There are only a couple months of the year that please so many sports fans at the same time. First there is October, it’s the beginning of the NBA season, the MLB World Series, and both college football and the NFL are in full swing. Second there is of course March! For die-hard baseball fans, they have been waiting since October for Spring Training to start. March also brings us the beginning of NFL free agency, the NBA playoff chases tighten, and there is pure madness in NCAA basketball. Let’s take a look at each sport and what’s going down with each right now:

MLB Spring Training – How it is that baseball fans get so excited about “pre-season” games??? You would think that 160+ regular season games would be enough to satisfy fans, but that is where you would be wrong. This pre-season is a bit different for baseball this year because they have the bi-annual World Baseball Classic. The WBC has been successful in finding it’s little niche, but only because the Olympics axed baseball from the Games. So far the controversey surrounding Alex Rodriguez has been the talk of Spring Training. If you haven’t heard, Alex was NOT taking Tic Tacs when he was with the Texas Rangers back in 2001.

NFL Free Agency – Nothing reinforces your respect and admiration (or lack thereof) for professional athletes more than seeing them make millions and still demand more. So far the headlines are two free agents not available and one that is very available. Kurt Warner resigned with the Arizona Cardinals, Ray Lewis resigned with the Baltimore Ravens, and Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys. You know the economy must be bad if even Owens is out of a job. He is the best wide reciever in NFL history, just ask him.

NBA Playoff Chases - There are really two halves to the NBA season for fans. The first half is where they solely cheer for their team to win. The second half is when fans start considering playoff seeding and not only cheer for their team to win, but also actively hope the teams in front of theirs loses. The Eastern Conference is already narrowed down to three teams: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic, nobody else has a shot. Meanwhile in the West, much like every year, it’s anyone’s game. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are on top, but they have both shown they are succeptible on the road. No teams are going to tank the season this year for a good lottery pick because there are hardly any good players declaring for the NBA Draft this year.    

NCAA March Madness – Conference Championship week is upon us , which is where many of the automatic berths for the NCAA Tournmanet will be determined. As it is rightfully called, “March Madness” is the perfect fourm for David to beat Goliath. With a 64-team field, mostly filled with “underdogs,” everybody will be looking for this year’s “feel good story.” The Tournmanet itself is a feel good story when you compare it to college football’s BCS. Here are a few tips while filling out your bracket:
-All four #1 seeds have never made it to the Final Four
-7-10 and 6-11 matchups are the most likely to have an upset
-The Big East is very overrated and
-If you are torn between two teams, decide which team’s mascot would win in a street fight.

Last year was the most watched Super Bowl ever, this year’s Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals is simply being touted by many as the most exciting ever. With the exception to Steeler James Harrison’s interception return for a touchdown before halftime, the first 50+ minutes of this game left much to be desired. At the start of the fourth quarter the thought “this is the most boring Super Bowl ever”  entered my mind. I’ll give it the honorary title of Most Exciting Eight Minute Span in Super Bowl History. As we head into the football drought until next fall (because the Pro Bowl is not football, just a free trip to Hawaii for the league’s best players), here are a few things to think about:

WR Santonio Holmes made the toe touching touchdown grab to secure the win for the Steelers.

-What took the Cardinals so long to get Larry Fitzgerald involved? With a little more than eight minutes left in the game, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner had thrown in Fitzgerald’s direction once!!! Throughout the game the Cardinals tried so hard to establish the run, but all it did was stall their drives, it was not the run that got them to the Super Bowl. Once Warner started throwing to Fitzgerald, he started making plays. Fitzgerald made six receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns. I think their was a missing page in the gameplan…

-Did the Steelers label themselves as thugs? In the last five minutes of the game, Ike Taylor and James Harrison  were both assessed unnecessary roughness penalites and were  acting like thugs. Taylor tried to pick a fight with the whole Cardinals bench, for the most part unprovoked. Harrison roughed up Cardinals special teamer Aaron Francisco for no reason at all comletely unprovoked. While Taylor’s action were simply stupid, Harrison’s were worthy of a suspension or at least a fine.

-Is Ben Roethlisberger among the best quarterbacks ever? In Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger came away with a ring and the worst QB rating in Super Bowl history. After Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger is being mentioned as one of the greatest. Big Ben was amazing in avoiding the rush and making huge throws, but one of the greatest? Perhaps in the Super Bowl, there are a half dozen quarterbacks I’d rather have as my starter ahead of Roethlisberger, and they for sure all have shorter names.

-Was this one of the worst officiated Super Bowls? This was a poorly officiated game, it seemed like there were more yellow flags on the field than terrible towels in the stands. While some will cry bloody murder, the Cardinals gave the game away in the second quarter when Warner threw that now infamous pick six. I didn’t see a ref throw that interception at the goal line, surely didn’t see one miss about nine tackles down the sideline. Referees influence the game, but they don’t decide a winner (except for Ed Hochuli’s all-time worst botched call this past year).

-Will the Cardinals stay atop the NFC? The Cardinals got hot, it’s that simple. If Warner retires, then so will the Cardinals chances to stay at the level they are playing right now. The Cardinals are a throwing team, and that’s fine, it was when they tried to establish the run that they got in trouble. If the Cardinals lose their passing game then they will lose everything, not to mention their defense breaks just as much as it bends. The Cardinals found themselves in a good position the way their division and the NFC shaked out, and then they took care of business in the Playoffs. It’s a vast understatement to say the Cardinals will find it tough to play in another Super Bowl any time soon.

Back by popular demand, we bring you another edition of Weekly Rumors.  Once again we are going to spill the beans on all the things we’ve been hearing around the sports world. Take it or leave it, remember that these are just rumors. Don’t ask for the source, we won’t tell you, just know that we heard it at some point from someone, somewhere..out there…beneath the pale moonlight.

Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is a inspiration to ball boys everywhere.

Larry Fitzgerald New Spokesman – Larry Fitzgerald has been the subject of many articles the past couple of weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Fitzgerald got to rub shoulders with one of his childhood heroes when he was a teenager. The hero was Cris Carter, one of the greatest recievers in NFL history. Fitzgerald found himself in the fortunate situation of  rubbing shoulder because he was a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings. Seeing an opportunity to get it’s name out there, the NAABB (National Associtation for the Advancement of Ball Boys) nabbed Fitzgerald as their new promoter. Be advised that the NAABB is in the process of changing it’s name to the NAABP (National Association for the Advancement of Ball People). The NAABB is sensitive to the matter that not all people that manage balls are boys, but also men, girls, and women.

NBA to Use Performance Pay – Many people were not blessed with the ability to be tall and play professional basketball. For those poeple, earning a paycheck is laregley based on performance. Being sympathetic to the hard working people of America, the players union of the NBA has approved a performance pay system for players. Scoring points will not be a point of emphasis, otherwise teams would fight amongst themselves for the ball and players on the Los Angeles Lakers would welcome trade offers for Kobe Bryant. Categories have been arranged into two groups, ones that will deduct pay and ones that will increase pay. Statisitcs that will dock players’ pay will be turnovers, missed shots, technical fouls, and flopping (nobody liked to see a grown man act like a wimpy school girl). Assists, blocks, steals, and field goals and not wearing headbands upside-down or backwards will result in a little extra compensation.

What does Groundhog Day have to do with sports? If MLB has anything to do with it, then it will be something.

Groundhog to Dictate Spring Training  -Punxsutawney Phil has quite the reputation, the only animal that can predict the length of winter based on if he can see his shadow or not. Starting this year, Phil will also decide the start of Major League Baseball’s Spring Training. Usually pitchers and catchers will report ro camp in mid-February, and the skill position players (You know??? Because pitchers and catchers don’t have skills..) report a week later. If Phil sees his shadow then the first players won’t report until mid-March, a welcome change to players wanting another month of vacation. MLB remained silent when questioned on this new decision, but skeptics believe it is related to MLB trying to reach out to animal activists groups by respecting their opinions (the animals of course).

Roger Clemens to be Found Innocent – The Roger Clemens steroids scandal has been extremely long and drawn out. There is so much incriminating evidence of Clemens’ actions, from medical papers to actually needles used to inject steroids into Clemens’ body. Through the hearings, Clemens has done nothing to paint a picture of innocence. He has lost a lot of fans and exposed them to the harsh reality of steroids in baseball. Barry Bonds could definitely lend a should to cry on and tell Roger, “it’s okay, I know how you feel man.” However, Clemens will be found innocent and this case will be dismissed. With exception to Pete Rose, there are only a handful of professional athletes that have been properly punished for foolish actions. This will be a case of “the bloddy glove doesn’t fit,” as Clemens walks away from the public eye like O.J. did, an “innocent” and free man.

Steelers WR Hines Ward was the MVP in their last Super Bowl and will play despite his injury this year.

The Arizona Cardinals may be the team on a bigger roll with a more innovative offense, but they haven’t played in a Super Bowl. Cardnals quarterback Kurt Warner has won a Super Bowl, but so has Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger…along with over half of the players on the Steelers roster. While this is the Cardinals first Super Bowl, the Steelers have won five. There is no question that when it comes to experience in this big game, the Steelers are leaps and bounds ahead of the Cardinals. Luckily for the Cardinals, experience isn’t all that matters,

When the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, they were playing for Bill Cowher, their head coach in his last year. Roethlisberger had the worst game a quarterback had ever had in a Super Bowl with a quarterback rating just over 22, but he won and became the second youngest quareterback ever to win the big game.  Also, the Steelers were outgained, lost the turnover battle, and were benefactors of a lot of questionable calls. One more thing to be noted is the Steelers offensive coordinator in that Super Bowl, Ken Whisenhunt, the current coach of the Cardinals. Don’t think that Cardinals won’t know a thing or two about what to expect from the Steelers.

Much like every other game in the playoffs so far, this game really is a toss-up. The Steelers and Cardinals could not be any more opposite. The Cardinals rank in the top five on offense and are one of the worst ranked defenses. The Steelers are one of the worst offenses but the number one defense. Most would tend to think that in a big game, the defense is usually the one to stand up and that the offenses are the ones that sputter. The Steelers have been steadily mediocre on offense throughout the playoffs and consistently stellar on defense. The Cardinals have carried their same offensive power into the playoffs, but have also shown some tremendous improvements on the defensive side of the ball. Roethlisberger will be the wild-card in this game, if he can step up and make some plays then the Cardinals will be on their heels the whole game. Don’t expect the Cardinals high octane offense to run so smooth if they are constantly playing from behind. Their really isn’t much more analysis that needs to be done on this game, they just need to go out and play the game. Let’s all hope that some businesses not going under will have enough money to give us some entertaining commercials.

Arizona head coach Kent Whisenhunt has brought a new identity to the Cardinals--a contender

It was only a matter of weeks ago that the Arizona Cardinals clinched their division, which really didn’t surprise anyone. The Cardinals play in perhaps the worst division in the NFL. The Cardinals had to slug it out with juggernauts such as the San Francisco 49ers (7-9…which is actually a dramatic improvement for the 49ers, but still sub-par), Seattle Seahawks (4-12), and St. Louis Rams (2-14). Their division is so bad that every one of their teams lost their head coaches to retirement or to just stinking, the Cardinals had no choice but to take the division crown. The Cardinals followed up their division clinching game by traveling to New England and having the Patriots clip their wings.

If there is one thing that we all know (or should know by now), it’s that the #1 seeds in each conference don’t always make it to the Super Bowl. As a matter of fact, the last time two #1 seeds met was in 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills. So, building on that, it is the teams that get hot that get to the Super Bowl. As bad as the Cardinals were when they limped into the playoffs, they got hot. Just like the New York Giants last year, Arizona got some swagger and put away the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers on the road, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Kurt Warner and company have done what the skeptics have kept telling them they couldn’t. How could you blame everyone for doubting them? They are the Cardinals after all, until this post-season the best thing they had going for them was an awesome stadium with the retractable field.

No doubt the Cardinals are ecstatic to be in the Super Bowl, but the question still remains, is it good for the Super Bowl to have the Arizona Cardinals? Will the Pittsburgh Steelers embarrass Arizona in the first half and shift viewers attention away from football and toward the commercials, or will Arizona keep it close? Last year was the most viewed Super Bowl ever, so they are already looking at a decrease in their TV audience. In my opinion, the Cardinals have a great chance to beat the Pittsburgh. Warner isn’t exactly leading “The Greatest Show on Turf,” nor is he in his prime anymore, but he has a lot of weapons and they think they are a greater show on turf. Thinking they are that good is half the battle, I think they are just a Marshall Faulk short.

Ed Reed is the most important part of the Ravens defense, not Ray Lewis.

If you had the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and Philadelphia Eagles as your final four teams and have put money on it, you might as well retire right now. The roads that each of those four teams have taken are each filled with twists and unlikely turns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the the only team that we saw being a Super Bowl contender, they had a tough defense all season long and and offense that did just enough to win. When quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went down with a concussion the last game of the season, there was a sense of panic in the Steel City. It’s a good thing the Steelers had a first round bye or else they might not be in the position they are in right now. The Baltimore Ravens also had a tough defense, but a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback from the University of Delaware raised some eyebrows of the Ravens chance to be successful this year. Head coach John Harbaugh and QB Joe Flacco were both nothing short of amazing in guiding the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game. The Arizona Cardinals were simply the Cardinals, the team that always stinks and nobody expects to win. The fact that they not only won their Wild-Card game at home, but also went on the road and stunned the Carolina Panthers is enough reason to believe that these Cardinals could make it to the Super Bowl. Finally, the Philadelphia Eagles, the most unlikely road of all. Because of the “1″ in their tie column, the Eagles needed a lot of help the last week of the season, and they got it! Not only did the team in front of them lose, but the Eagles also held up their end of the bargain by spanking the Dallas Cowboys at home. Fresh off their second win in the Meadowlands this year, humbling the former Super Bowl Champions, there is no reason to doubt the Eagles can make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2005. All the teams left have proven they can win at home and on the road, so location means nothing in this weeks Championship games. Location, however,  may impact the outcome of this week’s games. Pittsburgh is expecting six inches of snow at kickoff and cold weather while Tempe will be sunny and beautiful.

Last year was the most watched Super Bowl in NFL history, despite the intrigue of all the teams trying to make it this year, more people might be watching this year’s game for the commercials and not the football. With the economy struggling, it’s yet to be seen which companies are able to fork out millions for 30-second commercial spots. Maybe this is the year that we are spared from another horrible “Go-Daddy” commercial! Expert picks have meant very little this post-season, ESPN NFL experts were 0-4 last week, JIB Sports was 1-3. This year’s Super Bowl will not showcase two bird teams, or two Pennsylvania teams. When we give you are pick, think of reverse psychology, this year’s Super Bowl will showcase the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Familiar foes will face off this week’s Divisional Playoff games. We’ve seen every matchup this week sometime during the regular season, and in the case of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, this will be their third meeting this year. Their won’t be a lot of surprises, being unprepared is inexcusable, so these games will come down to turnovers and who executes better.

NFC

The Panthers are hoping to return to the Super Bowl.

Saturday, 01/10/09 – Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – The Carolina Panthers having been trying to maintain the standard set by the 2002-03 Super Bowl Panthers. Although they came close in 2006, they have never had as real of chance as they have this year to return to the Super Bowl. DeAngelo Williams ran for over 1,500 yards this season and rookie Jonathon Stewart added another 800+ yards, giving the Panthers a dangerous running attack that will take pressure off quarterback Jake Delhomme. The Arizona Cardinals are the recipient of playing in a horrible division, but they did have a nice season and an impressive Wild-Card win at home against the Atlanta Falcons last week. Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner threw for almost 1,500 more yards than Delhomme, but he does not have a consistent running game to back him up. The Cardinals didn’t know what to do two weeks ago when they played the New England Patriots in the snow. When they realized they couldn’t throw the ball they just rolled over and played dead, didn’t even attempt to make snow angels… 

Sunday, 01/11/09 – Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – The Giants better watch themselves, because the Eagles are in the same boat as the they were in last year ( a Wild-Card team that got hot and won three straight road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl). The Eagles are one down and two to go, and the fact that they have already defeated the Giants at the Meadowlands will give them a lot of confidence going into this game. If the Giants offensive line lives up to it’s reputation, then quareterback Eli Manning will have all day to look for someone open that’s not Plaxico Burress. Eli is on the brink of doing what is older brother Peyton has not, win two Super Bowls. For the Eagles sakes, perhaps somebody should sit Donovan McNabb down and explain to him that there are no ties in playoff games (it also wouldn’t hurt to explain to head coach Andy Reid that his grizzly beard does not flatter him).

AFC

Titans RB Lendale White has been called a lot of things, but never "fast."

Saturday, 01/10/09 – Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans – After defeating the Miami Dolphins in Miami, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis pretty much said that the Ravens won because of God. In the grand scheme of things, I really don’t think God cares who wins a football game. I heard Lewis comment this week that God doesn’t love the Tennessee Titans either. Once I see dark clouds and thunder showers solely over the Titans bench, then I might take Lewis’s comments as the gospel truth. Until then, I’ll take the upstart Titans to defeat the Ravens in a true defensive battle. Statistically speaking, the Ravens and Titans are almost identical, but that’s why they play the game! What is most surprising about what this year’s Titans did is that they didn’t do it with Vince Young, they did it with Kerry Collins. For those of you wondering if your cable or satelite transmission is having troubles whenever LenDale White runs the ball, rest assured that he is that slow and your television viewing equipment is fine.

Sunday, 01/11/09 - San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was lit up the last game of the season and left the game with a concussion. In a game that meant nothing, some might question why Roethlisberger was even in the game. Then again, if he was held out and then started this game slow, then others would question why he didn’t play that last game. What matters now is that he is playing on Sunday and the Steelers are at home, where the only team to beat them was the Colts, who the Chargers sent packing last week. While the Colts had a much improved defense, it didn’t match the toughness and physicality of the Steelers’ defense. Chargers little man Darren Sproles ran wild last week in San Diego, and just might get the starting nod again this week with an ailing LaDainian Tomlinson. The biggest factor in this game will be mother nature, and snow is in the forecast. The Chargers see snow just as often as the Steelers see the Pacific Ocean…

2008 was hailed by ESPN as “the greatest year in sports.” It all comes down to the eyes of the beholder, I doubt the sports fans of the greater New England area, Los Angeles, or Seattle would share those same sentiments. It seems unlikely that a golfer and swimmer are in the top 3 sports stories, but that’s just what kind of year it was:

Top 3

Tiger Woods sinks a put to force an 18 hole playoff in the '08 U.S. Open

(1) New York Giants Impropapble Super Bowl Win - It was the most viewed Super Bowl ever, and it did not fail in delivering a spectacular show. The New England Patriots were heavy favorites as they attempted to be the first team to win 19 games in a season and finish undefeated (the ‘72 Dolphins still claim to be the only perfect team because they won the Super Bowl in their undefeated year). The only thing standing in their way was a mediocre New York Giants team that had to rally off consecutive wins on the road to get into the Playoffs and then win three straight on the road to get to the Super Bowl. In a season of “unbelievables,” the Giants victory was the top one. 

(2) Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open Victory – You don’t have to be a Tiger Woods fan, let alone a golf fan, to appreciate what Tiger did in the ‘08 U.S. Open. Tiger was having extremely noticeable pain in his knee and it was visibly apparent. He limped his way into an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate after draining a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. After the 18-hole playoff, they were still tied, but Tiger snatched the win on the 91st hole. Tiger had season ending knee surgery after the tournament and news leaked that he was advised by doctors to not even play. Throw out Michael Jordan and his performance with the flu in the ‘97 Finals, what Tiger did was far more amazing. 

(3) Michael Phelps’ Historic Performance – Go back 8 years to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, how many swimming events were televised? I am guessing not many, and the amount of people that watched them was more or less the same. Enter Michael Phelps in 2004 and he changed the face of Olympic swimming, perhaps forever. Phelps started the Beijing Olympics off to an amazing start for the Americans with his 9 gold medals. Who would have thought that the track and field teams would be the ones to disappoint us…and that aside from basketball, swimming events would have been the most watched? I’ve got a feeling that fencing and handball will never get that popular. Take away skimpy bikinis and sand volleyball will plummet…

Honorable Mentions: Boston Celtics Beat Kobe, Lakers / Philadelphia Phillies Win the World Series

Seattle Sonics fans have lots of good memories, one of them will now be when the Sonics were in existence.

Bottom 3

(1) The Supersonics Exile from the NBA - Small markets beware! NBA Commissioner David Stern and just about every owner that is not a citizen in the community that he owns a team in do not care about your team. Forget about history, forget about the fans’ love for “their” team, if it isn’t making the owner or the NBA as much money as they think it should then they will sell it. What happened with the Seattle Supersonics is despicable, their owner sold the team and moved them to Oklahoma City. Most will argue, but I believe it all started with the community of Seattle choosing not to fund the building of a new arena. Why don’t the players pay for it instead of hard working citizens in Seattle anyway? Most of them aren’t millionaires because they are talented, it’s because they are big and tall, right? Someone get back to me with answers to my questions! 

(2) Plaxico and His Guns - From Super Bowl Champion to under arrest, Plaxico Burress had a up and down year to say the least. So Plaxico has a lot of guns, none of which he is licensed to have, what should he do with them? Hide them? Sell them for profit? Nah, Plaxico decided to take one with him to a club and shoot himself in the leg. This should be a lesson to him that he is not above the law, but so many NFL players have gotten off the hook lately (except Michael Vick) that I think Plaxico might get his hand slapped and dismissed. If Plaxico would have played Halo, he would know that shooting yourself with a shotgun is not good. 

(3) Coaching Carousels – Between the three major league sports (NFL, NBA, and MLB) there were over 30 coaches dismissed. The number balloons out even more if you add in collegiate sports. Two of the NFL’s latest dismissals are both surprising and sudden. The Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan, their two-time Super Bowl Champion coach that had been there nearing 20 years. The New York Jets fired Eric Mangini, who was a genius only a season ago and who’s players all seem to not be in agreeance with ownership over his dismissal. I have another job (besides a sports writer), if I don’t perform well then my boss doesn’t get fired. I would get a pay decrease or get fired. Shouldn’t players be held to the same standard? It’s their job to win isn’t it? I’ve yet to see a coach hit a baseball, catch a football, or make a 3-point basket. 

Honorable Mentions: UNC Falls Short in Final 4 / AFL Philadelphia Soul Win Arena Bowl but Lose Money

Peyton Manning and the Colts are still contenders at the #5 seed.

Setting up one of the most wide open Playoffs in a long time, the last week of the NFL season was no different then the previous 16. Heading into week 17, the NFC was still up in the air. The Philadelphia Eagles had to have had the least amount of hope to get into the playoffs. Their fate layed in the hands of the Oakland Raiders defeating the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay and themselves defeating the Dallas Cowboys at home. Chucky and Monte laid huge eggs in Tampa and all of a sudden the Eagles’ fate was in their own hands and they took full advantage. Even though the Eagles’ record looks like one you would see in MLS (9-6-1) they will start their road to the Super Bowl in Minnesota to face off against the Vikings. Does it surprise anyone that the road teams are favored in all the games this weekend? As we say goodbye to our weekly column Revelations From the NFL until next season, JIB Sports will be giving a rundown of the weekly matchups with our picks. Hold onto your hats and glasses, ’cause this here will be the wildest bunch of Wild Card games…ever!

NFC

Saturday, 01/03/09 - Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals – Anybody who predicted this Wild-Card matchup before the season started might have been referred to a mental institution. A rookie coach and quarterback with a host of up and coming players on one side and the Cardinals on the other. Look up “Cardinals” in an NFL encyclopedia and you will read “noun – a group of players that underachieve, choke, and let other teams off the hook.” Believe it or not, the Cardinals are hosting a playoff game, on the field where The New York Giants upended the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. With Kurt Warner and his Michael Jackson glove on his throwing hand, the Cardinals have got to feel confident that they can score, the only thing they need to worry about is their defense. If the Cardinals can keep Falcons running back Michael Turner in check they will win their first playoff game in 10 years.

Sunday, 01/04/09 - Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings – Vikings head coach Brad Childress was highly criticized when he benched quarterback Tarvaris “I wear my bling during games” Jackson in favor of Gus “I Like to head-butt walls” Frerotte. The Vikings went on a roll and put themselves into Playoff position only to have Frerotte get injured and Jackson help the Vikings limp into the Playoffs. The Eagles lived on a prayer to make the playoffs and it was answered. Eagles head coach Andy Reid was also heckled greatly for benching quarterback Donovan McNabb around midseason, but look where the Eagles are now. I’m guessing the first coach to bench their starting quarterback for at least one series and then putting him back in will win this game. Football is after all a great deal mental over physical. The goal with the coaching strategy mentioned above is not to intimidate, but rather to confuse.  

AFC

Saturday, 01/03/08 – Indianapolis Colts at San Diego “Super” Chargers – The Colts and Chargers are two of the hottest teams in the league, although the Chargers have had a much easier path to the Playoffs. The Colts started the season 3-4 and rallied off nine straight victories, four of which were against playoff teams. The Chargers started the season 4-8 and ended with four straight wins, including wins over the streaking Chiefs and Raiders (not the good kind of streaking). The Colts knocked off the Chargers in week 12, but the Playoffs are a whole different story. Peyton Manning is still in MVP talks and he had a down year by his terms. Manning is only getting healthier and stronger as the year has gone on, and he plays considerably better when he’s not in cold weather. The Chargers are hoping a cold front moves through San Diego, or that Manning breaks his arm in a freak accident. 

Sunday, 01/04/08 - Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins - The same thing could be uttered about this game as was mentioned above regarding the Falcons and Cardinals. The Miami Dolphins completed the biggest turnaround in NFL history on Sunday when they beat the New York Jets and won the AFC East Division. The Patriots and Jets were all the talk going into the season, but Chad Pennington quietly led the Dolphins to their first playoff appearance 2001 (when they also faced the Baltimore Ravens and lost). The Ravens took a road almost identical to the Falcons with a rookie coach and quarterback. The Ravens have always been a tough defensive team, but quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense have diverted from typical Raven offenses in that they can actually put up points in bunches. The Dolphins will have the luxury of a raucous home crowd and all the confidence in the world. Watch for a wildphin sighting on Sunday.

"How about a nice foot-ball?"

Once a year we celebrate Christmas, the one time of the year where we can forget ourselves and reach out to others in a spirit of goodwill and peace. We also give our bosses a nice gift and not a flaming brown bag that we thought about giving them so many times during the year. Not to mention, we act like raged maniacs in stores and fight over parking spots with our car blinkers. With the NBA season starting, the NFL playoff push winding down, and the college football Bowl season in full force, there aren’t exactly feelings of goodwill and peace in sports. That’s why we love them though, we love the competition. The NBA has been trying to incorporate basketball into the Christmas tradition, similar to what the NFL has done with football on Thanksgiving. In just a matter of a few years, the NBA has gone from no games on Christmas to five games this year. The initial Christmas rivalry was Kobe vs. Shaq, but that wore off once Shaq turned very old very fast. Before being shipped to Phoenix, Shaq played Santa at the Heat Christmas Parties. This year the best game will probably be last year’s Finals rematch, it helps that the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are a combined  50-7. Whether you are watching basketball or trying to figure out your kid’s Transformers without breaking them, have a safe holiday and check back on Friday for College Football Bowls Preview: Part III. Merry Christmas!