New England returns to the Top 5 and so does one of their cheerleaders! Enjoy!

NFL TOP 5…BOTTOM 5 (Record/Last wk’s ranking):
TOP 5:
1) COLTS (14-1; #1): Since most key players were benched down the stretch hard to take them from No. 1 spot.  Curious though to see if there are any lingering effects from the players come playoff time.   
2) CHARGERS (12-3; #2): Winning streak is up to 10 as SD clinches first round playoff bye.
3) EAGLES (11-4; #4): McNabb red hot as are the Eagles winning five straight. 
4) SAINTS (13-2; #3): Thanks to the Bears upset over the Vikings, the Saints back their way into home field advantage.  Not that it matters…they’ve lost two straight at home.
5) PATRIOTS (10-5; NR): Look out…Tom Brady appears to be heating up.
Dropped out: VIKINGS

BOTTOM 5:
1) RAMS (1-14; #1): The Rams are doing everything possible to insure the No. 1 pick.  This week they put Stephen Jackson on inactive list with a sore lower back.  Sure your back hurts, Stephen.  I believe you.
2) LIONS (2-13; #2): Lie-Downs doing everything they can to keep losing by starting Matthew Stafford. 
3) CHIEFS (3-12; #3): KC closing strong for draft with a five game losing streak after falling to Bengals. 
4) REDSKINS (4-11; NR): Wonder if the next coach can save what was once a very proud franchise.
5) BUCS (3-12; #4): Bucs knock off Saints on the road for second straight win. Why are they even trying!?
Dropped out: BROWNS

For complete MWC, Byu and Utah Football coverage head over to read my Versus.com columns here.  You can always give me feedback at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

And If you have yet to begin following me on Twitter you can get to my page at http://www.twitter.com/kevingraham1280.  I tweet out breaking news, insightful opinons (honk!), game analysis and occasional rants usually when I’m watching my Jets!  As always thanks for your support and for listening to Monson and Graham.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS P1’S!

NFL TOP 5…BOTTOM 5 (Record/Last wk’s ranking):
TOP 5: 
1) COLTS (14-0; #1): And then their was one, as Colts remain the lone unbeaten team.
2) CHARGERS (11-3; #3): Winning streak reaches nine as SD beats Cincy in final seconds to clinch AFC West.
3) SAINTS (13-1; #2): Defense can’t slow down Tony Romo and Cowboys in first loss of the year. 
4) EAGLES (10-4; #5): McNabb to Jackson becoming a lethal combination.
5) VIKINGS (11-3; #4): Defense struggles and Favre gets no time to throw in loss to Panthers.
Dropped out: NONE

BOTTOM 5:
1) RAMS (1-13; #1): Who is Keith Null?  That would be the Rams starting quarterback.
2) LIONS (2-12; #3):  Lions actually fought a bit before losing to the Cardinals in final 2 minutes. 
3) CHIEFS (3-11; #5): Good news—KC allows just 66 yards passing.  Bad news—they give up 323 yards
rushing in loss to the Browns. 
4) BUCS (2-12; #2): Bucs lose by winning over Seattle—fall behind Rams for #1 pick.
5) BROWNS (3-11; #4): Why hasn’t Jerome Harrison been getting the ball all season? But then again it was against the Chiefs.
Dropped out: NONE

For complete MWC, Byu and Utah Football coverage head over to read my Versus.com columns here.  You can always give me feedback at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

And If you have yet to begin following me on Twitter you can get to my page at http://www.twitter.com/kevingraham1280.  I tweet out breaking news, insightful opinons (honk!), game analysis and occasional rants usually when I’m watching my Jets!  As always thanks for your support and for listening to Monson and Graham.

SI.COM POSTED A TRIBUTE TO SANTA CHEERLEADERS SO I FIGURED IT WAS A GOOD HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU P1’S.  ENJOY!

NFL TOP 5…BOTTOM 5 (Record/Last wk’s ranking):
TOP 5: 
1) COLTS (13-0; #1): You know this team is good when they can overcome 3 Manning Int’s to beat Denver. Of course it helps Manning throws 4TD’s.
2) SAINTS(13-0; #2): Saints holding on for wins thanks to the great play of Drew Brees.
3) CHARGERS (10-3; #3): SD wins 8th straight and 16th in a row in the month of December.
4) VIKINGS (11-2; #4): Vikes wrap up playoff spot with blowout win over Bengals.
5) EAGLES (9-4; NR): DeSean Jackson returns and so does the big play for Philly.
Dropped out: BENGALS

BOTTOM 5:
1) RAMS (1-12; #2): Reclaims top spot after 47-7 drubbing to Titans.
2) BUCS (1-12; #3): Bucs anemic offense produces just 124 yards and six first downs in loss to the Jets.
3) LIONS (2-11; #4): Lie-Downs live up to their given name in 48-3 blowout loss to Ravens.
4) BROWNS (2-11; #1): Manginius thinks his job is safe and his system is working after beating Steelers.  Don’t count on it.
5) CHIEFS (3-10; #5): Matt Cassel throws four int’s in loss to Bills.  Think he regrets leaving Pats?
Dropped out: NONE

For complete MWC, Byu and Utah Football coverage head over to read my Versus.com columns here.  You can always give me feedback at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

And If you have yet to begin following me on Twitter you can get to my page at http://www.twitter.com/kevingraham1280.  I tweet out breaking news, insightful opinons (honk!), game analysis and occasional rants usually when I’m watching my Jets!  As always thanks for your support and for listening to Monson and Graham.

Props to our guy Randy for putting this video together of Texas Hold ‘Em Hugh Hefner Night at Habits 3900 South 832 East every Monday Night for football and poker!

The Zone’s Bunny Habits and Texas Hold ‘Em from raaandybaby on Vimeo.

WE HAVE A NEW #1…WILL THE COLTS (& THEIR LOVELY CHEERLEADERS) HOIST THE TROPHY ONCE AGAIN?

NFL TOP 5…BOTTOM 5 (Record/Last wk’s ranking):
TOP 5: 
1) COLTS (12-0; #2): Methodical in winning 21st regular season game to tie record. 
2) SAINTS (12-0; #1): Survive scare from Skins while making necessary plays to come from behind to win.
3) CHARGERS (9-3; #4): Philip Rivers throws for 373 yards and 2 touchdowns in win over Browns.
4) VIKINGS (10-2; #3): Vikes fans finally get a peak at what may come from Favre in the playoffs—Interceptions. 
5) BENGALS (9-3; NR): Bengals in by beating Lions but get huge challenge Sunday at Minnesota. 
Dropped out: COWBOYS

BOTTOM 5:
1) BROWNS (1-11; #1): Brady Quinn actually has good game in loss to Chargers.
2) RAMS (1-11; #2): Defense holds Bears to just 248 yards but offense musters just 233 yards and fails to score TD for 4th game this year.
3) BUCS (1-11; #3): Josh Freeman plays like the rookie he is throwing 5int’s in loss to Carolina.
4) LIONS (2-10; #4): Lie-Downs have to hope for total collapse (meaning wins) from three teams above to get first round pick again.
5) CHIEFS (3-9; #5): KC almost gets doubled up in yards in blowout loss to Denver.
Dropped out: NONE

For complete MWC, Byu and Utah Football coverage head over to read my Versus.com columns here.  You can always give me feedback at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

And If you have yet to begin following me on Twitter you can get to my page at http://www.twitter.com/kevingraham1280.  I tweet out breaking news, insightful opinons (honk!), game analysis and occasional rants usually when I’m watching my Jets!  As always thanks for your support and for listening to Monson and Graham.

Maybe I’m being too sensitive here, but did Carlos need to layt the love on Dwight Howard after the Magic game like this?

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A month ago, it was Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade saying that of all the superstars in the NBA the one he’d most like to play with is Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard.

Now, Utah Jazz star forward Carlos Boozer has followed suit, saying he’d love to play alongside of Howard, his closest friend in the NBA.

Boozer was rumored to be on the trade block all summer and he could return to that position before February’s trade deadline if the Jazz (13-9) fall out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Boozer, 28, is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $12.6 million and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010.

``You got that big fella down there on defense because he covers up a lot of mistakes for you when he’s as active as he is,’’ said Boozer, who was in the Magic locker room after Thursday’s game to chat with Howard. ``Everybody in the league would like to be on the same team as Superman.’’

Boozer and Howard became close friends during the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. Boozer was in Orlando throughout much of the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals last spring, dinning nightly with Howard at his suburban Orlando house. The two also traveled to Africa together this past summer as a part of the NBA Cares ``Basketball Without Borders’’ program.

``We bonded, that’s one of my best friends. Great character, great dude and he’s a big kid inside a gigantic body,’’ Boozer said. ``I just hung out with him (last spring) and his chef made some great food. I was rooting for him, wanting him to get his first (championship). He played well and he’s one of my best friends. When one of us gets knocked out like we did, then we cheer for the other one.’’

BYU’s Olsen Lives Up His Big Score

By Dick Harmon, The Provo Daily Herald

Nov. 9, 1999

PROVO—When Hans Olsen got up from the dog pile in Qualcomm Stadium Saturday following his first career touchdown, he trotted back to the sideline wearing a smile wider than the Snake River.

He’d taken center stage.

He’d made an exciting play.

People were watching.

He was a hog in mud heaven.

His face mask was twisted, his chin strap pushed in his mouth and with his helmet a little skewed to the side, he had a chunk of turf on his mask cage.

Teammates howled. They celebrated the moment. For everyone likes Hans, a guy who sees every day of his life as his personal picnic, a day at Disneyland.

“You have to love it,” defensive coordinator Ken Schmidt said. “He’s such a fun guy to be around. He’s always joking.”

“Everybody wanted Hans to score because he deserved it,” defensive line coach Tom Ramage said.

Olsen is described by his wife Amanda as a natural-born entertainer. Hans told his wife weeks before the San Diego State game, if he’d ever scored a touchdown, he’d play like the ball was a rodeo calf and rope it in the end zone.

“It’s so rare for a defensive tackle to score a touchdown, that it is a big deal to him, to us,” Ramage said.

Olsen told reporters afterwards, he dreamed of doing the “Dirty Bird” made famous by Atlanta’s Jamal Anderson.

But when he got there, all he could do is throw his arms in the air and then get tackled by teammates.

“I didn’t think he’d get back to the sidelines in one piece,” Ramage said.

A comedian without being a clown, Olsen loves making people laugh, Amanda said.

When he speaks to elementary schools or youth groups, he loves to entertain and be the center of attention. He can balance a banquet table on his chin. He can take a broom stick and put a picnic table on the end and balance it on his chin.

When the Olsen’s joined teammate Chris Hoke and his wife Jaimee at a sophisticated spook alley a few weeks ago, Hans and Chris kept pushing their wives in front of them because “big guys can’t get scared.”

But Amanda had another friend go to the end where a final surprise lurked. She told the spook to wait until the women had passed and get the two big guys.

As the group shuffled by, a madman jumped out and cranked up a chain saw. Hoke jumped out of his Nikes, grabbed Hans and the pair bowled over Amanda and Jaimee trying to escape.

“With him, there’s never a boring moment. But he can also be serious,” Hoke said. “I think he’s more sensitive than I am. He really cares about what people think.”

That is evidenced by his reaction to a published quote by teammate Rob Morris, who teased Olsen for taking 15 seconds to run 30 yards for the touchdown.

Well, Olsen had a comeback quote.

“Morris is a guy with three personalities,” Olsen said. “He’s got the nice guy personality, then the Mean Guy, then the Just Plain Stupid. He’s psycho. It would take more than a priest to get rid of the other two.”

But try as he may to fire a come-backer at Morris, he was sensitive about offending Morris. He wanted his quote on Morris braced with a disclaimer: “Be sure to say I think he’s a great guy and great player.”

Typical Hans.

The big lineman from Idaho got two sacks against the Aztecs last week.

Morris earned Mountain West Conference defensive player of the week honors.

Olsen was happy for his captain.

After all, it was Morris’ hit that caused the fumble, which brought the big lineman his moment of fame.

You see, entertainers have set up acts to key their routines.

Olsen knows this.

He just played along.

 

We’ve all seen the Dos Equis commercial, when I do drink beer I prefer….D-Will only threw down 7 dunks last season but when he does dunk he prefers the facial variety…...