NFL

CartoonStock.comI’m like most of you, I don’t like the Raiders. Actually, I pretty much hated the Raiders before the Broncos were even a gleam in my daddy’s eye. Of course, as always, I use “hate” in a generic way. I don’t really dislike any other team all that much – just when they are playing “my” team. Unfortunately for Oakland, they play “my” team a lot. Of course, so does San Diego. So, which to root for? I root for fairness. And, on that score, Oakland got the ever-loving crap screwed out of them Monday!

Spoiled BratDenver wide receiver Brandon Marshall is doing exactly the right thing! I must have read or heard every single person on earth today singing  the same monotonous song – that Brandon Marshall is only hurting himself by acting like a spoiled brat. Let me tell you you something… spoiled brats get what they want or they wouldn’t be spoiled brats in the first place! We may not like it. We may wish everyone tossed the little footbally thing around and sang Kum Ba Ya, but the fact is that for Brandon Marshall, if he wants out of Denver, he’s going about it by the textbook.

"Scepticism is not irrefutable, but obviously nonsensical, when it tries to raise doubts where no questions can be asked."The first thing that crossed my mind when I read about Brett Favre's latest comeback was that this means another summer of incessant speculation about whether he'll return for yet *another* season, in 2010. The second thing was that I'm not sure he's worth it. He was pretty good for the Jets in the early going last season, but as the hits piled up and the protection schemes broke down, he looked very old by the end of the campaign. Then came the surgery on his shoulder. One thing I think we can all agree on regarding the aging process: It takes a 40-year-old body a long time to heal. In Favre's case, there is the distinct possibility that he'll be much more Tim Wakefield than Tim Lincecum. If that happens, then Minnesota would likely be better off with the dubious quarterback combination of Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels.

Another title for the most successful franchise of the Super Bowl era.For a long time, the disparity in Super Bowl games was something of a national joke. That's changed in this decade. Of the 10 Super Bowls played in the aughts, half of them have been decided in the final minutes. Six of them have been decided by a touchdown or less. And only Tampa Bay's 48-21 win over Oakland in 2003 qualified as a true blowout. The Steelers-Cardinals game was thrilling, with huge turning point plays and a pair of stunning comebacks in the last three minutes. So how did the game rank in Super Bowl history? Here's a swipe at that question, though some historical perspective will inevitably alter this list in the years ahead.

Kurt WarnerWell, there are 35 seconds left in this game, so I'm posting this regardless, but I am assuming Arizona wins. If not (and probably not), it's the post that coulda woulda shoulda. Does Kurt Warner belong in the Hall of Fame? Obviously, that discussion is a little premature, however it’s been the topic of some conversation over the past couple weeks. The assumption by many is that if he were to win the Super Bowl that he should elected sometime in the future. I decided to take a look at all the QBs in the Hall whose careers began no later than 1965 (Namath) and compare their accomplishments and statistics to Warner. There are 12 such members.

Talkin' NFL.I just finished watching the video of Roger Goodell's 'state of the NFL' address from the Super Bowl. Lots of interesting topics, from the antics of the league's bad boys to concern over a possible labor stoppage when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2011. However, the thing that really caught my ear: Should the NFL review its overtime procedures?

#1 prize in sportsIn parts I and II, I covered a number of issues – most specifically the breakdown of quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. I don’t want to re-invent the wheel here, so if you are wondering about the history of the clubs or the skilled positions, please click on either of these two stories. Super Bowl Preview: Part I, Super Bowl Preview: Part II. For Part III, I’m going to analyze some of the team vs team issues. I’m not going to get too complicated, but some basic comparisons are interesting.

Arizona vs PittsburghIn Part I, I took a little stroll down memory lane. I picked the all-time top-5 quarterbacks, running backs and receivers in the history of each franchise. Of course, some of those players are still around – specifically both quarterbacks. I’m going to do some present day head to head match-ups for this version of Super Bowl Analysis and will lead it off with the two signal callers – Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.

Jim HartI thought it might be interesting to begin my analysis of the two teams by looking at the most productive players at the key positions – quarterback, running back and receiver. However, I’m looking at them from an historical perspective – meaning, who were the top-five Steeler quarterbacks? There is room for debate – especially for the Cardinals receivers. But, overall, this gives you an idea of who came before? Who set the table? Who is part of the tradition for each franchise – assuming the Cards actually have a tradition?

Who's going to the Super Bowl? The Cardinals, that's who.Let's not go so far as to call this a live blog of the conference championship games because my attention was divided while watching. What follows are simply some things I decided to type while those games were playing out on my DVR. Read at your own risk.

Mike Shanahan is out as the Broncos' head coach.Mike Shananan will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Denver Broncos fans, of which I am one. He is the guy that put the missing pieces in place that finally allowed John Elway to win first one Super Bowl, then another. He always coached an exciting brand of football, a perfect balance of rushing and precision passing that seemed to work no matter which names he penciled onto the lineup card. It's a sad day for Broncos fans, but it was time.

AFC WestIt would be kind of amazing if two divisions were the all-time worst in the same year. One reason is because they could play each other and every time they do, someone has to win. Everything else being equal, you have a higher probability of disproportionately bad divisions in different years. Besides, since the merger in 1970, there have been 39 seasons of divisional play in the NFL. The odds of the worst two being in 2008 are slim… but…

Miami Dolphins 1973I originally thought this game was played on December 5^th, so today was to be the 35^th anniversary. Then, yesterday, I discovered it was actually played on December 3^rd and I missed a chance at the ideal heading (35 Years Ago Today!). So much for the perfect plan. Nevertheless, this was one of the most fascinating games you have ever seen. Or, if you didn’t see it, this is one of the most fascinating games you ever missed.

Brett Favre is PUMPED about the Jets' surge in True Team Strength.You might wonder why there tend to be several "90%" picks each week in the NFLPET system. These are what the sytem identifies as dead-cinch picks. In some cases, it's actually forecasting a greater than 90% chance that the favorite will win, but I figure in any NFL game, both teams have at least a 10% chance to win, so I cap the number at 90%. In all liklihood, any NFL team has more than a 10% chance to win any given game, but over the course of the season, I find that this method leads to more accurate picks.

Ties are uglySo we're scrambing to squeeze in an additonal column to our NFL standings and I'm tweaking NFLPET to account for half-a-win. All because the Eagles and the Bengals "battled" to what Philly broadcasting icon Merrill Reese called, "Truly a game neither team deserved to win."