NFL Conference Championship Sports Bumper Stickers

This week on the FairWeather Channel is going to be dark. Dark in a sense that since I started to work the graveyard shift, I have a new appreciation for the night. Sure when you're not getting paid to stay up and you're just bored, you can sleep. But there's something electrifying about getting paid to stay up overnight and see other people doing the same and not getting paid.

I'm really just saying, when you're having trouble falling asleep at night, work.

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1.

Let's be honest, you probably know a Steelers fan somewhere in your day-to-day life, they are everywhere. It's like gonorrhea, you know it's out there on someone you know, but you just ignore it and hope it goes away. Something about the most overall Super Bowl Championships, recent successes and their over-saturation with the mainstream media will catch on to anyone in the FairWeather Forecasting business.

Don't buy heavily into the hype that Steeler "Nation" travels well, it's a fair assumption people everywhere just want to get in on a good cause. At least this week's game featured a moment for everyone to forget what kind of a man Big Ben Roethlisberger is off the field. Thank you Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall. Juice Williams would be so so proud of you.


2.

If Big New York Media wants an edgy headline, they could go with "Jets Crash And Burn in Western PA (Heinz) Field" headline. But glad to see they've taken the high road, unlike some people around here... Actually I haven't been paying attention much to Big New York Media (except maybe juicy Bloomberg TV), but it seems like a road taken by guys like the New York Post.

It was a good season still New York Jets. Plenty of hope from defensive acquisitions, Braylon Edwards was a fun gamble mid-season and LaDainian Tomlinson made some very angry San Diego people, very angrier. The country sure had some jokes about this mega team, and early enough in the AFC Championship Game, many were disappointed the jokes were about to stop.

That is until the Jets came up a little short to stuff it back into the funny faces of Pittsburgh. Oh well says this FairWeather Guy, there's always next year to wear construction hardhats and look cool in Northern New Jersey.

3.

The Packers have been something these past few weeks. Despite all the great talk about Brett Favre going away (maybe), Aaron Rodgers doing something he should have been doing much sooner, and James Starks being the more relevant Starks since John, this is a team America can really get behind.

I must say though Chicago Deep-Dish is really the money pizza. Why spend a dollar more on a flatter pizza?

So get ready America to spread those happy cheeks and welcome in all the feel good cheese these jolly Green Bay guys can Pack.

4.

The Bears should have been what they thought they were, winners. They proved it all the way through to the NFC Championship game somehow and it was on that stage where the reality settled in.

Jay Cutler wasn't who Chicago thought he was and the Bears road to the NFC Championship Game was paved with TOMATO CANS.
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Now I do what I normally do in the lull between Conference Championship Weekend and Super Bowl Sunday, hibernate like a Bear and take to the sky like a Jet.

See you next week when I talk about Arena Sports.

Sports Bumper Stickers: MLKJr Day/NFL Playoffs Edition

Warm MLK Jr Day sentiments to you and yours and a very happy Third Monday of January to you Arizona. As you can see this weekend is all about getting into the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr Day around the country, especially in Los Angeles where that MLKJr Day cheer is spreading well. I especially like Blake Griffin's "can't we all just get along face?" in the middle of it.

The NBA sure has quite a ways to go if they want to spread an image of itself as being a civilized man's game (if you can't tell already, I'm just installing some of the canned outrage people are supposed to feel about these things). But that is not the reason why you're tuning into The FairWeather Channel on this of all special days.

It was another great installment of NFL Playoffs action. Unfortunately I missed most of it working, but I was able to get good looks at the finish of Ravens Steelers and the majority of Falcons Packers. And on Sunday I was around a TV for the end of Jets Patriots.

Safe to say, if you didn't watch much football this weekend, there wasn't much to see. And now some visual aids to take a closer look at these games:

1.

Baltimore had this game from the start, everything was all hunky dory up until halftime. But as any FairWeather observer would tell you, bad things happen when the sun goes down for Baltimore. Turnover city reduced the Ravens' 21-7 lead and its vicegrip control over the crowd crumbling like a tourist eating a Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab.

Ray Lewis' heads will have to wait another year to bring Baltimore back to the promised land.

2.
(This is a Moving Picture, Click on It To See It Move)

Birds just can't catch a break these days. First the Ravens forgot how to close a game, and now the Seattle Seahawks were just too little too late at the end in the Windy City. If they only held on, they could have been 7-9 hosts of the NFC Championship game, instead of this apparent lovefest going on in the Midwest(see below). Ultimately, at this stage of the playoffs, only the best survive and the Seahawks just weren't the best.

At least they'll be the favorites of the NFC West next year, maybe.

3.

What is going on here? Basically just two teams that caught strides at the end of the season and it continues to roll. The sad news for people living on the coasts, they're just going to have to deal with whatever cheese people in Wisconsin or Chicago deep-dishes out the rest of the way.

I bet those of you living on the coasts (the east one especially) are hoping the Jets or Steelers crush this Middle America Rebellion. Personally, I love the midwest, it deserves all the love it can get. Because for whatever reason plenty of people around me don't like the Midwest, they would never live there, it's too cold, or many other FairWeather reasons. Having visited the region many times, I have to say the people are pretty warm, jolly, and equally curious about my bi-coastal self.

Throughout the season, the headlines out of the NFC North had something to do with Brett Favre, Domes, and the not-so-terribleness of the Detroit Lions.

Not anymore. One of those teams is going to the Super Bowl.

4.

Bill Belichick has done plenty of funny things in his coaching career. Of course in the past he's had the help of that pretty CA golden boy Tom Brady, the wily antics of Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi, "The Tuck Rule", and plenty of viable weapons to receive passes.

Ever since the acquisition of Randy Moss, the Patriots haven't been their championship winning selves. They're still contenders by any means of your imagination. I thought they would roll on the Jets. But alas, it just was not meant to be yesterday. Were the Pats just rusty? Unprepared? At least unlike other #1 seeded conference counterparts, they didn't get blasted away at home. Those cannons were used somewhat on that day. (They still have canons at Foxboro right?)

Everyone will hate on the Hoodie for his strange methods, but let's not forget one thing. He's still "S-O H-Double O-D" Hood.

5.

The puns in the message are clear. The Jets are a fearsome bunch that anyone with an NFL Media Credential wants you believe. NCAA Sanctions against USC of today or not, Mark Sanchez of USC yesteryear is here to rub your nose in everything that is great about the ultimate goal (making money) of college football, playing/coach in the NFL.

If their excessiveness and in-your-face perverse presence has not been felt in your sports atmosphere, it should be now. And it's only fair that a team that provides witty banter and jokes survives for many deserves to play another day.

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Keep it tuned to The FairWeather Channel for another exciting week of things I'm still mildly interested in paying attention to.

Sports Bumper Stickers: NFL Wild Card Weekend Edition

Another exciting weekend of NFL Wild Card action in the books. And I must say at the start, it started with a bang, and ended on a whimper for this FairWeather guy.

Watching the games gave me an idea to continue the run of the very popular Sports Related Bumper Stickers. I didn't make any of the Ravens - Chiefs game because I was just not feeling it anymore when I tuned into it after the half. But strong defense not allowing Matt Cassel to throw it to anyone saved the day as expected for the Ravens.

Here are a couple of bumper stickers from the playoff weekend in no particular order of superiority or inferiority.

1.

Not exactly the finish many in the land of the Eagles were hoping for. Michael Vick though still showed the NFL, anyone who watches it, and anyone who likes dogs that he can indeed still play football. Maybe the receivers could have done a better job catching balls (Avant, Celek, Jackson),David Akers could have connected on those field goals, although this year hasn't been so great, or maybe the defense should have stepped up after a year of ups and downs. Either way, it's another year of questions and what could have beens in Philadelphia. I do miss Jim Johnson running the Eagles' defense.

On the bright side in Philadelphia, the Flyers at the moment are in first place, and the Phillies were able to bring back that Cliff Lee guy. There's always something to be hopeful for in that town, whereas other towns still have each other for comfort and warmth (Kansas City).

Did you hear Joe Buck also get a jab in on how the refs could miss Andy Reid running on the sidelines? It's one thing if anyone else takes a jab at Andy Reid's weight in printed forum of anonymous interwebs, but it's another to be making those shots where everyone will hear it...

2.

Kudos to the Green Bay Packers for living up to expectations and hang on at the seams at game's end. California's Aaron Rodgers have given the cheeseheads plenty of time to forget what's-his-name, and soon the moratorium on ESPN will be over.

They'll have to contend with those dirty birds and the Fairweather Flunkies will have to ask, are the Packers dirty enough?

3.

Plenty of people will write this story as, "Nobody gave the Seahawks a chance", but everyone that doesn't write (or even read) will say they had the Seahawks winning at home with the 12th man against the New Orleans Saints. Yes Seattle is terrible. Yes the NFC West sucks Wang Chung. And again to pull out from my book of clichés, the postseason is another kind of animal where anyone is capable of winning. The MLB, NFL, and NHL are fairly apparent examples of this. And it's a reason why the NBA playoffs aren't as fun to some of the sports "purists".

4.

There was a time when the Saints were that team everybody loved. Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans worse than any of those wrinkly, middle-aged blondes of yesteryear. Then they won the Super Bowl on the backs of Drew Brees and Sean Payton, thanks a lot San Diego, oh and Hank Baskett. Now a team with a Super Bowl victory, America feels compelled to root against them like a team that never wins on the road.

I bet plenty in Who Dat? Nation wondering where did the love go and how are there all of a sudden Seahawks fans. Take a good look at those people, like Christine O'Donnell, they're you.

On the bright side, Mardi Gras is coming and I'd like to get some of those cougar numbers please. I got some Fresh Choice and Olive Garden coupons with your names on them baby.

5.

So Rex Ryan's wife may have made a few foot fetish videos or two. It's no real big deal in Puritanical or Church of Latter Day levels. I don't think it is widely accepted in Islamic circles, but give it time, I believe it will grow on them. You could probably argue an empowerment or exploitation angle of women in these types of videos, but how degrading is it? People are into some strange things, or things you or I find strange. I wonder if there's a Al Bundy fanfiction on the subject of women's shoe salesman.

In the end the Jets pull out of Indy with a win, putting Peyton Manning (see below) out of the collective misery of NFL viewers. There's always the ads if you really want your fix of Manning's Face.

6.

Not to cheaply borrow from the NBA, although the expression can successfully be used for full comedic effect here. If I had any substantial amount of money, I'd put this on billboards around Indianapolis come every January. In the meantime though, who wouldn't want this on the back of their car?

Pretty good pitchman and regular season guy to have on your team though.

Sports Bumper Stickers

The bumper sticker, a nice little quib about current events for anyone to put on the back of their station wagon or Trapper Keeper. Throughout the years, has evolved from a simple inspirational message to something much more, a way to better identify the type of person driving.

I usually stay away from drivers with them, but if you like reading the messages, then you're going to love these Fairweather quibs about things related to sports teams.

1.

Michael Vick, quarterback of Philadelphia's Eagles, people love to hate him for heading a dog fighting ring in the good ole South. Others love to defend him, saying he's paid his debt to society for his wrongdoings, spent a little time in pounding assery federal prison (a little longer than Sacramento's own Donte Stallworth in a county jail for a little drunken driving).

Meanwhile the sports media will continue to praise the man's efforts on the football field, as they should, because does anyone tuning into sports coverage want to hear anything apart from highlights and top-notch talking head analysis? (The answer is always no)

Feel free to hate the man, but for someone to bounce back, lose $$$ from initial success and return in contention, and everyone moving on is what sports is all about.

2.

There was a time when Mike Singletary felt like the answer for many in 49er World. Things were looking up, they got rid of Mike Nolan and Mike Nolan's suits, Alex Smith was looking like the franchise quarterback the Niners wanted him to be, and people kept on buying those tickets.

Then Singletary did some strange things, even for a samurai. Glen Coffee decided to take his beans elsewhere, there were experiments with Shaun Hill, David Carr was thrown in there, Nate Davis somehow became the man to some people, and Troy Smith shared some quality time with Mike.

I wonder what lies ahead now for the fleeting greatness of the Red and Gold?

3.

Many laughed when Al Davis made the pick of Polish kicker Sebastian Janikowski from Florida State with the 17th pick in the 1st round. But if you really think about it, football begins and ends with the kicker. Starts the game, and ends the game on offense with an extra point. Granted he hasn't been as clutch in the 2010-2011 season, but he's been a lot better than the other kickers playing musical chairs in the NFL.

Bottom line, Seabass puts the "foot" in and on the "football".

4.

Tim Tebow is something. It's what the great minds at ESPN want you think, there was a Tim Tebow watch for all things Tim Tebow related around the time of the 2010 NFL Draft and the Denver Broncos decided to take a gamble on this guy, in the first round.

They say people eagerly await the day Jesus returns. But Tim Tebow is already here. Just saying.

5.

Not too long after the Kings have put the Webber-Divac-Bibby years behind was there anything else to get them some national attention.

Then head coach Eric Musselman, Mario Elie, Tyreke Evans, and Antoine Wright, gave everyone a reason to print something about the Sacramento Kings in their media landscapes.

The lesson here is pretty simple, if you're going to drive like a moron, do it in California.

6.


Things were looking pretty peachy with the Sacramento Kings before the end of a game with the Warriors. Then a couple of things happened, fouling 3 pt shooters, failing to rebound, not looking like a team that beats the Warriors, and an open Vladamir Radmanovic 3 pointer later had the game in overtime and the rest is history.

Demarcus Cousins is one of those guys whose reputation proceeds him. If he wants to be taken seriously, he should probably act like someone who's been there. Until then remember this: he's young; he's immature; he'll learn, or so I'd hope.
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If you like any of these great Fairweather Channel bumper stickers, let me know, maybe I will eventually make a business of this someday.