why does it sound like there's a smallplane flying inside the RCA Dome?

Steve - that same sound was there during the Pats-Colts regular season game. I forgot what the exact explanation was for it, although CBS claims it was their audio error. Folks who listened to that game via the radio broadcast said there was no such noise.

are they gonna show this colts douche with the helmet painted on his head all d?ay

S2N - I remember the reverb noise they talked about but I dont remember hearing the twin engine Cessna flying around.

Are the manning brothers that hard up that they have to do Oreo commercials?

Good to see ESPN2 pull out the "Mike Tyson Beating up the Same Eight White Dudes in the First Roung" countprogramming this afternoon. I haven't seen that in like 2 weeks.

Steve, that commercial was horrid, although Archie was funny in his disapproval.

Come on. Madison Avenue had to make sure that Eli starts to share his brother's wealth. I mean, he's won one playoff game and all. Oh well, if Brady Quinn can have two commercials already, Eli can have two.

No replay before commercial-LAME

Is anyone else out there truly dreading the second half of this afternoon's doubleheader? The broadcast, not the game. Oh yeah, and GAME OVER on this one after that INT.

BTW -- if any of you had about 6 minutes into the game for the first shot of Norv Face, you win.

Everybody DRINK!

Peyton also made the ARod face prior to KO I was stunned I neverseen him to that b4

Colts look good. Not Patriots offense good, but damn good.

Peyton and Brady are 36-38 in the last 5 quarters. This is the best quarterbacking ever.

Do you think that Marvin's fumble was complete because of Dierdorf's "lack of game action?" Sometimes shit happens, just ask Ryan Grant.

Marvin Harrison has always had playoff issues, so let's say that turnover is less than shocking. It's a bit better because it happened in the Chargers' end of the field.

Not that the Chargers' offense is good enough to take advantage right now.

Norv still doesn't know he has Tomlinson on his team, I think.

Anon mentioned Brady Quinn. There you go. "Now I'm Done."

Norv looks frustrated after that time out. Maybe he's confused about why the punting unit isn't out there.

Seriously, Dierdorf, if Norv really thought it was their size and strength against the Colts' speed, then he'd ram LTD down their throats, but obviously he doesn't feel that way and is trying to beat the Colts at their own game.

I'd like to see the cable companies counter that DirecTV Scooby Doo ad. With theirs, they could pull the mask off, and it's Roger Goodell!

Second shot of that dork with the "D-(fence)" sign.

Rivers petulant as usual; does any other player toss his teammates under the bus more often with his body language?

Was Rivers behind the line when he threw that...awfully close, IMO

when did Rivers become an actual QB? he looks good here.

pm, you're right now that Aaron Brooks is mercifully out of the NFL

One more shot of Marvin Harrison this laptop goes thru the TV set

Hmmmmm. Looks like Offensive Pass Interference to me....

There's the first time I noticed Dierdorf's most popular adjective: "major-league."

@j.j.

Too true. I had forgotten about Brooks' post-sack theatrics!

Norv Turner hates timeouts. At this rate, the Chargers will need 8 timeouts and 15 extra minutes of game time to score 14 points. Good stuff.

I've had about enough of that New Age "I Melt With You" commercial, thank you.

Why is Dierdorf so much on this fumble? The Chargers recovered.

but it's reviewable!

Yikes. Even the 49ers think this has been an ugly drive.

Somebody's TV is going up in flames!

What an awful throw turned into gold by Jackson. Throw it with your purse next time, nancy. Great grab by Jackson.

OK let me know what happens -40 inch screen crashed-last shot of Harrison on sideline-WE ALL KNOW HE FUMBLED

I know it's been on for a while, but why are these people so angry about Whoppers? Seriously, is this the battle you're gonna choose?

pm - that throw still wasn't on the way down when Jackson caught it.

j.j. - those have gotta be fake. I mean, people getting that bent out of shape over a cheap-ass, low quality burger...oh, right.

Hey-good news-i can still watch the game on the 7 inch screen -on my wife's treadmill-

Damn, that Big Brother chick has some big-ass country music Mel's Diner hair.

hey! a post-non-fumble marvin shot. woohoo

@S2N:

I know. Rivers has gotten more milage out of limp-wristed floaters than Chad Pennington ever did. Having Jackson @ 6'-5" has really saved Rivers' errant tosses in the end zone.

Maybe we can get a Marvin Harrison reaction shot to Reggie Wayne's catch.

Merriman must've missed his B-12 injection this week...

Damn, that drops the Peyton/Brady count to 38-41

the thing about marvin - his reactions are never that interesting. to fumbling, to scoring a touchdown, to a first down. it's all more or less the same, other than that TD he had in NE last year.

I laugh my ass off at the one with the two guys at the end with the 'Burger Queen' remark. The guy who says 'yea' looks like an over sized Norm MacDonald with a mullet.

Somewhere, Mike Vanderjagt drops a silent tear into his fifth vodka tonic of the morning.

They forgot to cue up the FG Vinateiri missed against San Diego. Maybe they're saving it for the 4th quarter.

After yesterday it just feels wierd to watch a football game with a musical montage honoring Brett Favre coming out of every commercial break...

without a musical montage, i mean...

Dan Dierdorf tells us LT is "on the bike."

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought he was stamping down some loose topsoil.

"Somebody cue up that Micheal Turner 88 yard run."

Has there been a more ineffective tight end for the size than Manumaleuna? First hit down every time; Sproles is tougher at half the poundage...

I wonder what the entire city of Indianapolis tastes like. I suppose I should just ask Dan Dierdorf and Greg Gumbel..

Anybody out there know how to turn a treadmill on ?

When did Craig Davis become Buster Davis? Craig is a WR from LSU, and Buster is a LB from FSU. This is the second week in a row they're calling him Buster.

Does Rivers ever throw the ball to the correct shoulder? I'm surprised he doesn't throw more picks than he already does...

matthew - friend pork and coca-cola.

as a native Indianapolisian.

Another reference to Indy's injuries. They're making more injury excuses for the Colts than ESPN made for USC.

I mean, the Chargers are driving without LT and LoNeal.

Seriously--there's no switch anywhere--and I miss Gumbel making this sound like a Pre-season game

Hey Andrew Pinnock got a shout out, he and Freeney both went to Bloomfield HS in CT

Kevin, as an LSU guy, I can tell you that he was known as Buster at LSU. They didn't use it as prominently as the other one though.

JJ, got it. I'll sleep better tonight now. Thanks.

Wow, that looked like a Danny Wuerffel NFL pass. No wonder Indy always gets flagged. They can't time their jumps on these shitty passes.

No foul??? thats 3 in a row they missed. they hit Rivers late 2 plays in a row. Thats awful officiating.

What a horrid throw by Rivers. Lucky that didn't get intercepted, but if he doesn't start throwing to the correct shoulder on those out routes, Indy's DB's are going to start jumping those routes.

Hey Greg, how many 40 yard field goals did Nate Kaeding miss this year?

Sanders for taunting what a douche

Nice job by Sanders there, just being stupid and hurting his team

Rivers is getting hit a teensy bit late, but SD's never gonna get that call in Indy. Stupid penalty by Sanders there.

Right jj they never said how many Vinateiri missed over 40.

@mw,

there's no penalty for illegal contact once the QB leaves the pocket, because the recievers are regarded as (potential) blockers once the QB leaves the pocket. Maybe they are hitting Rivers a bit late, but I think it's been pretty clean so far

OMG, no way could it be a penalty on Indy.

Greg said "It's a crime to call him (Gonzalez) a rookie at this time in the season." Funny, I don't think it's that much of an injustice.

pm, it looked like the ball was in the air there and he interfered with him. But SD wont get that call in that spot

NORV! Face!!!!! Drink up!

Why is Vinateiri's "target" the 35 yard line. He didn't make a 40+ field goal all year!

@richard:

You might be right; I've looked at it on TIVO a couple times and he may have gotten there a tad early, but the DB's got a right to the ball, as well. If this game is in SD, probably a pass interference call.

nice int return but there's a flag

That's coming back, folks.

Cromartie is sick. The Devin Hester of DBs.

that is an awful holding call, addai tackled him

NORV! is lucky he didn't draw an unsportsmanlike penalty there. He's really gotten into Gerry Austin's shit this quarter.

That whole sequence with Indy not scoring--is Saint Bob Sanders fault-they had great field position before that inane penalty

target is for the ball which gives him a 53-yard kick from a 35 yard spot

Soulja Boy in the house.

Holding? Dierdorf is drunk by the way.

I don't know anon; Weddle was giving as good as he was getting. Maybe a no call was in order because they were both going at it, but Weddle wasn't very smart there...

It really gets you thinkning they want and Indy/NE game. That was a horrible call there. The Colts guy held the Charger guy who went flying.

kel,

That's a great point. Sanders' penalty really put the Colts in a poor position.

@mw:

"They" Come on, we all like to believe these grand conspiracy theories about TV ratings and what the NFL wants, but they're just that: thoughts. There's no conspiracy here, just a poor call by a referee. Human beings are fallible. Dude made a bonehead call, bottom line.

They should be all over that call and they dont even show a replay. Good job by Boomer getting the name of the official

I agree PM.

Esiason trying stir the pot by saying Phil Luckett made the call. I think he was just taking a shot at Cowher and the Jerome Bettis coin toss.

Boomer is a bit of an instigator.

Why is everybody that afraid of New England? I know 17-0, but there hasn't been a beatdown in weeks and teams are playing with them. I don't know that they'll lose, but the first team that makes them turn the ball over and minimizes their mistakes will have a great shot. That's why Jacksonville lost. One fumble, one dropped pass at the end zone, game over.

It was a good point by Boomer. Luckett was demoted for a few horrible games and he makes another bad call there.

MW...you never know and it certainly looks like Indy is getting a few breaks...the INT could have been called a bobble, the late hits on Rivers, the PI not called and that call.

I'm a Charger fan and there may not be a conspiracy, but that there has been atrocious officiating this half and you cannot call holding unless you absolutely see it. What an absolute shame that a terrible call destroys the integrity of this game.

JJ, the media is just making the scared point. Guaranteed no NFL player is afraid to play the Pats.

Am in Roch... I am not even a Charger fan and I would love to see an Indy/NE game next week, but you are right, the officials have missed major game changing calls here and it just shouldnt be at this kind of game.

BTW, anytime they have to give fans those clapper things for a home game, thats just weak.

Why do stuff like that?

mw & anon:

why is a NE-Indy matchup better for the NFL than NE-SD; Peyton already got over the NE hump last year, so that angle's gone, and Peyton won the big game, so that angle's gone. the NE undefeated anlge reamins live for either matchup. OTOH, SD-NE is a rivalry that is heating up. Remember the whole "Lights Out Dance" episode, LDT and Merriman getting butt-hurt? Also, this season's matchup resulted in some pretty raw post-game emotions, as well. If I were the NFL, I'd rather see the SD-Ne matchup. Also, I think Dierdorf just explained why that holding flag was thrown.

Dierdorf making a dumb statement to open the half.

I'm not buying the conspiracy right now, but Naanee's block on that kickoff was more obvious than the INT return. And it wasn't called.

holding my ass...

too bad the referee's are incapable of calling a fair game.. at the end of the game tack another 7 on for SD (because that was a f*ing TD, no contest, no holding...) bs.

wow. hope everyone has their tinfoil hats on imagining the conspiracies today.

PM, Peyton draws the masses like nobody in the NFL. And Peyton vs. Brady is Ali/Frasier right now.

PM, Peyton draws the masses like nobody in the NFL. And Peyton vs. Brady is Ali/Frasier right now.

Conspiracy my ass; SD-NE is a better matchup. No sane reason for the NFL to want it otherwise. Refs can and do make mistakes, but there are no grand schemes here people! No one in the NFL offices are that smart! You're giving them too much credit!

The NFL should make its officials full time employees. In no other sport are the officials part-timers. Make them full-timers and you'll get people who can spend time studying the book and the calls they make, trying to improve them.

@S2N:

Hear, hear. You nailed it. And the is an amazing throw by Rivers and an amazing catch by Chambers. Wah-wah-wee-wah.

speaking of refs, does Eddie Guns have the late game today? Or does he have a bye week to work some more reps on his biceps before the Superbowl?

@S2N:

Of course, even in the full time sports, you've got your guys with egos and agendas, like Froemming and Salvatore, so it doesn't totally mitigate these types of situations, but I agree wit would go a long way towards producing uniform conceptions of pass interference, holding, etc.

Nice call Dierdorf - so much for abandon the run.

Dierdorf..how many runs in a row now?

I suppose the NFL has now instructed the Chargers to stop tackling....

Geez - catch a ball!

Wow what a catch!

Lazy pass by Manning. Great effort by Merriman, who had a lineman draped all over him.

This is Bizarro Football when Rivers is outplaying Peyton Manning.

Sorry, that Shaun Phillips who pressured Manning there while being egregiously held.

Sanders got a bit a stinger, maybe. Not good for the Colts if it's a separation or a subloxation. They'll lose him for the rest of the playoffs, should they advance.

"Weddle makes a one-handed catch with a face full of Jeff Saturday."

Dierdorf is kinda kinky.

@s2N:

Ewwwww.

Another terrible pass by Rivers.

Ha Rivers didnt want to take a hit and threw garbage?!

pm, kel - THAT WAS A HORRIFICALLY BAD DECISION.

I'm using caps because I cannot state that enough. He had a first down if he kept running and he threw a wounded duck.

Why is Norv playing so soft? These underneath routes are wide-open!

Setting up like last Indy v. SD game. Lots of mistakes by Colts, but SD can't put it away.

@S2N:

kel nailed it: he didn't want to take the hit, so chucked some garbage up in the air.

Norv had better stop running out onto the field.

Reggie Wayne just pantsed Jammer. Holy shit.

How is that not a TD? The ref is 3 feet from it and missed that call?

1. Someone put Norv out of his misery, or at least duct-tape his mouth shut.

2. If Indy goes on and wins, they're gonna get run out of Foxboro next week. They're playing like old people have sex: poorly.

Deirdorf: "I bet they are challenging that!"

What clued you in, Dan? The ref announcing the challenge 30 seconds before you opended you pie-hole?

that's getting reversed

corbin - or the refs could do what they're supposed to and flag Norv for 15 yards. He's been very lippy and walking out on the field all day.

Indy would be too injured to beat the Patriots right now. The Chargers are subject to Rivers' float-brain tendencies. I don't like either match-up right now.

Quentin Jammer left his jock on the 3-yard line. What a move by Wayne.

too many dumb penalties by both teams today

For all the conspiracy theorists: Why was the false start not called? Well? The flinch occured before the timeout. It's a bad crew, plain and simple.

does a big time qb get 3 delay calls in one game?

Indy another soft 3rd down decfense-terrible

Rivers actually slapped the center on the butt!!!!

darren sprowles...td

rivers just gramatica'd himself

Wow. Sproles is really fucking fast. Rivers flips a duck out to Sproles and he turns it into gold. Wow. And Rivers is hurt. Bring on Billy Volek.

He's gone Plaid!

ROTFLMFAO!!!!! +1 to hardwood paroxysm!

This game reminds me of the Jag/Bronco playoff game that ESPN had on the other day in NFL's greatest games.

Punt pass and kick THIS______!

Genius. the crowd just booed the little girl from New England

Yeah, check that Chad Kellys birth certificate.

They are booing the girl in the Pats jersey. Hilarious.

Why couldn't this be done at halftime? Jesus, Joseph, and Patrick, this is an interlude from Captain Bringdown. Way to go CBS. When the game gets exciting, slow it down and bore us to death.

Colts fans booing the 15 yr old girl for being Pats rep in PPK. what no Holly Mangold?

booing a 12 year old, classy

Rivers is extremely unlikeable.

So...the Indy fans boo a little girl, just because she's wearing a Pats jersey...classy.

It's amazing how quickly the Chargers have leaped up my most hated team in the NFL list. Rivers is such a loud-mouthed punk.

PHILIPS TALKING WITH THE FANS'S, YOU GOTTA LOVE THAT

the guy RIGHT THERE called nothing!!!

someone tell me where the PI was?

Rivers is a jackass.

That is a fucking atrocious call. In what universe is that PI?

How was that Pass Interference for fuck sakes

there's the Subway payback call

Philips is a dick! Grow up!

By the way, the game sounds like it's being played in a pipe. Not with a Cessna flying overhead.

And the refs with a payback call. At least they bury their mistakes.

What do you know Phil Luckett again! That pass interference and that hold!

AA,
We NEED another pic of Diane Lane's tits!!!!

Good Lord. Lots of laundry this drive, and that's a stupid penalty by Florence there. Really stupid. That's why he lost his job to Cromartie...that, and Cromartie's just plain better at football.

Not that I really care though

Jerry Austin either needs to retire or start using 'roids. The way he is now is pathetic.

Ha! Colts blew that big time. They are in major panic mode now. they see it slipping away.

i'm glad smart people cover kicks at the goal line

Hmmmm. Dungy might want to challenge that. TIVO says it's not a touchback.

corbin, we got it the first time. I'm sure the PAts fans would've showered a little girl in a Colts jersey with roses and candy. give it up.

Bill Polian's mouth must be really sore from all the dick-sucking he has to do to get those kind of calls.

Why was Rivers smiling going back to the locker room if he wasnt coming back and why didnt they drive him to get him there faster?

rivers just took a nervous mid-game sh+t

LOL@Kel

anon, in case you've missed it, the Chargers are winning, so apparently all of Goodell's ref-fixing schemes and Polian's fellatio have gone for naught.

I say the Colts get at least one defensive holding or roughing the passer call to keep this drive alive.

mw--

The Chargers are winning! The conspiracy has failed! Stop, for the love of Ed Hochuli with tinfoil hattery!

cheerleaders in pants in a dome?? WTF? only in Indy the NFL's moral compass (Tony Dungy) must have requested them to show less skin and he'll think about coaching next year

Wow - way to give up the play SD.

Norv may have to challenge this; McCree might've pushed him out, but it looks really close. This situation, though, you have to challenge that play.

Dumb challenge, cant waste a TO because you are angry

Did anyone else catch that brief moment on the sideline with LdT and Rivers? LdT didn't look too happy about something.

Where was the other safety on that play? And it appears that Indy is going to go after Florence in the fourth quarter...he's been thrown at a lot in the past couple series.

Very close on out of bounds. Manning was making hand signal to his OL to get down the field for the extra point

I dunno, richard. With that big of play, thisclose to being out of bounds, Norv almost had to challenge it.

Great camera work. Really got the detail of Gonzalez's foot and the bright redness of NorvFace yelling at Jerry Austin.

The husband in the caravan commercial lets the wife drive...total wimp

FG to tie now. Anyone else hoping for OT? Gotta love a playoff game going down to the wire!

Norv has really been in Gerry's shit today. He's lucky to have gotten off without an unsportsmanlike or two.

Ugliest cheerleaders in the NFL.

i wish they would interview jeff fisher right now and have him call Volek a piece of garbage

Nice footwork by Volek.

Brilliant---- give a back up all day

LT and Rivers should just tape it up and get back out there.