Leyden's Log - Week Nine

Week Nine takes you all over America, from Tampa to Seattle, from Boston to New Orleans – battles for first place highlighting another stellar slate.


Inside This Edition:

A Nostradamus Moment for the Log Champ
QOW – Match Game Style
Texans Make a Four Tops Debut
No Snowballs at Giants Stadium
Birthdays! We’ve got A LOT of Birthdays!


QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Before we feature the responses from week eight, I need to ask this – Did anyone else see what Tony Kornheiser was wearing on Friday’s version of Pardon the Interruption? Yes, it was a Brad Childress costume. For that, Brian King just got three more points in the race for the Tom LOGbardi Trophy.

And now, last week’s suggestions for my leaf removal. Jim McManus, from the back row of a theater in Oakland, screamed, “Fire!” Sure he was arrested and sent to jail, but he got one point in the Log Race. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Maggie Kukar from Minneapolis has a sneaky suggestion: “Just forget about them during the day, at night rake them into the street and let your tax dollars work.” You’d never know she was a referee’s daughter. Put those hands together over your head Maggie – you got two points!

Larry Blackburn from Jacksonville came up with the best solution. “Invite the Lions, Rams or Titans over – they all blow!” Genius, like my playlist on iTunes. Three points.


THIS WEEK’S QUESTION

This from the fill-in-the-blank family (cue Gene Rayburn)

A bronco in Denver sees a bolt of lightning in San Diego. He charges in a western direction and stops only when he finds _________ ?

Send responses to tleyden@wxyz.com, leave a comment on Facebook or send a response via Twitter to @tomleyden


SONG OF THE WEEK

I’m Loggin’ Fine…on Cloud Nine.


FOUR TOPS The best four games of the week

I struggle to recall a time the Texans have broken into the Four Tops, but mark it on your calendar – Week 9, 2009 – Houston at Indianapolis is the shim-diggy. Listen, you’ve been around since 2002. You’ve beaten the Colts ONCE! I’m not saying go in there and knock around Peyton Manning and flex your muscles. I’m just saying make it a good game. I’m just saying don’t give up your typical 30 points per game to the Colts. Make it worthy of a Four Tops appearance. You can do it. 0-7 in Indianapolis? Bah!

The Ravens are right back in there – I’m undeterred by the big win. This is another doozy, another must-win for John Harbaugh if they want to make a divisional run. Cincinnati sits atop the AFC North and don’t forget a last-minute TD pass from Carson Palmer to Andre Caldwell won game one of this season series less than a month ago. Big Marv (do they call him that? Probably not) is 8-5 against his old team and this one would give the Cats a two-game cushion, plus a tiebreaker, over the Black Birds. Drama, Suspense, Revenge – all on the menu. Mmmm. Serve it up.

The 2004 Draft Bowl – Chargers at Giants. How about this for principle characters - Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, Nate Kaeding and Eli Manning. Those four ended up being the players involved in the draft-day trade that brought Manning to the Big Apple and sent Rivers to the Pacific coast. For the first time, Rivers and Manning meet as starting quarterbacks. This is also the first time the Chargers have returned to Giants Stadium since they were pummeled with snowballs late in the 1995 season. Ugly scene then, but not this Sunday as emotions will run high and execution will be sharp.

Torn between a couple here for the final slot in Four Tops, but I’m going Philly/Dallas. Hatred, familiarity and a battle for first place… somebody’s going to lose a tooth. Maybe it will Roy Williams if Tony Romo keeps throwing the ball where he has to stretch or dive for it. If you told me after week three one of these two would be atop the NFC East I would have said, “pass me some of what you’re having,” but kudos to both squads as they’ve turned it around.


HOW’D I DO? Grading last week’s Four Tops

Jets/Fins – I have man-love for this rivalry. Yet another game decided by a touchdown or less. A

Packers/Vikings – Yes, it lived up to the hype. A

Ravens/Broncos – Important win for Baltimore, but the competitiveness wasn’t there. C

Giants/Eagles – No comment. F

Season totals – 18 A’s, 5 B’s, 6 C’s, 1 D, 2 F’s


OVERTIME Other games to watch

Pack/Bucs – Baywatch Tampa

Dolphins/Patriots – Are the Fins Super Bowl contenders, as Bart Scott said last week, or not?

Cardinals/Bears – You wanna crown their as##s, then go ahead and crown ‘em. They are who we thought they were – and we let ‘em off the hook.

Panthers/Saints – Best start in the history of the Saints is worth checking in for every week.


YUP

Titans/Niners, Steelers/Broncs, candy that’s sweet and tangy


YUCK

Skins/Falcons, Chiefs/Jags, Lions/Seahawks, candy with nuts


HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Lots of birthday love this week. Art Regner, Kevin Sutton, Peter Carey, Chris Baxter, John Boruk, Karla Tewes, Meghan Brennan, Sarah Morgan, Sean Collier, Chris McCloskey, Betsy Lippolis, Oliver Lubin and Tara Reid, who turns 34 on Sunday.