NFL THURSDAY: BENGALS TO PHILLY UP VICTORY TANK?

This guy, likely single, appears to be a real 'backer' of Philadelphia's sports teams!

NFL THURSDAY: BENGALS AT EAGLES

The Cincinnati Bengals visit the City of Brotherly Love tonight to face the Eagles, who were officially eliminated from the National Football League playoffs last weekend despite beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-21 to snap an eight-game losing skid.

The Bengals (7-6),  tied with the Pittsburg Steelers for the final playoff berth in the AFC, could use a win tonight and certainly can’t afford to lay an egg like the Texans did Monday in their massive meltdown in Massachusetts.

The Eagles will be experimenting with a few rookie players down the stretch as they try to determine who stays and who goes in the sure-to-be-busy off-season.

The experts seem to think the Bengals will prey on a suspect Eagles’ defence and treat Philly like a minor speed bump en route to the playoff promised land. I expect this game will be extremely close and question the insiders who think the Eagles have nothing left to play for now that their 70-day misery streak is over. I have seen enough upsets this NFL season to last a lifetime. So have those counting on me to be right!

Gord’s Guess: I have lost many pool prizes this season by picking the WTF Eagles. I think the Bengals will win this one by a field goal, or more, even though I like Philly versus anywhere in Ohio! The Ben-Gals, the cheerleaders who bark out Cinci's rah-rahs, get my early vote for “interesting” calender of the year as their photos are rumoured to be great . . . my friends allowed to look at such things pass this info on!

Aido proudly shows off
his team's championship banner.

GROANER OF THE WEEK: St. Peter and Satan were having an argument one day about football. Satan proposed a game to be played on neutral grounds between a select team from the heavenly host and his own hand-picked boys.

"Very well," said the gatekeeper of Heaven. "But you realize, I hope, that we've got all the good players and all the best coaches."

"I know, and that's all right," Satan answered unperturbed.

"We've got all the referees."

GRID BITS: My brother Ward, about to head out for yet another tanning vacation, passes on this note and photo of Aido Siebenga and his Cloverdale Bobcats B.C. Peewee football championship banner.

The Vancouver Mainland Football League team defeated the Abbotsford Falcons 22-0 in the provincial final late last month. The team is coached by B.C. Lions’ great Geroy Simon.