First Lady Michelle Obama played football with the NFL Wednesday in New Orleans for the NFL’s Play 60 clinic, which is part of the league’s events for the Thursday launch of its football season.

The program encourages children to move at least an hour each day. Its goals are similar to Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign against childhood obesity.

“We’re here because of you,” she told about 70 students from the metropolitan New Orleans area. “We want you guys to grow up strong and healthy. Anyone can be smart and funny but if you’re not in good health, we know that you will have a hard way to go.”

She joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and former players, including New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and New England Patriots wide receiver Rodney Harrison. The First Lady and former NFL players caught passes during a flag football drill with a group of children at a temporary football field to promote a healthier way of life that includes exercise and nutrition.

The NFL Playoffs used to mark the most brutal match-ups in the most brutal weather.  The Green Bay Packers hosted games at Lambeau Field that transformed into “The Frozen Tundra” during the post season.   In Chicago opposing teams would often face a tough Bears defense with below zero wind chills and violent hits.  The Pittsburgh Steelers and that rock solid field put teams through a test of wills with the vaunted “Steel Curtain” defense and the harsh Pittsburgh weather.   The bitter cold at Foxborough “Foxboro”  Stadium, got the better of the Indianapolis Colts throughout the 2000’s as Manning’s invisible offense was neutralized in the arctic temperatures in New England.

It was a different time as talent was tested against the freezing temperatures.  Skills were put aside for who could outlast the other and make the fewest mistakes in a more conservative test of wills.  The losers were criticized for not being able to play amongst the elements and the winners were heralded as men among boys.  Team identities were forged and reputations were manufactured as the game took on a more meaningful role in the battle of true toughness.

This weekend however, during the NFL’s Divisional Playoff round, the identities of old were put to rest as three teams saw a very different scenario laid out.  The New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts & Minnesota Vikings all hosted games played in domes, becoming the new face of the NFL playoffs.  These dome games came complete with temperature control and heat settings capturing crowd noise that all but made this year’s playoffs seem foreign.

Adding to that is the fact that each dome team actually won and all did it in fairly impressive fashion.   It all made me wonder…is this really the NFL playoffs anymore?  I guess matching talent for talent and skill set up against each other looks good on the surface, playing in ideal circumstances similar to that of the Super Bowl sure is entertaining, but when you look deeper it really was quite disappointing.

The Arizona Cardinals never had a chance as the Saints ran up and down the field on them in a blowout 45 – 14.  Over in Indianapolis the Baltimore Ravens never found the end zone in a less offensive beat down, as they fell 20 – 3 to the Colts.  And possibly the worst loss of the weekend came in Minnesota where the Dallas Cowboys lost the turnover battle and never seemed to find their groove allowing Brett Favre’s Vikings to run rampant in a 34 – 3 clobbering.

Sure every HOME DOME team won except the San Diego Chargers who hosted the New York Jets in none other than sunny California. The Jets sneaked out a 17 -14 win at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers held the lead for three quarters and  if not for three missed field goals by Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding, we would be talking about a Phillip Rivers vs Peyton Manning AFC Championship game. Dome teams are now the face of dominance in the NFL. and its one that is killing the sport that I love. No more frozen tundra and footballs that feel like bricks.  Temperature controlled “havens” are what we’re forced to hang our hats on as fans.  Seriously no thank you!

In 2007, the New York Giants visited Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship game.  There to greet them was the “King of Cold” himself, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers were ready for a showdown in which they felt they had the edge based on the weather.  Temperatures in that game got as low as -4 in what many called “football weather.”  The picture of Giants head coach Tom Coughlin with frost bite on his cheeks is seared in the minds of football fans across the world after that day.  The Giants beat the Packers in that game as quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Plaxico Burress, went up against one of the league’s best bump and run cornerbacks Al Harris.   Burress and Manning had one of their best games together and their bond was made stronger as a result.  These are the statements only games played outdoors where football was created to be played in are made.

And It’s that kind of statement that was missing from this weekend’s games.  I’m not blaming the players or teams for how the season played out, but these NFL playoffs were lacking the very fabric that makes this game what it is today.  Talent matched with talent is great but talent matched with talent and freezing temperatures is what makes this game phenomenal.

(Image Sources: Burress, Coughlin, Foxborough, Lambeau)

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to MY editor MKRob who oversees the overseer. LOL  He’s the someone who’s responsible for the eyes and eyes of THE eyes and ears…and is the best at correcting my many mistakes and keeping me honest.

For the New York Giants and 19 other teams the 2009 NFL season ended on Sunday. Le Sigh. And while the world stands still for me as a devout Giants fan, the work goes on as the post season kicks off this weekend.

For the remaining 12 teams who will continue on in the post season, here’s how the playoff picture has shaped up.

AFC Teams

Indianapolis Colts San Diego Chargers New England Patriots Cincinnati Bengals New York Jets Baltimore Ravens

NFC Teams

New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings Dallas Cowboys Arizona Cardinals Green Bay Packers Philadelphia Eagles

Wild-Card Round Sat.-Sun., Jan. 9-10

AFC Sat., Jan. 9, 4:30 p.m. ET NBC N.Y. Jets Cincinnati

Sun., Jan. 10, 1:00 p.m. ET CBS Baltimore New England

NFC Sat., Jan. 9, 8:00 p.m. ET NBC Philadelphia Dallas

Sun., Jan 10, 4:40 p.m. ET FOX Green Bay Arizona

Divisional Round

Sat., Jan. 16, CBS AFC ~ Teams to be determined

Sun., Jan. 17, CBS AFC ~ Teams to be determined

Sat., Jan. 16, FOX NFC ~ Teams to be determined

Sun., Jan. 17, FOX NFC ~ Teams to be determined

Championship Round

Sun., Jan. 24, CBS AFC ~ Teams to be determined

Sun., Jan. 24, FOX NFC ~ Teams to be determined

Super Bowl XLIV Sun., Feb. 7, CBS AFC vs NFC

(Image Source)

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are still unbeaten and both teams have perfectly executed their mission so far this season, as their playoff hopes are all but locked for the year. Both teams are sitting at 8-0 heading into week 10 with completely different teams threatening their perfect seasons. For the Saints they face a St. Louis Rams team that on paper doesn’t look to put their record in any real danger. However, the Colts aren’t as lucky as they face off with their AFC rival the New England Patriots, that can not only hand them their first loss but is a team who is also clearing a path of their own this season. For the rest however, it will be another week of November football and some interesting matchups. Who’s Number 1: Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) Last week the Bengals swept the Baltimore Ravens in the division series, which not many people saw coming. Then again, the Ravens haven’t really looked like the Ravens team that started out 3-0 on the year. This week the Bengals will be tested once again when they face the Steelers who are riding a five game win streak in a battle for number one in the AFC North. Both the Steelers and Bengals are playing great run defense holding the number one (Steelers) and two (Bengals) spots in the league. So the spotlight in this game will be placed on the quarterbacks. Ben Roethlisberger, has been great in the last four games with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions with a QB rating of 111.2. Carson Palmer is putting together some impressive wins as well, but he’ll need to have a better day against the Steelers defense than he did in week 3 despite their win. Palmer was 20 of 37 for 187 yards a touchdown. Identity Crisis: Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) @ San Diego Chargers (5-3) With the win against the New York Giants in week 9 in the final seconds of the game, the Chargers are once again setting themselves up for their yearly mid-season push for the division title. With the Denver Broncos having lost two consecutive games to AFC north opponents, and may have very well reached their plateau on the year, the Chargers are poised to overtake them for the lead. For the Chargers it’s much of the same from a team that shouldn’t be in danger of coming in second in the AFC west they’ll look to orchestrate back to back wins against NFC east teams on Sunday. The Eagles are in a similar position with the win-lose streak they’re on this season. Since losing to the Raiders in week 7, they’ve beaten the Giants in week 8, only to lose last week to the Cowboys falling to second in the division. Still in the drivers seat of their season however, they’ll need to establish some consistency if they want to be a serious contender in the wild card push. And one still has to wonder just when, if ever they’ll utilize Michael Vick impatiently waiting in the wings, ready to restore order for the Eagles if needed. Role Reversal: New England Patriots (6-2) @ Indianapolis Colts (8-0) The NFL is a funny place as things can swing from big success for a team to disappointing failure one season to the next. The Patriots are used to big success, but last season they had a disappointing blow, losing quarterback Tom Brady to a season ending knee injury. This season the Patriots look to resume their dominance of the AFC over the past decade with another successful season. Standing in their way is an overachieving Indianapolis Colts team, who are also used to greatness, but this season seem to have the edge over New England in AFC supremacy. At 8-0 it’ll be New England’s turn to play spoiler and bring down the AFC’s new “Goliath”, the Indianapolis Colts. In the last three games the Patriots have outscored their opponents 121-24, which started with a rout against the Titans 59-0 in week 7. The Colts have taken blows to their defense losing safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson for the season to injuries. But Manning is still Manning so it’ll be another classic matchup of Tom vs. Peyton. Creating Separation: Dallas Cowboys (6-2) @ Green Bay Packers (4-4) The Cowboys are in position to create separation in the NFC east this week with a win over the Packers. Currently, they sit atop the division and a win over a hapless Green Bay team would prove beneficial to them on their quest for their first division title since the 2007 season. Quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys defense are playing as good as it gets and another win would make it their fifth in a row. On the other hand the Packers are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, capping an up and down season where at times they’ve looked legitimate and others completely inept. Quarterback Aaron Rogers needs to find better chemistry with his receiving corp. and the defense needs more consistency. Games of Interest There’s nothing compelling at first glance at either of these matchups, but looking deeper there is something to be said for the teams involved so let’s take a look. Redemption: Denver Broncos (6-2) vs. Washington Redskins (2-6) The Redskins have lost four consecutive games and are averaging 14 points a game. So far this season they haven’t scored 20 or more points in a single game and have a total of 113 points on the season. What’s perplexing about the Skins however, is their ability to be better but their failure to do so. With players like running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts and wide receiver Santana Moss all capable of turning things around at any moment, I’m looking for the Redskins to return from their bye week with something to prove. They’ll face a Denver Broncos’ team that has lost two straight games and are looking to get back to their winning ways. On Monday night I witnessed the complete collapse of a team in the second half that had all but dominated the Steelers during the first half. The Broncos were completely incapable of readjusting to the Steelers approach for the second half. If the Broncos are unable to get back on track, the questions will begin of how legitimate they were in the first place when they leaped out to their 6-0 record. Vince Young is Perfect: Tennessee Titans (2-6) vs. Buffalo Bills (3-5) Two games after debuting as the starter for the Titans “the sequel”, Vince Young is 2-0 and has this team rallying around its new leader. The Titans started the year off at 0-6 after going 13-3 a season ago, which created the sudden urgency to replace Collins with Young from ownership. So what happened? We know Vince Young isn’t that good, but he does seem to be the spark the team needed and has helped right the shit for the time being. But what everyone wants to know is how long will it last? And can Young continue with his successful campaign for saving the Titans. For now it’s exciting seeing the franchise back in action willing his team back from the dead.