Conference Championship Predictions

This is it.  The biggest Sunday of the season leading up to the Superbowl.  Four teams remain, and everything's on the line.  By the end of the night, two teams will be going to Texas for Superbowl XLV, while the other two will be going home.  Only on Superbowl Sunday itself can it get any better than this.

They say the game gets much more intense in the postseason, and this year has been no exception.  We've seen some pretty fierce rivalries renewed, like the Steelers and the Ravens or the Jets and the Patriots.  We've seen our share of upsets, like the Seahawks - the only team ever to enter the playoffs with a losing record - toppling the defending champion Saints.  We've seen dark-horse teams like the Packers and Jets emerge from the shadows.  We've seen game-changing plays like Marshawn Lynch's monster touchdown run or Ben Roethlisberger's desperation third-down throw to rookie Antonio Brown.  And we've seen leaders and heroes make their presence known in the playoffs, both proven veterans, like Hines Ward or Brian Urlacher, and newer ones like Mark Sanchez, Aaron Rodgers, and Tramon Williams. 

Who will be the heroes this Sunday?  Which teams will take their game to the next level with the chance to represent their conference in the Superbowl at stake?  Who wants it the most? 

And now, only one question remains:

Are you ready for some football?
___

So far, I've been 6-for-8 this postseason, having gone 3-for-4 both weeks.  We've got a pretty exciting pair of matchups tomorrow, so let me get right to my picks.

NFC Championship: Packers at Bears 
Championship Sunday kicks off with the NFL going back to its roots.  The Packers and the Bears are like the football equivalent of the NHL's Original Six.  These two teams have played each other in more games (181) than any other teams in the league, but surprisingly, this will be only the second time that they'll have faced off in the postseason.   The Bears' strength is in their defense, which ranked ninth overall and second against the run.  QB Jay Cutler is finally starting to show that he can lead his team to victory when it really counts, and RB Matt Forte gives Chicago's offense the extra dimension that it needs.  Forte's running will be critical to the Bears establishing their offense, as the Packers boast the NFL's fifth-ranked pass defense.  Players like LB Clay Matthews and CB's Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams (who had two interceptions last week at Atlanta, returning one for a touchdown) could really make life difficult for Cutler, and he'll need to prove that he can handle the pressure when he needs to.  On the other end of the ball, QB Aaron Rodgers has really stepped up his game the last few weeks, and has numerous weapons in his toolbox, like Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Donald Driver.  The Bears' pass defense was 20th in the league this season, so look for Rodgers to try to take advantage of that early on, as Chicago's defense will neutralize any chance of Green Bay establishing the running game.  Both teams have the big playmakers at their disposal.  The winner of this game will be whoever wins the turnover battle and makes the fewest mental errors, and from the looks of things, Rodgers and the Pack seem to have the edge over Cutler and Da Bears.
Packers 20, Bears 13. 

AFC Championship: Jets at Steelers 
A team with the experience that knows what it takes, against a breakout young team with the hunger for victory and the burning desire to establish itself among the league's elite.  Like I said, it can't get much better than this.  Both the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers have the right combination of physicality and finesse to win it all, so this will definitely be a great game no matter who you're rooting for.  I've underestimated the Jets for the last couple months, but right now, as a die-hard Steelers fan, I gotta admit that I'm pretty scared of what New York is capable of doing.  After all, they did upset two of the AFC's perennial powers, the Colts and the Patriots, to even get to Pittsburgh for this match.   Their defense is third in the league, both overall and against the run, and sixth against the pass, and their offense is very well-rounded in terms of talent, with QB Mark Sanchez, RB LaDanian Tomlinson, and WR's Santonio Holmes (who will certainly have something to prove against his former team) and Braylon Edwards.  However, Jets fans also have plenty of reasons to be scared as well, especially after watching the Steelers' second-ranked defense turn up the heat against Baltimore in the second half of last week's Divisional Game.  Pro Bowl LB James Harrison had three sacks, and Pittsburgh took advantage of the Ravens' three turnovers to send them to their third AFC Championship Game in six seasons.  They will certainly need to bring the pressure early on in this game, which will be more difficult against a Jets offensive line anchored by two Pro Bowlers, C Nick Mangold and OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson.  On offense, the Steelers will need to do a much better job of protecting Ben Roethlisberger to allow him to get the ball to his receivers.  They can't afford to give up as many sacks as they did to Baltimore last week.  Jets CB's Antonio Cromartie and Pro Bowler Darelle Revis will have their hands full with the ever-reliable Hines Ward and the speedy Mike Wallace, though they are certainly up to the task.  Even if the Jets do manage to take Ward and Wallace out of the game, Pittsburgh still has quite the arsenal of playmakers available, including TE Heath Miller and rookie WR's Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, who made a critical 58-yard catch last week to set up the winning touchdown.  Running backs could make the difference for either side in this game - though both of these teams are in the top three in stopping the run, neither side looked too good in that regard when they met in December.  The Steelers gave up 106 yards on the ground, which was over 40 yards higher than their average this season, and Rashard Mendenhall gashed the Jets for 99 yards and a touchdown.  If either team can manage to establish the run, it might buy their offense some more chances to go down the field and put points on the board.  Forcing turnovers will also be critical for both sides - we know it definitely was for the Steelers last week.  The last game between these two teams took the full sixty minutes to determine a winner, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case this time around.  Bear in mind, though, that last time, the Steelers played without their biggest defensive playmaker, SS Troy Polamalu, but this time he'll be ready to go, and that could make all the difference for Pittsburgh.
Steelers 17, Jets 16. 

NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions

So glad I don't have any homework this weekend, so I can actually enjoy the playoffs this weekend!

Last weekend, I went 3-for-4 with my picks.  Green Bay and Baltimore both won, as I'd predicted, though I wasn't expecting quite the whoopin' that the Ravens put on the Chiefs.  If I was going to pick one game incorrectly, I thought it would have been the Jets beating the Colts.  Turns out, the one game I got wrong was the one I thought was the easiest pick - New Orleans was supposed to kick the crap out of Seattle, but the Seahawks pulled off the upset.  Once again, these games figure to be pretty close for the most part.  So here goes...

NFC Divisional: Seahawks at Bears 
The world is still in shock after the Seahawks' upset of the defending Superbowl champion Saints last Saturday.  This week, however, Seattle won't be so lucky.  They'll be playing in Chicago, which in itself is a tough play to play, and they're 1-7 in road playoff games, winning only their first one in 1983.  Their defense is still shoddy - they ranked 27th in the league this season, and they gave up 36 points to New Orleans in the Wild-Card round.  The Hawks had to rely on their offense to out-duel Drew Brees and the Saints, but they definitely won't be able to do that against Chicago's defense, which ranked 9th in the league and second against the run.  Marshawn Lynch certainly won't be pulling off another monster touchdown run like he did last week - not against guys like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.  Granted, the Bears' offense hasn't been much to write home about either, but they've gotten it done when they needed to.  Running back Matt Forte will be key to the Bears winning this game, and look for Jay Cutler to target up-and-coming WR Johnny Knox.  And who can forget the ever-dangerous return man Devin Hester?  As long as Cutler doesn't screw up too badly like he tends to do at times, the Bears should have no problem with Seattle.  
Bears 24, Seahawks 7.  

NFC Divisional: Packers at Falcons 
If you want a team that's been quietly getting it done all season, look no further than the Atlanta Falcons.  They don't really stand out in any offensive or defensive category, ranking near the middle of the pack on both sides of the ball.  And yet they'll be sending seven players to the Pro Bowl this year - among them QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and TE Tony Gonzalez.  Not to mention they've earned the top seed in the NFC.  This weekend, they'll be up against another team emerging from the shadows, the Green Bay Packers.  Don't let the sixth-seed ranking fool you.  These guys pack a punch, boasting the league's fifth-ranked offense and fourth-ranked defense.  Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback not to make the Pro Bowl this year, and he showed why by throwing for three touchdowns against Philadelphia last week.  The recent emergence of RB James Starks should add some balance to the Green Bay's offense.  The Pack's strength, however, lies in their defensive playmakers like LB Clay Matthews, CB Charles Woodson, and FS Nick Collins.  They'll have their work cut out for them this weekend against Atlanta's explosive playmakers on offense, but I think they'll be more than up to the task.  Though I'm impressed with the job that the Falcons have done this season, I think the advantage goes to Green Bay, as Atlanta's defense isn't quite ready for the Packer's offense.  Whatever the outcome, you can bet this will be an exciting game to watch.
Packers 24, Falcons 17.  

AFC Divisional: Jets at Patriots 
As much as I hate to admit it, I gotta hand it to the Patriots - they really know how to build a good team around Tom Brady.  I'm pretty sure he's the only player left from their championship team in 2001 (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but this team gets it done year after year.  Many are saying this Patriots team is even better than the one that went 18-1 in 2007, and that they're the favorite to win it all this year.  But first, they have to get past a New York Jets team that has the league's third-best defense and fourth-best rushing attack.  Throw in QB Mark Sanchez and WR Santonio Holmes, and you've got yourself a pretty well-rounded team that, on paper, has as good of a chance as anyone of winning the Superbowl.  The only caveat is that the Jets have been inconsistent toward the end of the season, leaving me to wonder, what kind of performance will we see from Sanchez this Sunday?  In order for New York to win this matchup, they'll need to wear down New England's defense using RB's LaDanian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, which will give Sanchez the opportunity to take advantage of the Pats' young secondary with throws to Holmes and Braylon Edwards.  On defense, the Jets have to be able to get to Tom Brady pretty quickly, a tough task against an O-line like New England's.  They will also need to look out for the Patriots' breakout running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.  CB's Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie will be critical to stopping the offensive juggernaut that is the Patriots; the game will hinge on how well the Jets' secondary covers WR Wes Welker and TE's Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  My heart tells me to pick the Jets, but my head tells me to play it safe and pick New England.  The Jets certainly have what it takes to win in Foxboro, but the question is, will they bring it?
Patriots 27, Jets 17.


AFC Divisional: Ravens at Steelers 
There's no love lost between these two division rivals.  The last game between the Steelers and the Ravens featured a quarterback getting his nose broken and the starting tight end on either side getting knocked out of the game.  These teams play physical, and there's nothing to convince me that won't be the case Saturday afternoon.  The Steelers had the NFL's second-best defense in 2010, led by versatile All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu (7 interceptions) and hard-hitting linebacker James Harrison.  The Ravens' defense hasn't been too shabby, either - not when you've got guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  They certainly wreaked havoc on the Chiefs last week, holding them to just a single touchdown.  Both of these teams have playoff-tested quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco.  RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a workhorse for the Steelers this season, rushing for over 1200 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he doesn't figure to get too far against a Ravens defensive front that ranked fifth in the league at stopping the run.  And Ravens RB Ray Rice definitely won't get much against the Steelers top-ranked run defense, which these season has been one of the best of all time, allowing only 62.8 yards per game.  Both teams will have to rely on their passing attacks to get the job done.  Both have the weapons to do so.  The Ravens picked up former Pro Bowl WR's Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the offseason to complement TE Todd Heap.  Pittsburgh's speedy WR Mike Wallace has become Big Ben's go-to guy this season, finishing second in the league in yards per catch and fifth in receiving yardage, and could probably be the difference-maker for the Steelers.  This will be a close, low-scoring game, as has been the case every time these two teams have played for the last few seasons.  You could call this one either way.  From a statistical standpoint, the matchups of pass offense vs. pass defense favor the Steelers, and Pittsburgh has never lost to an AFC North opponent in the postseason.   Joe Flacco will eventually figure out how to crack the Steelers' defense, but it won't be this weekend.
Steelers 13, Ravens 10.  

And here's my predictions for the rest of the playoffs:

AFC Championship: Steelers 24, Patriots 21
NFC Championship: Packers 20, Bears 3
Superbowl XLV: Steelers 21, Packers 20

Star Struck

Okay, so this evening I was about to go on MikeSpace to either post my predictions for this weekend's NFL Divisional Playoffs and / or finish the post on the 2010 Douchebag Awards that I started last night, but I made the mistake of checking my Facebook news feed first.  There were a lot of seemingly incomprehensible posts from my female "friends" that said stuff like "OMG, I can't be a Sagittarius.  I'm a Capricorn", or "Ophiuchus?  I thought I was a Libra", or other things to that extent.  At first I thought it was just people quoting something from some popular TV show that I don't watch (these days, I pretty much watch only football games and Jeopardy), until I scrolled down a little further and finally found a link explaining what all the fuss was about.  Apparently, a bunch of astronomers made some observations and discovered that in the two thousand years since the currently used system of horoscopes was first invented, the Earth's orbit has realigned in such a way that its position relative to the constellations of the zodiac has shifted, thus rendering the timetable for each sign out of date.  Which means that many people who were one sign are now a different sign according to the newly adjusted system of dates.  In my case, since my birthday is December 31 (again, thanks to all of you who actually remembered!), I was once a Capricorn but am now a Sagittarius.  They even added a thirteenth sign called Ophiuchus, because the ancients had shortened the original zodiac to twelve for convenience.  Ophiuchus?  Sounds like some kinda contagious disease to me - "Doctor!  He's got a buildup of Ophiuchus in his anterior sinuses!"  "Oh, no!  Nurse! Give me 50 cc's of glutinous saline, stat!" 

Needless to say, a lot of people are freaking out about their new signs.  But to me, it's all just a whoppin' big pile of bull shizz.  To sum up my opinion, allow me to quote the following dialogue from the pilot of The Big Bang Theory:

Penny:  I'm a Sagittarius, which probably tells you a lot more about me than you need to know... 
Sheldon: Yes, it tells us that you participate in the mass cultural delusion that the sun's apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your personality. 

What I'm trying to say is, I've never really taken horoscopes seriously before, so why would I now?    I certainly don't believe that people with the same sign have similar personalities.  According to this new system, I'm now the same sign as my sister, and while I admit that there are a few similarities between us, and we both got along better growing up than most siblings do, there are a lot more differences between us.  She's more into the arts and literature, and I'm more into math and science, and I gotta say that if I had even half as good a work ethic as she does, I could probably win a Nobel Prize.  (No ego!)

I also find illogical the possibility that everyone who was born during the same set of days in the year - i.e., one-twelfth of the world's entire population - will have the same things happen to them during the course of a day.  I'm not even gonna get into the various theories in physics about causality and random chance in the universe.  I'm just gonna leave it at this - horoscopes are about as good at predicting the future as are fortune cookies, tarot cards, magic eight-balls, or even those fun little apps that used to be so popular on Facebook like "How Many Kids Will You Have?" or "When Will You Die?"  Yeah, sometimes it's amusing to read those kinds of things, but you just can't take them seriously.  And even if you're a female who owns a lot of horoscope-themed clothing or jewelry, there's certainly no need to freak out about switching signs.  It's not the end of the world - well, at least, not for another year!

Just joking, of course!  Stay frosty, y'all!

B-)

NFL Wild Card Playoff Predictions

Just a couple more days til the NFL playoffs start, so you know what that means... time for me to make my predictions.  Before I make my predictions, though, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on a few things from this past season.  First, the pleasant surprises from this season:

• At the beginning of the season, I certainly expected Baltimore to make the playoffs in one way or another, but I honestly didn't think they'd actually finish second in the AFC North to the Steelers, given how poorly Pittsburgh's secondary performed in 2009, as well as Ben Roethlisberger's suspension for the first four weeks of the season.  Surprisingly, their defense buckled down this year and kept them in the running, and Ben fit quite nicely back into the Steelers' lineup when he came back.  
• It looked like the Patriots' era of dominance was finally coming to an end after their first-round loss to the Ravens last season, and I predicted that it would be the Jets who would win the AFC East, but New England certainly proved me wrong with one of their best seasons yet, and most experts are predicting, much to my chagrin, that they'll win the Superbowl this year.  
• Chicago and Kansas City both engineered surprise turnarounds this season.  
• Jacksonville and Oakland also emerged as playoff contenders, returning to respectability much sooner than I'm sure any of us anticipated.  The only thing really keeping the Jags from overtaking the Colts for the AFC South were injuries, particularly to running back Maurice Jones-Drew.  With a few upgrades on the O-line and defense, the Raiders could be one of teams to beat in the near future.  Letting head coach Tom Cable go was a huge mistake.  Al Davis should have stuck with the coach who finally turned his team around after years of perennial mediocrity.  
• And who can forget Michael Vick's triumphant return to the NFL?  He restored life to an Eagles team that otherwise seemed doomed to failure at the start of the season, and probably gave head coach Andy Reid a few extra years on his job.  

And now for the big disappointments this season:

• The Vikings.  This was a team that had one of the best chances to win it all, with a Pro Bowl running back, one of the league's most physical defenses, and a veteran quarterback who had played like a much younger player in 2009.  Unfortunately, Brett Favre's age finally caught up with him, and his sub-par performance on the field - as well as his scandals off it - sent the whole team spiraling down the drain.  Favre definitely set the Vikings back several seasons.  He should have just quit while he was ahead.  
• The Cowboys.  Another team with the talent on both sides of the ball to make a deep run into the postseason, as well as the motivation to play in the Super Bowl in their own state-of-the-art new facility.  But by the time the Cowboys finally found their groove - only after head coach Wade Phillips was fired - it was just too little too late.  
• The Texans.  They came up just short of a playoff berth in 2009, and things were looking up for them.  They had a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback in Matt Schaub, one of the NFL's top receivers in Andre Johnson, a talented running back in Steve Slaton, and a defense that was finally starting to come into its own.  I thought this team had what it took to win the AFC South.  What happened?  
• The Chargers.  How is it possible for a team that led the NFL in both offense and defense to not make the playoffs?  

Okay, onto my predictions for this weekend. 

NFC Wild Card: Saints at Seahawks
The same question is on my mind as everybody else's:  How on earth did a team as pitiful as Seattle manage to get into the playoffs?  The Seahawks had the worst rushing offense in the league, if you can say it even existed at all; their defense was lackluster at best, and they don't even know who their starting quarterback will be this Saturday - veteran Matt Hasselbeck, who's coming off a hip injury, or the inexperienced Charlie Whitehurst, whose only start came last Sunday against the Rams.  (Personally, I'm pulling for Whitehurst, just because he went to Clemson.)  The only things working in Seattle's favor are: 1) Qwest Field is one of the most difficult stadiums in the league in which to play, and 2) New Orleans is dealing with injuries to several of their key players.  Even so, while it would be interesting to see how far the NFL's first playoff team with a losing record can go, the Saints still have a big edge here.  They have Drew Brees, and that's all they'll really need.  I'll be on a plane back to Carolina when this game's being played, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to miss much. 
Saints 34, Seahawks 7 

NFC Wild Card: Packers at Eagles
Prediction at the start of the season:  The Eagles are screwed without Donovan McNabb.  Prediction at midseason: Michael Vick could take the Eagles all the way to the Superbowl.  At the end of the season, however, I'm not quite as confident making that prediction.  Vick's running ability has been hampered by injuries, and he certainly didn't look at his best in his last game, a 24-14 loss to Minnesota.  The Eagles' defense has been plagued by injuries and doesn't quite have the experience needed to contend with an offense as good as Green Bay's.  The Packers, meanwhile, have picked the right time of the year to catch fire.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has carried the Packers' offense all season with the help of a deep corps of receivers.  But the key to the Packers' success this season has been their defense, led by linebacker Clay Matthews, cornerback Charles Woodson, and safety Nick Collins.  This is a team that's been getting it done all season, even with starting running back Ryan Grant out for the entire year.  They even held their own against top-ranked New England without Rodgers, and they certainly have what it takes to contend with them in the Superbowl.  For Philadelphia to win this, Vick, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and running back LeSean McCoy will all need to bring their A-game to out-duel Green Bay's high-octane offense, and the defense will need to take its game to next level.  Don't count the Eagles out, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give this one to Green Bay.
Packers 24, Eagles 14.  

AFC Wild Card: Ravens at Chiefs
The Chiefs have certainly been a pleasant surprise this season.  Kansas City boasts the NFL's top rushing offense, led by the league's second-leading rusher, Jamaal Charles.  Quarterback Matt Cassel has proven himself a capable leader on offense, and has quite the weapon in receiver Dwayne Bowe.  However, the Chiefs face a very formidable opponent in the Baltimore Ravens, who for the last two years have been the road warriors of the postseason.  The Ravens picked up a dynamic pair of receivers for QB Joe Flacco this season in former Pro Bowlers Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, making their offense much more well-rounded.  That doesn't mean they won't still play physical, because they've also got RB Ray Rice, and let's not forget their punishing defense, led by LB Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed (who leads the league with 8 interceptions), and DT Haloti Ngata.  This is a team that is playoff-tested and ready for anything the Chiefs throw at them.  This will be a close, physical game, but in the end, the Ravens have the better defense, and Flacco is a much more experienced leader in the playoffs than Cassel is.
Ravens 17, Chiefs 13.

AFC Wild Card: Jets at Colts 
I saved this one for last because, just like last year, this is the most difficult matchup for me to predict.  The Jets were my clear-cut pick at the beginning of the season to win the Superbowl, and for a while, it looked like they just might.  But now, I'm not so sure, as the Jets have stumbled down the final stretch of the season, losing three of their last five.  The Colts, meanwhile, struggled in midseason after injuries to several of their key players (WR Austin Collie and TE Dallas Clark), but have since righted the ship and are playing more like the team that went to the Superbowl a year ago.  Peyton Manning has started to look like himself again, and defensive lineman Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis still give Indy a formidable pass rush.  So why not just go ahead and pick the Colts outright?  I'll tell you why.  It's not just because the Jets have upgraded their offense with the additions of former Pro Bowl running back LaDanian Tomlinson and Superbowl XLIII MVP wide receiver Santonio Holmes.  It's because of their defense, which happens to be the third best in the NFL.  The only caveat here is that cornerbacks Darelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are both battling injuries, which could hamper New York's ability to stop the Colts' passing attack.  The Colts may have the home field advantage, but the Jets are a much more well-rounded team than Indianapolis is, and are more experienced than they were a year ago.  Mark Sanchez may not have been consistent this season, but neither have the Colts.  I just can't convince myself that the Colts have what it takes to beat the Jets, even if all the experts say they do, so I'm sticking with my intuition here.  I can definitely say that the game will be much closer this time around, and hopefully I'll get back to Clemson in time Saturday to see most of it.
Jets 20, Colts 17. 

And finally, here's my predictions for the rest of the playoffs:

NFC Divisional Playoffs:
Packers 24, Falcons 21
Saints 31, Bears 20
AFC Divisional Playoffs:
Patriots 27, Jets 17
Steelers 13, Ravens 10
NFC Championship: Packers 24, Saints 17
AFC Championship: Steelers 24, Patriots 21
Superbowl XLV: Steelers 21, Packers 20

We Gonna Party Like It's Yo' Birt-day... Or Not...

Given that I've never been a very punctual person, you'd probably think that I was late to my own birth, but strangely that wasn't the case.  I wasn't due until mid-January of 1988, but instead I arrived early.  The irony is, the one thing in my life that I was actually early for was the one thing I shouldn't have been early for.  I say this because I picked the absolute worst day of the year to come into the world: December 31.  Yep, I'm a New Year's Eve baby.  Jokes about how I supposedly got my parents a last-minute tax refund in 1987 - they say I've cost them way more than that in the years since - aside, I gotta say that it just absolutely sucks that I have my birthday on New Year's Eve.

For one thing, it's way too close to Christmas.  It doesn't matter quite as much now that I'm older, but when I was a kid, I'd get pretty much all my presents around Christmastime, or earlier, since my sister's birthday is the 20th and everyone would send out my birthday presents along with hers to save time.  It certainly taught me a lesson in patience to wait that extra week after Christmas and avoid the temptation to open everything in one day, but it just sucked to have to wait almost an entire year before I got any presents.

On to the real reasons.  First, no one's ever around to celebrate my birthday.  I could never go out with my friends at school on my birthday, because we were all home for Christmas - oh, sorry, winter - break.  On the plus side, I've never had to spend my birthday doing homework, but since I don't have a vehicle of my own, I end up spending birthday after birthday at home with my parents.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, because I love my parents a lot, but it's my birthday, and I wanna live a little!

Now, any other day during the break would be a bad enough day to have a birthday, but December 31 (or December 25 or January 1, for that matter) is definitely the worst possible day of them all.  Everyone's too busy getting ready to celebrate New Year's to even bother with my birthday.  Family members almost always come out for my sister's birthday, but they've never came over for mine.  They can't, really, because it's just too hard to travel on New Year's Eve.  I've only had one actual birthday party in my life, for my 11th birthday, when I had a few of my friends over for the afternoon.  What's even more frustrating is that so few of my so-called "friends" even bother to wish me a Happy Birthday.  Like I said before, they're all too busy celebrating New Year's to notice that it's my birthday.  How is it that out of over 700 friends that I have on Facebook, only about 8% of them wrote to wish me a Happy Birthday?  Even some of my closest friends whom I've known for a long time forgot.

Okay, maybe I'm being a little bitter.  I did get more posts on Facebook this year (55) than I did last year (40), many of my best friends did remember my birthday, and that girl from college that I had a secret crush on that I told y'all about before ("Real World", 19 May 2010) actually texted me to wish me a Happy Birthday, so it wasn't a total loss.  It's just that I wish my birthday could be a little more exciting and not be just like any other day of my life.  It sucks never having anyone around to celebrate my birthday with, but you know what?  I think I'll just have a late celebration with my friends sometime after I get back to school next week.  And hey, I'm alive and well, I'm still in grad school, and things are hopefully looking up for me this coming year.  Maybe I should just count my blessings for once instead of always wishing things were better.  After all, it is a new year.

Stay frosty, y'all!  B-)