Unlike the players who will very much be preparing for this weekend’s final regular season games, I have not been hard at it since Christmas Eve and so I am bringing you a small improvised post this festive week.

My first gift to myself is to have watched my usual amount of games and not write them up, but to have watched them as a football fan.

My second gift appears to be my continued languishing in last place in the Picks competition:

Dan’s Dad:	Week 16:   8-8	Overall:   137-103
Dan:	Week 16:   9-7	Overall:   130-110
Gee:	Week 16:   7-9	Overall:   123-117

I also managed to slip up in my entry into the ESPN site, which is why Dan’s Dad thinks I joined him on eight points when I actually managed to fall a further point behind, although mathematically still able to win the league but I suspect that’s not going to happen.

It has not been an easy season of blogging for me for one reason or another, but the site still binds the three of us who write it together and for our teams 2020 holds: a play-off berth, a first overall pick in the draft, and an opportunity to take advantage of roster rebuild that is already well under way with a coach who looks more than ready to utilise the incoming talent.

I hope you are all having a wonderful festive period, I will pick up the pace at the weekend as we head into the new year, play-offs and Super Bowl LIV.

For now, I’ll leave you with the usual Thursday Trivia roundup from Dan’s Dad.

Week 16 Trivia

‘Some weeks ago I trailed Week 16 as being pivotal in the race to the Play-Offs and so it proved. In particular, the bi-annual Packer-Viking matchup which rarely offers a dull game with little hanging on it, and so it proved was the case this week.

For, I think (factcheck needed), the first time the NFC North’s premier teams would both finish the year with at least 10 wins and on the back of that all seeding scenarios were possible – but after MNF these options have shrunk markedly.

[There was no way that 3D could offer up such a challenge and me not take the bait, but in this instance Dan’s Dad is decidedly wrong as since its inception in 2002 there have been six separate second place teams in the NFC North with at least ten wins including the 2012 Minnesota Vikings – Ed,]

For those who didn’t watch the game in the wee-smalls of Tuesday AM, the Vikings started the first two quarters like a team possessed and despite registering only 16 1st half yards but creating 4 turnovers the Vikings ended the half ahead although the second half played out a very different story. Cousins continued to a 0-9 MNF record and while I saw flashes of brilliance I am never inspired. Witness, if you will, the trick play attempted by Cousins and WR Stefon Diggs where misdirection saw Diggs become a proxy QB and just failed to land a pass to the floundering Cousins in Q2. Note to self – position specialists are just that for a reason and its best not to ask a fish to ride a bicycle. Enough to say, the Packers won (again) and could be highly seeded (possibly even top seed) but the Vikings already had a playoff berth secured but that’s what they will get – although who would relish drawing them in the play offs?

The Picks competition rumbles along and overall only Dan managed to close the gap scoring 9 while Gee and I managed a good but unexceptional 8 each [Actually 7 for me – Ed.]. This, with a week to go, leaves me on a pleasing 137 (which is what I took an extra week to reach last year, Dan is on 130 while Gee has battled up to 124 [123] only 2 [3] behind where he was at this point last year.

OK, enough of the smoke blowing where are we with the Trivia Quizzlette?

Dan led Gee by 3 points (18:15) when I asked:
The Kansas City Chiefs were originally known by what name?

Gee went straight for the “3D is playing the devious card” approach while Dan went for something that sounded plausible. That’s their choices but its Christmas, I was on holiday and I wasn’t playing games. So the answer was simply:   The Dallas Texans.

The Chiefs began play as the Dallas Texans, with the birth of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. Their owner Lamar Hunt, was also the founder of the AFL, and was only 28 years old at the time. Hunt later helped pave the way for the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, and became the first Chief inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Moving swiftly on with no change in the scores we arrive in LA so there are 2 ‘simple’ questions about the Chargers and the Rams worth 2 points each

Firstly for the Los Angeles Rams:
I was the quarterback that led the Rams to a victory in the 2000 Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans. I lost my starting job after I fumbled six times in the first game of the 2003 season. Who am I?

Then for the Los Angeles Chargers:
Which Charger quarterback bounced back from a dismal 2003-04 season, winning the Comeback Player of the Year Award, throwing 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions, and landing himself a spot in the 2005 NFL Pro Bowl?

Probably best attempted before the drink starts flowing and Nanna’s Sherry Trifle lands in the bowl!

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year in the hope that you have enjoyed my offerings in this post over the last season and that the holidays don’t see too much unnecessary roughness.’