Category: News

Super Bowl XLIV (44)

Sun Life Stadium – Miami, Florida

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (NFC 15-3) +5 vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (AFC 16-2) OVER/UNDER 56.5pts

Plenty of story lines in this one. New Orleans’ “First Family of Football”, the Manning’s, will be pulling for Indianapolis and the Colts second Super Bowl Title in four seasons because, of course, quarterback Peyton Manning is Archie’s son. Archie, of course, is the former Saints quarterback who’s been with the Saints organization for 39 years, now as a broadcaster. In case you were wondering, he won’t be in the radio booth Sunday.

The Saints will be making their first Super Bowl appearance in the 43 year history of the franchise. Just five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the “Big Easy”, quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints are carrying, not just a team, the entire city of New Orleans and surrounding areas that were devastated by the storm.

OK. Let’s look at the numbers because this game could be like a “pinball machine” going crazy with bells ringing and points flying. The Saints have the league’s top offense averaging just under 32 points per game. Brees was the league’s top rated passer throwing for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Colts ranked seventh overall in offense scoring 26 points per game. Manning was right behind Brees throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns. The advantage could go to the Saints because their running game ranked sixth in the league while the Colts’ ranked dead last. The Saints averaging about 131 yards a game using a trio of backs featuring former USC Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush. The Colts only averaged about 80 yards a game on the ground featuring LSU product Joseph Addai who was effective in the “Red Zone” scoring 10 TD’s off the run putting him sixth in the league. So far this post-season, Indy hasn’t scored on the ground relying on Manning’s golden arm while the Saints have totaled three TD’s from land in the playoffs.

Defensively, both teams are classic “bend, but don’t break” teams allowing yardage between the 20’s and tightening up when opponents get in that red zone.  The Colts have been impressive during the playoffs after ranking eighth in scoring defense during the regular season giving up an average of 19 points per game. They’ve pretty much shut down both the Baltimore Ravens and, after allowing yardage and two touchdowns in the first half, dominated the New York Jets in the AFC Championship shutting them out in the second half.  But, all-pro defensive end Dwight Freeney is going to be hampered because of a severely sprained right ankle that occurred against the Jets.

The Saints ranked 20th in the league during the season allowing 21 points per contest.  The Saints like to gamble on defense and are opportunistic having forced 39 turnovers during the regular season and seven during the playoffs. New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams likes to go after the quarterback. They knocked a couple of future hall-of-famers out forcing Arizona QB Kurt Warner out of the divisional playoff game and into retirement, then ganging up on Minnesota’s Brett Favre. The Vikings amassed double the yardage the Saints totaled in the NFC Championship. Five turnovers were the difference.

It’s hard to go against Peyton Manning and the Colts because Manning is a surgeon on the field cutting up the league’s best defense for 377 passing yards and three TD’s in the AFC Championship. But Brees and the Saints can light it up as well. So, it’s about the defenses. Because Freeney, the Colts monster pass-rusher, will be much less than 100%, I think the Saints’ opportunistic defense might have the edge and will come at a third straight future hall-of-fame QB with a bull-rush causing turnovers which, ultimately, will be the difference in the game. That plays right into New Orleans’ hands. This game will be something like, 43-38. A Colts turnover or two will be the difference. SAINTS, 43-38.

MISSED PLAYOFFS: LOS ANGELES*
*15 years, 22 weeks and counting.  Expect a big announcement in the next week or two about Los Angeles returning to the NFL as early as next season.

Remember, use my picks to wager $$$ at your own risk. If you lose, I had nothing to do with it. If you win beaucoup $$$, a 10% tip would be cool.  But, I’m realistic. This is just for your entertainment…or not, and for me to keep my sports “mojo” going until “I’m back in the saddle”. Remember the league’s unofficial motto…“ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, MONDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY“…………

“Bloop Singles”

What an incredible Hall-of-Fame class that will be inducted in Canton, Ohio in the Summer. The “Magnificent Seven” features two of  the greatest who ever played the game.  San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, who also played for Oakland, Denver and Seattle in his 20 year journey to three Super Bowl Titles and becoming the all-time leading  receiver in history. Dallas Cowboys running back Emmett Smith, who finished his career in Arizona, won three Super Bowls as well and is the all-time leading rusher in league history.

Joining them for induction August 7th at the Hall, former New Orleans Saints linebacker Ricky Jackson, former Washington Redskins offensive lineman Russ Grimm, Denver Broncos running back Floyd Little, Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman John Randle and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

Two glaring names didn’t make this year’s cut. Wide receivers Tim Brown of the LA/Oakland Raiders and Chris Carter who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. Sure shots for the class of 2011.

No Kobe. No Bynum. No problem. Remember. Lakers coach Phil Jackson calls the 82 game regular season the “marathon” that prepares you for the “sprint” that is the playoffs. No worries.

I don’t know about you. But, to me, Super Bowl Sunday is the TRUE end to the Holiday Season. ENJOY!!

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Dunleavy “Clips” Himself

So Mike Dunleavy’s the winningest coach in franchise history with a record of 215 wins against 325 losses in seven years as the Los Angeles Clippers head coach. Looks more like he’s the losingest.

Dunleavy stepped down earlier today as the Clippers head coach after a promising eight game road-trip crashed and burned. Hoping to win enough of the eight to give the Clips a shot at reaching the .500 mark by this month’s All-Star Game in Dallas, Los Angeles’ other team finds themselves seven games under .500 falling to 12th in the Western Conference.

Dunleavy’s resignation had to happen after the Clippers lost to the two worst teams in the league during the just completed road-trip, at New Jersey and at Minnesota, in back-to-back games by a combined 30 points. There’s no excuse for that with a team that has playoff talent even without number one overall draft pick Blake Griffin who’s out for the season with a broken knee-cap. You’ve got one of the four best centers in the league in Chris Kaman, one of the league’s best defensive players in forward Marcus Camby and the starting guard tandem is truly one of the better ones barring injury with second year guard Eric Gordon (who’s had problems keeping clear of those lately) and Baron Davis. Throw in Al Thorton or Rasual Butler at the other forward and that’s a playoff starting five.

Assistant Kim Hughes will take over as interim head coach for the remaining 32 regular season games while Dunleavy retains his position as the teams general manager.

Although highly unlikely, making the playoffs still isn’t out of reach for the Clippers. They’ll need to string some wins together for a shot at it. However, it looks more like another trip to the draft lottery. They have plenty of cap space to go after a marquee free agent next year with some believing even Cleveland’s LeBron James might make his way to the Clippers. For that to happen, they’ll need to dump more salaries for more space to entice LeBron to make the leap. So, look for GM Dunleavy to trade Marcus Camby, who’s in high demand by other teams, to a contender by the February 18th trade deadline.

As far as possible head coaching candidates for the Clips, how about Byron Scott. He’s available after being canned by New Orleans earlier in the season. Makes plenty of sense to get the former NBA coach of the year. He played in L.A. with the Lakers during the Showtime Era of the 1980’s. Many think he’s the successor to Phil Jackson on the Lakers bench. I think the Lakers will promote from within, naming either assistant Jim Cleamons or Brian Shaw head coach, to keep that “Triangle Offense” going after the Zen Master rides off into the Montana Sunset for good.

How about former Clippers guard Sam Cassell, who has openly campaigned to be the Clippers head coach. I think that could be a good move. He’s a former player a few of the current Clips have played with, including the 2006 team that came within a win of the Western Conference Finals. Yeah, the Clippers were just five wins from making the NBA Finals just four seasons ago.

Interesting to see who GM Dunleavy and owner Donald Sterling tab as the new coach to guide the Clippers, with the healthy Blake Griffin, beginning next season. In the meantime, Donald. You really ought to think about what KNBC 4 Sports Director Fred Roggin suggested a few weeks back. Change the name of the team, the colors and uniforms and start over. The “Clippers Curse” thing just won’t go away.

“Bloop Single”

-ESPN.com’s Shelley Smith is reporting that 13 year-old quarterback David Sills accepted a scholarship offer from USC football coach Lane Kiffin.

-YES! I said 13 year-old!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

-Sills plays for Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware. RLCA was in Los Angeles this past November for a couple of games and, obviously, caught the eye of some college scouts. WHAT??

-Get ready for a big announcement regarding Los Angeles and the NFL the week after Super Bowl  44.  Let’s just say, L.A.’s ready for some pro football AGAIN….FINALLY!!

Answer to trivia question:  Before Miami last week, which main-land city was the last to host a Pro Bowl Game?   Los Angeles, 1979. The NFC won 13-7 at the Memorial Coliseum.

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Unfinished Business. Don’t Go Anywhere, Brett!

I don’t know about you, but I had a blast watching 19-year veteran Brett Favre play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings this year. I was really hoping the Vikings would get by the Saints and into the Super Bowl because I’d pay the $1000 ticket price to see Favre and Peyton Manning duel for a  championship. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be…………….this year.

Brings me to this. The 40 year-old future hall-of-fame “gun-slinger” needs to come back for his 20th season, the one year left on his two-year contract, and finish the job getting the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl XLV….win or lose.  One more run, Brett.

The Vikings were the better team in their 31-28 NFC Championship Game over-time loss to New Orleans.  The Norsemen out-gained the Saints almost two to one. Problem is, you really can’t expect to win with five turn-overs and a “12-man on the field penalty” that takes you out of  game-winning field goal range. Don’t get me wrong, the Saints are worthy champions. They were the more “opportunistic” team taking advantage of those Viking miscues. That’s part of a run to a championship.

Back to Favre. I understand most fans are tired of his “un-retiring act” the past two summers and don‘t want to go through that again. So, Favre should just stay un-retired. Let’s be honest here. The Green Bay Packers wanted him to retire because Aaron Rogers’ time is now.  That’s quite evident. But, back then, at 38 years of age, and now at 40, it’s clear Favre’s not done at all.  Even last year with the New York Jets, until that shoulder injury undermined what looked like a Jets playoff run. Statistically, he had his best season as a pro this year guiding the Vikes to the NFC Title Game. He threw a career-best four touchdowns in Minnesota’s 34-3 pasting of the Dallas Cowboys in the division playoff game. Favre, virtually, had the Vikings on South Beach until that “CFL moment” and subsequent interception crashed and burned the Vikings Super Bowl plans. You know what, he was smiling all the way having fun.

If you ask me, if Favre’s having fun and, considering the inevitable bumps and bruises a quarterback takes, stays relatively healthy, why shouldn’t he come back. Like he said in his press conference after the title game loss, he’s got nothing to prove. No matter what happens from now on, Favre’s proved all us sports pundits wrong.  He’s finishing on top. Favre’s an entertainer and we should all expect nothing but the best in entertainment if we’re going to plop in our easy chairs on Sunday afternoons.  Favre’s fun to watch.

Fact is, Farve is still one of the best at his position.  32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL.  The best right now….. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers. Only one I’d take over Favre…… Peyton. Same goes with Arizona’s Kurt Warner. If healthy, he should come back too.  If Favre doesn’t come back, who will the Vikings have at quarterback….Tarvaris Jackson? That didn’t work. Sage Rosenfels? Maybe back to  John David Booty. I don‘t think so..

Anyway, didn’t hall-of-fame QB/K George Blanda play until he was 45 years old. I remember watching him take apart Tom Landry’s Cowboys after Ken Stabler couldn’t go for the Oakland Raiders……love handle’s, pot-belly, wrinkles, gray hair and all!! Come on, it was the 1970’s. Athlete’s didn’t take care of their bodies back then like they do now. Favre’s still in top-shape.

ESPN NFL blogger Adam Glazer hit the nail on the head earlier this week when he said Vikings head coach Brad Childress should get Favre a personal trainer and let him enjoy summer vacation with his family. Then, show up at training camp for the final pre-season game and be ready to rock and roll. Favre doesn’t need six weeks of training camp anymore. Come on, look at what he did showing up last summer with about two weeks left .

It’s not as if he‘s playing like an aging Johnny Unitas, the Colts legend looking like a has-been his final season with the Chargers. As long as Favre’s healthy, and barring crucial turn-overs and penalties, he‘s the Minnesota Vikings shot at the Super Bowl. But please, Brett……no un-retiring this time!

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