Super Bowl Bizaro Style

It is interesting when you think of past champions and Dynasties in sports. How different would thinks look if you flipped the outcomes of say the NFL’s Super Bowl results? All those Iconic teams now relegated to runners up and also-rans. Suddenly legacy’s have changed and how we view teams and players would have changed dramatically.

Not to look into every Super Bowl but a few of the notable changes are interesting to look at.

Take for example the San Francisco 49’ers. One of the greatest franchises in NFL history. Now, in bizzaro world would only have 1 victory on their record and that win would come on the legs of Colin Kapernik…not Joe Montana. Montana would likely not be held in such high regard as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game.

The Dallas Cowboys and especially Troy Aikman would also be a team with a lot less shine on their star. America’s team would still have 3 championships but they would have come very early on in the first 15 years of the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer a Dynasty and Terry Bradshaw is likely not on the Fox broadcasts each Sunday morning.

The New York Giants now have only 1 title, and it is not with Eli or Tom Coughlin.

Now lets look at some of the teams that have a much more favorable history now. Take a team like Minnesota.. 4 titles in the first 11 Super Bowls looks a lot more impressive now.

The next 3 teams would have made the biggest u-turn and greatly changed peoples perception of greatness.

The Denver Bronco’s and John Elway would now be 4-2 in the Super Bowl and Elway is probably heralded as the greatest QB in the history of the league.

The Buffalo Bills are now probably the greatest Dynasty in the NFL winning the Super Bowl 4 straight years. Jim Kelly is now probably pushing Elway for top spot on the QB list.

 The Miami Dolphins are interesting to look at now too. All of a sudden Dan Marino has his 1 championship and is elevated in the minds of fans and media alike. What is even more interesting to think about is that there would now not be an undefeated Miami team and all that narrative of them popping Champaign after the last undefeated teams takes a loss

Strangely .  it is in the New England Patriots that this flip may actually be a benefit to their legacy.  As strange as it sounds based on Tom Brady’s record/legacy and how the Patriots are perceived throughout the league they may actually come out even more impressive.  Brady would now be 2 and 4 respectable but not great. But now he also becomes the QB of the only team to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl, He beats Eli and the Giants twice. Is his legacy even more impressive despite losing 4 Super Bowls? Keeping in mind he gets to keep everything else that makes Tom Brady great.

It is an interesting debate to have not only for football but all sports. How much worse are the Toronto Maple Leafs now? 8-13 and no cups since 1960.

Montreal Canadians now 6-24 not such an impressive championship record either.

It is interesting to think about and some interesting debates could be had at the local sports bar. Both team and personal legacies would be greatly impacted. For those who value championships when evaluating players and their careers might be forced to change their tune. 

While You are Sleeping - NFL Network Pre-Game Show

There are very few reasons to be up early on a Sunday morning. One big reason, if you are an NFL fan, is to watch NFL Networks early morning show First on the Field. The show airs from 7am-9am on the NFL Networks and features Former running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and co-hosts Sterling Sharpe (former Wide Receiver) and Melissa Stark (Monday Night Football and Today Show). The show has a good mix of entertainment and information for the days games each week. Fresh off the field Thomlinson gives a good feel from a players perspective and Sharpe has been doing these pre-game shows since his retirement and has earned a role as a host/co-host while still bringing the ability to break down plays and games. Just about every network has their own version of a pre-game preview show and this one ranks right there with the best of them. What sets it apart is the ability of Melissa Stark as the host and helps guide the ship. Knowledgeable, skilled and attractive...a deadly combination. 

No other Pro football show features a female host which sets First on the Field apart from any of the competing shows. Erin Andrews (Dancing with the Stars and formerly ESPN) is the host for FOX's NCAA Football show on Saturday Nights and also does a good job on that program. 

Stark, who worked on Monday Night Football in the early 2000's left that gig to focus on family. Since then she has done some work on the Today Show. Stark brings a nice balance of classic journalism and can control the show in her role as co-host, but also offers great football knowledge to the show. Her ability to deliver either insight or statistics while keeping it entertaining is a remarkable and it proves to be in that role. Now it must be noted that she also possesses the other skills that helps one on the television excel as well. There is a reason that some people are just better in other mediums. There is a reason for that old saying "a face for radio". The television is a visual medium and like it or not looks count. There is no denying that she is stunningly beautiful and probably possesses the most stunning pair of legs since Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight (and she reportedly had each insured for $1 Million each, so $2 Million total). If that doesn't keep you tuned in and willing to get up to watch who knows what is.

Monday Night Mayhem

I was tired of hearing about the NFL replacement refs but the last and deciding play of tonight's game was a disgrace. No game should ever end the way tonight's game ended. They say that it is not a missed call that cost a team a win and that had they played better they would not have had to let 1 play beat them. Well in this case that is not true, Green Bay was jobbed at least 3 times during the last drive due to terrible and wrong calls that should have been able to be fixed at some point. What is the point of having coaches call for red flag video reviews or having video replay in the game if it is not used to make obvious wrong calls overturned. If a bad call is made on the field it should be fixed if possible. This was a play that could have been overturned but because the ref with the worst position to see the play makes a call on the field there is no way to have the correct call made, ridiculous. Golden Tate somehow came up with the ball in the end zone to grab a last-gasp "win" Tate not only pushed off 1st but didn't even have possession at any point. The real refs had better be in place by next Sunday after this gong show.The refs didn't even know that after the wrong call was made that Seattle needed to try for an extra point. It took nearly 10 minutes for the refs to get the teams back for the extra try. That oversight just magnified how bad they botched the game. In a Billion dollar industry to have the integrity of the game compromised is a very dangerous thing. Worst of all is that was not the only bad call of the night. Every mistake just gets compounded and that is huge. The money that powers the NFL is outrageous and that doesn't even come close to touching what is generated from both legal and illegal gambling. Somebody in Vegas is getting his legs broken right now after this fiasco.  A lot of money will be changing hands but in the wrong direction.

In a 16 game season each game means even more then in just about any other sport and that could be the deciding factor if they make the playoffs, win the division or get home field advantage. A horrible and wrong call by replacement refs should not potentially ruin a teams season. Hopefully that is not the case but we will know by week 17.

NFL has to get the real refs back, 1 to show they are serious about the integrity of the game and 2 to prevent anything worse from happening. Tempers are already wearing thin and things are already breaking down.

A Glance at the Big Four

It was great to see that even at age 39 my boy Chipper Jones was named to the MLB All Star Team. After coming off knee surgery last year and multiple injuries over the last few and couple with that talk of retirement it is good that he can add some more numbers to his Hall of Fame Career.

The NFL Lockout looks like thay might just get a deal done without missing any games. That would be a good thing for all parties. The fans don’t care who wins or who loses, just make sure that they are on the field in September.

The NBA also is in a lookout but their situation looks a lot more bleak. Even though it is still early there is little optimism that it will come to an end anytime in the foreseeable future. Not good for players who may not have overseas options like they may have thought and not good for the league which has had an image issue for years now. Even worse that after such a good playoffs this year that any good favour that was gained will go right down the drain.

The NHL may actually get a chance to gain back some market foothold if the NBA is out for any period of time. In the US and A the networks are going to have to fill airtime on radio and tv and if the NHL can start getting players and get some game discussion on these shows can only help grow the league. Jim Rome and Dan Patrick (who has NBC ties and guess who has NHL rights???) are both hockey guys and can talk the game if need be and be knowledgeable. It is just a matter of getting their listeners involved. This could be a very critical time in the acceptance of the game in the US.

MLB All Star game is next Tuesday. The game itself is the best of all the major sports because it lends itself to being played close to real game action. I still hate that it decides home field advantage in the World Series. If the game actually counts then: Not every team should be represented, fans should not get the ability to vote, Managers need to choose the most deserving players not just his own guys (see Tommy Hanson -vs- Tim Linsicum) and not every player should get to play or pitchers only going 1 inning. If the game is to mean something, play it and manage it like it does. If it is truly just for the fans that is fine but don’t put something on the line as important as home field.

Lions and Stafford and Andrews, OH My

The hard luck Detroit Lions lost yet another game on a blown call. Calvin Johnson’s apparent game winning reception was ruled incomplete for no reason and even by the letter of the rule I still don’t believe that the correct call was "interpreted" by the referees. He clearly had the ball palmed the ball across the plane of the end zone both feet in bounds, arm down, sitting on his butt. At that point he got up using the ball for leverage and then willingly and on purpose let go of the ball...sounds like a catch in my books. The Lions needed this win and for that call to go their way for many reasons; a) they are the Lions and they never get a break, b) It is a bad rule and an even worse interpretation c) I have Calvin Johnson on my fantasy team and I REALLY could have used those points d) Not only did they loose the game but they lost their starting QB Matt Stafford after he was injured and will now be missing likely 1-6 weeks due to an injured shoulder. He doesn’t seem to need surgery but this could prove to be a big red flag for the lions as Stafford ended last season on IR.

Stafford went down to Alabama and met with a man that needs no introduction in the sports community and is probably one of the most famous doctors in the world. All you have to do is hear his name and you can almost diagnose the problem yourself and what is going to be done with many of your favorite players. I speak of course to the doctor with the Rock Star status...Dr. James Andrews. Dr. Andrews is an orthopedic surgeon and is regarded in the sports world as the leading expert on shoulders, elbows and forearms...just about the entire arm and sometimes he will even branch out and have a look see at the occasional knee; ACL, MCL, PCL...he does not discriminate.

Dr. Andrews who is currently approaching 70 and is getting older. What happens when he retires? Where will everyone go, what will players do? How will the fans know what is going on with their stars and who will become the new go to guy in the world of orthopedic surgery. Who will do all the Tommy John Surgeries?

It is almost funny that Dr. Andrews name is nearly as famous as the procedures that he preforms when doing Tommy John reconstruction.

* Bob Sanders has undergone surgery to repair the torn right biceps muscle that he suffered in the season-opener against Houston. Famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed the operation on Sanders

Quick Hits

National Football League star Albert Haynesworth is being sued for $10 million by an exotic dancer who claims he impregnated her and then abandoned her, the New York Post reported.
The NFL is not catching a break during the off season again. Each year it is almost worth the effort to get into, as the comish calls it, "personal conduct" pool. Between this story the Rothlesburger situation and the regular drug issues the NFL continues to be shown in a bad light. Luckily it is the one sport that fan’s don’t care what happens as long as the product on the field is still good...the cheaters and bad guys are usually the ones that get rewarded.

Reigning champion Roger Federer was a second-round winner Wednesday at the French Open. One can only presume that this is setting up for yet another showdown between himself and the clay specialist Rafael Nadal. Nadal’s dominance on clay is only matched by his record vs Federer something in the neighbourhood of 14-7.

The Ottawa Seantors have signed Brodeur!!! Correction, Senators have re-signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to a 2 way contract. Hey it is something at least. Gotta find the silver lining as it looks like the team will be losing Anton Volchenkov as a free agent July 1 unless rights get traded but that is unlikely to happen. Lets just hope that the youngsters Patrick Wiercioch and Jared Cowen are able to make the team and be an unlikely surprise.

Thanks to NBC for not allowing the Stanley Cup to start until Saturday night. Seems like a network that has no "real money" invested in the NHL holds so much power on when it starts. This experiment to get it in view of more Americans may be better off to try and mend the fences with ESPN and ABC family and get some coverage that way and away from Versus and NBC. A Thursday start would have made sense, which is why it is starting on Saturday...Logic and common sense is not the network or Leagues strong suit.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday is here and all the hype over the last two weeks is coming to a head. Thankfully they moved the Pro Bowl to the bye week in between the Conference Championships. Because everyone was able to complain about how useless the Pro Bowl is that enabled the media from breaking down the game to the point where the length of the shoelaces of the players will play a factor on crowning a champion, or about Dwight Freeney's ankle, or Peyton Manning taking on the team that his father played for for all those years.

With the two most explosive offences in the league it only stands to reason that this will be an old fashioned shoot out and be end to end rushes. Due to that expect a lower scoring game with surprising defensive stops and uncharacteristic turnovers...by both sides. The Colts are favoured big and by all accounts should win big; therefore it will be a close game and will likely come down to whether veteran kicker Matt Stover makes or misses a field goal.

The Saints defence are not bad by any stretch and if Reggie Bush manages to break a punt or kick return could provide the spark that New Orleans needs to propel them to victory. What they have going against them is the MVP of the league and that is Peyton Manning. He is going to want this win to help build a case for the best QB ever. He probably is already and is a first ballot Hall of Fame player but no matter what he does those whispers from the negative uninformed or ignorant people is still 'he can't win the big game'. Couldn't beat Florida in college, couldn't win this one in the big game, can't win a Super Bowl. Then he wins a Super Bowl and now they say, yeah but he only has one. Can't please everyone I guess.

The Colts Should win 35-24, and control the game all the way. That will not happen.

If the Colts do win it will likely take a comeback as I suspect that New Orleans will come out flying, and get up by 14 early either on a defensive stand or a special teams play that will swing momentum.

The final will probably be 31-28. I'd like to see that score for the Colts so that means that will be the score for the Saints.

I am sure that in any event it will be a good game and at the very least The Who is performing at Half Time and that should be AWESOME...Love THE WHO so even if the game is a bust there will still be Roger Daltrey and Peter Townshend with a little Zack Starkey mixed in for good measure.

ENJOY!

Around The Horn

NFL- The Super Bowl is less then a week away and that means we should only be subjected to 6 days of updates on Dwight Freeney and his ankle. Apparently a ‘grade 3 lower basketball sprain’ in fact means torn ligament. That is a little deceptive. Being the second most impactive player on the Colts the focus on Freeney and his injury will be covered closer then a Brett Favre retirement watch... Certainly Freeney’s ankle is Freeney’s ankle, it is on TV more then Leave It To BEAVER....RE-RUNS

NBA- Sunday the Lakers played the Celtics in a possible NBA Finals Preview. The cam came down to 1 point in the dying seconds of the game. The Lakers wound up victorious. Any idea who took the last shot for the Lakers and made it for the winning basket?? Yeah, figured...it was Kobe....again. When will teams learn. You make the Luke Walton or the Jordan Farmar’s of the world beat you. You can’t keep letting arguably the greatest clutch shooter/player the league has ever seen keep beating you. Coaching 101...Rookie Mistake Doc.

NASCAR- The DAYTONA 500, "The Great American Race". 43 of the best stock car drivers in the world take center stage February 14, 2010 in NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race. I love the sport and am a HUGE Jimmie Johnson fan but I do fear looking in the stands to the type of people who will be in the grandstands celebrating St. Valentines Day at the Speedway. The old V-chip in the TV might kick in for inappropriate content by inappropriate fans and viewer discretion may be advised. Hope it is on a delay and any nudity is brief and tasteful (and has a weight limit).

CFL - Congratulations you have a league that not once but twice drafted a deceased person on the entry draft. They have had 2 teams with the same name at the same time (Roughriders and Rough Riders) Now they have made things look even more on the up and up as the Toronto Argos are all set to be sold to BC Lions owner David Braley. It is nice that the team will have an owner and not be in fear of folding but to have an owner own 1 team in the East and 1 team in the West is sketchy at best.

MLB- The Minnesota Twins and catcher Joe Mauer have apparently agreed to terms on a 10-year contract extension. Mauer, who became just the second catcher in the last 33 years to be named the American league’s MVP this past season, is slated to earn $12.5 million this coming season and could have become a free agent at the end of the year. For a small market team who is known for allowing their best player move on when they become stars because they can’t afford them it is nice to see that they actually have made a commitment to the player and the player to the team. A nice change of pace. It probably was made more possible that Maur is also a native of St. Paul, Minnesota.

NHL- The trade between the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers reportedly involving Olli Jokinen, Brandon Prust to New York and Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins to Calgary. that was supposed to go down on Monday didn’t. The Flames played with Jokinen in the lineup in Mondays game in one of the most odd situations involving a players transaction. Nothing says motivation like knowing that you may be gone 2 minutes after the conclusion of your game. That didn’t seem to help as the Flames were shut out.

Holiday Season A Busy One

This is a great time of the year to be a sports fan. There is a little something for everyone. You are treated to maybe a little bit more if you are a hockey fan, so this may be more directed to those in Canada and the upper East Coast. First we are right in the midst of the college football Bowl season. Granted with some 30 Bowls or something silly like that there are a lot of meaningless games out there but If you are just going to watch for the entertainment of the game or just want something to keep gambling on then you are in luck. All of the real important games don’t begin until New Years there is still plenty to fill the schedule.

You then have the regular season for both college basketball and the NBA. Both regular seasons are just a matter of jockeying for position for the playoffs and for the NCAA Tournament but there are still some entertainment to be had in watching either of these two distinctive versions of the same sport.

The final week of the NFL schedule is hear and teams are making the final push to make the playoffs, gain home field and to either rest star players or keep their foot on the gas. It can be a week where it is a real crap shoot of games. It depends on what teams come to play. 2 great teams facing off may become the worst games of a weekend. 2 terrible teams with players playing for jobs next year may be the most entertaining. Every year in the NFL the elite teams have nothing to play for...so they don’t. It is games like that that rob the fans of not only specific teams but the sport in general. This is the reason why an 18 game schedule is a bad idea....just more meaningless games.

Then there is hockey. Everywhere you look there is something to take in. You have the NHL regular schedule and it’s array of games, the Spengler Cup which most people in Canada don’t even realize that Canada has a team in that tournament. It is probably one of the most under the radar Major International Tournaments. It is a huge deal overseas but seems to get lost in the shuffle over here. Even with names like Alexandre Daigle and a coach like Craig McTavish. Then of course there is one of my personal favorites, the IIHF World Juniors Tournament. This is one event that I very much enjoy watching. I will be honest, it is a bonus that Canada is prolific and more often then not are one of the teams to win year in and year out (as shown by the 5 straight gold medals) but the style and tempo of play is enjoyable to watch. To see the stars of tomorrow in a competition where they are playing the most elite competition from each country is fun to watch. Sure when you beat a Latvia 16-0 that is not the greatest of games but good for the national pride. It is the games against the USA and the Swedes and the Russians that are the most fun.
And this year we get the added bonus of having the Team Canada Olympic Roster announced before New Years...

All of that equals an embarrassment of riches for the sports fan, whether your interest is sport specific or you just love them all and are a fan of the games

Not So Perfect

If there is any question that Peyton Manning is not only the MVP of the league but he is also a half decent actor. I guess that most of his endorsement commercials have prepared him for yesterdays game. Manning was taken out of the Jets game while the Colts were leading 15-10 in the third quarter and backup Curtis Painter was not up to the challenge and looked like a JV QB or worse, like JaMarcus Russell. Sure he didn’t look pleased but managed to maintain a decent demeanor on the sidelines, unlike Brett Favre and Brad Childresss the week before. You could tell by his face that he was not impressed with being taken but hid it fairly well. It only looked like someone injured his dog but not killed it. In the end he towed the company line and said that he knew it was a possibility that this could happen. Guess he figured that If he was going to come out they would have a greater then a 5 point lead.

Jim Caldwell, Colts Head Coach made the decision to "rest" at least 5 of his top offensive players, Manning included. There were also a few on the defensive side of the ball as well. Ordinarily I would agree with the concept that you won your games and you have the right to play the last 2 however you want. If resting players, you believe is in the best interest of your teams chances to win the Super Bowl then so be it. The only thing is that this was a different set of circumstances this was a 14-0 team that had a legitimate chance on going 16-0 and becoming the first team to do so and win the Super Bowl. New England came within a hair of achieving that a few years ago and would have done so had it not been for one of the luckiest BS catches of all time by David Tyree. Going undefeated in the regular season did not prevent them from winning, the team that was on a roll and got hot at the right time and then they just didn’t play well enough in one game at the end of the season.

I have made it clear in the past that I am a fan of history being made. A great story didn’t even make it off the ground because of a pre-emptive move by a rookie coach. This is a huge deal too, just look at how people remember the Dolphins team from the 70’s. People still talk about that team and how great they were and what they accomplished. Peyton is a guy who understands the history of football and he knows what it would have meant for his team to reach such a record. Caldwell also made the comment that they never had plans of going 16-0. ???????? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, what team doesn’t try to win every game? If you aren’t planning on going 16-0 you are planning on loosing, not the right attitude for one of the elite teams in the league.

With an offence like the Colts, they rely on timing and repetition. Staying in a flow and working like a well oiled unit is what they do, taking that away from them will likely hurt the teams chances going forward. You will have spotty work in the last 2 regular season games and then a bye then you have a rusty team entering a 1 and done elimination game versus a good team... a very dangerous situation, on that the Colts may live to regret.

Week 16 NFL Picks

Another week and another 10-6 record. I am becoming the epitome of consistency. It was a tough week and will only get tougher as the season moves forward. Some teams have everything to play for and others have nothing...unless you count pride. We don't count pride. It is this dilemma that makes it tough to decide what team is going to show up for each game, what teams are going to rest players and who will keep the foot on the gas pedal. Lets see how my prognostication (guessing) works out this week

Week 15 NFL Picks

Last Weeks Picks would have probably gotten me into the playoffs. I went 10-6 vs the spread. It was a tough week for picks but i managed to fair not too bad. This weeks there are some very tough games to pick and I can say right off the top that I am not confident in these picks, so much so I am not even going to try to play Proline. That probably means I will go 16-0 but I just don't like the match ups. Lets see what Sunday brings.

Sad End To A Troubled Player

This time the story about a pro athlete involved in a domestic disturbance/traffic incident has become more of a real story and more serious then that of the Tiger Woods situation. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have said that Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after suffering serious injuries upon falling out of the back of a pickup truck. Authorities have describe the events that led to the accident as a domestic dispute with his fiancee.

Henry was suspended in 2007 for half of the season -- as part of a toughening of the league’s conduct policy. This came on the heals of his a fifth arrest. He had had trouble with the law and character issues dating back to his time in college. Throughout his career, his temper and poor decisions got him in trouble.

Henry was not with the team after he broke his left forearm during a win over Baltimore on Nov. 8. He had surgery and was placed on season-ending injured reserve following the game. That was the reason that he was in Charlotte at the home of his fiancee’s parents, where it is believed that the incident began.

It is sad at anytime that news like this happens, especially to a high profile athlete. Sure this type of thing probably happens a lot in one way or another in society and doesn’t even get second mention. Just because it was some what of a celebrity that it happened to that it gets the extra exposure but it is still a shame. For a player who had all the potential in the world to be a real star in the NFL he just couldn't shake his demons and maybe that could have ultimately led to this tragic end. Leaving behind his young children is also overlooked. It is also too bad that he will not be remembered for much of what he did on the football field but all his off field indiscretions and arrests. His tarnished image are unfortunately what people are going to remember.

Best And Worst Of The Weekend

Best: The Indianapolis Colts passed two dynasties with one win. They have now won 22 straight games in the regular season Passing the New England Patriots and won their 114th this decade passing the mark set by the San Francisco 49ers. The only difference is they have won 1 Super Bowl vs a few more by the other 2 combined.

Worst: Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys lost again in December and are perfectly miserable in the most important month of the regular season. Maybe it is history repeating itself or maybe it is because the NFL wants teams to be in contention until at least Thanksgiving and give out more favorable beginnings of the schedule to have a bunch of wins stockpiled early and then they play better teams in December and are exposed. In any event a loss is a loss and the criticism of Romo are already starting to rumble and gain steam.

Best: Brandon Marshall snagged a record 21 catches. Marshall said after "I believe it was one of those games where, whenever you accomplish something like that, it definitely feels good," he said. "But we have goals, and our only goal is to win games. I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win."... I’d definitely trade in a couple of those catches for a win?? What does that even mean? I would give up the catches that didn’t go for touchdowns? I know he just meant that it would have meant more had his team won, but that doesn’t do much to change the perception that a Wide Receiver can be a bit of a diva.

Worst: It is basketball season and all I can find on TV is 1 Kentucky Game on Saturday and a Raptors game vs Houston on Sunday?? Granted that NCAA regular season basketball is a nameless and faceless sport, usually until March Madness come around but sometimes there are some engaging games on before that. You watch and game at Cameron Indoor at Duke or the Dean Dome in North Carolina and just the atmosphere of the crowd is enough to keep you interested. Yet another reason that we should have the option for ESPN to be shown or optioned in Canada and not have to purchase a specific pay per view NCAA package. Every time this issue comes up.

Best: NHL Center Ice free preview on Bell ExpressVu. Managed to take in 6 games at the same time on the TV Saturday night with the Ottawa game streamed on the Computer at CBC.ca. With the multi screen option that is offered, it gave a nice variety and options without having to change the channel. Sure each frame is a bit small then one might like but being able to see all the games live at the same time is cool. Having the little goal light with real time updates was an added benefit. It is still very sad that it was clearer to watch the Sens game on the computer then on the Standard Def feed on CBC Ottawa.

Worst: There were 2 scary injuries that were suffered by a couple athletes over the weekend. Former Senators goaltender Martin Gerber suffered a serious injury playing for Atlant Mytischi of the KHL. Apparently Gerber was involved in a collision during a game against Vityaz Chekhov and left the ice on a stretcher. He was diagnosed with a compression fracture of one of his cervical vertebra and could be in hospital for two months. Then there was Cowboys defensive stalwart DeMarcus Ware who was carted off the field on a stretcher during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chargers with a reported sprained neck. He had full movement and gave several hand gestures but was otherwise immobilized for safety reasons. Both are collision games but you never want to see a stretcher on a playing surface.

Week 14 NFL Picks

Last week I clawed my way to a solid 8-8 record. Not great but If this was baseball I would be up for the Hall of Fame. So with that said I will go for a second consecutive .500 or better record this week. Lets see how it goes

Week 13 NFL Picks

After a a 7-9 Week 12 I hope to do just that little bit better and get over that hump and at least switch those numbers around and get up and over that .500 mark. I am beginning to hate the spread more and more every week. I keep getting the short end of the stick and need a good week this week to rebound. Only time will tell.

Week 12 NFL Picks

After Thursday's games hopefully Sunday will provide us with not only better results but closer and better games. The bar has been set pretty low as the Turkey classics were far from that. Football fans deserve some games that are watchable.

With that here are the pics for week 12...fingers crossed.

Thanksgiving Or Football Day?

It may not be as good as a day off but I suppose it is the next best thing. It is that time of the year where the traditional Thursday football games are on the radio during the day. Sure it would be better to be watching the game but there is something to be said for the good ol’ days when the theatre of the mind was where it was at. At least in the NFL there are not two teams in the league with the same name like there was in the CFL for so many years...just imagine listening to a game on the radio and what you hear is " Rough Riders have the ball, here is the snap, there is a fumble Roughriders and the Rough Riders are in a scrum...Roughriders recover". How does your head not explode?

It seems that the majority of the games over the last few years have been stinkers but almost any NFL football is good...even if it is the Lions. The their credit they did try to give the game some hype this year after a good comeback win versus the hapless Browns in a shoot out but even with that it cost them the health of Matt Stafford and there is questions on if he will be able to play. Likely it will end up being Dante Caulpepper and that does not scream exciting game even with the Packers on the other side of the field. Gotta figure that the Pack will be back and on track and take this game with ease.

Then you look at the next game on the sched and after just a horra-awful game last week managing a 1 point victory versus a team they should have pummeled. Playing the Raiders who are coming off an upset themselves should make this game closer then it should be. Only problem with that is that a close game is a far fetch from a good game...especially on the radio so that should prove to be interesting.

In a welcome addition the game on the NFL Network for the more recent 8pm game addition should be the game of the day with the Giants taking on the rapidly falling Denver team. After such a strong and surprising start Kyle Orton and Co. have fallen back to earth and look like the team we thought they were before the season started....a very bad one. Hopefully Eli and the G-Men can light it up, they may be the best bet to see a team move the ball into the opponents end of the field.

So get your Swanson TV Turkey dinner with all the trimmings ready and take thanks for a triple header of football. Happy US Thanksgiving.

Week 11 NFL Picks

This week if an interesting week. Not only for games but of the point spreads that are in play.

A lot of the games have very inflated spreads...9.5 and greater. Of late even the high scoring teams are having trouble covering the high numbers. Some of the better teams seem to be satisfied with just a comfortable win but not going for the big kill and running up the score like they may have earlier in the season. Probably a way to try to keep players healthy as we get closer to the playoffs.

With that said here are this weeks picks!

Home Sweet Dome

Are you a Detroit Lions football fan? Or Want a piece of history? Got $583,000? If so then maybe the Pontiac Silverdome could be for you. Not unlike what Rogers did when they bought the Jays and the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) at a huge discount a Canadian Real Estate company won an auction and are now the proud owners of an old arena with no tenant right now for the price of a decent home, depending on your location.

The Silverdome was the home of the Lions from when it was built in 1975 at a cost of $55.7 million. To put that into perspective, if that were to be built today it would cost in the neighbourhood of $220,000,000. The stadium obtained the name "Silverdome" due to a silver-like reflection caused by the sun, mainly noticed from the sky. The roof was constructed with Teflon-coated fiberglass panels, and supported by air pressure inside the stadium. It remained the teams home until they moved into Ford Field in 2001. The stadium could hold 80,311 for football games..the largest stadium until 1997 when FedEx Field opened. It was also the home of the Detroit Pistons of the NBA from 1978–1988. They then moved to. The Palace of Auburn Hills.

There were many events that were hosted there over the lifespan of the dome, most notably the home of some USFL Teams and various NCAA Bowl games. It did also host four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they used real grass over the Astroturf that they grew on pallets and in between games they would take the grass outside into the sun and would be watered and cared for until the games then brought back in for the matches.
The Silverdome’s largest crowd was on March 29, 1987 for WrestleMania III, with a reported attendance of 93,173. This was followed by an April 30, 1977 concert involving Led Zeppelin with 76,229 in attendance, which at the time narrowly outdid The Who who had 75,962 people.

The dome was recently sold to Canadian investors for the previously mentioned $583,000 which goes to show a) How expensive the upkeep on a venue that size but also the state of not only the economy but the Real Estate Market in Detroit. The new developer intends to use the Silverdome to host Major League Soccer games. A few years back there were proposals of upwards of $19 million to sell a few years ago but those were rejected. In hindsight maybe thy should have taken that offer.