THE SUPER BLOG

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Obviously this is SUPER BOWL WEEK, so you know that this post will be about the big game and my prediction. That being said, there is something that occurred earlier this week that deserves my attention. O.K everyone, let’s all bow our heads and have a moment of silence for Kendrick Perkins’ pride, ego, and twitter account (this event actually led to him deleting his twitter account).

If you happened to be living under a rock this week, or just happen to miss one of the best in-game dunks of my lifetime, please view the clip below.



Little kids view their fathers as super heroes that know everything and are capable of anything. Sadly, Perkins' kids have found out the hard way that their dad is not capable of stopping a Blake Griffin dunk. As a matter of fact, they may someday question his intelligence for even trying. That being said, I hope he gets royalties from the sale of all of the posters that he is now featured on.

Now to the Super Bowl….

To be perfectly honest, I’m not overly enthused about this match-up. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against either of these teams (I’m lying, I actually hate Bill Belichick), but there are matchups that I would have much rather saw in this game. That being said, this is the NFL where you actually play your way into the championship game, unlike that idiotic college system, and these are the two teams that have earned the right to play for the championship. For the record, my pre-season Super Bowl matchup was Packers-Ravens, so I guess you can say that I’m a little bitter that both have been eliminated.

Personal bias aside, I’m a die-hard NFL fan that does not have a favorite team. I will watch any and every NFL game that I have access to as long as it doesn’t feature a quarterback matchup of Mark Sanchez vs. Tim Tebow (programming note to the NFL, NEVER PUT THAT MATCHUP ON NATIONAL TV AGAIN!). Also, I consider Super Bowl Sunday to be the greatest day in sports, so I will definitely be tuned in and enjoying the game, even though it is not my preferred matchup.

It is obvious by my earlier statement that my heart will be pulling for the Giants for no other reason, but to spite the evil genius that they call Belichick. However, as you all know I am an objective football fan who views and analyzes games with my head and not my heart. Therefore my official prediction will be made with my head.

My prediction for Super Bowl whatever the hell roman numeral that we are now up to is as follows….

Giants vs. Patriots
On one side of this match-up we have one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history being coached by one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. On the other side we have the little brother of one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history leading a team that is coached by one of the most underrated coaches in NFL history. These are the two matchups that will get all of the attention leading into the game. However, I do not think that this game will be decided by these two matchups. Although both of these teams have played well enough up to this point to make it to the Super Bowl, they are both far from perfect. Both of these teams have glaring weaknesses, and this game will be won by the team that does the best job hiding their weaknesses while exploiting those of their opponent.

The Patriots come into this game boasting the worst secondary in Super Bowl history. This season they have allowed a ridiculous 79 pass plays that were over 20 yards long. That is more than double the amount allowed by the league’s best pass defense (Pittsburgh Steelers). Things have gotten so bad in the Patriots’ defensive backfield that wide receiver Julian Edelman is now playing defensive back. The Patriots’ offensive line is also nothing to write home about. Tom Brady gets sacked on average about two times per game, but he has also spent a lot of time picking himself up off the turf this season after being rocked by opposing defensive players who got to him a split-second to late, but still managed to give him a little “love tap” just to let him know that they were thinking about him. Brady’s quick release, and in-depth knowledge of the offense allowed him and his arsenal of weapons (led by Welker, Hernandez, and Gronkowski) to put up monster numbers and save their defense’s a$$ by simply outscoring their opponents.

Like the Patriots, the Giants offensive line is also less than spectacular. This has meant that Eli Manning has had to be extremely tough and elusive en-route to his second Super Bowl appearance. Fortunately for the Giants, their phenomenal receiving core boasts players that have the ability to catch a short pass and take it to the crib. This is important because Manning rarely gets the time needed to complete long passes. The other weakness that the Giants will try to cover up is at the linebacker position. They simply aren’t very good there. They have two solid players in Michael Boley and Mathias Kiwanuka, but the other players or either young, slow, or some combination of the two.

In order to take advantage of the New England’s weaknesses the Giants will apply pressure on Brady at every snap of the football. The beautiful thing about the Giants defense is that they have the personnel on the defensive line to do this without blitzing. New York is deep enough on the defensive line with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Dave Tollesfson, Rocky Bernard, and Chris Canty to rotate fresh and capable bodies all game long to go at the Patriots’ offensive line. On the other side of the ball, the Giants will keep at least three wide receivers on the field at all times to ensure that Edelman is on the field and forced to try to cover one of their great receivers in space. I fully expect the Giants to design their plays in such a way that Edelman is forced to cover Victor Cruz. If their schemes are successful and Edelman is forced to guard Cruz, I fully expect Cruz to be dancing all the way to Disney World as the Super Bowl MVP.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, they really don’t have the personnel to exploit the Giants’ offensive line and put a lot of pressure Eli Manning. However, they do have the tight ends and slot receivers to really put the Giants’ linebackers in some difficult predicaments. New England’s passing game is based on principles that are drastically different from what is usually seen in the NFL. Brady starts inside with his progressions and works his way outside, while most other teams read from outside in. This means that the most dangerous weapons in their offense are the tight ends and slot receivers. This means that extra pressure will be on the Giants linebackers and safeties to cover these inside receivers.

Looking at these two teams objectively, I really don’t understand how the Patriots are favored in this game. Brady and Belichick may have resume’s that will someday lead to them becoming immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but they simply do not have the better team entering this game. I am looking forward to seeing the Cruz, Nicks, and Manningham run wild through what passes as a secondary in the Boston metropolitan area. I am also having a hard time imagining how the Patriots plan to block the goons that play on the New York defensive line. Much like four years ago, Brady will be beat and battered all over the field by the Giants hard-hitting defense. The wild card here is Eli Manning. Although he has played extremely well this season, particularly in the playoffs, he still has a little bit of Tony Romo in him. The Giants coaches must constantly remind him to not do something stupid like throw a pass with his left hand, or run for a first down without protecting the ball. You know the basic stuff that he has a tendency to forget from time to time.

Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots best player not named Brady is entering the game with a severe high ankle sprain. I am sure that he will try his best to tough it out and start this game. I am equally sure that he will be largely ineffective and will not finish the game. This season Gronkowski had over 1,300 receiving yards and scored 18 touchdowns. These numbers officially qualify him as a problem for any defense. If he were 100% healthy, I would sort of understand why New England is entering this game as the favorite. He is simply unguardable. However, he has an injury that affects his ability to push-off, run, move laterally, and jump. Last I checked NFL tight-ends are usually required to do these things to be successful.

Honestly, if Gronkowski was playing, I would pick the Giants to win an extremely close game. He is that much of a difference maker. Since he is not playing, I think that this will be at least a seven point game. The Giants are going to simply overwhelm the Patriots. As they say in boxing, styles make fights. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the Giants play a style that is simply not a good matchup for them. Look for this game to be decided in the trenches, where the Giants pass rush will simply overwhelm the Pats’ offensive line.

Prediction: Giants 31 – Patriots 24


And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….

BALLER – Terrell Suggs: BSHU (Ball So Hard University) STAND UP! The one and only graduate of the now famous on-line university has made it big. Terrell Suggs was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. This is a well deserved honor. His 14 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 7 forced fumbles are a big reason that the Baltimore Ravens were able to reach the AFC Championship Game. (An inconsistent group of receivers and a bad kicker are the reason that they lost the AFC Championship Game, but that’s not the point right now.) This is Terrell’s moment, and he deserves it. Going into next season, the Baltimore defense will feature three players that have been the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (Ray Lewis & Ed Reed are the others). They will all have to play at that level to make what will surely be Baltimore’s last stand a successful one. In a great show of humility, Suggs went back to his roots and thanked those who are responsible for him being here, literally. He actually thanked his parents during his acceptance speech for “going through with it.” You gotta love that! I’m sure the biology and sex education teachers at BSHU are also proud, because he did actually learn where babies come from.

SCRUB – Bill Belichick: Full disclosure: As I stated earlier, I HATE BILL BELICHICK! No seriously, I really hate Bill Belichick. To put it in perspective, I am a bigger Kobe Bryant fan than I am a Bill Belichick fan, and you know how much I hate Kobe Bryant. Alright, alright, that’s a bit too far. Actually, there is no one I hate more than Kobe Bryant. Although I hate Belichick, I do realize that he is one hell of a football coach that has few peers in his profession. He is leading the Patriots to a fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last ten years. That is a remarkable accomplishment that should be celebrated. My issue with Belichick has nothing to do with football. My issue is with the manner in which he does his job.

The NFL is a cold and heartless business, but no one is colder or more heartless than the hooded genius in New England. In addition to his success, Belichick has also been found to be a cheater. He simply doesn’t play by the rules. He spent several years secretly recording his opponent’s defensive signals, which gave him an edge when calling offensive plays. I will never forget when Brian Westbrook said after the Eagles lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl that he felt like New England knew what play they were running all game long. Westbrook later found out that they actually did know the plays. That had to be disheartening to know that you were cheated out of winning the ultimate prize in your profession.

My next issue with Belichick is his treatment of players. Although NFL players are essentially cattle in the eyes of their organizations and the league as a whole, they are still cattle that should be respected. In the past Bill Belichick has cut a player during the week of the first game of the season (Lawyer Milloy), and released a player when a roster bonus was due, only to re-sign him at a lower rate shortly after the deadline for the bonus (Troy Brown). Both were despicable acts, but they simply don’t compare to the stunt that he pulled on Saturday (THE DAY BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL!) This heartless goon, CUT WIDE RECIEVER TIQUAN UNDERWOOD! Now many of you are wondering who Tiquan Underwood is. He was by no means an impact player for the Pats this season. He is a special teams player and back up wide receiver, but that is not the point. As far as we know, Underwood didn’t break any type of team rule, have a Eugene Robinson experience, or miss curfew. Belichick simply decided that his services would not be needed on Sunday.

I have no problem with Belichick deciding that Underwood will not be playing in the game. If he had simply deactivated him, I would have understood. I also wouldn’t have a problem if the Patriots had decided to release him BEFORE THE TEAM MADE THE TRIP TO INDIANAPOLIS! However, to essentially kick him off the team after he has come to Indy, and gone through a week of practices and team meetings is simply heartless and ruthless. Simply put, you just don’t treat people like that. It has been two weeks since the Patriots last game. Why on Earth could they not release him during the off week? This guy has probably purchased game tickets and flown his family and friends to Indy to see him play in the biggest game of his life. Now thanks to this a$$h@!e, he will probably be watching the game with them in a bar somewhere with a hoodie on so no one will notice him by his signature haircut (he has a high-top fade with the Patriots logo cut into the back of it). He will probably drink so much that he will be doing the Captain Morgan pose by the end of the night. That is if he watches the game at all.



Follow me on twitter @scashhomey

THEY BETTER GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME

For the most part, the people who choose the college basketball player of the year are a pretty incompetent bunch. I’m not sure what their criteria is, but it seems to change from year to year. Some years, they obviously give it to the best player on the best team. Other years, they seem to give it to the best player at the biggest program. There have also been those years that they chose to reward the best non-freshman in the nation. Then there are the years that they give it to the person who actually deserves it. This year, they better do just that and give it to Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin. Not only should he win the award, but the voting should be unanimous. Although the choice seems obvious to those who believe what their eyes see, you can never count on the voters for college sports awards to make the obvious choice. Some years, they get it right and some years they miss worse than Shaq when shooting free throws.

Last season, they simply gave it to the best player on what was allegedly the best team. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Tyler Hansbrough is a fine college basketball player and has had a great career at North Carolina. But can anyone look me in my eyes with a straight-face and tell me that he was better than Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose last season….. I didn’t think so. Michael Beasley averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds a game in his only college basketball regular season. Yes, these numbers are great, but what makes them even better is the fact that he played for KANSAS STATE! That’s right, I said Kansas State. That’s not exactly what I call a powerhouse program. This is a school that basically didn’t exist in the world of college basketball before his arrival, and it has fallen off of the map after his departure. He was basically Beyonce while the rest of his teammates were Destiny’s Child, or he was Nelly and he played with the St. Lunatics. Perhaps the best way to put it is to say that he was Michael Jackson, and he was on the court with four Tito’s. He and he alone led that team to a 21 – 12 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hansbrough on the other hand, averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game on a team that was absolutely loaded. Beasley faced double and triple teams all season because no one feared any of his teammates, but defenses had to honor the rest of the Tar Heels and be careful not to focus too much on Hansbrough. Simply put, Beasley did much more with much less than Hansbrough, and he should have been player of the year. Due to the fact that I have written several blog entries about Derrick Rose in the past and my readers know how I feel about his game, there is really no reason to discuss him any further.

The 2003 player of the year award also baffled me. T.J. Ford was the winner. Much like Hansbrough he was also a very good college basketball player, but 2003 was also Carmelo Anthony’s freshman year at Syracuse. Need I say more? So if you thought that T.J. Ford was a better college basketball player than Carmelo Anthony, please let me know. The argument that I heard most that year was that a freshman couldn’t win the award. That was simply a cop-out because Kevin Durant won it 2007 and he was basically the second coming of Carmelo Anthony, without the National Championship.

Although Griffin and Oklahoma fell one game short of the Final Four, the fact remains that he was hands down the best player in college basketball this year. He averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds this season, and has simply been dominant this season. Not only has he been great this year, but he should be the first pick of the NBA draft (which means that he stands to make a lot of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!), and trust me he will not be a bust. He is definitely not the second coming of Kwame Brown.

BLAKE GRIFFIN IS THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AND THE VOTER’S BETTER GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME!!!!

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK!

BALLER: John Calipari (The next Head Coach of my Kentucky Wildcats) - This may be wishful thinking and a bit pre-mature, but I really hope that he is the next Head Coach of MY WILDCATS! Note to Calipari: This honor will be null and void if you do not become the Wildcats next coach.

SCRUB: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) - As you all know, I HATE KOBE BRYANT! (read the blog entry "I HATE KOBE BRYANT" to find out why). But he is my Scrub of the Week because he is allegedly the best player in the league, yet he could hardly shake Mario West in Sunday's loss to Atlanta. The Hawks held him to just 17 points in Sunday's game, and the undrafted Mario West defended him about as good as anyone ever has (I only saw Bryant shake him once). I take special joy in honoring him as the SCRUB OF THE WEEK!!!!