Super Bowl Prediction

Time for your resident sports predictor to offer you the most important sports prediction of the year. Fresh off a decent playoff, and a Super Bowl XXXIX in which I said New England 27, Philadelphia 21 (Final score in reality: New England 24, Philadelphia 21), I am ready to give you the score of this game.

Pittsburgh and Seattle make for a lovely match up that has my football pants ready for action. On the Steelers side, they have demonstrated the ability to win games in incredibly difficult environments. But for them, Ford Field will be a home field. Half of Pittsburgh is going to be jammed inside another indoor Super Bowl, where the NFC has gone 8-2 in the indoor Super Bowls.

They have Big Ben at QB who cannot be second guessed. His play in the post season has really gained national respect for a player who was billed as a caretaker for his 2004 season. The defense of the Steelers is savage, and Shaun Alexander may not be able to get just a whole lot done on the ground early.

But, I like Seattle. I think Holmgren in big games has done better than Cowher in big games, because he generally can win the coaching battle. Neither of these coaches are slouches, but I think Mike Holmgren will be the first coach EVER to win a Super Bowl for two different franchises. That is no small accomplishment.

They have the best running back, they have the best offensive line, and they have a serious motivational advantage as being the first #1 seed to ever be an underdog to the #6 seed from the other conference. That should never happen. Somehow, they go 13-3 and no one expects them to win. Seattle is anonymous and Pittsburgh is jabbing them with this Joey Porter stuff, too. They have had to hear about Jerome Bettis being the king of the world, and it appears as if the Pittsburgh contingent has seen the Super Bowl as a mere formality. I think they are wrong. Although this is going to be very close, I am swinging in the direction of the Seattle Seahawks.

Give me Seattle 30, Pittsburgh 24

But, don’t gamble.

Joey Porter with another bold claim …I love him on the field, but as an interview, he appears annoying…

Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter kept up his verbal barrage against the Seahawks, saying Thursday the Steelers will be so physical in the Super Bowl they will try to make Seattle quit playing.

"We're going to try to tap out as many people as we can, I'm going to put it like that," Porter said at the Steelers players' final pre-Super Bowl news conference. "We're going to try to send as many people to the sideline as we can."
Asked what he meant by "tap out," Porter patted the top of his head with his hand -- a sign that the player is tired or injured and wants to be taken out of the game.

Now, this is a writer who is not with the program. Joey Porter explained yesterday that this is a fighting term, as any of us ready for Chuck Liddell to pound Randy Couture know, which means that your opponent is giving up. In the octagon, I have been known to make my opponents tap out when I have them in an arm bar.

Of course, my biggest Joey Porter off-field memory, was his big shot in the butt incident of 2003 … Ouch.

Troy Polamalu and his hair tweak the ankle …but probable…

Revo on Detroit …and by the way, it is Friday, and I still am fine with Detroit. Again, not saying I want to live here, but it has not been bad at all. Of course, the temperature has held in the high 30’s and 40’s all week, so if it drops to single digits, I will change my mind…

Dat Nguyen set to call it a career …

"It doesn't look too good for my future where I can pursue playing," he said. Dat Nguyen never expected to play this long, seven years in the NFL. He knew the day would come when he would have to retire. It became crystal clear last October 2 when the Cowboys were in Oakland.

"We played Oakland out there, and you know they dumped the ball to Jordan on one play before the half. I knew I had him tackled, and when I got there I couldn't get there. From then on I knew something was wrong." Dat has a great passion for the game. He calls it a natural rush, but he won't let his love for the game cloud his thinking. The one thing he doesn't want to be is a cripple later on in life.

"You know, I got two little girls and I want to be able to play with him five years down the road. Whatever, roll out on the grass, whatever it is we do I would rather be just a normal pedestrian. I played this game and it was a good game, a great game, and it was fun, but I know one days it's going to end, and that one chapter in your life is going to close one day."

Tonight, Grizzlyman on the Discovery Channel …one of the finest documentaries I have ever seen…

Peter King recommends a museum in Dearborn …

Houston 1836 is not going well with the Latino …

Jerry Kramer.com with the lost Lombardi tapes …

Edge thinks he is done in Indy …

Dick Lebeau: friend of Bob Knight …

Aggie vs Seahawk in court …Seems like one team should be worried about recruiting, the other should be worried about the Super Bowl…

Speaking of, Here is an unfortunate quote from an Aggie signing …

Ray and McCoy were recruited by other colleges and universities but settled on A&M. Both said the opportunity to reunite with friends and relatives as Aggies teammates was a deciding factor.

"I kind of followed, but then I kind of went," Ray said. "My best friend, Terrence, is going. Jamie, I grew up with him and Chevar's my cousin. It'll be one big family again."

The Lee seniors were also able to use the advice of their former teammates in making their decision. McCoy, who said he's been looking forward to Wednesday since he watched Jaime sign his letter of intent a year ago, has received positive reports from his brother about A&M and the football program.

"They take care of you down there," McCoy said. "I know from my brother they keep your pockets full, give you plenty of money, keep feeding you meals. Besides that all the help they give you with football. They keep you on your grades with private tutoring. Just good all-around."

Now, I have heard many Aggies explain that he just meant Pell Grants. Well, actually, unless I am high, Pell Grants are based on the person, not the school. So, he could go anywhere and the Pell Grant would be the same. Therefore, I don't see that as a possibility.

On the other hand, I am sure it is merely a mis-speak by a young lad not used to being interviewed. But, it sure looked bad.

This is somewhere between stupid and ridiculous …

Manhattan girls hoops star Epiphanny Prince scored 113 points Wednesday in a game for her Murry Bergtraum High School team - making Kobe Bryant's 81-point game look like child's play.

"I guess this is just once in a lifetime," said Prince, 17, of Brooklyn. "This is amazing to me."

The 5-foot-10 senior hit an incredible 54 out of 60 shots in leading her team to a 137-32 rout of Louis Brandeis High School.

It was only after the final whistle blew that Prince found out she had shattered the girls high school record set by the legendary Cheryl Miller, who went off for 105 points in a 1982 contest.

"When I found out I broke the record, I just started smiling," Prince said. "I couldn't stop smiling."

The triple-digit display came an hour after Prince told her coach she was getting bored of playing against much weaker competition.

Did Cleveland invent the Steelers logo? …

please tell me you can figure this brainteaser out …



Johnny Damon and his Ferrari F430 Spider given to him by Puma

Ultimate Fighting comes to Frisco …

Kobe on Kobe …

And then there is this:

Bob, my nephew Stephen Oehlschlaeger signed with Liberty University today. He is the QB and pitcher for Plano Prestonwood, TAPPS Div 3 state champs. He got a full ride for football and is playing baseball too. Thought it might be interesting to you that a local kid is going to Liberty.

Craig B Sanborn

Cool. Maybe he will help Liberty to win once in a while…

Finally, Here is my Hall of Fame Class of 2006:

Troy Aikman
John Madden
Thurman Thomas
Reggie White
Rayfield Wright
Gary Zimmerman

We will find out tomorrow.