The Super Bowl Preview Edition

For the first time in years, I don't know what will happen in the Super Bowl. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Looking at this year's game, there's too many variables to consider. So many things could or couldn't happen. You could take a look at last year's Super Bowl as a good example. If it weren't for the referees calling the game as if they had blatantly wagered on Pittsburgh, the outcome would probably have been greatly different. This year, if Peyton is seen with his brother Eli at a South Beach club before the party, disregard anything below this paragraph.

It would be easy to break down the teams by comparing how they match up at positions, i.e. who has a better defensive line or who's quarterback is better? But what does it matter if Tank Johnson is better than Raheem Brock? They're not going to butt heads against each other and Peyton Manning vs. Rex Grossman a game of dodgeball.

So what am I going to use to judge my predicted outcome of the game? I have already flip-flopped four times and at the end of this article there may be a fifth. I could use the dozens of breakdowns and articles regarding the game that I've read over the past two weeks as a basis. But it doesn't mean that they're right just because they're insiders and experts. Since each of these writers has a different point of view (by default) and some will pick Indy while some will pick Chicago, then, along with us, the average football fan, the experts WILL be wrong. Unless you have a time machine, you can only use past outcomes to try figure the variables of the big game. In short, no one is an expert, for except Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly that is.

If anything, the last paragraph was a disclaimer.

The way I'm looking at the game, it's a lot more even than people think. Chicago just finished putting the boots to New Orleans and showed they are truly the best team in the NFC (not as good as it sounds). But Indy took a harder road to the Super Bowl, beating each of the teams that they faced at their own game. They beat the Chiefs by shutting down all-pro Larry Johnson; in fact, shutting down isn't even strong enough to describe what they did to LJ. They went into Baltimore and proved that they didn't need to score touchdowns to win. Then they came back from 18 points down to rally against the Patriots, a roll that's usually reversed. But when you look at those three games, there're reasons why those outcomes occurred. LJ must have been tired and bruised after setting a record for carries in the regular season, Baltimore has been shoddy on offense when McNair is off his game (as he was) and the Patriots aren't the same Pats of the last few years.

The teams' defenses are both under the microscope coming into the game for different, yet the same reasons. They haven't been themselves as of late. Chicago's daunting Monsters of the Midway have allowed over 300 yards in their last several games while the Colts once porous defense has tightened up remarkably in the playoffs. This being said, it's impossible to tell which of these faces shows up at XLI.

Rushing the ball always turns out to be a key in any game and both teams have outstanding duos, which is the new trend in the league. The way I see the running games is that they're pretty even; Jones and Benson against Addai and Rhodes should turn out to equal in terms of productions, but anyone of the four could break a big run given the chance.

The last factor I can think of is that both quarterbacks should be coming into the game with huge chips on his shoulders. Will Peyton Manning escape the inevitable Dan Marino comparisons and win the big one? Or will Rex Grossman prove his (many) critics wrong and perform well on the grandest of stages. I think both will knock the proverbial monkeys off their backs and, without further ado, I have decided on my final pick.

Pick: Indianapolis 30, Chicago 24.

Also, Rex Grossman will play better than expected but will have one or two "did he just do that" moments. Peyton Manning will throw two interceptions, one will be more so due to a good Chicago play though. Chicago's defense will score a touchdown. Indianapolis won't punt the ball directly to Devin Hester and if they do, they will pay. Finally, Peyton Manning will be the game's MVP, even if he doesn't deserve to be.

And, in case you were wondering:
The Intern's pick is: Raiders by 15 (seriously)

Super Bowl X-Factors

So what's an X-factor you ask? An x-factor is an unknown quantity that could be big or small in an equation; for this instance, the occasion is the Super Bowl. I've taken a run at who should be considered X-factors on Sunday; one from each team on offense, defense and special teams.

Bernard Berrian: Everyone believes that the Bears are a hard running team that doesn't like to pass that often but everyone neglects to remember that Chicago, overall, was quite good at going through the air this season, in spite of Rex Grossman. Berrian, the top receiver on Chicago has a propensity to get open way downfield and hauling in a huge touchdown could break the game open.

Ricky Manning: Chicago loves to play in nickel and dime sets and when they do, Manning is in the game. Despite being a third-string player, he tied for the team lead in interceptions with 5. "The illegitimate Manning brother" plays well in big games as evidenced by his 3 picks against Philadelphia two NFC championship games ago while he still played with Carolina. He has the experience and the skill to make a difference.

Robbie Gould: It would be too easy to pick Devin Hester here so I didn't, but I will talk about him later. Gould finished second in the league in scoring behind LDT but failed to even attempt a field goal of 50 yards or longer. If he's put into a long field goal situation, I'm not sure how confident I'd be in him.

Joseph Addai: The rookie has been a bright spot from a sterling draft. He's a good, slashing running back that can also catch out of the back field. It also seems like he comes up with at least one big play every game. I wouldn't think that would change on Sunday.

Booger McFarland: The Colts defense has improved dramatically in the play-offs and their ability to stop the run has been a key. The reason for this improvement isn't just because of McFarland, it's because the Colts have been stacking eight men in the box to crowd the line. With a deep threat like Berrian on the other side of the ball, the Colts may not be able to line-up like that on Sunday in fear of being beaten deep. Booger is going to have to clog the middle and stop the run without the extra safety's help.

The entire Colts special teams coverage unit: It's up to them to get a grasp on Devin Hester before he takes off. Overall, they haven't covered punts and kickoffs as well as most teams in the league so they'll definitely have to work on this during practice. It's also up to punter Hunter Smith to keep the ball out of the hands of Hester without giving up too much field position.

The Intern's prediction of: NBA All-Star Reserves

**Note from Dan: This was written pre-announcement**

I am sitting at my desk shaking with anticipation for the big announcement tonight on TNT. Tonight at 7pm the reserves for the All-star game will be finally revealed. This announcement will be definitely shrouded in a veil of controversy and goddamn it how I love controversy.

The major storyline I foresee tonight is will Melo be an All-star? I say hell ya! I know the argument against him is that he has only played 28 games due to the little dispute that took place at the Gardens, but think about it this way; he has played 4 times more games then Shaq and Mr. O’Neal is a starter. Furthermore, Melo is the league leading scorer, which is more then enough to qualify him for a spot on the hardwood. Now that I have got that little diatribe about Melo being an All-Star off my chest its time to get the good stuff and that is who I project to be a reserve.

Let’s start with the Leastern conference. Ben Gordon definitely needs to be an All-Star. He is leading the Bulls in scoring at 20+ a game and is Mr. Clutch in the fourth quarter. Next to him should be Jason Kidd. With 15-8-8, his numbers speak volumes, ‘nuff said. Onto the forwards, this is where it gets really tricky solely because the east is devoid of talented big men. JO gets the nod just by default and with the ankle injury to ‘Twan I have to give the other spot to Caron. There are only two true centers that are consistently producing in the east and they are Dwight Howard and Eddy Curry. I pick Howard out of contempt for Isiah Thomas. Remember the C.B.A.? Exactly, fuck you Isiah! The two wild cards I take are Michael Redd and Joe Johnson. That’s right, no love for Carter.

Onto the unstoppable juggernaut known as the Western Conference; Steve Nash: no explanation needed. Next to him I have to go with Deron Williams. Man, it’s scary how much Williams and Boozer remind me of the infamous Stockton – Malone combo. Now here comes the tricky part with the over-saturation of talented threes and fours in the West. I’m going to have to go with ‘Melo and the potential MVP, my boy, Dirk Nowitzki. Finally I’ve got to go with Amare as Center. My two wild cards are Shawn “I can do anything” Marion and Josh Howard. If you have any hate mail, feel free to comment. I’ll be back after the all-star reserves announcement.

J. Guy

Rumour Mill: Prepare for Full Speed!

As with any trade deadline, except for the NFL one which is always uneventful, the rumours are going to start flying soon for both the NBA and NHL. While I'll let the intern cover the NBA, I'll take a stab at some big names that could / should be on the move.

Peter Forsberg: Stuck on the worst team in the league this season, Forsberg has also been dealing with foot and ankle problems throughout. If / when Peter will be dealt is up to his health and without too many good centres on the block, he could fetch a nice price.

Mats Sundin: The Maple Leafs captain is another marquee centre who could be made available when the deadline rolls around. Even though he's getting up there in age (36 years old), his skills can be a great commodity for a play-off bound team. Even if the Leafs don't fall out of play-off contention, it would still be a wise move to deal Mats, save their cap and get some youth in return.

Nikolai Khabibulin: Chicago has already stated that they would listen to offers for the former play-off hero and will more than likely get some calls from play-off bound teams looking for an upgrade for the play-offs.

Todd Bertuzzi: Despite being injured for a large part of this season, the league already knows what Todd Bertuzzi can do on the ice (Including nearly crippling people). He's one of the better power forwards in the league and would be welcome in at least one dressing room (Phoenix).

Darcy Tucker: Who wouldn't want a good pest on their team? He's one of those players that you hate until he players for you. He bothers his opponents to get them to play down to his level. He is also an asset on the power play and works his best at the side of the net. The Leafs would be better off trading him now as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Ladislav Nagy: With his contract winding down during a fairly unproductive season, the Coyotes may be better off dealing Nagy than keeping him around. Nagy is a proven scorer and may do well again in a change of scenery.

The Battle to be Number 1

While the basketball season is only half way through, one of the most important races going on is in the NCAA instead of the NBA. The unanimous numbers 1 and 2 for the 2007 NBA draft are both looking better and better every day. Greg Oden, who has been looked at since he was in high school, is up against Kevin Durant of Texas to be first overall. Last night, in a game against Texas Tech, Durant absolutely dominated the game. Putting up 37 points while grabbing 23 rebounds, Durant is proving he's one of the best in NCAA. One must think that the draft will come down to what the bigger need for the team is; a phenom centre or a franchise foward. Either way you go, it's a virtual no-lose situation.

The Intern's take on: NBA All-Star Starters

The starting Rosters are in for the upcoming all-star game and, for the most part, I actually agree with them. Being a Raptors aficionado, I absolutely love the fact that Agent Zero beat out VC. BURN IN HELL CARTER! Breathe Jeff; I need to stop myself now before I go into Anti-Vinsanity rant, you don’t want that. It was a pleasant surprise that my boy, CB4, beat out JO for the starting forward position.

Now I do have a few gripes about the outcome. First issue: how in the name of Zeus’s butt hole can anyone justify the Diesel getting the starting nod? He has played in a staggering 6 games all season, and is averaging 12 points and 6.5 boards. Give me a second to catch my breath because I am in complete awe of these sub-par stats. Even Eddy “I have an eating problem” Curry is having a better season then Shaq. I realize that Shaq Baby has been an All-star since the turn of the century, but this year he just shouldn’t make the cut.

I know, I know, the fans vote these All-Stars in but the league should institute a minimum number of games a player has to play to be eligible to participate in the All-Star festivities.

Now my main issues with the West is how can you not have somebody representing either the Suns or the Mavs? They are one and two in the league respectively. Since Yao has already announced that he will not be playing, I think that either Dirk should get the call or they could insert Nash and rotate the rest of the lineup. We shall find out soon. Finally, the rest of the roster will be announced on Today. It should be very interesting because of the lack of talent in the East and the abundance of awesomeness from the West. Till then.

J.Guy

MLB Contract-o-rama!

Sosa Comeback!

The times are a changing. Who would have thought a few years ago that Sammy Sosa would have to work to get a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers? It's fairly obvious that he's past his prime and really struggled in Baltimore, but taking a year off and then signing a minor league deal is pretty much admitting he was on something during his homerun mashing glory days. Good luck making the team; you're pretty much just a sideshow now.

Bonds in the News

The MLB has reportedly announced that if Bonds is indicted, the Giants can void the 1-year, $15M deal he just signed. The deal itself was already up in the air after Bonds reportedly tested positive for amphetamines during last season; even though the records should've been sealed.

Also, word has it that, when it comes down to it, Hank Aaron will most likely attend the games in which Bonds hits homeruns 755 and 756. Aaron had previously stated he would not be there to witness his record being broken, but Commissioner Bud Selig now thinks otherwise. All that I know is that if an alleged steroid user like Bonds was about to beat one of my sacred records, I wouldn't want to shake his hand afterwards. And I'll also admit that I'm a Bonds supporter too.

Red Sox Smarter than I Thought?

Turns out that Theo Epstein is as smart as we all thought a few years ago (read: he hasn't been doing well recently). After completing the signing of J.D. Drew (which only took a month or so), it's been revealed that the Red Sox negotiated several escape clauses into his contract in case he gets injured. For instance, if Drew spends 35 or more days on the DL this season, Boston can negate the rest of his deal. They have the same option if Drew ends the 2008 season on the disabled list as well.

NBA Wrap

Kobe Gets Screwed

After his elbow to Manu Ginobili of the Spurs, the league saw fit to suspend all-universe player Kobe Bryant for yesterday's game against the Knicks (which they lost in a close one). Despite Mamba's attempt for an appeal, the NBA ruled with an iron fist. It's a shame that the league won't make further moves to improve the Knicks, like, namely, throwing Isiah Thomas into a landfill somewhere near Newark.

Can Anybody Stop The Suns?

Apparently Kevin Garnett didn't get the league-wide memo that the Suns are really good. KG and his Timberwolves stopped the Suns' winning-streak. Garnett dropped 44 in the win and put a proverbial beat down on the Suns. Take that Nash.

All-Star Debacle! Say It Ain't So!

As much as you may not like Mark Cuban, you have to admit that he never fails to entertain in some way, shape or form. In his blog today Cuban mentioned an interesting subplot for this year's NBA All-Star game in Las Vegas. Is the city going to be able to handle the influx of that many people? I've been to Vegas during a seemingly lull-time of the year, during the week none the less, and it was still crazily busy. Would the city effectively shut down when one of the biggest party events of the year stops by town for a whole weekend? Just remember, Mark Cuban called it first.

Super Bowl Week Continues!

The Glorious Media Day!

If anyone reading this cares about what happened or what was said by anyone on media day, you're not going to find it here. I really could care less about the talking during the week and the swelled up coverage that takes place. The only talking I'd like to hear during media day is smack-talking and this year seems to be lacking. Hopefully Tank Johnson pulls a gun on somebody to make this week a bit more interesting.

The Flip-Flop v4.

I must say that, after reading Easterbrook's article on ESPN.com, I've got to flip-flop back to picking the Colts to win. I seemed to have forgotten that the Colts are peaking at the right time on defense and that Tony Dungy is a good enough coach to figure out Chicago's schemes. Also: Rex Grossman.

Pick: Indianapolis 24, Chicago 13

Life Imitates Madden?

Jerry Jones recently interviewed Bears assistant coach Mike Singletary in what was only thought of as a way to avoid reprimand for not having interviewed a black coach left. Then it turned out that Jones liked him. Where they stand is still unknown and more than likely won't be settled until after the Super Bowl, but, I must say, this is a move that I would, rather, DID make. So it was only in Madden and I hired Singletary as my Cowboys' defensive coordinator, but the point is: I would be a good decision-maker in the football world. Then again, I also ended up moving the Dallas Cowboys to New York City and renamed them the Coney Island Whitefish so disregard any claim I make to being a good decision-maker.

Chargers Closing in on the Bengals

San Diego Chargers safety Terrence Kiel apparently couldn't hold it in long enough and thanks to this, the Bengals are now only one arrest ahead of the Chargers. Kiel was charged with urinating in public which makes him the eighth San Diego player to be charged since last April. While the Bengals get all the glory for being bad boys, the Chargers are quietly putting together a nice (criminal) record.

K-Fed Grabs Some Fries

Have you seen Kevin Federline's Super Bowl commercial? The one where he's watching his own music video while working at a burger joint? Well he's getting in trouble for it now. Apparently, the fast food employees of America don't even want to associate with K-Fed.

**UPDATE**

Here's the YouTueb link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtXkG6EVfVg

Baseball Luke-Warm Stove

Surprise! Seattle overpays player!

Jeff Weaver was able to coax over $8.3 M out of the Seattle Mariners. I have found memories of Weaver from his days in Detroit when he was the ace of staff where I could've been his number three starter. He propelled my fantasy team to a championship, well it wasn't all him, but he helped. Then he was traded to the Yankees and, for the most part, it was all downhill. My favourite moment occurred when, during a game against the Jays on live television, a player swung at one of his pitches let go of the bat. Of course, it flew into the stands; it nearly hit a young girl in fact. Jeff followed the path of the bat and upon seeing this turn of events, yelled "Fuck" as loud as humanly possible. It was a Sunday afternoon I won't soon forget.

In Sigh of Relief News

Being a Jays fan, it’s fair to say that Boston landing Todd Helton may seriously have further stifled Toronto’s chances of ever making the playoffs. While he may be a product of Coors Field’s lofty atmosphere, Helton is consistent on the road as well, proving it’s no fluke. According to the Denver Post, Boston’s reluctance to include a high level prospect in the trade was essentially a deal-breaker. I can breathe easy for now, but I’m still going to need to see Daisuke Matsuzaka struggle to adapt to MLB life before I’m fully relieved.

Barbaro Put Down

In case you lived in hole for the past year, there was some (read: tonnes) of media coverage about this spectacular race horse. His name was Barbaro and he won the Kentucky Derby, part of racing's Triple Crown. He was also a favourite to win the following two Triple Crown events; but an accident at the Preakness cost him months of surgery and now his life. Yesterday Barbaro was put down following complications following several surgeries after breaking his leg in the Preakness accident. It may sound cold, but Barbaro has received far more coverage than a horse probably should have; it would be hypocritical to go any further with this post.

Super Bowl week starts!

After a perilous Sunday off, the Colts and Bears are arriving in Miami early week. Expect the media circus to be getting in full gear, covering anything you could ever possibly want to know about any player or coach on either team. So this a heads up to anyone who wants to know what kind of gin Rex Grossman prefers (Gordon's Gin by the way) or exactly how much ammo Tank Johnson had in his car when he was arrested.

This weekend and its absence of football served as a harsh reminder to how bad Sundays can be without the NFL. Without those 10 or so hours of gridiron fun, there isn't very much else to watch on the couch (I opted to watch nearly the entire second season of Veronica Mars).

I've also adjusted my Super Bowl pick, as I've now decided it will be a closer game.

Dan's third crack at a Super Bowl Pick: Chicago 23, Indianapolis 19.

Legitimate Sports News

The Undertaker was able to toss Shawn Michaels over the top ropes to win the Royal Rumble on Sunday. This, of course, means the 'taker will get the title shot of his choice at Wrestlemania. While most people don't care or won't even know this, the Undertaker has never lost at a Wrestlemania event and while he is getting up there in the years, it would seem semi-logical that he wins the title and has a last run before possibly heading off into the sunset. The only question is whether he'll go after John Cena’s title on Raw or stay on Smackdown to face Batista. Either way it should be good TV, just like always.

I Sucessfully jinxed Shaun White

Thanks to his inability to completely spin a 1260 (which is the new 1080 apparently), Shaun White did not complete his quest for a 5-peat. Under-rotating on his 1260 attempt on the "Last Chance booter" in the slopestyle run seemingly cost Shaun the gold and had to settle for silver. The Flying Tomato also came up short in the halfpipe competition which went to underdog Steve Fisher who came out of nowhere to take the event. I'm just happy that I was able to throw in my Shaun White jinx before it was too late.

In Snowboard big air showdown, Andreas Wiig stomped a frontside 1080 to beat Travuis Rice. Rice got lost in the air while attempting what can best be described as a rodeo 900 gone wrong in the finals.

Without the moto-x guys jumping a huge mound of snow, the snowmobilers took their spot and went off like you would expect them to. Chris Burandt ended up taking down Norwegian sensation Aleksander Nordgaard. Just to blow your mind, Nordgaard landed the only back-flip off of a snow job while Burandt nailed a back flip over a 100-foot gap. That’s right, people are flipping 450-pound machines in competitions now-a-day and they’re doing it on purpose.

2006 winter Olympic goat Lindsay Jacobellis lost out on another gold medal in similar fashion. In case you don't remember, Jacobellis tried a trick on the last jump of her nearly gold medal run and ended up bailing only to slide across the finish second at the Olympics. This time, Lindsay didn't even have to try a trick to fall and this time she dropped to third in the final.

For all the video footage you could want, check out EXPN.com