800 Pound Gorilla Anyone?

So Tonight is the first game since the big trade went down involving Kari (CAR-ee) Lehtonen. The 26 year old goaltender that was moved to the Stars for top prospect defenseman Ivan Vishnevsky and a fourth round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

What I find amusing is that now that the Stars have three goalies, and in theory two number one's What will the mentality be of Marty Turco as his contract season winds down? And trust me I know that Joe Niewenduyk had a great conversation with Marty and expects Turcky to handle it like a pro...But how in the world do you expect this guy to play when he gave his entire NHL career to this organization and now the writing is in big bold letters in front of his stall??

For Marty, I hope that the Stars can find him a place to go, at some point everybody needs a change of scenery and sometimes that's what it takes to get your mojo back. He gave a lot to Dallas an although he didn't win a title, he was a great goaltender. Don't forget he did win in college, he helped his Michigan Wolverines win the 1996 National Championsip. So he didn't win a cup in Dallas, but doesn't it take a team to do that? How may cups has Roberto Luongo won? Just asking.

My point being is now with the 800 pound gorilla here and sitting in the room on a team needing a big win to stay in the playoff hunt tonight in Calgary. Tell me how is his mental state going to be cooperating with him this evening? About as much as the cruel world of sports cooperates with the ending of a great athletes era.

Stars Trade Review: Kari Lehtonen

And so the Joe Nieuwendyk era continues with a very interesting move. So interesting, in fact, that lost in this shuffle was a very legitimate road result in Chicago last night that could have easily been 2 desperately needed points. At least they were able to put a point in the bank. Something about seeing the Blackhawks across the ice brings out pretty nice efforts from our Dallas Stars. They need to finish this portion of the schedule (At Calgary, At Phoenix) with a few more points, and then they can have a March with substance when the Olympics are completed.

But, we aren't here to talk about a Tuesday game in February. We are here to discuss what the acquisition of Kari Lethonen means to the long term health of the Dallas Stars organization.

Last night, as you know by now, Lethonen was snagged by the Stars from Atlanta at the rather sizeable sum of the Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4th round pick.

OK, where to begin....Let me just grab a topic and go with it:

* How good is Lehtonen? Well, he is one of only 3 goalies to be picked in the Top 3 spots of the draft in the last decade (Rick Dipietro, Marc-Andre Fleury) so we know he has the pedigree. He is 26, and he has talent to the moon and back. He is big, quick, and has scouts drooling with what he could accomplish at this level. He has also played for a team that has never really built much of a defense around him, and has been a guy who has not been overly healthy for his career. The guys on the NHL network this morning were even discussing his work ethic or the idea that he may not "want it" as bad as a guy at this level must. Also, he has not played all year because of back surgery. I don't know about you, but when I hear a goalie and back surgery, it is very similar to a pitcher with elbow issues. So, that gives me pause, too.

* Now some disclosure: I watch all Stars games. Then, on non-Stars nights, I gravitate to certain teams in either the division or teams I am interested in through my decades of loving hockey. They generally are: Edmonton, Calgary, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the NY Rangers. I don't know why, but if the Stars are not playing, and there are no big Pacific Division games, I find my way to those teams on Center Ice, preferably playing eachother. The reason I tell you this is that if there are teams I DO go out of my way to watch, there must also be teams that I almost NEVER watch. Enter, the Atlanta Thrashers. I hate to say it, but there is a reasonable chance if the Stars are not playing them that I don't see them play 3 times a year. So with that in mind, I just want to be honest - I have almost no original opinion about Kari Lehtonen. Everything I feel is from information people I trust have written or said. Just some disclosure for you.

* On the health issues: I have to believe since it is Nieuwy's first major player move, he has done his due diligence on both the back issues and the overall skills/upside of the player that will go a long way in forging his performance record early on. There is much at stake, and people around Joe are quick to tell you how deliberate he is about almost everything he does. Maybe not Bob Gainey deliberate, but surely a guy who looks at every angle before he does something like this.

* On the three goalie thing: I suggest that what they are saying is smart business. The word is that they are not intent on moving a goalie here before March 3 and just covering themselves for the summer. But, I don't believe you trade your debated #1 prospect for an insurance policy. I believe they think Lehtonen is the #1 around here for the next several years, and are just saying the right things to keep their bargaining power high in the Turco marketplace. We know money is tight, so to bring in a player of a decent salary ($3M), there is a chance that money must now go out before the deadline. Also, carrying 3 goalies is not ideal for a team trying to make a playoff run. In my opinion, and I have no inside scoop here, the management team is going to sit back, watch the Olympics, and in the event of a contender suffering an Olympic injury between the pipes, the Stars will be working the phones. I don't believe there is any chance of a Turco extension now. Again, just my opinion. I appreciate Marty as much as the next guy, but the writing seems there for all to see.

* On losing Ivan: I think it is easy to say this kid is the "next Zubov", but there is only one #56. He is a talented kid who will spend years in the league, but is he special? Or is he a guy? Again, Les Jackson/Brett Hull/Doug Armstrong may have felt one way on Vishnevskiy, but perhaps what they saw was based on his development and realizing his immense skating talent and becoming a true elite offensive defenseman. And, since they are no longer pulling the trigger around here, it is up to the new regime to figure if they should ride it out or flip him now we the league still thinks he can be that. Joe has looked and looked and perhaps decided that for the right offer, Ivan can be had as bait. You have to give to get in this league, but if you think he is really Zubie II, you don't trade him for a goalie with back issues. So, we can assume he didn't feel that way. Now, we hold our breath and hope he is right.

* Overall, I have no problem with this move - assuming that the Stars obviously feel like this kid is ready to break out between the pipes. They want to turn the page and they think Kari is the guy to help them get there. If things go right, he could still be your goalie in 7 years. Now it is time to help him by solidifying the blueline in front of him. But, it sure looks like the Stars are turning the page and building with a newer, younger group.

Ask Sports Sturm: NFL Franchise Rankings, 9.0

The 9th annual NFL Franchise Rankings are ready for your viewing pleasure. We have tabulated the latest figures after the 2009 Playoffs and Super Bowl 44. This year, the biggest gain was the gigantic leap of the New Orleans Saints, which jumped from #31 to #23 all-time with 1 big year. Also, the Colts jumped into the Top 10, by passing the Vikings, Rams, and Giants in '09.

The Top 9 teams remain unchanged, as the Cowboys increased their small lead over the Steelers to 6 points, 108-102. Then, there is a giant gap before #3 San Francisco at 85 points, Oakland at 77, and then another large gap to #5 New England.

At the very bottom remains the Houston Texans who have never made the playoffs - therefore they have 0 points. But, since they are an expansion team, we should point out that the worst teams in the franchise rankings are actually the Lions with 11 points, and the Cardinals with 10.

So, what are these rankings all about? Here is what I wrote last year:

To recap, a few years ago, a good strong listener asked me to rank the franchises from #32 to #1 based on their accomplishments from Super Bowl I to present.

So I did. I wanted it to be objective, not subjective. I wanted it to be a formula and you would just enter the numbers and it would spit out the rankings with no favoritism or prejudice. We have been doing this since 2001. Since then, it has been imitated a time or two , but I don’t mind. It is pretty obvious idea for any sports nerd to come up with.

Here is how it works. Each Franchise gets 1 point for each season it makes the playoffs. Then, if it reaches the Conference Championship Game it gets a total of 3 points. If it makes the Super Bowl it gets 5, and if it wins the Super Bowl it wins the maximum total of points in a given year of 11. It used to be 10 for the Super Bowl, but I have adjusted it this year because I didn’t like the idea that 2 Super Bowl losses equaled a Super Bowl win. So, Now 11 points for a win and 5 for a loss in the Super Bowl.

I have been asked why no points are given for wins in the Wildcard round, but I decided that would not make sense with the idea that the playoffs have grown over the years and there is no way to equalize a smaller field to a larger one. Also, a Wildcard win is not that big a deal anymore with 6 teams in the playoffs, so unless you reach the Conference Title game, no additional points beyond the 1 for making the post-season.

I also have been asked how come I don’t go by average points per season (since many teams have joined the league since Super Bowl 1. My answer is simple: I don’t want to penalize teams who have been in the league all of the years. If you go by average points per year rather than total points, it is possible that the Baltimore Ravens would have been #1 if they had won the Super Bowl this year. No chance I would believe that premise, given that they didn’t exist prior to 1996. But, if a team has been established since the season of Super Bowl 1 (1966), it is notated.
Just add up the points for all the years, and that is the entire formula.

Otherwise, I break ties based on the team with more Super Bowl wins, then Super Bowl losses, then Championship Game wins, etc. There are no ties. I will settle it somehow.

I have decided to add the category this year in version 9.0 that many have requested - average pts per year - so that we may determine results based on years in the league. 24 of the 32 teams have been here the entire span of the 44 years of Super Bowl football, but this metric will help put the other 8 teams: Saints '67, Bengals '68, Seahawks '76, Buccaneers '76, Jaguars '95, Panthers '95, Ravens '96, and Texans '02. Also, the Browns missed 96-98, so they only have 41 seasons to work with.

So, let's check the Feb 2010 update:



#1 - Dallas Cowboys (Last Year, #1)

Total Points: 108
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 67C, 68, 69, 70SL, 71S, 72C, 73C, 75SL, 76, 77S, 78SL, 79, 80C, 81C, 82C, 83, 85, 91, 92S, 93S, 94C, 95S, 96, 98, 99, 03, 06, 07, 09

P: 30
4: 8
2: 3
1: 5

Average: 2.45 points per season



#2 - Pittburgh Steelers (#2)

Total Points: 102
Total Playoff Years: 72C, 73, 74S, 75S, 76C, 77, 78S, 79S, 82, 83, 84C, 89, 92, 93, 94C, 95SL, 96, 97C, 01C, 02, 04C, 05S, 07, 08S

P: 24
4: 7
2: 1
1: 6

Average: 2.31 per season
















#3 - San Francisco 49ers (#3)

Total Points: 85
Total Playoff Years: 70C, 71C, 72, 81S, 83C, 84S, 85, 86, 87, 88S, 89S, 90C, 92C, 93C, 94S, 95, 96, 97C, 98, 01, 02

P: 21
4: 7
2: 0
1: 5

Average: 1.93



#4 - Oakland Raiders (#4)

Total Points: 77
Total Playoff Years: 67SL, 68C, 69C, 70C, 72, 73C, 74C, 75C, 76S, 77C, 80S, 82, 83S, 84, 85, 90C, 91, 93, 00C, 01, 02SL

P: 21
4: 9
2: 2
1: 3

Average: 1.75



#5 - New England Patriots (#5)

Total Points: 60
Total Playoff Years: 76, 78, 82, 85SL, 86, 94, 96SL, 97, 98, 01S, 03S, 04S, 05, 06C, 07SL, 09

P: 16
4: 1
2: 3
1: 3

Average: 1.36



#6 - Miami Dolphins (#6)

Total Points: 58
Total Playoff Years: 70, 71SL, 72S, 73S, 74, 78, 79, 81, 82SL, 83, 84SL, 85C, 90, 92C, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 08

P: 22
4: 2
2: 3
1: 2

Average: 1.32



# 7 - Denver Broncos (#7)

Total Points: 57
Total Playoff Years: 77SL, 78, 79, 83, 84, 86SL, 87SL, 89SL, 91C, 93, 96, 97S, 98S, 00, 03, 04, 05C

P: 17
4: 2
2: 4
1: 2

Average: 1.29



#8 - Washington Redskins (#8)

Total Points: 56
Total Playoff Years: 71, 72SL, 73, 74, 76, 82S, 83SL, 84, 86C, 87S, 90, 91S, 92, 99, 05, 07

P: 16
4: 1
2: 2
1: 3

Average: 1.27



#9 - Green Bay Packers (#9)

Total Points: 54
Total Playoff Years: 66S, 67S, 72, 82, 93, 94, 95C, 96S, 97SL, 98, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07C, 09

P: 16
4: 2
2: 1
1: 3

Average: 1.23



#10 - Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts (#13)

Total Points: 53
Total Playoff Years: 68SL, 70S, 71C, 75, 76, 77, 87, 95C, 96, 99, 00, 02, 03C, 04, 05, 06S, 07, 08, 09SL

P: 19
4: 3
2: 2
1: 2

Average: 1.20
















#11 - Minnesota Vikings (#11)

Total Points: 52
Total Playoff Years: 68, 69SL, 70, 71, 73SL, 74SL, 75, 76SL, 77C, 78, 80, 82, 87C, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98C, 99, 00C, 04, 08, 09C

P: 26
4: 5
2: 4
1: 0

Average: 1.18



#12 - St Louis/Los Angeles Rams (#10)

Total Points: 51
Total Playoff Years: 67, 69, 73, 74C, 75C, 76C, 77, 78C, 79SL, 80, 83, 84, 85C, 86, 88, 89C, 99S, 00, 01SL, 03, 04

P: 21
4: 6
2: 2
1: 1

Average: 1.16



#13 - New York Giants (#12)

Total Points: 48
Total Playoff Years: 81, 84, 85, 86S, 89, 90S, 93, 97, 00SL, 02, 05, 06, 07S, 08

P: 14
4: 0
2: 1
1: 3

Average: 1.09



#14 - Buffalo Bills (#14)

Total Points: 34
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 74, 80, 81, 88C, 89, 90SL, 91SL, 92SL, 93SL, 95, 96, 98, 99

P: 14
4: 2
2: 4
1: 0

Average: 0.77

Note: Bills have Super Bowl tie breaker on Eagles, 4-2.



#15 - Philadelphia Eagles (#15)

Total Points: 34
Total Playoff Years: 78, 79, 80SL, 81, 88, 89, 90, 92, 95, 96, 00, 01C, 02C, 03C, 04SL, 06, 08C, 09

P: 18
4: 4
2: 2
1: 0

Average: 0.77



#16 - Chicago Bears (#16)

Total Points: 31
Total Playoff Years: 77, 79, 84C, 85S, 86, 87, 88C, 90, 91, 94, 01, 05, 06SL

P: 13
4: 2
2: 1
1: 1

Average: 0.70



#17 - Kansas City Chiefs (#17)

Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 66SL, 68, 69S, 71, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93C, 94, 95, 97, 03, 06

P: 14
4: 1
2: 1
1: 1

Average: 0.68

Note: Chiefs have tie-breaker on Titans with the Lombardi Trophy edge, 1-0.



#18 - Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers (#18)

Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 67C, 69, 78C, 79C, 80, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 99SL, 00, 02C, 03, 07, 08

P: 18
4: 4
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.68



#19 - New York Jets (#19)

Total Points: 29
Total Playoff Years: 68S, 69, 81, 82C, 85, 86, 91, 98C, 01, 02, 04, 06, 09C

P: 13
4: 3
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.66



#20 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#20)

Established 1976

Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 79C, 81, 82, 97, 99C, 00, 01, 02S, 05, 07

P: 10
4: 2
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.70

Note: Bucs win tiebreak on Browns with Lombardi Trophy, 1-0.



#21 - Cleveland Browns (#21)

Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 67, 68C, 69C, 71, 72, 80, 82, 85, 86C, 87C, 88, 89C, 94, 02

P: 14
4: 5
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.54
















#22 - San Diego Chargers (#22)

Total Points: 22
Total Playoff Years: 79, 80C, 81C, 82, 92, 94SL, 95, 04, 06, 07C, 08, 09

P: 12
4: 3
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.50



#23 – New Orleans Saints (#31)

Established 1967

Total Points: 19
Total Playoff Years: 87, 90, 91, 92, 00, 06C, 09S

P: 7
4: 1
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.44



#24 – Baltimore Ravens (#23)

Established 1996

Total Points: 18
Total Playoff Years: 00S, 01, 03, 06, 08C, 09

P: 6
4: 1
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 1.29



#25 - Cincinnati Bengals (#24)

Established 1968

Total Points: 17
Total Playoff Years: 70, 73, 75, 81SL, 82, 88SL, 90, 05, 09

P: 9
4: 0
2: 2
1: 0

Average: 0.40



#26 - Seattle Seahawks (#25)

Established 1976

Total Points: 16
Total Playoff Years: 83C, 84, 87, 88, 99, 03, 04, 05SL, 06, 07

P: 10
4: 1
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.47



#27 – Atlanta Falcons (#26)

Total Points: 15
Total Playoff Years: 78, 80, 82, 91, 95, 98SL, 02, 04C, 08

P: 9
4: 1
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.34



#28 - Carolina Panthers (#27)

Established 1995

Total Points: 12
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 03SL, 05C, 08

P: 4
4: 2
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.80
















#29 - Detroit Lions (#28)

Total Points: 11
Total Playoff Years: 70, 82, 83, 91C, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99

P: 9
4: 1
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.25

















#30 – Arizona/St Louis Cardinals (#30)

Total Points: 10
Total Playoff Years: 74, 75, 82, 98, 08SL, 09

P: 6
4: 0
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.23



#31 – Jacksonville Jaguars (#29)

Established 1995

Total Points: 10
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 97, 98, 99C, 05, 07

P: 6
4: 2
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.66



#32 – Houston Texans (32)

Established 2002

Total Points: 0
Total Playoff Years: None

P: 0
4: 0
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.00

Explanation of Years:
Just the year means they made the playoffs (1 point). Year followed by “C” means they lost in the Conference Championship Game (3 points), Year followed by “SL” means they lost the Super Bowl (5 points), and Year followed by “S” means they won the Super Bowl (11 points).

Version 8.0

Version 7.0 …

Version 6.0 …

Super Bowl XLIV: Saints 31, Colts 17

It was a brilliant stand-off. A duel, if you will. Two gun-slinging cowboys who had all of the stakes on the line. All the chips were in the middle of the table. So, who would blink first?

And, at the moment of truth, the one who doesn't blink did. Peyton Manning, who might have been one throw from the top of the pyramid of QB immortality, tumbled as Tracy Porter sat on the slant to Reggie Wayne, jumped the route, and raced 74 yards to seal the unlikely win for a franchise that had never won a thing.

The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl Champions. It seems odd to say, but the fairy tale that was 5 years in the making has been completed. And Drew Brees, the co-main character in the movie, played an almost perfect game to take down the Goliath across the field in the film's climax. It would come down to who would make the first mistake - the only mistake. Who would not match the other; Peyton or Brees? A great match given that neither make many mistakes. But Brees survived, and Peyton took the walk of shame back to his sideline.

Meanwhile, the other co-main, Sean Payton, deserves plenty of mention himself. Hard to recall any coach roll the dice as often as Payton did in the biggest game of his career. Go for it on 4th Down? Onside kick to start the 2nd half? And blitz Manning on the 3rd and 5 that will go down as the play that Tracy Porter decided the game? Yes, Yes, and Yes. Payton did not want to wake up and have any regrets about moves he could have made. He wanted to leave it all out on the table. I think that some of his moves perhaps told us that he knew he was going to have to roll the bones to have a chance against the Colts. He knew that a straight-up match might not be a fair fight. He was going to have to get creative. And, despite the 4th down not working out, the tone had been set that he was going for it.

And yes, Dallas fans, I have received your emails. I just don't know if anyone would have fired Bill Parcells to keep Sean Payton at the time. You could make the case that Jerry Jones could/should have signed Payton to a deal similar to Jason Garrett's deal that says he will take over when Parcells left, but perhaps the only reason Garrett has that deal is because of Payton. Further, if your ambition is to be a head coach, 90% of guys take the bird in the hand over the two in the bush, which means Payton would have left anyway when the Saints made their offer. The other 10% include Garrett who has turned down at least 2 head coaching jobs since he signed that deal with Jerry.

Anyway, in the biggest game, it came down to Brees and Payton leading the way for their Saints. And now they are Super Bowl Champions. A very entertaining and enjoyable night of NFL football on the grand stage.

Let's do some scatter-shooting:

* Turnovers. The stat that determines the outcome of a game more than any other stat once again helped determine the winner of Super Bowl 44. Simply put, the team that stays out of trouble almost always wins. In the 2009 NFL Playoffs, there were 11 games played. And the winners of the turnover battle? 10-0-1. Only the Colts-Jets AFC Title game was even to keep it going a perfect 11-0. But, as you can see, not one team won in the playoffs when having a negative turnover margin. A perfect post-season for one of the oldest NFL truism. No matter how much football evolves, it cannot get away from that. There was only 1 mis-handle of the ball that ended up falling into enemy hands - and it was the ultimate kill shot.

* In an era where it seems blitzing is the only way to slow down QBs, I found it particularly interesting last night that both teams largely conceded that it is too dangerous to blitz the other's QB. Brees and Manning have actually scared many of their opponents into not pressuring at all (not including Rex Ryan). But, really, both QBs had all day. Whereas, the game before, Greg Williams blitz Brett Favre plenty and beat him physically. With Manning, he hardly blitzed at all, but saved for a few key moments in the game, including the 3rd and 5 I have now referenced again. It is the ultimate pick-your-poison scenario, and most of us will always prefer the blitz from our defense - but it should be noted that most of the damage that both QBs did last night was on passes of less than 10 yards and a series of dump offs and quick WR routes. It makes it more difficult to get guys open down field if you drop 7 into coverage, and both QBs get rid of the ball very quickly in normal Down-and-Distance situations so that they almost never get touched.

* Pierre Thomas is a punishing RB who seems like a load to bring down. Really, quite a playoff for guys named "Pierre" as he was joined in the endzone by Pierre Garcon again. Surely the biggest such season ever.

* Speaking of RBs, was everyone else aware that the 26-yard carry for Joseph Addai was his longest since Christmas Eve, 2006? That seems shockingly pedestrian.

* As I wrote about last week , an entire career can turn on one play. In South Florida, Peyton Manning was being crowned as one of the very best QBs of all time pending his assumed victory in his 2nd Super Bowl. Was he as good as Joe Montana? Was he better than Aikman? But, 1 crazy 2-point conversion followed a few minutes later with a jumped route, and now we are all looking at Peyton's all time playoff record of 9-9 and wondering what is so impressive about that. 1 play. From penthouse to being questioned again. There is only 1 way to survive the insanity of the greatness argument - retire 2 days after you win your Super Bowl. If Drew Brees was worried about an unqualified legacy, he should retire right now. Hopefully, none of these guys play football to satisfy message boards and talk shows, because there are very few who ever can do that.

* Thank goodness for instant replay. Although I cannot swear they totally interpreted the rule properly, how big was that 2-point conversion? In real time, it looked proper to say Lance Moore never controlled the ball. But in slow motion, it seemed clear that he did. Does everything happen the same after the fact if it is just 22-17? Maybe. But, it is a major difference in thinking that the Colts are driving to send this game into overtime rather than driving to win the game out-right at 24-22. Anyway, that is a long way of saying that I appreciate the technological advances in trying to get calls right.

* You will remember the name Garrett Hartley after this last month, right? 4 weeks ago, I am not sure I could name the Saints kicker, but after putting one of the most "money" performances for a kicker in the 2 biggest games of the season, he has cemented a chance at a nice long career in the NFL. Southlake is proud, I am sure. What a job.

* Don't we all expect a little better from Reggie Wayne? He is generally unquestioned in his performances, but two pretty key moments happened that can be linked to #87; Porter beating him to the spot on the slant (which absolutely cannot happen), and then the TD that went through his hands on the Colts final drive that might have at least made an onside kick attempt. It has been pretty clear that the gameplan has been to make Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie beat you, and I wonder how Reggie Wayne has been able to stay in the game and to continue to be ready for his moment. He did have 11 targets in the game, but only generated 46 yards from that total - 5th most on the Colts. Not a great performance at all.

* Having studied the Cowboys game plan all season, I was interested in charting personnel groups for both teams last night. There were two discoveries worthy of mention. First, for the Colts, it is clear that they have one primary personnel group that is 1RB-1TE-3WR or as we call "11". They do not rotate in new groups like Garrett does every snap, but rather play almost the entirety of the game with either "11" or "S11" with Manning in Shotgun. Otherwise, the only personnel change would be Joseph Addai to Donald Brown. Almost no 2 TE, 2 WR, or FB in the entire offense. Interesting. Then for the Saints, they wanted to have all 3 WR to one side of the field with Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey on the weak side running their games against safeties or Line Backers. They did this quite a bit, including the long pass play to Bush and the TD to Shockey. It is really just about finding match-ups, and if you put all of your speed WRs on one side of the field, you force the defense to match it, and thus, expose themselves on the weak side. I enjoy football.

* Because this is interesting to me, I always try to update the record books with help from Elias Sports Bureau :

Super Bowl records set in Super Bowl XLIV

-Highest completion percentage, career (minimum: 30 completions): 82.1, Drew Brees, New Orleans
-Most completions, game, both teams: 63, New Orleans (32) vs. Indianapolis (31)
-Highest completion percentage, game, both teams: 75.0, New Orleans (82.1) vs. Indianapolis (68.9)
-Most field goals, 40-or-more yards, game: 3, Garrett Hartley, N.O.
-Oldest player: 42, Matt Stover, Indianapolis

Super Bowl records tied in Super Bowl XLIV

Largest deficit overcome, winning team: 10 points, New Orleans
Most completions, game: 32, Drew Brees, N.O.
Most two-point conversions, game: 1, Lance Moore, N.O.
Most yards, touchdown drive: 96, Indianapolis
Most first downs passing, game, both teams: 32, Indianapolis (16) vs. New Orleans (16)
Fewest rushing attempts, game, both teams: 37, New Orleans (18) vs. Indianapolis (19)
Most completions, game, team: 32, New Orleans
Fewest times sacked, game, team: 0, Indianapolis
Fewest times sacked, game, both teams: 1, Indianapolis (0) vs. New Orleans (1)
Fewest fumbles, game, both teams: 0, Indianapolis vs. New Orleans
Fewest turnovers, game, team: 0, New Orleans

* Finally, just a simple note about the Saints fans. I think in this cynical society, we want to laugh at someone who can lose their minds over something as trivial as a sporting event, but I want to avoid that here. I think it is awesome when we can find a truly long-suffering fan base that has not been ruined by success and greed and entitlement. You see, Saints fans at this moment in time are experiencing victory for the very 1st time. Like a kiss, there is never a 2nd time that holds up. The truth is, in 3 or 4 years, Saints fans may grow into the same fans that annoy us from those who win regularly and demand excellence or else. There is something refreshing about a team that has never won. There is crying and joy and amazing elation that can never be matched again. So, as the scene in New Orleans is going on, with even the extra baggage of a natural disaster still being felt, this is a moment where I think most people, regardless of who they root for, can feel great for that city and organization. They are one of the last fan bases who "deserve" this. Long-suffering, die-hard fans are hard to find anymore. Good for them.

I love my sports, there is no doubt about it. But, I love my NFL more. You can tell me that pitchers and catchers are about to report or that the Daytona 500 is next week or that March Madness is right around the corner, but it just isn't the same. With the end of last night's game, it dawned on me, yet again, that the greatest league in the world is going competitively dark for the next 7 months. And that makes me miss it already.

Hurry back, NFL.

Top 10 Super Bowls

In the last couple days leading up to Super bowl XLIV I have been reflecting on the games that have been played in my lifetime. These thoughts about my favorite day of the year got me to thinking, which Super Bowls would be in my top ten? Recently we have been treated to some great games, some of the best ever. Five of the last eight games have been decided by seven points or less, including three that had scores to win the game on the final play.

Being 34 years old I would say it isn't fair for me to rank the Super Bowls before my time. But with technology and help of the NFL network re-airing games I feel I can make an educated decision.

For the debates sake, the first one I remember watching was Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome when I was 6. I remember them talking about how cold it was in Detroit and that the "winshield" was well below zero. You see six year olds have a hard time understanding that it was actually called windchill.

Either way so you know as this list was made I remember everything from Super Bowls XVI to present. All the Bowls prior, I have either read about, watched the NFL Films highlights or watched the re-aired game. To be fair Super Bowls I-XV will not have brought out the same emotion as the last 28 games and therefore you may have a greater emotional attachment to those games prior to my time on the planet. With that said, here is my Top 10 and let the debate begin starting 10-1.

10. Super Bowl III New York Jets 16 Baltimore 13

Famous For: Joe Willy’s guarantee
MVP: Joe Namath
Site: Orange Bowl, Miami

Reason at # 10: The game itself wasn't very good. I just watched it the other night in it's entirety on the NFL Network. But its historical merit is inevitable. The AFL's Jets were 18.5 point underdogs to the NFL's Baltimore Colts, who were 13-1 during the regular season.

Namath threw for 206 yards and managed the game behind Matt Snell's 121 yards rushing. Earl Morral got the start at quarterback for Baltimore and was replaced by an aging Johnny Unitas who missed parts of the season due to an arm injury. Unitas led the Colts to their only touchdown late.

9. Super Bowl XXIII San Francisco 20 Cincinnati 16

Famous For: Joe Montana's 92 yard drive to win the game. Also John Candy eating popcorn in the far end zone.

MVP: Jerry Rice

Site: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami

Reason at # 9: This game would be remembered for Joe Montana raising the level of his play when the contest was at its apex of pressure. The drive started with 3:10 left in the game and Montana’s niners’ on their eight yard line. Joe used game MVP Jerry Rice as his go to receiver until the final moment when he found John Taylor in the end zone with just :34 seconds remaining to cap the 11 play 92 yard drive resulting in a 20-16 victory for the 49ers. Rice was so dominant on the drive that NFL Films cameras caught Sam Wyche saying before the touchdown pass to Taylor, “It’s to Rice now”. The genius of Montana looked to Taylor who was wide open in the end zone.

The Bengals had a chance to seal the victory on the fatal drive but defensive back Lewis Billups dropped a “would be” interception. For the Bengals it was also marred by Stanley Wilson’s insatiable cocaine habit. The night before the game on his way to a meeting he told teammates that he had to go back to his room for his playbook. He was found later in his room doing massive amounts of blow that subsequently had him left off the Super Bowl roster the next day.

8. Super Bowl XXXVIII New England 32 Carolina 29

Famous For: Adam Vinatieri kicking 41 yard Super Bowl winning field goal.

MVP: Tom Brady

Site: Reliant Stadium, Houston

Reason at # 8: Up until the fourth quarter this game was kind of a dud and also included the Carolina Panthers that I don’t think people gave much of a chance to.

Down 21-10 at the start of the fourth quarter and following an Antwan Smith touchdown the Panthers ripped off consecutive touchdown drives. The teams traded points until Carolina tied the game with 1:08 left at 29-29.

The most underrated play of the evening happened on the ensuing kickoff when John Kasay kicked the ball out of bounds allowing New England to start at the 40 yard line. Six plays later, an Adam Vinatieri kicks the game winner, Tom Brady gets MVP and marries super model. Game over.

7. Super Bowl XIII Pittsburgh 35 Dallas 31

Famous For: “Jackie Smith, bless his heart, he’s got to be the sickest man in America.” – Verne Lundquist

MVP: Terry Bradshaw

Site: Orange Bowl, Miami

Reason at # 7: This was the best game of the first 13 and a great rivalry that had another great matchup in Super Bowl X.

The most memorable moment happened when Roger Staubach threw the ball into the end zone to a wide open tight end Jackie Smith who dropped the third down pass that would have tied the game. Cowboys settled for a FG and a 21-17 deficit.

Moments later the Steelers put the game out of reach scoring twice in 19 seconds. Once recovering a fumble when Steelers kicker Roy Gerela slipped and kicked the ball short to DT Randy White. White who had a cast on his arm fumbled while trying to run with the short kickoff. The Steelers got the ball back and Franco Harris took it in later for a score icing the game. Dallas scored twice late but came up short in a thriller.

Years later, Cowboys linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson admitted using cocaine during the game by hiding a Dristan bottle in his thigh pad. He later got sober and won the lotto.

6. Super Bowl XXXIV St. Louis 23 Tennessee 16

Famous For: Mike Jones tackle on the 1 yard line

MVP: Kurt Warner

Site: Atlanta Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Reason at #6: Trailing 16-0 the Titans roared back and became for the first team in Super Bowl history to erase a 16 point deficit when Al Del Greco kicked a 43 yard FG to tie the game with just over two minutes remaining.

The next play NFL and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner threw a 73 yard bomb to Isaac Bruce to put the Rams ahead 23-16. Warner threw for a record 414 yards.

With the game on the line and no timeouts on the final play, late great Titans quarterback Steve McNair fired a dart to Kevin Dyson. As Dyson was about to score, somehow he was miraculously tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones stopping him 1 yard short of the goal line with no time left. The Rams won, and Dick Vermeil cried tears of joy.

5. Super Bowl XXXVI New England 20 St. Louis 17

Famous For: Adam Vinatieri’s first Super Bowl winner

MVP: Tom Brady

Site: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

Reason at #5: The first Super Bowl after the terrorist attacks had the nation red, white, and blue cheering for the underdog Patriots. Kurt Warner led the charge again as he orchestrated a great comeback, this time down 17-10 late by hitting journeyman Ricky Proehl for a 28 yard game tying td with just over a minute left.

First year starter Tom Brady, with no timeouts then countered leading the Patriots quickly into field goal range. It was a kick that changed history, and placed Adam Vinatirei among the NFL’s greatest as he nailed a 48 yarder at the gun to beat the “Greatest Show on Turf” and kickoff the New England Dynasty.

4. Super Bowl XXV New York Giants 20 Buffalo 19

Famous For: Scott Norwood’s 47 yards wide right

MVP: Ottis Anderson

Site: Tampa Stadium, Tampa

Reason at #4: In one of the best finishes in Super Bowl history, it was New York’s muscle against Buffalo’s flash.

The Giants held the ball for over 40 minutes of game time as they set a Super Bowl record for time of possession. As they held a 20-19 lead late when Matt Bahr kicked a 21 yard field goal, the Bills pushed back behind Thurman Thomas’ offensive explosion. He rushed for 135 yards and caught 55 yards in passes while leading the Bills into Scott Norwood’s field goal range.

History would be made, and the fate of Scott Norwood would be forever be linked with Super Bowl failure, as the great kicker watched his 47 yard try push wide right as time expired.

The Giants won the first of two championships, while the Bills would lose the first of an NFL record four straight title games. Scott Norwood moved on as a successful business owner.
3. Super Bowl XXXII Denver 31 Green Bay 24

Famous For: John Elways third down dive (The Helicopter)

MVP: Terrell Davis

Site: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

Reason at #3: To me this was my favorite game. That was because being a sorry ass Vikings fan the last thing I wanted to see was the Packers win again. But really the most important thing was, for guys like Fran Tarkenton, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and many others it was possibly the last chance to see a great like John Elway get a shot to get himself a ring.

This game was great from the hop, they traded points in each of the four quarters including leads and three ties. Brett Favre was excellent at a young age throwing for three touchdowns and 256 yards, while the Broncos countered behind the running of Terrell Davis’ game MVP 30 carries for 157 yards.

The signature moment came when Elway on third and eight wasn’t going to be denied by a fourth Super Bowl defeat as he lowered his head into two Packer defenders and was helicoptered into the air for the first down. The Broncos scored two plays later to go up 7 in the third quarter.

The Broncos linebacker John Mobley would then knockdown Brett Favre’s fourth down pass and Johnny Ballgame would end up with his long awaited Super Bowl Ring.

2. Super Bowl XLII New York 17 New England 14

Famous For: David Tyree’s pin it to the helmet catch

MVP: Eli Manning

Site: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Reason at #2: This was a wonderful game that New York executed to perfection. The reason I have it at #2 and not #1 is because of the lack of excitement for a full 60 minutes. The Giants played ball control and kept the best offense in NFL history off the field for much of the game. The two teams combined for a Super Bowl record, only two possessions in the first quarter.

Is it coincidence that Randy Moss played for the two top scoring offenses in NFL history? Not a chance. Unfortunately Moss was shutdown for the most part in the biggest game of the season, much like in the 1998 NFC Championship when his team was defeated. Moss did look like for a moment like he had rose to the occasion when he caught a touchdown pass in the final moments. It was his 5th catch for a total of 63 yards but it was his TD that seemed to put the Giants away and solidify the first 19-0 season in NFL history.

Apparently an undefeated season wasn’t to be as Eli Manning defied the odds and David Tyree defied everything we knew about pass catching and on a mad scramble third down play to keep the season alive. Giants quarterback Eli Manning heaved the ball into a crowd, and as to the Oakland Raiders was the “Sea if hands” to the Giants became “David and Eliath.”

The season and the Giants remained alive, but it wasn’t over until Manning found Plaxico Burris on a 13 yard TD pass beating cornerback Ellis Hobbs for the most “Giant” of Super Bowl comebacks!

The play was a slant and go or Slugo that freed up Burris, now Burris has two years until he is free. How fame can be fleeting, eh?


1. Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 23

Famous For: Santonio Holmes catch

MVP: Santonio Holmes

Site: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Reason at #1: The greatest Super Bowl of all in my opinion. The underdog Cardinals and their veteran QB Kurt Warner matched up against the Pittsburgh Steelers trying to win an unprecedented sixth world championship.
In a battle of Warner brains and Roethlisburger brawn, it was a goal line play and a Warner mistake that changed this contest. Considered the architect of the “Zone Blitz” Dick LeBeau had the call in on a third down play from the Steelers 1-yard line as Arizona looked to go ahead into the half. Warner took the snap an was hurried by the blitz, looking to his “hot” receiver he delivered a rushed pass into the waiting arms of James Harrison. Harrison a linebacker rumbled an NFL Super Bowl record 100 yards into the Cardinals end zone giving the Steelers a 20-7 lead.
Undaunted the Cardinals retaliated with 16 unanswered points that included a Warner to Larry Fitzgerald 64 yard touchdown with 2:37 remaining to put the upstarts in the lead 23-20.
What looked like an improbable comeback by one team turned into the same for the other. The Steelers marched 78-yards to score on wide receiver Santonio Holmes's 6-yard game-winning touchdown catch with 35 seconds left. Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four receptions for 71 yards on that final game-winning drive, was named Super Bowl MVP.
The play in my opinion, and although I wanted the Cardinals to win, capped the greatest of the 43 Super Bowls.
With only a day until the 44th installment of the greatest one game, I hope we get one of these great games knocked out of the Top 10 on at least somebody’s list.

My prediction Colts 27 Saints 24 in overtime! Enjoy the game.

Super Bowl 44 Prediction Time

Tis the last morning in South Florida so let's knock out a few last items and do a show and get out of here. Good times, but you know, home sweet home is always better than wherever we go. Seriously.

I have the Colts winning this Super Bowl for a number of reasons, not the least of which boils down to what might be the greatest QB of our generation, Peyton Manning, under center. At first I tried to deny it, and then it became incredibly undeniable. He is awesome. He is the best. He is in control and happy to receive your blitz and then to burn it.

There are plenty of interesting elements to this game that can keep it extremely close, and if things go just right there is no reason the Saints cannot spring an upset, but it is really at your own peril to pick against Peyton Manning these days. I just refuse to do it given the way he is playing right now.

COLTS 31, SAINTS 24

Honestly, my biggest question is wondering what this means to his overall legacy. Assuming he wins, is he all-time Top 5? Top 3?

2 fun facts from the last time the Colts played a Super Bowl in Miami just 3 years ago:

1. The last 5 #1 seeds to make the Super Bowl from the NFC have lost. Bears, Seahawks, Eagles, Rams and Giants.

The Saints are the #1 seed from the NFC.

2. In all four Super Bowls played in Dolphins/Joe Robbie Stadium the losing team has had a kickoff return for a TD. Bengals ('89) - Stanford Jennings; Chargers ('95) - Andre Coleman; Falcons ('99) - Tim Dwight; Bears ('07) - Devon Hester

Not sure what you would do with that 2nd one, except dazzle your friends.

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By popular demand, The 1999 SI Feature on Peyton Manning that we reference all of the time. He is a football genius, but perhaps not the sharpest tool in life. Or, maybe it is just an awesome counter story in his portfolio.


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HALL OF FAME

Earlier in the week , we debated this incoming class for the hall of fame:

Here is who we have this year:



HALL OF FAME FINALISTS

Player Pos. Team(s) Years
Tim Brown WR LA/Oak., TB 1988-04
Cris Carter WR Phil., Min., Mia 1987-02
Don Coryell Coach StL Cards, SD 1973-86
Roger Craig RB SF, LA Rai., Min. 1983-93
Dermonti Dawson C Pitt. 1988-00
Richard Dent DE Chi, SF, Ind., Phi 1983-97
Russ Grimm G Wash. 1981-91
Charles Haley DE-LB SF, Dallas 1986-99*
Rickey Jackson LB New Orl., SF 1981-95
Cortez Kennedy DT Seattle 1990-00
Dick LeBeau CB Detroit 1959-72
Floyd Little RB Denver 1967-75
John Randle DT Minn., Sea. 1990-03
Andre Reed WR Buff., Wash. 1985-00
Jerry Rice WR SF, Oak., Sea. 1985-04
Shannon Sharpe TE Den., Bal. 1990-03
Emmitt Smith RB Dallas, Ari. 1990-04



I am pretty sure that Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are in. So, we have 2-4 more spots to roll with.

Lebeau and Little are Veteran committee selections so I think they generally have an excellent chance. So that leaves Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Andre Reed, Shannon Sharpe, Charles Haley, Richard Dent, and Don Coryell as the front runners to battle for the final 2 or 3 spots.

Last night, I had a chance to visit with the Goose, Rick Gosselin, and pick his brain extensively about the process and the Hall of Fame class, 2010.

First off, know that there are 44 voters (Blind Vote) and that it requires 36 or more votes to be inducted. "9 and you're dead" was the quote the Goose used. Must eclipse 80% to break on through to the other side.

He wrote earlier this week about the deep WR class, And his view that only Rice gets in this year :

Jerry Rice retired from the NFL as the game's all-time leading receiver. He figures to be the first wideout enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot since Steve Largent in 1995.

That was 15 years ago.

That's bad news for Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Andre Reed – the other three wide receivers in the finals for the Class of 2010. Canton has not enshrined two wideouts in the same class since Bobby Mitchell and Paul Warfield in 1983.

That was 27 years ago.

Like Largent and Rice, Art Monk retired as the NFL's career receiving leader. But he wasn't enshrined until his eighth year of eligibility. Lynn Swann waited 14 years, John Stallworth 10 and Don Maynard nine.

Bob Hayes waited 29 years after the clock started ticking on his eligibility for enshrinement, and Tommy McDonald waited 25. Both candidacies were rescued by the Hall of Fame's senior committee.

There are 20 wideouts in the Hall of Fame but there has been no rush to enshrine them.

The selection committee seems to be waiting to absorb the explosion of receiving statistics. When Largent went in, his 819 catches were an NFL record. He now ranks 20th.

There are six receivers with 1,000 career catches, including Rice, Carter and Brown. Four more wideouts could join them in the next two seasons. The committee is trying to sort out how much of that can be attributed to talent and how much to the changing style of the game.

Then, he wrote about Haley's chances on Tuesday :

The numbers have long been out of whack in Canton. There have been 214 men enshrined in the Hall of Fame in the game's modern era. More than half (50.9 percent) of them played on offense – but only 30.4 percent on defense and 18.2 percent coaches and contributors.

The NFL axiom is that defense wins championships, but it obviously doesn't get you inducted into Canton. There are 109 offensive players enshrined and only 65 defensive players. In fact, there are more offensive skills players – 68 quarterbacks, running backs and receivers – than all defensive players combined.

That disparity in numbers gives Haley reason for hope in his first trip as a finalist. A maximum of five modern-era candidates will be selected for the Class of 2010, and Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith already have claims on two of those spots.

But there has been a trend in recent years to close the gap between offense and defense in the Hall. The last two years marked the first time in history that back-to-back classes have featured more defensive enshrinees than offensive.

So I'm speculating that two of the remaining three spots in the Class of 2010 would go to defensive players. There are only five defensive candidates: pass rushers Haley and Richard Dent, tackles Cortez Kennedy and John Randle and linebacker Rickey Jackson.

As one candidate in a slate of 15, Haley would stand less than a 10 percent chance of being included in the Class of 2010. But as one candidate in a slate of five defenders, his chances could increase to 20 percent.

From all I have read, here are my picks for the 2010 Hall of Fame class (although there is always a shocker):

Jerry Rice
Emmitt Smith
Dick LeBeau - check his numbers. Remarkable CB.
Richard Dent
Shannon Sharpe
John Randle

I think Haley, Reed, Brown, and Chris Carter are also in eventually (Jackson, Dawson, and Coryell have me on the fence), but those 6 above are my ballot. Boy, I would love to have a ballot. I think that might be my biggest sports media aspiration.

Greatness Determined Here

This Super Bowl week gives me a great opportunity to see Super Bowl History come to life. It is the ultimate football museum on radio row. Whether it be the players from those famous games or artifacts from those moments we all scream for, it is quite obvious that these historic games determine the future perception of these men.

Watching Joe Montana walk the room is absolutely a stop down event no matter how many times you have seen him. Everyone treats him differently than pretty much anyone else that walks through. He is at the top level of this museum.

Amazing, really. As it pertains to the Colts and Saints, they are determining their future. All these athletes have done to get to this point - and it is a lifetime of dedication and hard work - may not matter. Instead, it shall be based on the results and events of Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Think about a guy like Drew Brees career. Success in High School, fame at Purdue, achievements in San Diego, and then the revival of a franchise in New Orleans. But, if he tanks on Sunday, he could be walking around the media center at Super Bowl 57 in a similar way that Dan Fouts and Boomer Esiason do, but not the way Montana and Troy Aikman do.

Because Montana and Aikman represent the victors. They were the Champions of this ultimate game. They had the opportunity and seized the moment. Esiason? He tried, but then Montana took his football immortality away. Fouts? Never even had the chance to play here. Jim Kelly? He had a Super Bowl moment - or 4 - but how was his legacy changed by Scott Norwood? And how did Norwood help cement Bill Parcells as a guy who shouldn't be 2nd guessed?

Funny thing, if you think about it. Eli Manning is in a group that Dan Marino will never be in. And what makes that discussion so odd to me is that Archie Manning must understand this better than anyone. Does he really think that both of his sons are not just a little better than he was - but WAY better than he was? Does Archie really believe that they figured out QB so much more effectively than he did? Archie has tons of class, so I doubt he would ever speak 100% honestly about his feelings, but somewhere deep inside he has to wonder about his legacy - not his family's. And his legacy was based largely on the fact that he never had a chance to be immortal in our football terms. He was on a team that never had a chance.

Did that make him less of a QB? Or Kelly? Or Marino? Or Peyton Manning before 2006? Now we speak of Archie's son as if he belongs on a pedestal right next to Joe Montana if he finds success in Super Bowl 44. And I don't think this is a wrong viewpoint as he has been revealed as an absolute football genius - but, when did we finally realize it? I will tell you. It was realized only when he had a ring to back up what our eyes were telling us.

And that is what I am conflicted about. We all know very well that statistics are the best way to measure a man's individual performance in a team-game climate. We use it to judge one player against another on a routine basis in all of our team sports that we love. And yet, when we need to measure a man's entire life's accomplishments, we use rings and championships which are fully dependent on those who joined that man in his quest for immortality.

Football is the oddest of all of these sports, because unlike basketball where we determine whose team it is based on who the best player is (Celtics - Bird-SF, Bulls - Jordan-SG, Lakers - Shaquille-C). In basketball, regardless of position, the best player gets the credit. But in football we seem to always attach historical significance to a team based on who their QB is. Sometimes there is no difference - their best player is their QB - but other times, it is clear that the QB is simply part of an ensemble cast. And yet, when they win, even if Eli Manning contributes 20% or 25% of his team's load, he is the one who gets to join other QBs who have won the game - even if they contributed 50% of their team's workload.

Consider the case of Kurt Warner. Something I wrote about earlier in the week seemed weird even to me when comparing Kurt Warner to Troy Aikman. How dare somebody do that? Aikman, in many of our minds, is incomparable. He has 3 rings in 4 years. That puts him in a class that has almost no equal. In fact, in the Super Bowl era, only Tom Brady can say the same. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw cannot even say that. But, what separates Kurt Warner and Troy Aikman in terms of career World Titles? This amazing kick and This amazing catch . If those two historic moments don't occur the way they did, Kurt Warner is in the 3 Lombardi club - And Tom Brady is not.

And the crazy thing about it all? When the kick that Adam Vinatieri made in Super Bowl 36 went through the uprights, neither Tom Brady nor Kurt Warner were standing on the field of play! Both of their careers would always be impacted by that 1 single play. They would be introduced differently at luncheons. They would be more interesting to corporations who were looking for a pitchman. In some ways, almost everything would change - and yet, they did not participate in the play that would either make or break them.

This isn't golf or tennis - where you take all of your own putts. This is a sport that is based on every last member of your roster doing their job. And yet, we reward the victorious QB and sneer at the defeated QB forever. Is it really Drew Bledsoe's fault that his special teams couldn't tackle Desmond Howard? Well, there is a decent chance Bledsoe will not be remembered more than Jim Zorn in 20 years because he lost 1 game in which a kick returner was the Most Valuable Player. Should Eli Manning really be placed above Donovan McNabb in the historical pyramid of greatness? David Tyree makes it so.

I love this sport above all others. I love every portion of football, and I really don't like dealing with another looming off-season where I must settle for other sports that are fine, but not my beloved NFL.

But, I have a hard time understanding this game properly. Why do we ignore circumstances and luck? Why do we not factor in Archie Manning's lot in life when we consider his work? Why is Dan Fouts not considered as good a QB as Doug Williams? How does that make any sense? What separates Ben Roethlisberger from Phil Rivers? Why do we ignore stats when looking at Bart Starr or Aikman? Because. All that matters is victory.

We still don't know how to properly assign credit for those victories, but we do know that a 67% completion percentage only goes so far if you never perform at your best in one of the 43 Super Bowls in our memory banks.

And that is why we cannot wait for Sunday. Some body's legacy will change forever.

The Herschel Walker Incident

Yesterday was what will be known as "the Herschel Walker incident". We all make decisions in life, and I will have to live with this one.

The incident is in the final minute.

Stars-Wild Preview

Tonight at the American Airlines Center the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Going into tonight the Wild and Stars are seperated by one point, 59, and 58 respectively. While Dallas is tied with Anaheim for the 10th spot, Detroit and Calgary are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with 62 points.





Dallas (24-20-11, 59 pts)

• Warren Peters was called up from the Texas Stars (AHL) as Brian Sutherby injured his shoulder in the 4-2 loss to Phoenix on Sunday night.


• The Stars activated Jere Lehtinen off the IR on Sunday. He was suppose to come off the previous game against Colorado but they had a filing issue with the league and the proper paperwork wasn't turned in before the deadline therefore leaving Lehtinen ineligible for Friday nights game. He ended Sunday playing 14:34 and registering three shots on goal.


• For the third time this season the Stars tried to win three in a row for the first time all year, and for the third time they were denied. The previous two times by Vancouver, this time by Phoenix.


• After getting outshot by Phoenix 15-5 in the first period Sunday, the Stars ramped it up and outshot the Coyotes 35-16 in the final two periods including 23-9 in the third.


• Alex Auld struggled on a couple goals in the game Sunday including a big one surrendered to Shane Doan with no traffic in front from the bluline. My guess is that soft goal will be enough for Marc Crawford to solidify Marty Turco as tonights starter between the pipes.


• With the grind of the recent schedule for the Stars over the last week or so, Marc Crawford gave the team a day off of practice yesterday. Minnesota hasn't played since Friday, but they did have a late skate yesterday afternoon.

Wild are coming off a 5-2 loss at San Jose on Saturday night. Minnesota (27-24-4, 58 pts)

• Josh Harding started in net as starter Niklas Backstrom has been bothered by a sore back. He did not dress for Saturday nights contest at HP Pavillion. Wade Dubielewicz, the former Denver Pioneer sat in as the back up.


• In the Wilds 5-2 loss they allowed a team franchise high four power play goals to San Jose.


• The Wild come into tonights game losers of seven of their last eight on the road.


• Miko Koivu has 2-2-4 in his last four games, and Eric Belanger has nine points in his last 12 games

Tonight Marty Turco will start in goal against Josh Harding.

• Wade Dubielewicz was called back up after being sent down to Houston following the San Jose game. He arrived this morning for the pregame skate.
• Brian Sutherby is ruled out for tonight and Warren Peters will take his spot in the line up.

Tonight Marty Turco will have another opportunity to step up be the go to netminder. Do I think this will happen? Not so much but tonight I think he'll be great.

The Wild are similiar to the Stars, not only in points and record but they also are very good at home and very poor on the road. Stars win 3-2.

Super Bowl 44 - Day 1

Here we are live in Miami (for some reason, this year it is actually Fort Lauderdale) for Super Bowl XLIV.

My interests during Super Bowl week are everywhere. But, there is no question that one of the main things on my sports brain is the annual Hall of Fame tug of war .

Here is who we have this year:

HALL OF FAME FINALISTS

Player Pos. Team(s) Years
Tim Brown WR LA/Oak., TB 1988-04
Cris Carter WR Phil., Min., Mia 1987-02
Don Coryell Coach StL Cards, SD 1973-86
Roger Craig RB SF, LA Rai., Min. 1983-93
Dermonti Dawson C Pitt. 1988-00
Richard Dent DE Chi, SF, Ind., Phi 1983-97
Russ Grimm G Wash. 1981-91
Charles Haley DE-LB SF, Dallas 1986-99*
Rickey Jackson LB New Orl., SF 1981-95
Cortez Kennedy DT Seattle 1990-00
Dick LeBeau CB Detroit 1959-72
Floyd Little RB Denver 1967-75
John Randle DT Minn., Sea. 1990-03
Andre Reed WR Buff., Wash. 1985-00
Jerry Rice WR SF, Oak., Sea. 1985-04
Shannon Sharpe TE Den., Bal. 1990-03
Emmitt Smith RB Dallas, Ari. 1990-04

I am pretty sure that Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are in. So, we have 2-4 more spots to roll with.

Lebeau and Little are Veteran committee selections so I think they generally have an excellent chance. So that leaves Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Andre Reed, Shannon Sharpe, Charles Haley, Richard Dent, and Don Coryell as the front runners to battle for the final 2 or 3 spots.

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Meanwhile, plenty of questions about Kurt Warner and his Hall of Fame bid. I have him in, but let's bring you up to speed on the situation.

First, we should establish what QB's are in the Hall of Fame:

Troy Aikman 1989-2000
George Blanda (Also PK) 1949-1958, 1960-1975
Terry Bradshaw 1970-1983
Len Dawson 1957-1975
John Elway 1983-1998
Dan Fouts 1973-1987
Otto Graham 1946-1955
Bob Griese 1967-1980
Sonny Jurgensen 1957-1974
Jim Kelly 1986-1996
Bobby Layne 1948-1962
Dan Marino 1983-1999
Joe Montana 1979-1994
Warren Moon 1984-2000
Joe Namath 1965-1977
Bart Starr 1956-1971
Roger Staubach 1969-1979
Fran Tarkenton 1961-1978
Y.A. Tittle 1948-1964
Johnny Unitas 1956-1973
Norm Van Brocklin 1949-1960
Bob Waterfield 1945-1952
Steve Young 1985-1999

Then, Jamie, a P1, gets the credit for pointing out the similarities in certain stats, and not in others for Kurt Warner vs our own Troy Aikman:

Player	GS	CMP	ATT	PCT	YDS	TDS	INT	Rating
Aikman	165	2898	4715	61.5%	32942	165	141	81.6
Warner	101	2666	4070	65.5%	32344	208	128	93.7

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But, before you tell me about the playoffs, check out their playoff comparison:

Playoffs	Record	TDs	INTs	Rating
Warner	9-4	31	14	102.8
Aikman	11-5	23	17	88.3

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And Super Bowls? They were both in 3. Aikman went 3-0. Warner 1-2, but with the three most prolific passing yardage days in the history of the game.

414 Kurt Warner, St. Louis vs. Tennessee, XXXIV
377 Kurt Warner, Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, XLIII
365 Kurt Warner, St. Louis vs. New England, XXXVI

Here is an email from my buddy, Shawn:

Bob,

What 2 time league MVP is not in the Hall of Fame?

He took the Cardinals and Rams to the Super Bowl. That's not the Steelers or Cowboys.

5 year Hall of Fame career? Gale Sayers

You can't take away his greatness, regardless of the length. He was left for dead twice (Giants and Cardinals) and he took the silly Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

McNabb is going into the Hall of Fame and I would put Warner in before McNabb.

Shawn

Arizona Republic on his credentials

ESPN Blog looks at the same topic :

An updated look at his Canton credentials:

1. Longevity.

The great quarterbacks had staying power. Warner has played in 124 regular-season games, about 60 fewer than the average for the 14 quarterbacks enshrined over the last 25 years. This is one of the few categories where Warner doesn't measure up.

On the other hand, Roger Staubach played only seven more games. Like Warner, he was an elite big-game quarterback. No one questions Staubach's Hall of Fame credentials. And Warner, playing in a pass-happy era he helped christen, certainly has better stats.

2. Production.

Here is where Warner's relatively short game log works to his advantage. He has put up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers in less time than players already enshrined. His offenses in St. Louis scored 526, 540 and 503 points in consecutive seasons, setting a standard that holds up well across any era.

Of those 14 quarterbacks enshrined since 1985, none could match Warner in completion percentage, yards per attempt or yards per game. Steve Young is the only one with a higher passer rating than Warner. Dan Marino is the only one with more 300-yard games (Warner has 52, twice as many as Jim Kelly, who played in 36 additional games).

3. Postseason success.

Only Bart Starr (104.8) has a higher postseason passer rating than Warner (104.6) among NFL quarterbacks all time. Warner closed the gap to within a couple tenths of a rating point with his five-touchdown, zero-interception performance against the Packers in the wild-card round.

Warner has averaged 312.3 yards per postseason game, most in league history. And unlike the other four players in the top five on that list, Warner has won a Super Bowl. He has played in three of them, posting the three highest yardage totals in the game's history.

Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Brett Favre, Troy Aikman and Staubach are the only quarterbacks with more postseason victories than Warner.

Warner, with a 9-3 record in postseason, needs two more victories to match Aikman and Staubach on the all-time list. Beating the Saints in the divisional round Saturday would move Warner out of a tie with Starr (9-1), Donovan McNabb (9-7) and Kelly (9-8) for sole possession of eighth place on the list.

Warner has passed for at least 365 yards in half his 12 playoff starts. No other quarterback has hit that mark more than three times in postseason (Peyton Manning). Warner owns three of the 23 postseason performances in which a quarterback threw at least four touchdown passes (Montana, Manning and Daryle Lamonica each did it twice).

4. Unique legacy.

Warner's rise from supermarket shelf stocker to Super Bowl hero gives his legacy another dimension. Leading two previously dormant franchises to the Super Bowl also separates Warner from the typical Hall of Fame candidate.

Not many Hall of Famers would lose jobs to Marc Bulger and a young Eli Manning before working feverishly to beat out Leinart. A thumb injury doomed Warner in St. Louis. The Giants and Cardinals weren't going to leave a first-round choices on the bench (Warner's passer rating with New York, by the way, was higher than any Manning posted until this season).

It's been a strange career for Warner, no question.

Interesting case, but he has to be in.