This weekend, the NFL had an interesting sequence of events take place .. and it's only preseason. Favre returned, but didn't last long, Tim Cowlishaw made some bold statements and the kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour was underway. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:



I went with my GGals partner Pigskin Loving Lady to the Ravens-Redskins preseason game, and we had a ball! It was the unofficial kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour, us going to different stadiums and doing what we do best-enjoy the game of football- while recording our experience. Check out the full video of us by clicking here. (by-the-way, that towel I was wrapped in? Ed Reed's towel that he threw up after the game was over... I'm in lust with it)

Big Ben made his return to the football as he started for the Steelers against the NY Giants. Roethlisberger finished 6-for8 for 76 yards and an INT Pittsburgh's preseason won over the G-Men. The best part about the game was the cat fight between Steelers Ike Taylor and Giants Hakeem Nicks.... they were windmilling everywhere, like two school girls.

I love when players swing on other guys with helmets on, don't you?



A couple of guys got JACKED UP this weekend. First, it was Bengals WR, who took a vicious hit and was woozy afterward against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We know it's only preseason but when that adrenaline gets to rushing, there's nothing you can do to stop that momentum. Shout out to Ocho Cinco for getting up without help.



ESPN's Tim Cowlishaw tweeted some encouraging new for Jets fans over the weekend:


That's great news! Too bad Adam Schefter and Peter King don't seem to agree with this tweet. I dunno about you, but I'd take Schefter word over any other NFL insider. Not sure how Cowlishaw, of all people, would be the one to get such important news. But we'll see how this fares by the end of the week.

And finally... Brett Favre got a nice "Welcome Back" greeting from the San Francisco 49ers last night. Favre played just 4 series, and this was the main reason why:



Old Man Favre went down faster than Hookers At The Point. The Vikings had NO answer for Patrick Willis' stunt up the middle. I'm sure Favre expected a warmer welcome than that. In any event, the 49ers fans (and other fans that are over the Favre drama) were elated.

In case you missed, former Pats LB and current ESPN Analyst Tedy Bruschi voices his opinion loud and clear about the Vikings: He's lost respect for them.

Bruschi says the way they handled the you-know-who situation was poor (I will not say his name on my blog anymore until he is OFFICIALLY retired). He thinks that players shouldn't have to be begged and wooed by other players to be "in" or "out" of the game. He also says he thinks the Green Bay Packers are now the class of that division, now, whether Favre plays or not.

Former Giants LB Antonio Pierce also chimes in his thoughts, saying that sending players instead of front office guys was risky, in bring you-know-know back onto the team.

While everyone is feeling so happy that he's back, I actually feel bad for Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Clearly the team doesn't feel that either are a viable option to lead this team to another conference championship. I wonder if either of them thought about pulling a Glen Coffee on the Vikes? That'll show 'em!

Remember when you were a kid, and you got on the Merry-Go-Round? You KNEW that it would make you sick eventually, but everyone else looked like they were having soooo much fun that you simply couldn't resist it. So you would hop on, ride on it for a few spins, and finally get off... you were "over it". That pretty much sums up how I feel about the Favre Watch.

Fights, Holdouts and Violations... oh my! The NFL has been full of stories, whether they are on or off-the-field. If you've missed some of the stories this week, here's a recap:

Albert Haynesworth sat out the Redskins' mandatory camp this week, to force a trade. Haynesworth is not happy that Washington is changing their defense from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense. This after he received a $21 million dollar bonus on April 1st. Haynesworth has been called out by his teammates and former Redskins players, saying he's turned his back on the team and not reliable

My thoughts: Fat Albert needs to sit his azz down. While I can understand his issue with the the change of the defense, it's not enough to be traded. And if you're bound to make $100 million dollars, why are you complaining about ANYTHING??? On the flip side, I don't feel bad for Washington either..... stop overpaying these guys and it would make it easier to let them go.



Former Colts WR Marvin Harrison had a 9mm handgun seized from his vehicle for ballistic tests. The police planned to determine whether the gun matched the 9mm shell casings found at the scene of an April 2008 shooting.

My thoughts: Okay, Harrison has been doing hoodrat stuff for some time now. I'm convinced that he is trying to go to jail. Maybe it's because no one has asked him to join their NFL team and he's bored. Whatever the case, this is ungood for Harrison. It's always the quiet ones..............



Chargers restricted free agents Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill didn't sign their tenders by the June 15 deadline. Now, Chargers general manager A.J. Smith says the team is preparing for the 2010 season without them.

My Thoughts: Ummmm...... What the hell is AJ Smith doing???? The Chargers NEED McNeill, for an already sucky offensive line.. and Vincent Jackson is a big part of the San Diego offense. AJ doesn't want my boo Philip Rivers to be great. If I see a lot of these faces this season,

I'm on the first red eye to San Diego!



Brett Favre's doctor said Wednesday that the quarterback's recent ankle surgery went well and Favre has a few more weeks of rehabilitation before he will decide if he will return for a 20th NFL season.

My thoughts: So! Same story, different year. On to the next................



The NFL made a presentation to the NFL Players Association during a collective bargaining session in New York on Wednesday espousing the merits of moving to an 18-game season.

My thoughts: I'm totally against this. Football is a very physical sport. Having 18 games plus playoffs can be crucial to one's body. Ray Lewis and Tom Brady have already spoken out being against this possibility and so am I. I love football as much as the next, but I'd much rather see a healthy Ravens team in 16 weeks than a physically struggling team in 18. The NFL would almost have to add more players on the roster to let this fly, but I think it's a bad idea overall.


A source with knowledge of the situation reports that the expansion Omaha Nighthawks could be signing JaMarcus Russell, who would team up with running back Ahman Green in the team's backfield.

My Thoughts:


Sorry........ I know that was mean, but hey... such as life!

Apparently, Master P is about everything New Orleans- including his Saints! So when rapper Lil' Wayne said that he was rooting for the Vikings prior to the NFC Championship game (Weezy says he's a diehard Favre fan), it didn't sit right to Mr. Miller that his fellow NO native wasn't cheering for the home team. Master P said the following:

"The comment Lil Wayne made about New Orleans Saints losing to the Minnesota Vikings, made no sense to me as a New Orleans native," explained P. "This is our hope as a city after surviving Hurricane Katrina. This team should bring us together as people. I understand that he has the right to have his own opinion and comment or even root for another team if he wants to. It's just disappointing to hear this coming from a brother who was born and raised in New Orleans, made money off his music representing the city of New Orleans, talking about it in his lyrics.

"I'm from Uptown New Orleans and I don't care who the Saints play against, how good the opposing team is, nor what the odds are against them. I would never go against my team, the New Orleans Saints, or root for an opposing team playing against them. We've been waiting to get to the Super Bowl for 40 years and if we do, we will celebrate in Second Line. I guess we won't be hearing any Superbowl songs from Lil Wayne unless the Vikings win. This is sad for the fans in the city of New Orleans because they really thought Lil Wayne was down.

"Most entertainers and athletes don't realize that once you're in the spotlight, you need to think about some of the things that you say because it will follow you throughout your career, good or bad."

While everyone is entitled to root for whomever they want, I kinda feel Master P on this. While sports are simply used for entertainment purposes, the fact that it has my city's name in front of it is every indication that I'm rooting for them, no matter what. Think about people in Boise, ID or in Bizmarck, ND who don't have a team to call their own but would love to. Imagine if Philip Rivers and the Ravens were in the AFC Championship. I love my boo, but I love my squad more. At the same time, if Weezy is a diehard Favre fan, he should have thought twice before putting money on him. I'm just saying............

Excuse me while I continue to beam. I am still singing the praises of the Ravens win on Sunday.

I don't care if it was a win against the 6-0 Broncos or the 0-6 Rams, a win takes away 3 tough losses. The best way to keep fans from jumping ship is a quality win, and the Ravens did that in every phase of the game. They but up 24 second half points against a Denver team who was known for been very stingy in the 3rd and 4th quarter. The road doesn't get easy, we have the Bengals this Sunday and it will be a tough match up, but I think my guys are ready to right the ship.

-Thank you 49ers fans.. for giving every underdog lover lover high hopes and no results. Just when I thought the Colts would suffer their first loss, Peyton and 'nem start the charge and come out with a victory, AGAIN. It gets harder and harder every week to root for an underdog. They never finish what they start.

*NEWSFLASH*
The St Louis Rams finally get a win!!!! The Rams won the Toilet Bowl game over the Detroit Lions, 17-10.

Rams RB Stephen Jackson had a great game, with 149 rushing yards and a TD to seal the deal. But if you saw the highlights, it was a god awful game to watch for much of the duration. Tampa Bay, if the Rams and Browns can win a game, then there is hope!

-Dear NY Giants, as a Ravens fan, I know what you are going through. Pick your face up off the floor and get back to sound, fundamental football, or else you're in BIG trouble.

-Dear Philadelphia Eagles, DeSean Jackson is a beast! That is all.

*extra point* The ref that fell during the Giants-Eagles game.. one question.. Why????? No one was there to push you.. What the hell???


-The AFC North and the NFC East are mirror divisions right now. Three strong teams at the top, in a very close race for 1st place with one crappy team in the cellar. Ironically the two cellar teams are the ones that's been in the news lately. The Redskins with sign banning and the Browns with planning protests. Can't we just but these two teams in the NFC West so those divisions can be great??!!




*WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR A SITCHOAZZDOWN MOMENT*

BartScott, your post game sarcasm in the Jets loss to the Dolphins reeks of bitchassness. Miami beat you twice. Whether or not you thought you were the better team, you had 2 chances to beat them and you didn't. Sitcho hating azz down and go back to the drawing board.

*Now back to your regularly scheduled program*


-Shout out to the Titans who finally won a game. I told Chris Johnson via twitter that they wouldn't win until Week 10. I guess I was 2 weeks too early. Oh well, I can be wrong sometimes, can't I?

-Y'all know I did a total 180 from being the biggest Favre fan not from Wisconsin, to hating his diva ways. But I cannot hate on the fact that at 40 years of age, Brett Lorenzo Favre can play better than over half of the QBs in this league right now. His 2 games against Green Bay have been nothing short of remarkable.


-With that said, poor Aaron Rodgers.

-Jack Delhomme gave Kurt Warner his INT cooties on Sunday.

-Am I the only one who thinks this season of Monday Night Football has been one of the best seasons in a while? The games have been fun to watch and I've watched at least 3 games this season through the entire game. I love watching a great game, and last night's game with the Falcons and Saints didn't disappoint. While the Falcons lost to the Saints 35-27, they showed the entire time that they were not going down without a fight. There is nothing better than watching good, inspired football. Now all of this may be equipped to change in 2 weeks when the Browns host the Ravens in their Monday Night contest. But so far, so good.

I love the NFL. I really love the NFL... Did I already say that I love the NFL?! Like, really??? There is never a dull moment, ever! And Week One didn't disappoint. Let's recap what happened during Sunday's games:

-The Ravens almost gave me a damn heart attack yesterday with their 38-24 victory over the Chiefs. While the defense only gave up 188 total yards, 14 points came off of a blocked punt and an INT by Joe Flacco that put the Chiefs on the Ravens' 2 yard line. I almost dialed 911 about 3 times during the second half, but my boys held on. Congrats to my boy, Bobblehead Flacco for his first 300-yard game and the Ravens first ever 500 yard performance.

Next up, them Chargers!

- I refuse to pick Carolina any damn more, unless there is a change at QB. Jake Delhomme continued what we saw in the Divisional playoffs in 2008 with all of those turnovers. I actually picked them to beat Philly since they were at home. I feel like a dummy.


-*side note* The Iggles need to call either Garcia or Feely now that McNabb has broken ribs. Vick can't play until Week 3 and McNabb is doubtful for next week's game. And I'm sorry but Kolb would scare me, remember the last pass he threw during the regular season:


- How come Adrian Peterson has 25 rushes for 180 yards, but I keep hearing about old azz Brett Favre? Sport media PLEASE stop this Favre Madness. AD was the man, give him his respect. Favre's numbers were average, at best. Sitchoazz down, Favre!

-Okay New Orleans is showing why picking them as a Super Bowl team wasn't such a bad idea. Granted, it was the Detroit Lions... but 6 TD from Drew Brees... one word... WOW!!!

-Congrats to Rex Ryan and the New York Jets for their win over Houston. Rex is a good guy and deserved it. But ummm... Houston.. people actually LIKE you to do well... You aren't building a case. Well, at least your cheerleaders showed up and gave a show, right?!


-Poor St Louis... a goose egg during Week 1... How sad :(

-Hail To The Redskins!!! Oh wait... I have to wait another week before I say that. My bad.... Go Gmen! Yeah, that's it....

-I picked San Fran in my pool, so of course I was happy I got ONE upset right when they beat the Cards. It was an exciting game, particularly during final minutes. I love Mike Singletary and I hope the 49ers can feed off of his will and determination.

-*side note* Is Jordin Sparks the official Nat'l Anthem singer? She doesn't have anything else to do, like make an album or go on tour?! Girl BYE!

- Feeling some kind of way about Peyton tying up Johnny U for most "franchise" wins.. but I won't let my pettiness affect me too much. Good game Colts and congrats to Manning.

- Every time Jay Cutler threw an INT, I snickered. It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of him, so I found last night's performance kind of humorous (sorry, Bears fans).

Cutler had a Grossman-esque performance last night. I'm sure he'll get better as the season goes on, he's a good QB. But damn, he stunk it up last night.. tee hee hee...

- Much props to Atlanta, but Miami killed themselves yesterday. Only 13 turnovers total in 2008 but 4 in one game against the Falcons. Not a good way to start the season.

- I'm being quite frank here, Dallas beat the Bucs, did we think anything else was gonna happen? I don't think most folks outside of Tampa thought differently. But at this point, the Bucs look better than the Panthers, particularly at the QB position, so that helps.

- The best part about the Broncos-Bengals game? Gus Johnson. Y'all know I love me some him, so his call during the Broncos TD was priceless. I swear, that game seemed like a snooze until that play. And Johnson's commentating made it seem like it was the Super Bowl. How can you NOT like Gus Johnson?!

I'm sure you heard or read by now the comments that former Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton said regarding Brett Favre. Tarkenton was on 790 the Zone in Atlanta and made some harsh comments about Favre. Tarkenton looks like a sweet old man. I never knew he had it in him, really. I decided to break down what he said and give my opinion... bit by bit

"I think it’s despicable."

Ummm.... did anyone else read that in a Daffy Duck voice???

"What he put the Packers through last year was not good. Here’s an organization that was loyal to him for 17, 18 years, provided stability of organization, provided players. It just wasn’t about Brett Favre"

Can't argue with this comment here. I feel the same way, I think Favre thinks folks owe him something when they don't. I'll let this one ride

"In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favre’s of the world so much, they think it’s about them."

Again, can't argue here

"He goes to New York and bombs".

Bomb he did not. Break down at the end of the season, he did

"He’s 39 years old."

Okay, and?! I know that NFL years, he's about 230 1/2 years of age. But kickers last til they are close to 50. This was irrelevant.

"How would you like Ray Nitschke in his last year (playing for) the Vikings, or I retire, and go play for the Packers."

You and Nitschke are old dudes... no one really cares cause we know you won't.

"I kind of hope it happens, so he can fail."

Uuuuhhhhhhhhhh..............................



What kind of bitchassness type of comment is this?? Who says that??? You wannabe Rush Limbaugh. How can you love the Vikings, but want Favre to make a mockery of your beloved team??? real smart, genius!

"I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback, but he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I’ve ever seen."

Maybe, but he still has more records than you...

"Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game against the Giants"

Touche'... can't argue there

"He’s playing against Eli Manning, I love Eli Manning, but he’s still not a great quarterback. He’s not Peyton yet, or Tom Brady. He’s just a guy."

He's just a guy??? Dude, are you serious..... Why are you side swiping Eli Manning now... how much Haterade did you have for breakfast???

How many Super Bowl MVPs have you won??? Oh, that's right. You don't have a Super Bowl WIN! Let's not go there............

"And they’re (Packers) are playing at home, and they’re in a tight situation, they went to overtime and he (Favre) throws the interception that allows them (the Giants) to come back and win the game. He has done that and driven his coaches crazy all of his career."

Tarkenton was a great QB in this league for 18 years. He also has the right to say whatever is on his mind. But he needs a serious does of STFU soup. Not only does he insult Favre, but he takes shots at Eli Manning, a topic totally unrelated to the initial target. I'm wondering if someone forgot to take their Aricept before the interview.

Please go back and tell 40 year old football tales to your grandchildren. You've embarrassed yourself enough for the year. Remind me to add you to my next "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong" blog. You'll be my honorary dedication.

Tarkenton, take my advice.... this is all you need to do....


Trust me.... it's for the best!

Dear Brett,

Hi! First off, lemme just say that I'm one of your biggest fans. And I want to thank you. I started watching football because of you. I love the way you play and how excited you were after every TD you throw. It makes everyone watching you feel like a 10 year old again. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be so awesome at discussing and writing about football. I accredit my awesomeness to you, Mr. Favre.



Okay, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get to the real reason why I'm writing you. I was watching NFL Total Access last night, and I noticed they mentioned, the Jets officially released you from the reserve-retired list. This now makes you a free agent. In the very next breath, the hosts came up with some scenario that you may come out of retirement again and possibly play for the Vikings.

For The Love Of Ray J, I beg you.. PLEASE STAY RETIRED!!!! Seriously... I love you as a player and your career speaks volumes. But it's time to hang up the shoulder pads and cleats for good. I watched you fight the Green Bay Packers about coming back AFTER you retired following the 2007 season. I watched you get reinstated and traded to the Jets as a last ditch attempt to have them push for the playoffs. I watched you go 8-3, and beating the then-undefeated Titans during that span. I then watched your team fizzle out like day old Coca Cola at the end of the season, going 1-4 in your last five games. I watched you ultimately go 9-7 and no playoff run.




I watched the legendary Brett Favre turn into a tired, inaccurate and injured QB. To be quite frank, you looked..... OLD. It was sad to me. Now, I've seen you go through your highest of highs and lowest of lows. I watched you during your prime, when you won 3 NFL MVP Awards in a row, the only QB to ever do so. I watched you when you won the Super Bowl, convincingly, over the Patriots. I also watched when you checked your self into rehab and when you lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos. But even through the tough times, watching you go through that was much less painful than watching you at the end of last season.




If the Vikings do call you, please ignore them. Ignore them, and anyone else that pulls at you to come back. We all know you love football dearly, and there will always be a spark for the sport inside you. But ignore them. Coming back was not a good look for you, and I can't imagine what another year of a possible comeback will look like.

Please save your legacy. Save the memories that I have of you. Please don't create new memories that are horrible. Don't make a mockery of your former self. The haters would love nothing more than to see you fall flat on your face while attempting yet another comeback.




Don't give them the satisfaction of laughing at you. Making fun of you. That will lead me to defend you and then possibly get into a bar brawl. And I'm sorry Brett, but I don't want to chip my nails or mess up my hair in order to defend your honor... mmkay?!

In my final words to you, let me say this in the only way I can. *sigh* I didn't want to do it like this.. but I have no choice.


Brett.... I love you but.... go sitcho azz down somewhere!!! And I say that with all of the NFL love I have for you, with the best intentions. Your NFL chapter has been written. It's time to start a new chapter in your life.


Sincerely,


The NFL Chick

So my main man, Brett Favre, retires AGAIN. But this time most people, like myself, think this is for real.

When most successful players retire, people usually have good things to say. But Favre has always been more complicated than that. With everything that happened starting from last offseason, folks are bashing Favre right about now.

"He should've stayed retired as a Packer last year"

"He's selfish"

"He's old and can't play anymore"

I'm not here to argue with those points. I'm here to praise him for his career. Without him, I'm not the avid football fan that I am today.

The reason why? Well, if you like my blog and think I'm the football goddess I claim to be, then thank Brett Lorenzo Favre for that (I'm kidding, by-the-way... well, kinda lol). I started becoming interested in the game because of him.

Football is in my blood. My grandfather played football, my father was a high school standout that after college, had former Chiefs coach Hank Stram call him personally to ask him to join the practice squad. So the love of the sport runs deep in my family.

However, I was a "late bloomer" with my genetic ties to the sport. Whenever I tried to get my grandfather and father to teach me what was going on, they would usually get frustrated with me and I would always say, "Forget it then....." and walk away.

The Baltimore Colts left town when I was 4 1/2 years old, so I had no real connection to football.

But here comes this guy that wears #4 for the green and gold team with fans wearing cheeseheads. I can remember Brett Favre on my TV screen, and saying to myself, "Who IS that guy??? He's a rebel... I like him".


I didn't know much about him. I thought his name was pronounced "Fav-ray", like they way it's spelled. But once I got to know him from a football perspective, I fell in love with the game and they way he played. I wanted to know more.

The very first Super Bowl that I actually paid attention to was SB XXXI, between the Packers and Patriots.

My favorite moment of Favre's? When his dad passed away and he played the next night against the Oakland Raiders throwing for 4 TDs and 399 yards. Best performance I've ever seen under such horrible circumstances. I can still hear his postgame interview like it happened yesterday, "I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight."


Although Favre has had an overall successful career, he did run into some issues along the way.


He has a gunslinger mentality that is frowned upon.

He holds the NFL record for interceptions.

He once had an issue with pain killer addiction.

And at times me made the craziest throws to make you wonder what was going on in his head when he threw that.



We can discuss for days what Favre did wrong, but he's also done a whole lot that was right. I'm here to celebrate Favre. No matter how you feel about him, most will agree that he played with passion that was seen by few.



Never have I seen a player make ME want to get on the field as much as Brett Favre did. He'll be looked at as an NFL great, and rightfully so.

Here are a few of my favorite Favre moments throughout his career.










See you in Canton in 5 years, Brett. Thank you for everything! You will be missed!!