The original plan for one of my favorite days of the year - the OSU-Michigan game - called for running the Turkey Trot in Manasquan, which would have put me in the bar just in time for kickoff. I subscribed to my usual pre-run "training regimen" - a week's worth of carb building with Girl Scout cookies, pizza, donuts, Guinness and the like.

But thanks to the first few words of this story, the plan changed. I may do dumb things but I'm not stupid and running five miles in blustery winds and freezing cold just seemed stupid. So I skipped the running part and went straight to the bar. A much better way to spend the afternoon, particularly given the ass-whipping OSU proceeded to put on Michigan.

Given the intensity of the rivalry, I enjoyed every second of it. But I would almost prefer a closer game. Rivalries remain intense when they are hard-fought, bitter affairs. That said, it has now been 1,828 days since Ohio State lost to Michigan, and I'm just fine with that.

And so it's on to today's Jets-Titans game. I'll admit it. I'm excited.

Someone alerted me to this story in the NY Times Play Magazine. It's from a few weeks ago, but it's an excellent read, mainly about the influence Favre has had on the team.

“Since Brett came in, it’s been a complete different atmosphere,” the wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery says. “Everybody’s just having a blast.”

That includes the fans.