S(WINE) FLU: ESPN'S GREENBERG SAYS DOLPHINS WILL RUN BALL DOWN SAINTS THROATS

Only a fool or a donkey tries the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

Alas it should come as no surprise that on Friday morning, ESPN morning show co-host Mike Greenberg picked the Miami Dolphins, a 6 1/2 point underdog to the New Orleans Saints, to win straight-up on Sunday in Miami.

Of course, Greenberg made this pick on tape because he can't seem to kick a minor case of the sniffles. A runny nose.

Last week, Greenie the Weenie laughed openly at Vegas oddsmakers for making the Saints a 3 point favorite over the New York Giants and, well, we all saw what happened in that one.

And now another Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock big guy, the Miami Dolphins will stuff their wildcat offense right down the Saints' defense throats and not only cover the spread but win straight up! A STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK!!!!!!!

Got news for ya' Greenie. Your Wife isn't the only one who thinks you're an idiot. Ha ha ha....Yuk....Yuk....Yuk....Give me another Miller Lite....ha ha ha....LOL.....

Yeah, seems ole' Greenie can't kick his latest case of the whine flu. When they turned the microphones on Friday morning, Eric Casillias was sitting in the ailing Greenberg's chair.

"This was supposed to be my only day off. I get a call late last night that Mike Greenberg isn't coming in again," said Casillias. "I'm not saying Greenie's soft or anything but this is the second day he's missed this week with what in reality is nothing more than a case of the sniffles."

Other ESPN insiders again wondered aloud about the sickly Greenberg's durability. "Does this guy ever suck it up? You have to wonder," said one executive requesting anonymity.

Greenberg's lack of mental toughness called to mind a story I remember vividly as a young fan of a Southern Mississippi QB named Brett Favre.

"On July 14, 1990, before the start of Favre's senior year of college, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident. When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree.

It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated to the hospital. In the ambulance, his mother was sitting with him. "All I kept asking [her] was 'Will I be able to play football again?'" Favre recalled later.

Doctors would later remove 30 inches of Favre's small intestine. Six weeks after this incident, on September 8, Favre led Southern Miss to a comeback victory over Alabama. Alabama coach Gene Stallings said, "You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."

By contrast, Greenberg continues to whine like a baby and miss work over a runny nose. I'm no doctor and do not profess to possess any medical expertise- any physician reading this feel free to chirp in- but I'm guessing nothing more than a couple of sudafeds would cure what ails this Saints hater.

My friend Sue the Packer fan expressed shock and disbelief at Greenberg's ongoing saga.

"In Jan. of '86 I was riding a what they call green horse - a horse with limited training. Anyway they put me on this horse and I was jumping fences. I was just going to jump a in and out ( two fences with just one stride between. in other words the horse jumps one fence, lands and jumps the next one.)"

" I was holding her back until I saw the right spot or take off point. She wasn't listening to me and took off sooner than I wanted her to. Caught me off balance and I fell off. They took off my riding boot and my ankle blew up. I drove home in the dead of winter, driving with my left foot and no boot on."

"I only missed one day of work. Manager asked me why I was back at work and I told him because if I wasn't there, that would create more work for my co-workers, etc and we wouldn't be giving good customer service. I also helped with moving into a new house even though I could barely walk and was in extreme pain."

" I sucked it up even though I was in a lot of pain. Hey Greenie what's your excuse? "

A former co-worker of mine, a good ole' Cajun from down on the Bayou named Billy Ed, slipped in the shower one Monday night and broke several ribs. By Friday, he was back on the job.

When I relayed to him Greenberg's story, he said, "where I'm from down in Cajun country, we used to call guys like that sweet"

LOL.....ha ha ha ha.....yuk...yuk...yuk....give me another Miller Lite ole' boy....

And so America asks once again in a voice stentorian: 

Hey Greenie what's your excuse???!!!