This Sunday got off to a rather inauspicious start. Having DVR’d the Manchester Derby, I awoke at 9 AM downstairs to the sounds of my dad yelling at the television about how shit the referee was. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten Dad to become a City fan, so much so that he makes it a point to try to watch a lot of the matches with me when he can and that he often gets angrier at the players than I do. (“Dzeko is lazy! He doesn’t track back! Why isn’t Adam Johnson playing?”)

With that kind of alarm, I had an idea what I was about to endure when I met up with Bowie at 11 AM to watch the game over bagels - a brave, but heartbreaking loss. Chris Foy, Manchester United’s Man of the Match, managed to do what no team in England has this season and completely nullify City captain Vincent Kompany by ejecting him from the proceedings a little over 10 minutes in for making as much contact with Nani as you or I did. United had already scored once against the run of play and, with the added momentum of having City’s best defender sent off, added two more before the half. City, however, would not go quietly into the night - Kolarov scored a free kick shortly after the restart, and Aguero, who was phenomenal as the only true forward on the field for City, added a second setting up a final 20 minutes in which Manchester United, despite being up a man, hung on for dear life after having a 3 goal lead only a half hour prior. I briefly thought I had been hallucinating in the morning because I swore I heard Paul Scholes’ name coming from the TV, but there he was, his exhumed body one of the 11 trying to stop City from a historic comeback. They did, but just barely, and given the 12 on 10 advantage United enjoyed, I’ve rarely felt as good after a defeat, especially to…them.

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• Manchester City won a thriller against Newcastle. It was an incredibly entertaining game that they took control of with two goals 5 minutes in and then hung on to win 3-1. Now comes the 2011 calendar year and chasing Manchester United. Just a satisfying result and something I’ll hang my hat on as a sports fan, because right after I watched that, I watched:
• The Giants. Where do I start? Eli becoming a Favre-ian turnover machine (it was always his flaw, but never like this), the evaporation of the pass rush, the shoddy playcalling and overall coaching. It’s not quite as bad as the Mets (they’ve conditioned me to collapses), but the last 70 minutes or so of football have been inexplicably horrendous. Until the 4th quarter last week they managed to find a way to overcome their sloppiness, but it’s all exploded in their face. Yes, they can still make it, but I’m not even angry so much as stunned now, because a team that plays like that doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. I reserve the right to take that back if they back in and go on a miracle run, but I don’t much like the prospects of that at the moment. And no, I don’t know how they fix those problems, and I don’t know how much of it is coaching or players. It’s simply awful.

You heard it here first. A true powerhouse, and a likable team to boot. So what that it took five turnovers to annihilate the Giants by 10 whole points at home? Did you see Michael Vick run a couple of times? C’mon!!!!!! Unstoppable.

Eagles over Jets 27-17.

(PS I would absolutely root for the Jets in that game.)

Rangers: won.

Knicks: won.

Manchester City: won.

I feel like this might not bode well for the Giants chances tonight, a sweep is a rarity when you root for these teams.

You know, if Rex Ryan didn’t mouth off constantly about how this is “our stadium” and so many Jets fans didn’t treat this game like it meant anything it wouldn’t even merit comment, but since unfortunately neither of those things ever take place, here are the Jets highlights from the game:

1. The first pass Mark Sanchez ever throwing in the new Giants Stadium being intercepted and nearly returned for a touchdown.
2. Rex Ryan leaving his starters in two extra series and watching them fail to score a touchdown against the Giants backups.
3. Losing 31-16 after making said big deal about said meaningless game.

Great job guys! At least you can pump your chests out about giving Eli Manning a few stitches after his helmet got knocked off, although watching that idiot Fireman Ed get knocked over by a Giants fan on national TV was way funnier.