The Dance is here!!!

I'm a little disappointed that Saint Mary's didn't get in but honestly it hurts to have your #1 player get injured for that amount of time. 

Michigan State got a 2 seed? Come on! Michigan State lost to Maryland (when they weren't winning) by 18 and lost to North Carolina by 35. Was beating Kansas and Oklahoma State (The only impressive out of conference games, unless you count Idaho or Alcorn State) justification for the two loses I mentioned? And losing to Ohio State by 12 means that they have momentum? I don't understand why everyone loves the Big Ten soooo much. If you ask me, the Big Ten was as pitiful as the Pac-10 this year and their top seed (Washington) got a 4 seed. 

Some small complaints about what has happened but overall I have to be happy that we don't do college basketball like football. (THANK YOU!) We know now that it is dance time that there will be many cinderellas in different seeds and conferences. 

Manny Ramirez was a cancer!

"It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that's exactly what was happening. Once we saw that, we weren't afraid to get rid of him. It's like cancer.... blah... blah... blah..." Most of this is a quote of relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon in Esquire magazine.

I guess that getting rid of him wasn't enough and Papelbon believed that he needed to get this off of his chest. Maybe he wants everyone to know that Manny brought the entire team down and that every mistake the Red Sox made was a result of Manny being on the team at that time.

Didn't the Red Sox lose to the Devil Rays with all of the weight gone in Los Angeles? Papelbon did blow a save while Manny was gone, just look it up. I'm just saying that the Red Sox weren't a bad team and that Manny didn't make them any worse than they were without him. If anything Manny at the age of 36 was a vital part of the team regardless of the gimmicks he was trying to pull.

Here is a look at what Manny did during his last 'season' with the Sox vs. what Bay did when he was brought to the Sox:

Head to Head - Games AVG SLG OPS

Manny Ramirez 100 .299 .529 .927

Jason Bay - - *49 .293 .527 .897

What Manny has done for the Red Sox over the course of his career will help put him in the Hall of Fame. He was by far the biggest face of the franchise other than Big Papi but things obviously got sour when his deal wasn't restructured. Even when Manny was supposedly sabotaging the Sox, he had better stats than Bay who was trying to prove himself in a new place. 

Papelbon don't try and blame the Red Sox choking to the Devil Rays on Manny. I'm pretty sure that he had nothing to do with the fact that you weren't able to make it to the World Series. My final question is: Manny is an LA Dodger and no longer affecting the Boston Red Sox, who is bringing up a dead topic and distracting the Red Sox now?

- D-Rae

Jerry is just getting started

Free agency has been in session and we hadn't heard anything from Jerry Jones.

I don't know about other NFL fans but this scared me. But thanks to the last couple days we can pretend that he has been here all along. Dropping Terrell Owens and Roy Williams (the safety) and  signing DT Igor Olshansky.

The media has commended Jones and the Cowboys for dropping Owens. Maybe I'm missing something but I wouldn't want to get rid of a WR of his caliber and have the chance that another contender could sign him. Over the course of three years, Owens caught 235 passes for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns. We all know that he was the secondary target for much of this period too.

I'm not trying to write off Roy Williams but his stats in 10 games last year are not comforting. In his time, he caught 19 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. I understand that T.O. and Witten were ahead of him on the totem pole but I would hope that he would've showed a little more for 1st, 3rd and 6th round picks.

What was Jones thinking for releasing him this late? Popular belief is that T.O. tore the Cowboys locker room apart and just doesn't help chemistry. But I really think that its just his reputation talking. Regardless, he is gone now and I wonder why Jones didn't attempt to cut him earlier so he could go after Ray Lewis or some other bigger name free agents.

Whoever decides to take the "risk" will end up with a player with as much impact on a single side of the football as Albert Haynesworth. The Cowboys just hope that the rest of the NFC East has run out of money because god knows that their secondary couldn't cover him.

-D-Rae

Kevin Durant's Jersey Retired....really?

No more #35 for the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team, since that number is now retired from a one-and-done player.

What a shame!

When I first heard the story about Kevin Durant's jersey being retired my first thought was, wow! What a great topic to argue about for the next few days, maybe it will get our minds off of steroids for a bit.

It amazes me that they are retiring a jersey from a player who went one year. It shows the standard the Texas has. Do you want your future prospects to see the fame they get from a university just for showing up freshman year? It makes retiring jerseys seem like a weekly award. Now listen, I have nothing against Kevin Durant and I am a big fan and think he is a great basketball player and he is for real in the NBA as well. But the fact of the matter is, he is not a "hang your jersey up in the rafters" kind of player. He only stayed one year and got his team to the Sweet Sixteen.

Let another Longhorn #35 do the same, don't ruin a good number.

I guess next will be A.J. Abrams #3 if we are going at this speed.

-J.J.

Recent Releases could make "Free" Agency interesting

Well we only have a couple of days until free agency finally starts and it looks like it could be a pretty interesting period. There are quite a few established (and recently released) veterans hitting the market and the only questions with a lot of them will be age.

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The recently released:

RB

Warrick Dunn: He will be a veteran back who knows how to hit the hole but I think he hasn't been the Dunn of old in several years. 

Fred Taylor: If the Bills end up with Taylor, and they are rumored to, this will be a good acquisition. He doesn't have the normal wear and tear because of the rest he has had based on injuries and Mojo Drew sharing carries. 

Deuce McAllister: In the right situation (a shared backfield), I think that he could be a good pick up. I think the release is more of a situation of Pierre Thomas being a cheaper, younger replacement than McAllister hitting the 30 year old wall.

WR

Marvin Harrison: He deserves his own paragraph. This man definitely hasn't been the same since the injury. But if I was a coach looking to make the next step offensively I would pick him up and move him to the slot. With decent receivers on the outside I think he would be a great spread offense option on quick slants. Not going to break it for much more than 10 yards but who needs that in a dink and dunk system.

Joey Galloway: Galloway seems to have lost a step with Bryant being the bigger receiver last year. Is that really him losing the step or the lack of offense to back him?

Laveranues Coles: Kind of in the same boat as Galloway.

Mike Furrey: Great number three wideout.

LB

Cato June: I think that the person with the most upside is LB Cato June. The former Colts standout didn't quite fit in with the Bucs and I think that if he could find the right situation he could really surprise some people.

Derrick Brooks: Derrick Brooks is interesting here. I think that he has a lot to give to the team that goes after him. He may not be a game changer but I think he will be a solid player.

CB

Dre' Bly: This may just be the product of a new administration in town (they cut five other defensive players already). Even with some years in the tank I think that Bly wouldn't be a bad number two corner.

Chris McAlister: My question is how bad was the injury? This might not be worth the risk.

S

Gibril Wilson: Poor guy was the MVP of the Raiders defense last year and gets cut. He will make some defensive coordinator really happy. Update: Dolphins just signed Wilson.

- D-Rae

Manning to Harri....Nope, Not Anymore

It was just released today that the Colts have released WR Marvin Harrison, who is second all-time with 1,102 catches.

Harrison wanted out, and he got his wish. I have to admit that it will be weird seeing #88 no longer in the blue and white, catching bombs from Manning. But we all realized that with every year Reggie Wayne was becoming the Colts #1 guy, and after the Harrison controversy with the shooting outside his Philadelphia bar, there needed to be some change.

The biggest question that we now have to answer is...where will Harrison go? Many think Philadelphia, where Mcnabb has been begging for a number one receiver, which could be found with Harrison. It a perfect match. Harrison does not have a big personality, (which we saw the problems Mcnabb had with big personalities...T.O. to say the least) He doesn't complain when he doesn't get enough throws (yet again, T.O.). And last but not least Deshaun Jackson looks like a string bean, the kid is tiny!

I personally would love to see #88 with the Eagles, I think it would make the NFC East THAT much better, it would bring the Eagles to a point with no more excuses about losing the big game. Last but not least it would be more exciting football.

It is a bitter sweet goodbye for Marvin Harrison, but it will be a great story to see where he lands this next season.

-J.J.

A-Rod and Combine Comments

(same pic, new news)

Ok, I retract my statements about T.O. following A-Rod to regain favor. With more information coming out about A-Rod I definitely don't think his image will make a comeback anytime soon. Taking drugs that were illegal even in the Dominican Republic and working with trainers that were banned by the league are just a couple of the new things that have come out about the former golden child.

On a side note, QB Matthew Stafford won't throw at the combine and WR Crabtree won't run either. I hate when these guys don't perform at the combine or even at their pro days. I know that some of these things are pointless but I think that it is all part of the process. I think that both are making financially good decisions because I don't think that Stafford will put on a show and I really am starting to question how fast Crabtree is in straight line speed. He's a fantastic player but I won't be surprised to see a +4.5 40 which would definitely hurt his stock.

-D-Rae

Back to the Good ol' Days....

So it has been a few years....like 9 (I believe) since we have seen Ken Griffey Jr. in a Mariners uniform.

And I have to say, it feels nice.

Amongst all the other baseball news I have to say this is my favorite headline. I'm sick of roids, I'm sick of A-Fraud, I'm sick of Bonds, and the Steroid era. This is what baseball needs. For all of you Mariners fans this is a time to rejoice, even though he may win you a difference of 10 games. That's not the point, the point is, Griffey is back in Seattle!!

It brings many back to their kid in them, back when they were 10 and watching Griffey pop some over the fence. It is exactly what Seattle needs. In fact, more sports need to respect their legends and if they have a good opportunity... sign them. It will put for rears in the seats.

Plain and Simple.

p.s. Tyson Chandler trade was reverses, he didn't pass his physical.

J.J.

I know how to get T.O. some love again

Ever since his falling out with McNabb(not quite a saint either), T.O. has never been the same. Even though he is a reporters best friend when he speaks his mind, he can't seem to find any press singing him praises. He hasn't done anything negative towards his team in quite some time but everyone still thinks of him as a negative influence. I personally think that T.O. is just fine and am quite happy to have him on America's Team. But in order to bolster his awful reputation I've figured out how to fix things.

Just follow Alex Rodriguez or as he was starting to be called A-Fraud. The man was thought of as a fraud by his teammates and his former manager Torre and also cheated on his wife with Madonna. People were starting to tear this man apart for his lack of clutch performances(equal to T.O.'s lack of rings) and this rep downers. What'd A-Rod go and do? He had Sports Illustrated release information about him using steroids.

Ok, the steroids aren't helping his reputation but he is being supported by his teammates in the media. This is the most support they have shown for him since they were all 'excited' to see him come to the Big Apple. Other players have publicly ripped on A-Rod and steroids (Pujols and Big Papi) but you're opponents aren't supposed to love you and this hate will only help the victim image in the media. On down the road A-Rod will be seen as the man who owned up to the steroids when Clemens and Bonds are still fighting against the truth. This will undoubtedly create a much better public image for the man that was about to be known as A-Fraud.

Back to T.O., all he has to do is have a steroids scandal. I don't want to see performance enhancing drugs tear apart the NFL too (god knows that they all use them here if they do is girly baseball). But T.O. needs to get himself into some trouble (steroids) admit to it early on and then recover from being young and stupid and he'll be safe on his way to some media love.

I know it seems backwards but just watch. We will all love A-Rod again and T.O. should take note.

-D-Rae

Chandler to the Thunder...... That's like Cookies without the Milk

It is reported by the mother ship (ESPN) that the New Orleans Hornets are shipping away Tyson Chandler in return for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith from the Thunder.

WHY?!?!?!

When I read this story I automatically felt a bad feeling in my stomach like I'm about to throw up my chicken-bacon-ranch five dollar foot long. I know that the Hornets are getting a couple of descent ball players but they are sending their top defender. Let alone Chris Paul's recipient for the alley-oop.

I don't like this trade for New Orleans because I think that Tyson Chandler met more to the organization than just a big guy who could swat balls. I think he was a cornerstone of their team and played great alongside Paul and West. I remember the good ol' days when players that fans liked were able to stay in their city.

We are reaching a point to where this is strictly more of a business then entertainment, but the thousands of fans watching the games are there to be entertained, not to wonder how the payroll is doing for their favorite team.

-J.J.

Another #1 Bites The Dust

On Big Monday, #4 Pittsburgh beat #1 Connecticut 76-68. This is the fifth number one to lose this season which means we will have our sixth new number one this next Monday.

I'm happy that UConn was stopped because I'm sick of seeing Calhoun on Sportscenter telling me how great he is and how great the Big East is this year. I think that the Big East definitely has some good schools but it isn't the best conference in my opinion. 

Here are my rankings:

#1: The ACC

North Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson, Duke, Florida State

Between these five teams there could be two number one seeds given in the tournament. Top to bottom I don't think that there is a more athletic and talented conference. Even the "bad" teams in this conference would dominate other conferences. If you were to take McClinton and Miami out of the ACC and throw them into the Big 12, you'd be looking at a team that would easily be the number 2 or 3 team in that conference instead of the #10 in the ACC.

#2: Big East

UConn, Marquette, Pitt

I know this is supposed to be the big, bad conference like the SEC in college football but they don't really scare me. UConn and Pitt are solid number one seed contenders with their combination of inside and outside game and the Marquette looks like it is shaping up to be something exciting. The rest of the conference has a Jekyll and Hyde show going on. On any given night it seems that Louisville could beat Connecticut or lose to DePaul. I know that this is true in the ACC too (NC dominates Duke at times but loses to Boston College). The reason that the Big East is not my top conference is because I think that ACC is tough(could be ranked at any given time) 10/12 teams and that the Big East is tough about 7/16. Some teams from #8 down have a bloated overall W-L thanks to very light out of conference schedules.

#3: Big 12

Oklahoma

I think that Oklahoma is the only real contender in this conference but I think that the rest of the pack is above mediocre enough to put them ahead of the Pac-10 or Big Ten. I'm still not sure about Oklahoma and I would like to see what they would do head to head against a larger foe.

#4: Pac-10

The what the hell happened here conference. UCLA, Zona St., and even Zona were supposed to be top flight teams this year but have been beaten by some lower opponents. Washington is in the lead and kudos to them but I think that they are Pac-10 version of Missouri (where is the legitimate post offense?).

#5: Big Ten

I just had to put them up here to say please, please, please stop rating Michigan State so high. I really can't stand Izzo but what have they done to merit a top 5 ranking? Lost to NC and Maryland by a combined 53 points. Please let me know if you have an argument for Michigan State or the horrendous basketball that is the Big Ten right now.

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Blake Griffin and Oklahoma will most likely be the next top dog as long as they are able to beat Texas this coming Saturday. With only one loss the Sooners look like they could keep the top spot until the tournament thanks to the remaining Big 12 schedule. The scariest game left on their schedule looks like March 4th against now #10 Missouri. They run the fast break and press full court all game long. The Sooners will be favored though thanks to the Tigers lack of big man and/or anything to stop Blake Griffin.

Oh yea...

- D-Rea

Now the REAL NBA Season Begins!

OK, So yes yes...... Derek and I have been stale a little bit, while he was sick I was....... "sick". OK, so I was lazy. I realized that I kept checking the blog to see if D-Rae posted, if he didn't, neither did I. Talk about commitment.

With all jokes aside I just got done finishing yet another NBA All-Star game where yet again I got excited Friday night to just be disappointed by Dwight Howard being "superman" and trying to impress us by lifting the hoop two feet in which we knew he could jam that easily anyway. I love Howard to death and I think he brings a lot to the game but I have to admit that the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest may just turn into the Dwight Howard Variety Show. Every year he is going to break out the Superman cape and every year we will have to hear Kenny "the jet" Smith try and eat his microphone while screaming his catch phrases like, "It's over!!!!" and "Goodnight ladies and gentlemen!!!" While Earnie Johnson pretends that he is amused with that subtle giggle he gives.

The game was alright, I was even slightly impressed with the West's 19-0 run but then I remembered that this is an All-Star game so no defense is allowed right? Kobe and Shaq got the hardware for MVP's which ran shivers down my spine since I love the Lakers and miss those days with the dynamic duo.

With all the festivities aside now we will finally get a bigger audience watching the NBA. People are starting to realize that the NFL is over and their only choice over the NBA is the NHL, PGA, or Nascar...I'm hoping the NBA wins this viewing contest. So the second half of the season is beginning and I already have some thoughts and predictions to write down (by the way, I'm going to do this in list form, just because it looks cool).

1st: Terry Porter is out of the big sun, possibly the best decision the Suns make all year. It will be interesting how this Amare Stoudimire thing works out... could be the Pau Gasol trade of this year.

2nd: On the west side of things, Lakers are top dog, but I'm going to put Denver in 2nd, and Portland in 3rd when it comes to playoff time. Portland and Denver are two dangerous underrated teams in my book.

3rd: On the East side of things, I still like Boston at one, Cleveland at two. But don't be surprised if Miami, Detroit, or Atlanta could land in that 3rd spot. With Nelson out in Orlando, it could be a 4th or 5th seed kind of year for the Magic, with Nelson out, that's a big blow.

4th: This is a side note, watch out for Memphis in about three or four years. They have a Portland Trailblazers feel to them and I think they will turn some heads in a few. Oh and I DO NOT like the Miami-Toronto trade. Since when does a player make a game winning dunk and then gets shipped out to Canada....eh?

5th: I'm expecting a pretty good second half, not as good as last years though since the west is weaker, and the whole Boston Three Party feel has worn off. I'm expecting Kobe and Lebron to take most of the headlines from here on out, with a couple of trade talks in the early going. There will be regular discussions if the Cavs could take down Boston in the playoffs, and the same for the Spurs taking down the Lakers.

This is where the REAL NBA season begins. It should be a good one. Hopefully America....hopefully.

-J.J.

The King (just not of the All Star game)

I don't know about everyone else but I was witness to this year's NBA All Star game. Let me tell you,  if you missed the game I'll just say that you didn't necessarily miss anything. The highlights for me included seeing LeBron display his 'great' outside shot and him shank a couple dunks. Is it just me or did Jordan, not Jordan but Wizards Jordan, missed one dunk and got ostracized. LeBron missed a couple and I'll predict that we don't hear anything about it in the coming week. I'm happy that Kobe and Shaq were the co-MVPs. I'd really like for Shaq and Bryant to get reunited but I'm sure we won't see that (please new Suns admin!!!!). I enjoyed Shaq breaking it down with god knows what the name of that dance team is but I really liked him making a fool of Superman on the between the legs give and go. As for LeBron... here is hoping that those missed dunks will come at more crucial times in this season and seasons to come.

It's been awhile!

Ok, so I've been a big wuss lately and haven't posted in a little over a week. To my credit I've been sick and the doctor pulled a Heath Ledger (too soon?) and prescribed me medicine that I'm allergic to. This is my note that we are still working on the blog but the posts may become less frequent as our semesters pick up.

A-Rod, A-Rod, A-Rod!

Thanks to you, Phelps gets to be thrown on the back burner. Cheating on your younger hotter wife with Madonna was bad enough but now this lol. Does anyone know how old Madonna really is? or where all she has been? I'm kind of kidding. I know that the steroids happened in the past but does the MLB want this to linger on forever? I think that they should do one of two things. Either make steroids legal and just call it MLB Slugfest or say from this point on in 2009 players have a blank slate but punishments will come after this with more strict testing. I personally favor the just make steroids legal. I just don't think that the MLB can put this behind them. When the best players of this generation (Clemens, Bonds, Rodriguez) have all been caught, where else can you go?

Dunk Contest

This year's dunk contest was fairly disappointing to me. I think that Rudy was snubbed on his second dunk with the alley oop by Pau Gasol. It took him his full attempts but he eventually got it and the movement for that rap around was worth way more than 42 or 43. I'm just saying... I like both Nate the Great and Superman but it just didn't fall out the way I wanted it to. I think Nate played it the way he should've and won because of it but I think that Superman Howard played out his dunks in the wrong order. He shoul Fernandez d've brought out the extended hoop in the final round and then jumped clean over Nate. I'm not talking about his crotch sliding over his head but to have Howard's feet clear over Nate's head on the 12' hoop. This would've been a perfect closer going into the next year against LeBron (who I bet doesn't sign up).

 

UNRELATED TO SPORTS : Chris Brown and Rihanna

Will this grow into the tumultuous relationship known as Bobby and Whitney? I used to think that Brown was a nice guy and had some good music but there are no excuses for laying a finger on a woman. I don't know what happened in the altercation but I lost a lot of respect for Brown and just hope that Rihanna sets a good example to her fans by walking away from him.

Sweep the Series against the Cavs and the Celtics...........Check.

Now I'm not going to write an article about A-Rod because I simply couldn't care anymore, baseball is all about who's cheating and who's not and it is just turned into a finger pointing sport.

Now I will talk about the Los Angeles Lakers, (I know I know, they are my team, but they have much reason to be written about) The Lakers have accomplished what everyone has wanted them to. First, came the Christmas day showdown between defending champ Celtics. They beat them by 9. OK well they have to beat the Cavs, well, they did that too. They beat them soundly but Cleveland was facing injury problems and the Lakers were on their home floor. (because the Cavs "can't" be beat on their home court) Next came the game on Thursday, where the Lake Show had to travel to Boston to beat the C's on their home court, oh, and they are missing star center Bynum.

They can't beat the C's in Boston could they? I mean, the last time they were there they got blown out by 39 in the finals remember? So they can't beat them right!?!?

Well, they did. Yes, yes, believe it or not, the Lakers have turned some heads by showing that they can win without Bynum whether it be Kobe dropping 61, or Kobe dishing out dimes and playing tough D, and letting Gasol get the fatty stat line.

OK so the big game on Sunday, the purple and gold had to travel to Ohio and beat Bron' Bron' and the 23-0 home court record Cavs.

They couldn't win that game could they???

Yep. They can. They did it in a surprising way too..... Lamar Odom had one heck of a stat line.

28 points 17 rebounds.

A while back the skinny Rhode Island man didn't even start on this team.

So what do these series sweeps say about this team out west. It says that this team is good, really good. They haven't just beaten these teams, they have beaten these teams while many easterners (which have the best basketball conference this year, yes....... they really do) believed that these Lakers could not beat these two Eastern Conference giants. The surprising element in these four wins is the way that they have won these games. These four wins haven't happened because Kobe dropped 50 on each, they have won by playing team basketball, good defense, and good shooting.

After the big loss in Boston a few months ago in the Finals, I wondered about this team, if they were tough enough, or if Kobe could really lead this team to a ring without a big name star, (believe it or not, I still do not think that Gasol is that big of a star) and this is the team that has answered all my questions. They have great bench play by Trevor Ariza, and Jordan Farmar especially. They have gotten tougher defensivly and even with Bynum out (again) I still believe this team is tougher. Kobe has COMPLETELY evolved into a leader that will sacrifice points for wins, (something that I would never imagine in the 2005-2006 season) and everyone knows their role on this squad and is in their place.

With these four big wins we have seen them prove these questions we all had as we watched Boston raise the trophy last year........and they proved it pretty well.

-J.J.

p.s. Adam Morrison is now a Laker, that is some of the best sports news I've heard in a while

Even With Big Bynum Blow, Light Still Shines With Kobe's 61

First of all, I'm not going to write a blog about the Super Bowl because it ended controversial with no official booth review at Kurt Warner's "fumble". Congrats to the Steelers, even though I hate them.

Now, on to my main topic, who else but my favorite athlete in the whole entire world, Kobe Bryant.

After the huge and sickening blow I felt after I heard the news on Lakers center Andrew Bynum tearing his MCL (I feel for him, I've torn my MCL before as well....... stupid snowmobiles) it seemed like yet again the Lakers would have to deal with another half season or so without Andrew Bynum. Then I got the ESPN alert last night that the Lakers beat the Knicks in MSG and Kobe had a heckuva (yes, that's a word, they put it in ESPN magazine so it must be legit) stat line including 61 points.

Then I became relaxed again. See, this is what Kobe does, he transforms himself into the player he needs to be. Just a few days ago, everyone was talking about Kobe not needing to put in as many points but he has now become a defensive leader for the Laker squad. Then Bynum goes down and he throws down 61 points (20-20 from the free throw line) in New York where no other Knick opponent has done before (a little side note, he broke this guy named MJ's record).

Now I'm not saying that Kobe is better then MJ. He's not, Kobe is Kobe. I'm just saying that the veteran Kobe (a few years ago all Kobe Bryant was about is scoring and hogging the ball, we all remember) has been able to transform himself into the player he needs to be to have the best chance of the Lakers getting the W.

Bynum out? I'm not scared one bit. Unless he is out for the playoffs, then we have some problems.

p.s. Sorry for the short blog today, the stress of college homework is starting to finally way down on me.

-J.J.

Shame on you Mr. Phelps!

Yes I know. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl. At least I had the winner correct in my prediction. I'm still disappointed in the Cardinals. Not that they lost the game but that they had to lose by such a close margin and in that particular way. I don't know if this would've helped anything but Fitzgerald needed to pull a Westbrook and fall down at the one yard line that way there wouldn't have been so much time on the clock. Sure they still would've needed the TD but it's another way to look at it.

Now to the headline, Michael Phelps was recently put on the cover of a tabloid called the News of the World. On the cover picture, Phelps is seen partaking in a little puff puff pass on the University of South Carolina campus. An anonymous source was quoted as saying that Phelps looked as comfortable with a bong in his hands as he does in a pool. This is the second time that Phelps has taken part in a disappointing behavior for the American role model. For those that don't remember Phelps was caught in 2004 drunk driving at the age of 19 immediately following the Olympic games in Athens.

For the second offense, Phelps should be punished in someway or at least given some negative media. So far all that has happened is that the Olympic committee is telling him how disappointed they are and he promises that nothing like this will ever happen again. Now I don't have a quote but I'm sure he made some kind of promise like this after driving intoxicated. On top of everything all of his sponsors are completely backing him. I don't look down upon those that use "recreational" drugs but Michael Phelps, with all 14 of his gold medals, is reaching Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods status where he is expected to act a little more responsible. Yeah, Jordan had his gambling problems but this is a little more serious if you ask me. Personally I forgot about his drunk driving at age 19 so my first reaction was by god the guy is human.

Next person: Tim Tebow. Whether he is smoking drugs or something else, this guy is just too perfect in the limelight. I give him a couple years after his senior year before we find out what all the missionary boy is really a part of... just kidding... but seriously.

- D-Rae

Super Bowl

Well the day is finally upon us. What is everyone eating for the big game? Do you have a traditional food/meal/snack during the big one? I would be eating my pops' famous chip dip but across the country so I'll probably find my way to a Super Bowl Party that is dealing out free food. More importantly, Colbert of Colbert Report (you don't pronounce the t's) has stated that we are currently in a nationwide wing shortage so I'm hoping that everyone can find a tasty alternative and that we don't have to result to eating Cardinal wings that the Steelers prepare for us later tonight.

I think that the underdog finally gets stopped today (don't mistake that with who I want to win). I know that the Cards line hasn't given up that many sacks and that Warner is a veteran QB that knows how to get rid of the ball quickly. The scary thing is that during certain moments the Eagles looked like they had figured out how to stop the offense. Whether that is because of good play on the defense or because of increasingly conservative calls, I'll never know.

I just woke up this morning not feeling the Cards' chances in this game. They say all good things must come to an end and I believe we might see that for Warner and this team. President Obama has even stated that he is a Bears fan first but a Steelers fan second. Now if you are ref during this game, do you help the Steelers with the hope that Obama may give you more beneficial tax cuts or bonuses than the other refs? I think you most certainly do. We've already seen another NFC West team jipped out of a Super Bowl by the referees (Pitt vs Seattle) and I got a feeling it may not even come to that today.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 24  (At least 1 Def/Special Teams TD)

Arizona      10  

I hope that my prediction is incorrect but after mulling it over it just feels right.

- D-Rae

The Only Super Bowl Preview You Need To Read (Well, except for D-Rae's of course)

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!! (in monster truck voice) That's right, Sunday is the big day, its the day when we can finally find an NFL champion. Could it be the Steelers, who have cemented themselves as one of the best (if not the best) pro football franchise? Or will it be the suprise surprise (cough cough, I knew it all along cough cough) Arizona Cardinals (OK, I didn't know it all along, in fact, I'm pretty darn surprised myself, and I'm a west coast guy remember?) The fact of the matter is, by Sunday, no more analysis about how each team will win, or what this team has to do, or that team has to do. It will be all in the books by late Sunday night (unless somehow we had like a gabillion overtimes or something like that, I'll have to ask Mcnabb about the rules) we will have a victor.

So I'm guessing by now your wondering how possible will you have a educated guess by who has the best shot.

Well, you came to the right guy. The basic principles in this Super Bowl are two basic things. Can the Steelers defense stop Larry Fitzgerald and push senior citizen Kurt Warner to the ground. The principle for Arizona is if they can protect their elder (aka, Kurt Warner) and get some sort of alternative offense if they do stop Fitzgerald.

On the side for Arizona this team should not be called the "underdog" anymore, in the NFL, there is no underdog and from the past few years we should be able to realize that for now. This Arizona team has played with high intensity offense, and their defense has been able to force turnovers like a Pop-Warner game. They have just as good of a shot as Pittsburgh in my book. One of the overlooked disadvantages they have is that they wont have many of their "fans" coming to Tampa, since I'm sure most of their "fans" (remember, no one has really liked the Cardinals since they moved, except for the occasional average Joe you find in Arizona, which is hard to find) will enjoy a nice seat on their leather couch and 42" Plasma. They also aren't fighting to get out of the cold like those Steeler fans are.

On the side for Pittsburgh, remember, they have had a couple of regular trips to this thing you guys like to call the Super Bowl. They won one recently in 2005 ( well, the Steelers and the refs won the game). Sorry Seattle, I know your still hurting. They have a good defense, good offense, and a tough nosed coach. (on a side note for Arizona though, remember that Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt used to be on the Pittsburgh staff, which could or could not give them an advantage) The only defect on the Steelers side of things is their QB, don't be mad Steeler fans, you know its true. Big Ben, (as they like to call him) has a "talent" of holding on to the ball for extremely long amounts of time to try to make some Superman play. Remember that Arizona did get a fumble on Mcnabb in the NFC Championship game. Other than that, the Steelers are the better team in this match up and I would say 7 out of 10 times they would beat this Arizona team.

That gives Arizona a 30% chance to win this game.

I'll give em' those chances.

My prediction. Arizona by 7.

-J.J.

Super Bowl: Key Matchups

Only a couple more days until the game and its time to break down the key matchups that will make or break the game for the Cardinals or the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

QB Kurt Warner vs. S Troy Polamalu

No matter what the Cardinals have done running the ball recently, they thrive and rely on Kurt Warner putting the ball in the air and preferably to Fitzgerald or Boldin. With Warner lining up against the Steelers defense it is safe to say that, once again, he will be counted on to get the ball out and quickly. This is what leads us to the matchup; Mr. Grocery Man vs The Hair. Troy Polamalu has terrorized QBs all season and will definitely be a huge defensive threat. The man had 7 Ints on the season and will look to add to that with Warner having to get the ball out quickly. It isn't a mystery that Warner will look to Fitzgerald in tough times so look for Polamalu to try and stop what no NFC team has done these playoffs.

Advantage: S The Hair

 

QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. the Cardinals pass rush

It is time for Big Ben to show up to the big ball. Last time around Roethlisberger struggled against a less than stellar Seahawk defense and the Cardinals are a little better. The key for Roethlisberger is to have relax and throw the ball. Now the Cardinals pass rush isn't revolutionary but Roethlisberger is known to regularly hold on to the ball for longer than the recommended 3 seconds giving his offensive line a bad name. Maybe the key matchup isn't Roethlisberger vs DE's LaBoy, Smith, and Berry but rather Roethlisberger against himself. If Roethlisberger can stop his tendency to get happy feet he could have a big game. But who am I kidding, Roethlisberger was only able to muster a total of 3 TDs in 2 games against the Cincinnati Bungals.

Advantage: Cardinals Pass Rush (If they want success they'll blitz S Wilson almost every play)

OLB's James Harrison/LaMarr Woodley vs. T's Mike Gandy/Levi Brown

Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison and (Currently moving on up from underrated) LaMarr Woodley will be hounding Warner all day long and it will be up to Gandy and Brown to attempt to slow them up. When both of the 3-4 OLB's come on the blitz the opposing QB better look out. Gandy and Brown got a glimpse of what they will see on Sunday when they played Jim Johnson's Philly defense. Both of the T's did an adequate job of picking up the infinite blitzes but when they started to struggle later in the game, so did the Cardinals. Now it is impossible for them to be asked to stop Woodley and Harrison but they must do everything they can to keep the slow Warner upright. If the RB's can help with some of the blitz pickups this would lighten the load but I expect something similar to the whooping that Brady received last year from the Giants pass rush.

Advantage: OLB/DE's Harrison and Woodley

WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. CB Ike Taylor

Last but not least is the matchup of perhaps the best player in the game, Larry Fitzgerald, and Pittsburgh's best cover corner, Ike Taylor. The way Fitzgerald has played in the last three games is out of this world. With 23 catches for 419 yards and 5 TD's there is no one in this league or universe that can cover the man. Don't get me wrong, Ike Taylor is a good corner on a very good defensive squad but matching up against Fitzgerald right now is like asking someone to go man up with Jordan with no help. Expect the Steelers to be smart and roll their coverage Fitzgerald's way (Note to Fitzgerald: Look out for Ryan Clark. He will hit you helmet to helmet. He willnot feel any shame about possibly ending your career.... and oh yea, he won't get fined) but Boldin is "healthy". Everyone else has attempted to stop Fitzgerald, without a 100% Boldin and knowing that the ball is coming his way, and everyone has failed. With the things I've seen this postseason, there is no way that Fitzgerald can be stopped (unless you count Warner getting bloodied up from the relentless Steeler blitz).

Advantage: WR Larry Fitzgerald

What about us? Mountain West Confrence seeks automatic BCS bowl bid

Everyone remembers the big win Utah had against rough and tough Alabama, and not many will forget the beating that they give the big SEC powerhouse. Which brings us to today. It is reported by ESPN, who got it from USA Today, that the Mountain West Conference (who includes Utah, BYU, and TCU all in their conference) are begging for a automatic BCS bid like the other big boy conferences, which seems like a fair question to me.


Now, this Mountain West Conference has some pretty darn good football teams, but the question remains. Could the Mountain West be consistent? That is my one main concern with small conferences, is that they go through more streaks then a middle aged woman with menopause.


I am not a huge fan of giving the Mountain West an automatic bid just yet, but I have a master plan to help them get there.


First, drop Wyoming. When I look at them I just think that the Mountain West is on a different level then where Wyoming is at. Next, add two teams, (and I am already guessing you know what I'm going to say) Boise State, and Fresno State. Boise State can even make an argument about being in the Pac-10 (especially that now their basketball team went to the big dance last year). If you put Wyoming in the WAC and throw Boise State and Fresno State in the mixing pot of the Mountain West, now you have five legit teams to throw down in one conference.


If the Mountain West can make that happen, then I will legitimately give them a solid argument to get an auto bid, with five talented teams in one conference, you will get consistency from at least two of the teams and recruiting would show consistency as well. With an auto bid to the Mountain West, no longer would we have to put up with another Cincinnati v.s. Virgina Tech match up in January.


I am all for the little guy upsetting the big guy, I could replay the '07 Fiesta Bowl in my mind from start to finish, and I will always remember the stone cold face on Nick Saban's face when he was slowly realizing he is being outplayed by a team that is famous for a lake filled with salt (don't get mad readers, I was born in good ol' SLC). Last but not least I will always remember that early week in this years college football season when the Mountain West went 4-0 against Pac-10 opponents, now tell me that doesn't say something.


Hopefully we can get to a point in college football where the best teams get to play in the best bowl games. Someday America, someday.

-J.J.

NFL Sunday Quick Bits: Nobody likes to sit the bench

No, the Super Bowl isn't until next week but there isn't a lot of news today but I thought I'd talk about a couple things briefly.

First off I want to talk about the brief tiff between Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley and WR Anquan Boldin. Reports say that the argument on the sideline were because Boldin believed that he should be out there on the field but Haley thought that Boldin wasn't at 100%. Now if this is the case, I would like everyone to get off of Boldin's back and stop labeling him as the next TO. The man obviously wanted to be on the field for the (then) biggest game of his life. I don't think that what he did was totally out of line either. Everyone and their dog knew that Warner was going to throw the ball to Fitzgerald but it wouldn't hurt to have a limping Boldin decoy for part of the quarter. In the end the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl and people are looking for news but I think this is something that has become bigger than it should've been.

ESPN recently reported that Tennessee Titans are naming Kerry Collins the starting quarterback for next year already. With the year they had this year (despite the disappointing end), Collins deserves to be the starter next year over (so far) bust Vince Young. But with the emergence of the Wildcat offense in the NFL, why isn't Fisher putting Vince in there for a possession or two and seeing what he can do? I'm pretty sure that Young can run the ball (ask USC) and hand it off. The way I look at it Vince Young is probably a larger threat to throw the ball than Ronnie Brown in Miami's Wildcat offense so it will keep defenses from loading the box as much. I'm not saying that the Titans need to change their conservative philosophy completely but how scary would that backfield look with LenDale White, Chris Johnson, and Vince Young all able to take it to the house (LenDale might need some oxygen on the way there but I know he can take it too).

Lastly, I wanted to talk about Troy Aikman going on Michael Irvin's radio show and saying that Tony Romo needs to become a better leader on this team and that is part of their recent failures. Romo took Aikman's comments in stride and immediately came out in the media and said that he would be a better leader next year. These comments seemed really off kilter to me especially when Aikman referenced Romo's trip to Cabo that occurred last year. Do I think that Romo could be a better leader? Sure, but Aikman didn't need to be the one to say this to the world. Aikman rode Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and the Super Bowls to the Hall of Fame and all of the sudden became a god. I know that Romo would never do it but I would love for Romo to snap right back at Aikman and ask him to compare their stats:

3 Years CMP% P.Yds TD INT

Romo 63.6 % 10,562 81 46

Aikman 58.6% 7,082 31 46

Now tell me that Aikman has any room to talk and no the TD and INT totals are not typos for Aikman. I love what Aikman and Cowboys were able to do in the '90s but he doesn't need to be telling anyone how to play... Especially someone that has come into the league with more poise than he did. Romo and the 'Boys will be back next year and we will see if they can get by without the injuries and the major choking that happened this year.

- D-Rae

With a name like lil' Romeo, how could that not be a distraction.

First of all I have to say thank you to a young family at the WSU game tonight for kicking me and my brother-in-law out of our seats and showing us our right seats, which were 26 more rows down closer to the floor, four rows up from the floor.

So now that I have gotten all my thank yous and welcomes out of the way I got to enjoy a good collegiate Pac-10 basketball game. As I was sitting in my lovely seat at halftime I couldn't help but overhear the man in front of me screaming "HEY ROMEO, HEY ROMEO!" At first I was trying to wonder why I was listening to poetry references at a basketball game, but then I realized the lil' Romeo (a.k.a Percy Miller) was on the USC roster. That one glance of the teen rap star it brought me back to all those headlines and stories all about lil' Romeo signing with the USC basketball team. The sad part is was that he has simply fallen off the basketball talent since the signing.

Before I dive into my main point of this story let me give some season stats for lil' Romeo (Percy Miller).

PPG APG RPG

0.5 0.3 0.3

Wow! Now that is a stat line! Now before everyone starts to get all crazy on me for criticizing a freshman, I just want to say that the hype on this kid was pretty big. Just like all the rest of most college basketball freshman, lil' Romeo was expected to do big things.

As I was watching the game the same question was running through my mind the whole time.

Why would Tim Floyd recruit this kid? Can someone please tell me the perks of recruiting a ex-rapper/TV show star?

When I realized something, its Tim Floyd, and, its USC basketball. Now, I know that college basketball has turned into a freshman game to where everyone is checking out what teams have who, and where high school seniors are going to go, but that's not the point. Tim Floyd and the USC staff recruited a kid that goes by lil' Romeo, how can that be good?

Throughout the Washington State game you could point out young kids in the crowd with their hip-cool picture phones taking pics of the teen rap phenom (Who, by the way, sat on the pine for what it seemed like the entire game). How can that not be distracting to your teammates, the coaching staff, and the whole university itself? This question that bothered me brought me to one solution, Tim Floyd. I have to honestly say that I wouldn't put anything past that man. He seems to reek the aroma of "high profile" names that are ready to jump to the pro's faster than a fish out of water.

The point I'm trying to get across is that I would of taken any of the kids on Washington State's roster over Percy "lil' Romeo" Miller, and I'm not even that big of a coug fan. It brings great confusion to me about Tim Floyd in the fact that he would take a big enough risk to take a kid who is used to rhyming, wearing bling, and being in front of T.V. cameras. Romeo is listed at 5'11 and 170, but after looking at him, in actuality, let's give him 5"8 and a 160. The list goes on and on with the distractions this kid will bring, and I wont be surprised when he realizes NBA is not in his future and he divorces Tim Floyd and the USC Trojan basketball team.

I'm still amazed that there isn't a billion articles on Romeo and how he went from rap star, ( well, I shouldn't say star, that's reserved for Snoop doggy dogg) to Division I basketball player. At the end of the day, we could of probably seen a normal kid, who probably would work harder, play better, have better skills and would not be a celebrity suit up for the USC Trojans and give them a better shot for a championship.

Isn't that what Tim Floyd wants?

-J.J.

Sorry Herm, but we're gonna head in another direction...

The KC Chiefs have finally finished the front office cleaning with the firing of head coach Herm Edwards (GM Peterson "resigned earlier). I know that Herm was 2-14 last season and that his overall record with the Chiefs isn't that stellar either (15-34 in 3 seasons) but how can you get rid of a man when you committed to going young. Even while they were rebuilding they had better a better record than the rival Raiders. I can just imagine what went down in the meeting between new GM Pioli and Edwards:

"Hey Herm, we think that we're going in another direction." (Pioli)

"I know that we didn't have a great season but we committed to going young and we lost seven of those games by a TD or less." (Edwards)

"You have a valid point. And yes I know that you didn't have some of your most talented players for the whole season (Any QB/Thigpen was a starter!!!) but we don't believe that you are going to put us over the top." (Pioli)

 "Well if the fact that having several first and second year players being starters, close games, and Thigpen as my QB aren't good enough points to give me another chance then I don't know what will be." (Edwards)

"Thanks again Herm." (Pioli)

"Yeah your welcome... by the way do you have someone on the radar yet?" (Edwards)"

"I can't discuss that at the moment but hopefully we can find someone as dedicated as you.... Oh hey Mike, do you need something." (Pioli)

"You gotta be kidding me." (Edwards)

Ok, so Herm is out and Shanahan is most likely in. Do I think that Edwards or Shanahan should've be fired this offseason? No, definitely not and especially in Edwards case. They knew that they weren't going to the Super Bowl this year and there were some very promising bright spots on the team. WR Bowe is establishing himself as one of the best in the league and there was enough talent on the roster to give them the opportunity to win more games. With another year or two, I think that Edwards and the Chiefs could've created something really special but that won't come to fruition.

The hiring of Shanahan looks like brilliance though. He is a perfect fit for a team that has a variety of backs to put out there and he could mold what Edwards started into quite the team. If  it would've been an unproven coach (cough... Denver's new coach McDaniels) then firing Edwards would have really been questionable but I think that this combo of Shanahan and KC will work out. It doesn't hurt that Shanahan has worked for 3 out of 4 teams in the AFC West now (KC HC, Denver HC, LA Raiders HC). All I have left to say is good luck to Shanahan and I am looking forward to seeing the Chiefs/Broncos revenge game.

P.S.- Sorry Herm, hopefully you can someone who doesn't cut you when you commit to going young. Its just not right.

- D-Rae

Just Some Brotherly Love

which one do you believe?

In a recent ESPN article, it is reported that Jay McGwire, Mark McGwire's brother reported that Mark McGwire used steroids and HGH. I have one question for you, should we be surprised?!?!? Take a look at my picture above and tell me those arms are all milk and cookies. The big part of this story isn't that McGwire is jucin', its the fact that his own brother is ratting him out. Yeah my brothers ratted me out, but it was about me stealing some ice cream, not injecting myself with yummy juices through a needle.

You know what the best part is? Jay McGwire is trying to get himself a book deal out of the whole deal (I think he took a page out of Canseco's book, literally). So now this brings us back to square one with baseball, steroids. It never ends and it wont end for a while, steroids and baseball is like PB & J, chips and salsa, Brad and Angelina and any other combo you want to think of. The fact of the matter is, we need to start blood testing or just stop caring, oh and by the way, I'm not gunna stop caring. So that brings us to option 2, blood testing, now, I'm not saying we need to blood test every player, how about just the ones that start hitting their stride at 40 years old, or the ones that puff up like a balloon. If we can clean up baseball we can start thinking about what it used to be like it (by the way this is the perfect time to give my thank you to the Tampa Bay Ray's for giving us a great baseball story that doesn't involve needles and back zits). Baseball will clean up.......... Maybe.

p.s. This Jay Mcgwire makes Canseco look like a saint, he didn't get involved with family.

also I can't wait for thanksgiving 2009 at the McGwire residence. "hey Mark, could you pass the gravy?" (Jay McGwire).

-J.J.

Super... What!?!

First off I need to apologize for my lack of posts on the blog. I recently traveled back to college and have definitely been slacking in my first few days back. But who cares, I'm gonna put some work in finally! During my slouching J.J. has hit up the Super Bowl and the Arizona Cardinals so I'm going to try and stick to some good ol' NBA analysis. (Mr. Cheapshot Hines Ward will play in the Super Bowl... That means look out Cardinals, just ask Keith Rivers).

 

Is it just me or is the top of the Eastern Conference looking a little crowded this year? The Celtics are being matched and in some places outperformed by the Cavs and Magic). Even I have to admit that Cleveland (regardless of the last couple losses) are really looking like the team to beat. I'm not a huge LeBron fan but with him finally realizing that he has a good cast of players around him that know how to play defense and more importantly, make shots when he gets trapped. After the moves last season, the Cavs look like they could have a top tier team for years to come as long as LeBron stays(more on that in a bit) and they find the eventual replacement to aging Ilgauskas.

 

But mainstay Boston is still tough with their veteran cast and the Magic are looking scary as well. The Celtics had an awful four game losing streak but they've recovered with five straight wins. The old three looked a little outmatched in their losing streak but everyone know they will turn it on when it matters. The Fantastic Four (Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett) have the experience and winning last year definitely gives them the much needed past that teams have to draw upon when it comes playoff time. I think the loss of Posey may end up being their achilles heel if it comes down to a showdown with LeBron (38 pts in their last match).

 

The dark horse of the group, Orlando, is shaping up to be a huge force. The inside game of Howard mixed with all of the outside shooters throughout the roster (leading the league in 3 ptrs and setting the single game record this season for 3 ptrs made) could be nasty during the playoffs. Four out of the five starters are averaging between 17 and 20 points per game. Numbers like that make matchup problems and make it almost impossible to gameplan against one individual player.

 

Now I know I'm jumping the gun but ESPN and every other sports media outlet keeps letting us all know about what may happen if(and when) LeBron leaves Cleveland for Brooklyn... I mean New York. When the free agency hoopla finally begins in the summer of  2010, LeBron will be eyeing the Big Apple but my bet is with New Jersey/Brooklyn. Partial owner Jay-Z has spoken about moving the team and he is also good friends with Mr. James. 

Could you imagine the Nets sporting a possible starting five of:

PG Devin Harris

SG *Vince Carter

SF LeBron James

PF Does It Matter?

C Brook Lopez

* (Carter, for monetary reasons may be released but there will be a grab bag of stars like LeBron, Bosh, Wade, etc...)

If they can make it happen with the salary cap, the Nets would be holding one of the best players in the league along with an All-Pro point guard and a young but extremely high potential C in Brook Lopez. Attention all NBA teams (especially the Celtics and Lakers/Kobe): Get your rings while you can because after the summer of 2010... a dynasty may well be purchased instead of created the ol fashioned way.

- D-Rae

YES WE CAN! Words both our nation and the Arizona Cardinals can believe in

Now I know that this is my second Arizona Cardinals article but I promise this is my last one (at least till after the Super Bowl). On this monumental day of our nation where Obama is now our president we can believe that anything is possible, and that's exactly what the Cardinals are believing also. For many many years African-Americans were discriminated against and now on this day January 20, 2009 our new president is African-American. Wow! Talk about progress.

Just like the progression of our nation by electing a black president the Arizona Cardinals progressed to Tampa, Florida for the Super Bowl. The biggest question America has is if the Cardinals can beat the big boy Steelers. For the next two weeks you will all hear about the Steelers defense, Big Ben and everything else to give Pittsburgh the advantage, but I'm not doubting Arizona.

Even though I'm a west coast guy, I have to admit I have been religiously hooked on Bill Simmons' podcast. He says that the "no one believes in us" card is the biggest advantage in the NFL playoffs. Don't worry America, there is evidence. Look at last year, Giants take down Patriots, plain and simple that was a David beats Goliath finish. How about in 2002, Patriots were 14 point underdogs against the Rams, and what do ya know, they beat the Rams. This year will be no different, ESPN and all the other sports channels will tell you all about the strength of Pittsburgh, their defense is too tough for Arizona, their offense will outplay Arizona, the list goes on and on and trust me, Arizona is fine with being the underdog.

Just like America needed Obama to win the presidency, America needs the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl. There is nothing better in sports than seeing the underdog win the big game. Look at the biggest sports movies of all time, here's a few; Rudy, Remember the Titans, Miracle, Radio..... there is a lot more too. Do you notice a theme in all those movies? All of them involve the underdog winning the big game, and that's what we like to see. I have to admit though, I am glad everyone is picking the Steelers because when Kurt Warner (who is a hall of fame pick by the way, no doubt about it) raises the trophy, it will be that much sweeter knowing that no one believed in them (except for me and the state of Arizona).

So with that article I give you my Super Bowl pick, Arizona by 7. Also congratulations to Barack Obama on become our first black president, I hope your four years go great and I wish the best for you.

-J.J.