Sean B. Fitzgerald It doesn’t go something like this, it goes exactly like this.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Because of my borderline obsession with all things sports, I have a very different viewing experience than many others who watch them on a casual level. Usually, people will head on over to a sports bar or a friends house to watch the big game. They chat, eat delicious food, and half-watch will mingling with everyone else. It's a lovely time. These people demonstrate a healthy relationship with something they enjoy. And these people will be showcasing their healthy relationship with sports this Sunday as they head on over to the sports bars and friends houses to watch the AFC and NFC Championships.

Not me.

If you'd like to reach me between the hours of 3:00pm and 10:00pm this Sunday, I'll be in my dark basement, seven feet from my television, sweating, yelling, and possibly crying all by myself as I suffer through the championship games. More importantly, the AFC Championship game between the Colts and Jets of which I have vested interest as you know.

I can't watch mid-summer baseball games with casual fans, let alone games of importance. Actually, casual fans are alright. At least the ones who admit their ignorance. And die-hard fans can empathize with me here when I say that there is nothing worse than watching a game with someone who pretends to know what they're talking about.

"That Peyton Manning has got like 3 or 4 Super Bowls"

"Jets are probably happy Mark Sanchez left Florida"

"I've been the biggest Jets fan forever"

No! No you haven't! Not ever! That Mark Sanchez jersey you're wearing was purchased a few days ago! You didn't even take off the tag!

I know I sound like a whiny, know-it-all sports fan, but I earned it to behave this way. I may not be old enough to have appreciated how terrible the Jets were during the Lou Holtz, Joe Walton, Pete Carroll, Rich Kotite, and Al Groh eras, but I've suffered enough. I have a full emotional stake in this team. It's as if the Yankees fielded a football team. I've rooted for this team for as long as I understood the rules (still learning actually). And I was lucky enough to attend the final game at the Meadowlands. A game which secured the Jets spot in the playoffs.

Cue win against the Bengals.

Cue win against the Chargers

And now we're here. And by "we" I mean real Jets fans. Not the ones who suddenly can't think of the Jets head coach's name. Or the ones who look to everyone else to know when to cheer. Those people are the reason why I watch games by myself. Because I can't keep constantly correcting your false statements, or fighting back scowls as you say "We did it!" I'd rather make a big bowl of chili, sit on my couch, and watch the game in my dark basement with my dad.

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Anywho, I've resisted the urge to make predictions in the past because well, they're pointless. Especially from me. Because 90% of the time, I have no idea who's going to win. And that's what makes sports great. Unpredictability. Just ask George Mason, the 1980 U.S. Hockey team, Villanova, 1969 Jets, and the Marlins (not the professional team, my little league team that came out of nowhere to beat the heavily favored Athletics in the 1998 Nanuet Little League Championship).

Honestly, I didn't think the Jets would beat the Bengals or the Chargers. I thought Sanchez would make a few mistakes that would ultimately cost them. Excluding the pick he threw last Sunday, he has yet to do so. They've stuck to what they do best: run. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene pounded the defensive line of Cincinnati and San Diego into submission. And I expect them to do the same against the Colts who are ranked 32nd against the run. They will do their best to keep the ball out of Sanchez's hands and on the ground.

Obviously, the key to this game will be Peyton Manning. In fact, any game he is in, he is the key. Arguably the greatest quarterback who has ever lived and smarter than any coach on the sideline (except Rex. Wink). We all know the Jets will blitz hard more than 50% of the time, but Manning is better against the blitz than anyone in the sport. He targets his receivers quickly and releases before pass rushers have a chance to get to him. That's why the Colts have only given up 10 sacks this season. In short: he's the exact opposite of Curtis Painter.

So if the Jets want to win this Sunday, they'll have to do exactly what they did against the Bengals and Chargers. Hang in long enough until the running attack starts racking up yards. If you don't remember, the Jets fell behind to both teams early and continued to run the ball even when it showed no effectiveness. Eventually, cracks started to appear in the defense and Shonn Greene found them.

Over the past week I've been saying to everyone, "Right now, It's all gravy". As in, "I'm happy with what the Jets have accomplished this season, I'll be content regardless of the outcome". Which is an outright lie. True, it's fantastic that they have made it this far with a rookie head coach, a rookie quarterback, and a rookie running back. It would seem they have many years of success ahead of them. But it's not guaranteed. Shonn Greene can tear his ACL. Mark Sanchez can turn into JaMarcus Russell. And Rex Ryan could suffer an enormous heart attack (a legitimate possibility). And while I pray to God these things don't happen, it still illustrates my point. We only have the here and now. Nothing is promised. Remarkably, they are here now. God I hope they win.

And there is some NFC Championship game going on afterwards. My interest in that game will obviously hinge on whether the Jets win or not. Prediction for that game: Saints win and Brett Favre throws a pick to seal it in the fourth quarter. Write it down!