NFL

It was Championship day in the NFL, as two match-ups would decide who would compete in Super Bowl 43.  And they were both excellent games.

First up, it was the Arizona Cardinals v. the Philadelphia Eagles, with both teams on a mission.  The Cardinals haven’t played in a Super Bowl (or championship game like the Super Bowl) in 61 years.  They were due.  Meanwhile, the Eagles have been on a tear and seemed destined to play in this year’s Super Bowl.  Well… the first half was all Cardinals.  Their star wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald couldn’t be stopped.  He had three touchdowns in the first half alone, and the Cards led 24-6 heading into the half.  Cardinals fans couldn’t be happier.  But, in the second half it all came crashing down for Arizona, as the Eagles rallied with three touchdowns of their own to take a 25-24 lead (their kicker David Akers missed an extra point).  But, the Cardinals came soaring back when it counted, and got a beautiful touchdown off a screen pass to running back Tim Hightower.  The Eagles had one last chance to comeback, but Arizona’s defense stepped up and they advanced to the Super Bowl. This is truly a fantasy season for a team that perpetually loses.

Next up, the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Steelers jumped out to a 13-0 lead off two field goals from Jeff Reed and a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.  But a Willie McGahee touchdown run brought the Ravens back to within one touchdown.  13-7.  And in the second half, the Ravens got even closer with another touchdown run from McGahee.  He finished the day with 60 yards and two TDs.  However, it was simply the Steelers day, as their defensive back ran back a 40-yard interception return for a TD to seal the victory.  Now, their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger will try to win a second Super Bowl for the city.

So, the matchup is essentially between two teams you can’t see losing.  On one hand, you have Arizona’s storybook season, complete with an explosive offense and fired up defense.  If they got this far, it really seems like their year.  On the other hand, Pittsburgh looks unbeatable right now, and their defense is like an Iron Curtain.  You can barely do anything to them, and defense wins championships.  It’s that simple.  It’s easy to pick against Arizona, but people picked against them in every round of the playoffs thus far.  They seem to really thrive when people don’t believe in them.  Plus, this was the first year where experts didn’t have them pegged as the “sleeper” team.  Every year they’re predicted to break out, but they never do.  This year they were completely written off, and look what happened.  It’s almost impossible to imagine either team losing.  And that means you have an excellent Super Bowl match-up February 2nd.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Some news out of the college basketball circuit on Saturday, as the #1 ranked Pitt Panthers lost their first game of the season to the surging #20 Louisville Cardinals.  It was a close game throughout, but Louisville’s Edgar Sosa took over and led his team in the game’s final minutes.  And Louisville’s Earl Clark, on his 21st birthday put up 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.  And Pitt’s first time atop the rankings has finally come to an end.  Louisville 69, Pitt 63.

Elsewhere in college basketball, it was another battle of unbeatens between #3 Wake Forest and #9 Clemson.  And this, friends, is a big rivalry down south.  Wake Forest’s point guard Jeff Teague led the charge with 24 points, and Clemson just couldn’t keep up with the Demon Deacons.  With Pitt’s loss, there’s a chance that Wake Forest could be #1 come Monday.  We’ll see.  Wake Forest 78, Clemson 68.

NFL

And today, if you’re a football fan, you’re watching the conference championship games.  First up, at 3:00 ET on FOX, it’s the Arizona Cardinals playing hosts to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.  Both these teams are in the zone right now, with two veteran quarterbacks leading the charge.  Arizona’s Kurt Warner is 37, but playing better than ever.  For Philly, Donovan McNabb has been in superhero mode for the last 5 weeks of the season and into the playoffs.  After Philly lost the Super Bowl to New England in 2004, Philly fans probably never thought Donovan would be back to the promised land.  But now he’s just one game away.

Next up, it’s the AFC Championship with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Baltimore Ravens.  This is a face-off of the NFL’s top two defenses.  Scoring on either team will be quite the challenge, and this game will come down to which offense can get hot.  Baltimore has never been known for its offense, but under rookie QB Joe Flacco, they’re getting some nice traction in the passing game.  However, Big Ben Roethlisberger and his solid running attack led by Willie Parker have their sights set on another Super Bowl.

Now, wouldn’t it be an interesting game if Philly took on Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.  That’s an in-state rivalry, sure, but it’s also two industrial cities — very fitting with blue-collar Bruce Springsteen playing the halftime show.

NFL

Wow, some big news out of the NFL.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired head coach and general manager Jon Gruden.  Gruden was the talk of the NFL in the early part of the decade for completely turning around the Oakland Raiders franchise.  This notoriety bought him a big contract with Tampa Bay, where he was handed a team built by Tony Dungy.  Gruden even won a Super Bowl his first year with the team, but since then it’s been nothing but mediocrity and some wild card playoff births. Now, after seven seasons, they’ve decided to let him go.  That makes four Super Bowl winning coaches this year who will not return to coach next season.  Gruden (Tampa Bay) Holmgren (Seattle) Dungy (Indianapolis), & Shanahan (Denver).  We’ll have to see if this move pays off for Tampa Bay, and it’ll be interesting to see where Gruden lands.

Elsewhere in the NFL, rumors are floating around that the Chargers might part ways with their star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson came into the season as the hottest running back in the NFL, and after suffering a bum toe, he had a completely sub-par season.  Not just by his standards… he was objectively very weak this year.  And now it seems that after eight years, Chargers management is realizing their Tomlinson glory run might be over.  And the way Phillip Rivers played this year (AMAZING!), they might be looking to become more of a passing team.  There is no official word on this yet, but LaDainian might want to put his San Diego house on the market.

NBA

It was a battle between two conference leaders.  The Los Angeles Lakers (31-7) and Orlando Magic (31-8).  A game poised to be an offensive showdown.  Kobe Bryant played out of his mind, putting up a triple double — 28 points, 11 assists, and 13 rebounds.  However, it was simply Orlando’s night, and they got one amazing performance from their monster center Dwight Howard.  Howard had 25 points, and, count ’em, 20 rebounds.  He was unstoppable.  Their PG, Jameer  Nelson, also put up a pretty 28 points.  The Lakers had one last chance to tie the game, but Kobe bricked a three, the Magic grabbed the board, and that was that.  Orlando 109, Los Angeles 103.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Finally, Salt Lake City threw a parade for the perfect 13-0 Utah Utes.  The Utes may not have played in the BCS Championship game, but they did finish the season unbeaten, and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, who were #1 for most of the season.  They have as much of a claim that they’re National Champs as Florida does, and unfortunately, that game will never be played.  However, the state of Utah views its state school as the champs, and decided that a downtown victory parade was absolutely called for.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Today was the deadline for college football players to declare for the NFL Draft.  As mentioned yesterday, USC’s QB Mark Sanchez is heading to the pros, and Florida’s QB Tim Tebow is staying.  But today put an answer to a few more question marks.  Georgia’s star QB Matt Stafford has declared he will enter the draft.  And he’ll be joined by his amazingly gifted running back, Knowshon Moreno.  These guys will be high pics.  Also on the NFL bus, Texas Tech’s speedy receiver Michael Crabtree (a big reason for their success this year), and Missouri’s all around incredible athlete Jeremy Maclin.  Maclin can do almost anything, and will be a gigantic asset to whomever selects him.

As for the scholars (those staying in school), you’ve got Texas’ QB and Heisman Finalist Colt McCoy, as well as Florida’s lightning fast running back Jeffrey Demps.  So it appears that Florida will be pretty much the same team heading into next year.  These past five years have really belonged to Florida’s athletic program, winning two football National Championships, as well as nabbing two basketball titles as well.  The money must be pouring in down in Gainsville.

NFL

And the Detroit Lions, after finishing the season 0-16, have finally decided on a new head coach.  The new captain of the worst team in football is… Jim Schwartz, the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator.  Schwartz said he looks forward to the challenge of turning around a team that really can’t get any worse.  His first task:  Picking #1 in the NFL draft.  What position should he select to galvanize his team and its fan base.  Should he go with a quarterback, possibly Georgia’s Matt Stafford, or take a much needed offensive lineman to protect whomever they draft at QB.  Drafting a quarterback early worked out big time for the Atlanta Falcons, as Matt Ryan gave that offense a complete makeover.  Either way, you can bet Detroit fans will be judging Schwartz’s every move.

BASEBALL

The Atlanta Braves, who lost almost every good player they had this off-season, have signed the Dodgers Derek Lowe to a 4-year $60 million dollar contract.  To baseball experts, this seems like a panic move on Atlanta’s part.  First off, he’s getting up there for an athlete at 35 years old, and second that’s a gigantic contract for someone who can’t necessarily guarantee wins.  There’s a good chance that the Braves stadium could have some pretty sparse attendance next season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Some big news out of the college football world.  After winning the Heisman trophy and reaching the National Championship game, Oklahoma Sooners QB Sam Bradford has decided to… stay in school.  This is spectacular news for the Oklahoma area, as they absolutely fell in love with this kid over the course of the season.  This practically ensures that Oklahoma will be back in the BCS Championship hunt next year.  Plus, now he and Florida’s Tim Tebow can compete to see who can win two Heisman trophies.

On the other hand, USC’s star quarterback Mark Sanchez DOES intend to enter the draft.  Where he’ll be drafted is, of course, a mystery.  But he will be one of the top QBs selected.  Teams like the Lions, Rams, and Chiefs will all be looking for a QB, so there’s a good chance he could wind up in one of those cities.  Sanchez’s family and coach Pete Carroll want him to stay, but now with Tebow and Bradford not entering the draft pool, the chances are better for Sanchez (coming off a 1-loss season) to get drafted in the first round.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Elsewhere in the college circuit, the nation’s hottest college basketball prospect, Derrick Favors, held a press conference today to publicly say where he will play.  Of course all the top schools wanted him (Duke, UNC, UCONN).  However, Favors is an Atlanta native, going to High School at South Atlanta High School. In what looked like a dramatic public ceremony, Derrick Favors revealed his choice by reaching into a plastic shopping bag and pulled out the heat with his school of choice.  And we went with… Georgia Tech, citing that he wanted to stay close to home as his reason.  This is spectacular news for Georgia Tech, who really haven’t been relevant since reaching the Finals of the NCAA tourney in 2004, led by Point Guard Jarret Jack (now a member of the Indiana Pacers).  Congrats to Georgia Tech, and condolences to N.C. State and Georgia — the other local schools heavily recruiting Mr. Favors.

NFL

Finally, some more gossip out of the NFL.  It appears that the Dallas Cowboys are seriously considering releasing all-star wide receiver Terrell Owens.  Next year is a huge year for the Cowboys as expectations will be through the roof, AND they will have a brand new, state of the art stadium to play in.  Dallas owner Jerry Jones said that locker room chemistry will be of immense value next year, and T.O., while talented as heck, isn’t exactly a big team player.  And in simpler terms, he gets mad a lot.  You don’t want that on a team that’s hoping to rule the NFL over the better part of the next 10 years.  They want to be what the Patriots were this decade.  We’ll see how this progresses.

It was Day 2 of the NFL Divisional Playoff round, and there were even more surprises.

First up, the Philadelphia Eagles soared into New York to take on the top ranked Giants.  The Giants were the heavy favorites coming into the game, but nobody was counting out Philly, led by the red-hot Donovan McNabb.  It was mainly a defensive showdown, and Philly was able to hold the Giants to NO touchdowns.  That’s phenomenal given that the G-men had one of the top ranked offenses throughout the season.  But the Eagles are just feeling it right now, and behind.  Towards the end of the game, the Giants tried to move the ball down only 2 points, but Giants QB Eli Manning was picked off by Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel.  It was a clutch interception, and Donovan McNabb made it count with a 1-yard TD run.  And that was all she wrote.  Philadelphia 23, NY Giants 11.

So the Giants failed to defend their Super Bowl crown, and the Eagles looked destined to play in the Super Bowl.  They completely turned it around ever since they tied the Bengals in OT.  This team is on a mission.  Now, the only thing standing in their way:  The Arizona Cardinals, who also seem like they’re on a mission.  Both these teams have something to prove, and now just one game removed from the Super Bowl, a loss from either squad will be viewed as a disappointment.  Next Sunday, they square off, and for any football fan, that’s a must see game.

Next up, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers playing host to the now electric San Diego Chargers.  Unfortunately, this wasn’t really much of a game.  The Chargers were without LaDainian Tomlinson, and this warm weather team wasn’t used to playing in freezing cold Pittsburgh.  They just ran out of steam.  Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 181 yards and a TD, but it was their running game that couldn’t be stopped.  Willie Parker ran for 146 yards and 2 TDs.  Pittsburgh 35, San Diego 24.

Now Pittsburgh will host the AFC Championship against their division rival — the Baltimore Ravens.  These are probably the best two defenses in the NFL, and the cold temperature won’t affect Baltimore one iota.  Like the NFC, both these teams have been on a quiet surge to the Super Bowl (i.e. they didn’t get as much TV time as the Giants, Cowboys, Titans, Packers, etc…).  Now both look to go the biggest public stage in sports.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Finally, the National Champion Florida Gators got another gift today — their now immortalized QB, Tim Tebow, will be staying for another year.  He could have gone to the draft, but decided he’d go for one more championship and Heisman Trophy.  If he gets those, it’s argued he will be viewed as the greatest player in college football history.  Lucky Florida.

Whoa, it was upset day in the NFL.

First up, it was the #6 seed Baltimore Ravens taking on the AFC’s #1 seed Tennessee Titans.  This was also a battle of two of the top defenses in the NFL.  The Titans got things started with an 8-yard touchdown run from rookie phenom Chris Johnson.  Then the Ravens struck back with a 48 yard touchdown pass from rookie QB Joe Flacco to Derrick Mason.  After that, it was turnover time for the Titans.  They had a great scoring opportunity from inside the Ravens 10-yard line, and their Tight End Alge Crumpler fumbled it away.  The Ravens offense was rather paltry in the second half as well, but they managed to boot two clutch field goals and eventually seal the victory and upset.  Their QB Joe Flacco becomes the first rookie to win two playoff games.  Next up for Baltimore:  Either Pittsburgh or the surging San Diego.  Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10.

The second game of the day:  The mighty Carolina Panthers against the likable underdog — the Arizona Cardinals.  The Panthers were heavily favored in this one, and all FOX broadcasters pick them to win, not even giving Arizona a chance.  Plus, Arizona didn’t win one game on the East Coast this year, as it’s difficult for West Coast teams to play that early game.  Anyway, the game started out ALL CAROLINA, with a 9-yard touchdown run from rookie Running Back Jonathan Stewart.  Arizona’s defense looked like they were going to be doormat all night.  But — that was FAR from what happened.  Arizona’s offense was in total sync, with their star wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald leading the way.  He finished the night with 166 yards and a touchdown.  But even more impressive than their offense, was their phenomenal defense.  The Cards picked off Jake Delhomme, count ’em, 5 times.  And this is a pretty fluid passing attack in Carolina.  But last night, they couldn’t do ANYTHING against Arizona.  Nothing.  Delhomme had one late passing touchdown to Steve Smith, but aside from that, he was terrible.  Arizona simply crushed them, and now await the winner of the New York/Philadelphia game.  Arizona 33, Carolina 13.

So, today it’s two more fantastic match-ups.  First up, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers playing host to the surging San Diego Chargers.  Many thought that teams like the Chargers and Cardinals shouldn’t have made the playoffs with their average records.  But, fact is, they won their divisions, and now they are proving themselves in post-season play.  Fair’s fair.  The Chargers look like a completely new team, and even though they will be with out star running back, LaDanian Tomlinson, they still have the little guy, Darren Sproles.  And…he…is…dangerous!!!  On the other hand, the Steelers defense is no joke.

Then, it’s the NY Giants v. the Philadelphia Eagles in a rivalry match-up that could go either way.  The Giants are favored, but the Eagles have been soaring lately.  Ever since Donovan McNabb was benched in that OT game v. Cincinnati, he has been ON FIRE.  He truly gets motivated by doubt.  When fans boo him, he gets better.  Coach benches him, he goes out there and proves him wrong.  And if the Eagles do upset the Giants, then the Arizona Cardinals, yes THE Arizona Cardinals will host the NFC Championship.  That’s just crazy.

NBA

Back in December, a game between the then surging Celtics and the 2nd best Eastern Conference team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, would have been a marquee match-up.  Back then, everyone was counting down the days until the Celts/Cavs faceoff on January 9th.  Well, that game was last night, and the Cavs were anything but concerned.  LeBron James played out of his mind, putting up 38 points, and gave a solid defensive performance as well.  The Celtics losing skid continues, and Boston fans must be praying that it stops soon.  Cleveland 98, Boston 83.

Also in the NBA, some taunting going on.  It’s a complicated story, but we’ll make it simple.  Basically, the Portland Trailblazers have a player named Darius Miles on their roster.  Well, he’s injury prone and has barely contributed anything to their team.  And he’s only two games shy of fulfilling his contract commitment.  So… they released him, and they don’t have to pay him unless he plays those two games for another team (put simply, he’s still on their books).  What did the Blazers do?  They put out a message to the entire league threatening that it would be a horrible thing if another team signed him (essentially because then the Blazers would have to pay Miles his large salary, which would take up big cap space, and thus prevent them from signing a big name free agent in the off-season).  And wouldn’t you know it, one team wasn’t intimidated by their threats, as the Memphis Grizzlies went right ahead and signed Darius Miles.  You gotta love some good old competition in the NBA.

NFL

And today, Round 2 of the NFL Playoffs kick-off.  First up, it’s the Tennessee Titans playing host to the Baltimore Ravens.  The Titans were known for their incredible defense this season, but their D is a little banged up now.  In fact, it’s the Ravens defense that everyone is talking about, led by all-pro Ed Reed.  The question for Baltimore:  Will their offense show up?  It did last week, with rookie Joe Flacco putting on an acceptable show, but the Titans will be a much harder foe than Miami last week.

Then — we head on over to FOX and the NFC, as it’s the Carolina Panthers playing host to the underdog Arizona Cardinals.  First and foremost, Arizona has to be happy that the Cards not only made the playoffs this year, but even won a playoff GAME.  That’s a huge accomplishment for that franchise.  Unfortunately, the Panthers are playing spectacular right now, with an incredible defense and an especially powerful dual-headed rushing attack (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart).  But — don’t count out Arizona.  Their offense can really put up some points if they get going.  Either way, if you’re a real sports fan, this is a can’t miss game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Last night was National Championship night in college football.  It was Oklahoma v. Florida.  Both these teams score an average of 40-50 points per game and nothing short of an offensive shootout was expected.  However, it was both teams’ defenses that shined in this low scoring affair.  The first half ended neck and neck at seven points a piece, and the second half wasn’t much different.  But in the fourth quarter, it was the Tim Tebow show (Florida’s QB).  He runs the option offense to absolute perfection, and Oklahoma’s offense just couldn’t counter.  In fact, Florida said of Oklahoma’s explosive offense, “They haven’t played OUR defense yet”.  And boy were they right.  Florida won its 2nd National Championship under head coach Irving Meyer, and discussions are starting that Tim Tebow may be in the top five college football players of all time.  He’s won two championships and has a Heisman.  Now the question is… will he come back for his senior year?

As for Oklahoma, head coach Bob Stoops has a lot of questions to answer.  His stats are absolutely amazing, as he’s taken Oklahoma to the BCS Championship Game four out of the last nine seasons.  If you could promise a college program that they would be guaranteed to play in four BCS Championships in nine years, they would take the deal right away!  However, Bob Stoops only won one of those games, and in the illustrious Oklahoma football program, that’s not necessarily good enough.  Today will not be a fun day for him.   Florida 24, Oklahoma 14.

NFL

Brett Favre has publicly stated that he needs to time to think about coming back next year.  The Jets don’t have a public opinion on the matter, and Favre doesn’t know if he wants to play another year.  In defense of Favre, the Jets don’t exactly have a Plan B.  Their back-up, Kellen Clemens, isn’t the next Brett Favre, so they might as well stick with… Brett Favre.

NFL

The Cowboys off-season reshaping began yesterday, as they released troubled cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones.  Jones had a troubled legal history, and new reports have surfaced that he was (somehow) involved in a shooting incident in 2007.  Pac Man and his agent have denied the allegations, but the Cowboys said ‘Enough is Enough’ and parted ways with him.  Plus, his acquisition last off-season was probably more of a PR move than anything else, as Dallas owner Jerry Jones always likes to attract media attention to his organization.

NBA

The Celtics continue to, well… stink.  They dropped another game, and have now lost 6 of their last 8 games.  This time it was the Houston Rockets dealing the blows.  The game was close, and Paul Pierce put up a healthy 26 points, but it was the Rockets’ Yao Ming that stole the show with his own 26 points (along with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks).  They also got a great game from Aaron Brooks, their second-year point guard and NBADL alumnus (NBA Development League).  He put up 19 points coming off the bench.  The Rockets are 22-15, but come season’s end, they could be a serious title contender.  Houston 89, Boston 85.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

A pretty big upset.  The #24 Boston College Golden Eagles beat the #1 North Carolina TarHeels earlier this week, and last night they followed up that beautiful win by losing to… Harvard.  Yes, that Harvard — not exactly known for their basketball program.  But Harvard is coached by Tommy Amaker, who used to coach major conference teams.  It’s his goal to make Harvard the representative for the Ivy League in the NCAA tourney from this point forward (as it’s almost always Penn or Princeton).  Harvard 82, Boston College 70.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Finally, tonight’s the night — The BCS National Championship game between #1 Oklahoma and #2 Florida.  It’s also a battle of this year’s Heisman Trophy Winner, Oklahoma’s QB Sam Bradford, and last year’s winner, Florida’s Tim Tebow.  Whoever wins the game will be dubbed the best team in college football this year.  However, surely the undefeated Utah Utes will contest that fact.  This is a can’t miss game.