Settling A Bet

Bet was if the Packers win DP had to put this picture up on the site for the day, if the Steelers won SMack had to send over 2 large pizzas.

Enjoy.

How Come Everything He Does Is Douchy?

It's funny that everything that happens surrounding A-Rod makes him look more and more like a douche bag. And it's even more douchy that he made FOX apologize for showing this stupid popcorn clip.

Also, can't he do better than Cameron Diaz now a days, shes old and looks like a bulldog when she doesn't have make up on. I know he's always wen't for old gangly chicks like Madonna, but he's a millionaire in NY, can't he pull a Blake Lively or Erin Andrews.

Step your game up A-Rod.

Hey Aaron Rodgers Where You Headin'?

What A Game

You just knew going in that this was going to be a great Super Bowl. Two teams that are so evenly matched, with so much history, there was just no way this was going to be a blowout. To be honest at half time I was shitting myself. Even though Pittsburgh was down 11 they had all the momentum after that last scoring drive before the half. On top of that the Packers were losing one player after another. Woodson broke his collar bone, Driver was out (maybe forever), and even Sam Shields went down. With the way the Steelers were starting to be able to throw the ball I thought the loss of 2 out of their 2 3 CBs would be the end of them.

Even on top of all the injuries the game just didn't feel right for the Packers. How many times did they drop an easy pass? How many times did they end up a yard short? Honestly, it just didn't feel like a game the Packers were going to come up with.

Yet, looking in hindsight maybe it was meant to be. Favre's final sendoff was this year, and he gets to watch a QB that has already broke out of his shadow. I mean he has as many rings as Favre, and already has been a better QB, as you could see in this game it was Rodgers lack of mistakes that brought the game home. No picks usually leads to a win, and that is something Favre never seemed to learn.

On top of that you had the Lombardi special come out on HBO. My father and I getting to go to Green Bay, and even losing a friend who was a die hard Packers fan. Maybe it was just meant to be...

Still, there was 2 mins left with 1 timeout, Steelers only down 6, and Roethlisberger was on the field. Haven't we seen this before?

He hit a couple passes, but in the end just came up short. It happens, and he gave them a shot, but this year it was just the Packers year.

Dueling Couches Super Bowl Show

With the big game only a couple days away DP and I stepped up our games and did our podcast from an actual radio studio, so the audio should be a lot better.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Thanks to our man Scott Beer for hooking up the the studio.

Now it's time for all of you to put your 2 cents in about the game. I want to hear some predictions from all of you in the comments section.

Big Ben Up To His Old Tricks?

"Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drank and sang the night away at a Dallas-area piano bar Tuesday, according to video posted on TMZ. According to the report, "Big Ben" arrived at around 11:00pm local time at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar in Fort Worth, Tex., and stayed until 1:15am Wednesday. Roethlisberger arrived with two of his teammates, buying several rounds for himself and the entire bar. He reportedly tipped $200 on an $800 tab.

In the TMZ video, the two-time Super Bowl winner is seen belting out Billy Joel's "Piano Man" along with his Steeler mates.

This is the second report this week of the AFC champs enjoying the Dallas-Fort Worth nightlife. Several Steelers, including wide receiver Hines Ward, were spotted at a strip club Monday, according to the Dallas Morning News.

From 11 that night until 1:15 the next morning, the two-time Super Bowl champ reportedly pounded rum and Diet Cokes (FoxSports)."

For just about any other player this wouldn't be a big story, but with the entire week the media focusing on Roethlisberger, and his problems in the past this is one that could snowball quickly. All week Roethlisberger has been out selling self as a changed players who is past his partying days, even finding God along the way. Like I said, this shouldn't be a big story, but this is just another case of Big Ben needing to be a lot smarter then he is. The spotlight is on him, and he doesn't need to be out at night partying before in the same city as the biggest even of the year (Super Bowl).

Is it right that this will be a big story? Maybe not, but the perception of Roethlisberger is that he is a guy who is out of control, and since he was accused of sexual assault the rules in terms of what the public thinks about him has changed. If I was Tomlin I wouldn't be happy at all that he was out, and would've much rathered he kept up his low profile like he did for the regular season.

You can see the video here, but it's nothing all that exciting (CLICK HERE)

Sounds LIke Pouncey Will Play

Chris Berman interviewed Maurkice Pouncey and it is really starting to sound like he is going to play. Pretty amazing since last week it sounded like he had a broken ankle. I guess it should all just be smoke and mirrors, but I really don't think so. Offensive linemen are tough guys, and I could totally see this playing out, especially if you listened to the way he was talking yesterday.

Pouncey went as far as to say that he thinks he has a 75% chance of playing, considering that only a couple days ago he was as good as done, this is a huge jump in optimism. This is great news for the Steelers that already have a suspect offensive line, so having their Pro Bowl center back can only be a good thing.

Nothing Not Funny Here

Ben and Aaron

I hate phrases like "changing of the guard" to talk about the evolving environments of a sport. Although Tom Brady and Peyton Manning took early exits from the postseason, and neither has won a title since George W. Bush was President, it's hard to eliminate them from the elite, uppermost echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.

However, I think it's time we allow more names to populate that short list. It's no longer just Brady and Manning, then everyone else. I think it's Brady, Manning, Roethlisberger, and maybe even Rodgers.

What are the arguments against Roethlisberger's inclusion? His lack of eye-popping numbers? The help of a good running game and an excellent defense? But weren't those the precise arguments used against Tom Brady about 10 years ago? And since when has a QB won a Super Bowl by themselves? Ask John Elway and Terrell Davis, or Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Better yet, ask Dan Marino and nobody else.

In this pass-happy NFL, Roethlisberger's numbers don't dazzle. Even if you extrapolated his 12 game performance into 16 games, he'd have thrown 23 TDs (tied for 13th with Garrard, Cutler, and Fitzpatrick), although with only 7 INTs. He would have been among League leaders for yards thrown, and his QB Rating was 5th at 97.0. So the numbers don't fizzle, either.

Those are good numbers. Even the TD number is good considering what sane coach would throw the ball on 3rd and goal at the 1 when Rashard Mendenhall is in the backfield? The whole "supporting cast" argument can go both ways.

Then there's his ability to win. He just does it. He makes plays when plays are needed. Apart from his experiences with the mid 2000s Patriots, he's beaten all comers in big games. He's won two Super Bowls, 3 AFC titles, and 10 playoff games. And he hasn't been a passenger along for the ride in those games, either.

So no matter what happens a week from Sunday, I think Roethlisberger has cemented a spot in that top tier of QB.

Then there's Rodgers. And unless he throws for 500 yards and 6 TDs, he might have to show us a bit more in years to come before being included in the Manning-Brady-Roethlisberger discussion. I don't get to see him often, being in the NFC. But I've yet to be thoroughly impressed with him as a player. So much so that even after a bad game, or a bad year, I'd be sure that he'd recover.

His numbers are gleaming, and his postseason performances have been admirable. A ring would go a long way to solidify himself at the top of the food chain. He certainly has the potential to reach such heights, but there needs to be more results over a slightly longer stretch of time.

So I'd say it's now a three horse race for the top spot among NFL QBs. They all have strengths, they all have slight weaknesses that can be used in an argument against them. Their biggest achievements have all come with assistance. And each of them plays the position in a different way, within different systems, that have all been successful.

But there's something about these three guys that transcends stats, and wins, and rings. There's an aura of strength around them. Opponents respect them, even fear them, in a way above and different from other QBs. I think that says a great deal more than passer ratings or playoff records.

-The Commodore

Maurkice Pouncey Out For Super Bowl

"NFL Network reporter Adam Breer reports that Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was spotted at the Steelers facility on crutches and wearing a hard cast, not an aircast or boot. When asked if he was going to play in the Super Bowl, Pouncey had no comment. But Pouncey's teammate Chris Kemoeatu sure did. "We are definitely sad that he won't be able to be with us in the Super Bowl," left guard Chris Kemoeatu said after Wednesday's practice, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Definitely I feel bad for him. We just have to win it for him. It's definitely a huge loss for us." This is a shockingly honest disclosure, in light of the vagueness of official team injury reports (ESPN)."

There isn't any official word from the team yet, but it seems all but certain that the Steelers starting center won't be able to play. The Steelers have made due with a patchwork offensive line for most of the year, and Roethlisberger has been able to get by just fine. Still, this is a big blow of this team, not just for their passing game, but also for their running game. On top of that the center is usually the one that points out a lot of blitzes and adjusts blocking coverage. It will be interesting to see how much this loss will affect them.

Saints 31, Colts 17

What a game, much closer and more exciting than the final score suggests. In fact, the last three Super Bowls have all been instant classics.

Coming into the game, the primary storyline and general consensus was that this would be Peyton Manning's coronation as King of QBs. And while the Saints had a more compelling backstory, their mere presence in the Big Game was victory enough for the City of New Orleans. The Saints were definitely David against Goliath.

During the postgame malarkey, the media kept talking about the Saints' "comeback." But they only fell behind 10-0. Their offense struggled to get going, but give credit to their defense for keeping it a 10-0 deficit.

The Saints adjusted their passing routes, and took advantage of the ample time Drew Brees had in the pocket. Apart from Freeney's one-handed sack, Brees was hardly ever rushed, always had a clear line of sight, and had excellent passing lanes. A Saints field goal, combined with the Colts going 3 and out, was the turning point of the game. And it came 7 minutes into the 2nd quarter.



The Saints were a 4th & goal at the 1, off tackle rushing play away from tying the game as early as the 2nd quarter. But even after that failed, the Saints' defense stopped Manning in the 2 minute drill, giving Garrett Hartley another chance at a long field goal.

Garrett Hartley is a bit of an unsung hero in this game. Not only was he a clutch in the NFC Championship, but he all three of his field goals, all over 44 yards. Kickers have really struggled this postseason, but Hartley was 5/5, with all of his kicks 40+ yarders.

The Saints were super aggressive to start the 2nd half. They were also extremely confident in their defense, which had adapted to Manning and the Colts.

Going for it on 4th and Goal, trying a random onside kick, I was reminded of Bill Belichick. In 2005, the Patriots tried an onside kick in the 3rd quarter of an eventual loss to the Colts. And we all remember 4th & 2. It's amazing how much execution can make a coach look good.

The onside kick set up a Saints touchdown, which was good because the Colts' offense woke up on the next drive with a touchdown of their own.



The Saints answered with a field goal to retake the lead at 17-16. It was starting to look like this would be an offensive slugfest, with the last team with the ball winning. But it wasn't. The Colts were shutout in the 4th quarter.

The New Orleans defense, unsung heroes for the 2 weeks leading up to the Super Bowl (for the whole season really), and still unsung heroes, stopped the Colts, and forced a long field goal attempt, that was short and to the left. The game was over, even though nobody yet knew it.

Brees engineered a 58 yard touchdown drive that consisted of 2 runs and 7 short passing plays. Only one play of the drive was longer than 10 yards, and that was a Reggie Bush run. The Saints' offensive adjustments were complete, they took advantage of the time Brees had in the pocket to send their big receivers on complicated and involved patterns. This left players open underneath or on comeback routes, and with room to advance once they caught the ball.

But the outcome was still in doubt, down by 7 with 5:42 left is supposedly when Peyton "Best QB Ever" Manning shines. And he did advance the ball into Saints territory. But as I've mentioned, the Saints had adjusted. Tracy Porter smelled the ball, and picked off Manning. It was vintage Ty Law.



To put an exclamation point on the 31-17 win, the Saints defense came up with a goal-line stand as the clock ticked away.

The Saints deserved this win, as a team, not just because of Katrina or anything. They played well, and actually wanted to go undefeated, unlike the Colts.

Brees was the MVP of the game, but the Saints won as a team. From Hartley to Bush, to Colston, Henderson, Shockey, and the entire defense. And Sean Payton, too, who wasn't afraid of being second guessed. He knew that winners are aggressive, losers are passive. He went for the win and his players executed.



Fuck Tony Dungee

-The Commodore