Last night on Twitter, I saw Steelers S Ryan Clark asking (*cough*begging*cough*) for more followers. It seems as though Mr. Clark was looking for 10,000 followers for his page. (He should have asked his long haired teammate, Troy Polamalu. He rarely tweets, yet has 33K followers).

Clark started out his by having a simple incentive to following him:



What I found funny is that Clark followed up his tweet by giving reason why he may not be as successful as some on the social networking website:


WHOA!!!!!

Of course, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, Clark is possibly referring to the oh so boisterous, Chad Ocho Cinco of the Cincinnati Bengals, who is Twitter royalty and just finished showing his reality show, "The Ultimate Catch" on VH1. This actually may have had more steam, had Clark had more followers (at the current moment he has 12,602 followers, while Ocho Cinco's page has 1,293,946 followers).

At least Clark surpassed his 10K mark like he asked.... I was uninterested in following him (The Ravens fan in me makes me petty like that), until I saw this tweet:


Hopefully this applies to Steelers AND Ravens fans alike! *Hits follow button*

ESPN's Monday Night Football crew Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski had a round table session regarding the AFC North and how they will fare this season. Jaws and Gruden pretty much had great things to say about Baltimore and Cincinnati. But when it came to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, only Gruden was a little more optimistic regarding how they will fare in the 2010 season.

Do you agree or disagree? Is this the yeah Flacco becomes the cusp of being elite? Does Cincy repeat as AFCN Champs? Will Pittsburgh be better than last year or decline without Big Ben? Or will Cleveland win more than 6 games?

You decide

This weekend, the NFL had an interesting sequence of events take place .. and it's only preseason. Favre returned, but didn't last long, Tim Cowlishaw made some bold statements and the kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour was underway. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:



I went with my GGals partner Pigskin Loving Lady to the Ravens-Redskins preseason game, and we had a ball! It was the unofficial kickoff of the Gridiron Gals Tour, us going to different stadiums and doing what we do best-enjoy the game of football- while recording our experience. Check out the full video of us by clicking here. (by-the-way, that towel I was wrapped in? Ed Reed's towel that he threw up after the game was over... I'm in lust with it)

Big Ben made his return to the football as he started for the Steelers against the NY Giants. Roethlisberger finished 6-for8 for 76 yards and an INT Pittsburgh's preseason won over the G-Men. The best part about the game was the cat fight between Steelers Ike Taylor and Giants Hakeem Nicks.... they were windmilling everywhere, like two school girls.

I love when players swing on other guys with helmets on, don't you?



A couple of guys got JACKED UP this weekend. First, it was Bengals WR, who took a vicious hit and was woozy afterward against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We know it's only preseason but when that adrenaline gets to rushing, there's nothing you can do to stop that momentum. Shout out to Ocho Cinco for getting up without help.



ESPN's Tim Cowlishaw tweeted some encouraging new for Jets fans over the weekend:


That's great news! Too bad Adam Schefter and Peter King don't seem to agree with this tweet. I dunno about you, but I'd take Schefter word over any other NFL insider. Not sure how Cowlishaw, of all people, would be the one to get such important news. But we'll see how this fares by the end of the week.

And finally... Brett Favre got a nice "Welcome Back" greeting from the San Francisco 49ers last night. Favre played just 4 series, and this was the main reason why:



Old Man Favre went down faster than Hookers At The Point. The Vikings had NO answer for Patrick Willis' stunt up the middle. I'm sure Favre expected a warmer welcome than that. In any event, the 49ers fans (and other fans that are over the Favre drama) were elated.

If you haven't heard, the latest edition of, "Kicking Big Ben While He's Down" comes from a golf course. Sources say Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was allegedly urinating on a private golf course and was spotted by a female, who than called authorities. This has been all over the sports media outlets since yesterday, when the story first broke.


WOW!

For the record, never will you hear me defend Ben Roethlisberger. While I think he is a very good QB, I think dude is a major douche lord when it comes to women. I think his teammates don't care much for him and I even think the fans in Pittsburgh are tired of his shenanigans. But urinating on a golf course is simply NOT newsworthy. Is it nasty? Yes! Is it newsworthy? Not in the least.

With everything going on in the sports world, i.e. George Steinbrenner's passing, The LeBron-to-Miami craze, and even the MLB All Star Game (okay.. maybe not so much the All-Star Game, but I tried........), there are too many other newsworthy stories to be told right now. This one, however, isn't one of them.

I decided to map out Dublin, OH. It's dead smack in the middle of Cleveland and Cincinnati, with Pittsburgh lurking in the wings, east of the city.

Maybe this lady is a huge Browns or Bengals fan and spotted Ben's head a mile away, and decided to start trouble? Maybe there is NOTHING that goes on in Dublin so this is newsworthy in that city. But to make national news? As of right now, no charges or fines have been filed against Roethlisberger. This is a non story at this point.

Media outlets, go sitcho azz down!!!!

When word got out late last night that Steelers WR Santonio Holmes had been traded to the NY Jets for a 5th round draft pick, I was floored. Not just because of the low price, but also because of who it was. Holmes is a Super Bowl MVP and has been a great asset to the Steelers since being drafted out of Ohio State. For him to be traded for a draft pick that may not even make the roster seems as crazy, if not more, than McNabb's big trade a week earlier. But looking past the Holmes trade, it's safe to say that the Steelers organization may have enough- and they are using Holmes as an example.

Looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers love to be in the limelight, good or bad. This week, we take a look at Steelers WR Santonio Holmes, who found a way to be a pure dumbazz.

If you are a chica that loves Troy Polamalu or the Pittsburgh Steelers, this dress may be for you.....

Modcloth.com has a Polamaloop dress. The namesake and color scheme is dedicated to Steelers long haired Safety, Troy Polamalu. I consider myself a stylish chick and I'm a fan of mod style dresses. But this is NOT what's hot in the streets...... or at least on my street. Maybe because I'm a Ravens fan, I feel that way...... nah.. why am I lying?? It's hideous!

If you're a die hard that really wants to buy this dress, click here for details.

After watching last night's loss against the Browns, one has to wonder what is REALLY going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers? The Steelers, coming into Cleveland, have now lost five games in a row. You read that right.. the Super Bowl Champs have lost 5 games in a row. Included in those 5 loses are to teams like the Chiefs, Raiders and Browns, all teams you won no more than 3 games coming into their contest against Pittsburgh.

The Steelers went to Cleveland with a 6-6 record, a 12 game win streak over the Browns and in hopes of keeping their playoff chances alive. Instead, they left with a 6-7 record, Big Ben's first loss to Cleveland and a very slim chance to make the playoffs.



What exactly is going on with the reigning Super Bowl Champs??? The 2006 Steelers also had a Championship hangover after their 2005 Super Bowl win, going for an 8-8 record. But Steelers apologists will always point at the motorcycle accident that Roethlisberger suffered prior to the beginning of that season. So what is it this season that's holding them back for a repeat?!

One thought is the loss of Steelers S Troy Polamalu and DE Aaron Smith . The defense is really struggling with the loss of these two players. Most would only point out Polamalu's loss, which IS huge, but I think that Smith's loss is just as big. Without Smith, teams have had more success running against the defense. And without Polamalu's presence on the field, it shows a disturbing truth that the Steelers secondary is really not that good without their All Pro safety.



Others might suggest a recent divide in the locker room. Hines Wards went public not long ago, telling Bob Costas that the team was "50/50" on Ben being able to play for the Ravens game, one that he sat out for because of a concussion he received the week prior. While fans and media have made fun of Ben in the past by calling him a "drama queen", one has to wonder if the team views their starting QB one as well, and is tired of it. Ward was doubtful up until game time for the Browns game, with a hamstring injury. While Ward did end up playing, you have to question if this was a way for Ward to "learn" his QB a lesson? I know Steelers fans will call this theory asinine, but is it really?! Especially if you are a player that's fed up of your teammate's shenanigans.

Whatever the reason may be, this isn't the Steelers team that fans saw when they demolished the Denver Broncos, or the team that gave the Minnesota Vikings their first loss. For whatever reason, the Steelers are not in synch and look uninspired on the football field. The Steelers have the Packers, Ravens and Dolphins to end the season, all teams that are in the playoff hunt. The Steelers need to win out and then pray that the cards fall their way in order to make the playoffs themselves.

What happens from here, we'll see. But this is one interesting story to watch.

Last night, Bob Costas did an interview with Steelers WR Hines Ward about playing with concussions in the NFL, particularly about fellow teammate Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion the week before in Kansas City. What happened next was sort of surreal... unbelievable, if you will.

Ward went on the record to say that about half of the Steelers locker room think it's a "50/50 toss up", saying that the players thought Ben should have been able to play. Ward mentioned that Ben had practiced during the week, expecting to play and made comments such as, "It's just a concussion".

To be quite frank, Ward is a dumb ass. The NFL is not taking the issue of concussions lightly anymore, and they shouldn't. For a teammate to question his ability to play is crazy. Football is a violent game, but it's only one aspect of the players lives. When a player retires, life goes on. And for a player with multiple concussions, that could be difficult. Memory loss, emotional and behavioral issues and even impaired judgment can all be a factor from a person who has suffered a concussion.

Ben has always been dubbed as a drama queen when it has come to his injuries. There's always been this huge cloud on whether Ben will play leading up until game time, but he was absolutely right on sitting this one out. Ben's latest concussion makes 3 since he's been in the league. Allowing him to rest and get better was a huge step to the NFL taking this concussion epidemic seriously. Love him or hate him, I don't think you could ever question Ben's toughness. I've seen Ben take huge hits and still get up to make plays.

For Hines Ward to throw Ben under the bus was asinine and ignorant. Ward is a father himself. I can't imagine he'd be pleased if he couldn't remember key moments in his child's life, all because he didn't sit out when he had a concussion. While I understand he wanted his best player on the field in a huge division rival game, his words were extremely selfish.

Hines Ward, sitcho selfish azz down!

Good day ladies and gents. It is finally here. I can't contain myself... I'm so full of glee... the 2009 NFL season has arrived... and it all starts with the Titans vs Steelers. Who ya wit?!

Tonight is the season opener, and it has a LOT on the line already. Last year, Tennessee routed the SB Champs in Tenn, 31-14. And to make matters worse. Titans RB LenDale White, Keith Bulluck and Co stomped on a terrible towel, which created pandemonium amongst Steeler Nation.


Well the rematch of the season starts today. Tennessee travels to Pittsburgh as the Steelers look to show the Titans why they are reigning champs. Will Collins and Co. repeat what happened last year, or do the Steelers finally get revenge in their house? Here are some things to look for:

Titans

Offensive Line- Last year, the Titans had one of the best offensive lines in the league, allowing a league low 8 sacks. Chris Johnson is a great RB, but that's in large part to the O-line being in sync and allowing him to run through the A gaps to do what he does. I tell everyone, the way you beat Pittsburgh is to contain their blitz, and the Titans did just that last year, a huge part to their win. Will they be as dominant as last year? We shall see

Running Backs- Smash and Dash are ready to run, run and run some more. This isn't a passing team, and the Steelers know it. But Chris Johnson is an elusive back that can make defenders come out of their cleats trying to tackle him. While White is a better up/downhill runner, his size allows him to plow through guys to get 6 points. He better watch out, though . Mr. White made some direct comments last week and I'm sure the Steelers have something in store for Mr. Smash

Defense minus Haynesworth- I don't think this changes much. Haynesworth didn't play the last time these two teams played to begin with. If Kyle Vanden Bosch can come back to his old form before injury, then the D line can pick up where they left off. The secondary is one of the best in the league, with Cortland Finnegan, as fiery as his hair is red, and the rest of the secondary cast. While they did lose DC Jim Schwartz to Detroit, they still have enough talent on D. And did I forget to mention Keith Bulluck?! They will continue to be a Top 10 defense


Steelers

Offensive Line- Same group to watch like Tennessee, but for the opposite reason. In 2008 this group was awful, allowing Big Ben to get sacked 46 times, second worst in the league. The Steelers didn't address the O line much this offseason, which is a big concern. Ben needs to stay healthy and he needs to do that with an offensive line that will allow him more time to throw and less time on the ground . While no one can take away the fact that Ben is one of the most improvised QBs in the league, his health is more important. How will Ben survive behind that line in 2009? We start finding out tonight.

Running Game- This starts with the offensive line. The Steelers are usually known as a run first, pass later team, but Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in rushing in 2008. Can Parker and Mendenhall allow the Steelers to go back to their days as a smashmouth team on offense?! I say no, due to so many holes on the offensive line and lack of power at the position (i.e., not Jerome Bettis type back). The good thing is, the Steelers have a good receiving core in Ward, Holmes and Miller to make up for it.

Defense- The Steelers made no real changes to their personnel this season, and with the addition of Ziggy Hood, they've pretty much upgraded their defense based on all of the good things I've heard about Hood. I expect the same thing we see every year.... pressure, pressure, pressure and 4th downs. Did you expect anything else?! You'd be a fool if you did.

So What Does The NFL Chick Thinks Will Happen-

This game will be close. Both teams are built for a brutal battle. But the intangible is this... the Steelers are at home. I'm sure they'll have some type of ceremony because they are the champs, so the momentum will go their way. I don't expect much rushing from the Steelers. In fact, I don't expect a pretty outing from this game at all. But I do expect a couple of good plays to keep a drive going. It'll be close, and maybe decided in the final minutes in the 4th qtr. But in the end, the Steelers will have the energy from the crowd and the city behind them.

Steelers 17 Titans 13

Excuse me... I must go puke now.

Thank God for football!

Not sure if you guys and gals got a chance to view ESPN.com today, but AFC North blogger James Walker has the featured storytoday. The topic?? The Smartest and Best All Around Player in the division.

Voted by 32 players in the division under anonymity, the Ravens Ed Reed won the Best All Around Player, while Steelers Troy Polamalu won the Smartest Player Award. Now, while any player in the division could be included in this voting (James Harrison tied for 2nd with Polamalu for Best All Around Player), the spotlight was on 2 of the best safeties in the league.... again!

With the high regards, comes the resurface of the great debate. Who's the better safety in the NFL, Reed or Polamalu??

If any of you know me, you know that I DESPISE this debate. It's pointless, stupid and makes no sense to compare the two. If I haven't explained this a millions times, make this a million and one. Here are reasons why you shouldn't compare the two

1. Two different positions- Reed is a free safety, Polamalu is a strong safety... Now I'm sure folks already know this. But did you also know that they have different names because they do different things???

The free safety makes sure WRs like Larry Fitzgerald, T.O. and Steve Smith don't score. He's the guy that's suppose to make the play if the LBs and CBs blow it.

The strong safety is the one that has a little more responsibility. He usually stops the TE if he becomes a receiver and plays closer with the CBs on the stronger side of the field.

Now that we learned this lesson in class boys and girls, let's take a quiz. Does the strong safety and the free safety have the same responsibility??? If you said no, you're right!!! Gold star for you!!!


(yes this is sarcasm... you gotta love me lol)

2. Two different players- The Reed and Polamalu comparison makes absolutely no sense to me. They are two totally different players who contribute in different ways to their defense.

Reed is the top playmaker for the Ravens. He's known to get INTs and making points out of them. His strengths can be more mental than physical. Reed is every deep threat's nightmare.

QB's who play him knows what he's capable of. And even though they may still try and test him, often times they end up wishing they could take that pass back. Throw on his side, and you take the risk of giving him a Pick Six. Reed is 6th on the career INT yards list

Polamalu is a more physical player. He's good at getting INTs too, but his strengths are different.

He can play the line of scrimmage and play the role similar to a linebacker. On running plays, blockers have to account for him. The same for pass plays. He can stop a RB or blitz the QB. He's the guy who stays on your TE when he's in the middle of coverage. He's also the guy that will knock you on your a$$ and make you think again before going anywhere near his part of the field.



Of course, a lot of people love to compare the two for numerous reasons. First, they are division rivals. They play for 2 of the best defenses in the league. Second, they are both safeties and third, they are both dominant at their positions. But to me, this is not a competition. Both players are great in their own right. They both have different strengths and if they were ever on the same team they would be able to co exist.


The intent for Walker's article was not to compare the 2 at all. However, because both players were at the top of the respected category, it started the smack talk and e-thugging between Ravens and Steelers fans (see comments below article). Reed does not = Polamalu and vice versa. It's time fans start realizing this.

The good ol' Great Debate arises again... let's hope it dies soon, once and for all.

This week, I decided to dedicate my blog to my favorite current football players to watch in the league right now. No matter what team they play on, I love to watch them play and can do so without bias. There are a ton of great players nowadays, but with so much overall talent, there are only a few that actually stand out for me. So, here's the #5 player on my Fave Five Football player list, all of which are current:

#5 Troy Polamalu- S, Pittsburgh Steelers


By now I'm sure I've made it clear that I'm a HUGE Ravens fan. I loathe the Steelers, but I respect the hell out of them. A rivalry isn't a rivalry if fans liked the other team, right?! That being said, there are a couple of guys on the Steelers team I like, and have no shame in admitting such (for the record, Hines Ward is NOT one of them lol). Troy Polamalu is one of them.

He's one of the most exciting guys to watch right now. The former Trojan fits the Steelers brand to a tee. One of the most versatile safeties in the league, Polamalu can play at the line of scrimmage like a linebacker, or play his natural position at safety and pick off QB's. I see this guy twice a year, and every time I do, I'm amazed by his range and how much he can do.



The best part of watching him play is his hair. With his long hair covering his name and halfway down his back, Polamalu looks like the kin of Cousin It, from the Addams Family. It's sooo great to watch. Every time he runs down the field, he looks like a mad man. But it only feeds into the way he plays.


I could sit here and give you stats and talk about what he looks like on paper. But I think with Polamalu, stats only tell half of the story. He's an excellent athlete and he's a big part of why the Steelers are a great defense. I hate when the Ravens play against the guy but love how he plays. Not only that, but he's one of the nicest and classiest guys out there. Kinda hard NOT to like him. That's why he's my #5 in the Fave Five. Rock on, Troy.... rock on!! My #4 pick coming tomorrow

Hey bloggers and bloggettes. Good to be back after a long weekend of having fun (and losing money) in Viva Las Vegas.


I must say, the time difference has taken a toll on me and I'm moving in slow motion. I need to find a way to get my blogging swag back.

Today is my day to just spew off random thoughts in ANY sport, not just NFL. There are a few things going on in the sports world, so why not sound off on them!

Random Thought #1- Speaking of Vegas, can someone tell me why the SportsBook betting areas was the HOTTEST place to be this weekend.


Forget the craps or blackjack tables, every casino we went to had the Sports Book area packed like a night club. Between NCAA basketball, NBA basketball, preseason baseball and more, folks were going CRAZY! With all of the cheering and beer drinking going on, I thought Frank the Tank was gonna come in streaking. It was all the way live.

My cousin became a sports book junkie in a matter of hours. We had to basically drag him out of there.

Random Sports Thought #2- I knew the moment I couldn't change my NCAA bracket that picking Pitt as my national champion was a big mistake. And I was right. They lost to Villanova on Saturday, but I wasn't surprised at all. They played pretty crappy during the entire tournament and looked like they were running out of gas. This is why I hate bracketology..... I suck at it. First Pitt loses, then Louisville. I think I had both of them as my finalists for the National Championship game.... UGH! Remember what I said my bracket looked like when I'm done? Well, if you forgot that fast, let me show you:


Random Sports Thought #3- Am I the only one that's glad the officer involved in the Moats incident resigned??? I know that he had a job to do. I also know that running red lights is a no no. But the second the nurse confirmed the story that the mother-in-law in fact WAS dying, human instinct should have kicked in, and he should have allowed the him and the family to see her before she left this earth. I don't want to lump him with all cops, because they aren't all heartless. But this is why law enforcement has a bad name now. He FINALLY did the right thing, in my opinion.

Random Sports Thought #4- I really wish Gary Sheffield gets his 1 little home run, then retires. How many teams did this guy play for, seriously?!


He's the rolling stone of baseball. I know I sound like a hater, but ever since that Real Sports interview, he really rubbed me the wrong way. He seems to never accept responsibility for anything he does. Please someone pick up Sheffield, so he can hit his 500th home run, then go away.

Random Sports Thought #5- Ummmm, I just saw a not-so-funny April Fools joke on ESPN.com today. Is James Walker serious?! I'm still waiting for the "April Fools Suckas!" post behind this blog he just posted. I know the NFL season is slow, and this is a good time of year to post anything to get fans going. Not trying to down the Bengals, because I do think they will be a better team in 2009 with the return of Palmer, an over achieving defense and a soft schedule. But if Walker thinks the Bengals are going to beat out Pittsburgh, or even Baltimore for the AFC North title, then I need some of whatever it is he's smoking, cause it must be good. Not funny James Walker.... not funny at all.

The NFL owners meetings are still going on and they are adding changes on how to make our beloved sport a better one. But I'm starting to wonder how many changes do they need to make before it starts to look "soft"?

First there is the dubbed "Hines Ward" rule that doesn't allow players to throw blind-sided blocks to the head of a defender using his helmet, forearm or shoulder. Now, I'm not totally against this. I've seen some players get taken out by such vicious hits. Remember what Hines did to Keith Rivers?? Ouch!


But one can say that Ward was simply blocking for his teammate Matt Spaeth and it was a legal hit. No matter what we think, a 15 yard penalty will be enforced if such plays like Ward's hit happens.

While I understand they want to protect a defenseless player, where was this rule when Warren Sapp laid the wood on Packers OL Chad Clifton??? If we are gonna call Ward out, let's call the other guilty ones out. I remember that play like it was yesterday, and I thought it was far more vicious than most blocks Ward has thrown. Yet nearly 7 years after that incident, someone wants to make changes. Yeah, okay..... (note: Sorry for laughing BUT.......remember when Sapp told former Packers coach Mike Sherman to put a jersey on? The funniest 30 second dialogue in football.)


The owners also came up with what is dubbed as the "Tom Brady" Rule. This rule says that defenders who are knocked to the ground no longer can lunge into quarterbacks if the play is still going on. We all saw what Bernard Pollard did to Tom Brady.


But it was a legal hit and Pollard was playing until the whistlewas blown.

I can remember during the 2005 playoffs, Bengals QB Carson Palmer took a hit from Steelers NT Kimo von Oelhoffen that was deemed more controversial than Brady's hit. Funny.... I don't remember many owners coming to Palmers rescue.


(note: the comments in the clip are NOT those of the NFL Chick. But my guess is not many folks care about Palmer's injury so finding the clip was scarce)

While people questioned von Oelhoffen's hit (which, I didn't have too much of a problem with), I didn't hear much of a fuss regarding Brady's hit. Why all of a sudden, do folks want to take an extra effort to prevent this from happening?

I understand they want to keep "football safe", but how safe is football, really?! It's a contact sport, so injuries happen all of the time. Some illegal and intentional, others with no malice and by accident. What does changing these rules do?

I'll give you my opinion. Changing these rules does damage to the game of football because 1. it takes the physical aspect out of the sport and dilutes it. Players know the risk they take every time they step on the field. Fans love to see a good, clean hit. So when you start to eliminate such important parts of a game, it makes it look washed up.

The 2nd issue to changing the rules is, it's allows referees to have way too much control regarding to how games are called. We saw last year what happens when refs get too involved in games (Remember the Pittsburgh-Baltimore and San Diego-Denver games?????). They now have to worry about micro managing the game, which is not a great idea. The less the the zbras are involved, the better. I can't wait to see how this will work out in the upcoming season. Well... actually, I can wait.... and I'll be the first to tell you it will suck.

Is the NFL doing the right thing by creating these rules, or are they creating a softer league? Can you imagine what Jack Tatum, Dick Butkus and the Steel Curtain players are saying to these changes???


I'd love to know myself, but my guess is, they think it's becoming too cupcake for folks to stand.

I, for one, think so.

VS.



Hello boy and gals. The Super Bowl has come and gone and it was probably one of the best games of the season, and more. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals gave everyone watching a great show, with Pittsburgh ultimately hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game.

Some have already dubbed this game the Super Bowl for the ages. But it seems that we have already forgotten about the game that was played almost to the day, of a year ago. While I do agree that was a very good game, I cannot forget the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, when the New York Giants beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots in a thriller.

So I decided to break down each production in categories and try to figure out in fact, which Super Bowl was better. Let’s take a look at how both games compare against each other

Singing Of The National Anthem- Jennifer Hudson was nothing short of incredible. Her version of the Star Spangled Banner was one I would never forget. With the tragic passing of her mother, brother and nephew, this was Hudson’s first performance since the horrible ordeal. And she did not disappoint. I was in tears by the end of her performance.

Not since Whitney Houston’s rendition have I felt such a way about the National Anthem. Jordin Sparks sang last year’s anthem… I wasn’t impressed. But shout out to American Idol for producing star power from both ladies, who can thank the show for their claim to fame. However SB43 wins this by a landslide. There was no competition



Best Story Line Leading up to Game- There were so many story lines for last night’s game. Would Hines Ward play with a bad knee? Would Pittsburgh get their 6th Super Bowl title? Would Kurt Warner get his AARP card before he wins another Super Bowl?

These were good story lines and all. But none was greater than New England’s, "path to perfection", being only the 2nd undefeated team along with the 1972 Miami Dolphins going into the Big Game. This was the perfect David and Goliath story, with David… I mean the New York Giants slaying the Mighty Men of Boston. New England will never be able to shake that off, even with 3 other Super Bowl wins this decade. This one will be the dark cloud over their glory. SB 42 wins this one easily



Commercials- This year's commercials really struggled to be consistently good. With a recession in the economy, there was a noticeable decline in creativity and production. There were a few moments, though. The Doritos Crystal Ball commercial was hilarious. The Denny's commercial was good also. But the WTF Commercial Award goes to the Sobe commercial with Ray Lewis in a white leotard dancing. That commercial had "suspect" written all over it.

The E Trade commercial with the new baby was kinda funny, but not as good as last years. Much better commercials from the 2008 SB were Justin Timberlake's Pepsi commercial, the Sobe commercial with Naomi Campbell doing the Thriller dance and even the Will Ferrell commercial for Bud Light were better. SB 42 gets my vote on this one




Halftime Show- Bruce Springsteen vs Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.. Hmmmm. One comment about Tom Petty... It gave me the best 20 minute power nap ever.

Now, let me say that I can only think of about 3 Springsteen songs. “Born in the USA” being the most recognizable. But last night, he ripped it. He was great! The last time I was anywhere near entertained for the Halftime Show, Janet’s boob popped out, and my mouth fell to the floor.

Prince’s performance 2 years ago was good. But it was expected, because Prince is the man. Every video he does is like a performance anyway. So he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Last night’s performance was strong and full of life. I couldn’t ask for a better performance. SB 43 by a MILE!



Best Clutch Play-



Ben’s TD pass last night to Santonio Holmes will go down as one of the greatest TD catches in a SB. But I saw first hand Holmes' ability to make plays like that on any occasion. He has really blossomed into a very good WR for his team. However, the Manning to Tyree catch in the 4th quarter will always be the greatest play ever in a Super Bowl. Manning should have been sacked, and the game should have been over. But he somehow finds a way out of no way to get the completion to Tyree, who was basically a no name to anyone outside of New York. While I loved the dynamic of both plays, the Giants catch beats this one by a hang nail.



Yes Larry..... Yes!


Overall Performance of Game- Last year’s game had its moments, but it was a defensive struggle for a while there. I'm a big fan of defensive games (I'm used to having an inept offense and a defense that carries the team), but when I watch the Super Bowl, I want excitement for 60 minutes. And last night’s game was a nail biter. If anyone told me that Arizona would put up 400 total yards and lose, I would say to them, "The devil is a LIAR!!". Even until the end, there was over 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter after a Cardinals score, I told my colleague, “There’s way too much time on the clock for Ben to score. I’ve seen him do this too many times before…”. I’m gonna go with SB43 on this one, it had more exciting moments than the Pats-Giants game



After tallying up the votes, this was a close one. But in the end, Super Bowl XLIII won by a close margin of 3-2. I don't want to take anything away from last year's game. It's still a Top 5 in my book. But with so many different angles in story lines leading up to the game, the outcome of the game and the consistent excitement of the game, Super Bowl XLIII turned out to be a great production. Kudos to the NFL for having another successful season. Games like last night's is why this is America's Game!





OT Special- Mike Tomlin.. I think I like you. *blush*