Written by Daniel Krieg | 06 December 2009

Barring a Saturday playoff game, this will be the Jets final vacant Sunday of the NFL season. As you may have realized today, not having your team play on Sunday has its perks. No worrying. No frustration. No staring at a bottle of rat poison after a Ben Hartsock holding penalty. It works out well...

-Bruce Gradkowski, a.k.a., the Polish Rifle (no, really, that's his nickname) is my new favorite NFL player. I was bitter the whole day that CBS in State College was showing the Steelers-Raiders game over Pats-Fins, but the fourth quarter completely justified the decision. The teams combined for 35 points in the last eight minutes and 21 seconds, five lead changes, and finally a game-winning, 10-play, 88-yard scoring drive led by the Polish Rifle. (I say they combined for the drive because of a dropped interception and personal foul deep in Steelers territory.)  I thought Mikey "Omar Epps" Tomlin was going to "unleash hell?" So sorry, 'burgh.

-It wouldn't be a football Sunday without a slightly broken heart. Tottenham led Everton 2-0 in the 77th minute of today's match at Goodison Park. Spurs were dominating. And then they realized they were a Krieg-supported team. Saha in the 78th, Cahill in the 86th. Two apiece. And just when you had come to grips with the heartbreaking draw, an Everton defender goes anti-Kerry Rhodes on Palacios in the box, laying out the Honduran International.

Defoe takes the PK. Tim Howard in net. American keeper vs. English striker. Kick save and a beaut. Sigh. Only consolation? Let's hope it foreshadows USA-England on June 12th.

-I normally begin every I.T.F.A.E.S. post with a "Watch Mad Men tonight!" paragraph. Sadly, I can longer do this. What does a Draper-less, Joanie-less, Roger Sterling-less Sunday night leave us with? Nothing. Apparently a plane crashes into Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives (I had a crush on Nicolette Sheridan circa Season One, all right?!) and HBO is showing a Robin Williams comedy special. (As I wrote that sentence my roomate announced, "Oh crap! We have to record the Robin Wiliams special." Where's that rat poison?!) Anything outside of Brett Favre's right arm being detached from his body will make this the worst Sunday T.V. night since I watched the first episode of Hung. Thankfully that prison sentenced ended earlier this semester.

-Rangers-Red Wings at 7 p.m. You can watch the purest goal-scorer in Ranger history (Gabby) and the best defenseman of the past 25 years (Lidstrom) duke it out at The World's Most Famous.  Certainly beats Senators-Ducks later in the night. Unless you're one of the three-and-half people who actually enjoyed the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. Then it should be a thriller.

P.S. The Red Wings starting goalie's name is Jimmy Howard. That has to be a good thing, right?

-Show and event I'm most excited to watch from the DVR: Jersey Shore premier and Paul Williams-Sergio Gabriel Martinez fight from last night. I haven't watched a reality TV show since the original Temptation Island (a tuhhh-rific show), but this, this will bring me out of my retirement. I can't believe it took this long for someone to think of the idea. Iz genius. As for the fight, "lil' berrr-dee told me it was da fight of da yee-uh." I got a funny feelin' you're right, Mike!

-Where does Chris Coste saying he will "always be a Phillie" after signing with the Mets rank in the all-time pantheon of Dumb Things To Say After You Just Signed With A New Team? Especially when you're a career minor league catcher. If he had any common sense he wouldn't have brought all his Phillies gear to Citi Field and pooped on it at home plate. Have a fun time in Binghamton, Chris! Wait, they actually send young, promising players there. Have fun in Buffalo! I hear Anchor Bar is beautiful in July!

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