All we've heard about this week is the Terrell Owens Monday Night Football intro skit as if that's the worst thing any of us have ever seen. The reaction of some has bordered on extreme. But that isn't the worst part of it. The worst part is the reaction to the reaction.

First, I'm not going to say that it was a GOOD idea to do it, or that it SHOULD have happened. Of course those sorts of things don't belong in the so-called "family hour". But let me tell you, there are plenty of other things that we probably shouldn't be seeing in the family hour, either. But we do. And they come straight from the NFL.

When the actual game begins, everyone makes sure there are plenty of shots of the Cowboys and/or Eagles cheerleaders (depending on the venue). Now call me crazy, but was Nicolette Sheridan not just standing there in that towel? And then at the end ran into Owens's arms, right? At no point did she bend over forward, then slowly shimmy her way back up to a standing position, all the while the camera focused almost entirely on her chest, right? That didn't happen. Yet it happens dozens of times each week when the cheerleaders are shown. There's no NFL crackdown on that.

Several weeks ago, during one of those AWFUL "You've been sacked" skits featuring Torry Holt, the All-Pro receiver basically dressed in drag for a fake photo shoot. Let's imagine this exchange in homes across America:

Child: "Daddy, why is Torry Holt wearing a dress?"

Father: "Well, son…because it's funny."

Child: "What's funny about it?"

Father: "I don't know, ask your mother -- I'm trying to watch my favorite football player put on eye shadow."

See, if the image of Nicolette Sheridan's bare BACK is going to scar young children, then what will they make of a possible future Hall of Famer wearing a tutu and prancing around? All I know is, when I was a kid I don't remember seeing L.T. in fishnets.

And then perhaps the single-biggest example of hypocrisy from the league: Erectile dysfunction ads.

Hey, I have no problem with the ads. They aren't stupid or corny, for the most part. They just describe the product and what it can do. And the product itself has obvious benefits. There's no better time to target their consumer base than during football games when you've got a bunch of guys all watching the television. But if the NFL is so concerned about sexually suggestive material, then why feature Cialis commercials on Sunday afternoons? Like kids aren't going to ask questions about that. Come on! No parent wants their kid asking them what erectile dysfunction is. They'd pray for that Torry Holt exchange.

Like I said, the intro was a poor idea. It had no place in the segment. But neither does a bunch of stuff that we see week-in, week-out. It's not the reaction to the skit that I take issue with. It's the hypocrisy of the league that should bother everyone more.

On to the small mailbag…

Lee from London says: I have a hard time with the gap between the Jets and the Chargers. The Chargers should be 8; the Jets around 10. And while I understand your rankings will mirror record to some degree, you should go out on a limb with one or two teams. You know Tampa and Buffalo are better than their records indicate, so why not rank them as such?

Lee, the main reason I can't place San Diego ahead of the Jets is the head-to-head meeting between the two teams in the beginning of the year. I know that what happened in Week two isn't supremely important at this very moment, but I do have to take it into consideration. Outside of San Diego's win over Jacksonville, neither of these teams has beaten a really good team. Thus, it's tough to get a gauge on how good they really are. With all else being equal, I have to take the Jets on the basis of their win.

As for not giving teams enough credit, there's a fine line between giving teams credit and balancing that with the results on the field. I'd like to say the Bills and Bucs are better than they have shown because of what I thought of them at the beginning of the season. But they still need to go out and show me. Because I'm so stubborn with my predictions, it often takes a lot to convince me to move a team up. But sometimes, just when I think a team will make a move up, they go out and lay an egg (Bills last week, for example), making it virtually impossible to earn a promotion in the standings.

Future questions/comments/rants should be sent to: [email protected]. Please be sure to include your name and hometown/home state so I can properly credit you in the article.

Rank…Team……...W/L…(Last week)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-1 (1)
   Some were predicting a letdown game. Some don't know what they're talking about.


2. Philadelphia Eagles 8-1 (2)
   If I were T.O., I'd have held out for Eva Longoria…but hey, that's just me.



3. New England Patriots 8-1 (3)
   Well, I'd say they've rebounded fairly well from the loss to Pittsburgh, no?



4. Indianapolis Colts 6-3 (5)
   …know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to RUN!!!



5. Baltimore Ravens 6-3 (11)
   Take heed: they won without any contribution from Ogden, Lewis, or Heap. Here they come.



6. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-3 (6)
   Told ya Jacksonville had nothing to worry about with Garrard at the helm.



7. Atlanta Falcons 7-2 (7)
   This division title is all but wrapped up. Yes, in Week 10.



8. Denver Broncos 6-3 (9)
   Obvious statement of the week: If Plummer reduces the picks, this team can hang with anyone.



9. New York Jets 6-3 (4)
   Love Herm as a motivator, but if there's 1 guy I DON'T want coaching the last few minutes…



10. San Diego Chargers 6-3 (12)
    Ok, now it's time to separate yourselves from the also-rans of recent years who started off hot.



11. Green Bay Packers 5-4 (15)
    C'mon, admit it - if your team doesn't win the Super Bowl, you're pulling for Favre, right?



12. Minnesota Vikings 5-4 (10)
    It may not reflect in the passing numbers, but not having Moss is killing the run game.



13. Saint Louis Rams 5-4 (14)
    They have a real shot at being one of the most incomplete division winners in history.



14. Seattle Seahawks 5-4 (8)
    It's official: This was the most overrated team of 2004, in a LANDSLIDE.



15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-6 (16)
    Blew a golden opportunity to make some noise. Now, the playoffs are a huge longshot.



16. Houston Texans 4-5 (17)
    What has happened to David Carr?!?



17. Kansas City Chiefs 3-6 (18)
    If someone told KC that Blaylock would put up those numbers, they'd have liked their chances...



18. Buffalo Bills 3-6 (19)
    The Bills are the exact median of the NFL. Can't hang with the big boys, roll all over the dregs.



19. New York Giants 5-4 (13)
    With the switch to Eli Manning, this season is headed where most thought it would - downhill.



20. Cincinnati Bengals 4-5 (24)
    Is this a carbon-copy of last season, or what?



21. Dallas Cowboys 3-6 (20)
    I didn't want to bring it up, but how's Parcells doing without Belichick by his side?



22. Detroit Lions 4-5 (21)
    What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Glad I never put much stock in them to begin with.



23. Cleveland Browns 3-6 (22)
    Let's just be thankful that William Green and Joey Porter didn't stab and/or shoot each other.



24. Tennessee Titans 3-6 (23)
    Still in shambles. Still not looking like they're capable of making a run this season.



25. New Orleans Saints 4-5 (25)
    It seems amazing that the Saints have actually managed to win four games this year.



26. Chicago Bears 4-5 (28)
    Don't look now, but there's another undefeated rookie QB! (yes, I know it's not the same)



27. Arizona Cardinals 4-5 (29)
    You know it's an insane season when Arizona sits one game out of first place in Week 10.



28. Oakland Raiders 3-6 (26)
    What exactly is this team, and when are they building for?



29. Washington Redskins 3-6 (27)
    Good call switching to Ramsey…but it was about a month late, and the season's gone now.



30. Carolina Panthers 2-7 (30)
    This team is done, but it was nice to see them not just roll over when they fell behind SF.



31. San Francisco 49ers 1-8 (31)
    If it wasn't for ODB's death, their loss would have been the least surprising event this week.



32. Miami Dolphins 1-8 (32)
    Word has it that Dave Wannstedt is enjoying a return to his old life as a 1970's porn star.

Super Shufflers Of the Week (+)

1. Baltimore Ravens +6…..If Kyle Boller is going to have 2-touchdown games, the rest of the league may be in a lot of trouble come playoff time. Remember, this team destroyed Pittsburgh.



2. Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals (tied) +4…..Packers are getting right back to where everyone thought they'd be. Perhaps Cincy is, too.

Plungers Of the Week (-)

1. Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants (tied) -6…..Somehow, Seattle has actually gotten worse in what was supposed to be "their" year. Meanwhile, it's getting cold in New York…



2. New York Jets -5…..so the Jets and Giants are stumbling.