This is a self-important post but anytime I get my name splattered somewhere near actually employed sports writers, it's something of an accomplishment for me. A couple weeks ago ESPN The Magazine contacted me about blurbing on various NFL related propositions. I disagreed with virtually every prop, though in defense against claims of depressing cynicism leveled at me, they were propositions on which we were asked to agree or disagree. I'm a gambler, not an especially good one, and approached the questions as a probability analysis. You hand me a team, any team, and say "This team will win the Super Bowl" and my answer will almost invariably be: I'll take the field. Dynasties aside, the NFL, by its nature, is pretty difficult to predict and on any given year 31 teams have a better chance at beating 1 team for the Super Bowl. NFL propositions that assert ultra specific predictions are almost always wrong.

The trip here is that ESPN The Magazine published the responses of a number of people in a segment they called:

FACT CHECK: THE 2008-2009 NFL SEASON

The predictions below are bound to come true, right? Not so fast.

You can go find out what these propositions are at the site. The great news is that my two answers published happened to find their way immediately under the suffocating opinioning of Jay Mariotti of Around the Horn fame. See for yourself:

THE GIANTS WILL WIN MORE THAN 10 GAMES

"In a rough division, no. The Giants aren't even the best team in Giants Stadium this year." - JAY MARIOTTI, most recently of THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES

"Disagree. I see them as a 7-9 win football team in the regular season. Even if we included the postseason, I'd still be betting on the higher end of expectation and the increased difficulty of a postseason win. If I had to settle on a number I'd say they win 8 regular season games." - WILL ALLENSWORTH, HOGS HAVEN

Tony Reali, I'm available. And by available I mean unemployed.