Eli Manning now ranks among the best QBs of all time. He is now in the same class as Tom Brady, who failed to enter into the conversation with Joe Montana as the best QB ever. Eli Manning out-dueled Brady and is clearly the better player at this point in time.

That's apparently what we learned from the Super Bowl. The media has to bring it down to the simplest terms and declare the winner the best and the loser something along the lines of the worst. Tom Brady's legacy is ruined and Eli Manning's is skyrocketing. Can we cool it with the legacy talk? Tom Brady is being unfairly criticized and Eli Manning is being unfairly praised. There is more to who is the better player than who won the game.

Tom Brady had one of the greatest regular seasons of any quarterback ever. Even in his worst game he completed 57-percent of his passes and had as many touchdowns as he did interceptions. He finished the year with 39 touchdowns and 12 picks while throwing for a career-high 5,235 yards. He did this all without a deep threat wide receiver. He did it with a possession receiver and two tight ends as his top threats and no running game. Let's not look past those amazing accomplishments just because he fell short in the final game.

And let's discuss the circumstances in the final game. Rob Gronkowski played but was clearly not 100-percent due to that ankle injury. He looked slow and if he was healthy there is no way he allows linebacker Chase Blackburn to intercept that pass. In addition to not having one of his top targets, the Patriots had awful field position. Brady was forced to go nearly the entire length of the field in order to score. The 3 scoring drives from the Pats went for 60, 96 and 79 yards.

It's not as if Brady had a bad game. He was 27-for-41 for 276 yards with 2 touchdowns and the 1 interception I mentioned earlier. He completed a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive passes. If the Patriots defense had been able to stop the Giants on their final drive, Brady wins the MVP hands down.

I have to agree with Gisele Bundchen. Who would've thought that sentence would be uttered in a sports article six years ago. After the game the supermodel wife to Tom Brady got into an argument with a Giants fan and said, "My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times." Wes Welker's drop has been the most publicized but the Patriots also dropped the first two passes on their final drive. His throws weren't perfect but they were good enough and any wide receiver would agree they should've been caught.

Eli Manning also had an incredible season and his penchant for fourth quarter comebacks this season was amazing. He looks like he might be turning the corner in his career. That might sound strange since he just won his second Super Bowl but he hasn't exactly been an elite quarterback up to this point. The year he won his first Super Bowl, he led the league in interceptions as he also did last season.

Manning is very lucky to have an amazing receiving core. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham is probably the best wide receiver trio in the league. All three made huge plays to propel Eli and the Giants to this win.

Nicks led the way with 10 catches for 109 yards. Victor Cruz scored the first touchdown of the game. Mario Manningham made the catch that's being compared to David Tyree's helmet catch. Nicks is the type of big-play wideout Brady has had only briefly in his career with Randy Moss. That Cruz touchdown? If Jerod Mayo had actually been watching the ball he would've at least knocked it down and probably picked it off. Manningham's catch was just ridiculous. But I will admit it was a very well thrown ball to one of the only places he could place it to give him a chance to make the grab. That's where the comparisons to the helmet catch break down. That pass to David Tyree was horrendous. He should've never thrown it. But no one remembers the poor decision and instead we remember the fantastic grab that helped Eli to his first Super Bowl title.

It's also not fair to compare Manning to Brady because they weren't exactly going up against the same defense. The Patriots gave up nearly 300 passing yards a game in the regular season whereas the Giants were peaking at just the right time.

Unfortunately, none of this really matters. In just a few years the arguments will boil down to how many Super Bowls these quarterbacks won. Most fans won't look at the circumstances. They won't look at the individual plays or the luck involved. But maybe even that's a bit optimistic. Based on some of the things I've read many have already forgotten about the circumstances and anointed Eli the king of all QBs and Brady as an also-ran now past his prime. On to the awards!

That's right folks. The third ranked team in the nation is flying WAY under the radar. The team that had the third best Vegas odds to win the title just gets no respect, huh? You can argue that they are the best team and that they have the best chances to win the title but to say they are under the radar is insane.

Best Comeback
Brandon Marshall passive-aggressively criticized his QB Matt Moore when he talked about how great it was to play with such high-caliber QBs at the Pro Bowl. Greg Cote of the Miami Herald doesn't think Marshall should be the one complaining: Marshall alluded to accuracy. I would note that of the three QBs who threw to him Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger had a 63.2 completion percentage last year, Philip Rivers had 62.9 and Andy Dalton 58.1. Moore's was 60.5. It would have been 64.6 had 14 dropped passes been caught, by the way.
Moore's agent declined Tuesday to offer a comment from his client about Marshall's comments. (But I did hear Matt is in remarkably good shape for a man who had just been thrown under a bus).

Oh snap. He called you out with stats, bro!

Do That Math Again
Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald might need a refresher on basic math: With first place in the Eastern Conference up for grabs on Wednesday, the Heat dropped to 0-2 against Milwaukee this season with a 105-97 loss at Bradley Center. Amazingly, nearly 10 percent of the Bucks' victories have come against the Heat's dream team. ... There is little doubt that the Heat's worst two performances this season have come against Bucks.

Either the Bucks are on pace to break the Bulls record for best winning percentage in a season or his math is just a bit off here. 2 wins equaling 10-percent of their win total would mean the Bucks would have 20 wins...the Bucks had played 21 games on the season and were 10-11. Soooo 20-percent of their wins had come against the Heat.

Great Minds Think Alike
After the Raptors lost, 100-64 to the Celtics last Wednesday I wondered if Kentucky could give them a run for the money. And just like that Jeff Goodman of Eye on College Basketball was thinking the same thing: The Raptors backcourt was Spanish point guard Jose Calderon and athletic freak DeMar DeRozan. The frontcourt: James Johnson, Ed Davis and Aaron Gray.
Pitiful.
I understand Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are just freshmen, but it's not like Davis and DeRozan are grown men, either. Both are just 22 years old. Johnson is 24 and Gray is 26.
I'd take Davis over Gray in a heartbeat. Yes, today. I'd also go with Gilchrist over Davis -- today, tomorrow and every day thereafter.
Calderon blows away Marquis Teague at this juncture and we'll give a slight nod to Johnson over Terrence "Mr. Enigma" Jones, but not if Jones' head is actually into the game.
Then there's the matter of DeRozan vs. Doron Lamb. DeRozan is a terrific athlete and virtually a non-shooter. Lamb is a big-time shooter. Completely different players, but I'll go with DeRozan.
So maybe Calipari's current edition down in Lexington wouldn't come out on top against the Raptors, but they'd certainly give them a run for their money.

It's a debate that is raised every year and I'm intrigued by it every time it comes up.

Cramming a Square Peg in a Round Hole
Reed Albergotti of the Wall Street Journal believes this year in the NFL, the organizations were as important as ever: But by the time the conference championships were played, three of the final four teams vying for a trip to the Super Bowl were the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, a trio of famously stable organizations that are widely known as pillars of prudent roster management and principled talent acquisition. The fourth team, the San Francisco 49ers, had struggled on the field in recent years and had a first-year coach, but have a successful pedigree going back decades.

The first 3 teams make sense, but the 49ers? Don't try to include them by pulling the successful pedigree card. This team hadn't made the playoffs since 2002 and hadn't been to the Super Bowl since 1994. Don't try and claim their pedigree is why they succeeded this year. Just admit they were an anomaly in your thesis and move on.

Interesting...But Unnecessary
Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post explains the origin of the term underdog: The original underdogs, they really did face impossible odds. These were actual dogs, taking part in the actual blood sport of bear-baiting, an especially charming event in 16th century England. A bear would be captured, knocked out, tied up, and two dogs would be sent in to finish him off.
The overdog would go for the bear's jugular vein. He had a higher winning percentage than the IRS. The underdog would go for the bear's middle section, and that would present a problem if the bear wasn't yet dead because, well, the bear's claws would practically pulverize the poor underdog into a pulpy puppy mess.

Well, that was something I didn't want to read. And now I've forced it upon you. You're welcome.

How Convenient
Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is one of Eli Manning's biggest fans: The list of NFL quarterbacks who have won at least two of these is a relatively short one. Among them are names such as Starr, Griese, Staubach, Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman, Elway and, yes, Tom Brady.

He listed 8 quarterbacks. 8 of the 10 other QBs that have won 2 Super Bowls. He conveniently left out Ben Roethlisberger and Jim Plunkett. The thing is Eli Manning doesn't deserve to be in a class with those first 8 and fits in much better with the two left off the list. And this illustrates just how ridiculous it is that we put so much emphasis on Super Bowl wins.

Don't Take Gambling Advice From This Man
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News was juuuuust a bit off in his Super Bowl prediction: Brady and Belichick, one of the best quarterback-coach combinations in NFL history, are due to beat the Giants, after losing the Super Bowl to New York four years ago. ... I think that the older Giants defense was better than this one, and I cannot realistically envision Brady losing in consecutive Super Bowl trips. ... The Giants, who have played a series of tense, nearly perfect playoff games, are due to catch a few bad breaks. ... I like the Patriots by more than 10 points because I think they match up well against New York and because the Super Bowl is due for a blowout. ... Prediction: Patriots 34, Giants 20.

So who do you like to win the NCAA Tournament? And is there a way to bet AGAINST that?

Random Piece of Unnecessary and Unrelated Information
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe wrote this after the Patriots' loss: It was there. Everything was in place. The Patriots were favored in Super Bowl XLVI and we were ready to anoint Bill Belichick the best coach ever, while boosting Tom Brady to the top of the all-time quarterback list.
But then it all came apart under the man-made sky of Lucas Oil Stadium, 6 miles from the magic gym where "Hoosiers" was shot.

Does every sports story that takes place in Indianapolis have to mention Hoosiers? Is that like a rule? I also don't even get the context. This isn't basketball. Is he comparing the FAVORED Patriots to the underdog story in Hoosiers? I'm looking forward to hearing about Rocky when they play the Eagles and The Rock when they play the 49ers.

The Sky Is Falling (or the Stupidest Column You'll Probably Read All Year)
Eric Wilbur of the Boston Globe believes Tom Brady is to blame for the Super Bowl loss. That's just the beginning of his diatribe against one of the greatest QBs ever. I could break this down but I'm not sure I'd do nearly as good of a job as Stephen Douglas of The Big Lead did (his commentary in bold): What an embarrassment for the Patriots organization and Bob Kraft.

Brady practically killed his wife!

So now the Giants have taken Lombardi from you twice, and you haven't looked this bad in a playoff game since...well, two weeks ago against the Ravens.

The Patriots would have won if Joe Flacco was their quarterback. That is science!

Maybe that moment will actually hit you as you're whittling down water slides in South America looking like Prince Valiant this spring.

The fact that Brady isn't going to spend the off season in a living room with the shades drawn disgusts me too.

There's a lot more in his post and I implore you to check it out and see how truly awful that article was.

I don't want Peyton Manning to be the biggest story of this Super Bowl. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and his imminent departure from the Colts is a story that needs to be told - just not now.

Just because the Super Bowl takes place in Indianapolis and his brother is playing in it doesn't mean we have to focus on Peyton's problems. It seems almost disrespectful to me. Can't we concentrate on the two quarterbacks that are actually going to play in the Super Bowl? We are talking about arguably the greatest QB ever in Tom Brady and possibly the greatest Giants QB ever in Eli Manning. At the very least, Eli is having a simply tremendous postseason that should be admired. But instead of hearing about things that actually pertain to the game, I'm hearing and reading about Jim Irsay's tweets and Peyton's opinion on the state of a franchise. A franchise that went 2-14 this season.

Is this Super Bowl not compelling enough? A repeat of 2008? The revenge game for the Pats? Belichick and Brady's legacies? The Giants' emerging WR core? The Patriots' deadly tight ends? That's not enough? Like I said though, it is a story that needs to be told. It was one of the biggest stories all season long and fans want to know how it will end. But the Colts have until March 8 to cut Manning and avoid paying a $28 million bonus. So, can't we at least wait until a couple of days after the Super Bowl to go full throttle on the Peyton story? Isn't that what the offseason is for? Well, that and a mind-numbing number of mock drafts and analysis over prospects' broad jump distance. I'll still gladly take that over these soap opera storylines any day of the week. On to the awards!

Tim Thom-ass
Ron Borges of the Boston Herald got riled up because Tim Thomas declined to join his team at the White House: One of the great things about America is that millions of people sacrificed their lives so someone like Tim Thomas can make a hypocritical ass of himself. ... Tim Thomas is a multi-millionaire in one of the few countries on earth where that would be possible for someone who started where he did, which was close enough to the bottom that his parents had to pawn their wedding rings to send him to goalie camp. If he doesn't understand that most fundamental thing about America he's missing a very big point. Then again one understands he spends a lot of time in frozen places, which can affect brain function. ... What I wondered though was how come he didn't say this when he actually had something to lose? How come when he had skin in the game he silently went off and represented the same United States in the most political arena in sports -- the Olympic Games?

I honestly don't get how this became such a big deal. I understand that by not attending his story became bigger than the team's and that's a no-no in team sports but I also believe he had no idea the type of firestorm it would create. He's just not a fan of Obama and what's wrong with that? He understands that AMERICA is great. That has little to do with his little act of protest. In fact, playing for the United States in the Olympics is a sign that he loves his country. What he doesn't love is it's current leader. Those are two very different things and thus he was not hypocritical by skipping the White House but competing in the Olympics. Ever since it has become an issue he's done all he can to put it to bed but the media just won't let it die.

Most Manipulative/Sensationalistic Line of the Week
Steve Serby of the New York Post wrote that the Giants could go down as one of NYC's most favorite teams of all time. It's how he describes New York that I have a problem with: New York is a tough town that demands tough teams. Teams that get knocked down, get back up, and stand tall as a tower again.

Did he really bring 9/11 into this? Is that really necessary? It just seems like he's pandering for an emotional response unnecessarily.

First to Call for NBA Team to Tank the Season
Mark it down. On January 25, 17 games into a 66-game season Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic is the first to call for a team to tank the season: The good times are gone. Empty seats weep silently. And after all these wonderful years of service, Steve Nash suddenly has become a liability. The Suns must trade him soon, before he can turn a flawed, talent-deprived team into something mediocre. ... Marquee free agents won't be coming to Phoenix any time soon. The only way to spawn another contending team is through luck of the draft. And the only foreseeable reward for this awful season in progress is a place inside the NBA lottery, where the right number of ping pong balls could lead the Suns to their next franchise player.

I'd say it's a little too early to call for this but then I'd be lying. Even in this NBA season of uncertainty the Suns have little chance of making the playoffs let alone win a title. As painful as it might be, they should trade Nash to get building blocks for the future.

The Super Bowl Angle NO ONE Is Talking About
Every single storyline you could think of in regards to the Super Bowl will get flushed out this week, but I never expected to read this angle from Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News: Belichick's massive cerebrum no longer scares everybody half to death. His cold, nerd persona and dysfunctional social graces don't intimidate as they once did. And so when the Patriots play the Giants in Indianapolis, this may be Belichick's last chance to reclaim the mantle of supreme genius he earned with those three titles.

Belichick no longer a genius? He has consistently won for over a decade now with a variety of players in so many different ways. And now just because he hasn't won a Super Bowl in awhile he's no longer a genius? You can talk about his legacy and how he needs this win to be considered the greatest coach ever but there's no denying his genius. Bondy is on his own with this argument.

The Joke That Won't Die
it had been awhile since I'd heard it. And that had been a good thing. But Pete Prisco of CBS Sports brings it back from the dead in regards to Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning: This relationship has turned sour faster than the marriage of Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian.

I feel like the foreman at a plant taking down the sign that says how many days since the last injury. Reset that counter and try to be more careful this time around boys.

Idiotic Argument of the Week
Marc Berman of the New York Post calls out Carmelo Anthony for sitting out with an injury vs. the Heat: With the Knicks' nationally televised game against LeBron James and the Heat looming last night, with the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Isiah Thomas in front-row seats, Anthony bailed out. He decided to shut it down, spent the entirety of the Knicks' 99-89 loss in the locker room receiving treatment, and he also will miss tonight's game in Houston. ... If Anthony truly felt he couldn't help the team in any capacity last night, I'd commend him for being a team player. But more likely Anthony felt he couldn't help the image of Melo The Superstar. ... No matter Anthony's comments yesterday to explain his decision to not play, the choice was more about him than about his team. After a full day off Thursday in the Miami sunshine, Anthony had a sore ankle, sore wrist, sore thumb and sore ego. Sitting out for two games isn't a bad idea, but he could have waited for tonight in Houston and Tuesday against the Pistons at the Garden. ... Anthony should have swallowed his pride and tried to be a role player for one more night against Miami. That would have been the act of a true team player.

In this strike-shortened season of players getting injured left and right, the Knicks should've trotted out their gimpy superstar just because they're facing the Heat? They are looking at the bigger picture and that is certainly not about making a splash against the far superior Heat. What are the chances they win that game even if he's in the lineup at 100-percent? And to call out Carmelo and assume he's healthy enough to be playing in these games is crazy. The Knicks are reeling and of course he wants to right the ship but that will have to wait until he's physically ready.

A Theory That Makes Duke Even More Hate-able
It's easy to hate Duke and many people do. But Gregg Doyel has a theory for why students aren't showing up for their basketball games that will give haters even more ammunition: Same chants and silly sound effects. Same songs. Same towel guy. Same. Same. Same.
No wonder Duke can't get students to go to the game anymore.
That's my theory, anyway, and it's a pretty good one. ... Shocking, but true. The Cameron Crazies can't be bothered to go to Cameron anymore, even though their tickets are free and Duke has been ranked in the top 10 all season. And it's not like Duke asks its students to fill the 9,314 seat arena. Duke students are allotted just 1,200 tickets in Section 17, which sounds painfully small until you consider this: Duke can't give away much more than half of them.

They don't go because it's BORING? College basketball? Their own college that happens to be one of the best programs of all time they consider boring? If this is true, I've lost all respect for Duke students. I can understand the dip of attendance at Pitt because that program is going through a rough year, but Duke is one of the top teams in the country. When I went to Syracuse I don't think I ever missed a game. It didn't matter if it was Colgate or UConn and sometimes those games against Colgate were even better because as a diehard fan there was an excitement in watching the walk-ons get a few minutes at the end of a blowout. The theory also doesn't make a whole lot of sense because students rotate. Every year a new class of Cameron Crazies should be coming in. I don't know what is actually happening but it's a serious black mark against the Duke program in my opinion.

Obviously, the biggest story about the Ravens' loss was Billy Cundiff's missed field goal. But the other story I read the most about on the Ravens side was how Joe Flacco showed that he can be a franchise quarterback. It's as if all these analysts had their memories wiped clean just before this game. Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News wrote an article entitled, "Despite Loss, Joe Flacco Takes Big Step Forward"; in support of Flacco getting a long-term deal, Clark Judge of CBS Sports wrote, "Flacco made enough big plays in critical situations to put Baltimore in a Super Bowl. Better yet, he outperformed Tom Brady, one of the best ever to play the position."; Brian Costello of the New York Post penned, "Flacco silenced his doubters, including those within his own locker room, with an outstanding performance in the AFC Championship. He finished one throw short of pulling it out, though, in a 23-20 loss to the Patriots."

Flacco DID play a great game. He DID outplay Tom Brady. But was that really all that surprising? The knock on Flacco hasn't been that he's a bad quarterback but that he is inconsistent. QB rating isn't exactly the best measure but it's a useful tool and looking at his stats from this season, Flacco had 6 games with a QB rating above 100 and 7 games with a rating below 75. It's that wild inconsistency that has puts Ravens fans on edge about calling him their franchise quarterback. No one knows which Flacco will show up. Is it the one that dismantled the rival Steelers in the opening week or the one that averaged just 3.6 yards per attempt in a horrendous Monday night game against the Jaguars?

Let's also not forget the situation on Sunday. Sure, it was the AFC Championship game and the pressure was on but it was also against the Patriots that gave up the second most passing yards per game. So was it really that surprising that he put up those numbers? Do the Ravens really think that this is the game that solved all of his problems? The answer is they don't have much of a choice. Flacco will be their quarterback next year and will almost definitely receive an extension beyond that because, while inconsistent, he is still young and he's better than the alternative. But let's not take his performance on Sunday as a sign he's ready to take the next step and lead this team to the Super Bowl, let alone simply become someone the Ravens can rely on every week. On to the awards!

This has always been a knock on Syracuse. They never travel outside of the state. A tournament in Atlantic City? Practically a home game. Playing a tournament at the Garden? That's in their backyard. There are so many things wrong with this but the biggest one is the little-known secret that just about every team does this. Most of the top teams hadn't played many road games either and even fewer had played against quality opponents. The reason is simply money. Why would these big programs that draw huge crowds (none bigger than at the Carrier Dome) go on the road and lose a chunk of change? It might not be the way things ought to be but Syracuse is definitely not the exception.

If a Tree Falls in the Forest...
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel is afraid the Lakers will steal yet another big man in Dwight Howard: The Lakers have won 11 championships since they moved from Minneapolis to L.A. in 1958, but they would have none of those titles if they had to rely solely on their own talent evaluation. Here's all you need to know: Jerry West was considered a genius when he was the general manager of the Lakers and then he went to Memphis and was never heard from again.

I won't argue that the Lakers have benefited from players wanting to play in L.A. It beats Orlando...But I will quibble with his assessment of Jerry West. West went to the Grizzlies and did a terrific job with some awful talent. He even won the NBA Executive of the Year award in 2004. Does that sound like someone who was never heard from again?

Most Ironic Thing Said in Paterno's Death
All the stories about Paterno were exactly the same. He did so much and he shouldn't be remembered for not being vigilant enough with the Sandusky report. His legacy will be strong but there will always be a bit of a black mark. If you read one obit you read them all. But I did laugh a little at something Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe wrote:I'm guessing that the 75-year old Joe Paterno, good Catholic that he was, could not wrap his head around the idea of man-on-boy molestation.

A catholic is surprised by child molestation? He did follow it up with: I'm guessing he, like many people who never grasped the severity of the child-abuse charges leveled against all those priests, regarded such activity as creepy, not criminal.
So now because he's catholic he never grasped the severity? Religion clouding judgement? I've never heard of such a thing!

Super Bowl Is Overrated
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times believes the Sunday with the two conference title games is far superior to the Super Bowl: When as the last time the Super Bowl produced something so memorable that it was given a name? The Wardrobe Malfunction?
This Sunday's conference title clashes will be more of the same, a Super Bowl without some highbrow casual fan staring at the TV shouting "Super!" while other fans spend time grazing in appetizer bowls.

He makes a lot of valid points in this article. Real football fans watch the conference title games whereas everyone watches the Super Bowl. Commercials aren't as big of an attraction as the game. The games are played in home stadiums which make for much better crowds. But in the past decade we have been treated to some truly remarkable Super Bowls. 6 of the 10 have been decided by a touchdown or less and there have been so many memorable plays from Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI to David Tyree's helmet catch in 2008. Maybe the plays don't have names attached to them but that doesn't make them less dramatic.

Serious Demons
Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald wrote about Eddy Curry's comeback this year and how Dwyane Wade and LeBron James kept him motivated: Curry insists it wasn't sloth that derailed him. He had an ex-girlfriend and 3-year-old daughter murdered and sank into darkness. His aching knees kept him from being able to exercise. That, he says, is how he got close to 400 pounds.
Curry said he had other trials in his life, things he won't talk about publicly, but that "D-Wade and LeBron know all the details.
Other trials he won't talk about? How could they possibly be more hurtful than his ex-girlfriend and daughter getting murdered? I don't know if that was more shocking or realizing Eddy Curry isn't even 30-years-old yet. I do fear the Heat making the Finals and reading a thousand stories on the redemption of Curry.

What if the NBA lockout hadn't ended? Sure, college basketball is beginning to get good entering the heart of conference play and the NFL still has a couple more weekends left but the sports landscape would be pretty barren (besides for that niche audience that loves the NHL - bless their hearts).

Yesterday the NBA had a slate of 11 games to fill the void and while I'm glad the NBA is back, I can't help but notice that the product seems to be far inferior to recent years. Take a look at the stats from this year compared to last:

A 5 point per game disparity is fairly massive. Of course, this could just be what happens at the beginning of an NBA season and perhaps by the end things will have evened out. But right now some of these games are fairly ugly. The most likely culprit for the decline in efficiency is the lockout. Not only did the lockout essentially eliminate training camp and exhibition games (I loved the headlines that read '(Insert team name) Finishes Undefeated Preseason' when those teams had only played a couple games) but the league then crammed 66 games into a very small window. Given the time frame, during a regular season a team would play about 60 games during that stretch. Six games might not sound like a big difference but that is most likely six more back-to-backs and for some teams a third game in a row. And keep in mind this is teams learning on the fly since with free agency and trades, many teams didn't have their full squad until close to the beginning of the season.

Damn those greedy owners for trying to shove in as many games as possible to maximize revenue. That is how some will frame the degradation in play. But the players are as much to blame as the owners. The players don't get paid for games they don't play either so it was in their benefit to play as many games as possible as well whether the product suffered or not. And I firmly believe the product has suffered. But with little alternatives in the sports world, I'll gladly deal with a subpar NBA season than to have no NBA at all. On to the awards!

Specious Reasoning
Christine Brennan of USA Today was not impressed with either team in the BCS Championship game: If two teams play 115 minutes of football within little more than two months before anyone scores a touchdown, can one of them really be called the national champion?
Short answer: yes. Just because it was a boring game doesn't mean Alabama wasn't deserving of the title. We all knew this was going to be a defensive battle and not the prettiest football game but these two teams deserved to be there regardless of how they looked.

The 'Gift' No One Wants
David Whitley of Sporting News explains why he loves Tebow: Ok, I can see why Tebow bothers atheists. They were sure the Steelers game would be his final Armageddon. ... His faith-based quarterbacking drives some crazy. It drives others to worship. I just like the fact he provokes such introspection and debate.
Spirituality or football, he's the gift the keeps on giving.
Yeah, the gift that keeps on giving to columnists. Most are quite sick of Tebow. I am an atheist and it's not Tebow's religion that bothers me it's the fact that I have to read about it constantly and it's used to explain his success on the field by columnists.

Hilarious Story of the Week

Reid Forgrave wrote an article for Fox Sports lamenting the fact that the Raiders hired a GM and fired Hue Jackson because it meant the official end of the hilarity that was the Al Davis regime. But not so fast! Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports brings us an awesome little anecdote about the man who is taking over for Davis: his son Mark: "Mark," Davis said, stopping the meeting and sounding genuinely interested. "What do you think we should do?"
Caught off guard, the younger Davis mumbled something about needing a wide receiver.
Wrong answer.
"A [expletive] receiver?" Al Davis snapped, his voice rising. "Get the [expletive] out of here."
And with that, the heir to one of the NFL's most storied franchises slinked out of the room and continued with the rest of his day.

This is so good for a few reasons. First off, can't you just picture Al Davis yelling at his son like this and humiliating him in front of everyone? Secondly, it proves the apple doesn't fall from the tree. Is there anything Al Davis has been lambasted for more than his love for speedy wide receivers? So, when asked who to draft, why not just say wide receiver? I look forward to a new era in Raiders' futility.

Not a Comedy Connoisseur
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald doesn't know his comedic history: A Woody Allen line from the movie Annie Hall has always stuck with me: "I never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member."
I guess it's not wrong that that is where he knows the line from but Woody Allen wasn't the first to make that joke. It goes back to Groucho Marx.

Knee-Jerk Reaction
You know that guy who drinks a few too many and when his favorite team is struggling he proclaims he could do better than them? That person was Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week: If you selected five Pitt students at random, subjected them to zero coaching, let them practice by themselves once a week, kicked each of them in the shins as they walked onto the court, they might get four baskets in 20 minutes.

This was after Pitt was killed by Rutgers last Wednesday and managed just four field goals in the first half. Ouch. It sounds to me like he's just raging after Pitt had such high hopes to begin the season.

Just Couldn't Resist
I'm looking forward to a little Tebow timeout from the media but Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe couldn't help but work in one more religious reference: Winning their first playoff game in four years, the Patriots annihilated the Denver Broncos, 45-10, at frosty Gillette Stadium last night. It was a beating of - dare we say - biblical proportions.

Well, that was not very entertaining. Alabama won the annual field goal kicker's contest last night and aside from columnists debating whether this was the worst title game of all-time, they will also debate whether Oklahoma State should have been playing in this game and whether there should be a 3-way tie for the national title. Let the bashing of the BCS begin continue!

Plenty has been written about the absurdity of the BCS system but there might not be a better way to illustrate just how crazy it is than to examine the NCAA basketball AP poll. Enter Ron Morris of the South Carolina newspaper, The State. Pollspeak publishes each writers' ballot and here is Morris' most recent.

Oh where to begin?? How about at the very top? Syracuse is 17-0. RealtimeRPI has them as the No. 1 in RPI and also No. 1 in strength of schedule. Ron Morris has the Orange ranked fourth on his ballot. Are they the number one team in the nation? From what I've seen they sure look like it. I try to stay impartial but that's nearly impossible since I did graduate from Syracuse. But I also haven't seen every game the top teams have played. I've watched a few full games and have seen bits and pieces of Ohio State, Kentucky and North Carolina among others. It's not like I've seen every game every top team has played but neither has Ron Morris. It's impossible to watch them all and one game a team can look like the best in the nation and another it can look horrible (Kansas defeated Ohio State and then the very next game lost to Davidson).

Syracuse is just one of the examples where Morris' poll is in the extreme minority. For more on his horrible voting you can read Gary Parrish's breakdown. Why is his opinion so different than everyone else? Well, it has to do with how he approaches it. He is looking at overall talent and how he thinks the teams will fare when the season ends. Most look at a team's current body of work instead of attempting to project into the future. So which philosophy is right? The beauty is it doesn't matter.

Unlike college football, the college basketball polls don't matter. They don't factor in to the selection process for the NCAA Tournament. And Morris mentions this himself when he is questioned about his poll. He doesn't understand why people get so offended since it really has no bearing on who will win the national championship. But in college football, not only does the AP poll factor in but so does the coaches poll. The coaches that are involved in the actual games help determine who will play for the title! It's pure insanity. Oh yeah, and of the six computer rankings that help determine the BCS rankings, only one of those formulas is made public and people have found flaws in it in the past. Truly mind-boggling. So let's turn the page on college football and leave all that vitriol behind and focus on college basketball where a legitimate champion will be crowned. On to the awards!

You think the bowl system is an anachronism? It's a delight.

Alabama-LSU did pale in comparison to all those games but that doesn't mean a playoff system wouldn't have given us games just as amazing. Just because we had one year of good bowl games doesn't mean the current system is the best system. I don't know many arguing to scrap all bowl games in favor of a playoff. Instead, most are arguing for some sort of 4-8 team playoff system that would be separate from the bowls.

Afraid of Technology
Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is appalled at how Penn State used technology during the hiring process: The low point in a process that had the external appearance of a full-blown bumblethon was when Tom Clements was reportedly interviewed on Skype.
Holy Skype, isn't that the way Joe Paterno managed his final recruiting visits? Was Clements, the former Steelers assistant and the quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers, on the inside track to be the world's first Skype hire? Why not just turn the whole program into a video game? Don't think someone doesn't have Grand Theft Auto-State College in the works right now.

I have no idea where this rant came from. Is it really that big of a deal that they interviewed him via the computer? I mean maybe the guy is just a LITTLE busy coaching the Packers. I actually think it's great that they are embracing technology. But maybe Collier is still bitter that technology has caused the downfall of the newspaper industry.

Touchdowns Not Created Equal
Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports argues that when the 49ers scored on a touchdown on a trick play that it was a cowardly play: There is cleverness, and there is cowardice. A fumblerooski is clever. Flea flicker? Play-action pass? Mixing up coverage to confuse the quarterback? Clever.
Sending a player toward the sideline, but having him stop a foot short and then just stand there, hoping the other team doesn't notice?
Cowardice. It says, "We're not sure we can score 11-on-11. But we like our odds if you're not ready!" 

What's wrong with a little deception? A touchdown is definitely a touchdown and you do whatever you can to get that. It definitely does not admit they couldn't score 11-on-11 since they put 34 points on the board in that game against the Rams. If Doyel should be railing on anyone it's the Rams' players and coaching staff for not being able to count to 11.

Can't Let It Go
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel can't help but slam Urban Meyer: Don't get me wrong, I like seeing touchdowns as much as the next guy, but not when they become more common than Urban Meyer saying, "This is my dream job."

Give it a rest. I swear every single column he writes has a dig at Meyer. He's like some jilted lover that just can't move on. He just wasn't that into you, Mike.

Disrespecting Tebow
Mike Lopresti of the USA Today gives no props to Tebow with this metaphor: Once more, his name is a codeword for the unexpected and inexplicable. This is why there are lottery winners. Someone hits the jackpot, and everyone else wonders how it happened.

Tebow winning that game is NOTHING like someone winning the lottery. Does that person winning the lottery spends hour upon hour studying HOW to win the lottery. Looking at the number trends and the way the balls bounce and pouring over hours of film of numbers drawn? Tebow won that game because he practiced and made big plays (and because the Steelers were decimated with injuries...). He later delves into how Tebow won but at any point suggesting it was just dumb luck does not give Tebow the props he deserves.

Things That Make Me Sick
Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports writes about the fanatic SEC fans. He mentions a couple that camps out for 35 hours for Nick Saban's radio show. But that's not what makes me really sick: The craziest among them might even poison trees on a rival campus after a particularly painful loss.
He's here, of course. Harvey Updyke. He was out on Bourbon Street on Sunday night, wearing Alabama sweats ("Roll Damn Tide" they said on the back) and a houndstooth baseball cap. There's not a lot of shame in the alleged tree killer.
Out among his people, Updyke reportedly was something of a celebrity. Other Alabama fans got their pictures taken with him.

This is even worse than reality TV stars getting super-famous and rich. This criminal is now being held up as a legend by some in the Alabama community and that's sickening. He's having the time of his life on Bourbon Street and even more so now that the Tide won the title. As a real punishment for his crime he should be barred from every attending an Alabama game.

This has to be the least excited I've been for the NFL playoffs ever. I'm a Bills fan so it's not like I'm not excited because my team didn't make it. Nope. Definitely used to that by now. They have averaged just over 6 wins over the past 12 seasons. What's worse than that is they've only drafted better than 8th overall twice during that span. That means that not only were they not good but they weren't bad enough to get a great draft pick. There really is nothing worse than sustained below-mediocrity.

But I digress. These teams seem even more flawed than normal. I know the NFL is a league of parity but usually by the time the playoffs role around there are a bunch of teams one could see winning the Super Bowl. This year I don't have much faith in more than 2-3 teams. They all have serious flaws that could cause for some ragged play and ugly games.

AFC
Patriots - I usually ignore Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe but he had a great statistic about this year's team. The Pats gave up the 2nd most passing yards ever. Of course, teams are forced to throw against teams when they're trailing. The thing is, there have been plenty of games where the Pats have fallen behind and teams continue to throw against them. The secondary is atrocious and the running game isn't great either. They are still the favorite to win the AFC but would anyone be surprised if they lost in the first round?

Ravens - The Ravens would be the favorites in the AFC if they had secured the top seed. That might sound like a moronic statement but the reason I say that is they went 8-0 at home and 4-4 on the road with confounding losses to the Jags and Seahawks. Joe Flacco has been more inconsistent than ever this season and for some reason they like to abandon the running game despite Ray Rice's utter dominance.

Texans - T.J. Yates? Jake Delhomme? One of those two is going to be their starter. They have a great defense and great running game but can they really overcome having one of those 2 QBs in a league focusing more and more on passing?

Broncos - All he does is win. That was what people said about Tim Tebow. What can they say now after he has had 3 horrendous games in which he has completed 41-percent of his passes and thrown 1 touchdown to 4 interceptions? The Broncos have to be one of the worst playoff teams ever. (See how I was able to mention Tebow without bringing in religion? Columnists take note)

Steelers - The Steelers were solid before a string of injuries to a few of their stars. Roethlisberger has been hobbling and isn't nearly as mobile and now Rashard Mendenhall is out with a torn ACL. On the defensive side of the ball they are the worst in the league in takeaways.

Bengals - The Bengals backed into the playoffs after dropping their finale to the Ravens. This team is led by a rookie QB and WR and has little to no playoff experience. They simply capitalized on the easiest schedule in football this season.

NFC
Packers - Here's a team to actually believe in. The only question is whether Aaron Rodgers should be the MVP. Some argued Peyton Manning should be the MVP because of how awful the Colts have been without him. If you take a similar line of reasoning then Matt Flynn's performance against the Lions put a dent in Rodgers' campaign.

49ers - Rookie coach with Alex Smith at QB. I don't think that's going to instill confidence in many people.

Saints - They have won 8 in a row and their defense has been fairly stout during that stretch. This is one of the few legit teams.

Giants - New York has one of the worst defenses in the NFL but they do have an explosive passing game that's fun to watch. They also lucked into an opening home game by being in the deficient NFC East. Does any division get more hype and produce less than the NFC East? That's not even rhetorical. The answer is a definitive 'no'.

Falcons - The Falcons are solid but not spectacular and even if they were able to win on the road against the Giants, they lost twice to the Saints and once to the Packers already this season.

Lions - This might be the most fun team to watch. The game against the Saints has the potential to be an amazing shootout. Just put that ball up to Calvin Johnson and watch him go to work. They are going to have to do that since they have no running game whatsoever.

There are a couple fun matchups on the opening weekend in the NFC but overall injuries and parity have diluted these playoffs. Here's hoping I'm wrong and Tebow rises up on Sunday (damn, just couldn't get through this without some Christian reference) and gives us a game against the Steelers and TJ Yates and Andy Dalton play like they are no longer rookies. But I'm betting these games will be worth skipping. On to the awards!

I'm fine with her picking the Thunder but to act like that is some big prediction is absurd. The Thunder have the 4th best odds to win the title this season and that's with the Lakers ahead of them. And they are only there because they MIGHT make a trade and the public loves to bet on them. Kevin Durant has led the NBA in scoring the past two seasons so I'm not quite sure what "next step" he needs to take. He has been awesome in the regular season and the playoffs and if he won a title this season not many would be surprised.

Can't Take a Joke
Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post lays into Bill Maher for his off-color tweet about Tim Tebow: If you want to know Maher's overriding philosophy on anything, you have to go back to high school and the stoner in the last row, surrounded by sycophants as he makes ugly cracks about his betters.
People need to relax a little bit. Whether you agree with Bill Maher or not, it's clear he's very intelligent and knows more about every political issue than just about anyone. He made a joke that wasn't very funny but as Iverson said (or at least he should've said) "shooters gotta shoot." Sometimes you make it, sometimes you miss but Maher's a comedian and his jokes (as with all comedians') should be taken very lightly.

Not Most Accurate Guy
Maybe Patriots fans should be happy with Dan Shaughnessy's latest prediction: I'm sure I'll come to regret this, and I hope I am wrong (happens a lot), but count me as a guy with zero faith in the immediate future of the 2011-12 Patriots. These guys aren't going anywhere near Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Something bad is going to happen at Gillette Stadium before this month is over.

This from the same guy who, during the Red Sox rain delay on the final day of the regular season said, "The one thing that we have eliminated tonight is that the Red Sox season is not going to end tonight." So maybe this was just some sort of reverse jinx.

Good News
I try and highlight some good news every once in awhile. With much of sports journalism revolving around nasty rumors and players failing and arrests and recently some horrible scandals, it's nice to read about a player doing some good. Check out Dan Le Batard's piece on all the great things Jason Taylor has done in the Miami community.

I've been spoiled for the last 4 years. I am a Lakers fan. I tend to whisper this when I tell people because I know how unfair it is. I know it's like rooting for the Yankees. But to be fair I was a fan through the Smush Parker, Brian Cook and Kwame Brown era. An era where Kobe had to take 30 shots a game because the rest of the team was offensively inept. But then the Lakers stole Pau Gasol (although, now that trade doesn't look so bad for the Grizzlies) and Andrew Bynum developed into a dominant big man and the result was 3 straight Finals appearances and back-to-back championships.

That era is officially over despite what Jim Buss thinks. The VP of Player Personnel (and son of the owner) believes the Lakers are, "a championship team, and that's without making another move." Of course, that was before they played their first two games of which they dropped both. The first was a respectable one-point loss to the team that held the best record last year, the Bulls. The second though, was a 100-91 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

But it's not just about the competition but how the Lakers looked. They were solid on defense but their offense is horrendous. Outside of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol who can create their own shot? Metta World Peace has about a 5-inch vertical, Derek Fisher is 37 years old and it's showing, and the rest of the roster is a bunch of scrappy role players. Obviously I'm leaving out Andrew Bynum who will return after serving a 4-game suspension and will make a significant impact on the offensive end. Even with Bynum though, this team is going to struggle.

But this won't another article about how the other LA team is going to surpass the Lakers. The Clippers got a huge gift from David Stern nixing the Lakers' trade for Chris Paul that allowed the other LA to grab him. They are probably second only to the Heat in terms of entertainment value this season. There's a very good chance they will have a better record than the Lakers this year. Just don't assume that signifies a changing of the guard. In 2005-06 the Clippers finished 2 games ahead of the Lakers and some were wondering if the Clippers had finally turned the corner. The Clippers haven't been back to the playoffs since while the Lakers appeared in 3 title games.

The lesson is to not count out the Lakers. What I am counting out is this current team. If they don't make a move for Dwight Howard they have no chance of contending this season. They might not even be a contender with him unless they are able to really fleece a Magic team desperately needing to get something for Howard. Even if they don't get Howard though, the Lakers future is bright. They've proven they are willing to spend well over the salary cap and with their new lucrative TV deal they have the assets to handle the larger luxury tax. The Clippers have yet to prove they're willing to pay the price to build a championship caliber team long term.

I'm still hoping the Lakers will make a move to turn the season around but if they don't, I'll still enjoy watching the likes of Devin Ebanks, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy hustling even while they are overmatched in skill and athletic ability. That's being a true fan. On to the awards!

Revisionist History
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer tries to make the point that finishing strong doesn't necessarily carry over to the next season: Tampa Bay won two straight last season to finish 10-6. The Buccaneers have not been heard from since. Detroit finished 2010 with four straight victories. The Lions were going to be special this season. But they're still the Lions.

The Lions have now clinched a playoff spot and as for the Bucs? First off, winning 2 straight isn't much momentum to go off of but having said that, the Bucs actually started 4-2 this season. They have lost 9 straight since that start but it does seem like they carried that "momentum" into this season.

Just Plain Wrong
I understand it's impossible for analysts to watch every single game. That's especially true when it comes to college basketball. But Andy Katz is just completely wrong with his analysis of Syracuse's last victory: Thursday night's win over Tulane at home was yet another example of the Orange taking control of a game in the second half and pulling away.
A simple box score would show that the Orange led by 22 points at the half and won the game by 19. They were actually outscored after the break. So when exactly did they take control in the second half? Oh right, it was the first half.

Preachy Column
Jennifer Floyd Engel of Fox Sports writes this same column every year: This is not about preaching. Celebrate any way you want.

This is meant to make you think about who exactly is taking the meaning out of Christmas -- corporations, sports leagues or us? Because it comes across as a little fake when we pretend "Happy Holidays" demeans the season but a quintuple-header of NBA games and an NFL game does not. ... Games on Christmas feel like a money grab.

Sounds pretty preachy to me. What's wrong with watching a little NBA or NFL (often in the background and often with family) on Christmas? One can easily watch a game of one or the other and still have 12 hours or so to spend with the family. Do the two have to be mutually exclusive? And of course it's a money grab. Is there anything really wrong with that? The NBA on Christmas has become as much a tradition to many as opening presents.

Christmas Joy
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel often re-works lyrics to popular songs and then apologizes for it (rightfully so). Maybe I had a little too much egg nog but I liked his most recent one to Night Before Christmas (I know it's not a song but it's the same type of thing): A championship ring had always been the main goal,
But Elf Dwight thought it impossible in the North Pole.
"It's too small," Dwight said, "too cold and too gray,"
"And I'll get more endorsements and movies in L.A."

He went on to tell Santa, "You yell and scream too much,
"And I want more input on personnel and such.
"I am much more than an elf who can soar above the rim,
"I want to be the player-coach and the player-GM!"

He even worked in a joke about the infamous drunk dial from Bob Vander Weide to Howard.

The Real Reason Howard Doesn't Want to Go to Chicago?
Many have wondered why Chicago isn't on the list of places Dwight Howard is willing to be traded to. It's a major city and the franchise had the assets to offer the Magic and still be a viable contender. Adrian Wojnorowki of Yahoo! Sports has an interesting theory: Adidas has two franchise endorsers: Derrick Rose and Howard. Rose signed a $94 million extension with the Bulls, and sources say Adidas is working on a lifetime shoe deal for him now.
And as one high-ranking sneaker executive says, "Adidas simply cannot have its two signature players on the same team in the same market. ... Derrick is the face of that market, owns that market, and Adidas can't possibly have maximum bang for its buck with Dwight there.
"It serves Adidas no purpose. They need them as rivals in competing markets."

Too bad we will never know if it's the truth or not. But what other possible reason would there be for him to not even entertain the idea of heading to Chicago and teaming up with Derrick Rose?

Leaving Out Key Detail
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times worries the Lakers are going to rely too much on Kobe Bryant and uses the Bulls game as an example: Kobe Bryant was trapped. The Lakers' best player held the ball and a chance to clinch a rousing opening-day Christmas victory against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, but he was trapped.

There were 20 ticks remaining. The Lakers led by one point. Bryant was surrounded by Bulls. His coach said he should have waited to get fouled. Bryant said he didn't have a choice.

Bryant tried to throw the ball to someone, but nobody was there. The pass was stolen. Derrick Rose sank a running hook shot. The Lakers lost.

And Kobe Bryant is still trapped. ... Besides throwing the last pass to nobody, he took the final running shot while being triple-teamed, and that wasn't Bryant hogging the ball, that was a designed play.

The designed play gave no leeway for another option? Regardless of how many defenders he drew he was supposed to take the shot? It didn't matter that Derek Fisher was standing wide open in the corner? And Kobe is actually listening to his coach and doing what he says? Interesting.