The Ed.-in-Chief weighs in…

I take my job seriously here at Subway Chatter, and because of that I just can’t let you all go off like lambs to the slaughter when you can’t pay off all the gambling debts you accrue after following MFH’s advice. But first, some thoughts on the other big news of the day (for those of you who still follow the NBA), the Pau Gasol deal. This instantly makes the Lakeshow the West’s top team, but not for the reason many of you probably think. I agree that just by acquiring Gasol, the Lakers have now vaulted themselves into top-three status in the Western Conference– they were right there when stud center Andrew Bynum went down with a knee injury, and Gasol will capably fill his shoes until his return in late February. The bigger development, though, is that the Lakers’ now have to be considered the frontrunners to land Jason Kidd. With Gasol in L.A., Lamar Odom will be forced to play out of position when Bynum eventually returns, and this surplus of big men gives the Lakers the flexibility to trade the talented forward– who Nets’ Prez Rod Thorn has always coveted– for the play-making point guard needed to take the ball-handling burdens off Kobe Bryant. The Lakers, as currently comprised, are championship contenders even without Kidd, but if they get him, you’d have to think the Larry O’Brien Trophy is theirs to lose.

Alright, now on to something you all actually care about– Super Sunday. MFH threw out a pretty convincing argument for why the Giants should be able to keep this thing close and cover the spread. Only problem is– I’m not buying it… and neither should you. Here’s why…

1) Eli Manning is still Eli Manning: I know he has played great by just getting the Giants this far, but everyone seems to forget that this is the same guy who Giant fans wanted dangling from the other end of a concrete slab at the bottom of the East River just two months ago. A buddy of mine was convinced that the Giants could beat the Packers simply because, at some point, Brett Favre had to revert to being, well, Brett Favre. Eli’s not even one of the greatest QBs of the last 20 years, so I’m thinking this rule of thumb has to be applicable to him as well. And don’t forget this either– his own GM called him “skittish.” Something tells me the real Eli– or the “Eli-of-old,” if you want to give him the benefit of the doubt– is lurking somewhere under the surface. One bad drive in the biggest game of his life, and it could be all down hill from there.

2) The Hoodie: If recent history is any indicator, having to play Bill Belichick for the second time in the same season (this will actually be the third time for the Giants if you include their preseason matchup) just doesn’t work out too well for the opposition. It’s not lost on me that the Giants played the Pats tooth and nail in their Week 17 barn-burner, but (and bear with me here) I’m guessing the Hoodie incorporated maybe HALF of his typical formations and play calls in that game in anticipation of a Super Bowl rematch. I know that sounds crazy considering NO ONE thought the Giants would be making the trip to Glendale, but that’s why we’re all just pundits, and the Hoodie is the mad genius of professional football. Come Sunday, the Giants will be seeing formations they never even thought existed. That’s precisely what makes the Patriots so dominant– very rarely do you see the same “team,” or at least have a chance to attack the same game plan, when you face them the second time. Couple this with a fast track on Sunday, and the Pats are set up to return to their early-season blowout form.

3) Plaxico’s prediction: These kinds of things almost always come back to bite the prediction-maker in the ass, which is why Coach Coughlin had such a visceral reaction to it. And apart from the obvious distinctions, Plaxico Burress just doesn’t strike me as a “Mark-Messier-in-waiting.”

4) This could be you on Monday morning if you put money on the G-men:

My advice in a nutshell: pick the Pats. If you’re a Giants fan, and would rather cut off your left whatever than do that, then put the money towards pizza, wings, and beverages this Sunday instead.