Xmas Hoopla

The Patriots are back to their old selves, with impressive wins over the rival Jets on a Monday night at New England and on the road in a snowbowl at Chicago over the NFC north champion Bears, both in blowout fashion. Then they just escaped a very feisty Packers team on Sunday night, proving again that they are a complete team that just finds a way to win each week. Brady is back to his MVP form and the Patriots again have all the ingredients a championship team always needs. The Patriots are likely going to have the homefield advantage in the playoffs and unless they fall asleep along the way, should end up in the Super Bowl. It's pretty hard to argue that anyway. On the other side of the field in the Super Bowl, it's too soon to tell who we're going to see representing the NFC, but it seems like the defending champion Saints are quietly making their run to get back. They will likely have to go through Atlanta to get there, but I'm not counting them out. This Monday night's game with the Saints and Falcons should be an NFC title preview. That will be a good one.

Tim Tebow made his first NFL start last Sunday at Oakland, and even though he had a couple nice plays in the game for the highlight reels, I just can't see him as the long-term plan for my Denver Broncos. There are too many questions there about his abilities and the Broncos need to be fixed in a hurry. They are now playing uncompetitive, sloppy, uninspiring football and that's absolutely gutwrenching for diehard fans like myself. They finally made the choice to give up on the McDaniels experiment. Hopefully they will now make good on their mistake and get an NFL experienced coach to turn things around quickly. The word around Denver is that Hall of Fame QB John Elway is going to be hired as a front office executive to help change the atmosphere in Denver back to the winning ways that he was accustomed to. That's a pretty good start, to bring in a guy who knows how to win and has a personal attatchment to the Broncos. Maybe we can start to bring our franchise back to respectability and make Sundays fun again!

The BCS games are set, and while some of them are exciting matchups, it doesn't make me forget how ridiculous the BCS is. That being said, it's looking like the first team to 45 or 50 wins the championship game between Auburn and Oregon. I'm not all that excited about the matchup or have a team to pull for this one, I'm just hoping for a good football game since we'll never know how either of these teams would do against the other top 10 BCS teams in a playoff atmosphere that we are BADLY missing for college football! It's OK, I will stop myself from another rant about the ridiculous BCS system. I'll save it for later.

Starship 7

Starship 7...that's the name that ESPNs Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden gave to Eagles QB Michael Vick. Not exactly catchy, but does get your attention. That's exactly what Michael Vick did on Monday Night Football this week, got a lot of sportsfans' attention! I think the word I completely abused during the game against the Redskins was "Wow". Seriously, that was one heck of a performance. Vick did something that no QB in the history of the game did, and it was on national TV on one of the biggest stages there is in professional sports. Vick threw for over 300 yards, threw 4 TDs, 0 INTs, rushed for over 50 yards and 2 TDs. He was a one-man wrecking crew as he led the Eagles to blowout the Redskins, on the road, 59-28. I felt like I was watching a real-life version of a Madden Football game on my TV. This stuff only happens in video games. It was something extraordinary to witness, and you know that's the case when the NFL Hall of Fame wants a part of that history. This week, the Hall of Fame has requested the game jersey worn by Vick during this performance to showcase. That's pretty special all by itself. Vick's road back to the NFL was a very difficult one, and he's making it count. I read somewhere today that some members of the Giants' defense respects Vick, but is not all that intimidated or scared to take on Vick this coming Sunday at Philadelphia...well, they really should be! I think some of the Redskins' defense is still having nightmares.

This sunday is the NFL game of the season, Colts visit the Patriots. This is the #1 game on my preseason list of Must-see NFL games for the 2010 season, and it is every year. The two best QBs in the league Manning and Brady will add another chapter to their rivalry and it will be a ton of fun. The Colts aren't what they used to be this season with a number of injuries and Manning putting up non-Manning numbers, while Brady's Patriots are coming off their biggest win of the season at Pittsburgh as Brady played like his old Super Bowl MVP version. It's always a great game when these two get together and this sunday should be no different. Last season's game went down to the wire, and I'm guessing this one will too. Who knows, this could even be an AFC Championship preview. Let's buckle up and enjoy.

Midseason

It's been another fun season of football so far, really a bit surprising, and is going WAY too fast! It feels so wide open this year for both college and NFL football for who could come out on top. It seems like there isn't a clear favorite in college football right now, although both Auburn and Oregon have very scary offenses. Still, I get the feeling we may end up getting at least one team that has 1 loss in the national championship game. For what it's worth I really hope we don't get Auburn vs Oregon in the title game, because to me that's just not an exciting matchup. There would probably be a lot of points, but the matchup isn't great.

Looking at the NFL at the midway point, it's even more wide open as to who is the best team in the league. In the NFC, the Giants are the hot team right NOW but I can't count out the defending champion Saints. I'm still pulling hard for the Vikings to get out of their funk, but it doesn't look good so far at 3-5. However, I will NEVER count out a Brett Favre-led team. The AFC seems to have the usual suspects in contention with the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts all leading their divisions, but no one is the clear favorite at this point. All that being said, it's GREAT for football, the unpredictability being even higher than usual.

Going back to Favre for a moment (because I can), I am convinced that it will take a SWAT team to get that guy off a football field. This guy is amazing. This season alone he's fought through elbow bursitis, TWO fractures in his already surgically-repaired ankle, and TEN stitches in his chin to keep showing up every Sunday for the Vikings. Favre is an absolute warrior, and the day a SWAT team finally does keep him from playing football, it will be a VERY sad day in the NFL. One of the "geniuses" at NFL Network decided to ask Favre if he will be back for another season in 2011. REALLY?? Even if he were going to consider this, it's about as bonehead a question as you can ask this guy. Every sports reporter in the world needs to realize you don't ask this til PRESEASON comes around. You've gotta be out of things to say if you are asking Favre what he's going to do NEXT season when we are only halfway thru this one! Wow. For what it's worth, I do believe this will be the last season for the ultimate Iron Man. His body is finally telling him he's had enough. It's a real shame, he will be missed. Hopefully the Vikings make one last run for #4.

The NBA season is underway and the Heat have turned out to be overhyped. They are playing pretty well vs teams they SHOULD beat, but are already 0-2 vs at least one team that will be in their way of a championship, the Celtics. The Celtics in two games have looked and played like the much better team. Meanwhile the defending champion Lakers are off to a fast 8-1 start. So far, Lakers and Celtics are still the teams to beat.

A Team Game

At this point it's hard to find any other players on the Patriots roster other than Tom Brady who remain from their three super bowl teams. Monday night, I was reminded of how they won their super bowls...as a complete team. I had a big flashback to when the Patriots requested to be introduced as a team in Super Bowl XXXVI vs the Rams when they were big underdogs. Monday night vs the Dolphins, that's exactly how the Pats won, as a TEAM. Tom Brady really didn't do much at all and didn't need to. He had 153 yards passing and 1 TD pass. Meanwhile, their special teams were a beast. One kickoff return for a TD to start the second half, a blocked punt which resulted in another Pats TD, a blocked FG returned for a TD, and an INT-return TD for the defense. It was really impressive as the Pats rolled over their rival Dolphins 41-14. The Patriots may not be the most impressive team in the league anymore, but they still know what it takes to win as a team in the ultimate team sport.

I did get a chance to see a little bit of the new Miami Heat's first preseason game. Basically the excitement was over before it began as Dwyane Wade was hurt in the first 4 minutes of the game, so really we still have no idea of how this will work yet. Those first few minutes were sloppy at times, and I think it will take awhile before they really play well together. LeBron James looked pretty good in his debut with 18 points and a nice dunk. For now it's too early to say what they have in Miami though.

It looks like Brett Favre will have a little bit of help coming his way in Minnesota with the pickup of Randy Moss on Wednesday. I am cautiously optimistic about this though. It really depends on how fast Favre and Moss can click on the field, but even more it depends on what Randy Moss the Vikings get. Monday night, he clearly had no interest in his last game as a Patriot. Too many times I saw him barely jogging during a play. If he can play at the high level he's capable of on a regular basis, the Vikings might have something. I hope he has the right attitude going to Minnesota because Favre and the Vikings deserve nothing less. Monday night's Vikings vs Jets matchup will tell us a lot about what the Vikings have. They gotta get it right pretty fast because the Vikings October schedule leaves no room for a bad day. Good luck to the Vikings.

Some Saturday Football

I got to watch my Huskers play their first road test of the season at Washington and I was impressed! The Huskers reminded some of us diehard fans of the glory days today with a rout of the Huskies 56-21. Even better to see was the crazy sea of RED at Husky Stadium at Seattle...WOW. That was a reminder of how GREAT Big Red nation is! That's amazing to almost make that a neutral field. The Huskers showed their appreciation by dominating the Huskies and making a statement that the Huskers have some offense to go with their great D now. FUN TO WATCH.

Apparently Reggie Bush made the decision to turn in his Heisman trophy from his amazing 2005 season, with the reasoning being that it seemed like the right thing to do. I'll just say, all the controversy aside of him accepting whatever inappropriate gifts at the time, there's no doubt in anyone's mind who was the most talented player in college football that season. Reggie Bush is one of the most talented college football players I've ever seen. He absolutely deserved the Heisman, because he was the best player on the field during the season and that's what the Heisman is. Still, it was good to see him trying to do what he felt was the classy thing.

It's almost time for one of my Must-See football games of the season. This Sunday night, it's Manning Bowl II with Peyton Manning's Colts taking on Eli's Giants. The first meeting was great and I expect more of the same from this one. Good choice for a sunday night game!

Football season

It's the most wonderful TIIIIIIIIME of the year...

YES!!!! Football season is back. As Al Michaels put it tonight before the NFL opener, it's the best reality TV there is!! NICE. The only reality TV I'll watch for that matter. Only problem with the game tonight is that it darn near put me to sleep, just like all other reality TV! Wow. It's like nothing really happened in this HUGELY anticipated NFC Championship rematch. I mean, that IS what that was supposed to be, right? Yikes. It's like neither team REALLY wanted to win it, the Saints just happened to score enough to win 14-9. The Vikings did absolutely nothing after the first half, except giving us a clinic on punting. What a shame. I mean, that's what you come up with when you get a second shot at the team that crushed your dream of a super bowl back in January? A disappointing game to say the least. The Vikings need to wake up quickly and remember that the games count now, preseason is over.

Meanwhile, the college football season got rolling last weekend and it was pretty fun. Boise State proved again that they can play with the big schools as they came from behind to beat Virginia Tech monday night. I still have the feeling that the Broncos will again be left out of the championship game if teams like Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, or Florida go undefeated. There's such a big weekend for college football coming up this weekend with exciting matchups like Oklahoma vs Florida St. and Ohio State vs Miami and Penn State vs Alabama...lots of good stuff and a time where I'll have to make tough choices on what to watch. Sometimes it hurts when you don't have DVR or Tivo. Still, it's a FUN problem to have! :)

Favre is back

Favre made it official today that he's back for another shot at the super bowl. All I can say is YES!! It just feels like all is right in the NFL again for another year. When it comes to watching NFL football, it doesn't get any more fun that watching Favre on Sunday. No one has more fun and makes it more fun for his fans than Brett Favre. I can't wait to see what he does this season. He also hinted that this 20th season is likely going to be his last, and that no matter what he will feel like he's going out on top. I guess we'll see if he can stick to that, but it feels a little more likely this time that this will be it. I hope he goes out in style with a super bowl win. It couldn't happen to a better guy. Let's go Vikings...this one's for Brett!

Rivalries

The Yankees and Red Sox are doing battle again this weekend at Yankee Stadium, arguably the best rivalry in baseball and one of the best rivalries in sports. That got me to thinking about other great rivalries in sports. The Red Sox and Yankees are pretty good, but not my favorite. There are other pretty fun rivalries out there that are entertaining just about every game. Duke vs North Carolina in college hoops comes to mind. Being a big Duke fan, this is one that I pay pretty close attention to. That's fun for any sportsfan to watch and they always seem to play a little harder in those games. Rankings are always out the door when those two play. There's Michigan v Ohio State in college football, also has a great atmosphere every season even when one team is clearly superior at the time. That's just one example though of a LOT of great college football rivalries. I gotta say though, right now, there's one particular rivalry that I will ALWAYS make sure I see every season. This rivalry tops all current rivalries in sports in my opinion...Colts vs Patriots in the NFL. Manning vs Brady. That is just AWESOME stuff every single time they play. That is the one game I MUST SEE every time they play. These are the two best QBs in the game playing at the highest level in the best sport in the world. Seriously, that is absolutely FUN every time it happens. I can't wait to see what they do this year.

Another note on college football, the preseason college football USA Today poll is out. Defending national champion Alabama is at the top and should be. They are bringing back most of the same team from last season so they will be the team to beat this year. I was a little surprised to see my Huskers at #9. To me, that's a little too high going into the season before they have proven themselves. I think somewhere between 15-20 would have been a bit more realistic. That would give them a chance to fly under the radar for the first month. I think it's going to be tough to win at Washington in game 3 and I barely want to think about what Texas might do in October. That being said, let's hope they pick up where they left off in the Holiday Bowl and somehow can fill the big void left by Suh going to the NFL.

The Favre story

Well, even though I feel like I should know better by now...I can't help but say something about today's speculation that Favre will retire. The bottomline here for me is that I will NOT believe this until he is (1) sitting at a press conference with his family and teammates and officially announces his retirement, (2) NOT on the field for the NFL season opener vs the Saints, and (3) NOT on the field in game 4 of the regular season after the Vikings start 2-2 or 1-3, which could very well happen without Favre. The Saints will win by 20 opening night if Favre is not the Vikings QB. It's just WAY too early for me to actual believe that Favre is done. I can't see a guy THAT competitive and smart to walk away from $13 million to lead a super bowl-ready football team that he had an MVP-caliber season with last year, not to mention a rematch with the Saints on opening night. I think we need to stay tuned...

Football is coming!

And it's about TIME! Another long offseason is just about over as NFL training camps are beginning and we're just 10 short days from some preseason football! The Hall of Fame game is a week from Sunday with the Bengals and Cowboys. That will actually be a solid way to get the preseason going. Two playoff teams from last season, and the Bengals have added T.O. to their roster to either make things better offensively or completely ruin the concept of team again. Only time will tell, but I think Owens has actually toned the drama down in the last couple years and possibly will be productive with the Bengals. He still is a very talented receiver. The big question will be can Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco co-exist? If they can, it will be quite a headache for defenses. It will be fun to find out.

Meanwhile, Brett Favre has been throwing the ball around with high schoolers again as he tries to get that arm in game shape. He continues to say the ankle isn't where he'd like it to be...but this is all just part of the same routine, different season. He wants to make it seem like he's still thinking it over, but he's done that. He made it clear to me where his head was at when he got the ankle fixed. We can get ready for another Vikings season led by Favre. I know I am!! That Vikings vs Saints NFL regular season opener will be a beauty.

The Heat Is On

LeBron James finally made his choice after a lot of buildup (and a senseless one hour special on ESPN) to move on to Miami and join Dwyane Wade. While Cavs fans are feeling betrayed and the Cavs owner is calling James "cowardly", LeBron felt like he had a better chance to win a few titles with the Heat- playing with another NBA All Star- than continuing to hope for different results in Cleveland. I can't fault his thinking, it's gonna be fun watching LeBron and Wade play together for the next 5 years. Looks like I have a really good chance of getting my wish of seeing Wade and Kobe do battle for the NBA title in the near future, it's even more exciting when you throw LeBron in the mix. I gotta give him credit, he didn't go for the biggest money he could find. He went for the best chance to win championships. While it seems at times he has an ego problem, his head seems to be in the right place here. Watch out Lakers, the Heat just got turned way up!

Turning my attention to college football, my Huskers have decided to join the Big 10 conference. While it will take awhile to get used to, it will make for some very interesting matchups during football season. The Huskers will be taking on teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn St, and Wisconsin on a regular basis. Normally, those mean great bowl matchups to me so it will make for some good football games, but the purist in me thinks it will be sad to see some of the Huskers' rivalry games go. No more Thanksgiving weekends matchups with Colorado anymore, or a long running matchup with Kansas, or a very bitter rivalry with the Sooners and Longhorns. I'm looking forward to that Big 12 Championship rematch with the Horns in Lincoln this season. Maybe we can get the last laugh...we'll see how the Huskers handle the Big 10 beginning in 2011, but it feels like things just got tougher on the Huskers for winning a national title.

Strasburg mania

There was plenty of buzz going into the MLB pitching debut of Nationals' Stephen Strasburg tonight and it turned out to be well deserved. I was sucked into it like any other sports fan that had heard about and seen highlights of this kid. You know it's a big deal in sports when Bob Costas, one of the best play-by-play guys of all time, is calling the game on MLB Network. To quote Bob, "the performace exceeded the hype". Well said. I'm pretty sure I said "wow" outloud 4 or 5 times during the game. Strasburg went 7 innings with 14 strikeouts, while making the Pirates' hitters just look silly. With a great atmosphere at this ballpark that had a sellout crowd, the Nationals did win it 5-2. I can't help but think Strasburg is the real deal and there will be many more wins to come. It was a good first impression anyway.

Also tonight, the Lakers just outplayed the Celtics at Boston in game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a 2-1 series lead. They pretty much beat the Celtics at their own game with pesky defense and just efficient enough on offense. It also helped a bunch that Ray Allen was non-existent after torching the Lakers in game 2. Kobe was his usual self with 29 points, but it was Derek Fisher who was the x-factor of game 3. He came up with all the big shots in the 4th quarter and the Lakers have reclaimed homecourt advantage. This Lakers team continues to get big wins on the road in the playoffs. So far my prediction is in tact with Lakers winning in 6 or 7 games.

Big Apple Bowl

The NFL announced a few days ago that Super Bowl 48 will be at the Meadowlands, home of the Giants and Jets. So we will have a super bowl with a realistic possibility of a bunch of snow on the field and temps in the teens or worse. I don't like anything about this choice. Some people like the idea of "the elements" playing a part in football, which is fine during the regular season and even the first few rounds of the playoffs, but this is not what I want for the super bowl. The Super Bowl should be decided completely by the two teams in the game and who outplays the other. I really don't like the idea of one team having an advantage over the other going into the game because of favorable weather conditions. Hopefully this is a one-time experiment.

I'm trying my best not to talk about Favre before training camp starts, because there's no reason to. However, he did just get his injured ankle fixed, which is a clear sign to me that he is coming back for another year. Sounds good, I can't wait to see how he follows up last season. He is so good for the NFL. You may not like all the drama these last few offseasons, but he will be missed when he's done.

It's Lakers/Celtics in the NBA Finals...that will be a fun series. Lakers have the homecourt this time around, so I like the Lakers in 6 or 7. Then we can get ready for the crazy 2010 free agency show, coming July 1st.

NFL 2010

The NFL regular season schedule was finally released and I've already got my eye on some of the best games to look out for, also known as MUST-SEE TV for the diehard NFL fan. 1. The NFL opener is a rematch of the NFC Championship game. Vikings will visit the defending champion Saints. Now...IF Favre does comeback, this will be a beauty to open the season. 2. Giants at Colts week 2 on Sunday night; Manning Bowl II, should be good stuff. The first one was a really good game. 3. Vikings at Patriots week 8; Again, this weighs heavily on a Favre return because a Favre vs Brady football game can not be passed up! 4. Steelers at Saints week 8 on Sunday night; the last two super bowl champs duke it out in New Orleans. It will be fun to see how Brees does against arguably the best D in the league. 5. Colts at Patriots week 12; I saved the best for last. Simply put, the BEST matchup in the NFL and to me it's the best rivalry in sports right now. Manning vs Brady is always MUST-SEE NFL. Can't wait.

The NFL draft just wrapped up too...how about Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh going to the Lions at #2? Great to see my Huskers get some love in the draft and now the Lions will be worth watching again! LOL Seriously, I'm looking forward to Suh chasing down Tom Brady for three hours on Thanksgiving while I'm hammering down turkey! Also, my Broncos took a huge gamble and drafted Tim Tebow. Only time will tell how that works out. I love Tebow's clear passion for the game, but I have my doubts as to whether he can be an effective NFL QB or not. I'm still waiting to see if Brady Quinn will be the answer at QB for the Broncos. The preseason will be very interesting in Denver.

some spring hoopla

Congrats to the Duke Blue Devils for winning the national title again, making it their 4th in school history. I think this year's Duke team really overachieved. Of the 4 #1 seeds in the tourney, I had them falling first in my bracket. I didn't see them making it out of the second round. Then again, most brackets were totally destroyed this year. We had about as much madness as there has been in recent years. It was fun.

In the NFL, a couple big names are on the move. Donovan McNabb will be leading the Redskins next season and most likely to end his career. The Redskins are now much improved with a pro bowl caliber QB leading Shanahan's offense. That combination should make the Skins playoff contenders again. Meanwhile, my Broncos again shocked everyone and let another big talent get away as they traded Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins. I only hope my gut feeling on this is wrong and they won't regret it for a long time.

As the NBA playoffs get closer, I had this thought about the Charlotte Bobcats. Now that Mr. Jordan is the majority owner, it's pretty good timing for him to be able to try to lure either Wade or LeBron in free agency this summer to his team and try to build a championship team quickly. It would be very interesting to see if either one of them wants to be the guy who turned down the offer to play for Michael Jordan. I wouldn't want to be that guy. That said, I don't think either Wade or Lebron will go anywhere. I think both stay put.

NFL splash/hoops

It looks like a couple big NFL stories were almost un-noticed on sunday thanks to all the excitement of the NCAA tourney unfolding. LT signed a two year deal with the New York Jets. While it's going to take awhile to get used to seeing him not in a Chargers jersey, this is a big upgrade for the Jets. They were a threat last season in the AFC without him. They were a good team with some talent that played well into the playoffs. Now, they are a very good team with one really special player that can make them a legit contender. Watch out Pats and Colts for those Jets. LT makes that #1 running attack in the NFL even scarier, and we already know how good the defense will be. Jets will be a tough out next postseason.

Also, I discovered that my blog (while not flashy) may have magic powers! One of my posts from last spring has come true. My Denver Broncos just traded to get QB Brady Quinn from the Browns on Sunday. Wow, that's going to be very interesting to see if he wins the starting job in preseason. With McDaniels' coaching skills, just maybe he can become the Broncos next franchise QB. Like I said, MAYBE. I'm going to be optimistic on this one.

With the NCAA tourney getting underway this week, I'm forced to go back on my original impression of Syracuse being my gut pick to win it all. After watching Championship week, I've got this really strong feeling that this is going to be Kansas' year....AGAIN. They just have that pesky look to them that makes me believe they won't be beat. They have the talent and so much depth, it's hard to see them losing. I've got Kentucky vs Kansas in the title game, would be FUN to watch.

March is here...

I just watched Lakers vs Heat tonight on TNT. I'll tell you what...most of the NBA world would love to see Lakers vs Cavs in the NBA Finals so we can see Kobe vs LeBron, BUT I would absolutely love to see Heat vs Lakers in the Finals too. This is such an entertaining game just about every time they play. Tonight, Kobe and D-Wade went shot for shot in a great OT battle as the Heat pulled it out. Back in December, Kobe dropped a buzzer beater 3 to win their first matchup. I would really enjoy watching these guys play out a 7 game series for all the marbles. That would be must-see NBA TV.

Speaking of hoops, March Madness is just around the corner and this should be one of the best tourneys yet. The field is so wide open! There are probably 3 teams that could beat anyone, Kansas, Kentucky, and Syracuse, but no one has shown that they should be the favorite. I will go out on a limb and say Syracuse will win it all this year. Bring on the madness.

NFL free agency is here...it will be fun to see where some of these big names land. Both Ladainian Tomlinson and Terrell Owens are on the market. I think both can still play at a high level and make big contributions. Someone will take a chance on them.

Brett Favre was on The Tonight Show and Leno of course had to ask him about next season. Um, has Jay been paying ANY attention to the NFL the last two years? Come on, we all know the rules by now. DON'T ASK BEFORE AUGUST. That said, one more year Brett...PLEASE!!

Super Bowl XLIV

What a great story the New Orleans Saints have become. Congrats to the Saints on their win over the Colts in the super bowl and completing such an inspiring season. They absolutely earned it behind a great MVP performance from their leader Drew Brees. This was a good super bowl, wasn't quite great because it was decided with 3 minutes left to go instead of having the dramatic last second finish it was so close to. I have to say I was hoping for the first ever overtime super bowl. It seemed like it was destined to happen before Manning threw the worst INT of his career. That one will hurt for a long time, no doubt. If Manning had brought his A game instead of B+, this game is a little different. That INT was the difference between one of the all time great super bowls and just another good one. If Manning would have evened things up, this game would have been an instant beauty. Still, decent stuff for a super bowl. Who knows...we may very well have a rematch in super bowl XLV. Both these teams are gonna be very good again next season.

Speaking of the MVP Drew Brees...somewhere tonight the San Diego Chargers are absolutely kicking themselves for letting him get away. Rivers is really good, but Brees is a super bowl champion and MVP!

Warner says goodbye

Kurt Warner has decided he's thrown his last pass in the NFL, retiring friday. The frontman of the "greatest show on turf" was a lot of fun to watch and no doubt the Cardinals will miss him a lot. He took that franchise from a doormat team to within a couple minutes of super bowl champion. I think it's almost crazy how it's even a question as to whether he's a hall of famer or not. To me, it's an easy YES. 12 years in the league, NFL MVP, super bowl champion, super bowl MVP, 3 super bowl appearances. He has the three highest passing totals in super bowl history, and let's not forget he took TWO teams to the super bowl with the Rams and Cardinals. The guy was a gunslinger and a winner and very classy off the field. See you in Canton, Kurt.

As one Hall of Fame QB walks away, we await the NFL future of another. The official Favre Watch 2010 has begun. No doubt he took a beating in the NFC Championship game vs the Saints, a game which the Vikings SHOULD have won. I think it would be really hard for Favre to walk away though after having one of the best seasons of his career. If he's got one more year in him, the Vikings will be a contender again next season.

Super Bowl 44 is in 8 days...my official prediction is Colts over the Saints in a shootout 38-34. Manning will light it up again with 3 TDs and get Super Bowl MVP.

January football

Congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide for their national championship win over Texas. I think this one will always have a very BIG asterisk by it since Texas QB Colt McCoy was knocked out after 5 plays. I really think this game may have had a different result with their leader in there after the start they got off to and the way that Texas defense played. For what it's worth, Texas appears to be in good hands with their freshman QB Gilbert.

The "second season" begins in the NFL saturday with wild card weekend. I'm really not that excited about these matchups, but hopefully there will be some good games. The big thing to watch for in the playoffs will be how the long layoff for the Colts and Saints will effect them after finishing the season on losing streaks. Neither team has had a meaningful game in a month. BTW, SHAME on the Colts for pulling the starters vs the Jets. That was a big slap in the face to NFL fans and all of the NFL teams who would LOVE to have a shot at a perfect season. I will also say...watch out Colts for this red-hot Chargers team! I can see a Chargers win in that one.