NFL Playoffs: Who I'm rooting for..

Way before December or even November we all knew the Raiders would be in the same position we are, watching the playoffs from the comfort of their own homes. I think we all figured it out sometime between last years draft and August. It didn't take a genius to figure it out either, all it called for was a cursory glance at their roster to notice the onslaught of glaring holes they possessed. Ever since the shaming in San Diego, Oakland has been home to one of (if not) the most inept franchises in the NFL. So it comes as no surprise that for yet another year they failed to even pose a threat. However the season ended on a couple of good notes, that will surely give myself and the rest of the Raider nation far too much optimism for the 2009-2010 season. A two game win-streak that showed Jamarcus Russell may not be the next big flop that may have helped Al Davis find his next coach in Tom Cable. It was also nice to end the season with the Raiders knocking out Gruden's Bucs and helping Shanahan get canned.

The season isn't over for everyone, yet it has placed the Raider nation and many other fans in a common position. Mock drafting before the new year and deciding on another team to root for in the playoffs. Last year was probably the easiest year to pick a team to root for, that team, whoever was playing the 16-0 New England Patriots. This year is not so easy; there are under dogs across the board and perennial powers that cannot top the annoyance levels of the Pats or Cowboys. Without their being a clear cut team to root for or root against, I figured I would rank each team using my biased opinions on fan and player likability.

The first and only category we will tackle is player and fan likability, this is important because you will have to deal with these fans reminding you how great their favorite teams is for the next year. This is not such a bad thing when the fan is knowledgeable and/or loyal but when the fan started rooting for the team in November and/or has a Criss Angel aura about him, this can be almost as enraging as DC traffic. The player likability factor is important because not all players are as likable as Reggie White or Tony Gonzalez, and the last thing cocky overpaid and overhyped players need is even more reason to be cocky and overpaid. (Team colors and mascots may also be taken into account)

Who I am rooting for:

12. New York Giants; I know I am not alone in this but I don't want any team to win back-t0-back championships. Share the wealth and stop being so greedy. Only my team should have a dynasty.

11 . Minnesota Vikings: 11,000 tickets left, are you kidding me? Terrible.

10. San Diego Chargers: Blame Rivers

9. Miami Dolphins; Every girl in my middle school wore Dolphins Starter jackets, and I knew none of them could name one player on the team other than Dan Marino. Remembering how atrocious those jackets were and the fact that some people coupled them with Zubaz makes me want to watch the Dolphins lose.

8. Arizona Cardinals: I have never met a Cardinals fan, and I have spent more then half my life on the West Coast. So yeah, go Cards. Funny story though, my uncle bought me a Jake Plummer jersey after his rookie year for Christmas. That gift was never worn.

7. Carolina Panthers: While living in Myrtle Beach, I met a fair amount of Panther fans. They were knowledgeable and a joy to watch a game with. However I see pictures like this and it changes my mind about their fandom.

6. Baltimore Ravens: There is nothing that really makes me want to root for or against this team. I enjoy watching Ed Reed, but Bart Scott has a grating personality. They get stuck in the middle for this very fact.

5.Philadelphia Eagles; Knowledgable and loyal fans. With the Phillies just winning the World Series, the Philly area sports fans would be on the verge of becoming the next Boston/dynasty city. I don't know if they would be as annoying, but its not worth the risk.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers; Stiller fans are all across the country. You can probably find a Steelers bar in almost every city in the country. They are as loyal as they come. Yet a lot of them brain wash their friends into becoming Steeler fans. This leads to uneducated and annoying fans, bragging about championships won before they were born.

3. Atlanta Falcons; Just for what the franchise and its fan have had to deal with the past couple of seasons, they deserve a good playoff run. But I still can't find myself rooting for them. I don't know why, but I'll just blame it on Zubaz again.

2. Indianapolis Colts: They get this ranking solely on the enjoyment I receive from watching Peyton work the offense and the commercials he appears in. Even though the King of UT is leading his Colts to another playoff run, I cannot put all of my love behind them as they just won two years ago.

1. Tennessee Titans: The state of Tennessee is easily one of my favorites in the country. It has a little bit of everything; culture, history, music, and even better- their people. The fans are loyal, knowledgeable, and courteous. Watching a game at LP field is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and the biggest factor to that enjoyment; is the fans around you.

This ranking is obviously biased, so feel free to leave yours in the comment section. It really is nice to have, when the team your pulling for loses you can just mark them off and root for the next team. That way you can say you wanted them to win all along.