Now that the Super Bowl is over and done with, I think I am going to crawl under a big rock for the next 8 months what are we going to do on the weekends? Shopping at Kohls, or Pottery Barn, no thanks I’d rather get a root canal. Saturdays and Sundays are no longer for football. What are we going to do, watch Basketball? Outside of Blake Griffin and LeBron James’ Spectacular dunks, it’s really not that much fun to watch is it? They play every day, so the games don’t matter as much.

I can’t wait until the start of the next college football season eight long months away, who is going to be no.1? USC, LSU, Alabama, or Florida St.?  USC, LSU, and Alabama all have a case in this discussion, but let me give you a little heads up on the Seminoles situation.

When the mighty Sooners came into Tallahassee last year, injured EJ Manual, took over the game and ruined the rest of the season for us. How? Good Question, last year we had 4 losses. Three of those losses came when we had no QB thanks to the injury of Manual. I was so mad; that I emailed what I thought was the Athletic Department there at Florida St. and gave them a piece of my mind! I still think that it should never be ok for a team like us to ever lose to Wake Forrest! I was so mad, and wrote some horrible things. Then some sweet lady named Carol wrote back and told me that everything is going to be ok and that she will pass the message along, and thanks for the concern! After the fact I felt bad.

The only losses came without our leader at the helm. Yes we should probably be a little deeper at the position, but that time will come. We are the mighty Seminoles and we will rise again! Our fourth loss of the season is because of a missed field goal. How many times did you hear that this year? Ducks missed field goal to lose to USC, Boise St. missed field goal to lose to TCU, Alabama, and many missed field goals to lose to LSU. I just bring those up to let you know that it just happens!

I don’t feel that the Seminoles should be punished or look at the Seminoles as a big letdown. They should be ranked in the top 5 next season, hopefully at no.4. Obviously the conference schedule is going to be fair, but not great. The competition isn’t that tough, which makes for a pretty easy season! With West Virginia backing out, hopefully get the Sooners again so we can have some redemption. Landry Jones is coming back, so expect them to be a highly respected team once again. Florida St. will be on the war path this upcoming season, scalping every team that gets in the way, and earn themselves a spot in the Title game, hopefully against the Ducks of Oregon! What a game that would be!

Who know what will happen next year, and who will be ranked where. All we know is that we all want our team to be on top, and those 8 months is too long to wait for the next season to start.  So let’s spend some quality time with our families and our wives who starve for our attention because 8 months from now our attention is going to be fully focused on football and everything else can go on the back burner!

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All season the chatters been about comments made by certain individuals, the records set, like Drew Brees single season passing yardage which many thought could never be broken, this campaign saw Tom Brady pass Dan Marino’s mark and Matthew Stafford surpass five thousand also. There were rookie QB’s, Cam Newton breaking Peyton’s yardage record and Vick’s rushing TD total, or Andy Dalton leading Cincinnati and T.J. Yates helping the Texans to their first playoff appearance, who can forget what Rodgers did for all but two games as he pushed the bar in true quarterbacking excellence.

How bout that fella we affectionately call Mega-tron emerging as the one unstoppable force in the league at wide receiver, pure poetry in motion. Or the kid Victor Cruz wearing down backfields like none other before  him claiming NY’s yardage record as a rookie. Many called this the year of the QB, but it could of very well been the year of the TE, Rob Gronkowski grabbing more TD’s, gaining more yards than any other TE in NFL history, his partner in crime Aaron Hernandez supplying the finesse to Gronks bulldozing ways, the two combining for nearly half of Brady’s yardage. Then there’s Jimmy Graham second only to that guy in New England in just about every category.

We can’t leave out the little guys who seem to defy all punishment by banging their bodies game in and game out carrying the ball with no regard to the fact that many of the monsters chasing almost double them in weight, three of the top five rushers, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy all under five ten and barely over two hundred lbs, amazed us  with their toughness by leading the league in total yards from scrimmage.

At the end of the day we seem to have bantered about all the players, certainly it’s deserved they are of course the ones who execute the game plan. I keep thinking we’ve forgotten what could be the most important factor, the men who come up with the game plan, call the plays, breakdown the defensive schemes and offensive juggernauts by making the necessary adjustments, along with the decisions us fans many times don’t agree with. Today we witnessed two of the best, definitely among the greats like Lombardi, Landry, Knoll, Walsh, Johnson and Parcells.

I know many will say I’ve lost my mind by putting Coughlin in that rare light. Just like Belichick he almost wills his players to give their all reaching heights that we all may not think their capable of. Who’d of thunk this team was championship caliber when at one point they lost four games in a row, evening their record at six and six, losing countless games to injuries by several key players,being under the scrutiny of the most critical media in the world and having the expectations of the the most raucous fan base of any sports city in this country. Coughlin rallied his troops to a level in the last six games of the year like  those coaches I mentioned prior, and I’d goes as far to say he didn’t have the talent pool of those men.

So I say goodbye to what for me was an exceptional season even though my beloved Packers did not repeat. I thoroughly enjoyed what these eyes saw from the NFC, and the greatness exuded by a team most felt was mediocre at best!

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Why football is so important to America: Memories of Good Times

My dad and I shared a great love for the entire post season as a whole, regardless of if the Broncos made it or not. Watching every game every weekend when I did not have to work. Plotting and figuring out how well team x was going to fair against team z, and if the underdog was going to lose badly or put up a decent fight and stay in it one more week.

All of this preparation for that one Sunday in January, or later on, in February. When the two best/luckiest teams meet on neutral ground to battle it out to for the Lombardi trophy and the rights to have that Queen song played in their honor. Every year was full of struggle and hope. Blood and tears. Wings and beer. All as we spent a few hours on the Sunday glued to the TV without any distractions and even actually enjoying those infamous commercials. We held an annual drinking game for it. Taking shots of bourbon for a touchdown, and drinking half a beer for every field goal, extra point or safety. The honorary shot at the beginning and end of every quarter. It’s a wonder I can still remember them all.

In 2008 I was able to witness what I deem, as the greatest Super Bowl ever. Even better than my Denver Broncos back to back wins in ‘98 & ‘99. The underdog Eli Manning coming in and facing the giant that is Tom Brady, pun intended. Dealing with droves of people telling me there was no chance for Eli and the Giants and that Brady and the Patriots were just too good to lose. Holding out hope that there would be something that would prove them all wrong, and then the loss of some heartbeats as Eli dropped back to pass a long bomb up the left side of the field to connect for the game winning TD. Allowing me, and one other standout at this party of 20 or so people, to be able to finally shoot back at all of the haters that had plagued us all game long.

This one turned out to be the greatest and most unforgettable Super Bowls ever for more than just the game. But also because it was the last one I would ever be able to share with my father and his friends. For later that same year, he went to the hospital on mother’s day, May 11^th, and one day later he suffered his first of two heart attacks while in the hospital. He transferred to a better cardiac hospital further away from where I lived a few days later where the news only got worse and in late June had another heart attack which pushed him into a coma that he was not able to recover from. Finally in the early morning hours of July 5^th, 2008, around 2 am or so, they doctor’s called and said it got worse. I got there as fast as I could and sometime after 7am I lost him.

This year as I rooted desperately for the Giants to pull out that win against the 49ers, a team who worked hard to get themselves into that championship game, and look anxiously forward to February 5^t and the excitement around it.  I couldn’t help but have tears well up as I thought about Super Bowl 42 and all other Super Bowls. And I remember how important, fun and comfortable watching them has always been for me, and how I hope to share it with my kids – minus the drinking.  It is a part of my DNA and will be till I pass on. I can hear my dad still telling me I am full of crap in thinking that the little Manning has what it takes to push his team ahead of the mighty Brady. Well dad, come Sunday I will raise my beer and say, “This Bud’s for you.” Take a shot and watch Eli Manning pass for over 300 yards in a come from behind 4^th quarter Super Bowl victory again, hopefully.

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Giants Offense vs Patriots Defense

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will have more weapons at his disposal this time around. Both RB Ahmad Bradshaw and WR Hakeem Nicks did not play in the earlier meeting. They both have been healthy and give the GMen an edge in this matchup. WR Mario Manningham, who has caught a TD in each of Big Blue’s playoff games and the dangerous WR Victor Cruz give Eli Manning a nice set of options when looking downfield. I know that the New England defense has improved and has sacked the QB 9 times in these playoffs but I believe Manning and company will be their stiffest competition. This will by no means be an easy task. Patriots DT Vince Wilfork can clog up the middle as well as any interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Guards Chris Snee and Kevin Booth, as well as Center David Baas will need to divert Wilfork’s rush so that Manning can drop back unscathed. Although the Patriots didn’t record a sack in the previous meeting, you can expect Bill Belichick’s defensive scheme to be designed to disrupt Manning’s rhythm. Eli can move around in the pocket and is quick enough to set his feet and get velocity on the ball, but if the tackles Diehl and McKenzie don’t protect him from outside rushers the effectiveness of the passing game will be neutralized.

The Giants offense continues to be able to move the ball. There is a quiet confidence emanating from this unit. It all starts with Manning. He took an absolute pounding from the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. But he was able to get up and move on to the next play and be successful.

Giants Defense vs Patriots Offense

The Patriots offense doesn’t have the deep threat off years past but Tom Brady does have a progression of talented targets to go through. WR Wes Welker is quick off the line and gets yards after the catch. He will probably be covered by Giant CB Corey Webster.  Two others who also are tough to cover are tight ends Rob Gronkowski(recovering from a high ankle sprain) and Aaron Hernandez. Of course Brady has old stand-by WR Deion Branch to get the ball to as well. The Patriots love to throw the ball, although running backs  Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead provide Brady with candidates for an inside handoff out of the shotgun formation. New England will go no-huddle in an effort to keep the tempo up and keep any special player personnel packages for Big Blue on the sideline. This may not be effective as the Giants defense has talented players who can play multiple positions. The Giants will need to pressure Brady because if they sit back he will pick them apart. Big Blue’s defensive lineman(Tuck,Pierre-Paul,Umenyiora,Canty,Joseph,Tollefson,et al) must continue to pressure the QB and disrupt Brady’s hot routes. When Brady is able to complete the pass the GMen must swarm to the ball and get the player down on the ground.

Special Teams

These units may decide the game. Whether it’s maintaining or taking advantage of field position these units will have a heavy influence. The Giants Devin Thomas recovered 2 fumbles on special teams in the NFC Championship game. Neither team is a real threat to take one back. The two teams combined only returned one kick/punt  for a TD all season. That was a return by the Patriots Julian Edelman. The kickers are both very good. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes once again kicked an OT winner to propel the GMen to a Super Bowl meeting with the Patriots. New England kicker Steven Gostkowski is always in the top echelon of the position in the NFL. Either player is capable of hitting the big kick. Lucas Oil Stadium is an indoor stadium so conditions will be perfect.

Prediction

I expect another thriller for all 4 quarters and maybe overtime! The last team with the ball wins. It’s been the Big Blue script all season. I believe the GMen will finish the job in yet another classic. Giants 24 Patriots 23

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Four years ago the New York Giants shocked the world. They upset the mighty undefeated Patriots and went on to win the Lombardi that year. This year, the stakes are much higher. The Patriots as a team are out for revenge, looking to avenge the lone blemish of their 2008 dream season. This game isn’t just an epic rematch; it’s a battle of quarterbacks looking to cement their legacy. If Eli wins, he will have officially overshadowed his big brother Peyton who only has one ring; if he loses he’ll forever have to hear that he isn’t better than Peyton. Tom Brady on the other hand is working on his case for the greatest quarterback of all time. If he wins, the discussion begins if he’s the greatest. If he loses, he will forever have on his record that he lost to the same team, twice, in the biggest game of the year.  Sunday in Indianapolis all this will be decided.

The Giants pulled off the impossible again this season, barely winning their last two games to get into the playoff’s then pounding the Atlanta Falcons in the first round. They then went into Lambeau Field and knocked off the Packers. Last weekend they cemented their trip to Indianapolis with a thrilling overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. The Patriots on the other hand hit cruise control from Week 1 and are firing on all cylinders coming into Sunday’s game.

The Giants need to use their powerful defense line to harass Brady if they want to have a chance at winning the game. The Patriots on the other hand are hoping for a mistake free game and will put everything on the line to stop the late game of heroics of Eli Manning should it come to that again.

To leave you hanging I’m not going to make a prediction. This isn’t just any old football game. This is a 60 minute war to cement legacies and make careers. Careers will be defined on how guys perform Sunday and I expect nothing less than a dogfight for the entire 60 minutes.

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By Michelle Zehr

Zehr is a contributor with Gold Star Games, your tailgating  games supply company.

With a victory in Super Bowl XLVI versus the New York Giants can Bill Belichick close in on cementing his legacy as the great football coach of all time?

Currently, Belichick would not match former Pittsburgh Steeler head coach, Chuck Noll. Noll is the only head coach with four Super Bowl Rings. On the other hand, Belichick would be the first coach in history to have six rings as a head coach as well as a coordinator.  Previously, Belichick won two titles with the Giant’s defense under the direction of head coach, Bill Parcells.

As of today (just days leading up to the Super Bowl), Belichick’s resume is packed full of accomplishments that put him up there with some of the best head coaches ever to be a part of the National Football League; such as Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs. Walsh and Gibbs are the only head coaches with three Super Bowl rings to their names. With Sunday’s upcoming Super Bowl appearance, Belichick will match Tom Landry. This found tie him for second place in Super Bowl appearances falling just behind Don Shula, with six Super Bowl appearances. However, we also need to keep in mind that Shula has four Super Bowl losses and Landry has three losses to his name.

Bill Belichick is the only head coach to ever win three Super Bowls without four years. He also has 17 playoff victories, which places him in third with all-time playoff victories. Many supporters indicate that if Belichick remains with the New England Patriots throughout Tom Brady’s career, he will likely top the list of coaches with the most playoff victories.  One thing that Belichick has going for him that none of the greats of the past do is that Belichick has had success while working with a salary cap.

Sure Belichick has a very impressive resume. Belichick does have one very negative aspect to his resume, a scandal that he may never live down. Do you all remember the Spygate Scandal? The 2007 NFL controversy regarding the New England Patriot’s videotaping. The New England Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for videotaping the New York Jets’ defensive coaching signals. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell deemed this to be in violation of league rules. Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000. Additionally, the team was docked their original first round draft pick in the 2088 NFL draft.

Another downfall to Belichick’s coaching career centers around the last time the Patriots met the Giants in the Super Bowl. The Giant’s put an end to the perfect season of the Patriots. This has since been a major blemish on Belichick’s resume.

Like most coaches, Belichick has his pros and cons. When it comes to the numbers, Belichick has the stats to become a legacy. When it comes to the cheating, Belichick may have a hard time living that one down.

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Giants +3 vs. Patriots

With the Super Bowl finally here, the Guru acts like the groundhog and comes out after a several week hiatus to give his free pick for the  Super Bowl, against the spread.  For the season we posted a documented 58% mark picking games against the spread, a decent winning percentage but the lowest since the inception of nflandcollegefootball.com.  However, in my career picking games against the spread, this game, which happens to be the Super Bowl, may be my favorite of all time.

On to my free pick.

There is only one stat you need to know for this game.  In the 3 games that the Patriots were held to twenty points or lower (Giants, Pittsburgh and Dallas) all three teams had one thing in common.  They could rush the passer.  The New York football Giants can rush the passer, and should get in Brady’s face early.  The Patriots weapons are all in the middle of the field with Welker, Hernandez, and Gronk, which will make them a little easier to defend if the Giants can get some pressure up the middle.  The Giants secondary can look horrible at times, but they have defended the TE’s extremely well all year (except the 49ers game) I think the Giants hold the Patriots to 20.  As for the Giants, they match up very well against the Patriots on offense.  The combination of Cruz, Manningham, and  Nicks will be too much for the Patriots to handle.  Free pick for the Super Bowl….Giants 26- Pats 20

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So I didn’t watch it this year, as a matter of fact I never really watch it. I may flip to see what the score is every couple of years. Brandon Marshall put on a show I guess? Andy Dalton had a good performance as the second half quarterback for the AFC, and that’s great.

But none of the Pats or Giants were there and so many stars just decide not to show up. It was no different when it was played after the Super Bowl, we dealt with the same issues.

So I have a solution, why not take the Pro Bowl and move it to Hall of Fame Weekend in August? It would take all the hype after the draft and the build up to the season when fans are frothing at the mouth after not having pro football for 6 months and give us something to watch.

Even though watching real NFL starters play a quarter and then backups go at it for 3 more is great. But why not take a game that isn’t really super serious and allow fans a chance to see the best players in the league.

Players will be healed, fans will be interested and its a natural match up of the best players in NFL history and the best NFL players of today.

Correct me if I am wrong, but there isn’t a major event surrounding the Hall of Fame Game that would prohibit anyone from participating or a full on war that is the NFL season directly prior to the Hall of Fame Game.

A rookie game would be so much more interesting with players that have just been drafted seeing they’re first action in front of fans after 3 months of waiting to see how they’re favorite teams draft choices will look on the field.

Build on the hype of us missing you for months NFL, play the Pro Bowl in the summer, hell call it the Hall of Fame Game, its not like anyone cares at this point anyways.

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Since the inception of football at the U of O their overall record is 596 wins 477 loses and 46 ties, paling in comparison to true dynasties as USC, Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas. The Ducks bowl record is 10-15, and 3-7 in major bowls, and just 2-4 when playing in the Rose Bowl. Playing in a bowl game consistently only over the last 15 or so years.

During their existence Oregon has had a mere 28 All-Americans, the majority coming the past 20 years, they have no Heisman winners, receiving their only invitee’s in the last 5 years. With just a hand full of names that had great success in the NFL, Norm Van Brocklin, Mel Renfro, Ahmad Rashad known as Bobby Moore during his time in Eugene, and their two highest draft picks being QB’s Akili Smith and Joey Harrington, each taken with the overall third pick, both struggling to live up to such a lofty selection.

Then there’s the in-state rivalry against Oregon St, which over the last decade and a half has been mostly one-sided the Ducks way, was fairly even up to that point. What about their enability to beat Boise St University at pivotal points in their rise over the last ten years. Or even this year’s surprising defeat at the hands of what was supposed to be a down Trojan team in Autzen Stadium their revered home.

I want to believe the hype when speaking of The U of O and greatness or dynasty. The fact is those two words equal decades of consistency in winning, multiple National Championships, numerous Heisman recipients, recruiting 5-star athletes, the ability to defeat the teams you should beat, and defending your home field no matter who comes a calling. I’d say they’ve got one decade down with a few more to garner, with the backing of Phil Knight and Nike there’s obviously no shortage of funding and support . With that the fans and residents of this beautiful state are delusional, but definitely have visions of grandeur for the future!

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Well, maybe not that savior, but former Broncos Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense sure kept they’re games low scoring and close enough for Timmy T. to get those heroics going in the 4th Quarter.

That’s exactly what the Raiders are hoping that he will be able to do for they’re cast of characters for seasons to come inthe Bay Area. Prior to his gig as DC for Denver, Dennis Allen held positions with the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcolns after a successful stints at Tulsa and his almamater Texas A&M.

With Carson Palmer able to have a full off season and training camp under one system after having taken half of 2011 off, and Darren McFadden back from injury. It will be very interesting who Allen fills the offensive coaching side with to further the development of an offensive that has shown flashes of potential.

Needless to say Allen has his hands full as the Raiders were 8-8, good enough for 3rd place in a very weak AFC west.

He and new General Manager Reggie McKenzie will be tasked with getting the Raiders over the hump to compete with the Charger’s Phillip Rivers, Kansas City Chiefs Matt Cassell and up and coming Broncos QB Tim Tebow twice a year.

Since the death of longtime owner and assumed dictator Al Davis, the Raiders organization has been through a multitude of changes. Here is to hoping that these two men now in charge of this franchise are able to right the ship and return this once proud organization back to prominance.

You never know with the Raiders, but with the potential for them to move out of the Bay Area because of stadium issues and into a new facility back in Los Angeles, Allen may just have gotten one of the better jobs out there if he is able to hold onto it for that long.

This should be an interesting upcoming year for the silver and black, will the Carson Palmer gamble pay off? Will McFadden assume his position as one of the top rushers in the league. Will a young receiving core continue to to grow into a productive unit?

Heading into next season we’ll all be interested to see how the first Raiders sans Al Davis begins. Dennis Allen sure has a lot on his hands.

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