...that's right. My bro says something like "Max, Vikings Packers" and if the kid farts long, it's the first team. If the kid doesn't fart or farts short, it's the second team. I have no idea of the accuracy but it's way more fun then actually watching the games.

So how about them Cal Bears King? Man they made a lot of old blues (and young ones too) crap their pants this year.

I think I figured out why you're my favorite sportswriter:

"My daughter Daisy, the coin-flippinest 2-year-old west of Gillette Stadium, went 162-94 in her debut, good for a 14th-place tie with former two-time champ Salisbury. Salisbury travels around the country and breaks down film and watches practices and talks to coaches and players and uses the expertise gleaned from his college and pro playing careers, and he's right as often as a 2-year-old with a quarter."

You have a tremendous appreciation for the vagaries and contingencies of sports and, indeed, life. You acknowledge ambivalence but still lay out your opinions with great intelligence, wit, and style. And everyday, semi-anonymous chuckleheads pillory your for your ignorance while declaring their own certainty. But you continue with grace. I look forward to another year with you.

And that outdoor hockey game was just ridiculously fun.

You should have offered last place two dinners at your house. Hell, I would cook her three.

Tennis had a match fixing scandal? The only tennis player I can even name now is the tall one who does the Canon commercials with her dog. Actually, I cannot even name her, but I can picture her in my mind.

You never write about triathlon, but then again, neither do people who are actually interested in it.

a number of other significant themes involving race and sports but not to worry that was your normal mode of operations in 2007 being reactionary where race and sports intersected or being MIA.

Nevertheless your incompetence and ignorance with regard to the issues of Black athletes and Black fans offered me plenty of opportunities to educate and dialouge with Salon readers many of which became my fans and email comrades.

BTW I found it amusing you were willing to correct me about my thoughts on the NFL and it's rule against teens playing in the NFL who can die in Iraq as US soilders or mercenaries( depends on your politics )yet you offered no explanation against this anti-trust violation.. ( I did not expect you to have any worthy Black comments since you lack that vantage point as a white male but not to fear I am here for that)

I look forward to 2008 my presence in here will no doubt be needed....

I did as well as Peter King on eroticmodelpicks.com...

Welcome back King. It's worth getting out of bed again....

against the C.Vivian Stringer ( Rutgers Coach) who defended her team against one of the media's most racist personalities.

Your convoluted rant against the Rutgers coach was the low point for me in reading your columns in 2007. I found it offensive that a white male like you would have the audacity to question a Black woman protecting other Black woman from the hate speech of a racist.

Yeah King you really missed this 2007 event..

Zzzzzzzzz..........

His .689 percentage should've given him first place, but you ranked by wins, not taking into account that he made fewer picks (he didn't pick MNF games). Invite him to dinner too.

It's probably worth pointing out that if you'd simply reversed your What the Heck picks, you would have tied for first place.

And venture out into 2008, let us always fondly remember and recognize the moron American fans and sports media. The nerds.

When the New Big East football conference was formed with the departure of Miami Fla., Virginia Tech, and Boston College and the addition of Conference-USA teams, the universal national opinion, expressed loudly and from all quarters, was that their automatic BCS bid should be stripped. Non stop ridicule and put downs.

Now here we stand. The new Big East is 8-2 in their last 10 bowl games, including three consecutive BCS bowl victories over SEC champ Georgia in Atlanta, a rout of big bad Oklahoma of the Big-12, and an Orange Bowl victory over the ACC champ. In fact the new Big East is the only BCS conference undefeated in the BCS bowls the last 3 seasons. In those 3 BCS bowl wins the rushing totals are Big East 900 Opponents 500. In other words physical manhandlings. Overall the Big East rep averaging nearly 40 points and 500 total yards.

6 of the 8 Big East teams have found the top 20, four the top ten, and 3 the top 2 in their short existence.

And, incredibly, in many current discussions the Big East is still mocked. It's like the results don't even matter. The idiots all said something in unison 3 years ago and now they are just going to stick with it despite having it rammed down their throats.

So here's to you moron fans and media. We await the next universal proclamation so we will know to expect the exact opposite.

Thrasher letter about racism? check. Wes letter about nerds? check.

Come on, Mike, can't you point out that West Virginia borders Ohio so we can get the trifecta?

King Kong is dozing at the wheel.

I very seldom post here anymore, in part 'cos most of the letter-writers get to say what I want to say before I've even woken up. But, also because the once great King Kudos is losing his touch. I mean, really, does anyone give a rat's ass about whose method of "picking" game winners is better? Given the ludicrously low standard of "play" by NFL "professionals" this year, what difference does it make?

In fact, if it were not for the Pats there'd be nothing to cheer for, other than the banged up Colts. These are the only teams in the NFL to merit the title professional. And the Colts' decision to run out the clock without calling a timeout in their regular season finale showed that they too have succumbed to the prevailing notion that it's not necessary to play sixty minutes, or to play every game like you want to win.

The Pats are worthy of every accolade in the book, precisely because they force other teams to raise their game, and play sixty full minutes of football. Eli Manning's comment that the Giants' loss to New England "didn't matter" is a perfect summation of the quest for mediocrity that characterizes every team in the NFL ... except The New England Patriots.

I picked them to win in every game that mattered this season, and I have a perfect record ... because only the games they play really matter.

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P.S. Does King Kong know there was a really good bowl game between WVU and OU last night? Surely there's more fodder for a good article in that than in all of the pimps' and pornstars' weekly picks. [try saying that on a bellyfull o' beer]