Super Bowl XL

It is on to Detroit:

Here are some random note-type things from the weekend's game:

Pittsburgh 34, Denver 17

Ben is the first QB in football history to go to the conference championship game in both of his first two seasons…Champ Bailey jumping that interception and then tipping the ball to Hines Ward may be the biggest play of the game…So, Pittsburgh almost turns the ball over 3 times on the first possession, and still gets a FG? This is a very good sign for the Steelers…Rod Smith has 797 career catches? And we wonder how Drew Pearson isn’t in the HOF with 400?...Heath Miller is a great tight end…Joey Porter is destroying Denver. Did they not game plan for him?...That tackle of Tatum Bell of Troy Polamalu is reason #382 why he is better than Roy Williams…Jerome Bettis has 13,600+ yards. Consider that for a moment…Jake Plummer’s beard concerns me, but he has played so much better since growing it that I will defer judgment until he returns to his normal self..I don’t care how great he is playing, Big Ben has to lose the gloves. That is the pansiest look in NFL History…Bettis fights in from 4 yards out and it is 17-3…Now, Denver has to be smart and get to the lockerroom, oops. Plummer just threw one up for grabs like he is P for K back in the schoolyard…Roethlisberger’s TD pass with :07 in the 2nd Quarter means that Steelers fans are going to Detroit. Perfect. To them, that is a resort city…I would once again like to suggest that this game is in doubt if Champ Bailey does what he always does with that near-interception to start the game…Down 27-17, John Lynch had a chance at a huge INT, and when it failed, so did the Broncos last chance…Now, maybe Bill Cowher can get his ring…

The biggest play of the year looks so innocent on paper:

3rd and 3 at PIT 44 (1Q 8:08) (Shotgun) B.Roethlisberger pass to H.Ward to DEN 49 for 7 yards (J.Lynch).

And now, Pittsburgh has beaten the #1, #2, and #3 seed. Never been done before, but now it has…But who would have thought there was ever a scenario under which the AFC #6 seed would be favored in the Super Bowl versus the #1 NFC seed?

Seattle 34, Carolina 14

The entire story of Steve Smith on Sunday is certainly an interesting one. Everyone knows that the key to the game is to get him the ball. The Seahawks know this, too, and that is why when Jake Delhomme makes the mistake of trying to get him the ball, the Hawks pick it off. Yet, when he does not, Steve Smith screams on the side line – why do WR’s all have to be petulant dopes?...Lofa Tatupu is a wonderful middle LB…Forgive me being a Packers fan, but former Packers great Mike Wahle’s bright yellow undershirt sure looks like Packer Gold…Shaun Alexander is great, and he is a free agent who has signed a contract that says the Seahawks cannot put the franchise tag on him…Let’s face it, you aren’t winning a game when you count on RB Jamal Robertson to carry the mail…I don’t think Carolina had any chance in this game once Nick Goings went down (actually, I didn’t think they had a chance with him), but down 27-7 inside their own 5, and facing a 3rd and 9 yards, the Panthers decide to run the ball up the middle and punt. That is the white flag…Mike Holmgren joins Dick Vermeil, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, and Bill Parcells to be the only 5 coaches to lead 2 different teams to Super Bowls. The other 4 coaches who have done it have not won at both places, so Holmgren could be the absolute only coach to pull off that double…



Kobe scores 81!!! …And Mark Stein offers some perspective…

You'll recall that, sadly, there's no footage of Wilt Chamberlain rumbling for 100 points in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962. Which makes it tough to commission an in-depth analysis comparing Wilt's feat (scoring 100 of his team's 169 points that day) to Kobe's (81 of 122). But I'll gladly settle for the forthcoming flood of Kobe replays, in which you'll see him haul the Lakers back from a 71-53 deficit against a Raps team that kept the game sufficiently close in the final quarter to keep Kobe out there shooting.

Against a Raps team that somehow held him to 11 points when the teams met in early December -- historic footage in itself now -- Bryant wound up with 55 points after halftime. Fifty-five. For a little perspective, please note that matches the best scoring game in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career. That's the same Abdul-Jabbar who, before becoming a Lakers assistant coach, was merely the NBA's all-time scoring leader.

And to those of you like me who are just sick enough to want to see what 81 looks like, here you go:

Today, Fox Sports West (652 on Directv) replays the game today at 2pm.

Here is the all-time list of single game performances:

100 -- Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia vs. New York at Hershey, Pa., March 2, 1962.
81 -- Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers vs. Toronto, Jan. 22, 2006.
78 -- Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia vs. L.A. Lakers, Dec. 8, 1961 (3 OT).
73 -- David Thompson, Denver at Detroit, April 9, 1978.
73 -- Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco at New York, Nov. 16, 1962.
73 -- Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia vs. Chicago, Jan. 13, 1962.
72 -- Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco at L.A. Lakers, Nov. 3, 1962.
71 -- David Robinson, San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, April 24, 1994.
71 -- Elgin Baylor, L.A. Lakers at New York, Nov. 15, 1960.
70 -- Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco vs. Syracuse, March 10, 1963.

Thanks to a random P1 for this:



Brad Sham with a beard. Love it.

Thankfully, the Mavericks Don’t let Steve Blake beat them …

The Mavericks, who led by nine with 4:05 left in the fourth, nearly were undressed by Steve Blake, Portland's rail-thin point guard. He scored the Blazers' final 11 points of regulation, including a 3-pointer that tied the score at 79 with four seconds remaining.

Another Blake three-pointer created a tie at 84 in the overtime. Harris, the second-year point guard, stepped in to do what his elders could not.

He broke the tie with a driving layup, his offensive specialty. Harris followed that with the game-deciding play.

More on the fallout from Rio’s big header to beat Liverpool …

text messages are the new recruiting tool …

Terry Frei with a column about obnoxious transplants …Well written, me thinks…

I just want to point out that I was on this rant before it happened, and that this guy lives locally …so, while I am not considering lawsuits, I would like a courtesy mention…

This is cruel: Smashing Gamecube …don’t make your little brother cry, please…

If somehow you still haven’t seen the Ovechkin goal, here it is …still amazing…

Gob on Conan …

By request, Footage of the Browns fan who was tackled by the Steelers …

Tv News

Sopranos and Arrested Developments …

Creator David Chase and stars like James Gandolfini and Edie Falco steadfastly said nothing about the plot turns in the last 20 episodes of the storied run of the series about mob families.

"We've been asked not to speak," Lorraine Braco told reporters.

Well, they did say this: The show returns March 12 (at 9 p.m.) with 12 episodes. Then it will air eight more _ the eight final episodes _ in January 2007.
---

There's little doubt left about the fate of "Arrested Development." Fox is giving up on it.

There's no official announcement _ yet _ but the network this week scheduled the "season finale" during two hours on Feb. 10 (from 8 to 10 p.m.). That's basically all the episodes they had left, all piled into one blast, and it's on a Friday night, never a sign your network expects many viewers.

But here's the worst part. It will air opposite the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, which will be watched by about half the world.

Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori admitted to critics that things don't look good for the show; still, he wouldn't say they're pulling the plug.

"I have to be frank," he said. "It's highly unlikely the show is coming back, but no definitive final answer has been made."

Evasiveness aside, you have to give Fox credit for sticking with "Arrested Development" for three low-rated and expensive, if critically acclaimed, years. Fox is also letting other networks _ including ABC and Showtime _ talk with producers about the slim possibility of picking up the show.

In the meantime, figure this is the last hurrah for one of the funniest, if unusual, TV comedies in a decade.

West Wing has had it, too …

The new president on "The West Wing" will be a real short-timer: NBC said Sunday that it was yanking the political drama in May after seven seasons.

The series finale will be May 14, preceded by a retrospective. The campaign to replace fictional Josiah Bartlet as president will be settled, NBC said.

NBC's announcement wasn't considered much of a surprise. Although this season's story line with a presidential campaign involving a Democrat played by Jimmy Smits and a Republican portrayed by Alan Alda has won critical acclaim, ratings sunk with the show's move to Sunday nights.

The network also outlined midseason schedule changes for "Law & Order," which moves to Wednesdays at 8 p.m., and "Las Vegas," which goes from Monday to Friday starting in March.

The decision to cancel "West Wing" was made before actor John Spencer, who played former presidential chief of staff Leo McGarry, died of a heart attack Dec. 16, said Kevin Reilly, NBC entertainment president.

Also, "The Office" will go off the air at the end of March so star Steve Carell can film a movie, Reilly said.

Remember when BaD Radio’s youth football team won the Lewisville City Championship? Well, I told you back then our coach was former Aggie QB Kevin Murray, and his son was easily our best player, and maybe the best player in the league. Well, Here is proof …Kylar Murray. Remember that name…



Tickets to game - $200
Cardboard and picture enlargement - $30
Trying to make the opposing QB feel bad, but actually showing everyone how you packed on 200 pounds since high school - Priceless