Super Bowl Rants and Raves
RANT
To address the San Diego Chargers comment I made in the "live blogcast" Super Bowl article. How does A.J. Smith have a job? He didn't draft Drew Brees and therefore felt it necessary to prove his worth as a GM by drafting another QB the year following his hiring, and three years after the franchise made a significant investment in the 33rd pick of 2001 draft. Smith additionally fired Marty Schottenheimer who went 14-2 but lost at home in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Subsequently he hired Norv Turner who three years later went 13-3 and lost at home in the second round of the playoffs. Hindsight being 20/20 we now can see that Mr. Smith's 2004 pick of Eli Manning (who magically exploded into Philip Rivers via trade and by digesting the entire backstage draft sandwich cart) means he missed on taking the deep threat his club needed to stretch the field for it's franchise back LaDanian Tomlinson and potential franchise QB Drew Brees. (Imagine those two guys with Larry Fitzgerald) And while the Manning trade was executed perfectly by Smith, considering he used the picks acquired in the trade to draft Nate Kaeding and Shawn Merriman. The question remains, was it necessary to double up on quarterbacks considering the talent left in the draft could help him build around Brees? Drew Brees was eventually released to free agency before Schottenhiemer's tragic 14-2 season, and yet has since managed to secure a Super Bowl ring. Meanwhile A.J. Smith has squandered the best years of the elite running back of the 2000's, LDT.
RAVE
Bill Belichick's Patriots and Tom Coughlin's Giants may have fallen on hard times, but the Bill Parcells coaching tree is alive and well. Sean Payton out-coached his two-headed opponent, the Jim Caldwell/Peyton Manning hybrid, to the tune of a 31-17 victory in the Super Bowl. The onside kick to open the second half was the knockout in the momentum boxing match. After wearing the Colts down in the early middle rounds with two 6 minute plus extended drives, Payton rope-a-doped with what could have been a career defining 4th and goal failure. Then in the ensuing 3 downs he hacked into the A.I. of Mr. Caldwell's Intel processor. The equation: 3 consecutive Colts runs in order to head into halftime with the lead and a slight gain in momentum due to a 4th down stop + 2 Saints' timeouts and stellar defense = New Orleans gets the ball back with plenty of time and excellent field position. Garrett Hartley, he of the 4-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, knocks home a 44-yarder. Maybe a lucky series of events but nonetheless a successful gut punch by Payton, Caldwell is set up for the knockout. Perhaps the greatest victory by man over computer since Kasperov defeated Deep Blue.
RANT
Speaking of knocking home a 44 yarder, Hartley also hit from 47, and 46 and yet no one in the CBS booth even hinted at the four game PED suspension Hartley served this season. How is it that the NFLPA has become Teflon to steriods? Matt Stover may be geriatric proportional to the NFL population, but couldn't he have put home that 51 yarder with a little help from the ol' needle fairy? Is the NFL standing behind the curtain threatening castration if it's indiscretions are made public by the networks it practically keeps in business? How long can the NFL Players Association stay immune to criticism while some of it's top entertainers; Shawn Merriman, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Garret Hartley etc, are known cheaters?
RAVE
It's too bad for Joseph Addai that the Colts couldn't pull off the overdog victory, because he should have been MVP. To borrow from John Madden, "here's a guy" who's had to split time his entire career, has had his future as a starter in the NFL written off by the sporting press despite the fact that he's only 26, had his team already draft his replacement despite the fact that he's only 26, and his value is clearly dropping heading into his final year under contract despite the fact that he's only 26. Naturally he was a 26 year-old man looking to prove his worth to his team and the national media. With 77 yards on only 13 carries, a touchdown, and 7 receptions for 58 yards he undoubtedly was the best offensive performer for Indy. It was his coaches' (Caldwell and Manning) decision to stop the running which had thrashed the Saints for 5.2 yards per carry. And it's more than possible that's why Addai is without a Super Bowl MVP trophy and his 2nd Super Bowl ring.
RANT
We can send a man to the moon but we still can't figure out why CBS is "America's Most Watched Network"? A network that lines its pockets and prime time schedules with multiple versions of multiple crime shows? A network who's top comedy features Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer in a non "Hot Shots" related plot? A network who promotes the head slap with a commercial instead of a PSA? (Because if you come home and your family is watching CBS you had better slap the shit out of them) A network that could at any moment (probably 2012 though) end the world by having a CSI-NCIS crossover episode where the cast of all five shows come together. At what time of day is it the most watched network in America? Around 7 PM on Super Bowl Sunday? No argument with that claim. Yet if CBS is truly the dominant television network it certainly seems to be a testament to the vacating of culture in America... until of course the question is asked, "what other networks offer a more substantial quality?"
RAVE
Jim Nantz. "How about Purple?" "How about not." Enough said.
RANT
While I share nothing but excitement for the people of New Orleans, I am a little saddened that Tom Benson gets to wear a Super Bowl ring. Five years ago the Saints' owner was on a mission to jump ship and either return football to Los Angeles or take a sweetheart deal with San Antonio. Only because of the devastation laid upon New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina did his fiendish plot become impossible due to the certain social repercussions of relocating. In football discussions many words are spent trashing coaches who leave jobs early, but shouldn't crooked owners be dug a deeper grave? It's one thing to leave a school or franchise because of a better opportunity, you merely damage relations with a few players or fans on the way out. But to move a franchise guts an entire city emotionally. Did the football gods allow the Saints to win because Benson stayed in their original hometown while the Colts owners did not? We'll never know.
RAVE
Does Drew Brees now qualify as an elite quarterback outside of his generation? Winning a Super Bowl puts NFL quarterbacks in a different category historically. Now Drew Brees is not only a pro bowl QB with impressive passing numbers, he's a borderline Hall of Famer. Depending on how the next 3-5 season shake out for him, this championship could take his label from "great passing QB" to "legendary field general". Overall he's 68-54 as a regular season starter and 4-2 in the playoffs. He has 30,646 passing yards and 202 touchdowns. Both of those numbers put him ahead of Hall of Famers Bob Griese, Joe Namath, Bart Starr and Roger Staubach. Of course those guys are from an era where receivers were not allowed to roam free and untouched. In another year Brees will climb past Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Warner and Troy Aikman on those lists. But until his career and those of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, and Ben Roethlisberger are complete, we probably won't know where he stands among the best of his own time or all-time.
RANT
Thanks to The Who for selling your soul to the American television establishment by playing every CSI opening theme during your Super Bowl Halftime show performance, which coincidentally was aired on CBS. At least NCIS doesn't use any of your songs otherwise the world might have stopped sinning on it's axis. CBS is, of course, an acronym for The CSI Broadcasting System.
RAVE
Some random statements. Feel free to put these together as needed: over 40 year title drought, Super Bowl celebration party, Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, same week, ticker tape or bar napkins?
To address the San Diego Chargers comment I made in the "live blogcast" Super Bowl article. How does A.J. Smith have a job? He didn't draft Drew Brees and therefore felt it necessary to prove his worth as a GM by drafting another QB the year following his hiring, and three years after the franchise made a significant investment in the 33rd pick of 2001 draft. Smith additionally fired Marty Schottenheimer who went 14-2 but lost at home in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Subsequently he hired Norv Turner who three years later went 13-3 and lost at home in the second round of the playoffs. Hindsight being 20/20 we now can see that Mr. Smith's 2004 pick of Eli Manning (who magically exploded into Philip Rivers via trade and by digesting the entire backstage draft sandwich cart) means he missed on taking the deep threat his club needed to stretch the field for it's franchise back LaDanian Tomlinson and potential franchise QB Drew Brees. (Imagine those two guys with Larry Fitzgerald) And while the Manning trade was executed perfectly by Smith, considering he used the picks acquired in the trade to draft Nate Kaeding and Shawn Merriman. The question remains, was it necessary to double up on quarterbacks considering the talent left in the draft could help him build around Brees? Drew Brees was eventually released to free agency before Schottenhiemer's tragic 14-2 season, and yet has since managed to secure a Super Bowl ring. Meanwhile A.J. Smith has squandered the best years of the elite running back of the 2000's, LDT.
RAVE
Bill Belichick's Patriots and Tom Coughlin's Giants may have fallen on hard times, but the Bill Parcells coaching tree is alive and well. Sean Payton out-coached his two-headed opponent, the Jim Caldwell/Peyton Manning hybrid, to the tune of a 31-17 victory in the Super Bowl. The onside kick to open the second half was the knockout in the momentum boxing match. After wearing the Colts down in the early middle rounds with two 6 minute plus extended drives, Payton rope-a-doped with what could have been a career defining 4th and goal failure. Then in the ensuing 3 downs he hacked into the A.I. of Mr. Caldwell's Intel processor. The equation: 3 consecutive Colts runs in order to head into halftime with the lead and a slight gain in momentum due to a 4th down stop + 2 Saints' timeouts and stellar defense = New Orleans gets the ball back with plenty of time and excellent field position. Garrett Hartley, he of the 4-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, knocks home a 44-yarder. Maybe a lucky series of events but nonetheless a successful gut punch by Payton, Caldwell is set up for the knockout. Perhaps the greatest victory by man over computer since Kasperov defeated Deep Blue.
RANT
Speaking of knocking home a 44 yarder, Hartley also hit from 47, and 46 and yet no one in the CBS booth even hinted at the four game PED suspension Hartley served this season. How is it that the NFLPA has become Teflon to steriods? Matt Stover may be geriatric proportional to the NFL population, but couldn't he have put home that 51 yarder with a little help from the ol' needle fairy? Is the NFL standing behind the curtain threatening castration if it's indiscretions are made public by the networks it practically keeps in business? How long can the NFL Players Association stay immune to criticism while some of it's top entertainers; Shawn Merriman, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Garret Hartley etc, are known cheaters?
RAVE
It's too bad for Joseph Addai that the Colts couldn't pull off the overdog victory, because he should have been MVP. To borrow from John Madden, "here's a guy" who's had to split time his entire career, has had his future as a starter in the NFL written off by the sporting press despite the fact that he's only 26, had his team already draft his replacement despite the fact that he's only 26, and his value is clearly dropping heading into his final year under contract despite the fact that he's only 26. Naturally he was a 26 year-old man looking to prove his worth to his team and the national media. With 77 yards on only 13 carries, a touchdown, and 7 receptions for 58 yards he undoubtedly was the best offensive performer for Indy. It was his coaches' (Caldwell and Manning) decision to stop the running which had thrashed the Saints for 5.2 yards per carry. And it's more than possible that's why Addai is without a Super Bowl MVP trophy and his 2nd Super Bowl ring.
RANT
We can send a man to the moon but we still can't figure out why CBS is "America's Most Watched Network"? A network that lines its pockets and prime time schedules with multiple versions of multiple crime shows? A network who's top comedy features Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer in a non "Hot Shots" related plot? A network who promotes the head slap with a commercial instead of a PSA? (Because if you come home and your family is watching CBS you had better slap the shit out of them) A network that could at any moment (probably 2012 though) end the world by having a CSI-NCIS crossover episode where the cast of all five shows come together. At what time of day is it the most watched network in America? Around 7 PM on Super Bowl Sunday? No argument with that claim. Yet if CBS is truly the dominant television network it certainly seems to be a testament to the vacating of culture in America... until of course the question is asked, "what other networks offer a more substantial quality?"
RAVE
Jim Nantz. "How about Purple?" "How about not." Enough said.
RANT
While I share nothing but excitement for the people of New Orleans, I am a little saddened that Tom Benson gets to wear a Super Bowl ring. Five years ago the Saints' owner was on a mission to jump ship and either return football to Los Angeles or take a sweetheart deal with San Antonio. Only because of the devastation laid upon New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina did his fiendish plot become impossible due to the certain social repercussions of relocating. In football discussions many words are spent trashing coaches who leave jobs early, but shouldn't crooked owners be dug a deeper grave? It's one thing to leave a school or franchise because of a better opportunity, you merely damage relations with a few players or fans on the way out. But to move a franchise guts an entire city emotionally. Did the football gods allow the Saints to win because Benson stayed in their original hometown while the Colts owners did not? We'll never know.
RAVE
Does Drew Brees now qualify as an elite quarterback outside of his generation? Winning a Super Bowl puts NFL quarterbacks in a different category historically. Now Drew Brees is not only a pro bowl QB with impressive passing numbers, he's a borderline Hall of Famer. Depending on how the next 3-5 season shake out for him, this championship could take his label from "great passing QB" to "legendary field general". Overall he's 68-54 as a regular season starter and 4-2 in the playoffs. He has 30,646 passing yards and 202 touchdowns. Both of those numbers put him ahead of Hall of Famers Bob Griese, Joe Namath, Bart Starr and Roger Staubach. Of course those guys are from an era where receivers were not allowed to roam free and untouched. In another year Brees will climb past Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Warner and Troy Aikman on those lists. But until his career and those of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, and Ben Roethlisberger are complete, we probably won't know where he stands among the best of his own time or all-time.
RANT
Thanks to The Who for selling your soul to the American television establishment by playing every CSI opening theme during your Super Bowl Halftime show performance, which coincidentally was aired on CBS. At least NCIS doesn't use any of your songs otherwise the world might have stopped sinning on it's axis. CBS is, of course, an acronym for The CSI Broadcasting System.
RAVE
Some random statements. Feel free to put these together as needed: over 40 year title drought, Super Bowl celebration party, Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, same week, ticker tape or bar napkins?
Last years superbowl was awesome. Being here ind Indianapolis was a great choice. I love the city of Indianapolis, because of it's fans. They are the best fans by far and the new stadium is really amazing.
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