The Crystal Ball 2007 The Super Bust

Last July our friends feted my fiancé and I with a lovely engagement party at a local Steelers sports bar. I know, that sounds a bit weird, but since we both love the Black and Gold, it worked out beautifully. But so what, you say, we know you love the Steelers. But since we live in LA, well, you can see how that would be a bit out of the ordinary. But that is another story.

I had the pleasure of running into a gentleman there that rooted for the Giants. He asked me how I thought Pittsburgh would do, I said they’d go undefeated (training camp had not even kicked in, so I was feeling far overconfident.) I asked him the same, and he returned with a reply of 8-8. I said, 8-8, you gotta believe and support your team, man! He stated I was being overconfident (duh) while he was being realistic.

When the Giants spout that no one believed they could make it this far, they are not kidding. Even their fans give them grief. I wonder if today he’s feeling great or like a twit for setting the bar so low. At the very least, he should have his Super Bowl viewing privileges revoked.


Recap

Patriots 21 – Chargers 12

Well, it took a long time, but finally the real Norv Turner showed up. Nice play calling there, Norv. Perhaps maybe once or twice it might have been a good idea to take a chance? Ok, maybe just once, in the red zone, or on 4th and long deep in Patriots territory? Seriously, calling a punt on 4th and 10 on the Pats 36 late in the game and down by 9 points? It makes my head spin. Thanks to Norv, the game unfolded pretty much as I predicted. Does that make me a being with the ability to predict the future, or one skilled in pointing out the obvious? You decide.

And it’s not like the Chargers had no chances. Brady played terribly getting picked off 3 times and looking less than stellar the rest of the game. Perhaps he was due for a bad one, or perhaps it was due to a high ankle sprain, more on that later. The Chargers despite being shorthanded managed to get into the red zone numerous times. But they kept chickening out and kicking field goals. Kicking field goals in the red zone, or anywhere else, will not win you a game.

The Patriots on the other hand had limited opportunities in the game. The Charger defensive backfield played as I expected. The difference here is the Patriots capitalized on every opportunity, and let Maroney run rampant. He drained the clock and the Chargers season in the second half.

There is the biggest problem with Tomlinson sitting on the bench. Turner does not have the speed to get to the corner and allows the defense to catch him in the backfield. That killed the Chargers on at least one 3rd and goal situation. I man for Pete’s sake, Junior Seau caught him from behind, and he’s older than Favre!

And why was Tomlinson sitting on the bench the entire game? Look, if the man’s hurt, he’s hurt and cannot play. It’s as simple as that. But I wonder two things. 1) Rivers had knee surgery THAT WEEK and managed to play, doing whatever it takes to get the Chargers over the hump. Tomlinson did not. Was he protecting himself to be able to play in the future, or protecting his ability to amass great stats and procure a bigger paycheck down the line. And 2) even if he is hurt, and there is no way he can pull a Willis Reed and go back on the field, why did he spend the rest of the game sulking on the bench? Could he not have been on the sidelines cheering his teammates on? Could he not have been conferring constantly with Rivers and Turner, offering advice and encouragement? No, he just sat like a lump and watched the game behind his cool guy eye shield, showing zero emotion.

Great players step up in times of adversity when the stakes matter most and do whatever it takes to push their team to greater heights. Rivers and Gates both banged up and playing in tremendous pain (Gates has a dislocated toe, try walking with that, let alone running around in the freezing cold!) but still both were out there giving it everything they had. Tomlinson, not so much. I’ve thought Gates was a tremendous player for years now, but now I need to rethink my opinion of Rivers, and especially Tomlinson.

Predictably, the Chargers went into crying/whining mode immediately after the game, with center Nick Hardwick accusing Richard Seymour of playing dirty. You know what? The Pats did play dirty. Seymour’s late hit on Rivers should have been called, and was not. And Vrabel’s leg whip on Rivers should have been as well. I also do not need to get started on Roid-ney Harrison. And I’ll bet there were all kinds of cheap punches and gouges and slaps on the line all night long. But you know what Nick? A good team overcomes adversity and takes care of business. You did not, so quit your crying.



Giants 23 – Packers 20 Overtime

"Cold weather lasts for three hours, this championship lasts a lifetime.'' - Giant running back Amhad Bradshaw

Now that, kiddies, is why they call it the frozen tundra. I’ll give the Bikini Girls credit, now that’s dedicated fan support. Crazy, no doubt, but dedicated. Or perhaps committed would be a better adjective. I mean, it was -24 degrees with the wind chill by the end of the game. Who dons nothing but a bikini in that?

Honestly, I was freezing watching the game, and I sat the entire time in my nice warm living room. I certainly cannot blame the Packer faithful for donning their cold weather hunting gear to make it through the contest. If anything, that made them brilliant.

Hold on, Eli Manning? I have to root for Eli Manning to derail the Patriot train? I think it’s time to whip up a George Thorogood special.

Boy, if you wanted to walk away with an entire town, just take a truck to Green Bay during a playoff game. All that shot of downtown during the broadcast was missing were tumbleweeds rolling down the street.

Green Bay, short of the 90 yard bomb from Favre to Driver, looked discombobulated all night on offense. And worse, Brett looked cold and old all game. Perhaps you can still play at 38, as he proved all season long, at quarterback, just not in below freezing temperatures.

It’s a shame, but he killed the Pack all night with sub par play. But tell me who has the grapes to pull Brett because he played poorly?

Although it was not entirely Brett’s fault the offense could not move, Justin Tuck and Antonio Pierce were everywhere, consistently blowing up plays and stopping drives. Amazing.

But Brett was not the only Green Bay problem, as Plaxico Burress took Al Harris to school all night. Harris was the only player on the field consistently warm, since Burress kept burning him for big gains.

Did Burress grow up in New York and reinvent himself, or did Pittsburgh give up on him too early? I sure hope the former, the latter makes me a bit sick to the stomach.

I’ll hand it to the Packer fans; they are a hearty and faithful bunch. Imagine sitting in that cold for that long only to go home with a loss? At least half of the franchises in the NFL can only wish to have fans a tenth as devoted. You see Texans fans sitting out in subzero temperatures? HA! But I take umbrage with their booing of the officials on the roughing the passer call and illegal contact call against their defense on the drive in which the Giants began exerting their will. Those calls were correct, and it was not a screw job being applied to the Packers. The problem was the defense kept screwing up and helping the Giants along. That is not meant as a consolation, just an objective view. Perhaps the youth of the unit caught up with them at the wrong time.

But despite everything, the Packers still managed to get to overtime thanks to two huge field goal misses by Giant kicker Lawrence Tynes. Tynes was shaping up to be the Goat of the game if the G-Men went home empty handed, but I give him credit for persevering. You realize kicking a ball in those temperatures is like kicking a cinder block? Good gravy, I’m surprised the man was able to even get it airborne! But overtime came, and the Pack, no matter how poorly they played, managed to keep the season alive and even get the ball to start. But for one last time, Brett killed the team with a horrible interception.

One thing I know for sure, Tom Coughlin’s lucky Brett got picked off when he did. If he had to be out there for an entire quarter of overtime, his face may have completely frozen and split. Did anyone see his cheeks during the post game news conference? I’m surprised we didn’t’ hear reports of Coughlin having necrotic tissue being removed from his face. Damn it was cold!


NFL, the alternative Universe

In an attempt to disrupt Eli Manning, Jay Zollar, general manager of WLUK-TV, a Fox affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin pulled all reruns of “Seinfeld” from the air in the local market before the NFC Championship game. It seems young Eli likes to unwind with a bit of the show about nothing. Zollar stated they “don’t want to give any comfort to the enemy.” You’d think the weather would have taken care of any comfort.

In a great salvo back, and an excellent marketing opportunity, Jerry Seinfeld jumped into the fray and responded accordingly.

"I'm going to send Eli a complete collection of 'Seinfeld' DVDs and a partial collection of 'Hogan's Heroes' for inspiration. You think I'm going to take that sitting down?"

Perhaps that is why today Eli is the master of his domain.

Mathew Kowald of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, was cited for disorderly conduct after reportedly restraining his 7 year old son for an hour with tape and taping a Packer jersey onto him after the boy refused to wear it.

Kowald said it started out as a joke. His son said he wouldn't root for the Packers, so he tied him up. The youngster was laughing while his wife took pictures.

"Then he couldn't get out and he got upset and that's it. It lasted a minute.”

Ok, maybe more than the Bikini Girl Packer fans need to be committed.

Word is commercial time for the Super Bowl will reach $3 million for a 30 second ad. I thought we were heading for a recession?

Wait, Budweiser has brew masters? Really? What exactly have they mastered, the deadening of taste buds?

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was fined for a fourth time this season, thanks to a face mask penalty he committed on Michael Turner. This brings Wilfork’s season total of fines to a stunning $37,500. Hmmm, maybe Nick Hardwick has a point. Although I’m not surprised, I’ve been calling the whole team dirty since week two.

Steelers’ receiver Cedrick Wilson procured a protection-from-abuse order against his girlfriend Lindsey Paulat. She has been charged with firing two shots in the player's home during a dispute last week. Wilson as stated after the restraining order that he is scared for his own safety. And why again did the NFL pressure ESPN to cancel Playmakers? Was it because it portrayed professional football players in a bad light, or too realistic, I forget.

Did everyone see it? In the Patriots/Chargers game, uber linebacker Mike Vrabel leg whipped Philip Rivers! Oh my God! Vrabel swept the leg! Oh, that made me so mad, not because he did it, but because it would have been perfect if the Pats had played the Colts, and I was able to use last weeks Karate Kid analogy as I wanted! Oh I’m so mad at Manning and the Colts, it would have been PERFECT! I feel like Joe Dirt when he found out his super valuable meteorite was merely a Boeing Bomb.

Last Monday one day after the AFC Championship game, Tom Brady was seen strolling around Manhattan in a walking cast on his right foot. Apparently, Tom Terrific has a slight ankle sprain. Later in the day, he was spotted again without the cast, so no big deal. Under most circumstances, this should be a non-story, but considering he is the star of the 18-0 Patriots, and this is the time for Super Bowl hype, forget about it.

So this tiny bit of footage has now been subjected to more speculation than the sub prime mortgage fiasco, and the world is waiting with baited breath as to what is Tom’s condition. To make things crazier, now reports are flying that Tom has not been at practice on Thursday and Friday, making people wonder where he is and what’s wrong.

Ok, let’s make this really simple. 1) Nothing’s wrong. If he can cavort around in loafers, he’s fine. 2) Even if something’s wrong, you think he won’t be fine with two weeks to rest before the game? 3) Brady could be missing his spleen and have gaping wounds in both legs and lose half his left arm and he’d still play.

And 4) has anyone considered the possibility that Belichick sent him out like that on purpose? Maybe he wants people to think the Giants have a chance, and will take them and the points. Meanwhile, Genius Bill, through a few channels, has placed a very large bet on his team to cover the spread in hopes to make a big score and make back that $500,000 fine from the league. Or perhaps he just wants to screw with everyone for a few weeks and this is how he shows that he is not a robot and does have a sense of humor. Take a look at this snippet from an AP article posted Friday.

As Belichick was asked Friday to compare the current trip to the Super Bowl to the other three the team has played in, vice president of media relations Stacey James said, "Final question."

One reporter tried to squeeze in another, asking if Belichick could say what Brady did or didn't
do on Thursday, the Patriots' first day of practice after a three-day break.

"Was that the last question?" Belichick said with a smile, turning toward James.

"That was the last question," James replied.

With that, Belichick walked from the podium and out of the room.

Does that sound like the behavior of a man concerned his bread and butter player might be sidelined for the biggest game of his career, or one who is quietly pulling the strings and up to something big? I thought so too.

Personally, if I were a Patriots fan, I wouldn’t get worked up about Brady in a walking cast. I’d get worked up that my quarterback chooses to spend his off days cavorting around Manhattan, enemy territory of their current opponent and the hated Yankees, instead of hanging around Boston. Come on people; get your priorities in order.


Upon Further Review

With temperatures a balmy 9 degrees with the wind chill in New England and a toasty -24 degrees with wind chill in Green Bay, the championship weekend treated us to some stunning play and hearty players rallying to defeat their opponents and Mother Nature.

But you know who got screwed the most? Not Green Bay fans, watching Brett struggle in the cold, or Charger fans watching Rivers struggle on one leg. No, the people who got screwed the most were the officials.

See, each team, when no running around, gets to huddle on the sidelines on the heated benches or around portable heaters. They get to don oversized coats to cut the wind as they await their next play. At halftime, they get to sequester themselves in a luxurious and well heated locker room. And when on the sidelines, they can huddle together to preserve body heat. Plus, when they are on the field, they are running around and exerting themselves, which helps keep them warm.

Not the officials. Nope, they get nothing. They get no plays off, no breaks, no big coats, no heated benches, no huddles, no deluxe accommodations, no portable heaters, nothing. These men, many of them middle aged and not in peak physical form, had to trudge out there and do their job in the face of the elements, while doing their normal task of taking their personal safety in their own hands as they attempt to call the game while sharing the field with young, fit men playing a violent game. The officials do not even get to wear pads or helmets! They got screwed, especially the crew in Green Bay, and are the true unsung heroes of the playoffs.


Coaching update

Atlanta - hired Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith as their new coach. Now, will the entire Falcons team be as vanilla as the Jags defense, or just the Falcons defense.

Ravens –hired Eagles’ secondary coach John Harbaugh, brother of former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh, as their head coach. The team also hired former Dolphin coach Cam Cameron as their new offensive coordinator and rehired the fired Ron Ryan as their defensive coordinator. Good things brewing in Baltimore. It’s gonna be fun kicking their fanny this year.

Redskins – the team has talked with former Giants head coach and former Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel several times and will have a second interview with the Colts’ Ron Meeks. Snyder canned defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and offensive coordinator Al Saunders and hired Greg Blanche and Jim Zorn to replace them, respectively. Who hires a staff before a head coach?

Raiders – rumblings abound that Al Davis may can Lane Kiffin. Either Davis is rethinking the whole coach Snoop Dogg thing, or he’s lost his mind. Does anyone remember the little talk we had a while ago about consistency? Apparently not Al.

Colts – Tony Dungy will return for the 08 campaign and the team’s first season in their new stadium. Dungy and family have decided to go forward with another season, and Irsay will help them stay together with additional time off for the head coach and regular trips to the Tampa area where they reside for Tony. Jim Caldwell was named the associate head coach and will take over duties for Tony on days he is home with family. I think as fans we need to see a good guy like Tony go out on top.

Seahawks – Mike Holmgren is also returning for the 08 season. With family now back in the Seattle area, Holmgren has apparently decided he wants to coach a bit more and can still balance a good life. Here’s hoping both coaches can do just that.


Idiot of the week

Oh, this one was too easy. It did not show up until before the NFC Championship game, but as soon as I saw it, I knew who would be the winner this week.

The honor of Idiot goes to the Fox network, their sports division and associated executives for trotting their studio crew to Green Bay and setting them up outside for Packers/Giants game. I’m sure I was not the only viewer wondering aloud, what is the point of this?

Was this some sort of weird experiment? Was it a game of announcer by attrition? Did someone wish to watch older gentlemen Jimmie Johnson and Terry Bradshaw succumb to exposure of the elements? Were they trying to get rid of a few members of the crew to make some additional hires next season? During the trophy presentation, Bradshaw seemed unbelievably overjoyed. Not because of getting to speak with Giant players and owners, but because he was inside. Poor Howie Long eschewed shaving just to have a layer of protection on his face.

I know Fox will on occasion have their crew on location for big games, but this seemed more stupid than stellar. And I know the guys were only outside for short periods, but they did not need to be outside at all, or even in Green Bay. For such a moronic decision, Fox, you are the idiot of the week.


The Super Bust

Welcome one and all to the first ever Super Bust. Ok, I know, there was no Super Bust game. I’m sorry. I did want there to be one, and I really wanted to spend a weekend in Vegas, but alas, Commissioner Goodell seems to have other fish to fry at the moment. No matter, we’ll have the game anyway. And perhaps in a year or two, it will actually happen.

As stated upon its inception, The Super Bust would match the two consensus pre season favorites to play in the Super Bowl, yet failed to get there, against each other. This game allows a great many good things to happen. As we detailed in the past, here is a partial list of everything the Super Bust would provide.

- A chance for two fan bases to see their team in action one more time before next season
- An added opportunity for one team to end their season with a win.
- Some extra earnings for players, even though many do not need it.
- A chance for each organization to strengthen their team monetarily and physically with added income as well as additional draft choices
- An opportunity to show how wrong most prognosticators really are
- An extra game of football
- A weekend of football and fun in Las Vegas
- A perfect excuse to go to Las Vegas (like you need one anyway)
- An excuse to have another big game party, this one where the game does not matter
- A chance to use the game as a warm up to your real party the next week for the Super Bowl. Try out those far out recipes you think may not work on the real game day. Almost like a Pre Super Bowl Exhibition Party.
- Staving off football withdraw for another two weeks
- Another game for the NFL Network to show, giving more practice to both their broadcast crews and technical crews, both of which need some work
- Something for the sports media to talk about during the dead time when all other Super Bowl stories and angles have been beaten to death
- food and service industries seeing a bigger bump in production and sales, thus adding more stimulus to the economy
- Businesses around the world that have a stake in football seeing an increased profit, adding even more stimulus to the economy
- The advertising industry having another forum to debut killer commercials, almost like an exhibition commercial season
- Better play from the preseason favorites during the regular season, since none of them would want to play in the Super Bust

So this year, the NFC entrant is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints started the season on a mission to make the Bust. Despite some rough sledding in the second half of the season, they pulled things out at the end and managed to punch their ticket to Vegas.

The AFC entrant turned out to be a bit trickier, and forced the crack staff to use the first alternate. New England, the preseason pick, did everything possible to miss the initial Super Bust. For all their forethought, they missed this golden opportunity at creating history. But that is ok, perhaps they wanted to savor the moment and jump in next year. So this year, we take the first alternate from the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts.

And while much is being made about the fact that the Super Bowl matches two teams that met at season’s end, the Super Bust features two teams that met at seasons’ beginning. I’m betting on a repeat performance by both teams, and a repeat finish to the game. My Super Bust pick…

Colts over Saints

(The “actual” results will be revealed next week in our big Super Bowl blowout. Stay tuned.)