Champions

Where to even begin?

The Giants have done it again. Four years after a run that appeared to be once in a lifetime.

24 hours later and I am still trying to fully digest what has happened, but here are a few thoughts.

Eli Manning now has a legacy. Beyond "super clutch" I don't know quite what it is, but I know he no longer deserves being compared to his brother, or anyone. He's his own man, and has his own special chapter in NFL history.

Tom Coughlin is a Hall of Fame coach. I say that for lack of a better term, because the Hall of Fame itself is so arbitrary and has Peter King voting on it. But needless to say, Coughlin isn't on the hot seat anymore. Nor can anyone question whether his players love playing for him, and can still be reached by his methods.

Like I said, for me it's still sinking in, but there is a strange feeling at this point. After being all-in for an entire season that was never short on drama, there is no game next Sunday. No heavily favored opponent. No confident yet nervous feelings leading up to the game. No superstitions. (I can now cut my hair, wash my Sunday t-shirt, and not insist certain people are seated next to me while watching the game.) It's really over. 32 teams, and the Giants were the ones left standing. Again.

Yes, there is no game next Sunday. No game for about six months, in fact. Somehow though, with the tape of this game that I'll probably watch a few times over again, I think I'll make it through the long spring and summer.

(Actually, I'll be able to enjoy it more the second time, after having been too on-edge to do so while it was happening.)

Finally, on another personal note, I couldn't have picked a better year to really immerse myself in a Giants season like never before. I tried to write almost every week, and by the 2nd half of the season, Drew and I had the podcast going almost every week. This all has been a blast, and thanks for coming along on the journey with me.

Super Bowl pick

If you're just joining us, I'm 3-1 ATS (Against the Spread, for you non-gambling perverts) in the past 4 Super Bowls. I had Pittsburgh - 3 1/2 over Seattle in 2005-06. I was correct in '07, taking the Colts -9 1/2. I was right two years ago taking the Giants +14 against the Patriots. (Have I mentioned lately that the Giants won the Super Bowl?) And I was wrong last year in taking Pittsburgh -7 over Arizona. So, we're hoping to get back on the right (Super) track, and I think the right play here is Saints, + 5 1/2.

I think the Colts will win the game, and I wouldn't be surprised if they covered the spread too. But on paper, we haven't had a Super Bowl this evenly matched in a while, and I just think 5 1/2 is a good value. Though it's only a slight lean. Also, in a contrarian play, I like "under" the posted total of 57. Wacky things happen in Super Bowls, so I don't think a shootout is quite the lock it seems to be.

On a personal note, I'll be feeling the most relaxed I've felt going into a Super Bowl in 7 years, as this is the first time since 2002-03's Bucs-Raiders matchup in which I don't really have a dog in the fight. No, I'm not a Panthers, Eagles, Colts, Giants, and Steelers fan; my amount of desire of course varied game-to-game on which team I wanted to see win. But I had my reasons each time.

So, this one should just be fun to watch, and I think of all 32 teams, it's the perfect matchup if you don't care who wins either. Though if I had to choose, I'd go for the Colts, as I'd like to see Manning take his rightful place among the greatest quarterbacks of all-time.

Enjoy the game, and we'll see what happens!

Grammatical Nuisance of the Season

I'd like to point out that Super Bowl is two words, not one run-on term. I am confident the vast majority of people already know this, but I've seen even die-hard sports fans write it as "superbowl." I don't think it's because they're any less intelligent; just that they probably haven't seen it written correctly, or taken notice of the right way.

So, go easy on these folks...but now they know, and no longer have an excuse.

Steelers set winning example...Giants well on their way?

Given their record number of Super Bowl rings, and overall consistency, especially when considering the salary cap...could the Pittsburgh Steelers be considered the best franchise in all of sports? I can't recall any point during my lifetime when the Steelers truly were a bad team. A look at their franchise history confirms this. The continued success of the Steelers has been staggering. They have finished .500 or better, 30 of last 36 seasons. Yes, a mere six losings seasons since 1972. And only three of them came in the past 17 seasons, what would be considered the "salary cap/parity" era in the NFL. I think it's no coincidence that they have had only three head coaches during this incredible run - Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin - stability that is unheard of. In looking again at more recent success, four times since 2001, the Steelers have had the #1 defense in the NFL in total yardage allowed, and that's with all the big name players they've developed then had to replace...guys like Joey Porter, Earl Holmes, Kendrell Bell, and Kimo von Olehoffen, all signed big contracts elsewhere, but each time the Steelers filled the void with drafting smart and finding gems. LaMarr Woodley was a 2nd rounder. Larry Foote, a 4th. NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, undrafted.

I think if there is another team that might approach that kind of organizational consistency in the coming years, it's the Giants. With what they have in place, it looks like they'll be a strong contender for a long time. I like what I've seen so far from the Reese/Coughlin combination, and I think they'll make the right moves this offseason to add to the strong young nucleus they have. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward are both becoming free agents. Obviously, re-signing Jacobs is a must. And I don't expect to see Plaxico Burress back in a Giants' uniform, so wide receiver will be another pressing need. The lack of a downfield threat really hurt them towards the end of last season. On defense, it appears they're set, but if there is one area that can imrpove the most, it's the secondary, which is simply slightly above average, and middle linebacker, where Antonio Pierce is starting to show his age. In the 2009 draft the Giants have one 1st round pick, and two 2nd round picks, so I'm eager to see what they do. Ah, the NFL season never ends. The Lions are on the clock!

Super Steelers

What a wonderful game. The Cardinals gave them a heck of a fight, but the Pittsburgh Steelers won their 6th Super Bowl. We are so often prone to the "Error of Recency," wherein the last thing we see tends to resonate the most. But sometimes it can actually be true, and I believe that over the past two seasons, we've seen the best two Super Bowls ever. Last year's is still #1, but this was close. It's going to be a long 6 or 7 months without the NFL, but whenever I feel the need to watch a game, I can turn on either one of these past two Super Bowls anytime, and become happy.

A few immediate observations from the game...

-Ben Roethlisberger has cemented himself as a great quarterback. He was clutch, tough, and incredibly poised. So few times in Super Bowl history has a quarterback led a game winning, length of the field drive with under two minutes to go, but Big Ben did it. (Eli Manning did it last year too - am I mentioning last year's Super Bowl a little too much yet?) And I have never seen a quarterback scramble so well behind the line of scrimmage. Roethlisberger made so many great plays where he had to buy extra time for his receivers to get open. While Santonio Holmes was a great choice for the game's MVP, Roethlisberger would have also been a fine pick.

-And that leads me to Holmes. Dynamic, electrifying, so dangerous with the ball. The Steelers did a good job of giving him a chance to do damage, with quick, short passes, letting him run after the catch. And what else can be said about his game winning grab in the back corner of the end zone.

-Again the Error of Recency becomes a possible reason, but I can't think of a more exciting, game-changing defensive play in the history of the Super Bowl, than Harrison's interception and 100 yard return for a touchdown. His dropping back into coverage surprised Kurt Warner, and Warner made the most crucial mistake of the game. Several great blocks were thrown by the Steelers on the return, and Harrison had just enough in the tank to make it to the end zone.

-It seems like a cliche among sports fans is to be critical of an announce team, as if they could do better. But Al Michaels and John Madden did a great job calling the game. I wouldn't expect anything less from Michaels, the most polished, professional, level-headed commentator in all of sports broadcasting. Speaking of cliches, I expected to hear a lot of them regarding the Cardinals and the underdog angle. I'd have set the over/under line at about 25 on how many times they'd say the words "unheralded," or "unsung hero." But that never came. Not once that I heard. I owe you an apology, Al, I should have known better. And while Madden will be guilty of stating the obvious at times, he didn't do it nearly to the level he's satirized for.

-If I have one criticism of NBC however, it's the lack of variety on replays. For instance, the Steelers kept Larry Fitzgerald from hurting them for most of the game, and I would have liked to seen how. Reportedly, NBC had about 40 or 50 cameras on the game, so surely one or two were fixed on Fitzgerald on each play. Show us exactly why Fitzgerald wasn't open, and what kind of coverages the Steelers used. Pittsburgh left a lot of Arizona receivers wide open in the flats - show us where those Steeler defenders were. The average football watcher, especially in the general audience for the Super Bowl, was probably wondering, "Why don't they just throw it to Fitzgerald? He's awesome."

-And that leads me to Fitzgerald...who is awesome. Yes, he was taken away for most of the game, but like a ticking time bomb, he finally went off in the 4th quarter with his deep TD catch and run right down the middle. It was quite a lapse in coverage by Pittsburgh, and it was all Fitzgerald needed. Fitzgerald also unleashed his inner Tyree with his other TD, using the top of his helmet to aid his leaping catch. By the way, David Tyree already wrote a book, but I think "Unleash Your Inner Tyree" would be a great title for a motivational book. It would also need a good subtitle, incorporating his jersey number. I'm thinking, "Unleash Your Inner Tyree: 85 Ways To Improve Your Life."

-The one tactical decision by the Steelers that I'll question, is Coach Mike Tomlin's decision not to go for it on 4th and inches at the goal line after Roethlisberger's TD run was overturned. In some ways, when a coach decides to kick a field goal from inside the one yard line, he is telling his team that he doesn't believe in them to get that half a yard. I think this can be very deflating, even though points are put on the board. Even if you're stopped, you've pinned the other team on the one yard line to start their drive. If I was a head coach, there would be very few circumstances where I wouldn't go for it on 4th and inches at the goal line.

-Hines Ward is super tough, but was not a big factor in the game. I think he was still really hurting.

In closing, I am really happy for the Steelers and their fans. The win could not have come for a better organization, or fan base. I've said this before, but unlike the Cowboys and their 1970s marketing ploy that the more uninitiated fans fell for, the Steelers are the real America's Team.

Super Bowl Prediction

In the week and a half or so since the Championship round, I was feeling pretty nervous about this game. But I’m finally ready to take a stand. Give me the Steelers. And if you’re a point spread gambler…if I have to lay the 7 points, I’ll do it. Also, take the “over.”

Last week, I compared the pregame scenario of this Super Bowl XLIII, to that of Super Bowl XIV. A 9-7 team that got hot at the right time, with an ex-Steelers coordinator on their staff, facing a dominant Steelers team, in a game that was closer than it looked on paper. However, I see this game playing out more like Super Bowl XIX.

In Super Bowl XIX, the Miami Dolphins faced the San Francisco 49ers. Miami started the game well, but after a while, the one-dimensional Dolphins were exposed, and the well-balanced 49ers took full command of the game. The final score: 49ers 38, Dolphins 16. At one point late in the game, 49ers offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu turned to a sideline camera and said something like, “They came here to see an offense…and the wrong one showed up.” I see the Steelers’ offense showing more firepower than they are given credit for, and the Steelers’ defense forcing Kurt Warner into several costly mistakes.

Last year, I picked the Patriots, and hoped I'd be wrong. This year, I pick the Steelers, and hope I'll be right. My pick for this one will be the same score of Super Bowl XIX, plus an extra TD for Arizona to account for Larry Fitzgerald’s awesomeness. Final score: Steelers 38, Cardinals 23.

(Plus Czabe picks the Steelers, so that makes me feel better. Though he compares this one more to Super Bowl XXXV, Giants vs. Ravens.)

"Nothing Hurts Quite Like The One You Shoulda Had"

Good brief article today by Steve Czaban on why the Steelers had better not lose on Sunday.

Because I'm a sucker for lists

Fox Sports has the top 10 best and worst Super Bowl teams of all time. It's fun to see how their lists would compare to yours, and to take a trip down memory lane in the process. And it's interesting to try to figure out what criteria you should judge on, especially with lists like these. Do you rank by the team's overall season performance? Whether they played above or below their heads in the game? The level of the opponent they faced?

I think the "best" list doesn't have nearly the number of Steelers teams it could. Just one, the 1978 team, at #7. On the worst list, the only real surprise was the 1995 Steelers at #10. Several Vikings teams, or the recent Seahwaks or Bears, would have made a fine choice, considering what they did in the years surrounding their Super Bowl run, coupled with how they played in the Super Bowl. However, my friend Bill will be happy to see two Broncos teams on the worst list - though I actually think it's the wrong two.

The opposite of FJM-ing: Mike Freeman

CBS News's Mike Freeman had the courage to write this truth today. Insightful, bold, and since he just so happens to agree with me, brilliant. If you agree with him too, I encourage you to write Mike some positive feedback, as he is no doubt being bombarded with plenty of hate mail from bandwagon Cardinals fans.

That, or you can just go with the empty, vague, unquestioned cliche of "What a great story," as was done with the Tampa Bay Rays making the World Series. You can probably tell that I am annoyed by underdogs winning things, and that goes against probably 80-90% of mankind's approach to sports. I have tried to examine myself in the past few weeks and discover why this is so, and I think I am finally able to articulate it. I feel cheated when the team that I deemed was the better team coming in, doesn't come away victorious. Not cheated as in, "That team must have cheated to win," but cheated in the sense of being gypped, or deprived. I know, why bother playing the games if the underdogs can't win. But if I feel an outcome is a fluke, I tend to be disappointed. Yes, I root for the Yankees. I also root for Microsoft. And America. And yes, the Giants were the underdog in Super Bowl XLII. But they truly were better than the Patriots, evident in their physical domination of the more finesse-built Patriots at the line of scrimmage. That was no fluke. Tyree's catch? Also no fluke - only the greatest play in the history of organized team sports. (See, I have it all covered.)

The only thing I disagree with in Mike Freeman's column is that this Super Bowl's ratings will be sigificantly lower because the Cardinals are in. I think it will draw good viewing numbers, because A) The lack of Cardinals fans nationally will be more than compensated for by the abundance of Steelers fans nationally (Pittsburgh is the REAL America's Team; nice try with your 1970s marketing ploy, Cowboys)...and B) People watch the Super Bowl no matter what teams are playing. The NFL is not like the NBA or Major League Baseball - it just isn't affected as much by what cities/teams are involved.

Super Early Super Bowl XLIII Preview

To start with two observations...I know we often fall victim to the Error of Recency, but I believe Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide receiver ever. He is faster, stronger, and taller than Jerry Rice, and has just as good hands as Rice had. And I never saw Rice fight for as many "50/50" balls the way Fitzgerald can. Now, I'm willing to be convinced otherwise, as I realize I never saw Rice in his early years when he was at his most athletic, and physically dominant. But either way, before touting Kurt Warner for MVP due to his gawdy fantasy stats, just realize that any starting NFL QB (except probably Brett Favre) could be made to look pretty darn good if they were throwing to Fitzgerald. Heck, I think I could throw to him.

Also, I feel the Eagles' defense turned in the worst NFC championship performance ever. Kurt Warner was so, so comfortable in the pocket. Although both the Cardinals and Eagles won only 9 games in the 2008 regular season, I considered the Eagles the better team, and therefore have no choice but to call this another Eagles' choke. True, the Eagles got burned by some bad calls, but it shouldn't have come to that. I have a couple of friends who are Eagles fans and I genuinely feel bad for them. But hey, at least they have the Phillies, that should take the sting off a bit. Anyway, I think it's time for the McNabb/Reid era to end; how many times do Eagles fans have to watch that movie end the same way?

But back to the Cardinals, your 2008-09 NFC champions. This goes to show A) how random the playoffs have been this year, and B) how badly the NFL needs to fix their playoff seeding. A 9-7 team (3-7 other than their games with the Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams), getting two home games in the playoffs, should never happen. In the AFC, an 8-8 team hosting a 12-4 team, should also never happen. I really hope the league takes a look at this soon.

On the other hand, we have the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. A perennial juggernaut, there is no doubt they belong in this Super Bowl. It's their first Super Bowl appearance since 2005-06, when they faced another average NFC west team that simply won 3 games in a row at the right time. Pittsburgh of course won that game, so they hope history repeats itself. And the similarities with past Steeler triumphs don't end there. Following the 1979 season, the Steelers' Super Bowl XIV opponent was a 9-7 Rams team who, at the time, were the worst team ever to play in a Super Bowl. The Rams were feisty though. Like the 2008 Cardinals, they had an ex-Steeler coordinator on their side, the late Bud Carson, and the game was in doubt until a late Franco Harris touchdown run sealed a 31-19 win. History Fever, catch it folks!

Super Bowl prediction coming in a future post. (I'll try to make it by Sunday, February 1st - sort of helps the credibility.) Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch last year's Super Bowl about 4 or 5 more times.