The Super Bowl is fast approaching, and as much as it kills me that I'll be in Oklahoma while the game is a mile from my house, I also know how traffic works in the DFW area.
Never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness I'll be in Oklahoma.
Plus, I'm glad I won't have to see the Metroplex be taken over by Steelers fans. It still shocks me that any Cowboy fan could pick the Steelers over the Cardinals a few years ago, but to choose the Steelers this year would require that fan turning in their Cowboys fan card for good.
Why? Just in case you haven't turned on ESPN during a Super Bowl week ever, I'll go ahead and explain it.
I don't choose the Steelers simply because they now have one more Super Bowl ring than the Cowboys. If they win against the Packers in two weeks, they'll have two more rings than my beloved Cowboys.
With all of that said, here are my three reasons why the Packers will win Super Bowl 45.
The Arm
Aaron Rodgers is becoming a top 5 quarterback in the league. Not only did he finish the regular season with a 101.2 passer rating, but he also has a 109.2 rating in the postseason. The list of the quarterback's he's beating? Maybe a few guys you've heard of... Manning, Brees, Brady, Sanchez, and the man he'll line up against in the Super Bowl, Ben Roethlisberger who ranks #10 on the list with a 75.5 passer rating.
The Surprise
James Starkes... Who? The 6th round draft pick has exploded onto the post-season scene, and no one even saw it coming. After being activated from the Unable To Perform list on November 9th, Starkes has hit his stride. After rushing for just 101 yards in 3 games in the regular season (his high of 73 yards coming against the 49ers), Starkes has rushed for 263 yards in 3 games, which averages out to 87.7 yards per game.
The Hair
Pittsburgh has their beloved Troy Polamalu, but the Packers not only match that hair-do, but they also raise it one. Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk line up at two of the linebacker sports for Green Bay, and play with more intensity than most players in the NFL. Not only was Matthews named the Sporting News Defensive Player Of The Year, but he's also used to being told he can't do something. Coming out of high school, the only colleges interested were small junior colleges. He decided to go to USC and try to walk on, which he did. Four years, three special team player of the year awards, and a starting position at Outside Linebacker, and Matthews had made a name for himself. So although he's going up against what's thought of as the best defense and linebacker crew in the league, I don't think it will phase him too much.
Plus, Matthews just signed a one year deal with Suave shampoo. Compare this to Polamalu signing with Head and Shoulders. This bit of information made me even more comfortable with my pick of Green Bay in the Super Bowl... Head and Shoulders never really worked for me.
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and PACKERS!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Creepy Similarities To 2005 National Championship...
Cam Newton has gotten a bit heavier since his last game against South Carolina.
Not in body weight, of course, but in all of the hardware he picked up during Awards Week.
The Heisman Winner comes into tonights game as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in College Football History. But he still has one more game to worry about before he can set all of those trophy's out on the mantle.
Auburn comes into tonight's BCS National Championship as the Number 1 ranked team in America, but they're lining up across from what might be the most complete team in College Football history.
Cue The Flashback
Vince Young came into the 2005 National Championship against Southern Cal as what many considered a "One Man Team"
During the game, Vince Young slowly began to take over. By the time the final horn sounded, he was lifting the trophy and conducting the Longhorn Marching Band, and would soon learn how to throw a football with a boulder of a National Championship ring on his finger.
Tonight, Cam Newton comes in with that same "One Man Team" attitude. It's different from a Kobe Bryant type feel, as everything in football runs through the quarterback. Instead, Newton just performs better than any other quarterback in the nation in just about every aspect of the game. Whether it's running, passing, or just being a leader, Newton has taken over the Auburn Tiger football team, and it's gotten them pretty far.
But the old idea of Teamwork can't go without mention. Oregon has dismantled just about every opponent this year, whether it's striking on the ground, through the air, or in any special team situation. Oregon combines speed with brilliance, and portrays one of the best shows ever seen on turf.
Tonight, it will come down to who can do it longer. With Oregon's preparation and physical ability, I can see them simply outrunning the Tigers. However, if it was only based on the facts, then what's the point in playing the game?
Sit down and relax as you watch what I believe will be one of the greatest games to have ever be played in College Football. Set the tivo and heat up the hot chocolate and popcorn, and prepare to rewind as you scream "NO WAY, DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
That's all I've got for tonight, Go Ducks!
Not in body weight, of course, but in all of the hardware he picked up during Awards Week.
The Heisman Winner comes into tonights game as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in College Football History. But he still has one more game to worry about before he can set all of those trophy's out on the mantle.
Auburn comes into tonight's BCS National Championship as the Number 1 ranked team in America, but they're lining up across from what might be the most complete team in College Football history.
Cue The Flashback
Vince Young came into the 2005 National Championship against Southern Cal as what many considered a "One Man Team"
During the game, Vince Young slowly began to take over. By the time the final horn sounded, he was lifting the trophy and conducting the Longhorn Marching Band, and would soon learn how to throw a football with a boulder of a National Championship ring on his finger.
Tonight, Cam Newton comes in with that same "One Man Team" attitude. It's different from a Kobe Bryant type feel, as everything in football runs through the quarterback. Instead, Newton just performs better than any other quarterback in the nation in just about every aspect of the game. Whether it's running, passing, or just being a leader, Newton has taken over the Auburn Tiger football team, and it's gotten them pretty far.
But the old idea of Teamwork can't go without mention. Oregon has dismantled just about every opponent this year, whether it's striking on the ground, through the air, or in any special team situation. Oregon combines speed with brilliance, and portrays one of the best shows ever seen on turf.
Tonight, it will come down to who can do it longer. With Oregon's preparation and physical ability, I can see them simply outrunning the Tigers. However, if it was only based on the facts, then what's the point in playing the game?
Sit down and relax as you watch what I believe will be one of the greatest games to have ever be played in College Football. Set the tivo and heat up the hot chocolate and popcorn, and prepare to rewind as you scream "NO WAY, DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
That's all I've got for tonight, Go Ducks!
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 In Review; Hold The Cheesiness
2010 was a great year in the sports world. I'll skip the lengthy, suspense-building introduction, and jump right into it. Here are the 5 biggest sports stories of the year from my view, and my thoughts about them.
#5: Roy Halladay's No-Hitter In The Playoffs
I'm usually not big on personal performances, but Roy Halladay shutting down the Cincinnati Red's lineup in the first game of the NLDS was phenomenal. It is absolutely amazing to throw a no-hitter in a regular season game, but to do it in the playoffs is ridiculous. Ridiculous because there's so much pressure to perform, that some guy's collapse under it. And to add to that, not only did Roy Halladay have to start the series by pitching Game 1, but it was also Game 1 of his playoff experience. That's right, his first time to ever pitch in the playoffs and he doesn't give up a single error. I don't think "impressive" quite describes Halladay's feat.
#4: LeBron James and "The Decision
Just another reason that I don't prefer the NBA. LeBron James, looked at by some as the greatest player on earth, and others as the biggest diva in the league, needed an hour on television to announce his decision on where he'd play in 2010 and on. Fan's still ask why the TV special was necessary, and there's only one explanation: LeBron James wouldn't have it any other way. When you've been the best player on every court you've ever played on, it would be hard to fit your titanic ego on that same court. LeBron wants the publicity (see his comments on issues that don't even have indirect ties to basketball.) For some reason, he has to have his name in the news every day, and it doesn't look like it will come to an end anytime soon. I'd love for the Mav's to win every game this year, but it would be as much of a positive to me to see the Heat lose every game after that.
#3: Landon Donovan's Game Winner
Team USA entered the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a decently strong team. However, they were matched up against England in the first game, which didn't look good. After England Goalie, Robert Green, has a mishap in goal to give USA the 1-1 tie, USA started eying the tournament that occurs after pool play. It came down to Team USA getting a win against Algeria, and they went in confident. After a few questionable calls from the referee's and USA looking gassed towards the end of the game, the climax came on a final run by Team USA. Goalkeeper Tim Howard made a great save, and launched the ball down the right side of the field. After Donovan dribbled and passed off the ball, he fell back and watched. Little did he know, the ball would bounce off the goalie, and land perfectly in front of the goal. All he had to do was tap the ball in, and in doing so he sent the entire United States soccer world into an insane celebration (as seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w ).
#2: College Football
Usually this would be the #1 choice, but it got knocked out this year. How could any fan not have loved this college football season? Traditional powers like OU, Florida, Alabama,Nebraska, and USC struggled. Team's that were usually mid-ranked shot to the top like Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina, Washington, and Oklahoma State (You know I couldn't leave them out!) It was every anti-BCS fan's dream of a season. Look nowhere else than the SEC. Coming into the year, 95% of America would have agreed that they'd be seeing the Crimson Tide face off against the Florida Gators when the regular season ended. But look what happened, Auburn vs. South Carolina? Uhh... What? Mizzou knocked off OU, Texas struggled with seemingly everything, Boise State beat Virginia Tech, and Nevada played a game that no one will ever forget against that same Boise team. College football in 2010 was awesome, terrible, stressful, or amazing depending on what team you call your own, and hopefully we're one step closer to seeing a daing college football playoff system! (Yes, Mark Cuban, that was directed at you, pull out that checkbook.)
#1: The Texas Rangers
Now you can see why College Football got knocked off. This was the best year for Texas Ranger Baseball in franchise history. Possibly the most famous Texas Ranger purchased the team, the front office brought in one of the best pitchers in the league and in playoff history, and the Rangers were actually a blast to watch. This was the first year I've actually stressed about each and every game that the Rangers played, starting from opening day when I listened to the Rangers win in walk-off fashion against the Blue Jay's. Not only did they make it to the World Series, but the highlight of my year was to see them beat the Yankee's in 6. And not only that, but actually being there for Game 2 of the ALCS against those Yankee's, and seeing the Rangers win their first ever home playoff game in person. With baseball, you never know when a season like this could happen again, so you probably won't hear the end of it from me anytime soon. After all, the Phillie's, Yanks, and Red Sox are building All-Star teams, so who knows if we'll ever even be able to say the phrase "World Series" again in the next few years.
That's all I've got. It's been a great sports year, and I'm just as excited about this coming year as I am impressed with this past year. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and wish you a Happy and Safe New Year.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboy's!
#5: Roy Halladay's No-Hitter In The Playoffs
I'm usually not big on personal performances, but Roy Halladay shutting down the Cincinnati Red's lineup in the first game of the NLDS was phenomenal. It is absolutely amazing to throw a no-hitter in a regular season game, but to do it in the playoffs is ridiculous. Ridiculous because there's so much pressure to perform, that some guy's collapse under it. And to add to that, not only did Roy Halladay have to start the series by pitching Game 1, but it was also Game 1 of his playoff experience. That's right, his first time to ever pitch in the playoffs and he doesn't give up a single error. I don't think "impressive" quite describes Halladay's feat.
#4: LeBron James and "The Decision
Just another reason that I don't prefer the NBA. LeBron James, looked at by some as the greatest player on earth, and others as the biggest diva in the league, needed an hour on television to announce his decision on where he'd play in 2010 and on. Fan's still ask why the TV special was necessary, and there's only one explanation: LeBron James wouldn't have it any other way. When you've been the best player on every court you've ever played on, it would be hard to fit your titanic ego on that same court. LeBron wants the publicity (see his comments on issues that don't even have indirect ties to basketball.) For some reason, he has to have his name in the news every day, and it doesn't look like it will come to an end anytime soon. I'd love for the Mav's to win every game this year, but it would be as much of a positive to me to see the Heat lose every game after that.
#3: Landon Donovan's Game Winner
Team USA entered the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a decently strong team. However, they were matched up against England in the first game, which didn't look good. After England Goalie, Robert Green, has a mishap in goal to give USA the 1-1 tie, USA started eying the tournament that occurs after pool play. It came down to Team USA getting a win against Algeria, and they went in confident. After a few questionable calls from the referee's and USA looking gassed towards the end of the game, the climax came on a final run by Team USA. Goalkeeper Tim Howard made a great save, and launched the ball down the right side of the field. After Donovan dribbled and passed off the ball, he fell back and watched. Little did he know, the ball would bounce off the goalie, and land perfectly in front of the goal. All he had to do was tap the ball in, and in doing so he sent the entire United States soccer world into an insane celebration (as seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w ).
#2: College Football
Usually this would be the #1 choice, but it got knocked out this year. How could any fan not have loved this college football season? Traditional powers like OU, Florida, Alabama,Nebraska, and USC struggled. Team's that were usually mid-ranked shot to the top like Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina, Washington, and Oklahoma State (You know I couldn't leave them out!) It was every anti-BCS fan's dream of a season. Look nowhere else than the SEC. Coming into the year, 95% of America would have agreed that they'd be seeing the Crimson Tide face off against the Florida Gators when the regular season ended. But look what happened, Auburn vs. South Carolina? Uhh... What? Mizzou knocked off OU, Texas struggled with seemingly everything, Boise State beat Virginia Tech, and Nevada played a game that no one will ever forget against that same Boise team. College football in 2010 was awesome, terrible, stressful, or amazing depending on what team you call your own, and hopefully we're one step closer to seeing a daing college football playoff system! (Yes, Mark Cuban, that was directed at you, pull out that checkbook.)
#1: The Texas Rangers
Now you can see why College Football got knocked off. This was the best year for Texas Ranger Baseball in franchise history. Possibly the most famous Texas Ranger purchased the team, the front office brought in one of the best pitchers in the league and in playoff history, and the Rangers were actually a blast to watch. This was the first year I've actually stressed about each and every game that the Rangers played, starting from opening day when I listened to the Rangers win in walk-off fashion against the Blue Jay's. Not only did they make it to the World Series, but the highlight of my year was to see them beat the Yankee's in 6. And not only that, but actually being there for Game 2 of the ALCS against those Yankee's, and seeing the Rangers win their first ever home playoff game in person. With baseball, you never know when a season like this could happen again, so you probably won't hear the end of it from me anytime soon. After all, the Phillie's, Yanks, and Red Sox are building All-Star teams, so who knows if we'll ever even be able to say the phrase "World Series" again in the next few years.
That's all I've got. It's been a great sports year, and I'm just as excited about this coming year as I am impressed with this past year. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and wish you a Happy and Safe New Year.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboy's!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Deck The Halls With Dirty Money, Fa La La.....
The bowl season is in full-swing, and what can beat lounging out on the couch with some buddies and watching two teams go at it on a neutral field in front of 10,000 people?
So maybe I hyped it up a little bit just to have a drop off there at the end, but I do love bowl season just because it gives me another chance to watch my favorite sport, College Football. One likes to think that while watching this sport, the athletes are pure and honest.
However, word from Columbus, Ohio is that there's another chapter in the book of "Cheating"
To the NCAA, the cheating going on is receiving improper benefits from their schools or others around them. But the situation at Ohio State doesn't look wrong to me.
Terrell Pryor sold his own 2008 Big Ten Championship ring. The ring was put in his ownership, why is he not allowed to do what he wants with it? If he wants to hop over to Niagara Falls and throw it off the top, what's wrong with that? It's HIS property.
I know plenty of players in the NCAA that are on full ride scholarships, but come from lower class backgrounds. The argument is "These players don't have to pay for school, they should have plenty of money from home to cover any spending money they need."
In reality, most of those players do have that cash flow from home. But for those players who don't, what are they supposed to do?
Pick up a part time job? The average college football team spends a lot of time on physical workouts alone. When I say physical workouts, I also factor in the time it takes to prepare for those workouts, drive to the field, and the time it takes after practice until they get back to their living arrangement. In High School, I spent three to for hours on this, I can't imagine what they do at the college level. On top of that, you have film, you have your whole Saturday taken away for games, your whole Friday taken for away games, and Sunday's for post-game weight lifting and film. Oh, and don't forget about those pesky classes they fit between all of that.
So after all of that, where's the time for a job? How is a player supposed to earn any money at all? Granted, the schools do provide mealplans and dorms if the players want them, but they don't pay for taking the girlfriend out for a night on the town, going to catch the latest installment of their favorite movie at the theater, and they sure don't help them out when it's time to buy Christmas presents for the entire family in December.
So with that said, why can't the players make money off of the property given to them? I would say that it definitely needs to be regulated (i.e. walking off the field and selling everything they're wearing to the crowd of people waiting.) But to sell their jersey, in A.J. Green's case, or their championship ring, in the Ohio State case, what's wrong with it?
Let the athletes protect their wellbeing and financial situation. Regulate it to some degree, but let the athletes do what they want with their property and the things that they've earned through years of playing and practicing, and countless hours representing the school they play for.
That's all for this post, I'm off to enjoy the family during the Christmas Holiday. Merry Christmas to all of my readers, and I wish you a Happy New Year!
Go Cowboys, Pokes, Rangers, Mavs, and Stars!
So maybe I hyped it up a little bit just to have a drop off there at the end, but I do love bowl season just because it gives me another chance to watch my favorite sport, College Football. One likes to think that while watching this sport, the athletes are pure and honest.
However, word from Columbus, Ohio is that there's another chapter in the book of "Cheating"
To the NCAA, the cheating going on is receiving improper benefits from their schools or others around them. But the situation at Ohio State doesn't look wrong to me.
Terrell Pryor sold his own 2008 Big Ten Championship ring. The ring was put in his ownership, why is he not allowed to do what he wants with it? If he wants to hop over to Niagara Falls and throw it off the top, what's wrong with that? It's HIS property.
I know plenty of players in the NCAA that are on full ride scholarships, but come from lower class backgrounds. The argument is "These players don't have to pay for school, they should have plenty of money from home to cover any spending money they need."
In reality, most of those players do have that cash flow from home. But for those players who don't, what are they supposed to do?
Pick up a part time job? The average college football team spends a lot of time on physical workouts alone. When I say physical workouts, I also factor in the time it takes to prepare for those workouts, drive to the field, and the time it takes after practice until they get back to their living arrangement. In High School, I spent three to for hours on this, I can't imagine what they do at the college level. On top of that, you have film, you have your whole Saturday taken away for games, your whole Friday taken for away games, and Sunday's for post-game weight lifting and film. Oh, and don't forget about those pesky classes they fit between all of that.
So after all of that, where's the time for a job? How is a player supposed to earn any money at all? Granted, the schools do provide mealplans and dorms if the players want them, but they don't pay for taking the girlfriend out for a night on the town, going to catch the latest installment of their favorite movie at the theater, and they sure don't help them out when it's time to buy Christmas presents for the entire family in December.
So with that said, why can't the players make money off of the property given to them? I would say that it definitely needs to be regulated (i.e. walking off the field and selling everything they're wearing to the crowd of people waiting.) But to sell their jersey, in A.J. Green's case, or their championship ring, in the Ohio State case, what's wrong with it?
Let the athletes protect their wellbeing and financial situation. Regulate it to some degree, but let the athletes do what they want with their property and the things that they've earned through years of playing and practicing, and countless hours representing the school they play for.
That's all for this post, I'm off to enjoy the family during the Christmas Holiday. Merry Christmas to all of my readers, and I wish you a Happy New Year!
Go Cowboys, Pokes, Rangers, Mavs, and Stars!
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