FleaFlicker Sighting ... A Mile High!!

Yes, you read that correctly!  FleaFlicker, "Mrs.Flintstone" and her hubby, hoofed it out to Denver to catch the recent matchup between the Denver Broncos and the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ever the avid Pittsburgh Steelers fans, Mrs. Flintstone was quite pleased when Ben & the boys handed the Broncos the beatdown that they so richly deserved, winning the week 9 Monday Night Football game by a margin of 28-10.  To celebrate, Mr. Flintstone planted a fat one on Mrs. Flintstone's cheek.  Love is in the mile high air!!

NFL Video: Jon Gruden

Image via Wikipedia

Here's an interview with Coach Jon "Chuckie" Gruden from NFL.com.  Count how many times he uses the word "love" ...

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-presents/09000d5d81341302/Gruden-s-gridiron

ENJOY!

Snatch & CheekyMonkey Invade FedEx Field!

Setting:  FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on October 4th when the Redskins hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Pre-game, Snatch was working the customer service angle, and making some of the locals feel welcome.  And, HOW!!

BANDOS!!!!

Redskins won!!  YAY!!  Let's CELEBRATE!!

Mascot of the Week: "T-Rac" of the Tennessee Titans

"T-Rac" is a raccoon, the official state animal of Tennessee. Did you know that three U.S. presidents called Tennessee their home?  Andrew Jackson, James Polk and Andrew Johnson were all native Tennesseans.  Present day Tennesseans include Kenny Chesney and Shannon Doherty ... and all this time, I thought she was from Beverly Hills 90210. 

Answer to Week 2's "Fandemonium Trivia!"

Image by Mr. Hernonymous via Flickr

The top 5 NFL franchises for retail merchandise sales, according to the NFL Network, are as follows:

Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers
NY Giants
NY Jets
Chicago Bears

So, if you selected the 4th answer, congratulations!  You have just won a brand new convertible Chrysler Sebring!  HOORAY!

**  Please note:  Prizes must be collected prior to 1:59 CT on Tuesday, September 22, 2009.  **

Week 3 Power Rankings (FoxSports)

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

Lots of tasty insight after two weeks of regular season play ... enjoy!

Which FFP&E Poolmember Ended Up at the Dog Pound???

... why, none other than poolmember "ChaChaCoconuts," that's who!!  ChaCha is "cuckoo-for-Cocoa-Puffs" for her Cleveland Browns, so she was giddy with excitement at being able to go see the match-up this past Sunday between the Browns and the Vikings!  In fact, here are some pics of the big day!

Here's ChaChaCoconuts (right) and her friend doing a little pre-game celebrating lakeside!

Almost game time!

ChaCha is ready to get in there and start rooting her Browns to a win!

Pretty day in Cleveland.

Did you know that Cleveland had America's very first traffic light?  Introduced August 5th, 1914.  Also, Cleveland was the world's first city to be lighted electrically ... way back in 1879.  All this info is free of charge to you at the FFP&E.

Hey!  Isn't that ... ?!!  YES!!  It IS!!  It's the dude from the Sears commercial!!  What is HE doing at the Cleveland Browns game?!!  Did you know that Sears is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois?  The likeness of Abe Lincoln, a former Illinois resident, can be seen on American pennies.  Bills are being passed to abolish the penny.  Penny Marshall starred as Laverne Defazio in the 70's sitcom "Laverne & Shirley."

Thank you for sending in these great pictures, ChaChaCoconuts!  We feel like we were there with ya'!

And, what about YOU, dear reader?  Do YOU have any football pictures you'd like to share - past or present - with your fellow poolmembers?  If so, just email them to your commissioner, Tits McGee, like ChaChaCoconuts did, and maybe you, too, can be as wordly and famous as she is!  Well, you can TRY, anyway ...

Week 2 Power Rankings (FoxSports)

Image via Wikipedia

FoxSports has released its power rankings for week 2.  Follow this link to have a looksie:  http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

Super-Dope Oaktown! (a.k.a. "The Biggity-Biggity O!")

 Well, now, how about BOTH of those MNF match-ups, huh?!!  KA-POW!!  Now, THAT was some FOOTBALL!!

The first game of the double-header saw the Buffalo Bills putting up an extraordinary fight against the Patriots led by Tom Brady and his new bionic knee.

For a long time, it looked like Trent Edwards in his unique, metrosexual, Fallout Boy way was going to lead the Bills to an historic win over the Pats, which would have made some folks who play longshot bets quite rich!

But then, Tom Brady, who was having none of it, went all Tom Brady on them and rallied his fellas to move that little spherical orb to the end zone to score more points than the aforementioned Bills.  And, while I'm no rules expert, I do believe that constitutes a win.  Wait - yes, I checked ... it does.  Pats 25, Bills 24.

Onto game 2 - Chargers @ Raiders ... dum-dum-dummmm ...

Chargers beat the Raiders by a score of 24-20.  I think the word you're searching for is "exquisite."  What else do you need to know?  (Hey - I never claimed my writing would be unbiased.  Who am I, Diane Sawyer?)

Hugs and kisses, from Tits McGee

An Opening Day Ode to the FFP&E

Heinz Field is the venue, the match-up's at hand.

Soon come the tailgating, drunk, rowdy fans!

Steelers and Titans, tonight they will meet.

8:30's the kick-off, so be in your seat!

Gather some snack food, and maybe some beer,

In front of the t.v., just sit on your rear.

And, watch as the Titans and Steelers meet-up,

I hope they remember to each wear their cups.

Lastly, a thank you for joining the pool,

I'm glad that you're in it, you're totally cool.

And, if you get lucky, you might win it all!

Remember, before you can walk, you must crawl.

Take it from me when you're choosing your pick,

If your team's a loser, it makes you feel sick.

"I could have flushed that money down thru the toilet,"

But, if your team wins, then you'll surely enjoy it!

Good luck to you all, and the teams that you choose,

If you pick 'em right, well then, how can you lose?!!

Of course, if you have any questions for me,

Just drop me a note!  Love, Commissioner McGee

Commissioner Roger Goodell Wanted to Chat ...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

So, he did!  And, honestly, it was pretty interesting.  Here is the link to the hour-long chat ... some great stuff in here, and interesting questions!

http://chat.nfl.com/front/index/416#alert


Roger looks perplexed.  I just wanted to use the word "perplexed."  >>>>>>>

NFL Anagrams!

Image by bartmaguire via Flickr

So, anagrams - FUN!  Wait ... what are anagrams, again?  Well, anagrams are where the letters of a word or phrase are used to produce a NEW word or phrase by using each of the original letters exactly once.

In keeping with our football theme, I thought I'd check out anagrams for some of our teams ... and, there were some hilarious results.  For example:

Pittsburgh Steelers = "BETTER RUTHLESS PIGS"

Atlanta Falcons = "FAT CALL ON SATAN"

Baltimore Ravens = "VARIABLE MONSTER"

Oakland Raiders = "ALAS, KIND OR DEAR" (pleeeeeeease!)

Detriot Lions = "LOONIEST DIRT" 

New Orleans Saints = 'SENSATIONAL WRENS"

... and, my favorite, San Francisco Forty Niners = "FORNICATORS, FANCY SINNERS"

What does YOUR name translate to ... find out by clicking on this link:  http://deanjackson.dj/nameanagram/index.php?n=san+francisco+forty+niners

NFL Mascot of the Week

It's none other than Cincinnati Bengals mascot "WHO DEY," shown here giving a hug to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Who Dey is the mascot, yes, but it's also the name of a chant of support by Bengals fans.  The entire chant goes like this:  "Who dey!  Who dey!  Who dey think 'gon beat dem Bengals?"  To which, the entire stadium enthusiastically replies, "NOBODY!"  Really gets the crowd going.  Sometimes, the entire chant is shortened to simply, "WHO DEY," but I prefer the extended club mix.

(BTW:  Who has their name legally changed to 'Ochocinco? ' Johnson must've been too boring for him.  Maybe he thought 'Chad Johnson' sounded too much like the captain of a sailing team or something - which, you have to admit, it does.)

Drama!  Some give the "Who Dey" chant a little bit of the side-eye because it's remarkably similar to the New Orleans chant "Who Dat."  I'm not judging ... I'm just sayin' ...

Listen, Bengals fans, who dey think they are trying to give YOU the side-eye?!!  Grab your Skyline Chili and maybe some beer from Oldenberg Brewery, get your tailgatin' on, and cheer your Bengals to success!

Time Magazine Article

Fantasy Football: Is It Going to Our Heads?

La Mapa!

Check out this map ...

It pinpoints where all 32 NFL teams are located throughout the United States.

Semi-interesting, no?

In Spanish, the word for "map" is "la mapa."

Vaya con Dios ...

The Pride of San Diego!

Poolmembers "JewyGooey" and her son, 'WackyZacky,' at the Chargers vs. Colts playoff game last season.  Playing on Peyton Manning's then-popular Mastercard commercial with him in his hotel room presumably while in town for a game against the Chargers, these two comedians crafted signs that they took into the game that said, "You're going down, Manning" and "Weather here's SWEET!"  Which were two notable-quotables from the Mastercard commercial.  Priceless.

And, in case you don't recall, the Chargers won in overtime by a score of 23-17, thereby advancing them to the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Chargers imploded the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to become the Super Bowl champs.

It's a new year ... GO BOLTS!!

Week 1 Power Rankings (FoxSports)

FoxSports puts together a great power rankings overview ... you can find it by following this link:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings?type=predictions

Just Over 10 Days To Go !!

Live-action shot from the Patriots v. Redskins preseason match-up this past Friday night (8/28/09) at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

Poolmember, GlamourBeast, was among the many Redskins fans in attendance at the game which resulted in a win for Tom Brady and the boys, much to GlamourBeast's chagrin.

Do you have a personal football photo - past or present - that you'd like to include on our blog? Just forward it to Tits McGee at thefleaflickers@gmail.com, and we'll get it posted!

"Hail to the Redskins,
Hail victory ... (just not this night.)
Braves on the warpath,
Fight - for old D.C.!"

Brett Favre vs. AARP

Image via Wikipedia

He's Brett Favre. He bleeds football. He’s a good ‘ole boy from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and his middle name is Lorenzo - who knew?

Well, unless you’ve been stuck under a rock somewhere, you already know that he’s re-unretired, and will be QBing for the Minnesota Vikings. As mentioned previously, the NFL season always seems to provide some sort of “soap opera-esque drama,” and by former Green Bay Packer Favre joining the Packers’ NFC North division rival Vickies, you can bet that I’ll be microwaving some popcorn for the match-up set for 10/5 at the Metrodome (and, subsequently, 11/1 at Lambeau.)

So, I will go on record as saying that I have been conflicted by his return, again, to football. After having been a Favre fan for years, because of his love for the game, but mostly driven by his looks, there – I said it, I was sad to see him retire. I was moved by his tear-filled retirement announcement, sad to see the end of an era, but grateful that I could be counted among a generation who could say they saw Favre play in his prime.

Then, he un-retired and played for the Jets. Then, retired, again. Now, he’s re-unretired and playing for the Vikings. I’m getting dizzy.

Who knew the range of emotions that Brett’s indecision would elicit from the general public, myself included? There are a lot of people out there with a lot of strong opinions, but mostly I’ve noticed that they all boil down to the two very divided camps of: “WTF, Just Stay Retired, Brett” and “I’m Just Happy I Get To See Him Play More.” I’ll admit, I have been a staunch advocate of both viewpoints at various times throughout this whole saga.

But, then, after a thought-filled conversation with a good friend of mine about the subject, debating both sides of the retirement controversy (nod to Prince's “Con-tro-ver-sy,”) it dawned on me – wow, Brett Favre is coming back! Why in the world would I NOT be excited about this?!! I want my six-year-old godson, Sean, to watch him, and to understand that Brett Favre is someone who will be spoken of in the world of football until the end of time. When he’s grown-up, I want Sean to be able to tell his kids about watching Brett Favre play! Sean’s a Titans fan at the moment, but he can still admire a legend from another team, right? (The commish is actively trying to recruit him to the Chargers side, but Daddy’s a Bronco lover, so that might be a challenge.) Regardless, at six, Sean just may be old enough to remember watching Brett Favre play football – how cool is that?!!

So, bottom line: Look, if Brett wants to re-unretire, why in the world would I feel so invested in his decision? What a waste of emotion, really. I don’t think Brett would care if I were to waver on any retirement decisions I were to make, and I’m a living legend, too, right? I can assure you that if I had retired then someone came to me waving $10 million in my face to do what I’d previously loved to do, I would jump back in the saddle faster than you could say, “A.A.R.P,” too, so who am I to judge?!!

Do what ya’ gotta do, Brett. Get in that Vikings uniform, hop into that shotgun formation, and make it happen! You know, we’ll ALL be watching ... with popcorn in hand!

One Month Out ...

So, here we are just about one month out from the start of the NFL football season 2009-10. What does the upcoming season have in store for us? By now, you've heard many of the teams already declaring that, "This is our year ..." or "We've worked hard during the off-season to acquire talent to really complete our team ... " or, the ever popular, "This is a building year for us ... " (In other words, set your expectations of us properly - i.e. "low.")

Well, whatever the case may be, I'm looking forward to it. As always, I start the season with butterflies in my tummy as I think about the chance for the Chargers to make it to the Super Bowl. They look good, even formidable - Merriman's back and LaDanian is operating at 110%. Philip Rivers has never looked better. But, this time last year, I was also listening to all the reports and thinking, "This is it! This is their year! HOORAY!!" The point is ... who really knows?

Image via Wikipedia

And, therein lies the excitement of it all! The twists, the turns ... the, at times, soap opera-like plot developments that rise out of nowhere and send us fans on a completely different course independent of how we'd imagined the season would play out.


What, indeed, does this season have in store for us?


I'm tempted to do a little research to see what the prognosticators were saying at this point last year about who they then believed would make the trip to the big show, and compare that to the actual results. I'd be willing to bet that most of them never dreamed that the Arizona Cardinals would get there! I know the Chargers were at the top of the list, and so were the Patriots, but who knew Tom Brady would play for fifteen seconds - okay, maybe it was twenty - and then be out for the rest of the season?! Drama. Who knew that Plaxico Burress would, like a dumbass, shoot himself?! Intrigue. Terrell Owens has his own reality show now, and is a Buffalo Bill?!! Okay, at least some of us kinda saw that coming - well, that he would not remain a Cowboy. The reality show kinda came outta nowhere - but, I watch it. (Don't you judge me.)


In any event, football season is almost upon us. Time to get out your old jerseys so everyone knows who your team is! Time to begin strategizing your pool picks week-to-week to make sure you're giving yourself the best advantage to win the whole kit & kaboodle. For those like-minded individuals who are so inclined, it's time to really dig in and enjoy this time of year, after all, we're getting to the good stuff in baseball, college football is approaching - fight on, and we've already discussed the NFL!  Life is good.


It's no wonder the butterflies have arrived!