Holiday Hogepodge

Why hello there, strangers! Please pardon the blog's mid-week hiatus. We got lost in some holiday television specials on Wednesday; and weren't really in the mood to chat after attending the Islander-Ranger game last night. But we're back with the oh-so-rare Friday matinee edition. I'm in a rather chipper mood today, after the Colts knocked off the Jaguars to give the Jets' ray of playoff hope a little more glisten. We'll get to the Jets and Giants in a bit. Heck, we'll cover some baseball hot stove, too. Aw, what the hey, we'll even chat hockey! The sports holiday hodgepodge is in place, and the blog is ready to dish. Let's get to it...

Football
As usual, I'll start with the guys in green. As mentioned earlier, the race for the final AFC playoff spot may be down to three horses. Miami, Baltimore, and the Jets are all tied at 7-6. If people were placing bets, the Ravens are favorites right now. Unless I'm missing something, they are the team that makes the playoffs if all three teams win out. They also have perhaps the easiest schedule of the bunch, facing the Bears, Steelers, and Raiders (15-24 combined.) The Jets seem to have a daunting task of the Falcons, Colts, and Bengals (29-11 overall.) But some real luck may come their way, as the formidable Colts and Bengals may rest their big players to prepare for the playoffs. If Gang Green can seize their potentially-great opportunity, they can make some hay. It all starts with Atlanta though, which could be rocky. Miami is in serious danger with their schedule, as the Titans, Texans, and Steelers (a deceiving 18-21 overall) will all come to play. So as you can see by the schedules, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the Jets' playoff hopes in the palm of their hands.

Now to the Blue Man group. Their situation is a little less messy. After doing some conceding (Eagles win the NFC East, Packers get the 1st wild card spot) we can deduce that either the Cowboys or Giants will be the other wild carder. The Jets can help out by finishing off Atlanta on Sunday. Though the 49ers have shown feistiness, I'm going to declare it too little too late for them. That's where the deducing comes from. Being one game in front, the Cowboys are locked into the playoffs if they win their three remaining games. If they do not, however, the Giants hold all the tiebreakers and will be there to take Dallas' spot. Games against the undefeated Saints and formidable Eagles may mean another December heartache for the Cowboys. The Giants' quest to leapfrog them will start Monday night against Washington.

Baseball
Usually in December, baseball talk is all about the free agents cashing in on new deals. Though there is some of that going on (Lackey and Cameron to Boston, Figgins to Seattle, Wolf to Milwaukee, etc.) talk these days is all about "The Trade." Yes, the deal that landed new homes for 2 of the 5 best starting pitchers in all of baseball. The two-time defending National League Champion Phillies ditched Cliff Lee in favor of Roy Halladay. On the outside, it looks like a classic Brad/Jennifer/Angelina scenario. "One was really special, but we can take over the world with the other one." So the Phils did what they thought was necessary to stay on top, though it cost them some serious young talent. I will further discuss the hot stove when more things get done/I do more research. But Cliff Lee already seems spurned by Philadelphia. He is going to be a man possessed next season, and the Mariners suddenly look pretty zesty.

Hockey
Yeah, we're going here. It's almost halfway through the NHL season, and the Islanders and Rangers both have 33 points. How poetic. Though their totals are identical, one team's fans are calling for the heads of the head coach and general manager while the other is being praised for resiliency and good coaching. It's funny how hockey works sometimes. The general opinion is that the Rangers are indeed getting the least out of their talent. Forward Marion Gaborik is leading the league in scoring, but he is their solitary contributor on offense. Coupled with this lack of offense has been goalie Henrik Lundqvist's so-so play between the pipes. Nobody is looking to run the guy out of town, but he has set the bar very high for himself in recent years.

The Islanders have sure come a long way in 35 games. They are currently 2 points out of the final playoff seed in the east. To offer some perspective, they missed the final seed by 32 points last season. So there you go. Is there a swoon coming? Perhaps. But the Isles had a brutal schedule up to now (21 road games compared to just 14 at home.) If they can cash in on this upcoming home stretch during the holidays, they may be a long way from the #1 pick in next year's draft.

Thus concludes the holiday hodgepodge. Judging by the amount of blood on my fingers from typing, I'd say I made up for the hiatus. But I really wanted to tackle another edition of What About Conor Wednesday to commemorate the holidays, so I will do that today. Presenting for the first (and perhaps only) time, it's Facts About Conor Friday! Today's topic: Conor's top-5 holiday songs for the season. The links will take you to some kind of video for the song. Enjoy.

5. Carol of the Bells (Best Version- Trans-Siberian Orchestra)

I'm pretty sure this is the name of the song. To be honest, I've always called in the "Home Alone song." It's a real testament when a Christmas song doesn't need words to be awesome. This song begs for some kind of berserk light show everytime it is played. Every sound that's been discovered by man is featured in the song. I'm not exactly sure what connects it to the holiday season. But something just clicks with it. It belongs on this list.

4. Believe (Best Version- Josh Groban)

I'll admit, this one's a little...wimpy? I didn't go head over heels for the Polar Express movie. But I think this song--if not bigger than the movie--certainly gave it solidarity. The lyrics are nice and all, but the melody in the background just bursts with holiday cheer.

3. O Holy Night (Best Version- Bing Crosby)

A real 'keep Christ in Christmas' song. For me, something has always just set this song apart from other traditions (O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, etc.) As for the best version, there is no question about it. Crosby's version was the first I heard of the song, and it's the undisputed champion.
BONUS VERSION- Eric Cartman. Hey, it makes me giggle.

2. Jingle Bell Rock (Best Version- Bobby Helms)

It's short and sweet. There's nothing I can say that the lyrics don't. And Bobby Helms sings it best.

1. Little Drummer Boy (Best Version- David Bowie and Bing Crosby)

Ok fine. The Little Drummer Boy isn't my favorite Christmas song. But this is my favorite Christmas video of all time. The uncomfortable awkwardness of the opening conversation absolutely blows my mind. And the way they drastically alter the song is preposterously phenomenal. It's just a staple of the holidays.

Well there you go. Feel free to comment with your own. We will hit the holiday movies next week. Promise. We'll see you on Sunday for the 'Smash.