What 'cher point?

There are many experts telling us what is happening in pro football these days. It used to be that there were three in the booth calling the game in the days of Frank Gifford and Monday Night Football. These days there is barely enough ego room for two to a booth. There are lots of innuendo, lots of prideful remarks and lots of thinking they are experts in calling whatever game they are calling.

I laugh when I think of that because it is fun to go back to the old definition of an expert. Take the word apart. An ex is a has been and a spurt is simply a drip under pressure. So there you have it.

I did manage to find some ending stats in prep football for our neck of the woods. In all areas it looks to me like this was a year to build on and that we probably could have done better and probably will do better next year.

For those who thought Havre would win Central A division, they came in third behind Belgrade and Livingston. That was a shocker!

Harlem started out so well and end up in fourth place in 2B this season.

In Northern C Chinook ended up eighth followed by the Thunderbirds in ninth. Belt won the year.

For those of you who followed Big Sandy in six man football, they ended up fifth. Valier won the year.

So, this was a building year. Everyone has one.

Talk about a building year. I like to follow several Montana college teams. First Montana and Montana State, then Rocky and Northern. None of them are doing all that well either. I had thought there was to be some hope out of Montana but depending on whether they can pull one off of Eastern Washington while these words are being written will be the game changer for them going further. As for the rest, well they are sort of building this year as well.

Let’s see what is happening in the mighty NFL as of this last week. With Minnesota losing to Philadelphia no one is going to have a perfect season.

The top of the heap is New England, Oakland, Dallas, Atlanta, Minnesota and that is the end of five wins.

On the other end it is San Francisco, Chicago, Carolina, Cleveland, San Diego, Jacksonville and the Jets. Before this last weekend anyway, Cleveland is the only team not to win a game yet!

So, is it going to be a Viking vs. New England Super Bowl or could it be New England vs. Dallas.

One other question remains. For you Atlanta fans, is Atlanta going to get it together and be a strong play off force? Or is their season over? Those are two questions (really only one) to be answered.

I left out Denver. I just don’t know what to think of them. More about that later.

How about some predictions?

It is Northern taking on Southern Oregon. Give that one to Northern. Rocky plays Eastern Oregon and loses.

Montana beats Idaho State and Montana State beats Southern Utah. In week nine of the NFL, it is Thursday night and Atlanta beats Tampa Bay.

On Sunday it is Pittsburgh beating Baltimore, Cleveland losing to Dallas and Kansas City beating Jacksonville.

Miami beats the Jets, Minnesota beats Detroit and Philadelphia beats the Giants.

The Rams beat Carolina, New Orleans beats San Francisco and Green Bay beats Indianapolis.

It is Tennessee over San Diego, Oakland over Denver and on Monday night it is Seattle over Buffalo.

That’s my story and I am sticking to it. Go Thunderbirds!