All-Star Sunday Live Blog

Prepare for points.

Multiple Reasons Why I Am Rooting For The Patriots To Win Super Bowl XLVI

a). Penn State's new head coach is New England's offensive coordinator.

b).  The Giants sucked for 15 weeks, improved only on defense, and all anyone is talking about how Eli Manning is ELIte and what not.  Eli Manning has been very good (not elite) and very steady.  But his propelled eliteness in the story.

c). I don't care if this is a very BCS-ian argument or not, but the New England Patriots have been one of the best teams this year.  Several New York Giants players (Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Antrel Rolle to name a few) are way over-confident and think they are much better than they are.  They are underdogs but they are not very likable underdogs.  The best thing that can happen this year is for one of the three best teams in the league to win the Super Bowl.  I am speaking, of course, about the New England Patriots.

d). Belichick is a great coach.  Brady is a great QB.  The Patriots should have won a 4th Super Bowl in Glendale.  They are already going down as one of the greatest dynasties in league history.  What harm is one more Super Bowl for New England?

e). The Patriots' last Super Bowl win was against the Eagles.  I'd like this fact changed.

f). This Patriots team......gulp......has actually been somewhat likable this year, media hype aside.

NFL Conference Championship Games Live Blog

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots 3:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)

New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers 6:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

NFL Conference Finals Schedule

I love Conference Championship Sunday.  It's my favorite NFL Weekend of the year, as there are two championship games in the time it takes to celebrate and play the Super Bowl.  Regrettably, in my numerous tweets and post about SOPA, I forgot to get this up earlier, not that anything here is a real surprise.  So here's the schedule for this year's Conference Championship Sunday.  Here is hoping this year could live up to the fun we've had in year's past.

Sunday, January 22

#2 Baltimore Ravens vs. #1 New England Patriots  3:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)
#4 New York Giants vs. #2 San Francisco 49ers  6:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)

Stop SOPA

I do not like to talk about politics on this blog. When I do have something political I want to say, I will normally go to Twitter. However, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) are not a Democratic or Republican issue, but rather a freedom of speech issue and given what is happening on the internet today, I have no problem filling you in a little bit on what this is about. I know of Democrats that support SOPA. Bob Casey, the man who used to be my favorite Democrat, co-sponsors SOPA. I know of Democrats that oppose SOPA. I know of Republicans that support SOPA. I know of Republicans that oppose SOPA. Michelle Bachmann, perhaps my least favorite Congressperson, opposes SOPA.

The intention of SOPA is fair enough. To stop online piracy. It is a reasonable aim. However, the mechanism SOPA seeks to use to enforce the end of online piracy threatens to destroy the very fabric of the internet. I wish that last sentence was hyperbole.

President Obama has hinted at a veto of SOPA. However, this issue won't go away. Powerful lobbyists in the entertainment industry will continue to pursue this legislature and this figures to come up again as we head toward the Presidential Election of 2012. An example must be made and it must be made now. Acts that limit freedom of speech on the internet will not be tolerated by the American people. I'm all for putting an end to piracy. But this act does not end piracy. This act threatens liberty. These two should never ever be confused.

What follows below are a set of links that can help you learn more. Please, do not just take my word for it. Read the bills themselves (first and second links below). Read analyses from well-informed technical experts, something the House and Senate chose not to do before drafting such drastic legislature.  Then at the bottom, there are links to take action.  Sign Google's petition.  Email your local congressperson.  Take action.  Now.  Every voice counts.  Every vote counts.  Be heard.  Let your representatives know you are not okay with Congress limiting freedom of speech on the internet.

H.R.3261.IH Stop Online Piracy Act

S.968.RS Protect IP Act

A technical examination of SOPA and Protect IP - blog.reddit

Why SOPA Is Dangerous - Mashable

SOPA and PIPA Learn More - Wikipedia

How PIPA and SOPA Violate White House Principles Supporting Free Speech and Innovation - Electronic Frontier Foundation

SB Nation Officially Opposes SOPA - SB Nation

Tell Congress: Don't Censor The Web - Google 

Write Your Representative - United States House Of Representatives

Senators of the 112th Congress Contact Information - United States Senate

Have Faith In Your Goalie In The Playoffs

When you have no faith in goalies, you are quick to pull the trigger. When you are quick to pull the trigger, both goalies get labeled as failures. When both goalies get labeled as failures, you start Michael Leighton in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. When you start Michael Leighton in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the owner of the team gets embarrassed. When the owner of the team gets embarrassed, he over-reacts. When he over-reacts, he forces the GM to sign Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9-year, $51M contract. When the owner forces the GM to sign Ilya Bryzgalov, you learn that the universe is so humongous big. When you learn that the universe is so humongous big, you wonder why his save percentage isn’t so humongous big. When you wonder why his save percentage isn’t so humongous big, you learn any goaltender can have an extended slump. When you any goaltender can have an extended slump, you realize no goalie in today’s NHL is worth a huge contract. When you realize no goalie in today’s NHL is worth a huge contract, you get mad. When you get mad, you throw things. When you throw things, an object goes through the wall. When an object goes through the wall, the portions of the wall and the object land on your unsuspecting pet. When portions of the object land on your unsuspecting pet, your pet gets mad. When your pet gets mad, he claws at your genitals. When he claws at your genitals, you lose the ability to reproduce.

Save your ability to reproduce. Have faith in your goalie in the playoffs.

On Eli, Eliteness, Expectations, And The Game That Changed Everything

December 23, 2011.

It is a day before the New York Giants face the New York Jets in a battle of New York.  The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for a game against Dallas that could mean everything or nothing, depending on what happens in the Giants-Jets game.  The Giants are reeling from a 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins that was not as close as the scoreboard would make it appear.  A bottom 5 offense had a field day against the Giants defense, and to say there are doubts about the Giants would be an understatement.  No one is saying they think this team can make the NFC Championship.  Most are questioning whether or not they can make the playoffs.  Everyone proudly boasting "Eli is ELIte" after the Giants ripped apart a bad Patriots defense no longer proudly boasted this.  Perhaps this only done hauntingly enough as to only foreshadow what was to come, but on December 23, 2011, no one publicly stated Eli was ELIte.  Hell, few even held that belief privately. The Giants and Eli were a game away from their third December choke job in three years. That was the only thing on everybody's mind.