Superbowl Prediction and More

A few weeks back, I made the prediction that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be Superbowl champions. Although I did have them defeating the Carolina Panthers instead of the Arizona Cardinals. Nevertheless the Steelers are there and to no ones surprise, it's because of their defense. Ben Roethlisberger has been shaky and Hines Ward has been injured, but when your defense is this good, it doesn't really matter. Like the old saying goes, defense wins championships.

I don't think people realize how amazing this defense is. Yes, Kurt Warner has the experience and is playing amazing, and Larry Fitzgerald has been unstoppable, but I'm predicting that the Steelers hold the Arizona offense to 13 points. Football guru Dick LeBeau who has been around forever, will draw up something to shut down Fitzgerald and frustrate the rest of the Cardinals offense. Between Polamalu, Harrison, and Farrior, this defense is one of the best in the past 20 years and fans need to know that.

Now even though I'm obligated to root for the Cardinals because they bounced the Eagles out of the playoffs and if the Steelers win they will pull ahead of the 49ers and my Cowboys for most Superbowls by a franchise, I feel that Pittsburgh will win this game easily.



On a side note, I know this blog is for sports, but I have to let everyone know how upset, disappointed, frustrated, annoyed, and embarrassed I am with our new president. I knew he was going to ruin this country, but I didn't expect it to start only a few days into his presidency. He already signed pro-abortion laws which gives money to other countries in support of abortion. He made Timothy Geithner Treasury Secretary, a man who didn't pay his taxes for 4 years and owes thousands of dollars now. I don't want an idiot like this handling our nations debt and taxes, what is the president thinking? His stimulus package is going to slap another trillion dollars on our national debt and his VP has made more comments that make you shake your head and say " did he really just say that?". He told the public that he plans to close Guantanamo Bay within a year. So if you live in the States, terrorists could be coming to a prison near you! He is in a pre-9/11 state of mind and it's only making our country more vulnerable. I hope that Palin, Huckabee, Romney, Jindal, or Rudy G, are preparing to come save us in 2012.


Random Fact: Mariano once left his sun-roof open before he went into a movie, when he came out, the rain storm had passed, but not before doing damage to the inside of his car. ( but let's take it easy on him, he's a real smart kid. For a Eagles fan, we all know they have smaller, weaker brains)

NFL Playoffs

How is the world did the Philadelphia Eagles make the playoffs? How in the world did the Miami Dolphins win the AFC East? How in the world did the Denver Broncos lose a 3 game lead with 3 games left over the San Diego Chargers AND LOSE THE DIVISION!?

The wacky world of the NFL had some crazy playoff scenarios for week 17, and some how, some way, they all came true for the team that was not supposed to win!

Let me start by expressing my frustration being a Chicago Bears fan. With a win in week 17 and a loss by the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears would have won the NFC North. However, they could not take care of business. Kyle Orton is a great quarterback for the Bears, however, that defense did not live up to expectations this year. I am blaming that loss to the Houston Texans on the defense. However, I hope the Vikings lose next week to a deadly Eagles team who can make a run in the playoffs.

Speaking about the Eagles, I give them a lot of credit for what they accomplished this season. Ever since Donovan McNabb claimed to never know there were ties in the NFL, and being benched as been on a tear. And with a tiny tiny bit of help, BAM! they are in the playoffs after thrashing the Dallas Cowboys, who were supposed to be the beasts of the NFL this season, and did not live up to hype (Stay tuned to another episode of a Cowboys soap opera coming soon).

Now the Miami Dolphins. Once 1-15 just a year ago, Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have changed that program around and have tied for the biggest turnaround in NFL history winning 10 games more than the previous year (+10). Last Season, they were not a bad team, they were a team that were in need of a coach, and good management. With Parcells calling the shots in the organization, and Sparano on the sidelines, they were able to make that historic turnaround, and win the AFC East after 8 years.

I don't even know where to begin with the AFC West. How does a team with 3 games left and a 3 game lead blow their season? I think only the Denver Broncos can answer that. Now i know when i am writing this the game is not over (there is currently 9 minutes left and the Chargers are winning 44-21). But how does a team let that happen? The Chargers were helping the Broncos win the division by loosing their games, but not when it matters. I'm going to go out of my way and say the Chargers are going to win the division, but i don't see them getting passed the Colts next week.

My Superbowl Prediction:

Colts over the Giants: 31-24

Playoffs??? Are you kidding me....

Just when we all thought the playoff picture was set, things changed dramatically in typical NFL fashion. Week 14 provided all kinds of drama throughout the NFL, and I have to be honest, I really don't have a clue how things will shake out. Some teams jumped right back into the playoff picture, while others lost some serious momentum.

Back in the Hunt

Philadelphia Eagles: Something tells me that tie is going to come back to haunt Eagles fans. But a convincing victory over the Giants leads me to believe that the Eagles are for real. I wouldn't be shocked if the Eagles grabbed a wild card spot. What a stunning turnaround.

New Orleans Saints: They still sit at the bottom of the wildcard race, but a hard fought victory against Atlanta keeps them alive. If they do find a way to sneak in, they can be dangerous.

Houston Texans: Solid victory over a fading Green Bay team. Its still far-fetched to imagine the Texans making the playoffs, but if they win out they might have a legitimate shot at the #6 seed.

Clinched

Denver Broncos: Sure, they almost lost to the Chiefs, but that was an important victory. The Broncos essentially locked up the AFC West. The Broncos are a model for inconsistency, but that offense is scary when Brandon Marshall is playing well.

Arizona Cardinals: It may be the worst division in football, but props to the Cardinals for winning their first division title in 33 years.

Momentum Loss

New York Giants: For the last few weeks, the Giants have appeared to be unbeatable, and the media was touting them as a dynasty in the making. But maybe the distractions are starting to catch up with the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys: The great American hype machine. The Cowboys faced a tough test on the road against Pittsburgh, but if they want to win in the playoffs they are going to need to win in the road.

New York Jets: I'm speechless about this one. I really don't know what to think about the Jets. They seemed to have the AFC East locked up, but now the division is up for grabs.

Cheap Seat Book Review #1: Boys Will Be Boys

Unlike most of my friends, I enjoying read books when I find one that is interesting and entertaining. Most often, these books are sports related and therefore perfect for this wonderful blog. So here's the first ever Cheap Seats Book Review:

Topic: Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty by Jeff Pearlman

In this book, Pearlman tells his insider account of the insanity that was the Cowboys dynasty in the early nineties. I was very young during this dynasty so a lot of the information and story in this book is fresh and new to me. However, I have to assume that most of this stuff is untold and uncovered insight that people never heard.

The book talks extensively about the usual suspects: Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Jimmy Johnson, and Jerry Jones. This team was so infamously popular that it is no surprise how much ridiculous stuff is packed into this book. Every chapter is filled with things that would surprise even the most outrageous and wild party people. The Cowboys did it all, from excessive drug and alcohol use, to hookers, to adultry and everywhere in between.

The showstopper in this one, is to no one's surprise the "Playmaker" himself, Irvin. I can't begin to do justice to the absurdity of Irvin's lifestyle that is retold in this book. Irvin's antics knew no bounds, whether it was the offseason or the week before the Super Bowl it didn't matter. Some how, despite all of these negatives, I was impressed by Irvin, because as Pearlman tells, Irvin was still the hardest working man on the team! However, many of his teammates didn't share his body's tremendous recovery ability and they suffered for it.

The relationship between Johnson and Jones is a common topic throughout the book also. It is lunacy how childish these two were and how much was thrown away over pride and ego. Also, the ego's of Emmitt Smith and Deion Sanders make you want to spit on their shoes should you ever cross them in public. Yes, nearly all NFL and professional athletes have ridiculous, inflated self-worth and that is part of what makes them great, however Smith and Sanders redefine arrogance. Both were lazy and put themselves before the team at every instance. Meanwhile, I couldn't help but sympathize for him. He was portrayed as humble, fair, and tremendously level-headed. I'm an Eagles fan and after this book, I sort of like him (don't tell anyone, I could get my season tickets revoked).

This book is worth buying for the Irvin nonsense alone, but is all in all a great read. As is my policy on all books, buy it cheaper, used and this one is no exception. I reccomend this for anyone who reads and is a fan because it is full of insight and laughs. You can check it out and buy it on Amazon should you be inspired to do so. I loved it and i can't imagine any sports fan wouldn't. And that's coming from an Eagles fan no less.