NEIL

Saw Neil Young on 12.15.08 at MSG (Wilco opened) with Mike Toben, Tom Afflerbach and his friend John. It was a(nother) religious experience. I’ve been to this church 5 times before:

o Stills & Young with Aff at Nassau Coliseum (July 76)
o Rust Never Sleeps with Mitch Seiler at Nassau Coliseum (October 78)
o Neil with The MGs (Booker T’s) with Mike Toben at Jones Beach in the pouring rain – Aff & John were there (early 90s)
o Neil with Crazy Horse (Pretenders opened), at with Mike at Jones Beach (late 90s)
o Neil with Crazy Horse doing Greendale w FF at Radio City (2005?)

What made last night sacred? Imagine 18,000 strong at the Garden, singing lyrics not only to the chorus, but to the stanzas of Powderfinger, Cortez, Heart of Gold, etc… Picture “Day in the Life” as the encore, and during that last dissonant chord, he pulls the strings out of the bridge of his guitar, whips them against the fret board, then leans his guitar against a speaker and walks off the stage…..

Though I tried to keep a set list of the show, I couldn’t read my writing afterwords so here’s the gleanings from various reviews (with help from Tommy A and in no apparent order except the encore):

My, My, Hey, Hey, Powderfinger, Cortez, Light a Candle, Fuel Line, Hit the Road and Go to Town, Heart of Gold, Old Man, Mother Earth, Needle and the Damage Done, Cowgirl in the Sand, Rocking in the Free World, A Day in the Life.

The anecdotal consensus is, you either love Neil or you hate him. A lot of my friends wonder, "What’s the big whoop? He sounds like a cat, and only plays three chord songs (so I’m told)." So why has he been so popular going on 40 years? Why does he sound so vital to so many people (including me)? One word:

Essence

Defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “The constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the nominal essence.The constituent quality or qualities which belong to any object, or class of objects, or on which they depend for being what they are (distinguished as real essence); the real being, divested of all logical accidents; that quality which constitutes or marks the true nature of anything; distinctive character; hence, virtue or quality of a thing, separated from its grosser parts.”

Translated - no BS. He wears his heart on his sleeve with lyrics that ring true whether they're truths or stories, his musical vocabulary isn't rocket science, so it's tasty to those who love loud and/or acoustic, and he consistently delivers with Passion (capital P intended).

Who else besides Clapton, continues to crank out new music for 40+ years on a consistent basis?

After 9-11, who sang "Imagine" to the country on that fundraiser all the networks carried?

Nuff Said.

“Living” History

Assuming you’re not a racial bigot, and putting aside party allegiances (if you can, and this is coming from an independent), how many days in your life can you say you witnessed or were truly a part of history that impacts you as a citizen of the USA (ok, so I gotta throw out the Mets WS win in 69 and I’m still waiting on the Vikes)?

Regardless of whether you voted for or against Obama, can anyone deny that last night was an amazing event that we will reference for the rest of our lives?

I’m fast approaching 50 and my list includes (in chronological order):

- Kennedy King, Kennedy assassinations…(ok, positive moments now...)
- Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon
- Watergate – Nixon’s Resignation Speech (get positive...)
- Challenger Disaster (still trying...)
- Reagan at the Berlin Wall, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
- President Clinton, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” (hmmm...)
- 9-11 (I know, I know...)
- November 5th, 2008, Barack Obama elected as first Black President of the United States

What events am I missing? If none, then by my count last night is in the top ten, and if we’re just looking at positives, I’m thinking it’s in the top 3 – and that’s not accounting for order of importance...

Again, I’m no Democrat (or Republican) so I’m not talking policies or ideologies, I’m talking Brotherhood of Man – U.S. style….

Agree? Disagree? Thoughts??? (Click on the word "comment" to comment)

(By the way, you know you’re undergoing tremendous change when the first name of your President-elect gets underlined during spellcheck!)

McCain’s Next Move

If I’m John McCain…”Given:

- The continued parallels between the state of the economy and my campaign
- The fact that I am a (say the M word)
- That I haven’t shaken up my campaign in………what time is it?
- That an Alaska ethics report concluded on Friday that that my running mate abused her power as governor when firing a state official, which must be extremely upsetting to her, and as I care deeply about the pain she is feeling, (my friends)…

I’m going to counsel Governor Palin to tell the American people that she has decided it best for them if she steps down as my running mate so she can clear her name (and become even more wildly popular as a wronged underdog, and free up time to drop even more ceremonial first pucks at NHL games like she did in Philadelphia on Saturday night http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6053774.html ).

Unfortunately, as a result I’ll just have to ask Mitt Romney to become my running mate. While he’s thinking about accepting, I’ll share with him that based on the precedent set by Dick Cheney during the current administration, I will give Mitt the same level of executive branch responsibility, but for economic policy. I’ll also remind him that I’m 71 years old. I think that will help him to make his decision, on behalf of the country of course.”

Impossible? Never happen? Based on this election cycle, are you kidding me? It's money in the bank (ooops).

McCain Obama: Round 2

As McCain is down in the polls that I’ve seen, and as he’s got that fighter pilot mentality: likes to shoot from the hip (nominating Palin, “suspending” his campaign to help resolve the economic crisis), I expected him to do something else out of the (wild) blue (yonder), but aside from offering to resolve the economic crisis by letting families who are threatened with foreclosure renegotiate their mortgages based on the current value of their homes, I didn’t hear it. In fact, I had problems staying awake at some points. Too much Talking Heads - without David Byrne.

To me they both sounded like parents talking to children who had just awakened from a bad dream (seeing their 401ks drop like a rock); telling us what (they perceive) we wanted to hear: weighing the economic crisis against their desire to get elected and not let voters play kill the messenger with either of them. But we are in deep economic shit, and I thought they each missed one specific opportunity to gain an advantage, tell us what we want/need to hear, and take a true leadership role.

Someone asked, "What would each candidate ask the American people to sacrifice, to turn the country around?", and I kept waiting to hear the 21st century version of JFK’s “ask not what your country can do for you” riff, but instead each candidate continued to demonize Wall Street while tucking us back into bed with our blankies.

Maybe I’m alone on this but I think we the American people are ready to hear that we need to take our share of ownership for what’s occurred. Did anybody put a gun to our heads to sign those balloon mortgages, or to buy SUVs whose gas gauge moves faster than the speedometer? Doesn’t it take a crisis like this to galvanize us as a society?

I can only hope that while that question caught them both by surprise, it’s percolating inside the heads of their speech writers and will result in a quality response within the next 4 weeks, or at least during the winner’s inaugural address.

Biden / Palin: You Decide… Really

Lets take the FOX tagline seriously (this one time). The winner of the debate depends on what you were looking for. If it was for Palin to not recreate her role of doing an impersonation of Tina Fey impersonating herself, then she won hands down. You can tell that she got an “A” in her TV production classes and that whoever hired her as a TV Sportscaster in Alaska knew what they were doing.

If your standard was who would be better at leading the free world should our President (G-d forbid) become deceased, and/or if you were to judge them as equals, then it seemed to me - as an Independent - that you would have to be asked to take a drug test if you didn’t come out of the debate thinking Biden has a greater command of the issues and of the role of President.

Either way, does the result change the current state of the election? Was Palin able to stop the slide that McCain is feeling based on our recent economic woes? No. For instance, I don’t think he’s going to turn around and pour money and resources back into Michigan, a state that he thought was up for grabs that voted Democratic in 2004. I think he’ll keep those resources in Indiana, a state that voted Republican last time that is being threatened by the Dems.

The real issue is that we’re even having this conversation, that the two sides of our electoral coin are so out of alignment. That we’re as polarized as a country as we are right now. Our anxiety is understandable, based on our recent economic downturn, the housing crisis, the upcoming credit crunch, the lingering war.

My gut says that whoever wins, they’ll be able to play the white knight and correct many of the missteps of the last 8 years. If memory serves (and this is meant as proof that economic downturns can be corrected, not as a Party related statement), when Clinton came into office in 92, we were facing tremendous debt that was turned into a great surplus before he left. Once we get the economy (which is cyclical in nature) back on track, once we get cooperation and resources back internationally, people will feel less unsure, less anxious, and less polarized.

Then only the real cause of our discomfort will still be left.
How do we get the best of the best, our real leaders, to want to run this country?

How do we get subsequent generations of kids to want to grow up and become President?

HAIRMAN

Dialing for dollars with headset on during a fierce thunder storm today, our house was hit by lightning and I recieved a surge of electricity through my head which has given me superhuman powers – I’ve grown my hair back – I’ve become become:
HAIRMAN
able to grow hair at will: first on my head, then by harnessing my power - anywhere on my body – except, curiously, my palms?!
Over time I will grow hair in any color as well. First human colors, then overtime based on my experience as an art teacher, primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. And then, based on energy that has been stored in my body since the lightning storm – neon!
I will use my hair to take on different personas in an effort to bring harmony to mankind by walking a mile in the shoes of other people including: Exotic dancers, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump (it was either him or Don King – I flipped a coin).
I vow to continue my quest as Hairman, and to correct little old Jewish ladies when they call me Herman!

McCain Gets Off the Schneid

Tuesday, August 05, 2008 - So McCain won last week. If I’m Camp Obama, I’d rather loose a week in the summer than in early November (think 2007 New England Patriots). The key for Obama will be how he bounces back, does he get back on message and use McCain’s “playbook” to illustrate how there’s nothing designed to address the real issues (economy, energy, Iraq, etc.).

For that matter, if Obama wants to give the Republicans a run for their money, wants to try to put this thing away early, the real challenge is for him to throw REAL substance at the issues, make McCain speak to the issues.

If he doesn’t - or can’t, then THAT'S a problem, and McCain SHOULD be nipping at his heels.

My Son: Congressional Intern

Spence spent this summer as an intern for Congressman Gary Ackerman of eastern Queens (our former district). Carol and I took a trip to our nation's capital to have our son give us a tour of The Capitol (how cool is that)! Tour highlights were:

- Seeing him walk towards us down a long corridor of the Rayburn Building, one of three buildings where congressmen have their offices (think the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark) in intern uniform, black slacks, shirt and tie, like he's worked there for a lot longer than six weeks

- Taking us on the route that all House members take to get to the House of Representatives. I remember seeing a President taking that route, (via handheld camera) to deliver a The State of the Union one year, walking where we were now walking, under the bowels of The Capitol, and on the way back taking the tram to the Rayburn Building

- Viewing the original hall where the Supreme Court met, where cases in the early/late 1800s were heard, most notably the Dred Scott decision that Slavery was constitutional which caused Lincoln (among others) to speak out and brought the nation closer to Civil War

- Walking through the National Statuary Hall, where Congress used to meet, before it grew to 435 members. There’s a legend that the acoustics enabled John Adams to feign sleep and hear the other side of the House plot against his party, or enable him and his son John Quincy to communicate across the room via whispers, and you see interns bend down at opposite ends of the Hall, cup their hands and whisper at the tiles. Speaking of tile, there are gold tiles that denote the spot where desks of future presidents Millard Fillmore and James Buchanan were positioned

- The Rotunda. It felt like our version of the interior of the Pantheon in Rome, only truly American. From the image of Washington in the dome, a la Tiepolo, to the eight huge paintings on the walls describing freedom. Four before and four during/after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. My favorite was of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with the painter (a Jeffersonian) taking the poetic license of having Jefferson standing on the foot of John Adams.

- Going back to the Rayburn, passing Barney Frank's and Dennis Kucinich’s offices, viewing great memorabilia in Congressman Ackerman’s office including a used base from Shea in Lucite frame hanging on the wall, an illustrated map of all the great jazz musicians who've resided in Queens (including Louie Armstrong in Corona), and a sign from Fort Totten park (where the kids used to play baseball and football with DAC, overlooking the Throgs Neck bridge

- Meeting the staff, watching their interplay with Spence, and their fielding calls from constituents and others (most of them are not calling to congratulate the Congrssman) who get to Ackerman's name because it’s the second on the list of congressmen alphabetically.

The Last Play at Shea

Billy Joel “Last Play @ Shea” Friday July, 18.2008

Pre-game Show:

A great night often includes unexpected surprises, and tonight was no different. For starters, just seeing Shea set up this way. I’ve been here for over 100 night games, and the park never looked this way before. The stage, in mid-centerfield, butting up against the outfield wall and extending past the 378 marks from left center to right center, looked great. With Citi Field looming right behind the stage, looking like a real star with the same can’t miss lineage that Seaver, Strawberry and Wright had.

Without the spotlights illuminating the field, without the light shining from the place, it felt like I was viewing Shea at its wake. Which isn’t too far off the mark because this was more that a concert. It felt like saying goodbye to a dear family friend that’s been a fixture for 6-8 months a year for 40 + years, like a snowbird who goes away for the winter. But if this was gonna be a wake - it felt like what I’ve heard Irish wakes are like, hoisting a toast to the depart(ing) in song.

Waiting with anticipation since:
- the morning tickets went on sale when I had 10 browsers open and couldn’t come up with any before they sold out n 48 minutes
- parking at the Hall of Science next to precursors of what Shea will be in a couple of years – the Titan II and Atlas rockets - reminders of a previous generation
- hearing from a security guard that Paul and maybe Ringo and “others” were in the building

Starting Lineup:

The Star Spangled Banner
Miami 2017
Angry Young Man
My Life
The Entertainer
Summer, Highland Falls
Zanzibar
Allentown
Ballad of Billy the Kid
NY State of Mind (w Tony Bennett)
I left my Heart in San Francisco (chorus only)
Root Beer Rag (instrumental)
Goodnight Saigon
Don’t Ask Me Why
Keepin the Faith
The Downeaster “Alexa”
This Night (Dedicated to Little Anthony)
Movin’ Out
Under the Boardwalk/Innocent Man (Spanish Harlem)
Shameless (Garth Brooks)
She’s Always a Woman
Captain Jack
Goodnight, My Angel
River of Dreams
A Hard Day's Night
Walk This Way (Steven Tyler)
We Didn’t Start the Fire
It’s Still Rock N Roll to Me
My Generation (w Roger Daltrey)
You May Be Right

Encore
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Only the Good Die Young

2nd Encore
I Saw Her Standing There (w Paul McCartney)
Piano Man
Let It Be (Paul McCartney)

The Happy Recap – highlights:

The Star Spangled Banner – Joel lead off perfectly with a piano accompanied version, and on queue, the crowd started to scream at end - and didn’t let up for 3 hours.

Miami 2017 – all those NY references to a pumped up NY crowd right after the Star Spangled banner – with great fiery lighting!

Summer, Highland Falls – still just a wonderful song that doesn’t sound dated. In a recent Sunday Times article, he considered this (along with Vienna) his best work. It also mirrors where he said he is in his life, focusing more on contentment, less on highs & lows (which might be one of the reasons he hasn’t released any new popular work in 15 years – think Richard Pryor syndrome).

Zanzibar – used this as a vehicle to show Met clips. Perfect timing on the Rose/Harrelson fight scene!

New York State of Mind - with Tony Bennett – nuff said.

Goodnight Saigon – imagine the chorus with stage spots lighting members of the NYPD/FD and all military services in color dress singing “and we will all go down together”. Bringing tears to my eyes as I write this now. Followed by chants of “USA, USA” from the crowd sounding like one voice. There are no words to describe this. Sharing this kind of moment in unison with 60,000 people, all singing the same words at the same time. It’s that mob mentality where in addition to being yourself, you’re simultaneously part of something greater and more intense for a few moments in time, an amazing part of the human condition if you’re lucky enough to be a part of it.

Innocent Man – Solid and Soulful. Probably my 2nd favorite song of his after Summer, Highland Falls.

Shameless (Garth Brooks) – Written by Billy Joel, who performed it at Brooks’ free Central Park concert over 10 years ago - before Brooks’ two spring training stints in Port St. Lucie. Plus he wore his Spring training jersey (blue, number 1 of you’re keeping score at home) and cap.

Captain Jack – seminal song on the soundtrack of my life after my Dad was killed “they just found your father in the swimming pool – and I guess you won’t be going back to school for a while”. Brings me back to nights at Cunningham park in my Dad’s Fury III – haven’t rekindled those memories (with reason) in about a hundred years.

Hard Day’s Night – so here we go, after about an hour and a half of an amazing concert, we start to make history. It rocked just like you thought it would.

Walk This Way (Steven Tyler) - I find Aerosmith to be a poor man’s version of the Stones. From a concert strategy perspective, Tyler pinch hitting gave Joel a blow without bringing the intensity down - and the other 59,999 in the crowd loved it.

We Didn’t Start the Fire – The 6 story screens on both sides of the stage were in perfect sync with everyone/thing mentioned in the song!

My Generation (w Roger Daltrey) –The Who played Shea in 82 – so totally fitting, with Billy breaking a guitar a la Townsend at the end (“much easier to do than with a piano” he was quoted as saying after the show ;-)

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant – 60,000 in full throttle for every word.

Only The Good Die Young – Guinness Book of World Record for most people twisting simultaneously!

I Saw Her Standing There (w Paul McCartney)- So here you go, after 2+ hours, Paul comes out and we're a part of history. The whole crowd gave falsetto Woos after “I couldn’t dance with another”! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fPfB06P7Us

Piano Man – Oktoberfest at Shea – everyone swaying arm in arm!

Let It Be – Joel ceded the piano to Paul McCartney, unselfishly and rightfully so for the perfect song to end the serenade to 44 years at Shea. You can’t argue with the fact that this place has been a concrete pit with more frustrating moments than anyone cares to remember. But for all the slow motion train wrecks, even more than the two Series wins, we can easily conjure up cherished memories of our fathers and youth gone by. Shea may be a concrete pit – but it’s been our concrete pit.

Amazin’ Anecdotes:

Definitely one of the 5 most memorable shows I’ve ever been to, to a great extent because it was more than a concert. It was also great seeing the park packed. I wouldn’t want to imagine that this was the last time the place would sellout. Has it ever held more than the 60,000 that were here tonight? There were 53,275 at Shea for the Beatles.

Box Score:

Game time Temperature: 84, humid, no breeze
Time of the Game: 3 hours (8:45 – 11:45)
Location: Mezzanine Sec 26 (Left Field) Row K Seat 17

Objects Are Closer Than They Appear

Side view mirrors aren’t the only scenario where things seem like they’re far away and then appear before you know it. Seems like the higher the number is when I write my age on a form (I don’t feel like I’m 49) the faster time goes by, which makes sense when you think about it.

It stands to reason since any parcel of time is a smaller percentage “less” of my life on earth compared to that parcel of time when I was younger and it was a greater percentage. For instance, when I was a 14 year old kid spending my summers at Forest Lake (a bungalow colony in Hopewell Junction NY) a night – let alone a summer – used to last for a glorious eternity, which made sense because those were 2 out of the 156 months of my life to date, or one 78th or .0126582 - as opposed to this summer which was 2 months out of the 588 or one 294th or .0034013.

At his 80th birthday surprise party, I asked my father-in-law Marty how quickly a year passed for him. He looked me right in the eye “a year is like a blink of an eye”, he said as he blinked – which went by very quickly.

This is Sports (I mean) Vote Center! Da da dat. Da da Dat!

Is it me or has the presidential election replaced everything sports related (except college basketball for me) this winter?

The Knicks sucking is old news, the Nets are moving to Brooklyn and are shopping Kidd, and I gave up hockey when all the players started wearing helmets with Plexiglas covering their face and took the vowels out of their names. Nothing against eastern Europeans, I just don’t know any of them as personalities, and I never froze water in my backyard to skate on in Queens.

So what’s a guy to do? Follow all the cable network producers on stations with political content who’ve lifted the format we’ve gotten conditioned to from ESPN. They've applied these lessons learned to deliver compelling pollitical programming that keeps our demographic engaged so they can up their advertising rate cards and trade in those medicated Gold Bond commercials for Lexus ads.

Don’t buy it? We’ve got:
- Former Sports Center anchors covering politics now (Keith Olbermann, who tells me when Obama is El Fuego).
- Former pros - politicians in this case (Joe Scarborough)discussing the significance of candidate intangibles
- Campaigns that are under or over the cap ($4,600 donation per candidate in politics vs. $x million per team in the pros)
- Off the field activities (did they shake hands before the State of the Union address)

The only thing I’m missing is a Jaws* type analyst who’ll tactically break down the candidates issue by issue so I know who the hell to vote for when they both start to race towards the middle during the playoffs... I mean general election. But that’s a whole new season, meanwhile we’ve got a couple of intradivision rivalries to watch, and who knows, maybe a wild card race, though Chris Matthews says that politics "is the only sport where the playoffs come first, and then the season".

* Ron Jaworski

6:18:40

I finished the 2007 NYC Marathon in 6:18:40 with my partner in crime Steve Gross. He suffered terrible cramping for the last 10 miles, and it was amazing that he was able to finish at all (don't think I could of if it was me)! Highlights included:

- Pre marathon minyan with 50 Jews from all over the world (Argentina, England, France, Italy, Teaneck...) picture $150 running shoes, sweats, tallis and tefillin outside in 47 degrees and morning light. 25th annual, with next year's falling on the anniversary of Fred Lebow's passing. Intensly moving...

- Standing on the Verrazano 50 yards from the top male Marathoners in the world Martin Lel, Hendrick Ramaala, Rodgers Ropp, (previous NY Marathon winners - the all-stars of their sport), Stefano Baldini (Olymic Gold) as they warm up, 8 helicopters swirling overhead, firetruck in the harbor spraying Orange, Blue & White (marathon colors), moment of silence for Ryan Shay (died from a heart attack the day before in the Olympic trials in Central Park on Saturday), singing the National Anthem amongst a crowd of 38,000 (half from out of the U.S., 46% running their first marathon, taking countless pictures of friends on their cameras prior to the race)...

- Cannon shot for the start, then 26.2 miles / 6:21 hrs./min. of people constantly cheering your name (cause it's written on the front of your shirt). Running to the sidelines and sticking your hand out to hi-five the crowd (at any point in the race) - and they get excited that you touched them - like you're a rock star! Speaking of...100 garage bands (one every 1/3rd of a mile) crankin out every song about moving that's ever been written (Going Mobile, Keep on Truckin. Rockin Down the Highway...) Images of old ladies dancing with canes to some funk in Harlem - shimmying for me with toothless grins, a dozen Hassidic girls in beautiful wool coats huddled together with their young mothers in Sheydels (wigs) in front of them - looking at us like we're from Mars - while their husbands with Peyis (bannana curls) in black vest and rolled up sleeves hold out bottles of Poland Spring for us....

- making a right on Columbus Circle, the last 400 yards, running a slight uphill, stadium seating on either side, the PA announcer Ian Brooks (who does all NYRR races - the Bob Sheppard of NY Road Runners, and has recovered from a near fatal accident in March) giving the play by play, the crowd and music roaring, and you realize that YOU DID IT, that indescribable rush of adulation, you scream out at the top of your lungs and pump your fists, cause that's the only acceptable/appropriate response - like when you're on a rollercoaster...

and then it's over. A 60 year old cheerleader greats you with a a beautiful sincere smile and a medal, you bow your head like you're on the podium as she places it on you, while someone else drapes you with a Tyvek blanket as you try to retain your heat, but as you walk up the west side path of the park and get handed a goody bag with a Powerbar, Gatorade (as if you haven't had enough of that shit for the last 6 hours ;-) apple and bagel, to find the 1 out or 74 UPS trucks that has your clear plastic bag with your sweatshirt/pants) you get cool, cold, colder, then walk out of the park to meet your family that you saw at miles 9, 16, and 1/2 a mile from the finish - but feel like you haven't seen in days - because you kinda feel like you're a different person, and you kinda of are, because you've accomplished something that most people don't, won't (want to) do, and more often than not can't understand why you did.

So that's it, aside from lifecycle rites of passage, I've never done anything that's more fufilling, so yes I'll do one again although not for a couple of years - kinda like childbirth, I'd guess - hopefully with Spence (speaking of childbirth), and anyone else who wants to saddle up. If all this sounds kinda crazy - go watch it next year live - and you'll understand.

Supe XLII Prediction: Pats 31 Gints 30

Heard a great interview with Giants retired GM Ernie Accorsi on NFL Sunday this this morning (1.27.07) with Francesa. Accorsi made a helluva lotta sense as follows:

- As great as the Pats are, they really don't have as many Hall of Famers who are career Patriots (what name rolls off the tongue aside from Brady?) as other legendary franchises (i.e., The Pack, Steel Curtain). Says a lot about how the league has changed vis a vis free agency, and how Belichick has adapted to it.

- Giants D-line has to rattle Brady to have a shot. The Chargers did a bit and it rattled him into 3 picks, as opposed to the week before against the Jags when he went untouched and was 26 out of 28 (with a drop by Welker).

- Giants O-line has to protect Eli so he can hit the quick openers and quick outs that are the Pats defensive weakness due to their aging backers. This'll set up the one (Jacobs) two (Bradshaw) punch.

I say that based on "familiarity breeding contempt" the Giants show up and give us a game, which is all you can ask for against the greatest single season machine - I mean team, of all time.