I think it was Scott Pianowski who threatened to "take a hostage" if he heard that horrendous John Cougar Mellencamp song in that Chevy commerical that plays over and over again on Sunday, and I was right there with him this weekend, only that I would have been driven to kill the hostage and then myself if I didn't have a mute button. During the regular season, I would switch to other Sunday ticket games, but this weekend, I didn't have that.

I'm not sure what it is about that song - the cheesy lyrics, the stupid chorus, the patronizing implication that a truck driving through some rural area symbolizes what we're all about, as if it's been agreed upon, and if so by whom? Don't tell me what "our" country is - I'm trying to watch a football game, not hear some propaganda about the American dream and Chevy trucks. And how somehow it's patriotic to drive a Chevy truck. Hasn't the whole patriotic angle been oversold the last few years anyway? Can't I live in Los Angeles, drive a foreign car, despise everything about Mellencamp's music and still be a patriot? And maybe I could stomach the insult to my intelligence and the affront to my taste that this song is if they played it only twice per game, but they must have run that thing 20 times at least over the weekend's four games. And Scott and I are not alone. I'm sure there's more: here, here and and here.

And to compound it, Troy Aikman is the Joe Morgan of the NFL. Talk about saying either the obvious or absolutely nothing in 500 words or less. On the Eagles game-winning drive, this is Aikman on the Giants' defense (paraphrased): "This is something the Giants do - after the offense puts up points, the defense then seems to have a letdown. This is a really important situation for the Giants defense to step up and play well. This is an important drive for them." You think so, Troy? The last two minutes of the game when it's tied, you think this would be a good time for the Giants not to have a letdown on defense? I started actually to listen to what Aikman is saying, just as I have with Morgan, and it's the same thing - obvious or not saying anything - really pay attention this week, it's amazing how little Aikman's adding. And don't get me started on Joe Buck: "Some Alice in Chains for you..." You listen to Alice in Chains, Joe?... But I bet you've got some Mellencamp in your collection.