FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the representatives for the AFC and NFC in the Super Bowl are set. The New England Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens in the first game Sunday afternoon 23 -20. The Ravens managed to limit the damage of the Patriots lethal passing attack to fewer than 250 yards in the air and Tom Brady had no touchdowns and two interceptions.  But even though Brady had a less than stellar performance, he leaped into the end zone for the go ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Ravens were then down by three going into their final drive of the game and with just seconds remaining on the clock, former pro bowl kicker, Billy Cundiff, had a chance to send the game to overtime. And what did he do? He shanked the kick wide left.

The second game had the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers facing off in rainy weather at Candlestick Park. Eli Manning threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns in a 20 – 17 overtime win. The defensive battle had 9 total sacks between the two teams, but the story of the game was Kyle Williams. The wide receiver was returning punts for the 49ers and lost two of them, both of which led to Giants scores, including the final game winning field goal in overtime.  With the win, Manning now has won five career road playoff games, which gives him more road playoff wins than anyone in history. With the Giants win, the 2007 Super Bowl matchup will be replayed in Indianapolis.

The world of college football lost a coaching legend on Sunday. Joe Paterno, longtime Penn State football coach died at the age of 85 after a bout with cancer. Many rumors over the past 48 hours surfaced about Paterno’s status, and he was officially pronounced dead at 9:25 Sunday morning. Paterno had 409 career victories, which gives him the record of most victories in college football history and led Penn State to 37 bowl games. Paterno was with the Penn State program for more than 60 years and was the head coach for nearly 50 of them. The end of Paterno’s life was full of stress and drama with the child sex abuse scandal.  Paterno is survived by his wife and five children

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was that time of year when Kobe Bryant and the Lakers visited LeBron James and the Miami Heat.  Normally, this is much ballyhooed fare, but the Heat are tied for 5th in the Eastern Conference right now, and the Lakers are trying to find their identity.  Plus, LeBron was battling a fever prior to this game, but hey, when the Lakers come to town, you have to get on the court or be criticized for the next few weeks.  So, LeBron did get out there, and he had an amazing night with 31 points, as the Heat beat up on the Lakers from the get-go.  The Lakers didn’t even have a chance.  They need to go back to LA and figure out how to utilize Kobe Bryant outside of Phil Jackson’s triangle-offense.  They need work.  Miami 98, LA Lakers 87.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling right now, save for a fluke loss to the Washington Wizards Wednesday night.  But there has been speculation since the end of last season that point-guard Russell Westbrook might be headed out of town.  This was exacerbated when Westbrook was spotted verbally sparring with Thunder star Kevin Durant.  But, after their recent run, and visible proof that this young team is truly jelling behind stars Durant, Westbrook, and James Harden, the Thunder realized they absolutely need Russell Westbrook to stay in the blue and orange.  So they signed him up for an $80million deal.  The number of years hasn’t been disclosed, but they certainly have intentions to win multiple championships with this team.

SKIING

Finally, in some very sad news, half-pipe skier Sarah Burke died yesterday from wounds she suffered in a serious ‘superpipe’ injury.  She hit her head, rupturing an artery that sends vital blood to the brain. She had been in the hospital the last week in an induced coma, and yesterday she died in her sleep after she went into cardiac arrest.  Her brain damage was irreversable and it just wasn’t something anybody could survive.  Burke was only 29, and was favored to be a gold medalist in the 2014 Olympics.

In the NBA, the Miami Heat have had a tough start to the season.  They’ve been on a 3-game losing streak and have also yet to win the road.  To add to the bad, they would be without Dwayne Wade on the road against a tough San Antonio team.  But, this would be the game they would finally turn it around.  LeBron James was an absolute monster against the Spurs, posting 33 points and 10 assists.  There was simply no answer for James, as the Heat scorched the Spurs.  With the win, the Heat are hoping to get on track to getting that #1 overall seed in the eastern conference.  This HAS to be their year.  Miami 120, San Antonio 98.

, In the NFL, it truly looks like the Indianapolis Colts are completely overhauling their team.  After a putrid 2-14 season, the new owners are getting rid of Jim Caldwell.  Caldwell had been the coach of the Colts the past few seasons.  He was appointed head skipper soon after Tony Dungy retired after winning a Super Bowl.  Caldwell was Dungy’s right-hand man, and was long-considered to be Peyton Manning’s “Guy”.  But, this season, Caldwell showed what kind of coach he is WITHOUT Peyton running the show.  Yeah… he’s disposable.  And now, with Peyton’s career in serious jeopardy after a neck injury, the Colts are cleaning house and paving the way for the Andrew Luck era.  Is Peyton the next guy to get shipped out of town?

Finally, in some other NFL news, the remarks are already flying between the Giants and the 49ers for the NFC Championship.  First off, Victor Cruz said that the Giants can’t be beat.  He says that they’re excited about playing the Niners because they like how they FEEL about them, that they think they can win.  Cruz said that the Saints would have been tougher, and the Giants are happy to be playing the Niners.  Additionally, Niners tight-end Vernon Davis said that he was PRAYING the Giants would beat the Packers, so the Niners could host the NFC Championship Game.  The Giants defensive back Antrel Rolle said that Davis should be careful what he wishes for because the Giants are coming for him.  This game is going to be terrific!

In college basketball, the surprise team of the years has been the Baylor Bears.  People expected them to be good, but not still undefeated by this point in the season. Baylor, remember, was a basketball program in turmoil just about 5 years ago, when one player killed another on the team.  But, they’ve since recovered, and have had a very respectable program since.  Last night they took their unbeaten streak to the ultimate test… into Kansas’ Allen Field House.  Baylor has never won in Kansas, and were hoping they would finally shatter THAT streak.  Well, not so fast, because Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor didn’t care for the Bears potent offense.  He scored 28 on the night, keeping Baylor in their place, as the Jayhawks cruised once again past the Bears for a win.  Kansas 92, Baylor 74.

In the NFL, the St. Louis Rams were predicted by many to finish in first place in the NFC West at the beginning of the season.  After all, they would have 2nd year man Sam Bradford coming off a spectacular rookie campaign.  Plus, their receiving corps looked pretty good with some young guys like Danny Amendola and a few rookies in the mix.  However, their season was plagued by injuries and their head coach Steve Spagnuolo had no answers.  Now, after such a putrid season, it looks like former long-time Titans head coach Jeff Fisher will be named the new head coach and officially introduced to fans today.   The Rams are hoping that Fisher can turn the organization around with his no-nonsense leadership style, similar to the one Jim Harbaugh illustrated in San Francisco this season.  Expect the Rams to be back on track next year.

Finally, in some other NFL news (and fittingly Rams news), it looks like famed offensive coordinator Mike Martz is calling it quits.  Martz solidified his reputation as an offensive genius while running the offense for the St. Louis Rams of the late 90s and early 00′s.  This was known as “The Greatest Show On Turf”, an offense that used to frequently put up points in the 40s and 50s.  This team won a Super Bowl in 1999 behind Kurt Warner at quarterback, Marshall Faulk at running-back, and Issac Bruce, Tory Holt, and Az-Hazir Hakim catching the passes.  Since then, Martz has made many pit stops (including San Francisco, Detroit, and Chicago) and every time he switched teams, fantasy football owners would inevitably draft the receivers on that team hoping for big fantasy points.  Now, Martz is hanging up the clipboard, and the game will miss one of the best offensive minds there ever was. 

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was the Divisional Playoffs.

First up, an absolute heart-pounding shootout between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers.  The Niners started out with a 17 point lead, but that wasn’t enough when the other team has Drew Brees.  Drew Brees had another of his mind-blowing games throwing for a total of 462 yards and 4 touchdowns.  But all came down to the final few minutes of the game.  First, the Niners took the lead to go up 29-24.  But then, with 2 minutes to go, Brees was able to march the Saints down the field and hit tight-end Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown pass that would appear to ice things.  But, it wasn’t over, as with just a minute left, the underdog, Alex Smith, hit Vernon Davis for a long pass that would give the Niners a chance to score.  Then, with just a few seconds left in the game, Smith hit Davis again for a brilliant 14-yard touchdown strike.  And the Niners advance to the NFC Championship Game.  San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32.

Next up, the much anticipated prime time battle between the New England Patriots and the seemingly immortal Tim Tebow.  Could Tebow pull out another miracle.  Unfortunately, all the Tebow luck that was masking the fact that the Broncos weren’t exactly a complete team finally ran out Saturday night.  Tom Brady came out with 2 quick touchdown strikes that made you think it was going to be a very long night for the Broncos.  At the end of the FIRST HALF, it was already 35-7 Patriots.  Tom Brady would stay in the game in the 3rd quarter to tack on another touchdown, but the Patriots defense finally showed up this game and completely shut down the Broncos offense.  They couldn’t do anything.  And the Patriots advance to the AFC Championship.  New England 45, Denver 10.

And on Sunday, the first game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens was a real yawner.  Joe Flaaco started out hot throwing for two quick touchdowns to take a commanding lead, but the Houston Texans would own the second quarter behind a solid rushing effort by the Texans Arian Foster.  The Ravens offense completely melted down and their crowd was dead quiet.  Fortunately, the Ravens have one of the best defenses in the NFL and were able to hold TJ Yates and the Texans in the second half to hold onto the lead.  The Ravens now head to New England for the AFC Championship.  Baltimore 20, Houston 13.

Finally, in the marquee match-up of the weekend, it was the red-hot NY Giants against the red-hot Green Bay Packers.  People weren’t sure about this game because the Giants seem unstoppable now, but, then again, the game was in Green Bay — a very tough place to win.  The Giants are just so good, and so confident, that this energy came right into Green Bay.  Eli Manning came storming in and hit Hakeem Nicks for a quick touchdown.  The Packers rallied back, but at the end of the first half, Eli Manning threw a hail mary that was caught by Hakeem Nicks in the end zone.  An amazing catch that would set the tone for the rest of the game.  These guys have no quit about them.  In the 3rd, Packers running-back Ryan Grant fumbled the ball, and the Giants returned it down to within the 5 yard line, where they would punch it in for another touchdown, and that was all she wrote.  With the win, the Giants knocked off the Super Bowl defending champions, and will head to San Francisco for the NFC Championship.  NY Giants 37, Green Bay 20.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL,  some New York Jets players have been anything but quiet in the media about their dislike for current starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.   To the media, they said he was lazy because he has no fear of ever being benched.  Players also said that Sanchez was coddled by all the coaches and they were rarely tough on him . Right now the Jets are going to have to make due with Sanchez, but many don’t believe that the Jets can win a Super Bowl with him at the helm.  Will Peyton Manning suddenly become available?

In sports in general, a recent poll asked “Who Was The Most Popular Athlete In The Country?”  Was it Kobe Bryant?  LeBron James?  Albert Pujols?  Tom Brady?  Nope, the most popular athlete is Tim Tebow.  This is the guy that everyone is rooting for (or against) right now, but he is certainly the embodiment of an underdog story.  Coming out of college, he was selected in the 1st round, and everybody thought it was a mistake.  Then, they buried him on the bench, but thanks to a local media campaign (and the decline of Kyle Orton), he got his chance and the team went on a 6 game winning streak.  And then, after last weekend, with a remarkable playoff victory, Tebow’s stock is sky high.  Sure, there’s a religious element at play, but Tebow is definitely akin to God right now.

Finally, in college football, after thinking about it for a long time, it looks like Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III has made up his mind:  Stay in college or Go Pro?  It looks like he’s heading to the NFL.  Griffin said he really wanted to finish up his college degree, but he could always come back and earn that.  As of now, Griffin is projected as the #2 quarterback, with some people even thinking the Colts should take him with the #1 overall pick instead of Andrew Luck.  If the Colts do take Luck, it’s likely that the Rams would trade out of the #2 spot (because they already have Sam Bradford) and Griffin would still go with the 2nd overall pick to a team desperately looking for a QB (Maybe Miami).  Either way, he’ll have an exciting career in the pros.

FOOTBALL

In some coaching news, after the passing of long time Raiders owner Al Davis, the Raiders organization was due for some changes.  The first change came when Reggie McKenzie was appointed as general manager.  And when general manager’s get the job, their first move is usually to make a major change with the team to show that they mean business (i.e. they are serious about winning).  McKenzie’s first move was to fire first-year head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson wasn’t a bad coach.  He kept the Raiders competitive, and they even slipped into first place a couple times during the season.  But McKenzie said the Raiders were headed in a different direction.  The Raiders clearly aren’t the always-respected franchise they used to be, and McKenzie wants to try and get back on track.

In some other coaching news, the Jacksonville Jaguars found their new man after firing long time head coach Jack Del Rio.  They’re bringing in Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as their new skipper.  Mularkey has been somewhat of a journeyman in the NFL, but he was the guy who took rookie Matt Ryan and turned him into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  The Jags are desperately hoping that Mularkey can come in and do the same thing with Jags rookie Blaine Gabbert going into his second year.  Gabbert was extremely unimpressive in his rookie campaign, and perhaps he just needs a few new philosophies to get him back on tract.

Finally, in some very sad news, on the cusp of playing in the Divisional Playoffs against the New York Giants, a very tough match-up, the Green Bay Packers were dealt a tragic blow.  For the last few days, Michael Philbin, the 21-year old son of Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, had been missing.  The Packers are trying to prepare for the Giants, but how can anyone concentrate when their son is still missing? And just yesterday, Michael Philbin’s body was found in an icy river in Oshkosh Wisconsin.  As of now, police aren’t sure exactly how he died, but it’s just a very difficult time for Joe Philbin and his family.  And the Packers are like one big family, so all of them will be grieving from this.

FOOTBALL

The main attraction last night:  The BCS Championship in college football between the #1 LSU Tigers and the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide.  This year was different than other BCS years because these teams already played each other earlier in the year.  And nobody likes to see a rematch in the National Title Game.  Except, in this case.  LSU and Alabama certainly were the appropriate 2 teams to play in this bowl.  LSU won in Alabama earlier in the season, but it took them into overtime to do it and they only won by a field goal.  Given that Alabama won out the rest of the way, a rematch was fairly in order.  Plus, the team that people think got shafted, Oklahoma State, barely beat Stanford in their respective bowl game.  The BCS computer got it right this time, but as always there is controversy and the BCS is meeting to think about revising the way the Championship game is played.

So, how would it all go down? Both teams have brick wall defenses, and there were AT LEAST 10 NFL players on that field last night.  These two schools have the best recruiting probably in the whole nation right now.  The first half was as expected (i.e. anything but a scoring fest).  However, Alabama was able to get the ball moving a little bit, while LSU was completely stuffed.  Alabama would head into the half with a trio of field goals, which is actually a pretty big lead considering how hard it is to score on LSU.

People thought that LSU would turn it around in the second half, but again, Alabama came to prove to the world, on National television, that their loss to LSU back in November was an accident.  They continued to completely stifle the LSU offensive attack, only allowing LSU to cross the 50 yard line once in the entire game.  They simply couldn’t do anything.  Then, on an Alabama punt, LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu (the Honey Badger), the guy who had all the headlines for the SEC, got completely smashed to the ground.  They absolutely ripped him apart, tired of all the press he’s been getting all season.  A late touchdown by Alabama Heisman candidate running-back Trent Richardson would seal the game, and give Alabama their 2nd National Championship in 3 years.  Amazing!  Alabama only gave up a grand total of 92 offensive yards to the Tigers.  A remarkable achievement.  Congratulations to head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.  Alabama 21, LSU 0.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was Wild Card Weekend — and what a weekend they gave us.

First on Saturday, it was the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Houston Texans.  Most thought that since the Texans were banged up that they Bengals would come in and take care of business.  But, the Texans didn’t have to turn to 4th string quarterback Jake Delhomme — they got a great game out of their 3rd string quarterback T.J. Yates.  But the real hero of the game for Houston was their running-back Arian Foster.  He finished the game with 153 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Texans rolled to victory and will head to Baltimore next weekend to take on the Ravens.  Houston 31, Cincinnati 10.

Next up, it was a prime time battle between two explosive offenses as the Detroit Lions headed to the New Orleans Saints.  First off, it’s simply refreshing to have the Lions back in the playoffs again.  They haven’t made it since the early 90s, and are finally giving their fans something to cheer about.  So how would they fare?  They got out to a good start, when Matt Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to put the Lions up 14-7.  But, unless you get a whopping lead on the Saints, Drew Brees will make you pay because he can put up points quick.  Thanks to a remarkable 466 yards, 3 touchdown game from Brees, along with a very competent running attack led by Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, and Chris Ivory, the Saints came storming back to take a huge lead on the Lions.  And after that, the Lions defense just gave out, and the Saints got the win.  Next up, the Saints head to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.

Then, on Sunday, it was the red-hot New York Giants hosting the Atlanta Falcons.  Many thought the Falcons wouldn’t play so well on the road and out of a dome, especially versus the vicious NY Giants pass rush.  Well… they were dead right.  The Falcons just couldn’t get their offense going, and failed to pick up a number of 4th and inches, which only gives the defense even more momentum.  The Falcons forced a safety early in the game, but those would be the only 2 points they scored all day.  In the second half, Eli Manning caught fire, tossing 2 more touchdowns, and finishing the day with 277 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Falcons have a lot to work on this off-season (namely a more creative offense), and the Giants are headed to Green Bay for a rematch with the Packers.  NY Giants 24, Atlanta 2.

Finally, in the afternoon game, it was Tim Tebow and the miracle Broncos hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Could Tebow actually win a playoff game?  In the first half, Tebow shocked everyone hitting Eddie Royal on a beautiful touchdown pass and even rushing for a touchdown himself.  But, in the second half, you simply can’t count out the AFC Defending Champion Steelers.  Roethlisberger connected for some deep bombs and a beautiful game tying touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery.  And we were headed to overtime. But, in the playoffs, overtime works differently.  Both teams get a chance, UNLESS the first team that gets the ball scores a touchdown.  Denver got the ball, and on the very first play of overtime, Tim Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for a remarkable 80-yard touchdown pass.  It was purely a miracle.  And with that, the Broncos won their home playoff game and will hope for ANOTHER miracle as they head to New England next week to take on the Patriots.  Denver 29, Pittsburgh 23.