Welcome back Broncos fans!!! Training camp is closed for the year, the Broncos are set to play their last preseason game tonight and the regular season is quickly approaching. Tebowmania invaded Broncos training camp this year and brought with it record breaking attendance numbers. Fans all across the globe are rabid with excitement over Tebow who was arguably one of the all time best college football players in history. In Tebow’s preseason debut he was painfully reminded of why some have doubts as to whether his athletic ability will produce the same record breaking results in the pros as he was used to in college. As Tebow charged for the goal line in a John Elwayesque type of play he was welcomed to the size and speed of linebackers in the NFL and ended up missing a few days of practice due to bruised ribs.

I attended Broncos training camp for the first time this year and what I witnessed was nothing to write home about, so instead I’m writing to all of you Broncos fans. There were flashes of a team with great potential, which were almost immediately followed by detrimental mistakes on both sides of the ball. Those mistakes are expected to happen this early in a season, now it’s the coaches job to correct them before the season starts. The Broncos have been stung by the injury bug early and often in this year’s training camp which has many fans worried, but may in fact provide helpful for the team. Most of the injuries suffered so far in camp are relatively minor, other than Elvis’s pectoral muscle tear. These injuries may in fact be a blessing in disguise for the Broncos team as a whole this year. The minor injuries that the starters have suffered are providing much greater playing time for the other players on the roster. Guys who may have gotten few, if any, reps in practice are getting much more time on the field, which is allowing the coaching staff a better chance to evaluate the talent hidden within some of the lesser known guys.

Tonight’s preseason game is quite possibly the final stage for a lot of players on the team. A last chance hailmary to make the active roster, practice squad, or a chance to make a splash on film that lands them a tryout with one of the other teams looking for that diamond in the rough. Coach McDaniels has shown that he has no problem cutting any player that isn’t performing or isn’t the right fit for his system, so expect at least a couple surprise cuts as well as a few surprise keepers. In his second season McDaniel’s has undoubtedly left his mark on this team by almost completely reshaping the roster in two short years. If the Broncos hope to have any success this season they are going to need more production from this years crop of rookies than they got last year. The Bronco’s draft class of 09 proved to be fairly lackluster in their first season as pros, but there are still high hopes for many of the players taken last year. Robert Ayers is set to have a huge role on defense for the Broncos and with the injury to Elvis Dumervil the production they receive from him will almost surely dictate the success of this defense.

So where does all of this leave the Denver Broncos of 2010? At this point I don’t think that anyone has any idea. Many starting positions on the team are still up for grabs as the season approaches, a few of the teams big offensive stars have yet to play in a single game this year and the team as a whole is still trying to figure out how to work together. Last year the Broncos came out of the gate and rattled off 6 straight wins, shocking the nation and then fizzled down the stretch. If anything I would expect some what of an opposite effect this year. A young Broncos team that struggles in the early stages of the season, but comes together as the year wears on to be a contender in what could be a very surprising AFC West division.



Roy Halladay has been hyped up since the Phillies acquired him from the Blue Jays on December 15, 2009, but many have seem to forgotten that he pitches only once out of a five-day cycle. Don’t get me wrong, Halladay definitely deserves to be hyped up and he has without a doubt lived up to all expectations, but with only one reliable starting pitcher in a rotation, success in the playoffs is not feasible.

Roy Halladay alone has a .82 ERA, four wins, two complete games, one shutout, and 28 strikeouts. The rest of the Phillies starting staff (which includes Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Nelson Figueroa, Jamie Moyer, and J.A. Happ) has an average combined ERA of 4.14, 54 strikeouts, zero complete games/shutouts, and 6 wins.

Do the math: Halladay has more than half of the strikeouts of five other starters combines; has an ERA of more than three runs lower than the staff average; has more than half of the wins of the rest of the staff; and he can claim the only shutout and complete games of the year.

Without Halladay, the Phillies wouldn’t even have the slightest chance of sitting in the drivers seat, but there still are some major issues, and if the Phillies can’t figure them out soon, a third World Series appearance in as many years will not happen.

After a disappointing 2009, Cole Hamels worked in the off-season to refine his third pitch, the curveball. Though he used it sparingly in spring training, as if he had already perfected it, Hamels has shown his lack of confidence in his curveball so far this year, and has gone back to himself by just relying on his changeup and mediocre fastball.

Hamels has an ERA above five, and just as everyone thought Hamels had thrown away his poor home-run reputation, he allowed four big shots against the Diamondbacks in a 7-4 loss on Friday night.

Aside from the vast amount of homers given up, Hamels’ lack of consistency and unpredictability are what haunts him the most. After three scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks last start, Hamels looked like he was at the top of his game, but in the fourth inning, he blew up.

Hamels allowed five earned runs (six total for the game) and didn’t give the Phillies a chance to win against the surprising performance by Kris Benson. If Hamels can learn to hit his spots and locate his fastball effectively, we can start to see the 2008 Hamels we all (well, at least us in Philadelphia) loved.

Yes, the Phillies starting staff aside from Halladay has not pitched to their potential, but a few unlucky injuries have also influenced their performance.

Joe Blanton, who is one of the more reliable starters coming off of a great 2009, started off on the DL before the season even started with a strained left oblique muscle. His presence is definitely hurting the Phillies, but a quick and soon return is hopeful.

On April 22, J.A. Happ was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained forearm. Happ started off the year great with a 0.00 ERA and one win in 10 and a third innings pitched. Nelson Figueroa has replaced him and produced a decent first start last night against the Diamondbacks while obtaining his first victory of the year.

As far as injuries outside of the Phillies starting staff, don’t even get me started.

Injuries can cause a team to fail, but there is no excuse for lack of performance. If Halladay can continue his dominance and the rest of the starters follow pace, the Phillies can cause some major damage in the National League, and breeze through the season into the playoffs.

* One bright spot is that J.C. Romero was activated from the DL on April 22.

- Brennan Weiss

Roy Halladay has been hyped up since the Phillies acquired him from the Blue Jays on December 15, 2009, but many have seem to forgotten that he pitches only once out of a five-day cycle. Don’t get me wrong, Halladay definitely deserves to be hyped up and he has without a doubt lived up to all expectations, but with only one reliable starting pitcher in a rotation, success in the playoffs is not feasible.Roy Halladay alone has a .82 ERA, four wins, two complete games, one shutout, and 28 strikeouts. The rest of the Phillies starting staff (which includes Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Nelson Figueroa, Jamie Moyer, and J.A. Happ) has an average combined ERA of 4.14, 54 strikeouts, zero complete games/shutouts, and 6 wins.

Do the math: Halladay has more than half of the strikeouts of five other starters combines; has an ERA of more than three runs lower than the staff average; has more than half of the wins of the rest of the staff; and he can claim the only shutout and complete games of the year.

Without Halladay, the Phillies wouldn’t even have the slightest chance of sitting in the drivers seat, but there still are some major issues, and if the Phillies can’t figure them out soon, a third World Series appearance in as many years will not happen.

After a disappointing 2009, Cole Hamels worked in the off-season to refine his third pitch, the curveball. Though he used it sparingly in spring training, as if he had already perfected it, Hamels has shown his lack of confidence in his curveball so far this year, and has gone back to himself by just relying on his changeup and mediocre fastball.

Hamels has an ERA above five, and just as everyone thought Hamels had thrown away his poor home-run reputation, he allowed four big shots against the Diamondbacks in a 7-4 loss on Friday night.

Aside from the vast amount of homers given up, Hamels’ lack of consistency and unpredictability are what haunts him the most. After three scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks last start, Hamels looked like he was at the top of his game, but in the fourth inning, he blew up.

Hamels allowed five earned runs (six total for the game) and didn’t give the Phillies a chance to win against the surprising performance by Kris Benson. If Hamels can learn to hit his spots and locate his fastball effectively, we can start to see the 2008 Hamels we all (well, at least us in Philadelphia) loved.

Yes, the Phillies starting staff aside from Halladay has not pitched to their potential, but a few unlucky injuries have also influenced their performance.

Joe Blanton, who is one of the more reliable starters coming off of a great 2009, started off on the DL before the season even started with a strained left oblique muscle. His presence is definitely hurting the Phillies, but a quick and soon return is hopeful.

On April 22, J.A. Happ was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained forearm. Happ started off the year great with a 0.00 ERA and one win in 10 and a third innings pitched. Nelson Figueroa has replaced him and produced a decent first start last night against the Diamondbacks while obtaining his first victory of the year.

As far as injuries outside of the Phillies starting staff, don’t even get me started.

Injuries can cause a team to fail, but there is no excuse for lack of performance. If Halladay can continue his dominance and the rest of the starters follow pace, the Phillies can cause some major damage in the National League, and breeze through the season into the playoffs.

* One bright spot is that J.C. Romero was activated from the DL on April 22.

- Brennan Weiss

Roy Halladay has been hyped up since the Phillies acquired him from the Blue Jays on December 15, 2009, but many have seem to forgotten that he pitches only once out of a five-day cycle.

Don’t get me wrong, Halladay definitely deserves to be hyped up and he has without a doubt lived up to all expectations, but with only one reliable starting pitcher in a rotation, success in the playoffs is not feasible.Roy Halladay alone has a .82 ERA, four wins, two complete games, one shutout, and 28 strikeouts. The rest of the Phillies starting staff (which includes Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Nelson Figueroa, Jamie Moyer, and J.A. Happ) has an average combined ERA of 4.14, 54 strikeouts, zero complete games/shutouts, and 6 wins.

Do the math: Halladay has more than half of the strikeouts of five other starters combines; has an ERA of more than three runs lower than the staff average; has more than half of the wins of the rest of the staff; and he can claim the only shutout and complete games of the year.

Without Halladay, the Phillies wouldn’t even have the slightest chance of sitting in the drivers seat, but there still are some major issues, and if the Phillies can’t figure them out soon, a third World Series appearance in as many years will not happen.

After a disappointing 2009, Cole Hamels worked in the off-season to refine his third pitch, the curveball. Though he used it sparingly in spring training, as if he had already perfected it, Hamels has shown his lack of confidence in his curveball so far this year, and has gone back to himself by just relying on his changeup and mediocre fastball.

Hamels has an ERA above five, and just as everyone thought Hamels had thrown away his poor home-run reputation, he allowed four big shots against the Diamondbacks in a 7-4 loss on Friday night.

Aside from the vast amount of homers given up, Hamels’ lack of consistency and unpredictability are what haunts him the most. After three scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks last start, Hamels looked like he was at the top of his game, but in the fourth inning, he blew up.

Hamels allowed five earned runs (six total for the game) and didn’t give the Phillies a chance to win against the surprising performance by Kris Benson. If Hamels can learn to hit his spots and locate his fastball effectively, we can start to see the 2008 Hamels we all (well, at least us in Philadelphia) loved.

Yes, the Phillies starting staff aside from Halladay has not pitched to their potential, but a few unlucky injuries have also influenced their performance.

Joe Blanton, who is one of the more reliable starters coming off of a great 2009, started off on the DL before the season even started with a strained left oblique muscle. His presence is definitely hurting the Phillies, but a quick and soon return is hopeful.

On April 22, J.A. Happ was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained forearm. Happ started off the year great with a 0.00 ERA and one win in 10 and a third innings pitched. Nelson Figueroa has replaced him and produced a decent first start last night against the Diamondbacks while obtaining his first victory of the year.

As far as injuries outside of the Phillies starting staff, don’t even get me started.

Injuries can cause a team to fail, but there is no excuse for lack of performance. If Halladay can continue his dominance and the rest of the starters follow pace, the Phillies can cause some major damage in the National League, and breeze through the season into the playoffs.

* One bright spot is that J.C. Romero was activated from the DL on April 22.

- Brennan Weiss

The ending of the 2009 regular season in the NL East division was not the most exciting for baseball fans around the country, but Philly unquestionably took it. The constant, heart-wrenching battle between the Mets and Phillies, both contending for the division championship down to the wire, with just a few games left in the 2007 and 2008 seasons was exciting as hell, but almost gave fans of both cities heart attacks. Going into play in 2009, the only contending teams seemed to be the Mets and Phillies, especially knowing their history. The restocking Braves had greatly weakened after losing some of the greatest starting pitchers in MLB history. The Marlins, who always give other NL East teams some difficulties (especially the Phillies), had a chance to contend, but they seemed to have faded off towards the end of the season. And finally, the Nationals… well, enough said. With a lot less drama amongst the teams last year, along with the Mets’ dozens of injuries, the Phillies easily won the division for the third year in a row. Though 2010 seems like another easy year for the Phillies, don’t count out possibly surprising teams like the Braves and Marlins, who have a multitude of young talent waiting to shine. The Mets could also have a bounce-back year, assuming that they have less than their entire starting lineup on the DL. I don’t want to say that the Phillies have this in their back pocket, but… there really is no need for 162 games to be played, since we all know the Phillies, well, have it in their back pocket.The Phillies and their fans have great expectations going into 2010. They could make Philadelphia almost as spoiled as New York if they clinched a third straight pennant, well maybe not, but my point is that Phillies’ fans are sitting on a high pedestal right now. If the Phillies’ core stays healthy, which is probably the largest issue in baseball, and the pitching stays strong and consistent, they could run away with the division title.

With J.A. Happ being a breakout player in 2009, along with Jayson Werth, the Phillies have some young talent to appraise this season. Young outfielder Dominic Brown might not be called up immediately (unless there’s an injury), but look for him to join the big league club somewhere after the all-star break. Brown was one of the main reasons why the Phillies were not able to acquire Roy Halladay before the 2009 trade deadline. Phillies G.M. Ruben Amaro Jr. refused to let him go. Also look for bounce-back performances from Cole Hamels, who fine-tuned his curve ball during the winter and spring, and Brad Lidge, who most likely will not be available opening day, but revenge will surely be in his eyes.

If you think the Phillies have some bright, young stars, just look at the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are weltering with amazing young talent. Tommy Hanson, who had a heck of a rookie campaign in ‘09, is ready to work alongside with developing Jair Jurrjens, newcomer Melky Cabrera, and the guy you have probably heard too much about this spring, right fielder Jason Heyward.

If the Braves’ young pitching steps up strong, and their back end of the bullpen including closer Billy Wagner can step up, then they definitely have a chance to beat out the sluggin’, fightin’ Phils. The Braves’ potential breakout player and rookie impact players all come from one guy. Yes, you guessed it, Jayson Heyward. Heyward, who was the highest ranked prospect in the major leagues, has been talked about all spring, especially after it was announced that he would be the Braves opening day starter in right field. Last year, Heyward his .362 with the Braves triple A team, Gwinnett, and .352 with the double A squad in Mississippi. As long as the Braves establish a strong starting rotation like they had in the ‘90’s, and a few sluggers such as Chipper Jones and Brain McCann stay healthy to produce consistently, they have a serious chance of contending.

Sorry to be blunt, but the Mets flat out stunk last year. Now, you must consider the amount of injuries they had, for at some points during the season their starting lineup resembled a minor league team. But, their regulars who weren’t injured didn’t even have the best year. David Wright was one of those guys, but knowing the kind of individual he is and how hard he worked to improve his power swing during the off-season, I am confident that he will return to form. There is no question about Johan Santana underperforming, but health has played an issue, as observed last year. If returning veterans Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran came come back strong and add spark to the Mets lineup, then they could be in a similar position to that of 2007 and 2008; but this time, they must refuse to lose. The off-season acquisition of Jason Bay could also pay off for the Mets, but some doubt he will be able to perform like he did with the Red Sox, especially with the conditions and huge dimensions of Citi Field. A potential rookie star to keep an eye on is Jenrry Mejia, who “dazzled manager Jerry Manuel” during spring training, (nypost.com). Manuel even related Mejia’s cutter to the great Mariano Rivera. Not bad for a rookie, eh? If the Mets can learn to adjust to their new pitcher’s ballpark, and ditch the old “we rely on homers” motto, then they could surprise the baseball world and contend seriously for the NL East.

With arguably two or three possible powerhouse teams in the NL East, the Marlins will have a difficult time of contending this year, but like in years past, you can never count them out. The Marlins have a very ‘under the radar’ starting rotation, which includes ace Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, and Anibal Sanchez. Johnson, who is turning into one of the best pitchers in the National League, has been with the Marlins for five years, and is used to teams like the Phillies, Braves, and Mets. Knowledge of certain teams and their hitters can go a long way. He also has the chance of being the Marlins much-needed clubhouse and on-field leader, since he definitely has the attributes to do so. In addition to Johnson, look out for shortstop Hanley Ramirez to continue his tear in the major leagues, and for young outfielders Cameron Maybin and 2009 NL rookie of the year award winner Chris Coghlan to contribute greatly to the Marlins and put up some surprising numbers. If the Marlins don’t rely on just a couple of players, but rather on a multitude of players each game, they have a chance to linger at the top of the division for a long stretch of the season, and can be play a major role in determining who will win the NL East.

Finally, the Nationals.

Definitely expect at least 60 wins from the Nats this season, which would be a great improvement from last year. As dismal 2009 was for them, 2010 seems quite intriguing. During the offseason, the Nationals made some very smart free- agent signings, which include veteran Jason Marquis from the Rockies, Ivan Rodriguez from the Rangers, and Chien-Ming Wang from the Yankees.

In addition to the Nats new players, returnees Ryan Zimmerman, Christian Guzman, and Adam Dunn can add some pop to their offensive game. No matter how sick you are of hearing about him, I have to mention the young phenom, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg was rated the second best prospect in the majors, after Jason Heyward, and even if Strasburg doesn’t appear in the majors right away, look for him to join the club midway through the season, and make a major contribution. Along with Strasburg, watch out for the speedy Nyjer Morgan, who established himself as a reliable big leaguer in ’09. Definitely expect him to have a terrific year. With a mix of proven veterans and an array of young talent, the Nationals have one of the most interesting teams in baseball, and even if their record doesn’t show it, they will definitely be watched during the season.

2009 NL East Final Standings:

1. Phillies
2. Marlins
3. Braves
4. Mets
5. Nationals

2010 NL East Predicted Standings:

1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

- Brennan Weiss

To me, Willie Davis will always be the Dodgers center fielder. I don’t include the guys who played before him, and fair or not I don’t include the guys after him.

It comes down to this- When I was seven or eight, lying in the bedroom I shared with my three brothers, listening to the games on a cheap clock radio, it was always Willie Davis who started in center field, and usually batted third. Without looking at his reputable statistics on the internet, I remember, through Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett’s voices, that he was a feared and dangerous hitter.

I knew from playing my statis-pro games a few years later, that he had a dangerous combination of power and speed. He could hit leadoff just as well as he could hit cleanup. The Dodgers in those days were usually in the playoff mix and sometimes in the world series, and Davis played an integral role throughout the 1960′s through the early 1970′s.

He also played an integral role as one of the main characters that mesmerized me as a boy and made me fall in love with this amazing game. It was listening to those games on that little radio that captivated me for life. Nothing against Jimmy Wynn or Matt Kemp, but to me, Davis will always be etched in my mind as  the centerfielder for the Dodgers.

His passing is another reminder that the game and the world is changing. Perhaps my sons will always look at Matt Kemp as The Center Fielder for the Dodgers,  and that would be a good thing. However,  me and other fortysomething fans will always have our memories of Willie Davis, batting third, playing center field for Your Los Angeles Dodgers.

It used to be every time the great rock bands of the seventies would tour, there would be some sort of drama attached to it. There would be divorces, drug charges, infighting and other sundry drama that would help stoke the fires for new records and tours. Whether fabricated or created on it’s own, the drama would follow around bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin, and it would fuel the machine that led to higher chart positions, full arenas, and happy newspaper writers.

However since around the mid-1980′s, their dalliances don’t seem to matter much anymore. Keith Richards snorting his father’s ashes or Ron Wood canoodling with a girl young enough to be his grandaughter elicits bored sighs instead of lick-your-lips controversey. the movie Spinal Tap exposed all the cliches and nobody cares much what Keith is snorting or what Ron is getting arrested for.

This brings me to Manny Rameriz and his comments about this year being his last in L.A. The hardcore Dodger fans raised their eyebrows, knowing that with their shaky starting pitching that Manny and his outfield bretheren will need to have great years for the Dodgers to truly matter, but otherwise, who cares? First, everyone knows it is his last year as a Dodger. Unless he has a career year, he is destined to go the “one-year contract” route the rest of his career, and it won’t be for twenty mil a year.  He would be lucky to get Johnny Damon money. More importantly, with his non-existent defensive skills, those one year contracts will be for American League teams as a DH. Ned Colletti is smart enough to not want to bring back a guy who is a shadow of his former self offensively, and atrocious defensively. Even if Manny does have a good year, he is most likely done in the NL.

Yes, his comments are self-serving. Although he has certainly had his moments in Dodger Blue, he has also given us a long suspension and a mediocre second half. If he comes back and has a decent year, the Dodgers can and should milk all they can out of it. If he looks like he did post-suspension, the Dodgers should seek to expedite his wishes and ship him off somewhere else he can finish his career as an eccentric has-been and maybe actually get something in return.

by Tony Bosma

If you saw my Super Bowl pick from Sunday, you already know I picked the wrong winner and MVP, but nailed the Super Bowl halftime review. The NFL may have featured two quarterbacks living in The Who’s generation this year (Kurt Warner and Brett Favre), but it didn’t take much thought to know that when you rely on older gentleman to perform at a high level, the chances of a let-down are high. Don’t get me wrong, I like The Who, but when the stage surrounding a band is more captivating than their performance, it doesn’t say much for the band. And this is coming from a guy who fully embraces classic rock and is sick with the state of music today.

Since I play by my own rules in this column, I’ll be holding off on game comments to cover a few parts of the Super Bowl spectacle. You know how I felt about the halftime show, but let’s dig a little deeper.

Best Commercials (in no particular order)

• Google: Search On. Who knew you could tell such a nice story through a search engine? Creative and kept you watching to see how it would end.
• Bridgestone: Your Tires or Your Life and Whale of a Tale. A guy gives up his wife before his car (classic) and a bachelor party group ends up with a killer whale in the bed of their truck (even more classic).
• Carmax: Monkey/Dog. Profound looks on an animals face will always make me laugh.
• Hyundai: Ten Years. The fact that this could actually happen made it 50x better.
• Motorola: Megan Fox Photo. Good premise and I’d like to see the results in real life.
• CareerBuilder: Casual Friday. Any office worker would appreciate this commercial.
• E-Trade: Girlfriend. The E-Trade baby is a certified pimp and I hope if I have a kid one day, he is a clone of the E-Trade baby.
• Coke: Hard Times. It’s nice to see Mr. Burns down-on-his luck. It just is.
• Doritos: House rules. Look, any time you have a trash-talking child smacking a grown man after he looked at his scantily-clad mother, you have a winning commercial.
• TruTV: Punxsutawney Polamalu. If Polamalu were the size of a ground hog, he’d still blow up suckers in the NFL.

Worst Commercials (in no particular order)

• Doritos: Snack Attack Samurai. Just awful.
• Skechers: Joe Montana Shape-Ups. There’s no way Joe Montana wears Shape-Ups. And if he does, I lost a lot of respect for him because of it.
• Snickers: You’re Not You When You’re Hungry. I really wonder how this commercial was pitched, and after everyone saw it and hated it, if the employee who backed it has been fired.
• GoDaddy: Lola and Spa. Don’t direct me to your web site for content that is going to leave me disappointed.
• Boost Mobile: Shuffle. Something just felt wrong about this. It was nice to see Jim McMahon in a wheelchair, but living in Chicago, it must have been a grim reminder to Bears fans that they haven’t won a thing in 25 years.
• Honda Accord: Squirrel. While I think I want this car, the commercial didn’t make any sense to me.
• Budweiser: Bridge. I’d love to see this happen in real life just see how Budweiser would defend themselves in court.
• Bud Light: Asteroid. The asteroid should have at least hit someone in the eye. This just made scientists look like even bigger nerds.
• U.S. Census: No Title. I didn’t get it. Totally missed the mark and if a Census person calls me or stops by my house, I won’t participate because of this commercial.

Whatever Commercials (in no particular order)

• Focus on the Family: Tim Tebow. I just can’t fathom why anyone made a fuss about this commercial. It was more E-Harmony than Pro Life. It was goofy, not offensive. People are seriously messed up.
• Taco Bell: It Rocks, It Rocks. I love Charles Barkley, but I’m not sure how he fits into the rap game yet. Unfortunately, five thousand jokes come to mind seeing Barkley in a Taco Bell commercial as well.
• Michelob Ultra: Little Bumps. Again, I love Lance Armstrong, but I’m not sure what the message of this commercial was. If it was a day-in-the-life kind of thing, I don’t need that.. I already follow him on Twitter.
• Vizio: Forge. Damn you, Vizio. You got me super excited about Internet Apps for my TV. So, I went to your web site (which took 30 minutes), and found out I need a new TV to get these. Damn you.
• Audi: Green Car. Stop shoving your “Go Green” message down my throat. Thank you.
• Leno/Letterman/Oprah. There just wasn’t enough substance here to make this commercial memorable. Sure it was interesting to see Leno and Letterman together, but if you substitute Conan for Oprah, you’re looking at the greatest commercial of all time.

Pre-Game Coverage

I usually look forward to the pre-game coverage, national anthem and flyover, but let’s just say Saturday night ruined all of that for me. Yep, I was up at 11:30, napped from 1:30-5:30, and missed all of that. It wasn’t until Alex Brady woke me up at 5:30 and said, “Didn’t you want to watch the Super Bowl?” that I awakened from my hibernation with 10 minutes left in the first quarter. So there you have it. I wasn’t too happy about missing kickoff and the thousands of camera flashes that accompany it.

Food

On a typical Super Sunday, I equip my kitchen with burgers, dogs, chips and salsa, and chili. This year? My hibernation ruined all of that as well and I ended up with left over pizza and tacos, and lots and lots of water. Big fail on my part.

Alright, we’re about 900 or so words into this thing, so let’s get to the game shall we?

NO 31, IND 17 – There’s no question Sean Payton’s “Ambush” onside kick was one of the gutsiest calls in Super Bowl history. It completely shifted momentum to New Orleans side and began a Saints charge to keep Manning off the field. Add-in a Pierre Garcon drop and it’s no surprise how this game turned out.

So much of the talk leading into this game was about Peyton Manning becoming the Greats of All Time. Well, I advised you against that (and will go more in depth in the next day or two) because when we look at Manning now, he has a 9-9 career playoff record and as many Super Bowl wins as his brother Eli. I’m not here to gripe about Manning’s place in history, you’ll get enough of that from major media outlets. What I am here to say, is we put way to much emphasis on the Colts and Manning, and way too little on Drew Brees and the Saints.

America loves classy organizations, players and coaches. That’s what we have in the New Orleans Saints. They’re a great story, with a great QB and coach. Add-in the Reggie Bush factor (Kim Kardashian), the Jeremy Shockey factor (didn’t play in the Giants Super Bowl two years ago) and the New Orleans factor (Hurricane Katrina, a city rebuilding around it’s football team) and this Super Bowl victory holds as much entertainment and historical context as the Pats/Giants and Cardinals/Steelers Super Bowls.

The truth is, this game didn’t have the huge plays (Tyree in Pats/Giants; Holmes in Cardinals/Steelers) that made those other two Super Bowls historic. What it did have was the back-story of a city that was decimated by a natural disaster and rose to the top of the NFL world.

To me, that’s better than the huge plays. And more memorable. Live it up, New Orleans.

You’ll have to excuse the late posting of my Super Bowl pick, but I simply forgot to click the “Publish” button earlier in the day.

I won’t get into stats and facts you already know, all I’ll say is when you make picks like this, go with your gut feeling and never turn your back on it.

Colts 34, Saints 28

MVP: Peyton Manning

Halftime show: horrible

Hardly anyone is picking the Saints today.  If they do 3 simple things, they can shock the world.

By Scott Pharr

I have been carefully following all the usual football expert suspects over the last two weeks to try and get a feel for the general consensus regarding their opinion on who will prevail in today’s Super Bowl.  From Peter King to Chris Collinsworth to Trent Dilfer to << enter your NFL Network or ESPN personality name here >>, today will be all about the blue horseshoe and number 18.

Peyton Manning

Overwhelmingly, those who follow pro football for a living are predicting victory for the Colts, and most who see that happening are saying the Vegas line of 5 ½ will be easily exceeded.  There is just not a lot of love to be found for the consummate overachiever Drew Brees and his band of pinball-machine-scoring Saints.  Let me rephrase that..there is plenty of ‘love’ for the Saints, in fact maybe more love than just about anytime I can recall recently, in any sport.  Just not a lot of hardcore football faith that they can actually pull this thing off today.  Watching the Colts systematically take apart the Jets in the 2^nd half of the AFC championship game does make it truly hard to imagine any team better than the Colts for 60 minutes of football.  I offer 3 reasons why the Saints can in fact do what so many say just can’t be done today.

1) MINIMIZE TURNOVERS

In the previous 43 Super Bowls, the winning team holds a + 83 advantage in turnover ratio.  Its sounds cliché and redundant, but numbers don’t lie and this one speaks louder than any other statistic.  The winning team has taken the ball away via a turnover 83 more times than the teams that have lost it.  When the Saints beat the Minnesota Favre-kings 2 weeks ago, they were out-gained in total yardage, had less time of possession, and fewer first downs.  But while the Vikings essentially dominated in all phases of the game, they just couldn’t hold on to the ball.  New Orleans was the beneficiary of 5 turnovers, 3 by fumble and 2 by interception (1 which will go down in playoff infamy as Brett Favre did what he really does best by committing the ultimate sin with time expiring in regulation).  Then the Saints got a little bit of luck (or was it destiny) by winning the coin toss and getting the ball to start overtime.  The game today has all the opportunity to unfold in the same way, with Manning taking the Colts up and down the field, winning all the statistical battles, and continuing to put points up on the board.  But if Gregg Williams’ defense can rattle Manning’s cage enough and get the Colt’s to cough it up at the wrong time, the Saints can steal it.

2)      AVOID THE CRUCIAL INJURY

This of course is not something they can control, really.  But it can’t be ignored as a key component to what the Saints will need to fall in their favor in order to prevail.  In the AFC title game, the Jets were having their way with the Colts for 90% of the 1^st half.  Shutdown corner Derrell Revis was doing what he does by removing the Colts #1 wideout, Reggie Wayne, from the Colts game plan with lockdown coverage.  However, the Jets sustained injuries to the starting free safety and #2 cornerback, and forced 2^nd and 3^rd tier players into action.  This caused a drop in both athletic ability and player preparation, weakness easily exploited by Manning and the Colt’s offense.  Keeping all of it’s front-line players on the field will be critical to the success of the Saint’s defense to contain the Colt’s score-at-will potential, or at least contain it enough to where the Saint’s offense can keep pace.  Which leads to #3….

3) SCORE AND SCORE OFTEN

This Super Bowl carries an over –under (the Las Vegas betting number that predicts the total amount of points scored by both teams) of 55.  That is the highest number ever posted for a Super Bowl to date.  All the prognosticators are predicting a shoot out, and if it works out that way, the Saints will have a fighting chance.  It is naïve to think they can hold the Colts to under 20 points, which basically means they will need to plan on scoring at least 21 or more.  It will be crucial for them to continue to press the action up field, at all times.  This means screen passes to Reggie Bush, up-the-field throws to tight end Jeremy Shockey, and the occasional shot downfield to any of the 4 highly capable wideouts.

Drew Brees

Brees must keep his foot on the accelerator, and this is done with continuous passes of 10 yards or more out of a spread formation.  The goal will be to have the Colts defensive backs constantly back-peddling and hopefully out of breath by halftime.  Head coach Sean Peyton installs every play and also calls every offensive play, and his offensive strategy is one of misdirection and deception, backed up by the quick strike.  Brees is among the best in the league with regard to time elapsed from snap of the ball to release.  There is a shorter period of time for anyone playing the Saints to react to what is happening than most teams in the league. While the Colts will most certainly get their points, if the Saints can match that and keep it tight into the fourth quarter, they will have a serious shot at victory, just like the Minnesota game.

FINAL THOUGHTS…

The key thing to monitor while watching is order of who may end up with the ball last as time is winding down in the 4^th quarter.  Similar to a close college basketball game as time is running out – the last team with the ball usually wins.  And, if recent history is any predictor, the game should be close.  Super Bowls are no longer the blowouts they use to be.  7 of the last 12 Super Bowls have been decided by 7 points or less, and the last 2 by a field goal.  Young Garrett Hartley, the 23-year old kicker for the Saints who nailed the winning field goal in overtime in the NFC title game, very well may be today’s hero.  And the Saints know better than anyone..stranger things have happened.