The Sports Guru

**Peyton Manning is not of this earth.  He has to be a cyborg, or at least an alien from another planet.  Has any player, in any sport, ever, been less happy about winning a championship?  I just rememeber the sheer joy and elation on John Elway’s face when he won his first title.  Yea, it did take John alot longer, but still, a subtle fist pump and a smile.  That was it.  Then yesterday during the ‘party’ in the RCA dome Manning barely raised his voice in conjoling the crowd.  What happened to a Mark Madsen-esque dance, or the horrible rap last season by some no name Steeler?  He just cannot be human to have that little of a reaction towards winning that elusive title.  Rumor has it Peyton was studying film in preperation for next year after the game….

Calm down, Peyton, it’s just the Super Bowl

**With apologies to Ravens and Steelers fans everywhere, Bob Sanders is the best safety in football, period.  Just look at the way the Colts’ defense playes with and without Sanders in the lineup.  The Colts D doesn’t have to play at an elite level for Indy to have success and with Sanders they are good enough to get it done.

**Speaking of safeties, congrats to John Lynch for winning the Bart Starr Award.  The award goes to a player who best exemplifies great character and leadership off the field.  A deserving honor for Lynch, who has found new life in Denver after being dumped by Jon Gruden in Tampa.  On a down note, if the Broncos are committed to Lynch again next season an upgrade is needed on the other side, where Nick Ferguson just isn’t getting it done.  Lynch is still effective at the line of scrimmage, but is a liabilty in coverage.  Ferguson plays a similar style, which puts alot of pressure on the corners.  The Broncos need to draft, or pick up in free agency, a safety with great cover skills to sure up the defensive back-field.

Congrats to Lynch, though the Broncos need to upgrade

**The ratings are out, and Super Bowl XLI was the third most watched television show ever, falling behind the finale of M.A.S.H. and Super Bowl XXX between Dallas and Pittsburgh.  It’s not surprising, since Chicago is one of the largest T.V. markets, and the Bears have one of the largest fan bases in sports.  Ironically, the most ‘TIVO’d’ moment of the game was a Bud commercial.  Priorities, people, priorities.

**A Guru Hat Tip to the NFL for getting it right.  Rumor has it the league is going to institue a new rule making players that are suspended for steriods ineligible for the Pro Bowl.  The ‘Merriman Rule’, as I will call it, should be annouonced sometime in March.  All parties seem to be in agreement that celebrating the season of a player caught cheating is the wrong message to send.  I applaude the NFL for once again being ahead of the curve when it comes to doing what is right.

Next year, cheater’s like Merriman won’t be in Hawaii

**The best 7 hours in radio have to be Mike and Mike in the Morning followed by Colin Cowherd on ESPNRadio.  Golic and Greenberg have developed a chemistry and raport seldom seen anymore on radio becuase it take time to obtain.  The two have been together since 1999 and are still going strong.  Cowherd, who replaced Tony Kornheiser two years ago is brash and opinionated, but his take is fresh becuase it goes against the East Coast bias that is so prevalent in national sports talk.  If you are getting a bit tired of the Jim Rome gig, take a listen to Cowherd, you won’t be disappointed.

Technorati Tags: Peyton Manning, Super Bowl XLI, Shawne Merriman, John Lynch, Mike and Mike in the Morning, Colin Cowherd

photos courtesy of NFL.com and DenverBroncos.com

If you are already going through NFL withdrawl(sure, the Pro Bowl is still to come, but come on…)fear not, because the odds-makers have published their favorites to win Super Bowl XLII in Arizona next year.The Chargers and Colts lead the way at 6-1, while our beloved Broncos check in at 15-1.  The Bears are the favorite NFC team, at 8-1.

Looking for a long shot??  An amazing 8 teams, including the Browns, Raiders and Texans sit at 100-1 in early wagering.  Here is the entire list –

San Diego Chargers  6-1  
Indianapolis Colts 6-1  
Chicago Bears  8-1  
New England Patriots 8-1  
Baltimore Ravens  12-1  
Cincinnati Bengals  15-1  
Dallas Cowboys 15-1  
Denver Broncos 15-1  
Philadelphia Eagles  15-1  
Pittsburgh Steelers 15-1  
Carolina Panthers  18-1  
New Orleans Saints 20-1  
Seattle Seahawks 20-1  
New York Giants  25-1  
New York Jets  30-1  
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1  
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1  
Miami Dolphins  40-1  
Tennessee Titans  40-1  
Washington Redskins  50-1  
Arizona Cardinals 50-1  
Atlanta Falcons  50-1  
Buffalo Bills  50-1  
St. Louis Rams  50-1  
Cleveland Browns  100-1  
Detroit Lions 100-1  
Green Bay Packers 100-1  
Houston Texans 100-1  
Minnesota Vikings  100-1  
Oakland Raiders  100-1  
San Francisco 49ers 100-1  
Tampa Bay Buccanneers  100-1

Technorati Tags: Super Bowl odds

A new thing I am going to do here at the MHR.  Every day I will have a few things I know are true, a feature I’ll call <b>”Guru Truisms”</b>, tidbits from the day before in the world of sports that form truths in my head about football, and the sports world in general.  Hey, we need something to help us get through the abyss that is the NFL off-season…Here are a few of these truisms after a sloppy Super Bowl XLI.

– The only time the people were quiet at the party I was at was during the commercials.  What a disappointment they were, by the way, and if I had to pick a “winner” it would go to GoDaddy.com.  Anytime there is a hot chick getting blasted with water by other hot chicks they win.

– Not to pat myself on the back, but once again I nearly nailed the final score, and was right one target about Rex Grossman.  In the biggest moment of his life he came up awfully small.  He was off target all night and his two fumbled snaps were completely unacceptable.  Tell me again which team plays outside in Chicago and which team plays in a dome, because I couldn’t tell.<br>

– Is it just me, or would Thomas Jones look great with a horse on the side of his helmet next season?  I don’t know what the Bears are going to end up doing about their running back situation, but it is a safe bet the odd man out WON’T be the #4 pick in the draft a few years ago.  If Jones is available I would seriously think about trading my 2nd Round pick to get him, similar to Javon Walker last season.

– A Guru Salute to Prince, who put on the best halftime show I have seen in quite some time.  In the rain, with pyrotechnics going off everywhere, and a marching band, his performance was flawless, and was nothing less that I would expect from a Rock icon.  On a side not, it was nice to see someone from the United States perform at our biggest sporting event’s half time show.  No offense to Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones or U2, but we do have some legendary musical talent from this country without lining up Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.  Nice job to the NFL to get someone who is mature enough for the stage while still being relevent to the music scene.

– I caught about 3 minutes of the pre-game, and immediately turned it off when it was a feature on Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe getting a ride with the USAF Thunderbirds.  What the hell do the Thunderbirds have to do with the Super Bowl?  Sure, I know the “pre-game” is just a function of the network’s attempt to recoup the ransom the NFL charges for rights to it’s games, but come on.  There has to be something relating to the game that they can cover, like Rex Grossman’s mother’s favorite hobbies.

– I really don’t like the Colts that much but I can’t help but feel good for Tony Dungy.  Here’s a guy that does it right and has his whole career.  Watching him celebrate after everything he has been through the past 12 months brought a smile to my face.  I would love to say the same for Peyton Manning, but because his family is so damn annoying I can’t bring myself to do it.  Dammit Archie, just go away.

– We discovered a new sports phenominon so far in 2007.  To get “Ginned” is the act of running back the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a championship game before getting thoroughly dominated the rest of the way.  Named after Ted Ginn, Jr, whose run back against Florida ended with a foot injury during the celebration, and opend the can of whoop ass that was to follow.  Last night it was Devin Hestor, who electrified with his 97 yard return.  Two “Ginn” jobs in less tha a month, impressive and it has to be some sort of record.<br>
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–How great was it to see a Super Bowl game played in bad weather?  I mean, to me this opens up a Pandora’s box of possibilities.  When I awoke this morning the thermostat in my car read minus-4 degrees.  Think about it, a Super Bowl in frigid temperatures.  I think all 32 cities should be free game to go after this game.  It just felt more like a football game when two teams from the upper mid-west were battling it out on a sloppy field.  Nice to see the uniforms get dirty for once.

Photos courtesy of NFL.com

Technorati Tags: Super Bowl, Indianpolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Tony Dungy, Rex Grossman, Devin Hester, Ted Ginn

Sometimes it’s the bets you don’t make that come back to haunt you.  I have been known to play the numbers a little bit, not Art Schlicter-like, but enough to to know what I am talking about and be a resource for people I know.

I had a decent year, not great, but finsihed ahead.  Fast forward to this weekend and my PICKS for the four playoff games.  Last year, the road team went 3-1 during Wild-Card weekend.  There was alot of talk that it might happen again, simply becuase road teams this weekend are usually playing better ball than the home team becuase they probably had to fight just to get in.  An interesting theiry, for sure, but one that I did not take to this year.

So, to review, here were my picks for each game, followed by the result….

Kansas City @ Indianapolis — People actually thougt the Chiefs had a shot in this one.  A 9-7 team is a 9-7 team for a reason, and the Colts play a much different style of game at home.  Even with the Colts playing hooribly, the Chiefs couldn’t muster a single first down in the 1st half and Larry Johnson struggled to 32 yards.  Though I was a bit surprised by the low-scoring, I was not surprised by the margin of victory.  Chalk one up for the Guru - My Pick - Colts 34-20(14 points), Actual - Colts 23-8(15 points) —  WIN

Dallas @ Seattle — The closest I came to taking a road team this weekend was this game, though I had a strange feeling that Dallas would find a way to blow, and boy did they ever.  A safety, followed by a bothced hold by the Romonator, and the Cowboys are going home….Again.  Hey, national media, the Cowboys haven;t won a single playoff game in A DECADE!  To put that into perspective, the Arizona Cardinals have won a playoff game in that span, over the Cowboys no less.  My Pick - Seahawks 27-21(6 points), Actual - Seahawks 21-20(1 point) — WIN

NY Jets @ New England — This was my blow-out special of the weekend.  I knew Billy Boy and Brady would be geeked up to show the Mangenious who the real mastermind was.  I will give credit to the Jets for hanging around as long as they did, with the help of a Corey Dillon fumble.  Which reminds me, Dillon may fumble more that Tatum Bell.  Amazing.  In the end, however, it was the Patriots showing the Jets who’s the boss, and sending Pennington and Co. home for the year.  My Pick - Patriots 31 - 13(18 points), Actual - Patriots 37-16(19 points) — WIN

NY Giants @ Philadelphia — I thought this would be a slug-fest, with the Giants having too much talent to lose big, while Jeff Garcia has got to wake up and realize he is, in fact, Jeff Garcia.  I still thought the Eagles would be too  much at home for a Giants’ defense without names like Strahan and Arrington.  Tiki Barber played like it was his last game, and Eli Manning is quickly becoming a draft bust.  Chances are Tom Coughlin has coached his last game, so let the Charlie Weis rumors begin.  My Pick - Eagles 24-20(4 points), Actual - Eagles 23 - 20(3 points) — WIN

Final tally, 4 games, 4 wins, 8 points off in total point differental.  Not bad.  And for those keeping track, a 4 team teaser, just pikcing winners, $100 best would have netted $1340.  Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, no doubt about it….

Technorati Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, NFL Playoffs

How about some football talk, I know I can use it…

It hasn’t even been a week since the end of the regular season, yet coaches are being fired, quitting, and retiring at a fever pace.  There are already 5 openings on NFL teams, with some big names finding themselves out of work.  Let’s take a look at the teams and which direction they might go in to find a replacement –

Pittsburgh Steelers — The worst kept secret of 2006 was the status of Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh.  From the moment it became public knowledge that Cowher and his family had moved back to North Carolina the speculation arose that this could be it for “The Chin” in the Steel City.  Cowher will make the announcement official on Friday, giving the Steelers a chance to talk to their own in-house candidates who are sure to be hot prospects in other cities.

Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt already has an interview scheduled in Atlanta and Assistant Head Coach Russ Grimm would have gotten the Lions’ job last season had the Steelers not advanced all the way to the Super Bowl.  Even Defensive Coordinator Dick Labeau, former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, might get a looksie from some NFL teams.

As for Cowher, I expect him to take a year off before coming back to the league in a high profile/high paying job in a place like Dallas or Washington, both of which will probably have openings in the next couple of years.  There is talk that the Dolphins will make a play with a big offer the minute Cower announces his resignation.

Miami Dolphins — Speaking of the Miami, the Dolphins start the search for a new head coach for the 4th time since Don Shula retired in 1995.  By now everyone has heard of the Nick Saban debacle, and listening to Owner Wayne Huizenga the team has no idea which direction to go.  He even went so far as to ask the media and fan base for any opinions, good or bad, that they had for the team.  Yikes.  Besides Cowher, the Dolphins will also take a close look at Jim Bates, the interim coach after Dave Wannstedt resigned, as well as Jim Mora, who just got fired in Atlanta.  No matter who it is the Dolphins will probably take there time and search high and low.  Since Shula each coach has been hand picked and the results have been disastrous.  I can’t help but think that the presence of Don Shula might have something to do with all the coaching mal-content.  He was unhappy with Jimmy Johnson, wasn’t a fan of Wannstadt, and had nothing but bad things to say about Saban.  It can;t be easy following a legend, especially when he is still on the Board of Directors and he is the only coach to have a “perfect” season.

Oakland Raiders — It seems the “false rumor-monger” was right after all.  It is being leaked that Art Shell won’t be back after a 2-14 season.  Whether Shell quit or was asked not to return remains to be seen but regardless the coaching carousel continues.  Finding a replacement won’t be easy, especially with a skeleton in a sweat-suit running the show.  As Al Davis has gotten older his treatment of coaches has gotten worse and since John Gruden begged his way out of town the Raiders have seen a steady stream of failure follow with Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Shell.  Leading the way might be D-Coordinator Rob Ryan who actually did a nice job with the Raider defense this past season.  With the #1 pick in the draft and two quarterback right at the top of everybody’s draft board an offensive mind might be the better choice but with the skeleton you know he isn’t thinking about what’s best.

Atlanta Falcons — It was the antics of Jim Mora off the field as much as the bad play of the Falcons on it that cost Mora his job.  After getting caught telling a Seattle radio station that the UW job was his dream and he would “leave the Falcons immediately” if the job were open Mora tried to play it off as a joke.  Too bad Falcons owner Arthur Blanks wasn’t laughing.  Neither were the fans that had watched 2 years of late season collapses.  Having your dad call the star QB a “coach-killer” isn’t a good way to maintain quality relationships in the locker room either.  Atlanta will start with Whisenhunt, and if they can’t land him they will probably stay with the strong offensive mind to try and get the most out of Michael Vick.  In hindsight the Falcons were probably better off sticking with Dan Reeves, under whom Vick had his best season to date.

Arizona Cardinals — Pete Carroll’s name keeps being bandied about, but I can’t see Carroll leaving the college game, especially with what went down with Saban.  The Cardinals have a lot of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and will be very tempting to a coach looking for quick results.  Ownership concerns will always surround the team, with the Bidwell’s having a reputation for keeping there hands in every aspect of the organization.  They will probably not want to lose out on the hangover from the new stadium, as well as the Super Bowl which comes to Arizona next year.  Bobby Petrino from Louisville is a possibility, as are San Diego O.C. Cam Cameron, Chicago D.C. Ron Rivera and former Packers coach Mike Sherman.

There are a couple of situations to keep a close eye on, depending on how this weekend’s playoff games turn out.

If the Giants get run out of Philly, Tom Coughlin’s days in the Big Apple would be numbered, though I have a feeling the Giants’ brass are sending feelers right now to a certain college coach who might just be thinking he’d be better off in the NFL.  (When exactly did Notre Dame win a bowl game last??)  The Seahawks are another team that may have an opening after the season.  Mike Holmgren almost walked away after the Super Bowl, and might actually do it if the Seahawks were to get back, or get shown the door by the Cowboys this weekend.

Technorati Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Jim Mora, Bill Cowher, Nick Saban, Art Shell, Denny Green, NFL Coaching Changes