WATERCOOLER CHAT: TUESDAY NIGHT NFL GAME, PRO BOWL TEAMS SELECTED, HEAT VS KNICKS, SPURS TAKE ON LAKERS
FOOTBALL
In the NFL, football was played on Tuesday night for the first time since 1946. Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Favre-less Minnesota Vikings. But, even without Brett Favre, the Vikings managed to pull out the big upset with the rookie Joe Webb at quarterback. The Eagles laid an egg, and with the loss locked themselves into the 3rd spot in the NFC playoff picture. Minnesota 24, Philadelphia 14.
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Also in the NFL, the pro bowl teams for each conference have been selected. Highlighting each squad are the quarterbacks: For the AFC, Tom Brady is the starter with Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning as his back up; For the NFC, Michael Vick is the starter with his back-ups Matt Ryan and Drew Brees. Other notable starters for the AFC include: Maurice Jones-Drew, Andrew Johnson, Troy Polamalu, and Darrelle Revis. The NFC’s notable starters include: Michael Turner, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, and Devin Hester.
BASKETBALL
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In the NBA, two big contests took place on Tuesday night. The first was the Miami Heat against the New York Knicks. Dwayne Wade lit up the floor for 40 points, but the Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire kept it close with 30 points of his own. The Knicks are beginning to understand what it means to be a great team in the NBA. They have talent that they have not had in years and are finally competing with the big boys. Soon, after they get one more big time player, whether it’s Chris Paul or Carmelo Anthony, they will consistently beat the various ‘beasts of the East.’ Miami Heat 106, New York 98.
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The second big game in the NBA was the hot San Antonio Spurs taking on the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs have lately been hot and playing in a much faster paced system than we are used to from a Greg Popovich coached team. For San Antonio, Tony Parker had 23 points, DaJuan Blair had 17 points, and 15 rebounds, while future Hall-of-famer Tim Duncan was held to only 2 points and 4 rebounds. San Antonio 97, Lakers 82.
