the 4th star

Before I set things in motion for this week’s version of the 4th Star Suicide Pool: Zombie Edition, let’s talk about the New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game for a second. To quote my father as he dropped me off at hockey one night, during those bantam years when things weren’t going well for the mighty Winterhawks: You better frickin’ win this time.

While it might be a little premature to say the season is in the balance for the New York Giants, the season is in the balance for the New York Giants. Lose this game and there will be serious consequences. For me. Here’s the thing: I can’t lose anymore sleep over this team and another loss to an inferior opponent — especially one coached by that idiot Andy Reid — and I’ll be dead. You might as label me a Kansas City Chiefs fan, for Christ’s sake! The New Orleans game — sure, they were going to lose that one no matter how well they played. No one will beat the Saints until the playoffs (or this Monday) so that loss is taken, slipped into the pocket of my dress jacket, and forgotten about until its time to go to the dry-cleaners. The Cardinals game, on the other hand, has me full of concern. RED FLAG CONCERN. I didn’t like the way the defence played. I didn’t like the coaching — on either side of the ball. I didn’t like the punting. I didn’t like the way Eli Manning kept using 60 seconds of the 45 second play clock. Here are the New York Giants, a team built on the traditions of running the ball and staunch defensive play, not running the ball and not defending anything.

Wazoo’s Early Christmas List

1. An effective pass rush.
2. Thirty-five touches on the ground.
3. An effective pass rush.

Now that I got that off my chest, let’s take a look at the pool. Last week saw two people sink to the bottom of the ocean floor — including the defending champion from the first six weeks. According to my records, the following souls are still walking among us: BS, MDB, DKUN, Hustlerama, Ian Hudson, Wingman2, MasterClark, and myself. A reminder: These four teams — Minnesota, Indianapolis, Denver, New Orleans — are strictly off-limits. You can’t take them. You want to take them, you need to take them, but you can’t. Zombie rules.

So let’s see here…I like the Bears to pound the Browns and the Dallas-Seattle game looks mighty inviting, but I’m going with the San Diego Chargers to defeat the Oakland Raiders. JaMarcus Russell is a human turnover. Blueberry. Why aren’t you picking the Giants, you ask? Shut up.

Pick away in the comments.