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Super Bowl halftime show 2012 - Cee Lo Green and LMFAO set to appear on-stage?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:30:00 +0000

R&B artist Cee Lo Green and the group LMFAO are rumored to be the other musicians to perform with Madonna at the Super Bowl haltime show 2012. Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. are practically confirmed that they will be on-stage at Lucas Oil Stadium when the halftime show airs Sunday. Will Cee Lo and LMFAO be there as well?
Madonna is believed to sing Music with LMFAO and Like A Prayer with Cee Lo Green if they appear at the biggest entertainment event in the country. For weeks speculations have gone into overdrive about who will sing with the pop queen in Indianapolis. Last year's Super Bowl halftime show entertainer, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, told Billboard last week that he is excited to see his band LMFAO at the 2012 game. Is this a sign there is a good chance the viewing audience of over 100 million people will see them?

Cee Lo Green has been mentioned as part of the halftime show at the Super Bowl, but not to the extent that Minaj and M.I.A. have.
Songs that Madonna is expected to sing are her new one, Give Me All Your Luvin,' Vogue, Like a Prayer, Music, Ray of Light and Holiday.
The 2012 Super Bowl airs in Portland, Ore. on Sunday, February 5th at 3:30 p.m., PT on NBC, KGW channel 8.
Source: GossipOnThis.com

Madonna trails teaser of Super Bowl highlight Gimme All Your Luvin' showing just a snippet of her video in American Idol break

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:29:00 +0000

As well as the dulcet tones of St Louis natives, the American Idol faithful were treated to a sneak preview of Madonna's new music video for Give Me All Your Luvin, the song she'll debut for her Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday.
Produced by Martin Solveig, the track also features rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., who both appear briefly in the clip.
The action starts with the 53-year-old covered up in a mac and pushing a pram as she walks into a nightmarish looking surburban street that would be right at home in a Tim Burton movie.

From there on in, it gets stranger, and cheerleaders surrounding the megastar start to lay their jackets on the floor as she steps across them, in a an odd parody of the famous story of Sir Walter Raleigh's cloak being laid before Elizabeth I.
Madonna is hugely excited about the landmark perforamce, the singer even brought out some salsa dancing at a press conference on Thursday when she was asked to comment on Giants team member Victor Cruz's unique postgame celebrations.
'This is a Midwesterner girl's dream to be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show,' she told the assembled throng in Indianapolis.

She dedicates the show to her father: 'I was raised in the Midwest, and he is the personification of Midwestern values, he gave me the work ethic that I have, so if I am a hardworking girl who never stops it's because of him.'
'Also, I am sure of all the things I have ever done in my life this will be the thing he is most excited about,' she added.
And she said of the show: 'The envelope I'm pushing is just for a spectacular show, which I think will entertain all age groups and hopefully will be a feast for the eyes and the ears.

The doyenne of the conical bra added: 'Great attention to detail has been paid to my wardrobe, there will be no wardrobe malfunction.'
Madonna is expected to sing four songs, including her hit Vogue as well as her latest single Give Me All Your Luvin in a stage show that includes acrobats from Cirque du Soleil.
Sir Elton John reopened his feud with Madonna by suggesting she will not be singing live during the half time show at America's biggest sporting event.
After his recent spat with the Queen on Pop at a film awards ceremony, the 64-year-old star was asked what advice he had for the her when she appears during the half time show at this Sunday’s Super Bowl.
'Make sure you lip-synch good' he said mischievously of the star who is meticulous about singing live, even throughout the most energetic routines.

Divas rule Super Bowl 2012: Madonna, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., CeCe Winans, and Natalie Grant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:26:00 +0000

Millions of football fans across the globe eagerly await The Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots vs. Giants, on Sunday, February 5. But they're not the only ones waiting on pins and needles. Pop music fans are also in for a treat.
It's just hit the grapevine that Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and M.I.A. will rock this year's NFL Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show. It promises to be a diva-studded concert, and to include a performance of Madonna's newest single, “Gimme All Your Luvin,” which releases February 3.
Despite Madonna's veteran status on the music scene, she confessed to being somewhat rattled about the Super Bowl.
"I want to do everything really well," she explained to The Wall Street Journal. "I kept saying to my manager, 'I don't want to do the Super Bowl unless I can really give it my all, and really focus all my attention on it.' And he said, 'Don't worry! There won't be any problems. You'll be able to concentrate just on the Super Bowl.' Now of course my movie is coming out during the Super Bowl so it's a little bit nerve-racking."
Indeed, The Material Girl is exceptionally busy this spring. Madonna's new film, “W.E.,” is a work of historical fiction and forbidden love. Set to release February 3, it interweaves the real-life royal romance and historical scandal of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, with the modern fictional tale of a wistful young woman trapped in an abusive relationship.

Nicki Minaj poses for photographers. Credit: Christopher Macsurak.

In addition to the new movie, Madonna's new album, “MDNA,” will be released in March, and her first fragrance, “Truth or Dare,” will follow in the spring. So no one can say Madonna is taking 2012 lying down.
Notwithstanding the heavy dose of estrogen, there will be a few dudes in the mix at Super Bowl halftime. Rumor has it that Cee Lo Green of “The Voice” will be getting in the mix too.
According to The Insider he has been secretly rehearsing with Madonna in New York City. Plus, Will.i.am revealed to Rolling Stone that his group, LMFAO, will also grace the halftime stage, so it's going to get crowded up there.
Sheepdogs Don't Like Madonna
Despite the impending Super Bowl sex appeal, not everyone is happy about having Madonna play halftime. Ewan Currie from the Canadian rock group the Sheepdogs told radio show, Tim & Sid, that this year's halftime concert should feature bands like the Roots, Black Keys, or even Prince, but definitely not Madonna, stating that The Material Girl is too old.
"Forget Madonna, you know?" Currie quipped. "I remember in '98 when she came out with that album 'Ray of Light.' She was old back then and like it's 2012 now. That was 14 years ago."
Insulting banter from the peanut gallery aside, Madonna (who is 54 years young and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon) will follow an impressive roster of recent Super Bowl acts, including The Black Eyed Peas, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and U2.
The 13th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, February 3
In stark contrast to the carnal forecast of the halftime show, the Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration promises to be a spectacularly spiritual evening, taking place on Friday, February 3 at Clowes Memorial Hall.
Hosted by Rev. Run, and CeCe Winans, American Idol star Fantasia will headline singing a special duet with her mother Diane Barrino. Other performers include Natalie Grant, Hezekiah Walker and “Players Choice” Wess Morgan, plus the award winning Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir.
The NFL Choir will add a special element of fun to the Gospel Celebration. The choir is made up of notable stars, including Ray Lewis (Ravens), Marcus Price (retired, Cowboys), David Tyree (Ravens) and Tim Brown (retired, Raiders), among others. Choir director and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Donnie McClurkin said that it is an honor to helm such an athletic and spiritual ensemble.
"I was brought in several years ago as a gospel artist,” McClurkin explained to HuffPost Black Voices, “and then we formulated something called the NFL Gospel Choir, and from that point on it has taken off."
Regarding the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, sportscaster James Brown made the statement that there is a “... Biblical expression that one may plant a seed, another may water it, but God gives the increase. This is only going to continue to grow.”
When and Where to Watch Super Bowl XLVI
The Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots vs. Giants will air on Sunday, February 5, 2012, 5:00 PM CST. For national television listings, please visit www.TVGuide.com.
Pre-show covereage begins streaming live at www.NFL.com, February 1-3, starting at 12 p.m. EST. Tune in to Dave Dameshek & Co. for NFL player interviews, celebrity sightings, and more.

Super Bowl 2012 halftime show presents Madonna opportunity to reconnect

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:23:00 +0000

This year's Super Bowl halftime show will be Madonna's first ever — but she's a fan known by probably all ages of NFL fans. With a new album forthcoming, a new movie out this week and younger rivals challenging her pop stardom, this could be Madonna's chance to restate her relevance.

While the in-game entertainment at Super Bowl 2012 will be a rematch, the half-time show will be all new.
Madonna, the 53-year-old singer and superstar will headline her first Super Bowl halftime show, along with expected appearances be Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, Nikki Minaj and others.
But for Madonna, the Super Bowl performance will mark a bit of a comeback — and a marketing opportunity. Madonna makes her directorial debut with W.E., out this week, looking at the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Music Critic Tim Riley, who wrote a book about Madonna, said her performance has grown stale for some fans, so the halftime show will be her chance to make her case that she's as relevant as ever, thanks to the NBC executives who booked her for what is expected to be among the most-watched moments of television this year.
"That's mad, mad, made exposure," he said. "You can imagine Madonna's younger rivals, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, even yesterday's girl, Britney Spears, taking that stage to make a thoroughly contemporary statements."
Riley said Madonna will use her appearance to push her music, including her new single, Give Me All Your Luvin, performed with Minaj and coming from her upcoming new album.
Riley said she's also rumored to be including favorites Vogue and Holiday on her set list.
"With the right tough, she could just upstage her own puzzle of a persona," Riley said. "Much like Elvis in his 1968 Christmas special, the material girl maintains enough charisma to make everybody else seem like a footnote to her royal curls."

Super Bowl 2012 Ads: 3 Trends to Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

When friends invited me to their Super Bowl party in 2010, I didn't think twice about going. The Super Bowl ad campaigns back then were created for TV viewing. And because TV advertising had not been a core part of interactive advertising and marketing, I didn't see the need to work that night. Instead, I enjoyed the game and ads as an ordinary spectator - with my laptop and BlackBerry turned off. A big shift occurred last year. People flocked to YouTube to watch and comment on the TV ads aired during the game. Case in point: Volkswagen's "The Force" ad, which was viewed 15 million times within 24 hours after the game. During the football game, viewers shared observations in a running commentary on Twitter, using hash tags such as #SB45.
So when a Super Bowl party invitation came this year, I regretfully declined. Following the Super Bowl ad campaigns offline and online today is mandatory for anyone in interactive marketing. And that requires keeping one eye on the TV and another eye on social networks and at least one mobile device. (Plus some salty snacks and a cold drink within arm's reach.)
In light of Super Bowl advertising's evolution, here are three trends to watch for this year:
Preview Ads: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Remember banner burnout back in 2002? Ten years later, will Super Bowl TV ads encounter a similar phenomenon well before the pre-game coin toss?
In this game of one-upmanship, Super Bowl advertisers have been previewing their Super Bowl ads on YouTube and Hulu well before the Feb. 5 football match.
Sure, creative ads are getting shared, tweeted, and liked, bringing the engagement brands crave on top of the TV exposure. But are advertisers giving away too much, too soon, making the Super Bowl of advertising an anti-climatic event? Possibly.

Super Bowl 2012 Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We are just about 48 hours away from Super Bowl Sunday, ladies and gentlemen. After taking some time to consider everything going on with the game to this point, it has come time for us to put the official SB Nation Minnesota prediction out there on the table for everyone to see.
As you no doubt saw earlier on the site here, the New England Patriots sit as a three-point favorite over the New York Football Giants. It has been a while since either of these teams lost a football game, so there really isn't any "momentum" advantage on either side. The Giants haven't lost since December 18, when they fell to the Washington Redskins. Since then, they've won five straight. The Patriots' streak is longer still. . .the last time Bill Belichick's team lost was November 6. In that game, they fell at home, 24-20, to. . .the New York Giants.
Many people are going to be focused on the quarterbacks in this match-up, and with good reason. Both of them put up ridiculous numbers during the 2011 NFL season, with Tom Brady throwing for over 5,000 yards and Eli Manning proving that, indeed, you can't spell "elite" without "Eli." They both have a multitude of weapons to throw to as well. The Giants' receiving trio of Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham has created nightmares for defenses all season long. On the New England side, the most famous ankle in Indianapolis this week belongs to tight end Ron Gronkowski, who will play on Sunday (like he's going to sit out the Super Bowl), but might not be full speed. With the Patriots' offense, however, you never know who Brady's favorite target is going to be. It might be Gronkowski. . .it might be Aaron Hernandez. . .it might be Wes Welker. . .it might be Deion Branch. . .it might even be Danny Woodhead.
Where this game will be won or lost, however, is on the defensive side of the ball. We all know about the Giants' pass rush, led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora. What's lost in this is that, in their playoff run, the Giants' secondary has been outstanding as well, particularly Corey Webster, who made Michael Crabtree a complete non-factor in the NFC Championship Game. The Patriots' defense was historically bad during the regular season, allowing the second-most most passing yards of any team in NFL history. (The only team worse was this year's Green Bay Packers, who were dispatched by the Giants earlier this post-season.) However, in the post-season, the defense has been markedly better, allowing nearly 100 fewer yards/game than their regular season pace. Vince Wilfork has looked like a man on a mission these past couple of weeks, and the match-up between him and the Giants' interior linemen will be one of the more intriguing ones of the evening. If the Giants can keep Wilfork and company away from Eli Manning, it could be a tough night for the Patriots secondary.
There's really no advantage on the coaching front, either. Yes, Bill Belichick is a genius and all of that, but Tom Coughlin has proven that he's one heck of a coach, too. Considering that the man seems to find himself on the proverbial "hot seat" about half a dozen times every year. . .this season included, prior to the Giants' late-season run. . .all the guy does is get his players motivated, and all they do is win for him. It's going to be a real chess match between these two sideline titans.
So, who do I feel is going to win this one?
The Patriots are the favorites for a reason. While Eli Manning has been great this season, the guy on the other sideline is still Tom Brady. He didn't have his greatest afternoon in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, and he knows that. It's rare for Brady to have two bad games in a row, and the combination of his performance two weeks ago, his team's loss to the Giants in Week 9, and the loss in Super Bowl XLII. . .you didn't think I was going to go the whole article without mentioning that, did you. . .will lead to a supremely motivated Brady on Sunday night in Indy.
Both teams will have their moments in this one on both sides of the ball, and we could be in for a classic contest. But when the confetti is released, I see Bill Belichick handing the Lombardi Trophy to Robert Kraft, and Tom Brady cementing his legacy as one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks.
The Pick: New England Patriots 31, New York Giants 27

Super Bowl 2012: Giants, Pats on the defensive

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:58:00 +0000

At first glance, this Super Bowl is a matchup of dreadful defenses. The New York Giants ranked 27th among the 32 NFL teams in total defense during the regular season. The New England Patriots ranked next-to-last.
But both teams played far better defense during the playoffs to reach this game, and the offenses might not have it quite so easy in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“I don’t think those numbers are accurate representations of these teams,” said Brian Billick, the former coach of the Baltimore Ravens. “Now, these are not upper-echelon defenses, although with a healthy New York Giants team . . . I think we would have seen maybe a top-10 defense. I don’t know that New England is in that category.”
The Patriots, after surrendering 411.1 yards and 21.4 points per game during the regular season, reduced that to 325 yards and 15 points per game during the AFC playoffs. The Giants, after yielding 376.4 yards and 25 points per game during the regular season, tightened things up on defense and allowed 321 yards and 13 points per game during the NFC playoffs.
“I think right now we’re clicking on the offensive side [and] defensive side as well as on special teams,” Giants cornerback Aaron Ross said. “Being a defensive player, early in the year, we weren’t on the same page. We had a few mental mistakes that cost us games. Now in the last month and a half, we’ve been on a hot streak and Coach [Tom] Coughlin has been putting in a great game plan for us and we’ve been executing plays.”
Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said he sensed all along that his defense would improve its play as the season progressed.
“They never stopped listening,” Fewell said of his players. “I knew we weren’t in trouble. They wanted to right it. They wanted to get it right. We had a lot of guys playing that really didn’t have the experience that they needed and didn’t really understand the concepts we were trying to teach and what we were trying to get across with our game plans. But they never shut us out and they kept believing in what we were trying to get done.”
Billick said he thinks the Patriots benefited from playing two opponents without high-powered offenses — the Denver Broncos and the Ravens — during the playoffs. The Broncos ranked 23rd in the NFL in total offense during the regular season and the Ravens were 15th.
“I think New York got healthy and that was a big part of it, and became battle-tested,” Billick said. “That schedule they had in the second half, they’ve been on a playoff win-or-go-home mentality for a while now. Now, you worry about it emotionally wearing your team out. But on the flip side, they’ve been battle-tested. New England, on the other hand, I don’t know that they have. They’ve had an easier course to it. We’ll see if that makes a difference when it comes to this championship game.”
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo said he has told his teammates that the defensive results from the regular season, and even those from the playoffs, no longer have any relevance.
“It’s a one-game season,” Mayo said. “Nothing else matters. None of the stats from the regular season, none of the stats from the postseason, matter. It’s all about Sunday and that’s our focus.”
It was a record-setting season for NFL quarterbacks, and the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Giants’ Eli Manning were among the passers putting up dazzling numbers.
The Patriots, with Brady, were one of the three teams in the NFL playoff field with a top-tier offense during the regular season and a low-ranked defense. The Patriots are the only one of those teams left standing, with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints having lost in the second round of the NFC playoffs. That seemed to indicate that it doesn’t necessarily take dominating defense to reach the Super Bowl in today’s NFL, but it does take some decent defense—especially when it’s played at the right time.
“I think you can go to the playoffs being dominant in one area—running the ball, stopping the run, throwing the ball, whatever it may be,” Billick said. “But to get here, I think you have to have more balance. And I think they [the Patriots and Giants] are more balanced than people give them credit for.”
For much of his career, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has been known as a defensive guru. Now it’s possible that he will win a Super Bowl title with the league’s 31st-ranked defense.
“It’s hard to play defense in the league now,” former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk said. “It’s hard to call defenses. . . . Belichick is great, but I’ll tell you what he’s really great at is playing the game within the rules and taking advantage of those rules…. It’s just a different game. Belichick understands: ‘I’m going to give up a lot of yards. I’m not going to be one of the top defenses. But we can stop people from scoring all the time.’ They’ve been a pretty decent scoring defense.”
Whichever team prevails Sunday will become only the eighth club ever to win a Super Bowl without a top-10 defense. It is a sign of the times in the NFL, and the spotlight Sunday is likely to be on Brady, Manning and the offenses.
“That’s how it goes,” Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty said. “We have a great offense and we have had some down points [on defense]. I think everyone will keep giving our offense the love and the respect because they deserve it. As defensive guys, we’ve got to just go out there and play. We have to do our part in this game. We believe in each other. We play for each other and that’s all that matters to us.”
Indeed, no matter what happened during the regular season, one of these defenses will emerge from Sunday’s game as a Super Bowl-winning defense.
“When you get to this game, it’s not about all of that stuff,” Faulk said. “It’s about winning. It’s not about stats. It’s not about what looks good. All you remember is the winner of this game.”

Super Bowl 2012 Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:57:00 +0000

This Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants will definitely be something worth watching.
SanDiego.com goes into the huddle and looks at the many facets going into the biggest game of the year.
HISTORY: Lots of it here. Under Bill Belichick’s reign, New England will be appearing in their 5th Super Bowl in 11 years. That is quite a track record in the modern day NFL, where teams and rosters turnover yearly. The Giants are back in the big show for the second time since 2007 with Tom Coughlin, the last appearance being when they beat the Patriots, ending their (18-0) season.
RIVALRY: Call it the "Border War.” It’s the State of New England versus the Big Apple. The Patriots are a religion, stretching from Maine to Massachusetts. The Giants are a historical franchise that dates back to the 1930s, when they played without helmets at places like the Polo Grounds and Yankees Stadium.
COACHES: The brightest and the best. Bill Parcells was a legend in NFL head coaching circles, coaching both the Patriots and Giants, plus the Jets and the Cowboys. Both Belichick and Coughlin come off his coaching tree, both serving time under his tutelage. This week Parcells referred to both as “different people-but the same coaches.” Belichick went to Wesleyan College in Massachusetts. Coughlin began his coaching career at Division III-Rochester Institute of Technology. Look at where they are now. The Patriots coach is all about preparation to the point of paranoia. He is an intellect, thoughtful, but demanding. Nothing that happens on Sunday will be something new to him. Coughlin is fiery, demanding and resolute.
THE SEASON: Both started badly, New England because of an overhaul of their roster on defense, the Giants because of a ton of injuries. Yes, the Patriots are (15-3), but it’s a product of beating just one team with a winning record. No one could believe Belichick could have such a poor defensive team. He got rid of four players in the secondary, and was retooling on the fly. The back half of the regular season, they were giving up just 291 yards per game and showing marked improvement. The Giants had to rebuild their receiver corps, replace two injured starters in the offensive front, fix a banged up secondary, and survive nagging injuries to a number of starters in their defensive front. They lost 4 games in a row at midseason and looked done. They got healthy and hot, then went on a winning streak, and have marched their way to the Super Bowl with enormous road wins. The Giants earned this trip.
QUARTERBACKS: Tom Brady has 16 career wins in postseason, tying the all time record by NFL -legend, Joe Montana. Name the offensive set, and you will likely see it, from shotgun to no huddle to three step drop. Eli Manning has become a complete quarterback, something no one would have guessed with him having the "Aw Shucks" personality. Battered early in his career and prone to throw picks, he’s strung together three superb seasons, and is looking for his second Super Bowl ring. He’s become a scientist and a street fighter.
OFFENSE: New England is the Magna Cum Laude in offenses. They throw like so many NFL teams do, but they do it to tight ends Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, and the mighty mite little receiver Wes Welker. Short passes resulting in big yardage is their calling card. Brady is like a scalpel. The Giants have become dangerous down the field. Manning survived 6 sacks and 19 hits and still threw TD passes in their NFC title game against the 49ers. Young stud receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks have been impossible to cover this year. The old-school New York offense, ‘of pound the ball, so I can throw the ball’ has given way to, ‘we're going down the field, can you cover us?’
DEFENSE: It’s what the Giants hang their hat on, and they are out to bury the opposing quarterbacks. They have a fierce pass rush, 53 sacks this season, and have created enormous problems for offensive lineman because they’re so quick off the ball. The fact they get there with just four rushers means quarterbacks under siege have to throw into 7-deep coverage. They may not always get there, but they get such pressure that they disrupt the rhythm of opposing quarterbacks. The Patriots have problems. The secondary is shaky, shallow and very young. It remains to be seen if they can make enough big plays to stop the Giants from putting together drives.
SPECIAL TEAMS: This may well be the wildcard in the entire game on Sunday. Brady and his brigade can put together long drives and make plays in big yardage chunks, making the Patriots put together 12 play drives against that New York pass rush, may not be easy. Manning could have a field day, going down the field against a really substandard Pats secondary. The only issue is if the Giants score a lot, it means Brady will get the ball a lot too, setting the stage for a shootout. The Giants likely have to throw, because if you run and have to punt the ball away, Brady can still hit enough big plays to hurt them.
NAMES TO WATCH: It won't be sexy, but the huge challenge will be for the Patriots offensive tackles. Can the veteran Matt Light hold up? What happens to the young right tackles Sebastian Vollmer and rookie Nate Solder? Brady will throw, but that means exposing him to a relentless pass rush, and the Giants have eight different defensive linemen they can rotate. Keep an eye on the Giants rebuilt offensive line, which let Manning take lots of punishment last week. New England will try to blitz, and what strength they have is in defensive linemen Vince Wilfork and Mark Anderson.
WATCH FOR: Brady to go to a hurry up offense, trying to wear out the pass rush. He doesn’t like people around his feet or surgically repaired knees, so he will get the ball out of there, before they get to him. Manning may have lots of time to setup and throw, for it takes time to get his receivers down the field for big plays. But he may have a challenge for the Pats will likely drop a ton of people into complicated overages, forcing him to hold the ball or throw it away. He may take some hits, but I bet he makes some plays.
WHO WINS: Giants 35, Patriots 31. The Giants’ pass rush will disrupt New England’s offense. Eli attacks a sickly secondary. Brady gets yards and scores, but gets hit and turns it over.

Super Bowl 2012: Outcome could hinge on Giants' pass rushers vs. Patriots' blockers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:34:00 +0000

The New York Giants have revved up their pass rush again, just as they did four years ago en route to their stunning Super Bowl upset of the then-unbeaten New England Patriots.

The members of the Patriots’ offensive line have listened all week to questions about their failure to protect New England quarterback Tom Brady from the Giants’ hard-charging defensive linemen in that memorable 2008 game, and about their prospects for improving this year.

Both sides seem to believe the outcome of Sunday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium could hinge on whether Brady’s blockers are able to keep him on his feet long enough to scan the field for open receivers.

“Our job is to block them,” Patriots guard Logan Mankins said. “And if we do that, we have a good chance to win. We know it’s going to be tough to block them so we need to have our best game out there.”

Few defenses chase opposing quarterbacks as relentlessly as the Giants. Their 2007-08 title was attributable in large part to the ferocity of their pass rush. They led the league with 53 regular season sacks, and they took down Brady five more times in the Super Bowl.

The current Giants tied for third in the league during the regular season with 48 sacks. The Giants added nine sacks in three games during the NFC playoffs. Now their primary pass rushers — Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck — are set to renew their pursuit of Brady.

“We’ve just got to get to him,” Pierre-Paul said. “And going into this game, we know what’s at stake and we’ve got to get there fast enough.”

The participants in this matchup have changed a bit since the teams’ last Super Bowl meeting. Mankins and left tackle Matt Light started that Super Bowl for the Patriots, but the other three starters Sunday will be new. Tuck and Umenyiora played in that Super Bowl for the Giants, but defensive end Michael Strahan has since retired and been replaced by Pierre-Paul.

“It seems like whoever they put in there can get after the passer,” Brady said this week. “Any time you can limit the quarterback, from the time it takes to make a read to make a throw, it’s much more challenging. It comes down to quick decision-making. I put a lot of trust in my offensive line. It’s a great group of players who have really played together for a while.”

Brady said the burden falls on him as well. “I think as a quarterback you understand that you can’t sit there and hold the ball all day,” he said.

The Patriots allowed 32 sacks during the regular season, tying them for the league’s ninth-lowest total. Brady was sacked only once in two AFC playoff games.

Veteran right guard Brian Waters, a Pro Bowl fixture with the Kansas City Chiefs, was signed before the season. Rookie Nate Solder, a first-round draft choice in April out of Colorado, became a starter by necessity with right tackle Sebastian Vollmer plagued by injuries. Vollmer hasn’t played since late November but has practiced this week and might play Sunday.

“The offensive line’s been great all year,” Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis said. “We’ve had different tackles in there. Guards, centers — all those guys work well together and they’re a tight-knit bunch. I think that’s what kind of makes them who they are. They care about each other and they work well together.”

New York Giants team report: Manning sharp as ever

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:33:00 +0000

In the second practice of the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, Eli Manning completed 10-of-11 passes in the second two-minute drill of the day and, according to the official NFC pool report, looked especially sharp.
Certainly Manning has faces greater obstacles than his own starting defense in a practice situation, but there is a strong feeling that he is at the top of his game. Of course, Manning put an indelible stamp on his career by leading the Giants to an upset of the Patriots four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, earning MVP honors for directing the game-winning touchdown drive.

In the midst of one of his best-ever seasons, Eli Manning continues to look sharp in practice. (AP Photo)

Since then, Manning has been a solid quarterback, but he took a step back last season with a career-high 25 interceptions. Manning cut that figure to 16 this season, and he’s probably never going to be a low-interception quarterback given how frequently he throws the ball downfield.
Four years ago, Manning entered the Super Bowl clearly as the second quarterback, but he arrives this time closer to Tom Brady’s level, establishing himself as a true franchise quarterback who elevates those around him. If he adds a second Super Bowl victory—and a second Super Bowl victory against Brady—Manning will not only become the first Giants quarterback to play and win two Super Bowls, but he will vault himself into consideration for Hall of Fame status, not that he is anywhere close to retiring.

Super Bowl 2012: Who Has the Better Defense -- Giants or Patriots?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:32:00 +0000

The old saying goes, "defense wins championships."

So when trying to predict the winner of the year's biggest game, the better defensive team might be the best choice.

Do the Giants or the Patriots have the better defense?

Both of these defenses have been criticized throughout the season, and the game is expected to be a high-scoring affair. The total opened up in Las Vegas at 55.5, the second highest in Super Bowl history.

This isn't a surprise when you look at the stats. New England finished 31st in total defense in the 2011 regular season, while New York came in at 27th in the league.

But those numbers don't tell the whole story.

The Giants numbers are skewed because of a poor stretch in the regular season against the NFL's best offenses. Between Weeks 12 and 14, the Giants allowed a total of 120 points to the Saints, Packers and Cowboys.

Since their matchup against the Jets, the Giants have been one of the league's best defensive units. In those five games, New York is allowing less than two touchdowns per contest.

The much-improved Giants' pass rush has done a solid job of blitzing the quarterback. They finished third in the NFL with 48 sacks, and have been even better in the playoffs.

New York's defensive resurgence can be correlated to the health of some key players. Defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umemyiora missed a combined 11 games in the regular season. The Giants were without middle linebacker Michael Boley for a few games as well.

The Patriots are guilty of allowing a lot of yards, but that hasn't always translated into scores. New England is at the bottom of the league in yards allowed, but they finished No. 15 in points allowed.

New England's biggest weakness is the pass defense. While the Giants' has improved recently, the Patriots have struggled. The Patriots gave up a league-worst 297 yards per game this season. The short-handed Patriots have had to use wide receiver Julian Edelman at cornerback.

In order to overcome these glaring holes, the Patriots have had to force a lot of turnovers. New England is first in the AFC with 34 takeaways. Even with a porous secondary, they managed to lead the conference with twenty-three interceptions.

Both teams will try to get most of their points through the air. The Giants and Patriots are in the middle of the pack when it comes to rushing defense, finishing at No. 19 and No. 17, respectively.

While the Giants may appear to have the overall edge, it's difficult to gauge how they both will play after two weeks rest, and which are capable of forcing a fumble or interception.

The Giants and Patriots have two of the best offenses in the NFL. Eli Manning and Tom Brady are both in position to have good games. It may not matter which quarterback finishes with more passing yards, or which running games has rushing yards.

Super Bowl 2012 Commercials: Volkswagen Makes A Really Weird Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Super Bowl XLVI is just a few days away and already advertisers have begun releasing their new Super Bowl commercials online. Putting aside how strange it is for companies to "pre-release" commercials, or release "teasers" for the commercials, or even that there are "event" commercials in the first place, let's take a look at one of the new ads that will "officially premiere" during the game on Sunday.
Volkswagen tickled many a viewer's fancy during last year's Super Bowl when they debuted a Passat commercial featuring the "Star Wars Kid," who tries to use his or her Force powers...with adorable results. Recently, VW put out a commercial to "tease" their Super Bowl commercial, which features a chorus of dogs barking the Imperial March, and a whippet dressed as an AT-AT Walker. As cute/awesome as that is, it doesn't really seem to have anything to do with their product, which is, you know, typically the point of advertising.
But here's what it led up to: their 2012 Super Bowl commercial for the Volkswagen Beetle, entitled "The Dog Strikes Back."

I have ... problems with this commercial. First off, there's the super-depressing aspect of having a morbidly obese dog, which would indicate terrible owners or borderline animal abuse more than anything else. Instead, you have a dog being concerned about its self-image, which is pretty wrong on a lot of levels. Is it not enough that companies never stop the fat-shaming of human beings? Must they move on to making the animals feel bad now?
But let's not even worry about that part. The end of the commercial moves on to the Mos Eisley cantina and a wretched hive of villainy discussing the dog commercial. Then Darth Vader shows up. No one is quite sure why this is happening. The dog thing and the Star Wars thing are in no way related. Could they really not think of another way to work Darth Vader into a new commercial? He's Darth Vader.
Also, is Volkswagen and Star Wars a new thing now? Are they going to be joined at the hip in Super Bowl commercials for the next decade? Are VW dealership lobbies going to features guys in Chewbacca suits? ... Okay, that last thing would be awesome. If that's where we're headed, carry on, Volkswagen.

Super Bowl XLVI 2012 TV commercials build super buzz online

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:27:00 +0000

Super Bowl advertising has become as much of a spectacle as the game itself. Often it’s far more entertaining. A huge slice of the audience admits it’s watching mainly for the commercials, the only occasion all year in America where this is true.
Advertisers are willing to put down huge amounts of money to get their ads into the Super Bowl of advertising, mainly for the buzz and the bragging rights. In 2012, the going rate is $3.5 million for 30 seconds, and up to $4 million if you want a premium placement like the break before the kickoff.
This year, Super Bowl advertising has a viral twist. Instead of relying on an element of suspense and surprise for advertising, companies are talking up their ads in industry publications, and placing sneak previews or sometimes reveals of the entire commercial on YouTube and various social networks.
Doesn’t this steal an ad’s thunder and ruin the impact? Volkswagen American President and CEO Jonathan Browning says last year’s sneak peek on the Thursday before the Super Bowl of its Star Wars themed ad received 13 million views before the kickoff, helping to build anticipation and high expectations for the ad which was widely considered the best of the lot in 2011.
VW decided to repeat its success with another ad playing off the same theme, shooting a stand-along preview called “The Bark Side” that as of publication had received nearly 11 million views. Wednesday its brand new ad debuted in its entirety and is getting plenty of exposure.
Meanwhile, other media are covering this phenomenon, airing the previews and full ads for free within news coverage, generating free publicity. Advertising execs are in hog heaven; they’ve never had it so good.
So love the buzz or think it's a total buzzkill having your surprise ruined, this trend is here to stay. Upon a review of the lion’s share of the ads out there, here’s our rundown (or spoiler, depending on your point of view) of what you’ll be seeing in between touchdowns and field goals on Super Bowl Sunday.
Volkswagen

Thanks to its strong showing last year, VW has the most anticipated ad. First, it released its preview, “The Bark Side.” On February 1 it released “The Dog Strikes Back,” featuring the golden retriever from last year’s Passat ad, along with a transition to a full-blown recreation of the Star Wars cantina scene.
Honda

Honda scored big with its teaser on YouTube featuring a salt and pepper haired Matthew Broderick as his alter ago Ferris Bueller, followed by the release of the extended two-and-a-half minute version of its ad. While Broderick as Ferris enjoys his day off in a Honda CR-V and not a hot sports car, viewers have loved seeing their pal Bueller brought back to life. It’s on its way to eight million views so far.
Acura

Acura’s ad features comedian Jerry Seinfeld and late-night talk host Jay Leno pitching the new NSX. Seinfeld and Leno are both known as manic car collectors and the ad plays off their obsession. An extended edition has been viewed over five million times to date.
Toyota
The theme of Toyota’s Super Bowl ad for the Camry is "It's Reinvented!" In the ad, a variety of products and situations are reinevented: couches, curtains, and even the DMV. Will the attempt at humor work? Maybe not, but at least there is some serious eye candy for the ladies here.
Audi

Audi’s ad will be popular with Twilight fans, going with a vampires theme. Big points for using a song from Echo and the Bunnymen as the ad’s soundtrack. It’s garnered 2.5 million views online.
Hyundai
In its fifth year of Super Bowl advertising, Hyundai will air five new ads on Super Bowl Sunday, all featuring Jeff Bridges as the narrator: two pre-game spots, one 60-second commercial in the highly rated pre-kickoff time slot and two during the game. All five have been released on Hyundai’s YouTube channel. The clear winner is the pre-kickoff ad with a “Rocky” theme featuring over 200 workers from Hyundai’s Alabama production plant. The behind the scene feature for this ad is well worth watching.

Chevrolet
Chevy decided to embrace the modern experience by crowdsourcing its ad with the Route 66 competition. The winning ad comes from 26-year-old Zack Borst, who received a $25,000 prize for his effort called “Chevy Happy Grad,” depicting a deliriously happy college graduate and the bright yellow Camaro about to change his life.
Century 21
Enough of cars. How about real estate? Century 21 is advertising on the Super Bowl for the first time with a series of three ads featuring three different celebrities that represent the company’s agents as “Smarter, Bolder, Faster” – Deion Sanders, Apolo Anton Ohno, and Donald Trump. Think you know which is which?
H&M

H&M clothing stores are advertising the debut of their new David Beckham Bodywear and the ads leave very little to the imagination, much to the delight of the women (and plenty of men) watching. The ad will air during the second quarter of the game, but it’s racking up YouTube views already. The big problem with the ad is that all I can remember is the tattoos, not the skivvies.

GoDaddy.com/Career Builder/E-Trade

It wouldn’t seem like the Super Bowl without the GoDaddy.com girls, the Career Builder chimps, or the E-Trade baby, and yep, they are all back. For every critic (like me) who thinks these themes are getting tired, the companies claim the characters are all back by Popular Demand. Guys, I had my fun with Beckham, so this one’s for you.
Hulu
Hulu is back for its second year of Super Bowl advertising with one pregame commercial and one during the game. The new ad has the same tone as its twisted alien plotline featuring Alec Baldwin. This year, Will Arnett takes over and the alien theme of melting human brains continues. The Twitter hashtag is #mushymuch
Pepsi
Pepsi will show two Super Bowl ads. One for Pepsi MAX uses Regis Philbin to announce a video competition. Sticking with the competition theme, X-Factor winner Melanie Amaro stars in the second Super Bowl ad, which also features Elton John, singing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” The second ad is still under wraps, but Regis is front and center already.
Oikos Yogurt
John Stamos fights a losing battle over a carton of yogurt. There isn’t much more to it.
Cars.com
This commercial is a creepy Men In Black II looking ad, a real head-scratcher times two.
Also on tap are ads from Samsung, Sketchers, Coca-Cola, and Kia Optima.
Will there be anything left to talk about Monday morning after the game around the office water cooler? Sure there will. You can’t stop Americans from weighing in about Super Bowl commercials. Plenty of people don’t have the time to chase down all the ads online, or care. The experience seeing them shared as a nation still rules over viral video any day. But it would be nice if there were still a little room for a few surprises.

Super Bowl 2012: Forget the Commercials, the Super Bowl Is About Football

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:14:00 +0000

Every year, millions of people around the world gather around televisions to watch the biggest sports spectacle in the United States—the Super Bowl. It attracts diehards, fair-weathers, the disinterested and the curious alike, but it's not simply to watch the two best teams in the NFL compete for the championship.
No, it's also to watch the commercials.
Now, I get it, and I'm not trying to tell people what they can and cannot enjoy. If it's the one time per year that your Aunt Milly or whoever watches professional football because the commercials are an attraction, then so be it.
However, the allure of what happens between the commercials has fallen by the wayside. The Super Bowl, after all, is about football.
Of course, it is the most-watched television event of the year, and the networks would be moronic if they failed to exploit the unbelievable piles of money to be made off it.
Advertising agencies, car manufacturers and soda companies can attract themselves a slew of new customers and fans by broadcasting a memorable commercial during the game. It's a tradition that's been around since the 1970s and one that picked up serious steam in the 1990s.
However, the bottom line is that they are still commercials, the bane of every football fan's existence.
The fact that companies have spent millions of dollars and hours of research and production on their advertising for this one game doesn't make up for the fact that the Super Bowl has become a ridiculously drawn-out affair. Teams are forced to start and stop their play at the behest of the broadcaster, ultimately affecting the momentum of the game.
NFL fans spend a ton of money every year to purchase the Sunday Ticket package or the Red Zone channel. This is not just to see all the football they desire (which is a fantastic thing, might I add) but also to avoid the barrage of commercials that come at every timeout, every injury, after every punt, kickoff and score.
Those television timeouts double—or triple, it seems—during the Super Bowl, to the point where it's hard to remember which team had the ball when the game went to commercials.
Obviously, there is a solution to this problem. You could DVR the game. However, let's be serious, that's not an option. That's a joke, or it's something you begrudgingly do because you are unable to access a television when the game is live.
The Super Bowl commercials are inescapable, and it's the thing most people end up talking about the next day. While this is a nation chock-full of NFL fans, it might be shocking to realize that more people don't care about the goings-on in the Super Bowl than those who do.
However, I simply want football. I want to see two teams playing as hard as they can to earn a Lombardi Trophy and I want it with as few interruptions as possible.
This is the last football we will all see for quite a few months, and it's frustrating to think that we will in fact be seeing more ads than we will actual action.
So, please, watch the commercials, be entertained by them, even. However, for the love of football, please don't cheer louder or feel more moved by what happens in the breaks than what the New York Giants and New England Patriots manage to accomplish on the field.
We're here for football, are we not? Without the Super Bowl, there wouldn't be these commercials. And the Super Bowl is a football game, not a mere platform for advertisers to showcase their master works.
This is our last chance to enjoy what is one of the most amazing things in the world (no, I'm not being hyperbolic); commercials will be there on Monday, but football won't. Enjoy the game.

Super Bowl 2012 tickets still selling at a record rate

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:09:00 +0000

It’s officially Super Bowl weekend in Indianapolis. It’s also Christmas morning for ticket scalpers across the country.
Just 72 hours shy of kickoff for America’s premier sporting event, scalpers and bargain-hunters on-site in the Circle City and online across the world have continued swapping seats at record rates. The average admission price into Super Bowl Bowl XLVI, held Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, was holding steady at $3,395 as of late Thursday afternoon, according to data from SeatGeek.
If recent Super Bowls are any indication, the average ticket price should drop over the weekend of the big game. Typically, thousands of tickets (usually rumored to be those of NFL players and owners that are leaked to sites like StubHub and eBay) hit the secondary market, collectively dropping the average price down a few hundred dollars.
“Ticket prices are still record-setting by our standards, but we’re seeing prices gradually trend down both on the budge and premium ends,” Will Flaherty, Director of Communications for Seat Geek, said Thursday at the JW Marriott hotel in Indianapolis.
By comparison: last year in Dallas, tickets sold at an average price of $3,067, the highest ever recorded in the Super Bowl’s 45-year history.
Since the conclusion of both conference title games on Jan. 22, Super Bowl XLVI has seen a slight edge; average ticket prices predictably peaked the following Monday at $3,943. A week ago Thursday, they had dipped to $3,530.
Also important to note: Super Bowl XLV in Dallas seated over 103,000 fans; Lucas Oil Stadium will seat roughly 68,000 on Sunday, per the NFL. With fewer seats available and two teams hailing from massive urban markets, it’s no surprise ticket prices are up.
SeatGeek is reporting a 12 percent decline in tickets this week compared to 10 days prior. The “Get in Price” – deemed the lowest price a fan could pay for a ticket anywhere in the stadium – was running for $2,200 as of Thursday, and SeatGeek hadn’t tracked a seat for any cheaper at any point this week.
The overall average of $3,395 is down just $105 dollars from the average of $3,500 earlier in the week. There have been some modest declines in 600-level seats ($2,448 now compared to $2,794 over the 10 days prior).
Additionally, 100-level seats are down 13 percent from where they were earlier in the week. The average since Monday has been $4,497; previously they had been selling around $5,193.

Madonna on Super Bowl 2012 Halftime Show: 'I want people to be knocked off their seats'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:08:00 +0000

Madonna gathers quite a crowd.
On Thursday, the music icon met with a room packed with media for the first time to address her forthcoming performance at the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
• SUPER COVERAGE: Read more stories about the teams, fans, concerts, parties, with photos and video.
“I have to say that over 25 years of performing, I’ve never worked so hard or been so scrupulous or detail-oriented,” she said from the JW Marriott Downtown. “I’m really excited to be here. I feel very welcomed. I’ve been inside the stadium, and the stadium is great. I just keep pinching myself.”
The singer wouldn’t divulge many details regarding her impending show, though she did say she’ll play three old songs and one new one. She was also asked if a wardrobe malfunction was on her conscious.
IndyStar.com reported earlier today Madonna prepped four songs during a five-hour rehearsal Wednesday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to sources involved in the production. Madonna worked on renditions of “Vogue,” “Music,” new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” and “Like a Prayer.”
“Great attention to detail, and I can guarantee there won’t be anything like that.”
She added that she was hoping to dedicate Sunday’s performance to her father.
“He’s the personification of Midwestern values,” she said. “This might be the the thing he’s most excited about that I’ve ever done.”
The singer also admitted to a few nerves for Sunday’s big performance.
“I do feel the pressure,” she said. “I want people to be knocked off their seats. I hope the show is a feast for the eyes and a feast for the ears.”

Super Bowl 2012 predictions for Patriots-Giants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:07:00 +0000

Here are 12 fearless predictions for Super Bowl XLVI.
1. Tom Brady will throw for more than 300 yards, including three touchdown passes. After one of them, one of the announcers will inform us that he is married to a supermodel because some of us might have forgotten that despite being reminded repeatedly during the pregame show.
2. Eli Manning will throw for more than 300 yards, including three touchdown passes. And after each touchdown, we will get to see Peyton Manning cheering in the owner’s suite because some of us might have forgotten that they are brothers or wondered whether Peyton was rooting for Eli.
3. Rob Gronkowski will only catch three passes, none for touchdowns . . . but Aaron Hernandez will catch eight passes for nearly 100 yards, including one for a touchdown. And somehow Rob Gronkowski’s ankle will still get more attention than Hernandez.
4. Victor Cruz will catch six passes, none for touchdowns, accumulating about 60 yards. . . but Hakeem Nicks will catch 10 passes, one for a touchdown, for a total of more than 100 yards. And somehow Rob Gronkowski’s ankle will still get more attention than Nicks.
5. Wes Welker will have 80-100 receiving yards, and an announcer will refer to him as “pesky.”
6. Brandon Jacobs will rush for 75-80 yards. And at least once an announcer will report that he weighs 275 pounds, which still seems like he didn’t put both feet on the scale, doesn’t it?
7. The Giants will sack Brady three times. Immediately after one of them, we will get a Subway commercial with Justin Tuck and that guy with the glasses who lost all that weight eating sandwiches, sending us the subliminal message that a six-inch meatball sub somehow contributed to the sack we just saw.
8. The Patriots will sack Eli Manning once. And when they do, we will get to see Peyton Manning wincing in the owner’s suite, confirming that he in fact is still rooting for his brother. This will be followed by the Papa John’s commercial starring Peyton, which is the only commercial he’s ever been in where he isn’t entertaining, which itself suggests that his career may be over.
9. The Giants will force two turnovers.
10. The Patriots will force two turnovers.
11. Neither team will miss a field goal.
12. Final score: Patriots 31, Giants 28.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Acura NSX Ad Features Jerry Seinfeld vs. Jay Leno

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:49:00 +0000

Don't worry Jerry, we're just as fed up with Jay Leno as you are.

Nobody likes being No. 2, and Seinfeld clearly couldn't sit back and let another customer purchase the first Acura NSX. It was a long road to victory, and his defeat was undoubtedly heartbreaking.
He started slowly, at first offering $20 to his counterpart, only to be turned down. From offering the last living munchkin (not really) and a dancing holographic monkey (which the customer somehow already has), to doing standup comedy for him on the omelet line and giving him access to his personal city zip line, Seinfeld is determined to own the first car sold.
Then it happens...
Leno flies in on his (not surprising) jet pack and takes the customer on what would be the ride of his life.
Like any other day, Leno once again steals the spotlight with a gaudy performance that irks fans everywhere.
We can't possibly ignore the truth behind this commercial. Seinfeld has lost his touch. He can no longer talk his way out of any situation and persuade those around him with a subtly humorous bravado that goes unnoticed.
It may have been enjoyable to watch him scratch and claw for a win, but we are left wondering what Seinfeld is going to do with owning the second vehicle sold.
His wealthy palms clearly can't be satisfied without No. 1.

Super Bowl 2012 Ticket Prices: Willing to Pay 15 Times Face Value?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:47:00 +0000

For many football fans, the Super Bowl is a once in a lifetime experience, and trip is well worth the ticket price, no matter how high it is. This year's match-up between the New England Patriots and New York Giants is already a gold mine for the NFL and for the individuals who sell tickets online, with prices peaking at $15,000 for a single ticket.

"Prices for the Super Bowl are exorbitantly expensive this year because you have the perfect storm of big markets and strong, dedicated fan bases," a StubHub seller who asked to remain anonymous said.

Official tickets sell out fast. Season ticket holders of the competing teams each get rights to 17.5 percent of the Super Bowl tickets, season ticket holders of the host team -- in this case the Indianapolis Colts -- claim another 5 percent and season ticket holders from the remaining 29 teams in the NFL split another 45 percent of the tickets. That leaves 25 percent of tickets to sell to the public, and much ofs that exchange is done through online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist and StubHub.

Going through the StubHub marketplace with the seller, the IBTimes learned that the average ticket price for a sold ticket is $3,450, which is about triple the face value of $800 -- $1,200 per ticket. The current average for an unsold ticket is close to $5,000.

"The only drawback is the cold weather in Indianapolis. If only the game was in Miami or New Orleans, who knows how much tickets would go for," the seller added.

The most coveted and most expensive seats are unsurprisingly in sections 140 and 113, the forward most seats on the 50 yard line. Ten people bought tickets in 140 for $13,530, four bought seats for $13,335 and two lucky people paid only $9,550 for seats 12 rows behind the others sold in the section. Notably, all of the tickets were purchased on either the Monday or Tuesday after the NFC and AFC championship games.

"I think that there are a lot of people who just wanted the best seats and did not care about price," the seller said. "Those people snapped up the tickets as soon as they became available."

While the steep price may dissuade some, any would-be buyers should act fast because there are only six seats left in the section on StubHub and 10 on eBay. (eBay also has tickets in the neighboring section 141-- four tickets for $45,900.)

Directly across the field in section 113, the average ticket price was $1,000 lower but the highest single ticket sold was more expensive at $14,118. That ticket was bought on Thursday.

Other seats in on field sections are ranging from about $3,700 in the corner of the stadium to $11,000 near the 45 yard line. There isn't much change one level behind that, and tickets in the 200 level sections are selling for $3,500 in the corner to $10,000 mid-field.

Supply and Demand

As the game approaches, that price will likely go down instead of up, with sellers trying to maximize their profits while still assuring a sale. Hundreds, if not thousands, of fans are waiting for this to happen and have set "Buyer Alerts" to inform them when any ticket falls to $1,000 or under.

This trend is evidenced even in the glorious section 140. Where almost all the tickets sold in the section before Thursday went for over $13,000, the average price per seat being offered is now about $10,618. Only one seat in the section previously went for below that amount. However, the average quality of the seat -- judged by the row number -- has also gone down.

The current low price for any one ticket is $2,119 in "terrace end" section 628, which is all the way at the top of Lucas Oil Stadium, behind the end zone. Tickets in that section have already sold for as much as $2,900. In nearby section 629, home to probably the worst seats in the house, they've gone for between $2,000 and $2,685.

Tickets in the upper decks tended to sell later than for the seats closer to the field, but bucking the pricing trend seen with the best seats, unsold tickets in the back sections are approaching $4,000 on eBay.

"The people who don't care about price have already bought," the seller said.

"The people that are price sensitive are waiting until the last minute to try to get the best deal, and so they are all buying now, driving demand and the price up."

"The market has lessened as it becomes more realistic fans looking at tickets," said StubHub spokesperson Joellen Ferrer. "It's similar to what we saw last year with quite bit of movement in the days leading into the Super Bowl."

Once a buyer had his or her ticket, a flight to Indianapolis on Sunday will only cost an additional $350 (from New York), a meager sum by comparison.

--

Other Super Bowl related items currently being sold on eBay:

Parking passes - $100 to $1,000

Plastic Super Bowl XLVI ticket holder: $12, which is the same price that a ticket to Super Bowl I in 1967 cost. The game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, did not sell out.

Super Bowl 2012 novelty tickets: $9.95

Ticket frame: $45.96

Reservations at Oceanaire Seafood in Indianapolis at 11 p.m. on Sunday: $13

Hotel room at Embassy Suites: $657 per night

Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam Tickets: Average $30

This Super Bowl poster by Charles Fazzino that doesn't mention either the Giants or Patriots: Latest bid $13.63

Belichick, Brady in cheerful mood as Patriots arrive in Indy for Super Bowl week

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Even the usually dour Bill Belichick was joking around as the New England Patriots arrived in Indianapolis for Super Bowl week.

At his opening news conference Sunday night, Belichick was asked if he expected some Hoosier hospitality.

“I never had too much hospitality here,” he said, noting that the Patriots aren’t exactly popular in Colts country, “until I went for it on fourth-and-2.”
His gamble on that play at the New England 28 with 2:08 to go failed and led to the Colts’ winning field goal in a 2009 regular-season game.
“Fans greeted us lots more and were awfully friendly” after that, he added.
All-Pro receiver Wes Welker wasn’t familiar with the term when asked the same question.
“What is Hoosier hospitality? What does that consist of?” Welker asked to laughs before getting a full explanation from a local television reporter. “I think it will be a little strange practicing at the Colts’ facility. I don’t know how many people like that, but we’ll be calm and polite and not try to rub it in, so I hope everyone is appreciative of it.”
Belichick, dressed in a suit — no hoodie for the coach this time — also said All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is “day to day” with a high left ankle sprain for next Sunday’s NFL title game against the New York Giants. Gronkowski has been wearing a walking boot since being injured in the AFC title game.
“You’ve got to prepare for every one of these situations that come up,” quarterback Tom Brady said of the possibility Gronkowski will be limited or sidelined. “You always have to have some contingency plans.”
Brady knows the Giants will bring lots of heat with their pass rush, but for now he was more comforted by not having to face a local rival who frequently has put Brady on his back.
“I see Dwight Freeney’s picture up there (on the stadium),” Brady said. “When you come to Indy and don’t have to play him, we are very fortunate for that.”
The Patriots drew about 25,000 fans to Gillette Stadium earlier Sunday for what Brady termed “a pep rally.” Team owner Robert Kraft, who has had an emotional year — his wife passed away last July and he was instrumental in resolving the NFL’s lockout of the players — was thrilled by the turnout.
“We had 25,000 people come to our stadium today to send the team off,” Kraft said. “At the stadium today it was so special, the time we are in now, to have 25,000 of our fans cheer our team is a very emotional experience.”
This is Kraft’s sixth Super Bowl as owner, and he vividly recalled the days when the team was lucky to draw 25,000 for a game.
“I sat with those crowds. I sat in the stands for 34 years and we had one home playoff game, in 1978, which we lost to Houston,” Kraft said. “And last Sunday, we were privileged to host our 15th playoff game.”

In Super Bowl XLVI, NY Giants and New England Patriots meet again as hunter is now the hunted

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

The theme of the last two weeks of the playoffs for the Giants was “revenge,” but that’s not what they’re seeking this time. They’ll arrive in this Super Bowl city on Monday afternoon having already proven they’re good enough to beat the Patriots.
The trick now is to do it again.

As the Packers and 49ers found out the last two weeks, beating the same team twice in a season isn’t easy. Against a Hall of Fame-bound coach like Bill Belichick, it can be especially hard.

“Knowing Coach Belichick and their staff they’ll have a new game plan, they’ll have some new wrinkles in there,” said Eli Manning. “They’re a great staff and great coaches. They’ll be well prepared. Just from watching one of their games it seems like they’ve already changed up a little bit.”

“Bill is an outstanding football coach who has his finger on everything that goes on there and does an exceptional job of planning,” Tom Coughlin added. “Therefore, it presents outstanding problems. And just as important is that they are a very, very good team.”

In fact, the Patriots team that touched down in Indianapolis on Sunday evening is riding a 10-game winning streak that dates back to their last loss on Nov. 6 24-20 to the Giants in Foxborough. When the Giants beat them, the Patriots were scuttling along at 5-3, looking like a fading dynasty.

Since then they’ve won their 10 straight games by an average score of 36-19.

Maybe most importantly, the Giants had no choice but to show their full hand in that regular-season meeting. It was a big game they needed to win to keep their momentum rolling as they began a difficult stretch of their schedule. They couldn’t hold anything back.

That makes this different than it was in 2007, when the Giants narrowly lost to the Patriots in the regular-season finale, only to beat them five weeks later in Super Bowl XLII. Years later, former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted “there was a little bit of a pullback there” in that game because they didn’t want to show their entire game plan, in case they met again.

This time they are much more exposed.

“I think any time you play the Patriots they're always going to have something new for you,” Manning said. “The last time we played them they showed a lot of different looks, some different schemes on defense things that they have not shown before. When we played them in the Super Bowl four years ago they had some new things for that game. They tend to have a theme of the game and it changes from week to week.

“So you have to be prepared for a lot of different things. They do a great job of disguising things and showing different looks. We have to be prepared for it all.”

Of course, the same is true for the Patriots. They know the Giants got a good look at what they like to do with receiver Wes Welker (nine catches, 136 yards in that game) and their dangerous tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez (12 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns combined). They saw how to attack the NFL’s second-worst defense, which they beat for 361 yards, even without receiver Hakeem Nicks and running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

That familiarity makes this game an intriguing chess match between Belichick and Coughlin and their staffs. The Giants know how to beat them. The Patriots have two weeks to study that film to figure out how to stop them.
It’s why, after all the studying and scheming, some players are convinced that what happened in the first game won’t really matter at all.

“Those games mean nothing,” said linebacker Michael Boley. “That game was so long ago. A lot has changed not only with their team but with ours.”

“Means absolutely nothing,” added safety Antrel Rolle. “It’s a totally different team, totally different mindset, two teams going head to head. Whatever it takes.”

Giants vs. Patriots: How Tom Coughlin Can Outsmart Bill Belichick

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:32:00 +0000

The 2012 Super Bowl will provide the professional pigskin viewing public with another opportunity to witness the latest installment in the war of coaching strategy between Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin.
This coaching matchup sustains its intrigue not because of the distinctly disparate tactical approaches of the sideline front men but rather through some of the characteristic similarities, in addition to the coaching lineage that directly links these two Bill Parcells proteges.
However, if a certain degree of discipline and rigidity in game plan management represents the common hook that both men hang their hats on, there still remains an underlying sentiment that it will be Tom Coughlin taking on the underdog role of trying to out-coach his former stablemate.
Thus, a look at five suggestions as to how Corporal Coughlin might approach such an aspiration.

Super Bowl 2012: Second Ring Would Put Eli Manning in Hall of Fame Discussion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

At the start of the 2011 season, nobody viewed New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning as a future Hall of Famer. In fact, we all laughed when he dared to say he was in the same class as Tom Brady.
Manning then proceeded to shut us up by having the best season of his pro career, and now he's just a week away from playing in the Super Bowl for the second time in his career.
So that future Hall of Famer idea? It's not looking too outlandish right about now. On the contrary, it's an idea we should start coming to grips with.
As things stand right now, Manning is not a Hall of Famer. His win in Super Bowl XLII is a huge feather in his cap, as is his Super Bowl MVP, but the rest of Manning's resume is lacking. His career passer rating of 82.1 is not impressive, and the fact that he has twice led the league in interceptions is not a good thing at all.

Manning at the Pro Bowl in 2009.

Pro Bowl selections don't mean as much as we think they do, but Manning has only been selected to the Pro Bowl twice in his eight seasons, once in 2008 and again this year. That's a pretty good indication of how up and down Manning's career has been. And indeed, there have been more downs than ups.
So as great as Manning was in 2011, his resume is not that of a Hall of Fame quarterback. Nothing is being decided today, but Manning would not be a Hall of Famer if we were.
The big picture could be significantly different a week from today. If Manning leads the Giants to a win over the Patriots on Super Sunday, we're going to be looking at his career in an entirely different light.
There are only a small handful of quarterbacks in NFL history who have won more than one Super Bowl. Most of them are in the Hall of Fame, and some are going to get there some day. Tom Brady will be a Hall of Famer, and Ben Roethlisberger probably will be too.
At the very least, a second ring would put Manning in the discussion. The debate will be heated, but rest assured this is a debate people will have. Compared to where we stand with Manning right now, that's a step up.

The scary part is that, win or lose, there's a lot more to come from Manning. He's only 31, meaning he has a few seasons left in him. The possibility exists that he will get a couple more cracks at the Super Bowl. Even if he doesn't, he's going to continue to build on his numbers.
As strange as it may seem, we could eventually come to see Eli as the better of the two Manning brothers. He already has as many rings as Peyton, and Eli is going to catch up to him numbers-wise in the coming years. Right now, I'm already willing to bet that Eli is going to have more rings when all is said and done.
So one way or the other, Manning is going to be in the Hall of Fame discussion. He'll be there right away if he's hoisting the Lombardi Trophy a week from today, but he'll be there eventually even if he isn't.

2012 Super Bowl: New England Patriots Sent Off By 25,000 Fans At Gillette Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:30:00 +0000

With an exactly one week separating us from Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots set foot in Gillette Stadium one final time before an estimated 25,000 fans for a final send-off rally before boarding a plane to Indianapolis, Indiana where they will face the New York Giants on Super Sunday
The rally began at approximately 10 a.m. in Gillette Stadium, with fans dawning Patriots gear and cheering as loud as they have throughout the playoffs.
The only player that was absent from the send-off rally was tight end Rob Gronkowski, who continues to nurse a reported high ankle sprain. Gronk has been frequently spotted in a walking boot, but it is believed that he will play in the Super Bowl next Sunday night. He was reportedly seen with the same walking boot when he got off the plane in Indianapolis Sunday afternoon.
For the exception of Gronk, entire Patriots team and coaching staff was in attendance including team owner Robert Kraft. Kraft, whose been through a very emotional year after losing his wife Myra to cancer, has been very appreciative of the fan support him as well as his team. As Kraft knows, there is one hurdle left to clear before capping off a season dedicated to Myra right.

"I want to thank you all for coming here today and giving us the warmest welcome in the history of this team," said team owner Robert Kraft, addressing the crowd from a stage set up along the Patriots' sideline. "(It's) our send-off to Indy, where we intend to do business." (via ESPN Boston)

As for head coach Bill Belichick, this Super Bowl will be his fifth in New England. For him, it's all business and it's been that the whole season and was reflective in his comments on Sunday.

"It's a great honor to be representing the AFC and New England in the Super Bowl," Belichick said. "We're really excited about the trip. (We) appreciate the support. I'm sure we'll see some of you out in Indy. Go Pats." (via ESPN Boston)

As for the leader of the Patriots, Tom Brady, he is looking to redeem himself in a performance where he admitted he "sucked". Brady was brief in his comments on Sunday, and was very appreciative to a fanbase he call "the best fans in America".

"We're going down there for one reason," Brady said. "We're going to give it our best and hopefully we'll have a lot more people at our party next weekend." (via ESPN Boston)

Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time: Giants vs Patriots, Location, Line, Spread and prediction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:28:00 +0000

Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time: Giants vs Patriots, Location, Line, Spread and prediction
Super Bowl 2012 is not today. Waking up in the wrong side of the bed. In the process of time, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will be vying for the Super Bowl 2012 title at the Lucas Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana. As all other teams dropped their chances of being in the Super Bowl, only two teams remain – the AFC Champion and the NFC Champion.
The story is being portrayed as part two of their previous game this season or the 2008 Super Bowl which is considered by many as the best of all time. Call it either way, the Giants vs Patriots are the teams still standing until the Super Bowl 2012 starts and the winner is declared. The fact that these two teams met in one of the most contentious Super Bowl ever makes sense for the entire NFL supporters to anticipate greatly the Super Bowl 46. Yes, the Patriots emerged as the AFC champion despite many tumultuous challenges dismantling Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. The Giants also proved that playing on the road will not be the hindrance in reaching the Super Bowl winning five road games already in getting into two Super Bowls.
Expectations are still high for the Patriots to win this game. The truth is that Las Vegas oddsmakers lifts the Patriots into 3.5 line spread favorites. In the eyes of Vegas experts, the Patriots are the favorites. True to them but not to all. If your remember the odds in the Super Bowl 2008, the Patriots were overwhelmingly favored by 14 points because of the way they won all their games and beating also the Giants in their season finale. This time around, a slim spread that favors the Patriots. Why are the Patriots still getting the nudge of the experts. The presence of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will always be the determining factor as far as the Patriots success is concerned. Being the favorite to win the Super Bowl 2012, Brady’s offensive game and Belichick’s mind of the game will have the Patriots the edge.
However, there are other people that select the Giants because of quarterback Eli Manning making considerable improvements in anchoring the Giants offense. Manning faced the stingy defense of the 49ers in the NFC Championship game but he didn’t falter to deliver that passes when needed. Manning has been extremely great in playing his best in tough times. He can be now considered as one of the elite quarterbacks. Manning can make the case again and again if he wins this Super Bowl. Also, the Giants have the defense that can surely contain the offense of the Patriots. To compare the Ravens and Giants defense is not right at all. Giants will take the Ravens book and apply it in a given plays. Absolutely, the Giants may have seen something that they can explore defensively from the previous game. They found out the reason why Tom Brady didn’t play well at all.
In laying out the case of which is a better football team, other factors can be in the spectrum of adding into considerations. The Patriots are nursing a problem of whether the number one receiver tight end Rob Gronkowski will play the Super Bowl or no because of ankle injury. Leaving Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, and Deion Branch as the remaining receivers left for the Patriots. This will be a major adjustment on Brady on how he will distribute his passes in the most efficient way without Gronkowski.
Giants will not have the service of Plaxico Burress who caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl 2008, but Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are ever better in getting along with Manning in the passing game. Absolutely, these two receivers will be the main focal points of Manning and his offense as they try to extricate the defense of the Patriots.
Patriots didn’t have the defense in the regular season yet they survived and stopped the offense of the Broncos and they limited the offense of running back Ray Rice by allowing him only 67 yards. Patriots defensive package is unpredictable as experts believe that Belichick has the mind and game plan to tame the Giants offense. For the Giants defense, getting into Brady will be the main focus. To sack Brady more than five times will surely alter the complexion of the game in favor of the Giants.
Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time is on February 5, 2012 at 6:30 PM ET. The Super Bowl 2012 television coverage is on NBC. As for the Super Bowl 2012 prediction, New England Patriots will win this game.