Running Out Of Football

Well...another season of football, the greatest game on the planet, is rapidly getting away.  I guess it's time I said a few things about it while I can.  I thought I would start off by wishing Ray Lewis the best in retirement.  I think he surprised a few people by saying he's done after this season because you can't tell that he's running out of gas at all.  He still plays with the same intensity and fire that he brought into the league.  I respect him a ton, I only wish that more guys would play with his heart and passion EVERY game and never make the game about anything other than the pure joy of playing football.  When I think of defense, and great linebackers, and playing with passion...I always think of Ray Lewis.  He has been the Baltimore Ravens for the last 15+ years and they will truly miss him. 

The college football bowl season has been somewhat disappointing for me, nothing really stands out as great football yet.  There were a few good ones on New Year's Day, but I think the one I'm looking forward to the most is the Fiesta Bowl.  Oregon and K-State should make for some very entertaining football.  For awhile it looked like they were on a crash course for the BCS title game, but they couldn't quite get there after they each stumbled in November.  Hey, it's hard to be perfect.  Just ask Notre Dame.  I think there were 4 or 5 games this year where they probably should have lost, but they still found a way to win and get to the national championship.  So we have two 11-1 teams in Oregon and Kansas State and it should be a good ol' shootout.  I have heard this interesting concept a number of times about these BCS games that aren't the BCS title game, which is questioning how "interested" the Ducks or Wildcats will be in the game because it's not the national championship.  So, just because they aren't playing for the national title, they are going to somehow not care anymore if they win or lose?  That's ridiculous.  As Herm Edwards once said, "You play to win the game! HELLO?. You PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!".  Just because these college kids aren't playing for a championship doesn't take away the great experience of playing in a major bowl game on national TV for their families and the world to see in a very exciting venue.  If they actually weren't intersted in being there, then give up your invitation to the game to another FBS school that would LOVE to take your place.  It's a long list of schools.  The bottom line is that it's a priveledge to be there, enjoy the life experience, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy....playing football.

The NFL playoffs are upon us too.  The experts in Vegas have my Denver Broncos as the favorite to win the super bowl right now.  Needless to say, that sounds good to me.  They have been playing some really good football and deserve to be favored and it's going to be really tough for a team to go into Denver and ruin their super bowl plans.  Peyton Manning has them looking like a championship caliber team, and I'm hoping that they make it to the finish line.  I think Brady and the Pats will be a huge hurdle on the way. Manning also has many people looking at him as the NFL MVP for this season, and that's hard to argue unless you're Adrian Peterson.  Those are the two favorites to win the MVP and both guys have a great argument for the honor.  Obivously, I would lean toward Manning because of the Broncos 11 game winning streak to end the season, the AFC west champions, and the best record in the NFL, and all this coming off of 4 neck surgeries that kept him out of the 2011 season.  Meanwhile, Peterson became the next 2,000 yard rusher in the NFL while leading the Vikings to the playoffs which is also very impressive after coming off a torn ACL at the end of last season.  I think Manning should get the MVP simply because of the slightly more impressive overall season, both individually and as a memeber of the more successful team.  Then I think you look at Adrian Peterson as the comeback player of the year, playing at such a high level after recovering from an injury that can very easily end the career of many running backs.  These are two very talented football players playing at a tremendous level in the most intense sport there is, they have both earned recognition for their greatness.