DCSportsChick.com: I got your destiny right here

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Although both the Giants and Eagles currently control their own destinies towards making the playoffs, a loss here could prove fatal to either team down the road.

Allentown (PA) Morning Call: The Eagles are not only still alive in the hunt for the NFC East title, they actually control their own destiny because they can win the title with a sweep of their remaining three games: at the New York Giants; at Dallas; and home vs. Atlanta.

Newsday: The key phrase, as far as the Giants' playoff hopes go, is this: controlling one's destiny. The Giants still control their fate, even after a four-game losing streak in which they lost in four different ways and seemed to be falling apart.

VikingUpdate.com: While the Vikings might be kicking themselves for not coming away with a November win against the Packers, 49ers or Dolphins, they still realistically control their own destiny.

The players are even buying into this garbage:

DallasCowboys.com: Parcells said he'd rather play NFC contenders late in the season instead of hoping for help from other teams. "Because that way, if you knock everybody off, you control your own destiny," linebacker Kevin Burnett said.

SDBoltReport.com: "Now we have three divisional games at home," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We control our own destiny. That's all we can ask for is to let it be in our hands."

What exactly is destiny? Let us consult the old standby, Merriam-Webster's:

Main Entry: des·ti·ny
Pronunciation: 'des-t&-nE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -nies
Etymology: Middle English destinee, from Anglo-French, from feminine of destiné, past participle of destiner
1 : something to which a person or thing is destined : FORTUNE destiny>
2 : a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency
synonym see FATE

"A predetermined course of events"- that says it all. It's this simple: if it's destiny, you can't change it. You can control your own density, perhaps, but not destiny. I appreciate that players are trying to get the message across that they want to work hard and win, but this phrase makes me want to scream because of its complete and utter wrongness. I know it's easy to turn to cute little phrases, but wouldn't it be nice if these guys had a brain cell or two to come up with something on their own? I guess that's their destiny.

DCSportsChick.com

"This ticket doesn't just give me a seat, it also gives me the right- no, the duty!- to make a complete ass of myself." -Homer J. Simpson