O Dio mio, another gut-wrenching, heart-breaking loss deep into the playoffs for our beloved Green Bay Packers! Last Sunday, we came back from a 14 point deficit in blinding snow to beat the Seattle Seahawks, just a beautiful win and, since Dallas was upset in Texas Stadium by the underdog NYGiants, we get to host NY at Lambeau for the Conference Champsionship game. This is a game we’re supposed to win handily, but the Pack come out shaky, cannot run the ball against super-tough NY defense and Brett looks flat. Eli Manning, #10, playing the game of his life. We keep taking him to third down and he somehow makes the play to get the first. A NY touchdown drive in the third quarter, agonizingly prolonged by a pair of third-down Green Bay penalties, eats up twelve minutes. Pack still in it, though. With score tied and two seconds on the clock, Giants have a chance to win with a field goal but the kick is wide. Game goes to OT! Packers win the toss and are handed their best chance to dodge the bullet, but, deep in our territory, Brett throws the killer pick, that dagger to the heart we’ve felt a good few times before. Brett will take you to the mountaintop, but he’ll let you down as well.

The live game aired 1800 hours U.S. time, midnight Italy time, so we waited ’til today, Monday, to hear the broadcast. Avoided looking at the Internet all morning in order to maintain suspense. I am working on brush and ink sketches, but I have to take a break as the game unfolds. My hands are shaking with tension and I cannot paint a straight line. Was a tortuous game, one I’d just as soon forget, though I know I never will.

Now the question is, will #4 Brett Favre, three-time MVP and Super Bowl champion quarterback, return to play next season? Dammit, he has to! He played one of the best seasons of his career in ’07, was hardly scratched and plus, you can’t go out on a pick, brother! I’m begging you Brett- give us one more….