Vantagepoint34
Master Don Juan
First picks for the Superbowl.
First would be the Broncos
Followed closely by the Ravens. Any takers?
First would be the Broncos
Followed closely by the Ravens. Any takers?
She says the movie looks dumb; you suddenly agree. She tests you with a little attitude; you apologize for nothing.
You think you're being easy to get along with. She reads something else entirely: a man with no edges. Nothing to hold on to. No friction, no tension, no reason to wonder what he really thinks.
The "22 Rules" taught me to push back — playfully, calmly, without needing her approval. Strange things happened after that.
Three seconds. That's how long it took. Your shoes. Your posture. The way you held your drink. Whether you looked at the floor or looked at her.
She already filed you away. Interesting. Boring. Safe. Bold. Before you even opened your mouth.
Everything you say after that is just her confirming what she already decided.
So stop rehearsing lines. Fix the first three seconds. Stand tall. Look up. Smile like you mean it. Walk like you belong wherever you're standing.
The words come later. The impression comes first.
Man on Fire said:Kaepernick gets hot in the playoffs. 49ers beat Broncos
Are we forgetting the game of games. Where the Colts ended the streak.Espi said:I'm not betting on ANYONE to beat Seattle in their stadium during the playoffs.
Denver is the obvious choice in the AFC, but Manning has a history of choking versus NE. I'm assuming that the Patriots will have to play Denver at Mile High--that's the ONLY reason I'm picking the Broncos for the Super Bowl.
I won't be surprised, though, to see NE return to the Super Bowl. They can beat Denver on the road.
Broncos 35
Seahawks 31
Espi said:That was a plus-1 in favor of Manning. A BIG plus because Indi got to the Super Bowl.
But...that was at home; and they barely squeaked by. He choked many a time beforehand. Beaten rather decisively by the Patriots both in NE and in Indianapolis.
And it happened again this year. Against the Patriots.
He's a great quarterback, but let's remember that he has ONE Super Bowl ring.
His brother has 2. Both against NE, by the way.
I'm just not 100% confident in him beating the Patriots. They've had his number for years.
She calls you when her car breaks down. When she needs help moving. When some guy she's actually dating treats her badly.
You're the listener. The reliable one. The guy who would treat her so much better, if she'd just open her eyes.
She won't. You trained her to see you as the low-effort option — the friend who requires zero risk and zero investment. Every favor dug the hole deeper.
The "22 Rules" break the pattern. You'll stop auditioning for a role she already cast and become the man she chases instead. It starts with Rule 1.
You paid for dinner. You drove. You said "whatever you want is fine" every single time. All the effort, no expectations.
And she left anyway — probably for a guy who makes her pick up the pizza.
Painful. Also predictable. Her mind quietly concludes that anything requiring zero effort from her is worth exactly zero. You became a free sample, and free samples get taken for granted.
The 22 Rules flip the dynamic. Small shifts that get her investing effort, money, and time in you — until SHE'S the one afraid of losing YOU.
CHICAGO27 said:The two obvious picks would be the Broncos and the Seahawks.
Some other teams to watch
I would never count out the Pats. They always seem to find a way to win postseason games. The Niners will be a tough out too. If the Packers can somehow sneak in they could be a sleeper.
You are totally right EspiEspi said:I don't know.
I personally measure a quarterback's legend on the number of Super Bowls he has won. That's supposedly what they play for right? (Besides the money!).
Well that game sucked. Even if we beat Green Bay, we don't deserve to be in the playoffs. 32nd ranked rush defense? We're the Bears FFS, defense is #1.CHICAGO27 said:I think Chicago is doing a disservice by starting Cutler. I don't think they are going to win in PHL this weekend.
She calls you when her car breaks down. When she needs help moving. When some guy she's actually dating treats her badly.
You're the listener. The reliable one. The guy who would treat her so much better, if she'd just open her eyes.
She won't. You trained her to see you as the low-effort option — the friend who requires zero risk and zero investment. Every favor dug the hole deeper.
The "22 Rules" break the pattern. You'll stop auditioning for a role she already cast and become the man she chases instead. It starts with Rule 1.
Arizona has always had good potential. I'd put them right up there with the Colts and the team from Washington.Espi said:--Looking more and more like a NE-Denver showdown. Will probably be another classic Brady-Manning showdown.
--Was very surprised to see Arizona beat Seattle in Seattle. It'll be interesting to see how the Seahawks bounce back. The late season loss could wreak havoc on their psyche.
--SF over Atlanta got away with one.
--Not convinced that Carolina is for real. Yet.
Let's go Seahawks!vantagepoint said:Arizona has always had good potential. I'd put them right up there with the Colts and the team from Washington.
^^^Boom!Peaks&Valleys said:Chargers Niners. Book it.
What I can tell you is the Chargers have been a great team since the Jets beat them in the playoffs not too long ago. They have what it takes. We'll see if the Niners can do it. I will tell you this I'm putting all my money on the Colts. They really have what it takes.Peaks&Valleys said:
That sentence contains at least five follow-up questions she WANTS you to ask. Where in Florida? What brought you here? How long have you been in the area? What do you miss? How does it compare to here?
She handed them to you on a silver platter. And you said, "Oh cool. I come here every week. I love this band. Ummm... pretty crowded tonight."
She smiled politely. Nodded. And never texted you back.
I was that guy for years. Talking too much. Listening too little. Panicking about my next sentence while she was literally feeding me the answers.
Then I found 22 rules that fixed the whole thing. Rule number one: shut up and listen. She'll tell you exactly what to say.