The Problem With This Year's (Not So) Super Bowl Ending

By now, I'm sure you've read or heard all about how the Super Bowl ended with a controversial call. In case you didn't get to see it I've posted it below.



The biggest problem with the officials seemingly not reviewing a crucial call late in the game(eventhough, they said there was a quick look in the booth) is that it pushes many of the casual observers over to the Cardinal's side of the argument.

There were probably quite a few NFL fans watching who really didn't care which team won the Super Bowl. However, when the Warner "fumble" wasn't reviewed those same fans realized that it could have very well been their team(well, except for you Detroit fans) getting screwed, and they threw their support behind Arizona and the outcry from its fanbase.

I thought it was eerily similar to the Brady "Tuck Rule" play, and that it warranted a look under the hood by the refs. When I saw Pittsburgh snap the ball before any review I was a little bit shocked. Though, after a season that featured quite a few controversial calls I probably shouldn't be surprised that the season ended this way.

This Year's Super Bowl Could Have Been A Lot Worse For All Of Us

Sure, some(ok, a lot) of us have anjoyed poking fun at the Patriots and their fans after they were unable to complete the perfect season, failing to win the biggest game of the season. However, something much more serious was in the works, and thankfully it wasn't carried out.

Apparently, Kurt Havelock was pissed off because the city of Tempe, AZ denied him a liquor license for a Halloween themed bar he was building. Instead of fighting it through proper channels, he thought that shooting up the Super Bowl would be a better idea.

A man accused of planning to shoot people at the Super Bowl was indicted on six counts of sending threatening communications, according to court documents filed Tuesday in federal court.

Kurt William Havelock, 35, turned himself in to authorities Feb. 3 after driving within sight of University of Phoenix Stadium during the Super Bowl with a rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition. He said he changed his mind.

Havelock told authorities he was upset that the city of Tempe denied him a liquor license application for a Halloween-themed bar.

Holy sheeat! Luckily he changed his mind, but just reading the story made me a bit nauseous. I'm not familiar with the intricacies of Super Bowl security, but I bet that he would have gotten a few shots off before anyone could react. It is a good illustration of how easy it could be for someone to target a major sporting event in order to inflict a large amount of pain and suffering. I'm not talking about a group doing it, but rather one or two individuals bent on doing something horrible. It's not enough to keep me from attending sporting events, but it will hopefully be a reminder for me to be more aware of my surroundings. Also, it makes me grateful for the amount of behind the scenes security that does take place.

When Litigation Runs Wild

Ok, I dislike the Patriots as much as a lot of people. Well, maybe it's more like hate. Though, I grew up as a Dolphins fan, so I have to hate them(the same goes for the Jets and Bills). However, I don't think that I hate them enough to support what Willie Gary is proposing.

Oh, you don't know who Willie Gary is?

Well, you're probably in the majority because until the other day I didn't know who he was either and I'm actually a football fan. Willie Gary is a former St. Louis Rams safety who played in Super Bowl XXXVI. You know, the one where the Pats alledgedly taped the Rams final walkthrough and then won 20-17. Gary has joined a class action lawsuit against the Pats, and believes that the Rams players from that Super Bowl team are entitled to $25,000 each due to the difference in compensation between the winning and losing teams and $125,000 each due to not winning a ring. The total would amount to $6.75 million.

Like I said, I hate the Patriots, but this seems sort of "sore loserish" to me. The Rams were heavy favorites to win, but lost on a last second field goal. I'm sure for guys like Gary, who never made it to the superstar level, losing the Super Bowl is something that he'll never forget. However, the tapes in question better show some very damning evidence of the Patriots staff "cheating", or else Gary will also be remembered as the guy who could never get over losing the big game.

Every Team Has Sore Losers

I saw this a few days after the Super Bowl, but watched it and moved along. Then I was reminded of it by a friend, and figured that I would post it up. Basically, it's a New England Pats' fan that claims the refs jobbed his team of a Super Bowl win and a perfect season by mismanaging the clock in the final 2 minutes of the game.

I can see the point that he's trying to make, and if I were in his shoes, rooting for a team that dominated all season only to fail in the biggest game, I would be looking for excuses as well. However, if this were such a huge issue I think that Bill Belichick and his staff would have caught it while it was occuring, and they would have raised hell. Seriously, they got a first down during the game by having the officials review a punt to see if the Giants had 12 men on the field(they did). This clock issue happened at the most crucial point in the game, and I didn't see anyone on the Patriots team, players or staff, calling it to the attention of the officials. Oh well, he can cry into his Sam Adams all he wants, but it won't erase the "1" from the loss column.

Were the Patriots Robbed of a Super Bowl Win? This conspiracy theorist`s video proves that the referees gave the Giants extra time on the clock. He makes a point.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere - Respect Edition

Since it's Friday, and the end of the workweek for most people, we think that you should be provided with a post that takes the edge off so to speak. Because it's going to be random and hopefully humorous, that means that it won't always be sports related. It will also pop up at any time on Friday.

Been busy, oh so busy. Hence the lack of quality posting today. Don't worry, I'll make up for it eventually. After all, bloggers are like Sisyphus in the sense that we keep writing the posts day in and day out. Anyway, this edition of "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" is based around "giving props" to the New York Giants. In case you've been sleeping under a rock instead of pushing it uphill, the Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and ended their perfect season. It was fucking unbelievable, and from now on if you ever see a member of that team out in public please offer to buy them a drink. They deserve it.



Haha Tom, you were right, you didn't score 17 points.



Happy Friday!

Down Go The Patriots!

Forgive me if this post gets a bit incoherent. It's fueled by alcohol and Queens of the Stone Age. Anyway, this was the best Super Bowl I can ever remember.

Seriously, we just saw Eli Manning grow up before our very eyes. Did you see him avoid that sack and bomb it to Tyree? That was a move that elite quarterbacks make in the biggest game of their life. And he did it. That's right, Eli Manning performed like an elite quarterback tonight.

And you know who he can thank for that? Bill Belichick and the Patriots. He played well enough against them in their first meeting in week 17 to have the Giants in position to win. Eventhough they lost that game, his confidence had reached new heights and he displayed a new set of skills throughout the playoffs. Thanks to the Pats, he was able to win three road games enroute to getting to a ring.

That's right, Eli Manning is a Super Bowl champion. Throw your ridicule out the window because he overcame anything you can write or say, and beat the "unstoppable" New England Patriots(I guess Citizen got it right after all.)

And as a Dolphins fan, I congratulate Eli and his teammates the way that I would if Miami had won the Super Bowl. They beat our hated division rivals, and kept the '72 Dolphins' perfect record intact.

Sure, New England might have gone 18-0, but what do they have to show for it? An AFC East title? And AFC Championship? Wow. Undefeated and that's what you're rewarded with? Sorry motherfuckers, but you got rolled in the biggest game of the season and that's what you'll be remembered for.

And you know what?

Even if Mastercard doesn't make a commercial commemorating it, it's still fucking priceless.

Super Bowl Wars: The Evil Empire Strikes Back(Part 2)

When we last left our hero, Eli Manwalker, he was engaged in a difficult battle with the powerful Darth Brady.


Darth Brady: You are beaten. It is useless to resist! Don't let yourself be destroyed like Obi-Wan Coughlin has.

Brady continues his assault against Manwalker. Beating him all over the field. Manwalker is battered, bruised and demoralized, but he refuses to give up.

Manwalker: I'll never give up! I know that I'm capable of defeating you!

Darth Brady: If you only knew the power of the darkside. Obi-Wan never told you what really happened to your father.

Manwalker: He told me enough. He told me that you killed him!

Darth Brady: No, Eli I am your father.

Manwalker can't believe it. His whole world has just been turned upside down.

Manwalker: That's impossible!

Brady: No, it's not. My seed is extremely powerful. Capable of bridging generations and galaxies. Plus, it doesn't help that I don't use a sheath when wielding my wookie.

Manwalker, a bit delirious from the news, decides to play it safe, and fight another day. He escapes the clutches of Darth Brady, but knows that he will soon have to face him again.

Manwalker gets away in the Meadowlands Eagle, but Darth Brady soon gives chase.

Brady: Eli.

Manwalker: Father.

Brady: Son, come with me. Come over to the darkside.

Manwalker: Obi-Wan Coughlin, why didn't you tell me?

Just as it looks like Darth Brady and his team are about to finally destroy Eli Manwalker, the Meadowlands Eagle gets its drive going and Manwalker is able to escape.

Manwalker and his team have been able to battle and escape the clutches of Darth Brady and the Evil Empire. But will they be able to ultimately achieve success? Tune into our next installment of Super Bowl Wars to find out!

Super Bowl Wars: A New York Hope(Cont'd)

When we last left Eli Manwalker he was heading out to chase down one of this new droids, R2G2, that had gone on the hunt for his owner, Obi-Wan Coughlin.
The trio encounter some Fanpeople and an Oaktown Raider, but are rescued by Obi-Wan Coughlin.

Eli: What happened?

Obi-Wan: Just relax. You tried to do too much again, and almost fucked everything up. You know forcing things and whatnot.

Eli: Tom? Tom Coughlin? I am sure glad to see you!



Obi-Wan: What are you doing here son? I can't believe that you've made it this far.

Eli: Well, this droid seems to be looking for his owner, and he thinks that he belongs to you.

Obi-Wan: Well, we better hurry back to my place before we're accosted again.


Obi-Wan Coughlin, Eli Manwalker and the two droids head back to Coughlin's place. It's a dark room with a desk, an archaic film projecter, a blackboard and a whip. Obi-Wan proceeds to tell Eli about his father.

Obi-Wan: He was the best star-qb in the galaxy. I understand that you've become a pretty good qb yourself. Which reminds me that I have something for you. Here, this is for your.

Obi-Wan Coughlin hands Eli Manwalker a leather wrapped device with some laces on it

Eli: What is it?

Obi-Wan: It's your father's pigskinsaber. He was very skilled with it. You use it to take out your opponents.

Eli: How did my father die?

Obi-Wan: He was killed by a young Jedny. One who had been seduced by the darkside of The Force.

R2G2 lets out some beeps which draws Obi-Wan's attention.

Obi-Wan: Alright little fella, let's see if we can figure out what you are.

Eli: Earlier he played this message...

Obi-wan: It appears that I've found it.

R2G2 projects the same image of the '72 Dolphins from before, but this time the message is much longer.

'72 Dolphins: Coach Coughlin, weeks ago you almost ended the reign of the Empire. You were so close, yet fell just short. Now it is up to you again to defeat the Empire, and keep our records intact. Help us Obi-Wan Coughlin you're our only hope.

Obi-Wan: You muct learn the ways of the Force if you're to accompany me to Glendale.

Eli: Glendale?!? I'm not going to Glendale! I've got Double Stuf Oreos to consume!

Obi-Wan: Do what you feel is right, Eli.

Obi-Wan, Eli, C3PK and R2G2 head out after Eli discovers that his uncle Archie has been killed by Foxborough Troops. They arrive at the spaceport to look for a pilot.


To be cont'd...

The Only Guy That Nick Saban Helped While In Miami

For the most part, Nick Saban was not a good coach for the Miami Dolphins. He never got the offense headed in the right direction, and there were questionable personnel moves that took place under his watch. One of the most questionable being the pickup of defensive tackle Manuel Wright during the NFL's Supplemental Draft in 2005.

Wright received All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention honors during his sophomore season at USC, and probably could have matured into a talented DT. However, he was ruled academically ineligible for the '05 season, and decided to leave college early. Wright showed that he had some skills during his stint at USC, but he probably wasn't worth the Dolphins spending a 5th round pick in the '06 NFL Draft on him. However, that wouldn't be the oddest occurence involving Wright and the Dolphins.



On July 26, 2005, after being berated by Coach Saban, Wright was filmed walking off the practice field crying. The video instantly made the rounds on network TV and the Internet. It further cemented Saban's legacy as a no bullshit type of coach, and cast Wright as a whining rookie who wasn't ready for the NFL. He lasted the season with the Dolphins, but missed numerous training camp workouts while battling depression and asking the team to trade or release him. He went on to miss the entire 2006 season, and eventhough he said he wanted another shot with Miami after Saban's departure he had already decided his fate with his past actions. However, getting out of Miami was probably the best thing that ever happened to him.

The Dolphins released Wright in May of '07, and the Bills claimed him. Though, they only kept him for a week. He went on to be signed by the Giants, where he's played in six games and is headed to the Super Bowl. Yes, that's right. Manuel Wright has gone from crying on the practice field to playing in the biggest NFL game there is.

Honestly, without the Dolphins drafting him in the Supplemental Draft, or Nick Saban subjecting him to a very public verbal asskicking I doubt that he would have ended up in New York. So thank Nick Saban for where you are today Manuel Wright. The rest of us Miami fans are still cursing his name.

Super Bowl Wars: A New York Hope

The Sandcrawler pulls up to a homestead, and the Jawas begin showing off their captives. At first, Uncle Archie isn't impressed, but one of the droids strikes up a conversation, and quickly convinces him to purchase him and his friend.



Later on that day, the trio of Eli Manwalker and the two droids, C3PK and R2G2, are sitting in the garage.







C3PK: Oh thank the maker! This whirlpool is going to feel so good. I've got such a bad case of chokitis.

Eli Manwalker: This isn't fair. I'm never going to get any respect.

C3PK: Is there anything I could do to help?

Manwalker: Not unless you can do cosmetic surgery, or teach speech classes or give me a Super Bowl win.

C3PK: Well, I'm just a placekicker droid so I'm not very knowledgeable about such things. In fact, I don't know how to do much more than kick a ball, and sometimes I'm not even very good at that. Sorry, sir.

Manwalker: You can call me Eli.

C3PK: Well, I am C3PK, and this is my counter-part, R2G2.

Manwalker: Hello.

C3PK climbs out of the whirlpool, as Eli works on R2G2.

Manwalker: Looks like you guys have seen some action.

C3PK: Yes, I'm surprised that we're in as good condition as we are after going through what we did with the Rebellion.

Manwalker: You know of the Rebellion?

C3PK: That's how we ended up here.

Manwalker: Have you been in many battles?

C3PK: Several, though the Empire is still undefeated.

Eli notices a metal fragment stuck in R2G2, and begins to work it out of the droid. As he does, it breaks and causes R2 to project an image.

1972 Dolphins: Help us Obi-Wan Coughlin. You're our only hope.

Manwalker: What is that? Who are they?

C3PK: R2 says that they are Don Shula, Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka. Members of the undefeated '72 Dolphins.

R2 beeps and whistles.

C3PK: He says that he belongs to an Obi-Wan Coughlin. A resident of these parts.

Manwalker: Obi-Wan Coughlin? I wonder if he means old Tom Coughlin?

C3PK: Do you know who he's speaking of?

Manwalker: Well, I don't know any Obi-Wan, but old Tom lives out beyond the concrete jungle. He's kind of a crotchety old man.

Eli leaves to eat dinner, and when he returns he finds that R2G2 has scampered off to go find Obi-Wan.

C3PK: Please don't deactivate me sir. I told him not to leave. I promise that I'll perform better next time in the clutch.

Manwalker: Well, it's too late to leave now. We'll have to wait until morning. That droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble.


To be continued...

Could Super Bowl XLII Be The Battle Of The '04 Draft?

It's a matchup that most probably never thought of, and while there still is a ways to go before it becomes a reality, it is a possibility. Yes, what if the Giants and Chargers upset their opponents again, and they both get tickets to the Super Bowl?

Would Eli Manning concede that he may have been wrong about San Diego not being a good place to start his career?

Would Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding, players selected with the picks that the Giants traded to the Chargers, have a big impact in the game?

Would Manning and Rivers duel it out in Arizona, or would they crack under the immense pressure?

Personally, I would love to see a Manning vs. Rivers Super Bowl. As if the circus surrounding the game isn't big enough, this matchup would increase it many times over. Plus, we would get to hear Manning and Rivers doing their best to not put down their opponent while getting slammed with questions about that trade four years ago.

It would be a great storyline. Far better than the machine that is the New England Patriots just churning out another win, and grabbing another trophy for Belichick to wrap his sleeveless arms around.

Why Winning Your Season Opener In The NFL Is So Important

With the regular season of the NFL set to kick off tonight, I thought I would check out how the teams that eventually appeared in the Super Bowls over the past ten years did in their season openers. Let's just say that if your team loses on Sunday don't plan your Super Bowl party around them.

Over the past ten years, there have been 20 teams that made Super Bowl appearances(this kind of math is easy and fun!). Their combined season opener record is 16-4. Of those four losses, three were in road games('02 Tampa Bay is the lone home loser to appear in the SB), and two of the four were suffered by the New England Patriots(just another reason to hate Belichick, Brady and Co.!). The only good news is that 3 out of the 4 losers actually defied the odds, made the Super Bowl and ended up winning it. Well, it's good if you're not a fan of the '05 Seahawks(see, they really should have won that game).

So, if your team plays at home this weekend and loses, then you can probably kiss those Super Bowl aspirations goodbye. However, if they play on the road and lose, then things might not be so bad come next February.

Feel Free To Blame ESPN For This Super Bowl Thing

Deadspin has done a good job covering the announcement of Ryan Seacrest handling the hosting duties for the Super Bowl, and alerting us to the fact that he played safety in high school. Well, in my quest to see if there was actual footage of Seacrest doing something other than smiling awkwardly or frosting his hair, I found out that he actually hosted a program for ESPN. From Wikipedia:

During his freshman year of college, Seacrest was offered his first television hosting job as the host of an ESPN program in which athletes competed against one another for cash prizes. He left the University of Georgia without graduating.

Yahoo.com has the series listed as the "Radical Outdoor Challenge". And what do you know, I was able to track down a short clip. It does have the Sklar Brothers doing some humorous commentary since it appeared on "Cheap Seats".



Seacrest and ESPN? Sssuper!

The (Unfinished)Site Of Super Bowl XLV

The NFL announced today what city would host the Super Bowl in 2011. In the end, it came down to Glendale, Indianapolis or North Texas, and the Cowboys' new stadium came out ahead of the other two.

That's right, the Cowboys' new stadium, which is still being built and is scheduled to be open in 2009, will host the 2011 Super Bowl. If the concept "photos" and video are to be believed(have you ever seen renderings that didn't look badass?), then the new stadium should provide a great venue for the NFL's biggest game.

Now all they have to do is come up with a name for the place. Maybe they should bring back Parcells, and let he and T.O. duke it out for the right to name it. If Parcells won he could name it something like the "Tuna Dome", and if T.O. won he could name it "Painkiller Parc". See, it's a win-win for everyone!

The Lure Of The Ring Is Just Too Strong For Seau

A little less than one year after he announced his "retirement", Junior Seau has signed up to play one more year of football for the New England Patriots.

Last August, Seau announced that he was retiring after 16 seasons. Four days later he changed his mind and signed with the Patriots. He played in 11 games for New England last year before his season was cut short by a broken arm.

In his 17 seasons Seau has played in one Super Bowl, a 23 point loss to the 49'ers in Super Bowl XXIX, and you have to wonder whether he would have resigned with New England if it weren't for all of their offseason acquisitions. Right now, New England is one of the favorites("on paper"), and it would appear that playing for them one more time gives Seau that last shot at a ring.

Hopefully, all that piggyback training in the offseason will pay off for him this year, though by the end of the season he might be using it to take Randy Moss on and off the bench.