SportsProf Is On The Road

Okay, a few points now that I'm in France (and note it's before the start of the Philadelphia-Green Bay football game).

1. I was going to blog that the major difference between Tampa Bay's Super Bowl team and the teams thereafter was the fact that Jon Gruden forced GM Richie McKay out of his job, which was odd given how well regarded McKay is throughout the league. While I still think that in the long term the coach who controls all the decisions on personnel and wins is the exception, and not the rule (for example, Andy Reid), Gruden won this particular round with Tampa Bay's whitewashing of Atlanta in Tampa this afternoon. That said, over the next five years, I think I'll bet on McKay's teams to do better than Gruden's.

2. Philadelphia-Green Bay. The Eagles will win this game by at least a TD for the same reason that they beat the Giants last week on the road. Most people think that they'll lose the ball game. Last week it was supposed to be Eli Manning's coming out party, and this week it's supposed to be how the physical Packers will beat up on the finesse-oriented Eagles. Except that it will not happen. And when Jeremiah Trotter does a face wash on Brett Favre in the nice Lincoln Financial Field grass, then people will realize that the Birds have a new attitude. And, remember, they still have a few weapons on offense named Owens and McNabb.

3. France. The French are in better shape than Americans, for two interrelated reasons. First, the sports on TV is from hunger. Basically, you get some soccer game on a feed and then either team handball or women's curling. No wonder why Parisians have a low incidence of heart disease despite their madly fattening breads, butters and cheeses. Why? Here's the second reason -- because of the paucity of sports on TV, they are out walking and doing things, and, therefore, do not have the paunches that come from the American act of plopping onto a comfortable couch, eating nachos, drinking a six pack and watching the hometown team on a Sunday. Food for thought, even for those who are driving around with "Boycott France" stickers on their cars.

I'll be blogging intermittently for the rest of the week, but I figured I'd get my two or three cents' worth tonight.

Au revoir,

SportsProf