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.

Superman Returns

At the BCS celebration in Gainesville today Tim Tebow let the college football world know what his NFL decision was, and he's decided to return for his senior season.

Florida junior quarterback Tim Tebow made the announcement all
Gator fans wanted to hear on Sunday. After his speech he turned around and said,
"Oh and one more thing, let's do it again. I'm coming back!"

Personally, I am a little surprised because he doesn't really have anything left to prove at the college level. Two BCS titles and a Heisman really speak for themselves. Hopefully he doesn't take too much punishment next season because I would hate to see him get injured. Though, it is going to be great to see him donning the orange and blue for one more year.

I haven't heard any word on if Harvin and Spikes will return or not.

The Minnesota Vikings, A Great Team In Need Of A Good Quarterback

As a Dolphins fan I can sympathize with my buddy Eric that is a Vikings fan. For years it seemed like Miami was one good running back away from making a legit Super Bowl run. Then, when they finally had a solid running game, the passing game went to hell. And unfortunately it's remained that way for quite a few years(though, now the team sort of sucks all over).

Anyway, this was supposed to be Minnesota's year. The defense was revamped, and looked imposing(at least on paper), and the running game was dominant last year. However, the passing game left something to be desired, and through the first two games of the season it's still that way.

I hate to say it, but Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer at quarterback for this year's Vikings team. This team has been built to win now. Not be managed by a quarterback project that head coach Brad Childress is too proud(or stupid) to put on the shelf for at least the short term. Jackson didn't play much Division 1 football(he transferred after Matt Jones was named the starter at Arkansas), and while he does have raw talent he does not have the experience or intellect at the present time to master reading NFL defenses at the speed it requires. It's hard enough for the guys who excelled at the premier Division 1 colleges to do(*cough*Leinart*cough*), and even harder for the guys who didn't face that type of opposition week in and week out.

The bad thing is that there aren't a lot of options out there right now. Jeff Garcia may be done in Tampa, but I doubt that the Bucs are going to let him go to Minnesota. They could try to lure Jake Plummer out of retirement by offering to work out a deal for his rights. They could even try to bring back Culpepper(how much worse than T-Jack could he be?).

One thing is certain, they need to get this quarterback problem figured out immediately, or they'll end up just like my Dolphins teams that always seemed to be one piece away from being serious contenders.

Cedric Benson Gets Some New Hardware

Ok, so this happened on Monday, but it's the first that I've heard of it. Former Bears running back, and operator of vehicles while under the influence extraordinaire, Cedric Benson picked up some new hardware on Monday. Exactly what was it?

A Super Bowl replica ring from fellow Texas alum Aaron Ross? No.

A neckbrace signed by the entire Bears defense as a parting shot? No, but that would have been fitting considering their dislike of him.

It's something that he probably could have used before the offseason started.

Give up?

How about an ignition-lock breath tester?

Yes, Benson was ordered to install one because of the multiple DWI charges that he's facing.

If you're penciling in "busts" from the '05 NFL Draft make sure to have Benson up near the top. At least for the moment.

Seriously? Will The Brett Favre Lovefest Ever End?

Ok, I get it. Brett Favre was a great quarterback. He played the game the way that so many of us love to see it played. Much of the time it seemed like he was throwing the ball around rather recklessly, but he looked like he was having the best time of his life and it often lead to some spectacular plays. He always appeared to be grateful for his time in the NFL, but that time is over and now we all need to move on.

Yes, all of us, even you Brett. And especially you Mr. Madden.

In case you haven't heard yet, the official announcement is expected to come later today, Brett Favre is going to be on the cover of Madden '09.

Just.Fucking.Great.

Favre is a guaranteed hall of famer. We all know how great he is. Unfortunately, he retired from the game, and that should preclude him from appearing on the cover of this year's installment of Madden. Wait, what's that? He hasn't really retired? Whatever are you talking about? Check out this excerpt from that same Deadspin post:

A source at the taping describes how it went:

Brett: I have retired
Dave: Did you sign your retirement form?
Brett: I have not signed my retirement form.
(grins)

Awesome! Honestly, should we expect anything different from Favre? Instead of just gunslinging wild passes as the sun sets, he continues to thrust himself into any unretirement talk. Sadly, I have a feeling that this copy of Madden is going to come with a lifelike piece of Favre manhood to thrust into our mouths to make the experience more complete. You know, to really feel what it's like to have been John Madden all of the years that he's praised Brett. In fact, a friend of mine described it pretty well when he said:

It will show Madden on his knees in front of Favre, bobbing up and down. Then Madden will turn around towards the camera and say something like, "It sure is hard. It's a lot like licking a bag of bolts."

Yep, that's probably fairly accurate.

Dallas, TX Weather Forecast: 100% Chance Of Making It Rain

Well, after saying yesterday that the trade talk surrounding Pacman Jones had slowed down, the Titans agreed to send him to the Cowboys. As always, Mike Florio of PFT has all the specifics.

the Titans will receive the Cowboys’ fourth-round pick in this weekend’s draft. The Cowboys could also end up sending additional compensation to the Titans, depending on whether Jones is reinstated and, if he is, how much playing time he gets. Jones will sign a new contract with the Cowboys; he will pay $500,000 to a charity of the Titans’ choosing as part of a financial settlement with the Titans.

If Jones is still suspended a year from now, the Titans will send an undisclosed 2009 draft pick back to the Cowboys.

Florio also has the inside track regarding Pacman's "extortion payments", and it doesn't sound like a situation where Jones was only scared of someone coming after him and his family.

The document helps to clarify recent reports regarding the nature of the $15,000 payment that Edwards thereafter pursued from Titans cornerback Pacman Jones. It seemed to be hush money, but it was characterized by Jones as money that was paid only because Edwards threatened to come after Jones and/or his family.

As it turns out, Edwards initially wanted the money because he believed that Jones had ordered a hit.

A hit? Obviously, the accounts of the events from Jones and Edwards probably vary widely, but if Jones, or someone in his entourage, mentioned killing one, or more, of the people who were eventually shot then he's got bigger problems than losing $15k in "extortion payments". Like Florio asserts in the entry, what Pacman admitted to Commissioner Goodell last April is now in question, and could be a huge sticking point as to whether or not he gets reinstated.

It also falls under my first point that Pacman may have been directly involved with the shooting, and that's why he was paying the money.

The NFL, Gettin' Busy

The offseason lull has grinded to a halt just a bit as some big moves were made yesterday. Two of them directly affect the draft, and the third is noteworth because of the player involved.

First, Miami signed offensive tackle Jake Long as their top draft pick. This is a big deal because it forces the other teams to re-evaluate their draft boards(which they probably do every 30 seconds anyway), and gives us a bit better idea of where the top teams might be going with their picks.

Second, defense end Jared Allen was traded from Kansas City to Minnesota in exchange for the Vikings' first round pick, their two third round picks and a swapping of sixth round picks(#182 for #187). It's a monster deal, especially when you consider that he's also getting $31+ million in guaranteed money. Minnesota had been thought to be targeting a defensive end with their first round pick, and Allen instantly erases that need. It will be interesting to see what the Chiefs end up doing with their stockpiled selections.

Lastly, Shaun Alexander was released by the Seahawks yesterday. His future, or lack thereof, in Seattle was decided as soon as Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett were signed. For the most part, it appears that Alexander has handled it well, eventhough he did endure a lot of ridicule from fans after failing to live up to their expectations following the signing of his massive contract. There are a few teams out there that will probably be willing to give him a shot. Arizona could decide to pair him with Edge for a season or two. Dallas might look to add him to help out Marion Barber. Denver is always acquiring running backs for their committee. Chicago could use some help with Benson still questionable for the start of training camp.

So far, this has been an exciting week for NFL fans, and it figures to get even more eventful the closer we get to the draft. Especially, with talk of possible trades involving Jason Taylor, Anquan Boldin and Pacman Jones(though, that seems to have slowed way down).

Pacman Forced To Make It Rain, Extortion Style

Details regarding the Las Vegas strip club shooting that Adam "Pacman" Jones may or may not have been involved in keep coming out, and the newest report is intriguing.

Apparently, Jones ended up paying the accused shooter $15,000 to keep him from attacking his daughter, mother and Jones himself.

Police alleged in the documents that one of the go-betweens told Jones that if he refused to pay, the accused shooter would “go after Jones, his mother and daughter.”

A childhood friend also contacted Jones, urging him to pay the money, the document said.

In April and early May, Jones had a friend wire $3,800 to a woman in Seattle. He put up $11,200 more for a friend in Atlanta to pay “in his behalf,” police said.

Throughout the warrant declaration police repeatedly refer to extortion and “extortion monies,” and say Jones told investigators he withdrew $10,000 from a bank account in Atlanta to pay his friend “for paying the extortion money in his behalf.”

At first glance, the situation just comes across as a wealthy person who got mixed up in some trouble and bought their way out of it to an extent. However, after reading through the article I have a few questions/observations about it.

-Did Jones pay the money because he was directly involved with the shooting? He was able to have his charges reduced to "conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct" last December, and never acknowledged any involvement with the shooting. But maybe he was more involved than the authorities realized.

-Was Jones trying to put an end to the trouble? Was he scared? Was it a little of both? I would imagine that if you're paying $15k in extortion money, then you're either scared of a secret getting out, scared of the person extorting you or a little of both. So, what was the case for Pacman? I'm guessing that he probably has some "friends" who could just as easily scare the guy extorting him, but maybe this guy is more dangerous than we realize. I guess it also could have just been a case of Pacman wanting any and all legal woes to disappear so that he could resume his NFL career.

-Did the extortion payments lead the police to the suspected shooter? According to the article, there haven't been any details provided as to how the police caught up with the alleged shooter, Arvin Kenti Edwards. However, if Pacman agreed to cooperate with the authorities as part of his plea deal, then I'm sure they were able to track down exactly who was extorting Jones and where that person lived.

All in all, it's a new development in the case, and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of it. It will also be interesting to see if it has any bearing on Commissioner Goodell's decision of whether to reinstate Jones or not.

Someone In The NFL Hates The Dolphins

Today, NFL fans got a bit of a tease when the 2008 schedule was released. Instantly fans can chart their team's course through the season, and dream about which weak teams they'll destroy en route to making the playoffs.

Of course, being a Dolphins' fan I have no expectations of seeing my team in the playoffs. Would it be nice? Hell yeah. Is it probable? Uh, no. However, I would like my team to not be the one that gets screwed up on the schedule. That's right, not only is Miami going to play two games outside of the U.S. in two seasons, but they've been left off the schedule for week 4 of the season. They have no game, and they're not listed as one of the bye teams. Awesome!

Maybe the Dolphins get to choose their opponent that week. Though, I'm pretty sure that that's not the case. Instead, they get left off during week 4, and the season starts with the Dolphins involved in some wacky mistake again. I can't wait for the draft!

The NFL Network, Now 50% More Watchable...Sort Of

It used to be that a number of people hated the NFL Network. Right or wrong, they felt like it was the network's fault they weren't getting NFL coverage 24/7 on their cable system. So, some of them probably switched to a satellite TV provider, and quite possibly got upset for an entirely different reason.

Because the broadcasting team of Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth sucked so bad that it made watching one of the best sports extremely painful. Well, as of last Friday the games got a little more "watchable" because Gumbel is out as Collinsworth's sidekick. However, even with great joy comes great sadness in the form of this line from the AP article:

The NFL Network said Friday it was looking for a new play-by-play announcer to work with Cris Collinsworth on the network's Thursday and Saturday night games.

Ugh. Collinsworth is still going to be around doing the play-by-play? Honestly, I probably could have taken Gumbel this season if they added a better announcer to make up for his contributions, or lack thereof.

Let me be the first to say this to those of you that still can't get the NFL Network at home. You're not really missing all that much. When you end up playing music during the broadcast in order to avoid hearing the announcers you know that something has to change. Unfortunately, I don't think this change is quite enough to keep me from opening up the iTunes library during the Thursday and Saturday night games.

A Hair Length Rule? It Really Could Become The No Fun League

I have no idea why the Kansas City Chiefs care about this issue, but for some reason they do. Apparently, someone in the organization is concerned enough with the hair length of NFL players that they've proposed a rule requiring them to tuck it up inside their helmet.

Troy Polamalu might not have to worry about getting tackled again by his hair. At their meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., next week, NFL owners will consider a proposal to ban players from having hair flow from their helmets below their names on the back of their jerseys.

That might affect Polamalu's image, but help him on the field. Two seasons ago, the Pittsburgh safety with the long ponytail had his hair grabbed by Kansas City's Larry Johnson and was thrown to the turf after an interception against the Chiefs.

The rule banning long hair on the field was proposed by Kansas City. It does not require players to get haircuts, but does "require them to tuck it up inside their helmets," said Atlanta president Rich McKay, chairman of the league's competition committee.

Seriously? What the hell? It's not like having long hair gives the player an advantage. In fact, it puts them at a disadvantage because it gives their opponent one more thing to tackle them by. Personally, I don't see a problem with Polamalu or Mike McKenzie having hair sticking out of their helmet. It just adds to their personality on the field, and provides a little more entertainment for the fans. Someone might want to tell the Chiefs to lighten up a bit.

Brett Favre Did It The Right Way

Brett Favre's stats speak for themselves. Based on those alone he's a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback no matter what his attitude while on the field was. However, the fact that he always appeared to be having the most fun possible, and that he seemed to be eternally grateful to be playing professional football just adds to his legacy.

Sure, he could have hung it up before the start of last season when critics were coming out of the woodwork calling for his retirement. But his competitive spirit wouldn't let him end his career after a disappointing season. Instead, he came back for one more try to see what he could do.

Many people thought that he would get hammered all season long with what looked to be a mediocre team, and that we would see Brett ride off into the sunset bruised and battered. However, something happened during the offseason, and through the first few weeks of the season. Whether his teammates wanted to send him off in proper fashion, or whether his skill just elevated their play(or both) I'm not sure. But the team exceeded what many "experts" had predicted, and gave Brett the opportunity to make the playoffs one more time and almost get into another Super Bowl. Brett's last game wasn't necessarily his best, but he showed all the naysayers that he still had "it". And his recently announced retirement lets him ride off as a great competitor that always gave 100%, and knew when it was time to get on his horse.

Bryant McKinnie Gets Bounced

It seems that Bryant McKinnie got himself into a bit of trouble early Sunday morning. The Vikings offensive tackle got kicked out of Club Space in Miami, and proceeded to get into an argument with a bouncer by the name of Eric Otero. Apparently, McKinnie spit on Otero at some point, but Otero refused to press charges if McKinnie left the premises.

Well, McKinnie did leave, but he returned a short while later and proceeded to engage in some type of "street brawl" with Otero and possibly some other individuals.

My biggest question in all of this is who is Eric Otero? McKinnie is listed as being 6'8", 335 pounds. He's a big guy, though size doesn't really matter if the guy you're battling is a trained fighter and you aren't. Which could be the case since Otero is a bouncer for a South Florida club.

The other good part of the story is the way in which McKinnie planned to escape.

Police told McKinnie to stop. He refused and boarded a bus. The bus driver was ordered not to drive away.

Haha, a bus? That's awesome! Oh well, at least it wasn't a boat.

JT Gets To Show Off His Twinkle Toes

What do Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Jason Taylor have in common? Yes, they all play(ed) football, but that's not all. No, when Taylor makes his dancing debut in March, they will all have been contestants on "Dancing With The Stars".

That's right, Jason Taylor, the NFL's sack leader in 2002, will be cutting a rug instead of cutting down quarterbacks. He'll also have some high expectations regarding NFL players and the show because Rice finished 2nd in the spring of '06 and Smith won the competition in the fall of '06. Hopefully, he finishes better on the dance floor than his team did on the field last season.

My main concern is that he doesn't get himself injured while competing on the show. While it is a longshot, it's certainly a possibility. And it would be embarrassing for him, and a huge blow to a team that's trying to rebuild for yet another year.

The Five Words That I Did Not Want To Hear

Over the weekend, I discussed Zach Thomas's release with some of my friends who are also Miami Dolphins fans. For the most part, we all agreed that Thomas had been a phenomenal player, and that the Dolphins were fortunate enough to have held onto him for as long as they did. However, the defense isn't getting any younger, and cutting some veterans to make way for new talent is just part of the sport. Then I read the one thing that my friends and I feared the most:

Zach Thomas Meets With Patriots

Ugh. As if seeing Wes Welker morph into one of the best receivers in the league last year wasn't hard enough, now we might have to deal with the same thing on the other side of the ball. I understand that releasing Thomas was the business aspect of pro football, and that the Patriots have a need for him and are great at bringing in players and seemlessly intergrating them into their team. However, I'm not sure that I can take another season of watching a former Dolphin flourish with a hated rival while he helps beat the Dolphins twice during the regular season. I would like to see Thomas win a Super Bowl before he retires, just not with the Pats.

Goodbye Zach Thomas

The first big move of the Parcells Era occured last night when linebacker Zach Thomas was cut. He's been with the Dolphins for all 12 of his seasons in the NFL, and was at one time a dominant force in the middle of the field. Last season, he was slowed by concussion related problems, and missed quite a few games. As a Dolphins fan I am sad to see him go, but I also understand that ultimately the NFL is a big business and if I want my team to improve some guys have to go. So thanks Zach for the way you handled yourself on and off the field. Your #54 will live on in the memories of Dolphins fans everywhere.

Dan Henning Returns To The Dolphins

Dan Henning as been hired as the new offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. He returns to South Florida after having been the quarterbacks and receivers coach from 1979-1980.

More recently, Henning was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers from 2002-2006. Under his guidance, the Panthers total offense ranking improved, and gained its highest rank of #13 in 2004. Prior to his stint in Carolina, Henning served as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 1998-2000 where he worked with Dolphins V.P. of Football Operations Bill Parcells.

Personally, I think that Henning is a talented offensive coordinator, but I'm a bit wary that he was out of coaching for the 2007 season. I'm also a bit nervous with Bill Parcells bringing in so many guys that worked "for" him, but might not be the best for the job. Henning is 65, and he's not getting any younger. And while his Panthers squads performed decently, reaching the Super Bowl in 2003, I wouldn't necessarily consider him innovative. Though, with the way that the Dolphins have performed in recent years they need to achieve success any way possible in the shortest amount of time. Hopefully Henning can get them pointed in the right direction before he succumbs to the retirement lifestyle in South Florida like many of his peers have.

Welcome To University of Phoenix Stadium. Where Underdogs Win.

Last night, after witnessing a Super Bowl that rivals any I've seen, I realized that Glendale, AZ has been particularly kind to "underdogs". For some reason, when they face their opponent in University of Phoenix Stadium things come together and they pull out an improbable victory.

2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Boise State entered the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma as 8.5 point underdogs, but many people thought they would have a difficult time even covering that. However, the Broncos built an 18 point lead early in the third quarter, and then were able to hold off the Sooners in overtime after a big comeback. If nothing else, we all remember the "Statue of Liberty" play that Boise State used to successfully convert a 2 point attempt for the overtime win. It was an amazing ending to an improbable underdog victory.



2007 BCS Championship Game
Just a week after the Fiesta Bowl, another team entered as an 8 point underdog, and had seemingly been written off by many people before the game even began. The Florida Gators took on the Ohio State Buckeyes, and used what they perceived as a lack of respect to motivate them for four quarters of football. While a number of "experts" appeared ready to hand Jim Tressel and his Buckeyes the BCS title, the Florida Gators destroyed their underdog status enroute to a 41-14 win.



2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
For the second year in a row, the Oklahoma Sooners entered the Fiesta Bowl as the team favored to win. They faced a West Virginia team that had lost their head coach just 16 days before the game, and were 6.5 point underdogs. The Mountaineers paid no attention to their underdog tag, and blasted the Sooners by a score of 48-28.



Super Bowl XLII
Possibly the best illustration of an underdog achieving success in University of Phoenix Stadium. The New York Giants came into the game as 12 point underdogs, but the divide between them and the New England Patriots was supposedly much greater than that. The Patriots had finished the regular season a perfect 16-0, and defeated their two playoff opponents to push that to 18-0. Now, they were all but guaranteed to win the Super Bowl, and become only the second team in NFL history to finish the season undefeated and win the championship game. They had Brady, Belichick, Moss and a host of others, and they had already beaten the Giants in the regular season. However, the Giants, like the championship teams before them, dismissed their underdog label and pulled off what many believed to be impossible just hours before the clock ticked down to zero. They defeated the might Patriots by a score of 17-14, and added to the idea that University of Phoenix Stadium is a place where the underdog can achieve the unimaginable.

Alonzo Spellman Is Still Having Problems

Alonzo Spellman, former Ohio State Buckeye, Chicago Bear, Dallas Cowboy and Detroit Lion, was arrested again on Tuesday night. Apparently, he got into an altercation with clerks at a convenience store in Tulsa, OK, and when the police were called he fled the scene and lead them on a chase. He was arrested shortly thereafter.

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It is sad to see someone who has as much talent as Spellman suffer through something like bipolar disorder. While it seems that he's been able to keep it in check in recent years, it has caused him great problems dating all the way back to 1998. His most recent incident before this arrest was in 2002 when he disrupted a flight, and was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Spellman will likely struggle with his condition for the rest of his life, but hopefully this is the last time that the police will have to intervene.

The A-Train Is Officially Off The Tracks

First, let me set one thing straight. For the foreseeable future, Mike Alstott is the "A-Train" in the NFL world. I know some call Anthony Thomas the "A-Train", but he's more of a light version. Like an "A-Trolley" perhaps. Adrian Peterson could stake a claim to it, but he's already been annointed as "Purple Jesus". Besides, I doubt that either one of them train by pushing a Jeep through a parking lot. In any case, Alstott announced his retirement from the league after playing 12 seasons.

Alstott played the fullback position with a mix of speed, power and nimbleness that is rare even in pro-football. He could run through you, around you and then block you on consecutive plays without missing a beat. Though, watching a guy built more like a linebacker than a running back be able to change directions was always awe inspiring. He currently holds the Bucs' record for rushing and total TD's, 58 and 71 respectively. He also holds Purdue's records for career rushing yards(3,635), rushing TD's(39), total TD's, 100-yard rushing games and the single season rushing record(1,436).

Alstott's bruising and battering of defenders will be missed, though we always have highlights to remember him by. Thanks for everything you brought to the game A-Train.