NFL

i am starting to wish i hadnt picked the Bears / Colts super bowl game a few weeks back.

mobius: well said. the bolts were definitely the flashier team - those 12-yard LT rushes were amazing. but i can't help but think that experience and patience gave the edge to the pats.

sonick: don't shred up your betting card just yet… the only reason i'm mildly confident that the pats can pull through is because the colts didn't do much offensively this past weekend. hopefully payton will continue his post-season tendency to flame out. but i'm not willing to bet cash on it.

mobius. . .you got it right. . .that was just a bad mistake- if you go for it and don't make it, you can afford to give up a field goal, but if you punt, and don't stop the team, it's over. just dumb. i expect easterbrook to bring this up.

also dumb, although it didn't end up mattering, at the end of the first half, lovie smith not using one of his 3 remaining time outs when there were 10 seconds left in the half and giving devin hester a shot a running a punt back, instead using it with 2 seconds. geez. . .

Gregg Easterbrook Says:

Then the Saints forced the visiting team into fourth-and-15 from its 39-yard line, 1:56 remaining, Philadelphia holding two timeouts. You cannot under any circumstances even consider punting! Boom went the punt, and needless to say Philadelphia never touched the ball again. Sure, fourth-and-15 is a long down, but I seem to remember the Eagles' converting a fourth-and-26 in the playoffs. Anyway, it's do-or-die, you must go for it! With Philadelphia having only two timeouts, the best outcome for the punt was that New Orleans would be stopped on its possession and kick the ball back, giving Philadelphia roughly the same field position with one minute and no timeouts. This outcome assumes Philadelphia can stop New Orleans from gaining a clock-zeroing 10 yards in three tries, and to that point New Orleans had rushed for 5.7 yards per attempt. Of course, Philadelphia was not able to prevent those 10 yards. A fourth-and-15 try was more promising than a passive punt – and then if you fail, you go down swinging.And…

Trailing 9-3, Baltimore took possession on its 20 with 1:05 remaining in the first half, holding two timeouts. Billick had the Ravens run the ball into the line twice and then trot to the locker room, never calling the timeouts despite quickly gaining a first down. Huh? What? This is the playoffs, there is no tomorrow! Allow me to rephrase: Huh? What?

And…

Indianapolis leading 12-3 midway through the third quarter, Billick ordered a punt on fourth-and-4 from the Colts' 41. Not only does the average NFL play gain about 5 yards: you're down by two scores in the second half in opposition territory in the playoffs. Why are you punting???????????? I scarcely need tell you it took Indianapolis just two snaps to pass the point where the ball would have been had Baltimore gone for it and missed. By going for it here, Billick could have kept a scoring drive alive and told his players he was challenging them to win the game. By launching a mincing fraidy-cat punt he told his players the coaches had quit on the game, so they might as well quit too. As Indianapolis quickly roared past the point of the Preposterous Punt, Dan Dierdorf solemnly intoned, "Brian Billick felt like he had a great chance to get his offense great field position" with a defensive stop. Billick's offense just had great field position, and passively surrendered the ball.

That's some serisouly ballless coaching, and the football gods chortled.

Turnovers killed the Ravens. These decisions by Billick would have been inconsequential if the Ravens didn't kill themselves with turnovers. And Dungy called just as bad of a game.

Maybe Billick overreacted to McNair's tragic INT at the goal line, but it can't be understated how terrible a decision it was to throw that ball. Billick's subsequent decisions not to ask McNair to "make something happen" seemed responsible, like not asking your friend to drive you home after he does a bunch of jager shots and pukes on your shoes.

anyone know how the game came to be known as "football"? I googled to no avail.

American football has its origin in varieties of football played in the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century, and American football is directly descended from rugby football.

They simply kept the name, despite changing a majority of the rules.

awesome… this dude is either clueless or he's desperate for cash and is happy to embarrass himself for a little coin.

Federline signed to do Super Bowl ad

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Britney Spears no longer wants him as her husband and audiences have been cool to his attempt at a rap music career, but Kevin Federline has Nationwide on his side.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., known for its "On Your Side" slogan, plans to run a national ad during the Super Bowl, and K-Fed has been tapped to star, the Columbus-based company announced Wednesday.

The 30-second spot, to air during the third quarter of the Feb. 4 game, will be the latest installment in Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" ad campaign. Previous celebrity ads in the series have featured Fabio and M.C. Hammer.

In the new commercial, Federline, 28, goes from starring in a rap video surrounded by beauties and bling to working at a fast-food joint.

"No one has personified `Life Comes at You Fast' in the media better than Federline," said Steven Schreibman, Nationwide vice president of advertising and brand management. "Our partnership with Kevin shows the world that he has a great sense of humor."

Spears, 25, filed for divorce from Federline in November after two years of marriage. The couple agreed to share custody of their sons, 3-month-old Jayden James and 1-year-old Sean Preston, for this month, but after that, Federline will be allowed visits three afternoons per week.

His debut rap album, "Playing With Fire," sold a dismal 6,500 copies in its first week of release last fall.

link

i guess k-fed wrasslin' career isn't taking off.

I've come to the realization that the real reason the Ravens lost is because I made Steve McNair my desktop background. I'm such a faggot.

So I'm not much of a football fan, but I gotta think that you Baltimore folks must at least be a little bit excited that the Colts are in the Super Bowl. Right?

Didn't you hear about the parade?

Where's Sonick?

in baltimore

To all the Bears and Colts fans - good luck this weekend and enjoy your Super Bowl. To the rest of you, don't beat your significant other.

I took the points - first time I've bet on Rex Grossman all season….but 7 is a lot for the best defense in the Super Bowl to be getting. Had to do it.

did the same thing….i think the 7 is a ridiculous margin for this matchup, and I actually think the bears will win straight up

thanks rob for thinking of me. but i am not a ravens fan. i pull for Green Bay if i have to root for someone. other than that, the NFL isnt really my bag.

that said, i do hope the bears pull the upset.

(and i DID call bears/colts in the big game a while back!!!)

All this support for the Bears is crazy talk. :D

No way Grossman is ready for primetime. It's gonna take a monumental F###-up (multiple turnovers/special teams tds) for Indy not to be hoisting the trophy.

Plus it's sure gonna be great to watch Baltimore squirm after the Colts add another chapter to their storied past. [a Pittsburgh Steelers fan's opinion]

No way Grossman is ready for primetime. It's gonna take a monumental F###-up (multiple turnovers/special teams tds) for Indy not to be hoisting the trophy.

Yeah, the Bears aren't good at these things AT ALL….

Today, Colts just stands for one thing:

Count
On
Losing
The
Super Bowl

Care to wager Calla?!?!?