What You Tweeting 'Bout, Willis?

Chad Ochocinco has always been a flashy, me-first type star in the NFL. People either loved him or hated him, but they damn sure paid him attention. He was an outspoken headliner who generally backed up his talk. And he loved the spotlight.

Over the last couple of seasons, his stunts have become a little bit more muted. He's no longer keeping lists in his locker trashing the cornerbacks that he'll go against each week, crossing them off as he catches TDs on them. He tried out for the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS when an NFL lockout looked imminent, but that was never going to happen.

One thing that Ochocinco has been known for is his Twitter account. He can tweet with the best of them and has over 3.1 million followers. This story from Yahoo! is a pretty heartwarming one:
A college kid named Victor Gonzalez had been tweeting @ Chad for two years and apparently was just getting ignored. No retweets, no responses, no nothing. Finally he got fed up and let Ochocinco know that he was tired of no response.

So Chad decided to make it up to him - he invited Victor to the Patriots game a few weekends back against the Denver Broncos. Chad got him a flight, hotel and ticket to the game in New England. What a way to make it up to a Twitter follower, eh? Very kind of you, Chad, well done.`

Eli Manning Definitely in My Top Three Mannings

Eli Manning is taking the New York Giants back to the Superbowl this year, cementing himself firmly in my personal top three Manning's. His solid year included only 16 interceptions and 6 fumbles, a stark contrast from his typical ratio of 1 completion::1 turnover.

Yes, Eli has won back my confidence and is now easily amongst my top all-time Mannings. That group of course includes father, Archie Manning, his wife Olivia and kids Cooper, Peyton and lil' Eli.

After a woeful 2010, I had Eli ranked near the bottom of the barrel, but with a win last night over the San Francisco 49ers, I can now honestly say that he has vaulted into the top three in both power rank and overall.

Each Manning has a solid list of pros, cons, tangibles and intangibles that I consider. The fact that Eli has a working neck means he's above Peyton in the power rankings, but it's the overall rank that really matters, so let's take a closer look:

Archie Maninng
-Three-year started for Ole Miss
-Still holds the SEC record for all-purpose yards in a game with 540
-1971 NFL draft second-overall pick
-Ten seasons in the NFL, two pro bowls

Peyton Manning
-1998 NFL draft 1st overall pick
-Four MVP awards, most in NFL history
-11 time Pro Bowl selection, Superbowl XLI winner, MVP
-Make hilarious advertisements with fake mustaches

Olivia Manning
-Senior year homecoming queen
-Member of Women of the Storm, Hurricane Katrina charity group with badass name
-Delta Gamma alumnus
-Three-time delivery room MVP '74, '76, '81

Cooper Manning
-All-State Wide Receiver and blue chip recruit, playing career ended by spinal stenosis
-Convinced Peyton to wear brown paper bag on his head to a Saints game during their father's playing days
-Partner at an energy investment firm in New Orleans
-Is still filthy rich

Eli Manning
-2004 NFL draft 1st overall pick
-Superbowl XLII winner and MVP
-two-time Pro Bowl selection
-Regularly captured on film wasted out of his gourd, with sharpie on face

Superbowl XLVI will be a rematch between Eli and his arch nemesis, Tom Brady. It will be a rematch of Superbowl XLII in which the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14. New York was a major underdog then, becoming the first team to win the Superbowl after coming from the NFC wildcard spot to defeat the previously undefeated Patriots.

This time around, New York will be underdogs once more. Brady will be vying to tie Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers) for most Superbowl victories. We'll find out in two weeks if Brady is going to turn in a winning performance. In the tranquil indoors of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, my thoughts are that Brady will be tough to overcome. So it's up to the youngest Manning to pull of another stunner, can he do it?

Mad Men is Almost Back!

If you're like me, you have been waiting quite a while for the fifth season of Mad Men. Christina Hendricks - who plays Joan Harris - has said the upcoming series will be "worth the wait."

Season four's finale aired on AMC on October, 17 2010. It's been a long year and a half wait for fans of the slick 60s advertising drama. Finally on March 25th, viewers will get to get back into the swing when the season premier debuts.
Sky Atlantic bought the UK rights and will air the episode shortly after the US debut. Sky outbid the BBC for the rights and will be airing the show very close to the air dates of AMC in the US. the lag time since a new episode of Mad Men was last on television was due to intense contract negotiations between creator Matthew Weiner and AMC.

The year off meant that AMC and Mad Men broke their streak of four consecutive Emmys for Best Drama. John Hamm, who plays Don Draper, is stepping behind the camera to direct the series 5 premier episode and Matthew Weiner says they are plotting the arc to conclude at the end of a prospective 7th season.Season five will hopefully pick up with the storyline of Don Draper proposing to his smoking hot secretary. With all the major players signed up and back in the fold, I expect nothing to be lost from the end of series four. And now, gratuitous Christina Hendricks picture:

Kim Jong Il Reaves North Korea So Ronery, Sooo Ronery

After North Korea lost their 'Great Leader', it was as if millions voices suddenly cried out in fear and then were silenced... by state-run censors. Koreans were taken by surprise and left wondering who would be batshit-crazy enough to fill Kim Jong Il's diminutive shoes.

Kim Jong Il died on 17 December, 2011 from a severe myocardial infarction in combination with a massive heart attack. The KCNA state-run news agency said, "millions were engulfed with indescribable sadness." We can safely assume they were referring either to Kim Jong Il's death or having to live in North Korea. Attention then turned to finding the 'Great Successor', but who would it be?

Then, at their winter break government PTA meeting, one man tentatively raised a hand and declared, "Me. I'm batshit crazy enough to lead these people, now someone get me my sippy cup." North Korea will have to look no further than one of Jong Il's four known sons, Kim Jong-Un, aka Un-Part-Deux.

To be fair, Kim Jong-Un does bring an impressive set of credentials to the table: He shares two out of three names in common with arguably the greatest leader in the history of the world. He is adept at slapping anyone across the face with either hand - back or forehanded. He leads the cutting edge of North Korean fashion, pioneering new shades of slate and taupe while staying a step ahead of Burberry in trench coat design. Thanks to his dedication to nutrition and agriculture, he's twice the man his father was.

Yes, Kim Jong-Un has the potential skills, but does he have the crazy intangibles that North Koreans demand of their leader? Though he has shown from an early age that he has complete disregard for anything the UN says, some worry that Un-Part-Deux won't be as irrationally angry as his father.

"Kim Jong Il would torpedo ships if weather fronts swept in from the south, but does Kim Jong-Un have enough lunacy to blow up Japan if don't send a Christmas card? I just don't know," said comrade factory worker Sum Yung Gai. "Maybe if he proclaims that his sweat cures cancer then he will have some more credibility."

For now, Kim Jong-Un has declared his birthday a national holiday, however all non-government people will still have to work/starve as usual. He's gone ahead and tossed in that any criticism of his leadership will result in extended holiday trips to re-education camps; fun! What else can he bring to the world to start defining his own brand of crazy?