NFL

On Monday Night Football, it was the Eagles and the Browns.  The Eagles have had some ugly games this year (their ugly overtime game against the Bengals being a great example), but they have quietly put together a good season.  They were 7-5-1 coming into the game, and full of playoff hopes.  The game wasn’t close to any degree, and Donovan McNabb gave a beautiful performance with 290 yards and two touchdown passes.  Now, what seems like a last-ditch-effort coaching move by Andy Reid (benching McNabb a few weeks ago), looks like it was just the motivator Donovan needed.  He’s looked great since being sidelined for the remainder of a game.  And each week he shoulders all the pressure from Philly fans wanting their team to get the playoffs.  The Eagles pummeled the Browns, and now need to win their next two games and get some help with an Atlanta or Tampa Bay loss.  However, those two remaining games for the Eagles:  The Redskins and Cowboys.  It’s not gonna be easy.  Philadelphia 30, Cleveland 10.

NBA

The Celtics improved their win streak to 15 games against the Utah Jazz.  And most of the effort came not from the Big 3 (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett), but from their young point guard Rajon Rondo.  He almost had another triple-double with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.  Should this be a Big Four as opposed to just three?  Rondo’s pretty amazing.  Meanwhile, Paul Millsap had 32 points for the Jazz — a brilliant offensive performance that came out of NOWHERE.  Perhaps the Jazz have found another weapon as well.  Boston 100, Utah 91.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

A MAJOR UPSET.  Syracuse looks back to their old form this year after enduring a string of mediocre seasons since The Carmelo Anthony Era in 2003.  They were 9-0 and ranked #11 coming into the game.  It was supposed to be a throwaway, booster-happy game against the small conference Cleveland State, but this game was a thrill ride.  The game was tied until the last seconds, when Cleveland State’s Cedric Jackson nailed a 60 FOOT SHOT to win the game!  In-cred-i-ble!!!  What a great moment for Cleveland State fans (if there are any).  Cleveland State 72, Syracuse 69.

AFL

Finally, some more economic bad news for sports fans.  The Arena Football League has voted to cancel their ’09 season. The Arena Football League takes over after the NFL season concludes to satiate that NEED for football of some kind.  It has struggled financially in years past, and now with the economy in a recession they don’t feel they can be profitable in 2009.  They’ve said they’re going to close up shop for a season, and figure out how they can develop a new business model to succeed in 2010.  And in an era where even the mighty NFL is lowerling playoff ticket prices, a developing league like the AFL really doesn’t have a chance.