The Best Picture In The History Of The Super Bowl

Seriously. It does not get any better than a pic of 2 guys bumping dong with a guy named Gay in the background. It just doesn't. And for the second year in a row, porn has invaded the Super Bowl (at least for the folks in Arizona). Porn at the Super Bowl FTW!

(Hat to tip to Meech on Twitter who hat-tipped UniWatch on Twitter)

Super Bowl XLIV With Screaming Local Radio Announcers

Enjoy as Bob Lamey (Colts) and Jim Henderson (Saints) scream their lungs out as they watch and call the big plays for their respective teams.

Grading CBS Super Bowl Coverage

Seeing as AA is probably hung over on Bourbon Street or something, I figured I would chime in with my thoughts of the job that CBS did for their Super Bowl coverage. It is an odd tradition of mine dating from way back when I was a kid to only watch the pre-game stuff of the network covering the Super Bowl game until they go off the air for a new reality TV show. Therefore, I can't tell you how good or bad ESPN or NFL Network were last night, but I will talk a lot about CBS.

Last night, they once again showed why they are the best network at handling big sports events. There were no fancy graphics, there were no unusual gimmicks outside of Phil Simms' "Phil-osophy" analysis at the beginning of the game, but that is their routine segment and they can earn a pass for it, and there was nothing over the top about it. The extra, higher quality cameras were not used for flash, but rather to aid and enhancing the broadcast, which they did, in providing us many high quality replays from several different angles. There was no Manning Cam or Brees Cam or any of that nonsense. It was how a Super Bowl should be broadcast. You can never go wrong with using "Run This Town" as a pre-game intro song. The only knock on them was there seemed to be an audio glitch on during the team introductions. Production Grade: A.

Pre-pre Game shows: Personally, I love The Road to The Super Bowl, but if they never do another "All Iron Team" or "Howie Long's Tough Guys", the football world will be better for it. It really adds nothing and this All-Iron Team found me falling asleep, changing the channel, and going out to grab some lunch. If they must have those kinds of shows, they need to make it a 30 minute show. Extending Road to The Super Bowl to make up for that lost 30 minutes would not be the worst idea in the world. Grade: C+

The Super Bowl Today: What a difference a year and a different network makes. NBC tried to get cute by having 2 main desks with a shitload of people at each one, most of whom had never been in that situation before, talking over each other and fighting for airpsace. CBS on the other hand stuck with their main 5 and only brought in extra players, contributors, and reporters when they needed them for a segment. Thus it should be no surprise that CBS blew last year's NBC pre-game show out of the water and then some. While it was a bit heavy on the New Orleans segments, they were not over the top nor did they necessarily try to equate a Super Bowl win with a city being back and houses being built through the raising of trophy. While personally I think it is a useless segment altogether, the Katie Couric interview with the president was concise and to the political point and did not have stupid questions about what President Obama's favorite Super Bowl snack is. They were a little promotion heavy, but what Super Bowl pre-game show isn't nowadays. Oh, and Larry Fitzgerald missing a perfect pass from Dan Marino because of great defense from Darrelle Revis was gold. Pure gold. Grade: B

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms: Jim and Phil did not have their best game ever, but they did not need to. They had solid support around them to help them when they did make mistakes, they were able to clarify and correct themselves virtually on the spot. They did not fluff their words with stories and storylines, which while may be boring to the non-football fan watching the Super Bowl at a regular party who wants to get into the stories, was perfect for real football fans. They described the action and Jim Nantz even showed emotion throughout the game, something that has been said a lot more frequently about him now that he has split up with his wife. Before I give these guys a grade though, I would like to say something. Guys, it's the Super Bowl. You are being seen by more people than you ever imagined in your life. Super Bowl Sunday is not the day to bring out your loudest suits, people!

The only real offender on the main pregame set was Shannon Sharpe who broke something that I still have not figured out what it was.

Jim Nantz decided to bring out the white shirt, which is fine until you add a bright orange tie to it.

Phil Simms who has a thing for loud wardrobes breaks out the pink shirt with the pink and blue striped tie. Well, at least it was a dull pink.

Solomon Wilcots....oy ve........a hot pink shirt with a hot pink tie that did not even match. Words can't describe that other than I think he went pimping after the game.

Steve Tasker, thank you for being normal.

Over all announcing grade: B. Had they collectively not don the loudest wardrobe in the history of Super Bowl coverage, it would have been a B+.

Yet Another Reason Mike Florio Sucks At Life: Super Bowl Officiating Edition

I know some people around these parts worship Florio and Pro Football Talk like he's some sort of god or something and his website is the truth serum of the world. His website is bullshit and Florio is as big of a hack as there is in the NFL. He's a always trying to stir up the pot, even when there is none to be stirred He did it with a false report when the Eagles signed Vick that there was conflict in the Eagles locker room over the decision (not only was that report never confirmed, but Vick's TEAMMATES, you know, the ones that were unhappy with bringing him in, unanimously voted him the Ed Block Courage Award winner), and now he is doing it with the Super Bowl.

You can see the "controversial" 2-point conversion play in the below post, so I'll just go straight into the prose. From Pro Football Talk, here is his nonsensical complaint starting with his quoting of the NFL's rule on the matter.

Here's the official explanation from outgoing NFL V.P. of officiating Mike Pereira (via NFL spokesman Greg Aiello): "By rule, when a receiver with possession of the ball is in the act of going to the ground and performs a second act by reaching out to break the plane, that completes the process of the catch and the ball is dead when it breaks the plane."

But that's not what the rule says. Here's the operative language: "If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

Basically, Pereira is applying an interpretation based on the assumption that Moore, while falling, secured possession and pushed the ball deeper across the goal line, before losing possession.

Again, that's not what the rule says. It says that if the player is going to the ground in the act of catching a pass, he must maintain control after he touches the ground. Not during, but after. In other words, he must keep the ball until he comes to rest.

Moore didn't -- just like Louis Murphy didn't way back in Week One. In the Murphy case, the call on the field of a touchdown was overturned. In this case, the call on the field of an incomplete pass was overturned.

And that's the other problem we have with this one. Applying the "100 drunks in a bar" standard that prevented the officials from overturning two key rulings that fueled that Saints' game-winning drive during sudden-victory overtime in the NFC title game, the ruling of an incompletion never should have been overturned tonight.

The only good news here is that the presence of Colts president Bill Polian on the competition committee virtually ensures that the rule will be addressed in the offseason.

Wait a minute? Can we go back here?

Mike Florio is criticizing the league for applying a liberal interpretation of an admittedly very vague rule, while liberally interpreting the rule himself under the guise of a strict interpretation. Incredible hypocrisy.

The rule just says that he must maintain possession after touching the ground. The strictest interpretation of that would be to say that the receiver only needs to have possession the point and moment his body contacts the ground, that of which Lance Moore did. The only timeframe the rule gives is the word "after he touches the ground". Not "after he touches the ground and has come to a complete stop" or not "after he touches the ground and his momentum has ceased". Just "after he touches the ground". Define the word after! Florio defines it as a "complete rest". The rule does not say "complete rest". Florio pulled that part out of his ass!

Now during the game, Phil Simms argued that because Moore had it, lost it, got it back across the goal line with possession, and then lost it, that it should count. While it may seem like a liberal interpretation at first, read the last 2 sentences again and you'll see that Simms was arguing the rule literally.

"If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

Did Moore not have it, lose it, and then have it? If you are going by the rule by the books, the point at which he regained the possession after he lost it, it is a complete pass. And where was the ball after at the point of Lance Moore regaining possession? Over the goal line.

Bottom line, it may be a vague rule that needs some re-wording this off-season, but for Mike Florio to use criticize a liberal interpretation by applying his own liberal disguised as a strict interpretation is hypocrisy, bullshit, and in fact, it is dumb. Mike Florio loves stirring the pot and he is doing it again, and making a complete ass out of himself in the process. As I just pointed out, if you go by that rule word for word in assessing it on this 2-point try, like Florio claims he is doing in his criticism, it's a good conversion!

Yet another reason Mike Florio sucks at life.

The Saints Win The Super Bowl! WHO DAT!

Wow! What a game! An instant classic in Miami has given the New Orleans Saints their first Super Bowl in team history.

Take nothing away from Peyton Manning, he played a solid game, but tonight, solid was not enough for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints defense who were spectacular and out of this world. The first half definitely favored the Colts. The Saints started slow and the Colts started fast. In their first 2 drives, the Saints could only get 1 first down while the Colts got a field goal and a touchdown. It looked like it would be ugly.

But it wasn't. The Saints were able to go down the field and kick a field goal, bringing them to within 7. The Colts got the ball and back and on a key 3rd down play. Manning threw a perfect ball over the middle to a wide open Garcon. After Garcon dropped that pass, it was all Saints. From that point on, they outscored the
Colts 28-7.

But if that was the moment that stopped the Saints momentum, there would be another play that would really get the Saints believing they can win the game. That moment was the start of the 2nd half when, down 10-6, they did the unthinkable. An onsides kick.



Off the hands of Hank Baskett and recovered by the Saints! I can't help but feel bad for Kendra. Poor smokin' hot babe married a useless receiver. Hank was useless with the Eagles, and he was harmful to the Colts.

The Saints would go on to score a TD on that drive but the Colts would get the ball back and retaliate with a TD of their own, giving them a 17-13 lead.

The Saints got a FG on their next drive, got the ball back and scored what would turn out to be the game-winning TD.



The Saints would go for 2.



But it was not over. Peyton Manning had plenty of time to drive down the field and get a game-tying touchdown. Only Tracy Porter, the man who picked off Favre late in the 4th quarter of the NFC title game, would strike again. Here is the shocking clinching moment of Super Bowl XLIV.



Peyton Manning decided to make it interesting one last time, though. He drove his team inside the 10. On 3rd and goal, they ran a questionable draw that lost a couple of yards, leaving the Colts with 4th and goal from the Saints 5. A TD would force an onside kick to extend the game. A stop would ensure victory for the Saints and no worries about the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Here is the 2nd shocking play that clinched the Super Bowl for good and sent the few parts of the city that were not into mass hysteria after the Porter INT, into mass hysteria.



Great call by Nantz and congrats to the Saints on winning the Super Bowl!

The goat, if you are going to name one, is Jim Caldwell. With 4th and 11 at the Saints 34 yard line up by 1, he had a choice to make. He could have chanced 42-year old Matt Stover kicking a 51-yarder field goal in the biggest pressure situation of his life, gone for it (including a possible fake) and if you fail, it saves the additional 7 yards of the missed field goal, or he could have just punted it. Caldwell went with the least wise option and trotted out Stover. He predictably missed. Then, with the Colts driving on their last ditch attempt down by 2 TDs, on 3rd and goal from the 3, he inexplicably calls a draw. Why not throw it with one of the greatest QBs of all time? Instead, he gave it to an awful running back who was having a good game. But Addai was true to his usual form in that situation and lost 2 yards. 4th and goal followed and that was instantly followed by the Saints taking 2 knees to celebrate their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

I'll have the NFL highlight package video with local radio announcers up later tonight or tomorrow.

Congrats to the Saints on winning an instant classic of a Super Bowl and congrats to Jahri Evans for being the first Bloomsburg University student to win a Super Bowl ring!

Super Bowl XLIV Live Blog

is over at Keith's Sports Journal. Don't be a troll!

JFein's Final Super Bowl Prediction

After 2 weeks of Archie Manning, the city of New Orleans, Dwight Freeney's "injury", and other fun stories, it is coming to that time to make any and all final predictions.

So here it is.

Frankly, this game proves a really interesting match-up and I am not sure how it is going to go. The Saints are a completely different team than the Jets, but at the same time, I can sort of see this game going the same way as that game did.

The Colts are mechanical on offense. They can do it against any defense any time. The Saints are explosive on offense. They can do it against any defense any time.

So who has the advantage? The answer will likely come down to which defense steps up and makes the most big plays. The Colts may or may not be with Dwight Freeney and honestly, I see that playing a huge factor. If Freeney is in the game, the Colts will have a lot easier time getting pressure on Drew Brees and forcing him into throws he does not want to make. Even if they are not knocking him around, Drew Brees did not have a great game when facing a tough Minnesota D-Line. It certainly was not the Vikings' secondary stifling Brees as they are an average secondary at best. If the Colts can get pressure on Brees, they will own a huge advantage in this game.

On the other side it is the Saints defense and their knack for forcing turnovers. What is lost about the Vikings 5 turnovers against the Saints is that the Saints were causing those by punching the ball out and being in the right place at the right time to pick off bad passes by a QB. And let's not forget that the Saints were able to cause 3 other fumbles that the Vikings got back on top of. This team is good at forcing turnovers, but the question becomes can the Saints force Peyton Manning into mistakes? If they can pick Manning off and force Addai to fumble the ball, the Saints will own a huge advantage in this game.

Before we get to my final prediction in this game, I'd like to report that Super Bowl XLIV has already had its first wardrobe malfunction. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Merril Hoge in a thong at a celebrity beach volleyball tournament!

Scorched into my retina forever.

And now, moving on back to my final prediction. It will be close through 3, but in the end, I just don't see Peyton Manning losing a Super Bowl. Colts 30-20

A Look At The Super Bowl Today

With all of the hype around the Super Bowl, it always demands a huge pre-game show with lots of coverage and tossing around the same stories and storylines over and over and over again. Well, this year, CBS is making sure to be no different. If you are like me and spend every waking moment of Super Bowl Sunday watching their Super Bowl coverage, this is what you will be in for. They've got stories on New Orleans, an interview with the President, Drew Brees' philanthropy, the required Peyton Manning interview, Daughtry performing, and a whole lot more. How much else more? Here is their full press release on the show.

CBS Sports' coverage of Super Bowl XLIV continues with THE SUPER BOWL TODAY, the Network’s pre-game studio show (2-6 p.m., ET) with host James Brown along with analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher, as well as NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly, reporters Lesley Visser, Sam Ryan, Steve Tasker, Solomon Wilcots and contributor Dick Enberg.

Katie Couric, anchor of THE CBS EVENING NEWS, serves as a special contributor and will also provide a special live interview with President of the United States Barack Obama during the pre-game show.

Sean McManus is President, CBS News and Sports and serves as executive producer for the Network’s coverage of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

Eric Mann is senior producer and Bob Matina is director of THE SUPER BOWL TODAY.

* * * * *

Following are the scheduled features on THE SUPER BOWL TODAY (subject to change):

♦James Brown, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher welcome viewers with some pre-game analysis and highlights from the NFL Tailgate party set, while Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan report on each team.

♦THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS: James Brown; Producer – Joseph E. Zappulla
James Brown takes a look at New Orleans four-and-a-half years after one of the nation's worst natural catastrophes, Hurricane Katrina, devastated the town. Brown looks at how the rise of the beloved Saints has once again given the city of Jazz and Blues hope and a premier spot on the front page of the nation's conscience. The feature also will examine the unique bond between the city's residents and the never-say-die football team with interviews of Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, several prominent citizens/advocates of the city, long-time New Orleans area residents (and current Colts) Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne, plus inhabitants of the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by the deadly storm.

♦PLAXICO BURRESS: Bill Cowher; Producer – Charlie Bloom
Plaxico Burress sits down for his first interview since being sent to jail in September of 2009. Bill Cowher, his former coach, visits with Burress inside the Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York. It was exactly two years ago when Plaxico Burress made the game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII. On November 28, 2008, Plaxico’s world turned upside down when he accidentally shot himself at a night club in New York. On August 20, 2009, Burress accepted a plea deal that would put him in prison for two years with an additional two years of supervised release. Burress talks openly about his emotions in prison. He talks with Cowher about his daily life, about seeing and holding his newborn daughter for the first time just weeks ago and if his future plans will include a return to the NFL?

♦DREW BREES: Katie Couric; Producer – Charlie Bloom
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees signed as a free agent with the Saints four years ago. Since then, he has led New Orleans to two NFC Championship Game appearances and now the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Brees also has had a major impact in the community. CBS News’ Katie Couric takes a journey with Drew and his wife Brittany through the streets of New Orleans and looks at how these two philanthropists are giving the city much more to cheer about beyond the football field. The couple explains how this city was meant to be their home and why they feel obligated to help New Orleans at the grass-roots level.

♦REGGIE BUSH: Shannon Sharpe; Producer – Deb Gelman
Reggie Bush was the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner and the second overall pick in the 2006 Draft. While his numbers have been up and down, as he’s battled injuries throughout his career, it has been his performance in this year’s postseason that may finally prove his critics and doubters wrong. Shannon Sharpe visits with Bush and finds that he has been very active in the New Orleans community including visiting St. Jude Children's Hospital where he be-friended a 5-year-old leukemia patient who has become an inspiration in his life.

♦NEW ORLEANS DEFENSE: Lesley Visser; Producer – Deb Gelman
First it was Kurt Warner. Then it was Brett Favre. Now it’s Peyton Manning. The Super Bowl will be the third straight game that the New Orleans defense will be going up against a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Lesley Visser sits down with Darren Sharper, Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith as they prepare to face the Colts high octane offense. Amidst their interesting revelations, they will break down what they must do to achieve winning the Super Bowl.

♦PEYTON MANNING: Dan Marino; Producer – Jeff St. Arromand
Since entering the NFL in 1998, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has never missed a start, won one Super Bowl, and a record four MVPs. Dan Marino visits with him and talks about Manning’s first Super Bowl win three years ago in Miami, the Colts’ decision not to go for a perfect season, and facing the team that his father Archie played for, the New Orleans Saints. Manning also reflects on his hometown of New Orleans.

♦DWIGHT FREENEY AND ROBERT MATHIS: Boomer Esiason; Producer – Jeff St. Arromand
Colts Pro Bowl Defensive Ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are a quarterback’s worst nightmare. With a combined 147 sacks, Freeney (84) and Mathis (63) are the top two sack leaders in Colts history and have combined for 23 sacks this season. Boomer Esiason sits down with Freeney and Mathis as they get ready to take on Drew Brees and the Saints. Will Freeney be ready to play despite an ankle injury?

♦INDIANAPOLIS RECEIVING CORPS: Sam Ryan; Producer – Mark Burghart
Peyton Manning has enjoyed his best statistical season since 2004. The reason: veterans Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, plus the emergence of Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. During the season, Clark and Wayne each had 100 receptions and Collie and Garcon emerged as key receivers in the offense. All four have been instrumental in the Colts successful season and their run to capture their second Super Bowl title in four years. Sam Ryan visits with the Colts’ receiving corps and discusses the role Peyton Manning has played in the quartet’s success.

♦WYNTON MARSALIS: Producer -- Sarah Rinaldi
Jazz impresario Wynton Marsalis pays a special tribute with music and words to his beloved city of New Orleans. Marsalis, a life-long Saints fan, gathered several jazz musicians and captures the spirit of New Orleans and the true meaning of the Saints to the city.

In addition, live elements of THE SUPER BOWL TODAY will include an interview by CBS News Anchor of THE CBS EVENING NEWS, Katie Couric, with President of the United States Barack Obama.

Live musical performances throughout the day during THE SUPER BOWL TODAY will include Grammy Award-winning recording artist Steve Winwood, as well as Grammy Award-nominated group Daughtry. The Food Network’s Guy Fieri also will prepare the “perfect tailgate food.

Frankly, it does not seem like they are dong anything that original. They are going to shove the big stories down our throat, spend way too much time talking about "the perfect tailgate party" (of which this will be the umpteenth different one), have a band perform, run pieces on the big name players in the game, and the network news anchor is interviewing the President.

But what looks meh on paper can be quite good if executed properly. NBC was (miraculously) able to hold its own last year and CBS will have a difficult task given nothing on paper looks enthralling, but I'll be watching....and I'll be commenting on it.

What Exactly Will The Super Bowl Do For The City Of New Orleans?

Aside from Archie Bowl, without a doubt the biggest story of this Super Bowl is the city of New Orleans and the fact that it has been four and a half years since Hurricane Katrina left that city in ruins. The Saints are representing a city that has been devastated and they have a chance to help the city heal and to further aid in re-building it.

Wait.........WHAT?

Help re-build it? Let's get realistic about this Super Bowl is and is not for the city of New Orleans.

Will a win put a smile on Saints fans and the people of New Orleans? Yes. Will it give them something to be proud of? Yes. Will it give them a reason to party for a few nights? Yes.

Will it solve the real problems this city currently faces? No.

Will it remove the corrupt politicians that need to be removed? No.

Will it rebuild the houses that need to be rebuilt? No.

Will it put people back in homes they have not seen in four and a half years? No.

Will all of New Orleans' problems be gone with this Super Bowl win? No.

If you paid attention to some of the media for the past week-and-a-half, you would think that if the Saints win New Orleans will finally get it's fairy tale end that it has so long deserved after Hurricane Katrina. No! No it won't be. This would not be the ending, it would just be a meager footnote in a story that started on August 23, 2005 when Katrina first formed over the Bahamas.

Win or lose on Sunday night, the city of New Orleans won't be in any better a condition than it will be. Drew Brees raising a Super Bowl trophy is not going to construct a house. It's not going to re-unite people with their loved one dead from the storm. It's not going to give them their lives back. It's not going to change any of that. It's just going to put a smile on their face and give them the false belief that everything in their city will be all right when in reality, money will go to funding a parade instead of fixing real problems.

A Saints win would make the people in New Orleans and Saints fans perhaps the happiest they have been in 4 and a half years, but give me a break! Let's call a football game a cotdamn football game and not something larger than life that can magically repair the infrastructure of a city so corrupt and so much in need and so devastated that 4-and-a-half years after a hurricane destroyed the city there is still no end in sight.

Indianapolis Has Concerns About Drunken Bus Drivers After The Super Bowl

Apparently 3 years ago when the Colts won the Super Bowl, there was a real problem with not enough school bus drivers to pick up the kids during the Super Bowl. So what have they done this year to alleviate that problem? An Indianapolis school district superintendent has ordered that all schools open 1-hour late that day! From the USA Today

School superintendent Eugene White said, with approval from state overseers, that he's imposing a one-hour delay and a half-hour late dismissal on Monday.

The school department had originally said it would open schools two hours late on Monday to avoid the confusion that occurred three years ago when too many bus drivers called in sick after the Colts' last Super Bowl appearance. But state officials balked at the plan, suggesting it violated standards at how long students must spend in class.

Indianapolis officials then worked out the compromise. Said White to the Indianapolis Star, "I do not want to rehash what happened in the Super Bowl last time. I'm just trying to be proactive."

What? So not only do those lucky bastards get to watch the Super Bowl, but then they get to sleep in an extra hour? How on earth is that fair? We never had that for our Super Bowl! 8 hours after the Eagles lost to the Pats in Super Bowl XXXIX, I was getting my ass up for a normal school day cotdamnit! And if New Orlenas wins a Super Bowl, shouldn't we at Bloom compressed schedule so the campus can celebrate it's first alum to don a Super Bowl ring? It's only fair, right?

And what on earth is an hour going to do to these bus drivers and kids? If the bus drivers (and/or some of the older high school kids) want to live up a Super Bowl and get completely hammered before, during, and after the Super Bowl, they are going to do it no matter what and I doubt that one hour is going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Then again, I'm not from Indy where apparently drunkenness and hangovers go away all of a sudden at 8 in the morning.

The Legend Of Brett Favre Drew Brees, Garrett Hartley, And The New Orleans Saints

What. A. Game.

That may have been one of the most thrilling championship games I have ever seen. From the "Legend of Brett Favre" to the Legend of New Orleans and what that city has been through for the past 4 and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, this game had all the drama you could ever ask for. And oh yeah, the game itself was a mistake-laden thriller. My heart was in my throat for a good part of that 4th quarter and all of OT. It was that good.

So what went down? The Vikings had a chance. Brett Favre. The 2-minute drill. He has made his career of being a hero during this part of the game. But in the 2008 NFC title game, he threw an INT that cost himself the game. Surely with this chance, he would get the job done, right?

It started out right. The Vikes got to the Saints 33 with the Saints out of timeouts and a minute on the clock. Inexplicably they called not one but 2 running plays that went absolutely nowhere. Followed that up with a 5-yard, too many men in the huddle penalty, and all of a sudden, they were out of Longwell's range. With no choice but to throw it on 3rd and long just to get back to field goal range and 18 seconds left on the clock, the unthinkable happened.



Picked off! Are you kidding me?? Brett Favre did it again!

But that only sent the game into OT. The Vikings were idiots and called heads, which allowed the Saints to receive the ball and after several somewhat controversial replays and a bad pass interference call, it all came down to Garrett Hartley. Historically snakebitten football team. The Aints. Hurricane Katrina. Here's the payoff:



Right down the middle! The New Orleans Saints are going to Super Bowl XLIV.

And as a result, for the first time ever, a former Bloomsburg University Husky will be playing in the Super Bowl. Congratulations Jahri Evans, Pro Bowl right guard for the New Orleans Saints! I will have a lot more on that tomorrow, as will I also have a breakdown of scheduling for the next couple of weeks.

As far as the Saints opponent goes, it is the Indianapolis Colts who took care of the Jets 30-17 in what was a very good game for 3 quarters. But the loss of Donald Strickland early and Shonn Greene at the start of the 2nd half proved too much for the Jets to overcome and the Colts put the final clamp down in the 4th quarter. The Jets hung in there and gave it a heck of a ride for 45 minutes, but the team that kept it up for 60 minutes, the Colts, earned the trip back to Miami where they will play in their 4th ever Super Bowl, all of which just so happened to be played in Miami (Super Bowls III, V, XLI, and XLIV all in Miami).

My way too early prognostication is the Colts will take it in a high scoring game, but before I make a final prediction I want time for the stories to start unfolding, injuries becoming more clear, and more time for match-ups to develop.

Today proved once again why the Conference Championships are my favorite day of the NFL, now let's hope we cap it off with a fun Super Bowl! Manning vs. Brees. Colts vs. Saints. In Miami, trick.

Originally Scheduled At Dolphin Stadium Land Shark Stadium, Super Bowl XLIV Will Now Be Played At Sun Life Stadium

If you've been reading up on the news today (or know anything about where the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins play home games) then you know that the Super Bowl is not actually changing venues, just the venue is changing it's name for the 6th time. That's right, Super Bowl XLIV will be played at Sun Life Stadium! From The Miami Herald

Officials from Toronto-based Sun Life Financial said Wednesday they hope their new stadium naming rights deal with the Miami Dolphins will result in significantly higher name recognition in the United States.

The impact should be immediate, because Sun Life Stadium will play host to the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl on ESPN and Feb. 7 Super Bowl on CBS. Dolphins chief executive officer Mike Dee said the NFL allowed the stadium to change the name in time for both marquee events.

``We've got great presence in Canada and internationally, but we've really lacked brand presence in the U.S.,'' Sun Life Financial U.S. president Westley Thompson said. ``Our efforts are to get our name out so sooner or later, you will know our name. This is another step.''

Priscilla Brown, Sun Life's senior vice president, said the naming rights agreement is for five years, with an option for a minimum of five additional years. An official close to the negotiations said Sun Life's rights fee is less than the $7.5 million reported by Sports Business Journal. The deal is believed to be worth at least $5 million per year.

``Miami was the total package,'' Brown said. ``Three teams playing here was a huge factor.''

The stadium plays host to the Dolphins, University of Miami football team and the Florida Marlins, but the Marlins will move to their own ballpark in 2012.

Sun Life Financial, whose U.S. offices are outside Boston, bills itself as a ``leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers.'' Thompson said the company has $385 billion in assets.

Brown said the region is appealing to Sun Life because ``we have a number of agents who represent our products in South Florida and group offices [here]. The South Florida market is very important to the financial services industry. It's where most of the boomers, where most of the financial services profits will come from in future years.''

Wednesday's announcement was made in front of more than 150 fans at the stadium and included a performance by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. The name will be the stadium's seventh since it opened as Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987. Its other names: Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium and Land Shark Stadium.

The facility had been called Dolphin Stadium for the past two weeks. Land Shark Lager's eight-month naming-rights deal, which did not include a rights fee, expired after the Jan. 5 FedEx Orange Bowl.

Dee noted the agreement is ``the first naming rights deal done of significance in the post recession period. It was love at first sight.''

Was I the only one that didn't know the name went back to Dolphin Stadium after the Orange Bowl?

And I thought that the corporate sponsorship of The Center that hosts the Flyers and the Sixers was crazy. From the Corestates Center to the First Union Center (boy I miss the days of calling our sports arena the F.U. Center) to the Wachovia Center, and with the merger of Wachovia and Wells Fargo currently happening, it will likely be the Wells Fargo Center by the start of next season. And to think, this is a building that opened in 1996! It's crazy the lack of consistency of some of these building names, although I do think that now Sun Life Stadium in Florida. From the time period between January 21, 2009 and January 21, 2010, the name changed 3 times!

Since When Is Quintin Mikell Cole Hamels In A Clever Disguise?

Remember when Cole Hamels said after Game 3 of the World Series that he could not wait for the season to end? Well, let's play the Philadelphia Eagles version of this game and I give you it's star: Quintin Mikell!

Personally, I really like Mikell as a strong safety. If ever there was a guy on this team that could change the momentum of the game with one tackle, it is Mikell as his hits have to be right up there with Brian Dawkins' in terms of ferocity. That being said, the confidence he has in his team to go all the way this year is simply resounding. And by simply resounding, I mean no confidence at all. This screenshot is from Eagles Beat Reporter, Brian Seltzer's Twitter account.

Uh......wow. I understand that this is a big game and all, but saying that this game is your Super Bowl basically says that you are not getting to the Super Bowl when realistically, when the Eagles are on the game, they have to be considered one of the top 3 teams in the NFC. Their playoff hopes are without a doubt in great jeopardy, but this is just one regular season game, not a Super Bowl.

If the Eagles lose, they'll at worst only be 2 games out of the division. That's not out of the playoffs, that's not out of the wildcard, and that's not out of the Super Bowl. At the same time, momentum wise, those playoff hopes would be on life support. Despite the lack of success the Eagles have had on SNF, surely they can beat a team that's been even worse in primetime this year, right? So maybe Quintin is going with the pessimistic realism that I mastered during the World Series. It may not be that he does not believe his team can win the Super Bowl, it's that without a win, there may not be any reason to believe the Eagles will be in the Super Bowl.

If that makes any sense....

Report: The NFL Is Still Shaken From Janet Jackson's Nipple

Here we go again. It has come time for that ever fun game of guess which musician/rock band over 75 will be performing at the Super Bowl. And while it has yet to be confirmed by the NFL, if you were guessing The Who has the band to perform at the Super Bowl, congratulations!

The report comes from SI's Hot Clicks, who state in no uncertain terms, "The Who will take the stage during the NFL's championship game"

Was Pink Floyd unavailable?

I understand a year or 2 after the world's most famous wardrobe malfunction that the NFL would want to stay away from something contemporary and go with the older bands, but for goodness sakes, it's been 6 years now and the combined number of albums by the artists/bands of the Super Bowls since then is 3,089. Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration, but really, the NFL can go contemporary and still not have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction or anything risque. Has anyone in the No Fun League ever heard of Taylor Swift?

My Picks For The 2009 Season

There's only a few minutes until kickoff so with that being said, here are my picks for the teams that will make the playoffs (and just a little FYI, if the team I have up now is not the team I picked to win the division in our NFL Previews, that's because I changed my mind, as I have done a lot when it comes to trying to figure out who does what this year).

First off, my pick for tonight's game is for Pittsburgh to beat Tennessee. I will have more detailed picks on the weekend and MNF games tomorrow. If any of you are intersted in a picking the games competition, please let me know right now. Thanks!

NFC
1. Minnesota
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Seattle
5. New York
6. Green Bay

NFC Championship: Green Bay @ Philadelphia
Winner: Philadelphia

AFC
1. New England
2. Pittsburgh
3. Tennessee
4. San Diego
5. Indianapolis
6. Houston

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh @ New England
Winner: Pittsburgh

Super Bowl XLIV: Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh
Winner: Pittsburgh

If it makes Raven fans feel any better, I was torn between them and the Texans, who I think will finally go over the top this year and make the playoffs.

For those intersted in a live blog tonight, here it is! I have to run an errand will fast and will be a few minutes late, but I'll be there.