Sunday Message

In my trip through the prophecies of the Messiah, the next real important question is, in the words of Amy Grant, “what Messiah ought to be.  You see, the Jewish people were well versed in the verses that spoke of the King who would rule with an Iron Hand and crush their foes.  But what they never looked at was the dichotomy of Messiah.  Look at Zechariah 9:9-10:

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you. He is righteous and victorious, meek and riding on an ass, even on a colt, the son of an ass.
Zec 9:10  And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. And the battle bow shall be cut off, and He shall speak peace to the nations; and His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Verse 10 indeed talks of the Messiah they were hoping for; and indeed this Messiah is described in many passages,  but even then, He was to be no earthly conqueror.  Look at Hosea 1:7:

Hos 1:7  But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

But the part they really whiffed on was the first part- the part that would be revealed right before their eyes.  Never was a life so clearly described ahead of time as that of Jesus- even the seemingly contradictory parts, such as a birth in Judea and a life in Galilee.  And they totally ignored what was to happen to Messiah before He received the Kingdom:

 

Dan 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction.
Dan 9:26 And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. And the people of the ruler who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

Isa 53:1  Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?
Isa 53:2  For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him.
Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Isa 53:4  Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5  But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.

Psa 22:13  They opened wide their mouths on Me, like a ripping and a roaring lion.
Psa 22:14  I am poured out like water, and all My bones are spread apart; My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels.
Psa 22:15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws;
Psa 22:16  and You have brought Me into the dust of death. For dogs have circled around Me; the band of spoilers have hemmed Me in, piercers of My hands and My feet.
Psa 22:17  I can count all My bones; they look and stare at Me.
Psa 22:18  They divide My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.

Before Messiah could be the King, He had to be a humble child, be rejected, and eventually killed for no fault of his own.  That is the explanation of the first part of Psalms 110:

Psa 110:1  The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool.

Key word being “until”.  The Messiah, having been born and cut off, would have to wait until God had prepared everything for Him before He returned to rule as King.  And just what is it that He is preparing?  We look at the world and think, if God is really here, and preparing things, then why does it seem to be getting worse and worse?  Because, like the Jews of Jesus’ day on earth, we are looking at what we want to see.  In truth, two things are being prepared. 

#1: in heaven-

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.
Joh 14:2  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

#2 on earth-

Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that day, the great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15  Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is the one who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

How Scrappy got his name; or, "The only thing I like about cold weather..."

"... is Daddy wears long sleeves."



This is Scrappy's first youtube appearance!  Give it lots of hits!

The great seventies countdown week two

The applause is slow-gathering, anticipating, as he comes to center stage.  “Hello, and welcome back to our show, “ he says, the bright lights hiding the faces of the audience he trusts is out there.  “last time, we left to the sounds of Jeff Lynne and ELO serenading us.  They will be back again, I can assure you, along with a host of other acts.  Some you’ll be familiar with, some not so much,  So sit back and get comfortable, please turn off your phone but feel free to discuss amongst yourselves, and enjoy the show.”
300- Amie, Pure Prairie League, 1973, Peak Position #27.  Another “I can’t help but sing along” song.  Prefer the long version with the “Falling in and out of love with you” part at both ends.
299- Lights, Journey, 1978, #68.  For those who thought Journey started with Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’, I contend that the best of there songs were the ones BEFORE LTS that never got big play0 Wheel In The Sky (#57), Feeling That Way/Anytime (83), Just The Same Way (58).  And this one.
298- It Was Almost Like A Song, Ronnie Milsap, 1977, #16 (# 1 country).  This was one of my first big country crossover favorites.  He had such an incredible run in the mid eighties, But for me it started here- and again in 1981 with Smoky Mountain Rain (which is actually pretty much a repackage of Elvis’ Kentucky Rain, but still tears my heart out).
297- Girls Talk, Dave Edmunds, 1979, #65.  I am an absolute sucker for Dave Edmunds, and this was my favorite on this side of 1980.

296- Ballroom Blitz, Sweet, 1975, #5.  One of those fun songs (without being a “novelty song”) that everyone dug. 
295- A Place In The Sun, Pablo Cruise, 1977, #42.  I really didn’t care much for Whatcha Gonna Do, but loved the follow-up title cut.
294- Let’s Get It On, Marvin Gaye, 1973, #1.  Wow, we finally hit a #1 song!  The lead contender with Leon Russell for the smooth award, the man had an almost magical way.
293- Rock And Roll All Night, Kiss, 1975, #68 (studio), #12 (live).  I admit I arrived late to Kiss- my nephew was the big fan, went to every show they did in Ft. Wayne.  My fandom grew backwards from 1985’s Tears Are Falling.
292- I Need You, America, 1972, # 9.  This was one of “my bands” during the day.  I was big into the softer side until about 1976.
291- Roll Over Beethoven, Electric Light Orchestra, 1973, #42.  A lot of people have covered this Chuck Berry classic, but ELO was born to.
290- All Mixed Up, the Cars, 1978, unreleased.  Linked with Moving In Stereo, one of the great pieces of the Cars’ debut lp.  We got this at a garage sale along with a swivel rocker for five bucks.  We had that rocker for years, until one night my sister had the base break out from under her while drunk in front of all my drunken friends. Good times.

289- Let It Roll On Down The Highway, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, 1974, #14.  How many remember the Honda Motorcycle ads that cribbed the chorus’ guitar riff?  At least I think it was Honda.
288- Come Sail Away, Styx, 1977, #8.  I heard this the first time on the old Midnight Special show with Wolfman Jack.  They don’t make shows like that anymore, children.
287- Miracles, Jefferson Starship, 1975, #3.  But it got the airplay of a #1.
286- Lovely Day, Bill Withers, 1977, #30.  Big Bill Withers fan.  This was from my CKLW era.
285- Song On The Radio, Al Stewart, 1979, #29.  I just gave props to Al over on Time Machine this week.  “I was making my way through the wasteland/ that the road into town passes through/ I was changing the radio station/ with my mind on you…”
284- Hang On To Your Life, The Guess Who, 1971, #43.  I once wrote a comic book around this one.  It was pretty damn good.

283- Roxanne, The Police, 1978, #32.  Eddie Murphy made it famous in 48 HRS, but the Police made it great.
282- Lowdown, Boz Scaggs, 1976, #3.  Silk Degrees is undoubtedly one of the finest albums of the era.
281- Rendezvous, Hudson Brothers, 1975, #26.  Another CKLW tune from an act more remembered for their 1974 variety show than their music.

And now, the lights come up half, and the host walks out on the stage.  “Fun, isn’t it”, he says.  “Anyone can give you the #1s and top fives and such, but we give you the #26s, the #58s, the #65s. Come back soon and hear some more.  As you leave, enjoy this next selection.  Go out and find yours…”

Better late than never... Step into my time machine week 85

Before we kick this thing off, a blog pimping for According To Jewels, whose lovely proprietor has gifted me with a very nice HAND CRAFTED post card as part of the oft-mentioned Great Postcard Campaign.  And I DON'T CARE that it wasn't a "manly card"- it was festive and nice, and Scrappy liked it since he was called cute!

Also, we are late because a chronal stabilizing bascillicus went bad on me last night (or because 50% I've been under the weather and 50% I had to work today, whichever you prefer).

Anyway, let us proceed to 1976, where we will be landing just ahead of two notable music events.  6 days before target date, in a concert attempt to unite warring factions in Jamaica called Smiling Jamaica, Bob Marley found himself at the wrong end of some guns.  His wife and manager survived serious injuries, but he was okay and 2 days later went ahead with the concert, though the Wailers had ran to cover and he was backed up by Zap Pow.  "The people who are trying to make the world worse aren't taking a day off, "  he said. "How can I?"  And the day before we land, the music world was shook as it had rarely been before- that was the day the Eagles released Hotel California.  (And that should be a big, glaring clue to what this week's high debut will be!)

(Special shoehorned-in note:  The teaser for six degrees is: watch as I connect the Bee Gees to... the Bee Gees!)

Speaking of those debuts on the hot 100, there were eleven, and we will note six of them.  Kansas enters the public consciousness at #91 with Carry On Wayward Son.  One of my personal favorites, Al Stewart comes in at #85 with Year Of The Cat.  (Al is at his best with historical songs;  you really should youtube The Palace Of Versailles.) ABBA breaks here with Dancing Queen at 79; just one spot above is Barbara Streisand with the theme to the movie A Star Is Born, henceforth to be referred to by it's actual name, Evergreen.  At long last, my favorite song by Heart comes into the countdown- the title track to the lp Dreamboat Annie, at # 74.  And have you figured out who debuted way up at 57 this week?  Sure you did.  The Eagles' lead single off Hotel, New Kid In Town.

With these six having 35th birthdays, let,s look at the other birthdays this week.  Turning 40, Harry Nilsson's oft-covered Without You.  A trio turning 45- The Monkees' (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone; the Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy And The Red Baron; and the lovely Judith Durham and the Seekers with Georgie Girl.  A classic turns fifty- the King's Can't Help Falling In Love With You.  And turning 60, "Poor ol'" Johnnie Ray and Cry.  Blow out the candles...

The Big dropper this week is former top dog If You Leave Me Now, falling 28 spots to 58.  And, sigh, the big mover is once again in the top 40.

Which means we stop off at #49 and the Where Are They Now segment.  And at 49 is a band which, as they say, needs no introduction- the Beatles with Ob La Di, Ob La Da.  Now most people who might have any interest in our program know well and good where the Fab Four are now (All John Lennon Imagine jokes aside), so I thought, what about the two lads who were original, if short-lived Beatles?  The first, Stuart Sutcliffe, who left the band to pursue his art career, died just months later.  The other was drummer Pete Best.  Pete got the golden toe from the Beatles for a variety of reasons (kept out of group activities, Paul was jealous, drumming was subpar, and a list of allied excuses), and it put him into a depression that made him a virtual hermit for two weeks, and led to him having to be talked out of suicide.  But getting off the roller coaster led to a big blessing in his life- 2 years later he married his wife of over 45 years, Kathy.  They have 2 daughters and 4 grandkids.  In the mean time, he retired from performing in 1968- until persuaded to return in the late eighties.  He still tours with the latest incarnation of the Pete Best Band, which includes vocalist Tony Flynn, who was vocalist for unofficial (and litigation destroyed) versions of both Steppenwolf and Deep Purple.  They released the Beatles-esque lp Haymans Green in 2007 to good reviews.

Five new top 40 hits, leading off with reunited Bread climbing 9 to #40 with Lost Without Your Love.  Up 16 to #39 is Mary MacGregor with a song that proves the proverb about a bird in the hand, Torn Between Two Lovers.  At 31, up ten, is Aerosmith's Walk This Way.  Racing up the chart 14 spots (not surprisingly, since it is from the lp A Day At The Races) is Queen with Somebody To Love.  And our big mover of the week, up 18 spots from where it debuted in the hot 100 last week, is Stevie Wonder's I Wish at #28.

 Now it's our new segment when I pull a song from this week in history.  Actually, I pull 4 songs up with one tug, and they all have one man in common.  Canadian tenor Henry Burr, born Harry Haley McCaskey, and recording under more pseudonyms than I care to recount, was one of the more popular, and most prolific, artists of the early twentieth century.  He estimated that he recorded some 12,000 songs, and was one of the top recording acts prior to the rock'n'roll era. We feature him this week, because according to Josh Hostler's site, he was #1 this week in 1906 with Love Me And The World Is Mine.  And in 1910 with Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland.  And in 1919 with Oh What A Pal Was Mary.  And if that's not enough, he was the leader of the Columbia Male Quartet, who were at #1 this week in 1907 with Let Me Call You Sweetheart.  I sampled Oh What A Pal Was Mary- this guy could flat sing.

Two songs enter the top ten, two fall out.  The droppers are More Than A Feeling (4 to 16) and You Are The Woman (8 to 18).

Speaking of falling out, when will it happen to She's Gone?  After 32 weeks, it hangs onto a top forty spot this week still at 37, a drop of just 4.

Two of those "faves of mine" make the top ten this week.  The first, and likely my #1 for the week (had I been doing my top ten yet), is England Dan and John Ford Coley with Nights Are Forever Without You, moving 2 spots to #10.  Holding at 9 is Alice Cooper's I Never Cry.  The other debut comes in at 8, a three-notch climb for Burton Cummings with Stand Tall.  Nadia's Theme begins its trek to where the Young and Restless lay, dropping 2 to #7.  Jumping 4 big notches to #6 are the Two Dimensions, er, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, with You Don't Have To Be A Star.  Going from #7 to # 5 is Leo Sayer's You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.  The Spinners are the last climbers, going north 2 spots to #4 with The Rubberband Man.  And that brings us to our six degrees victim.

Love So Right, holding this week at #3, was off the Bee Gees album Children Of The World.  As usual on Bee Gees albums of the era, the keyboardist was one Blue Weaver.  Among his many accomplishments was the scoring of the new-wave film Times Square.  This movie spawned a two disc soundtrack featuring such new wave acts as Suzy Quatro, the Pretenders, Roxy Music, Gary Numan, the Talking Heads, Joe Jackson, and the Patty Smith Group.  Also on this soundtrack was a Robin Gibb/Blue Weaver song called Help Me! which was sung by Robin and a lady named (at the time) Marcy Levy.  Levy(who would ironically change her name years later to Marcella Detroit) had started her musical career with Bob Seger, and moved on to Eric Clapton's entourage.  (Not surprisingly; it seems like 90% of the six degrees spots go through either Slowhand or the Beach Boys.)  She co wrote Lay Down Sally, and was one of the two female vocals therein; the other being the great love I never had, Yvonne Elliman.  Yvonne, of course, got her greatest props for If I Can't Have You off of Saturday Night Fever; but if the writers had had it their way instead of producer Robert Stigwood, she would have had an even bigger one- she was supposed to have been the one to sing How Deep Is Your Love, instead of...  the Bee Gees.

So if you've been paying attention to any top ten the past three weeks, you know what comes next- Captain and Tenille with Muskrat Love at #2 (again) and at #1 (again)... Rod Stewart with Tonight's The Night.

Wow, done, in the can!  Be back sometime tomorrow (since Saturday OT got axed) for the Great Seventies Countdown.  And in the mean time could someone, for pity's sake tell me why that EACH AND EVERY TIME I use spellcheck on Blogger, no matter if I comb the post with a fine tooth comb afterwards and find all in order, HALF A PARAGRAPH DISSAPPEARS!!!  I may kill someone if I don't find out.  I definately will if I do.

Update on "you can't say 'cute' in school"

I'm going to combine a couple of reports here, so we can see the prices of overreaction.

North Carolina Principal Forced to Retire After Suspending 9-Year-Old for Calling Teacher 'Cute'

GASTONIA, N.C. – The North Carolina school principal who suspended a 9-year-old boy for saying a female teacher was "cute" has been forced to retire over the decision.

Emanyea Lockett was given a three-day suspension from Gaston's Brookside Elementary School after he told another student his teacher was "cute" and a substitute teacher overheard the comment, the Gaston Gazette reported.

School officials investigated the incident and found that Emanyea had done nothing wrong. The school board then gave principal Jerry Bostic one hour to stand down or face termination.

Bostic spoke out after his 44-year career came to an abrupt end Tuesday, saying, "I didn't show a history of making problems like that. I've had the best of evaluations my entire career and because of some syndicated columnist in New York or California, I don't have a job."
Superintendent Reeves McGlohon would only say that Bostic submitted his resignation. McGlohon had no further comment.
 The school system said the suspension won't count against the student, and there will be additional instructional assistance provided to the student for the classroom time missed.
Of school superintendent Reeves McGlohon -- who gave him the quit-or-be-fired ultimatum -- Bostic said, "He told me he had made the decision he was going to terminate me or drop me into an assistant principal position.

"I admit I made some errors in what I did, but to fire me or to demote me with 44 years in it, it just doesn't make sense. To me he was a very heartless man, and he did it because of politics."

Emanyea's mother, Chiquita Lockett, said, "This is something that everyone needed to see, just to see what's happening within our school systems."

She was likely to pursue legal action, WSOC-TV reported.

The superintendent told Bostic that 15 parents from the school called his office asking for Bostic’s termination. Bostic said Brookside has more than 1,200 parents. His average evaluation from parents and the community over the past 10 years has been a 98 and 99 percent rating, he said.
“I just don’t see why he’d be so upset over the 15,” Bostic said. “He only gave me one hour to make a decision or he was going to terminate me.”
Bostic said he didn’t have time to ascertain what would be the best decision, financially, for himself and his family. Nor did he have time to give his staff proper notification that he would be leaving. Bostic said he could understand being written up for his mistake and having someone follow up with him over the school year.
“To me it’s a really sad final note to a career that I have found very satisfying and enjoy working with kids,” Bostic said. “I really don’t believe I was treated fairly.”
More than 600 children will be affected by the decision and around 1,200 parents and guardians will have to explain to their children why their principal was removed from a school after 15 years.
“I made a mistake,” Bostic said. “I offered to apologize for my mistake, but I wasn’t given that opportunity."
 Chiquita Lockett received a letter from the school explaining that her son was suspended for sexual harassment when he said a teacher was “fine” in a suggestive tone and had been warned about calling other students bad names.
Emanyea, 9, was suspended for three days after a substitute teacher overheard him tell another student a teacher was cute, said mother Chiquita Lockett. Emanyea served a one-day, in-school suspension and two days out of school, she said.



Okay, let's break this down.  Who was this "substitute teacher" who couldn't mind his/her own business and reported it?  Jealous?  Trying to get an "in" with administration at the cost of one little boy?.  Was it racial? And it was OVERHEARD in a conversation between the boy and another student? We don't know, but I'm of the opinion that if the board felt the principal had to walk the plank, perhaps someone else should have been down there testing the water for him.

Next, the syndicated columnist in NY or CA didn't cost you your job, Bostic- YOU DID.  Whether or not your firing was an appropriate response may be debatable, but your attitude here is contemptible.  I wonder what else you have done to get the quick trigger here.
The student doesn't have to pay for the principal's stupidity.  Great job here.

"A very heartless man,"  says Bostic of his boss.  The guy that suspended a 9-year old for calling a teacher "cute" calls the man who fired him for it "heartless."  Does anyone else sense the working of karma here?

I'd like to say, this seems like overreaction to media pressure on the part of the superintendent.  Bostic was given a VERY limited time to fall on his sword.  Would like to, but can't.  Bostic comes across as a PC-tied, self-concerned blowhard who very likely brought this on himself.  And 15 parents complaining did this?  Obviously it was the RIGHT fifteen.

And, little boy's mom?  It looks like you have a little talking to do to your little man.  I've heard that this may have been his fifth "incident", including some racial epithets directed at other students.  But guess what?  That great administrator, Bostic, didn't have them documented and never bothered to inform you.  Shame on him.  And shame on you if you don't do a little "investigating" of your own.

Bostic told mom something along the lines of, "Maybe you can do this in YOUR culture..."  I have a feeling the superintendent is trying to keep a lid on a LARGE can of worms here...

A priest accused...

Last night, I was shocked to here the story of the priest being removed from St. John HC because of sexual allegations.  Shocked because he was the former priest at my old Church, St. Louis Besancon.  Shocked because that makes it hit a little too close to home.

I basically grew up at SLB.  It was a 2 minute walk from my home.  I went to the school there for 8 years, and that means I went to church every morning.  I knew the priests and the nuns.  I served as an Altar boy, and was a teacher of same (and don't let me get into the story right now of what happens when you put 14 year old boys in charge of 12 year old boys in an empty church!).  Father Lombardi was after my time- I had become born-again and that led me away from the Catholic world at the time- but I had met him through funerals and the like.

I told myself last night, wait and get more of the story.  Today, we got SOME more:

No investigation underway in priest abuse case

Police can't conduct investigation without victim

Updated: Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 6:10 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011, 5:14 PM EST

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Allen County Sheriff’s Department has information about accusations against 62-year-old Thomas Lombardi, but there is no detective on the case because no victim has ever come forward to officers.
A lawyer for the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese was the one to report the alleged abuse on behalf of an anonymous victim. SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) lashed out at the diocese in a release about it withholding information.
According to the information police have, the alleged abuse happened in New Haven prior to July of 1997 when the victim was on or about 16 years old. According to an online parish history, Lombardi was the priest at St. Louis Besancon from 1986 to July 1997.
In the report the police have, the alleged victim was in a room lifting weights when he supposedly asked Lombardi about how the workout would affect his or her muscles. Then, according to the report, Lombardi asked the victim to remove his or her shirt and pants. No physical contact was made, according to the report.
Because the victim didn’t go to police, officers can’t conduct an investigation. Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a letter to the parishioners at St. Joseph Hessen Cassel over the weekend which stated Lombardi has been removed from his pastoral duties while the diocese conducts its own investigation.

This does not sound much like actual sexual misconduct to me, so I'm glad I held my peace.  But it brings up a very important point.  Our religious leaders are under constant assault from Satan- whether it be sexual or whatever.  Some people will accuse the vetting process.  Others will deride the Catholic church's policy of celibacy.  Both valid points to me.  Sometimes we need a body in a hole and are happy to proclaim the first one through the door as God's pick.  And I don't believe that the admonition that Elders and Deacons be "the husband of one wife" has any thing to do with "not getting re-married after divorce"  as I was once told when I was the first warm body through the door.  I believe it means you NEED the support, the completion that a partner in life brings you.  Being celebate (by choice) or single( by "fate") doesn't disqualify you, but it sure doesn't help.

However, I think that the biggest problem doesn't lie with the spiritual leaders, but with his congregation.  Are you praying for the man?  He has needs as a Christian leader that you don't even think of.  He faces an enemy far more dedicated to destroying him than the one you face.  Because if he goes down, you are vulnerable, neophytes are shaken and discouraged, and outsiders "shake their heads as they pass".  Nothing overjoys Satan and his little atheist puppets more than a good man going down.  Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker.  Is it our fault they fell?  No, they made their choices.  They allowed themselves weakness.   But did we do what we could to strengthen them?  Did we build a "hedge of prayer" about them?  Many of us do just that for loved ones in the army in Iraq or Afghanistan- are we forgetting those on our spiritual front lines?

Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs?

Sure, since last night finished off the first round of this year's NHFFL playoffs.The match between the Elks and Porkchops was a continual exercise in catch up for the Elks, but by Sunday night it boiled down to this:   they needed Drew Brees to score- a lot- but not by using the services of Pierre Thomas or Robert Meachum.  A 67 yard pass to Meachum later, the 'Chops had their first playoff win, 47-37, and will go on to face the B2s next week.  They've split the 2 games this year, but the most recent was a 27-7 'Chops win just 2 weeks ago.

On the other side, get ready for Rangers/Aguas III after the Aguas blast the Greenwoods 69-34.  Two scores each from Mendenhall, Wallace, and Garcon (see? The Colts ARE good for something), and two long strikes by QB Alex Smith led the way.  This was the first meeting between the two returning teams in the playoffs, as they used to be in opposite divisions.  The Rangers won the first matchup with the Aguas when both were undefeated, 30-21 in game 6.  Three weeks later, the Aguas handed the Rangers their second loss of the season, 32-29.

Of course, despite the gaudy 10-2 record the Rangers are emotionally underdogs in this match.  Why?  Let me show you the fifteen year record of the Rangers in the post season.
1997- lost to Greenwoods 28-19. (Greenwoods won SB I)
1999- lost to T-Cubs 32-23.(T-Cubs won SB III)
2000- lost to Greenwoods 26-23.
2001- lost to T-Cubs 33-22.(T-Cubs won SB V)
2002 - lost to Beagles 43-24.
2004- lost to SVA 44-21.(SVA won SBVIII)
2005- lost to Beagles 45-18.
2009- lost to SVA 35-16. (SVA wins SB XIII)

Yep, the Rangers have an 0-8 gorilla on their backs.  However I must admit that I didn't know that 4 teams had beaten them twice each.  Of the remaining 4, the B2s are 5-6 in the postseason with a win in SB VI; the Aguas went 1-5 in their previous incarnation, splitting two matches with the KCAs; and the 'Chops are in their first season.  First year teams (outside the founding ten) have had mixed results in their rookie years.  In 1998, the SVA (7-7) and the T-Cubs (6-8) both missed the playoffs; in 2002, the Elks took a division title with a 10-5 record, but that included a season ending 2-5 slide and a 37-20 loss to the eventual champs B2s; and in 2005, the Ragin' Rhinos missed the playoffs with a 6-6 mark, while the State Ducks made it with their 6-6 record but got hammered by the Elks 30-17 in round one.  That means that the 'Chops are the first first-year team to win a postseason game.