Odds and Ends

So I've got a few odds and ends to comment on today. I know this isn't a political blog, but I must say Congratulations to President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the First Daughters, Malia and Sasha!!! What a wonderful inauguration event. I was glued to the television all day! But now we're back to reality so I wish our new president the best of luck. I know he's the right man at the right time. And now on to football:) Conference Championship Games I'm bummed that the Eagles didn't win but I'm so excited for the Arizona Cardinals making it to the Super Bowl for the first time. They played an awesome, mistake-free game. The Eagles on the other hand came up short in part by some questionable play by Donovan McNabb. There were so many missed opportunities and at least six valuable points left on that field. Yes, I know I said I was going to root for the NFC West, but I just couldn't bring myself to go against the Eagles. Maybe I should have. The Ravens-Steelers game went just how I thought - extremely boring because of two powerful defenses. I had a feeling the Steelers would hang in until the end, mainly since they're the only favored team that has one a game in the playoffs. The Ravens put up a fantastic fight though and this game could have gone either way. Super Bowl So now on to the Super Bowl. The Pittsburg Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. Who would have thought? We already knew that there were some newcomers in the playoffs but even I didn't believe the Cards were going to make it this far. This will be an exciting Super Bowl! My gut reaction would say the Steelers will get their sixth ring, but you can't count the Cardinals out. We might have another upset for the second year in a row? Which is bigger-the Giants knocking of the perfect Patriots or the Cardinals surprising everyone with a first time win? Under Armour Senior Bowl Just a little tip. Not sure how many of you follow college football as well or check out the Scouting Combine and NFL Draft, but I recommend watching the Senior Bowl this Saturday on the NFL Network. The Senior Bowl is played by the top seniors in the country every year on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. The cool thing is that the teams - the North Team and the South Team - are coached by NFL coaching staff. This year the North is being coached by the Cincinnati Bengals and the South is being coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL Network broadcasts the practices during the week with some of the coaches wired so that you can see and hear their coaching styles and techniques. It's really quite insightful and sometimes explains why some teams are better than others. You also get a great look at the seniors that will be participating in the draft and combine that you don't get from watching a game - looks that are clearly reliable since all the GMs, coaches and scouts are there making their draft lists too. Check it out!

Any Given Season

OK, I don't know what the rest of you think, but this has to have been one of the most exciting football seasons in a long time! The dominant teams either got off to bad starts or finished in the dump. The assumed favorites were nowhere to be found by the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins went from last in the league to first in their division with a wildcard spot. And now, only one top seed team will be playing in the league championships - the Pittsburg Steelers at #2! So this season goes to show you that on any given Sunday any team can win...and in any given season the underdog lives. From crucial injuries early (Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Tony Romo, the entire Seattle Seahawks team), to ongoing legal foolishness (Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, Chris Henry), the 2008-2009 season has given teams a fair share of obstacles to overcome. The Jets, who put their hopes and dreams of a Super Bowl appearance on the shoulders of Brett Favre, unfortunately saw the season slip away down the stretch. The Dallas Cowboys will be headed back to the drawing board to try to figure out why a team with so much talent spontaneously combusted one game away from the playoffs (the answer in a word...DRAMA). The San Diego Chargers got off to another slooooow start, still got into the playoffs, but came up short once again. But on the positive side, the Arizona Cardinals are hosting their first conference championship game and are one step away from making their first Super Bowl appearance in team history! Joe Flacco (who should have one Rookie of the Year over Matt Ryan) is taking the Baltimore Ravens to the AFC Conference Championships in his first year in the NFL! Well thank you NFL for giving us a truly exciting season. Just what we needed to take us away from all the doom and gloom we hear in the news everyday. And now on to another round where any team can win. Frankly, I'm not even trying to predict this one. I have my favorites but as the rest of the post season has gone...it's truly Any Given Sunday.