Sunday will be the first-ever* matchup between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are two of the leading MVP candidates in the NFL this season.  Rodgers has 30 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions while guiding the Packers to an 8-3 record.  Meanwhile Brady has tossed 26 TDs and just 6 INTs for the 9-2 Patriots.  Amazingly, tomorrow's contest will be the first time these two superstars battle head-to-head--sort of.

Patriots at Packers on Sunday will mark first time Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers start against each other
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 25, 2014

Brady and Rodgers at the Kentucky Derby last May.

New England and Green Bay met just once in the previous seven seasons, a 31-27 Pats' victory in 2010 when Matt Flynn filled in for an injured Rodgers.

But, the asterisk in the above title and the phrase "start against each other" in the tweet mean that Brady and Rodgers have technically played each other once before.

In 2006 Brady and the Patriots blew out a Brett Favre Packers team 35-0 at Lambeau Field.  However, Favre left the game with an elbow injury late in the first half.  Rodgers entered and went 4-for-12 for 32 yards in just his fifth-ever NFL appearance.


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New York's four NFL and NBA teams have a combined record of 15-37

NFL:
New York Giants: 3-8 (.273)
New York Jets: 2-9 (.182)

NBA:
New York Knicks: 4-12 (.250)
Brooklyn Nets: 6-8 (.429)
_______________

Total: 15-37 (.288)

And if you throw out the Nets because it doesn't say "New York" in front of them, that record drops to 9-29 (.237).

Meanwhile, former embattled Jet quarterback Mark Sanchez of all people just led the Philadelphia Eagles to a blowout win over the Cowboys and first place in the NFC East at 9-3.

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Blog highlights from Thanksgivings past

Thanksgiving Day two years ago gave us the worst play in NFL history.

Here is the most depressing Thanksgiving commercial ever.

On the other hand, here's one of the funniest Thanksgiving commercials I can remember (although it isn't real).


Enjoy your Turkey Day!  And just in case there's not enough...




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Honda's Skeletor ad is genius, brings to mind epic 1980s He-Man commercials

I'm not planning to purchase a Honda for Christmas (who would ever buy a car because of a commercial anyway?), but this He-Man and Skeletor ad is great:



The part at the end when they have the original He-Man and Battle Cat toy just sitting there behind the car cracks me up:

And that got me remembering Masters of the Universe ads from my youth:



I forgot how important Mattel thought it was to tell you that A) you had to build the castle yourself, and B) you had to buy each toy separately.


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The NFL should install a fantasy app for your TV that displays the name of players with the ball

I got this idea from a Bill Simmons B.S. Report podcast (just after the 38-minute mark), but they didn't fully develop it.

A huge percentage of people watch NFL football on TV these days with their fantasy teams in mind.  Often it's difficult to figure out right away if your guy is the one who made a play.  For example, the Denver Broncos have a pair of receivers named Thomas, Julius (No. 80) and Demaryius (No. 88).  Half of the Arizona Cardinals players who touch the ball have long hair covering the names on their backs.  At first glance it can be very hard to tell who's who.

Here's my solution: A "fantasy app" that immediately puts a label above the player who has the ball.  It would be built in to all NFL television broadcasts, and you would have the option to turn it on or off whenever you like--just like closed captioning.

RELATED: I wish fantasy football had a "bench alternate" you could sub in after the fact

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Predicting the Red Sox batting order next year

Discussing who stands where...

If I was the manager of the Boston Red Sox, here's the batting order I think I'd be leaning towards putting out there for Opening Day 2015:

1. Mookie Betts - Center Field
2. Dustin Pedroia - Second Base
3. Pablo Sandoval - Third Base
4. David Ortiz - Designated Hitter
5. Yoenis Cespedes - Left Field
6. Hanley Ramirez - Shortstop
7. Mike Napoli - First Base
8. Rusney Castillo - Right Field
9. Shane Victorino - Right Center Field
10. Daniel Nava - Left Center Field
11. Allen Craig - Deep First Base
12. Xander Bogaerts - Deep Shortstop
13. Will Middlebrooks - Deep Third Base
14. Brock Holt - Deep Second Base
15. Jackie Bradley Jr. - Shallow Center Field
16. Christian Vazquez - Catcher

The top half of that lineup will just murder opposing pitchers.  I am a little concerned about the lack of power in the 14, 15 and 16 spots though.  However, the defense this club should be able to play will more than make up for that.  Good luck getting on base against a team starting six outfielders and backups across the infield.


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Awesome Old Song of the Week: "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money

Take Me Home Tonight hit No. 4 on the Billboard charts in 1986.  I'm not sure what it is exactly, but there's something about the chorus that just gets you.



When the movie of the same title came out a few years ago, I thought it was going to be huge.  But it seemed to come and go without much fanfare, and I never even saw it.

I forgot about it completely until recently when I happened to notice it on TV as I was going to sleep one night.  I only lasted through the first half-hour or so, but I'm going to make a point to find it again and watch it, it seemed to have promise.

Topher Grace is a better actor than people give him credit for, and I'm a big fan of the blond actress Teresa Palmer from Warm Bodies, I Am Number 4, and The Sorcerers Apprentice.

Yes, I actually saw all three of those...


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