite her looks, that's funny.

Coca-Cola:

The one with the floats of Stewie and Underdog fighting over the Coke, and Charlie Brown finally gets to win something! Lucy may never have let him kick the football, but he beat a superhero dog and a sarcastic infant icon for the prize! LONG LIVE BROWN!

Bud Light:

Will Ferrell as Jackie Moore from “Semi-Pro” trying to sell beer, and not even close to getting the lines right. I can't reprint the last one, but I'm still laughing about it.

HALFTIME RANT:

NFL, can we please, PLEASE take a little risk now? Seriously, I know you are now scared of breasts, but Kanye West doesn't have any! Come on now, what's next, reanimating Elvis? Nope, can't do that, he might do those hip dances! Besides, the dead played halftime this year.

Tom Petty and the Weird Sisters, er, Heartbreakers, went through the motions, and didn't have any motions, for that matter. And, for those who ripped Prince for singing “Purple Rain” last year, it's a ballad, it's low energy, it was “Master of Puppets” compared to “Free Fallin'.” If you have to pay someone to be enthusiastic, NFL, it's time for a new direction.

WORST ADS:

Both SalesGenie.com ads:

Insulting, offensive, borderline racist, and, above all, just plain stupid.

Amp:

The guy hooking the jumper cables up to his nipples. Now, can't you just see the lawsuits? “Ow, man, that burned! You guys at Amp didn't tell me that would hurt! I'm suin'!”

Coca-Cola:

Frist vs. Carville, then they buy a Coke and become friends, go to the game, see the sights. Ugh.

Nissan Murano:

The world has to catch up. Could've done a lot more with $3 million dollars than this, Nissan, like employee bonuses or something.

HONORABLE MENTION:

They're not really ads, I guess, so I couldn't justify placing them in the top four, but watching the Terminator whomp on those danged annoying football robots was PRICELESS. Too bad they didn't show him whipping the two friends that were about to step in like a bill collector.

So, great, great game, pretty good ads, everything lived up to the hype this year! Oh, and the Patriots lost. That makes all right in the world!

This is the super bowl and if you are in it then one thing is for certain. Your DEFENSE got you here.

What set up the winning field goal in overtime between the Packers and the Giants? It was a timely interception wasn't it.

Why were the Patriots winners in the AFC despite a statistically poor game for the offense? Because in three trips INSIDE THE 15 yard line the Chargers scored a total of 9 points.
With that being said. Lets look at this game from a defensive perspective. The Patriots defense is experienced, cagey and will refuse to allow the Giants offense (and Eli Manning in particular) to beat them. The Giants led the league in sacks and have (in my opinion) three of the most talented defensive linemen in the league right now. What that gives us is a recipe for a super bowl to remember. I am almost ready to flash back to Super Bowl XXV and the Giants win over Buffalo. That was the greatest game in my history and I can see this game creating that same feeling of WOW for young fans everywhere.

Lets not forget that the Giants have not only made it to the big game but have transformed in the process. No longer do fans doubt Eli Manning's ability to lead this team. He is mistake free on this run through the playoffs.

The X-Factor in this game will be who can create the most turnovers and capitalize on them. The advantage has to go to the Patriots secondary. Harrison and company have a thing for coming up big at the most opportune time. This team finds a way to win. No matter what the opposition throws at them. All you need to do is look at how the closest games the Pats had all year, like Philly, Baltimore, and the Giants and see how most of them ended. With an interception.

Even with Tom Brady staying on his feet(the offensive line will have their hands full) and Lawrence Moroney charging out of the back field, the Patriots will remain undefeated by virtue of their defense who will shut down the red zone as they have all season.

I have to admit of all the Super Bowls the pats have won this decade, this is the one that will seal this teams destiny. They Will be the GREATEST team in NFL History.

1. Pizza.

   Make sure you have plenty if you have guests. Also, keep it warm. No one likes cold pizza.

2. Chips and Dips

   Great as an appetizer. Just watch out that the dip doesn't land on your carpeting.

3. Nuts

   Any mixture of nuts will do. Just remember that you are serving your guests nuts and that you do not have nutty guests.

4. Tacos or Nachos
   

   Keep them nice and spicy. Have a lot of cold drinks on hand.

5. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

   Make sure you have mustard and ketchup.

Don't Eat

1. Beans and Franks

    Be prepared for the consequences. Make sure that you have air freshener on hand.

2. Tofu Curds

   It definitely will be a stomach churner for some of your guests.

3. Bologna Sandwiches

   There are times where having bologna sandwiches are acceptable. Having them during the Super Bowl, is not recommended.

4. Meatloaf

   Slabs of meatloaf do not impress guests or family members.

5. Chicken Pot Pie

   Chicken tenders or chicken nuggets are fine. Chicken potpie will not make a favorable impression with guests. It may be too nutritional.