Super Bowl Hype! Different Stories that Interest Me

We are mere days away and there are several stories in this year's Super Bowl, with two mainly dominant ones that I am sure 2 weeks (or in the case of Ray Lewis, one month) of hype has probably sickened everybody. Without further aduba, this is what I am looking out for in this year's Super Bowl...

1. Brother vs. Brother - I have already gone in to this topic slightly, but the fact remains one brother will win, one will lose. From what we hear, the path to football success was always in Jim Harbaugh's favor. John had to work extra hard to earn his spot in the NFL's upper tier. Players seemingly love both coaches. I have seen John for longer do it well, and I think I find myself cheering for him more than his younger brother. Jim did have a good bit yesterday at media day when somebody asked him what was around his neck. He replied that it was a whistle and sarcastically and derogatorily answered the reporter's question about its value to a coach. There is a prop bet on how long the post game hug/handshake will last, with the line at 7 seconds. If John (Ravens) wins, I say it is under. If Jim wins, it will be way over as older brother tells him how proud he is. I see Jim pouting off at the 6 second mark, especially if a trick play or a cheap play is the deciding factor in the game. They seem to have genuine love for each other, though, and it will be an interesting dynamic as they square off on opposite sides of the field, not meeting again until the gold/red or black/purple confetti falls.

2. Ray Lewis Retirement Party - I like Ray Lewis as a player. He seems to have done everything he can to play the game right. Even as the rules changed and defenses around the league had problems adjusted, he has made a 17 year career end on a high note - win or lose. He is an inspiration to his team and the consummate leader/professional on the field. However I, like several others, will never NOT acknowledge his past in his involvement with the murder of two people. I don't know if the two victims were exactly innocent of anything and had a great value in society, but I am sure they were younger and could have upgraded their life. Ray Lewis did, as he has found a spiritual guide in God and Jesus and believes no weapon can stand in his way. I believe in redemption and somebody changing his life around. I am sure that Ray thinks everyday about what happened in 2000 and how maybe his more selfish desire to preserve his career did not bring somebody justice. He plea bargained from murder to obstruction of justice, snitched on his compatriots, and nobody was incarcerated. In my mind, if you obstructed justice in a murder trial, isn't that just as bad as murder? You OBSTRUCTED (i.e., prevented) justice from being served to the family of the fallen. The sports media has portrayed him as "Saint Ray" and most football fans would probably not deny the opportunity to have him on their team. The last Super Bowl Ray was in, in 2001, a redemption year after serving his time for the obstruction of justice charges, he was the MVP. Perhaps that can happen again. I am rooting for the Ravens, but his sanctimonious, religious, maniacally preaching sermons have to come to an end.

3. David Akers - I think this has to be his last chance at Super Bowl glory. He went there in 2005 with the Eagles, and was the last original Andy Reid player to leave Philadelphia in 2011. He went to San Francisco after not being resigned. He was actually one of the few players ever called out by Andy Reid after the Eagles lost to Green Bay. Akers missed 2 field goals that game. I think the Eagles lost by 4 points. When he signed with San Francisco, he bought a billboard space outside of the Lincoln Financial field to post a message thanking the fans of Philadelphia. He was the team's leading scorer while doing everything he could community wise and supporting a sick daughter with a life threatening disease. He is a class act, in my opinion. He struggled this past season though to the point where the stain of kickers Billy Cundiff was brought in two times to challenge him - once in the regular season and after the NFC title game. Akers missed a 30 yarder in that game, but his coach has put his chips down on him as he says the kicker has recovered from injury and apparently has his leg strength back. The game is in a dome, so elements are minimal, other than crowd noise. I am not as much of a fan of the 49ers as I am the Ravens, but if it has to come down to a game winning moment, I hope it is from the foot of David Akers.

4. Joe Flacco - A kid from Audobon, not far from where I grew up. It is where I finished my boy scout career. I had friends from Audobon, but alas I am old as shit and never had a chance of crossing paths with him. People in this area will say they want him to win because he is a local guy. It has no bearing on you as a person if he wins or not, though. I hope the money Joe has earned has allowed him to upgrade his family from Audobon to perhaps the more upscale Haddon Heights. Anywho, if you play fantasy football, you know Joe Flacco is a frustrating player to follow. He was almost dubbed as a game manager this year rather than the elite quarterback he claimed to be in the offseason last year. However, in the playoffs, he now holds a record for most road wins. I also think he has more wins that Peyton Manning. Last post-season, he grew a mustache for charity that was pretty sweet.

He turns it on in the playoffs, and each year of his career he has been there, winning at least 1 game each year. He has been to three AFC title games and finally now in his first Super Bowl. A player who has found a way to improve and contribute to his team year after year, that's a guy you want to root for.

5. Randy Moss, Greatest Receiver Ever? - He made that claim yesterday, not me. He is certainly one of the best in my generation. In 2007, he set the touchdown reception record at 23 as well as the rookie reception touchdown record and is second all time in receiving touchdowns. He was in Minnesota where he became one of the late 90's early 2000's best offensive weapons. He fake mooned the crowd once in an away game. I thought it was hilarious, but purists did not. He was traded to the horrible Oakland Raiders, and played Oakland Raiders football (i.e., not well). He was traded to New England and went on to set his reception touchdown record. The Patriots were 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl, and lost to the upstart New York Giants in a great game. Moss even caught a pass with under three minutes left for a go ahead touchdown, but the defense folded under the most remarkable first down catch of the year, and subsequent Plaixco Burress game-winning touchdown. He came back to the Pats for a couple more years and continued to play well. As the years went by, he came to say he did not feel wanted by the Patriots. Moss had several off-field issues mixed with a bad reputation. He was eventually traded to the Brett Favre loaded Minnesota Vikings. He complained about the catering there. They lost to the Patriots, Moss went to the owner saying Childress should be fired, and was cut the next day. He was picked up by the Tennessee Titans thereafter and had an even more forgettable run. He retired last season. He then worked on a comeback, and made the 49ers roster. He is now their number 2/3 receiver and gets a shot at redemption in the biggest game of all. His impact may not be felt statistically, but he certainly has been a contributor in the 49ers runs. It is always great to see one of the best players I saw growing up win the big one.

6. Ed Reed - Brian Dawkins is my favorite player of all time, but Ed Reed is right up there. Same position. Same ball-hawk mentality. He has the beard of a homeless man and when I first started really watching him I thought he was old. Like upper 30's old (which in a few more years I will write as "young, really young...Like Upper 30's young"). He is a great defender and has had a great 10 year career full of records. I think he has the longest interception return record, which is a record a defensive player would surely love to have on his resume. He comes across as a generally good guy and is part of a leadership corps with Ray Lewis, minus the blood-tainted past. If you like podcasts, look for the Rich Eisen Podcast where they play a mashup of Ed Reed and Reggie Wayne telling the story of Wayne's snake, Law, dying under the care of Reed. "Law Dead!"

7. Michael Oher - The subject of one of my favorite movies ever, "The Blind Side." The story is pretty amazing and an inspiration of what hard work, dedication, and a strong set of values instilled in a kid can do for them in the long term. I have heard he struggled a little in the middle of this season, but he has turned it around. The fact that his guardians, the Tuohy family, can see the kid they took in playing in a Super Bowl, must be an amazing thrill. I cannot imagine seeing Rocco one day being on the grandest stage of whatever he gets to do later in life and the triumphant feeling that will bring me. The family just wanted him to survive, and live a full life free from his past and devastatingly difficult formative years growing up. Now, he is protecting the guy who I am cheering for in the Super Bowl, Joe Flacco. Michael Oher is a better inspiration and role model for youth today than Ray Lewis is, in my opinion, and is one of the genuine good guys I am rooting for on Sunday.

8. Colin K-somethingorother - Okay, his name is Kaepernick. It is very difficult for me to remember. The guy was drafted last year in the second round and sat on the bench the whole season. This past season, I would see highlights of Kaepernick coming into games on designed plays that almost always resulted in a touchdown. That eventually led to him coming in on midfield plays to help advance the ball. His first game as full time quarterback came when Alex Smith (who was playing the best football of his career, and was in the NFL's upper tier) was concussed. Kaepernick and the 49ers ended that game with a tie to the St. Louis Rams, 24-24. Colin started a Monday Night Football game against the vaunted Chicago Bears defense, and shredded them. Alex Smith was cleared again to play the following Saturday, one day before they played New Orleans, in New Orleans. Jim Harbaugh stuck with Kaepernick and again led his team to a victory. Jim then declared Kaepernick the starting quarterback. The 49ers have now advanced to Super Bowl 47 under his dynamic play. He even set a record for a quarterback in rushing yards in a game, against playoff team the Green Bay Packers. The funny thing is, his adoptive parents recently revealed a letter that Colin wrote when he was 9 years old to himself saying one day he will be a quarterback for either the Packers or 49ers - his two favorite teams. He did not have the struggle that Michael Oher had, but to go through life not knowing your biological parents is pretty insane, whether you have had a charmed life or not. He is a great overall athlete and some call him the future of the quarteback position. He has his team at the Super Bowl for the first time in 19 years, in only his 10th start can become a legit superstar.

9. Frank Gore - The guy's entire body had been blown out in several ways throughout his career. He has put together basically two healthy and powerful seasons as his team went to the NFC title game last season and this season to the Super Bowl. He even mocked the "dirty bird" dance of the Atlanta Falcons after the go ahead touchdown 2.5 weeks ago. I traded him away in fantasy football because I thought he was "boring", but he is a warrior with a large forehead that is another one of the nice guys you will root for as well.

10. Mario Manningham - He is playing in his second Super Bowl in a row, representing the NFC again, and playing for the team his Super Bowl winning team last season defeated to advance to it. He also made one of the most spectacular Super Bowl catches that continued a late, game winning drive for the Giants. When you watch the play as it happened he got outright killed. The ref was in the right position to make the call a catch rather than incompletion/out of bounds. Had he made the incorrect call from the beginning, the Patriots may have hurried up the next play to prevent a challenge. Either way, all Manningham wanted to do, was catch the ball and extend his toes as far as they would go down to the ground. He was completely prone and made the catch of his life. This play will be showed repeatedly during the Super Bowl, and he certainly earned his moment and perhaps can contribute vitally once again for his team. He hasn't had the greatest season, and even if he is quiet in the Super Bowl this year, he will get spotlighted again for his play last year, at the least.

There you have it. What more do you want from me? I am getting more and more jacked up for Sunday, and my game prediction will come to you by this Friday, close of business.

Superbowl Hype - Brother vs. Brother!

Well folks, this year's NFL playoffs has created quite an anomaly. For the first time ever, in American Sports, two coaches who are brothers will face off against each other. This much stronger than say the Manning brothers playing against each other. They don't play on the same side of the ball. It would be the equivalent of Tiki Barber's Giants playing against Ronde Barber's Buccaneers. Or on a lesser scale Brian Westbrook on the Eagles against his brother Byron Westbrook out of Washington D.C.

So to me the biggest storyline in this year's Super Bowl is that John and Jim Harbaugh will try to out think, out coach, out smart, out trick each other on the way to my favorite sport's greatest prize. They met once before on Thanksgiving last year, and the Ravens, coached by John, beat younger brother, Jim, and his 49ers. I will get to analyzing the actual game later, but I figured I would take a look at the greatest "brother vs. brother" moments in history.

First, when I think brother vs. brother, I must think about my own. I don't "feud" or "compete" with my brother in anyway, but here is a breakdown...

Age: Phil, 36. Jim, 32 (soon 33 this coming Saturday). Advantage - Phil

Number of Diaper Changes: Phil, at least 1. Jim, 0. Advantage - Phil

College Education: Phil, Masters. Jim, Masters. Advantage - Draw

Pets: Phil, 1 dog and 3 cats, previously one additional dog, and a lizard. Jim - None at the moment, however I have had the privilege of owning 5 hamsters. They all died though. Advantage - I guess a draw?

Height: Jim - 5'7" on a good day. Phil, at least 5'7.5". Advantage - Phil

Intelligence: Phil - had a job once where he couldn't tell me what he did, I still don't understand what he does, knows more about computers than I ever could. Jim - Scored slightly lower than Ryan Fitzpatrick on the Wunderlic test but higher than a chemical engineer, believed to be more street smart. Advantage - Draw

Strength: Phil - uses jar openers. Jim - Can press Phil's entire family over his head. Advantage - Jim

So, Phil wins three categories while I win one with three other draws. I feel we are evenly matched though.

Let us look back at the granddaddy of ALL brother vs. brother battles...

The United States Civil War

Residents of border states on both sides of the Mason Dixon line had to split their allegiance to either the north or the south, Union or Confederacy. The Mason Dixon line even traveled through some states. In this case, Maryland was divided. Captain William Goldsborough of the Confederacy captured his brother Charles and made him prisoner. Thanks Wikipedia! There is no detail provided on how this played out, but the close proximity of battle and perhaps seeing eye to eye with your enemy probably led to Charles' surrender in a peaceful manner.

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

Ah. A moment from my youth. The setting was Survivor Series, 1993. Jerry Lawler had been harassing the Hart family for almost a year by that point to the point all of Bret's younger brothers were involved and insulted. At SS, it was a 4 on 4 elimination match between the Hart Brothers and Shawn Michaels (filling in for an injured Lawler) and his three Knights. The Hart family survived, but not after Owen was eliminated. Bret was arguing with the ref on the side, and Owen begged his brother to stop. Shawn Michaels, then the sole survivor of his team, pushed Owen into Bret and rolled him up to eliminate him. When Bret made the final elimination, Owen did not come out and celebrate. Months later, Owen and Bret made up and fought for the tag titles against the Quebeccers. One of the worst teams ever. Bret "hurt" his knee, and Owen begged for a tag. Bret tried to win the match himself and was eventually pinned. Owen, with his brother prone on the ground, seemed to care about Bret's injury. Once Bret stood up, Owen kicked him in the back of the knee, thus making him the bad guy and abandoning his older brother. Bret later went on to tie as the Royal Rumble winner and advanced to a 2 title match main event in Wrestlemania. Bret won a coin toss to take the second and final match of the night, but first had to wrestle early on the card. His opponent, you guessed it, Frank Stallone! No, it was Owen. It was the best opening match in Wrestlemania history. Owen won, and even he was surprised by it. Later that night he watched his brother outlast the 500+ pound Yokozuna and become the new Champ. Owen went on to win the King of the Ring later that year and ultimately earned a shot at Bret at Summerslam for the championship in a steel cage. They fought tooth and nail, and Bret ultimately came out on top. By this point, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Bret/Owen's brother in law, came out on Owen's behalf. Bret started feuding with Bob Backlund, and they had a match at Survivor Series where the winner would be declared by the opponent's corner man throwing in the towel. Backlund had Owen in his corner, and Bret had his other brother in law, The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith (complete with long hair and steroid muscles). Owen and Smith chased each other around for a while and Smith got knocked out. Backlund put Bret in the dreaded cross-face chicken wing submission, and nobody could throw in the towel. Owen, after seeing his brother in the hold for several minutes, pleaded with his mother at ringside to throw in the towel. Owen had tears for his brother by this point. His mother threw in Bret's towel and Bob Backlund, almost 20 years after his last title, was the new champion. Owen quickly turned his emotions around and taunted his brother and mother. I say Owen won the war, but he died a few years later and Bret is still alive. Winner - Bret.

Warrior

A movie about two MMA fighters who had different paths in life meeting in a promotional, amateur tournament. The one brother had a straight laced life, but fought on the side against his wife's wishes. The other was a supposed war hero, exmarine who had a bad reputation and a troubled life. When the Spartan tournament came to Atlantic City, both brothers signed up. They were in opposing brackets. Every opponent the exmarine faced, he beat the crap out of them. One guy was under a minute. He walked in, destroyed the guy, and left before the ref counted to 10. We later learned this guy was actually a war criminal of sorts as he abandoned his post, resulting in several people dying, but saved some other soldiers on his way out of battle. The marines supported him, but once this story broke it was known that he would be arrested by military police for several wrongs on his way out of the military. The older brother, however, had fought several tough matches throughout the tournament, even taking a machine of a fighter played by Kurt Angle in the semifinals. He winds up breaking his marine brother's arm, and begging him to stop fighting. The exmarine did not back down, and eventually the older brother won. Great movie that I did not do justice.

Baldwin Brothers

A certainly notable acting family royalty, the 4 active brothers include Alec, Daniel, William (Billy) Baldwin, and Stephen Baldin, in order of age. Alec has certainly had the most success, still on TV to this day and pumping out movies. He is certainly the more recognizable brother. Steven is a skateboarding Jesus preacher. Daniel had a longstanding role in the show "Homicide" and several smaller budget movies. Billy had steamy roles with Cindy Crawford and Sharon Stone in the 1990s. I have heard all the brothers Baldwin on Howard Stern in the past, and Alec, despite being in the news lately more for negative stuff than his ongoing film career, still stands out among the best, to me.

Cain and Abel

The two sons of Adam and Eve. We all know that Eve went and screwed up the world by eating some apple, but their sons showed the worst side of humanity. Cain was a crop farmer and Abel was a shepherd. For whatever reason, Cain killed his brother. This made Cain the first murderer and Abel the first person to ever die. It is believed Cain was jealous of his brother's perceived favoritism from God, so he killed him. If I understand the Wikipedia entry, Cain was cast by God to roam the Earth, and never could be murdered, suffering until the day he died.

Kane and Undertaker

Another WWF reference, it was a huge story in the late 90's. Paul Bearer had gone on and on about how terrible the Undertaker was. It came to be revealed that the Undertaker had a brother, Kane, who everybody thought died in a fire caused by the Undertaker. At this point, the Undertaker started wearing a tear drop under his eye. Bearer kept telling Taker he had his brother and was the only father figure to him ever. Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker were set to battle in a Hell in a Cell for the first time, and midway through the match, Kane was revealed as a big read suited, masked monster. He ripped the door off the steel structure and attacked Undertaker, costing him the match. This culminated in several more attacks in the future and ultimately a match at the next year's Wrestlemania. The Undertaker won. They have faced each other three times, I believe, at Wrestlemania, and Undertaker has won all 3. They have a convoluted history of fighting and teaming up together. Ultimately I think they are now friends again, despite the Undertaker killing his real father, Paul Bearer, and Kane burying Undertaker alive one year. Crazy.

So, ponder these extreme circumstances of brothers fighting brothers in the history of humanity and entertainment. We get both this coming Sunday, February 3.

Manti Te'Oh Nooooooooooo!

Ah Bruce. You always find a way to make a bad situation better. So, who has a bad situation to make better? Mr. Manti Te'o. A Mormon Samoan from Hawaii who played in a Catholic Notre Dame university who finished second in the Heisman voting. He had a girlfriend that was a dude. That he never met. And loved for 3 years. Who died. The same day as his grandmother (who was real). I am writing this post now to fully express my thoughts on the situation and will never ever address it again.

Sure, we have all been in love. We do stupid things for love. Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear. Romeo killed himself because he was too dumb to check for a pulse. Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't find another piece of driftwood. I guess when you decide to dedicate your life to someone, you realize there are things you will give up to ensure that person is healthy, happy, and complacent. I have done my fair share of things. Most concerning of which was growing my hair out. Thank God I am fine with my buzz cut hair and will be so for the foreseeable future. 

I won't get into the details of the history, but basically Manti Te'o was a great college linebacker who apparently stuck to his faith, dedicating a part of his life, specifically his love life, to some girl he met on the Internet. He liked the girl's picture and her personality, and he fell in love. Apparently, she developed leukemia last year after surviving a horrid car crash. One of his cousins gets diagnosed with Leukemia as well. Then on September 11th his grandmother dies, and on the 12th his girlfriend dies. The names of all the people other than Manti are too hard to spell, so I will make up names.

It is then broken to the public a week ago that his girlfriend was a hoax, never really existed, and perhaps Manti had some devilish plan to garner sympathy for Heisman trophy voting. The news of the deaths of his loved ones inspired him and drew sympathy from the college sports and sporting world beyond belief. Now people feel betrayed by a player who was playing more like an inspiration than a devious mastermind.

The most shocking part of this to me is that, while I knew the name Manti Te'o, I never knew he had a girlfriend and/or grandmother who passed away that drew the nation's sympathy. Not mine. I didn't know of that. As a man who's last remaining grandparent is pushing through life in her 90's, I understand what the thought of losing her would feel like. Nobody wants to see that happen.

So it comes out that this guy, let's call him Roger, perpetrated the whole thing. Even as far as playing the voice of the girl. Whether he did it on his own or a voice machine we may find out later. Sooner or later Roger will have to talk on this matter, but by then I think the football player's name can be cleared. The story has dominated my beloved sports talk radio while I am more interested in one upcoming, potentially great Super Bowl. 

One of the topics of discussion is if this whole hoax, and Manti's refusal to acknowledge it was a ploy to cover up his sexual orientation. He even moved on in December finding another woman to date. I'm sure this woman sympathized with him and was there as a support for him. One radio show said that Manti was invited by the fake girl to meet him at a hotel once. He wanted to, but didn't. This doesn't make him gay. If he is devout to his religion, and focused on being the best athlete he can be to ensure his future career, well I don't think he did anything wrong by not seeking her out. A man is a man, and he knew the temptation that would be there after meeting her the first time after 3 years. Good for him showing some values. Perhaps this moment was when the reveal of Roger as the girl would come to pass, and Manti and him could have had a real laugh.

However, the odd part of the story is that he once claimed to have met her a couple times. Even some other guy in the NFL claims to have met her, coincidentally when this guy Roger was also in the area. A person in New England once thought he was going to meet the girl as well, before the Manti experience, but only met Roger instead. If I was Manti, and had my relationship questioned, in light of facing embarrassment from his peers and opponents, I would lie and say to the national media I met her as well. Who wants to be known as the big bad football player with a girl he loved and never met? That is a lie, and a little bit of chicanery, but innocent on his behalf, I believe.

A couple weeks after she died, and after he lost the Heisman award to a freshman, he got a call from his girlfriend saying she was not dead. Manti says he went on a rage. Imagine his whole life being flipped upside down. The dude thought he lost a lovely girl, while also mourning a real person in his life. He had to split his emotions between the two people he loved who died. I can't imagine the regret he must feel maybe not mourning his grandmother more, or the way he thought he would. The "leukemia" story was an out for Roger, to pull the trigger on her dying any time he wanted. The major car accident didn't turn Manti away from her, nor did the leukemia. And on top of it, his cousin is diagnosed with the same disease. Perhaps this led to the man Roger to finally feel the weight of a bad situation getting heavier and pulled the trigger. When his grandmother died, it was literally the next day, two hours after the two talked on the phone, presumably about his grandmother, that she suddenly died from leukemia. I know somebody with leukemia, and this type of play on emotions and real problems for good people is quite offensive to me.

The timing was perfect for Roger to kill off the fake girlfriend. Manti was already lost in the death of his grandmother, so he would not split his time to attend two separate funerals. Plus I am sure that when Roger revealed the girl had leukemia, that talked about how whatever happens to her that he should keep playing. Thus the reason why he played a game on the day of her funeral, and he had, from what I read, a great inspiring game.

The bottom line now is that Manti Te'o is a top draft prospect for the NFL. And now he is viewed as everything from a liar, to gay, to a communist, to a stellar athlete, to a sympathetic figure at the heart of a "Catfish" scandal.

Turns out, like 45 Redskins players have been fooled by an online hoax as well. That is why they still suck.

The worst part for Manti will be when he plays, wherever he plays, the story will follow him. Wait until he is on a Monday Night or Sunday Night Football broadcast. They will Man-tire out the entire thing. Get it? See what I did there? Word play, motherfucker!

Sorry for the cussing. Let's get back to the fake love life of a football player. I feel bad for Manti. He will now go on the field against people, and maybe even teammates, who will taunt him with jabs about his imaginary girlfriend, imaginary friend, being in love with a fake girl, being in love with a girl that a man made up, being in love with a man. I don't think this story should hurt him in the eyes of teams that might have wanted to draft him. Roger has explaining to do, at this point, not Manti. I think he got a bad break on this after everything else has broken right for him. Enough is enough on this story. Let the man get his life back on track and focus on his foosball skills and then let's see what type of player he has become. Duba, OUT!

NFL Plays the Race Card

So, let's just get right down to it. Today the NFL issued the following statement since all head coaching vacancies have been filled...by white guys:

"While there has been full compliance with the interview requirements of the Rooney Rule and we wish the new head coaches and general managers much success, the hiring results this year have been unexpected and reflect a disappointing lack of diversity. The Rooney Rule has been a valuable tool in expanding diversity and inclusion in hiring practices, but there is more work to do, especially around increasing and strengthening the pipeline of diverse candidates for head coach and senior football executive positions. We have already started the process of developing a plan for additional steps that will better ensure more diversity and inclusion on a regular basis in our hiring results. We look forward to discussing these steps with our advisers to ensure that our employment, development and equal opportunity programs are both robust and successful."

I highlighted the two things I did because I wanted them to standout. Why is the NFL disappointed in this? If a coach is not what a team is looking for, why do they have to pick him, regardless of skin color? How come no women were interviewed for this position? What about the midget contingent? They are people/athletes/coaches too, you know..

NFL, is it an issue that you think teams are afraid a black coach will ruin their franchise? Well, minority (i.e., African American...and Ron Rivera) coaches have a combined 852 and 787 record. Some were way better than others. This is out of 20 coaches. Of those twenty, Tom Flores, Tony Dungy, and Mike Tomlin have won a Superbowl. A few more made it to the Superbowl. At least 1/9 of all Superbowls have had a minority head coach take their team to the big dance and half of those coaches won. The NFL goes on to say they are developing a plan to correct this and ensure diversity. How? Seriously, how? Do you suddenly mandate the league must have 15 percent of all coaching staffs be minorities? That's bullshit.

I will never be able to relate to this, but if I was one of those minority coaches who got contacted by a team for an interview I would be skeptical. Imagine if it is publicized that one of the 32 teams with an open coaching position was in the media constantly being written about how one particular coach was their target, and then you get contacted by that team. I wonder how many of the 7 teams with vacancies rejoiced when Lovie Smith was fired? Is he dark enough for you, NFL? I seriously find the this statement by the NFL to actually be offensive. It makes the NFL look like it has racial inequality when they make a statement like this. You still have three currently active minority coaches (Leslie Frazer, Marvin Lewis - also the second longest tenured active coach - and Ron Rivera).

Does the amount of black coaches really matter? This article from the Wall Street Journal in 2009 stated that at least 90% of the wide receivers, defensive backs, and running backs are black. It also points out that 81 percent of starting quarterbacks are white, and 3 percent (at the time) of kickers were black (1 out of 32). Another interesting note from this article - Hines Ward is not classified as "black", but his father was black and his mother was Korean. Therefore, Obama must not be black either.

It is all very odd. I get that the NFL wants to be the new land of opportunity as it takes on the mantle of being the United States' greatest sport. But you don't force a team to do so. Maybe there are still some disturbed, racist minds in the football offices so you have to institute the Rooney Rule. Some teams probably follow the rule because they have to. Others probably do it because they want the best possible candidate.

Ron Rivera (with the Panthers) is Hispanic, so the NFL should be satisfied. Yet the statement they posted on NFL.com clearly calls for more African American coaches, at least how I see it. What does it matter? Do you think some African American kid will watch the 2013 season and have his dreams crushed when he doesn't see a black man holding a clip board on the sidelines? Seriously. There is enough opportunity for the players to make a team and be stars, media darlings, etc. Robert Griffin III had his "blackness" questioned by an African American analyst on ESPN, and probably fueled some debate of that same ilk in the African American community. When you draw attention to race, racist claims will be brought up. What happens next, nobody knows. I don't think it even mattered until you, the NFL, issued your stupid statement.

Flipping the Bird: Digesting the Hiring of Charles "Chip" Kelly

Well folks, it has been official for just a little over two hours now. Chip Kelly has been selected as the next coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. If you don't know who he is, he is the hottest coaching prospect since, uh, well, I don't know who else has been the hottest coaching prosepct. Regardless, he had a 42-7 record at Oregon, coached one of our beloved Eagles, Casey Mathews, in college, and has been consulted by the Patriots and Saints incorporating elements of his offense into their respective potent attacks. 

Charles "Chip" Kelly I am sure is nothing like the buffoon Sir Chris Farley portrayed in "Tommy Boy." However, I only knew one other guy in this world whose name was Chip. He was the athletic trainer in my high school who always thought the best solution to your ailment was to tape the groin. He is 49 years of age, and has had several coaching positions throughout his career covering both sides of the game. He started as a defensive and special teams coach, bounced around to linebackers, running backs, offensive line, offensive coordinator, and ultimately to the record setting head coach for Oregon. I do not follow college football as it bores me to tears. Like literally I would rather have a doctor tug on an anal wire or step on a baby than watch a college football game. I even tried watching the Fiesta Bowl to see what Kelly's team was all about. I ended up flicking myself in the eyeball repeatedly as I just didn't care.

That said, I am sure he will be a fine coach. I am a little worried that he interviewed with the Eagles and Browns, and he declined. I read in several articles he likes player personnel control, which he has as a college coach. The Eagles brought in numerous coaches, I have heard upwards to 14 total coaching auditions ranging from college coaches to fired head coaches to commentators. We even heard Gus Bradley from the Seahawks was flown in personally by Jeff Lurie for a second interview, only to leave town on the next flight to Jacksonville. Maybe it was like a "Yeah okay Gus why don't you go see what's going on down in Jacksonville and we will talk to you around 1 today." Either way, in the interim, and probably by the time Gus Bradley met the fine folks in Jacksonville, the rumor broke Kelly was in.

So, there was instant debate on the radio whether Kelly was good or bad, and only really time will tell. I know one thing is for sure, the guy sure does have some energetic motions on the field...

Apparently, when the man's index fingers go up, so does his tongue.

Check that, only when his right index finger is up.

Despite his anatomical anomalies, Chip Kelly runs one of the fastest offenses in college football. His teams that he has been a part of have broken school, conference, or division records for offense and they have finished in I believe the top 5. Even took second place in the national championship game a couple years back. That may not be a great consolation to Eagles fans, but in my opinion to have that much success at a level where there are literally hundreds of programs and thousands of players, he excelled. So, the word on the street is that a quarterback in his offensive scheme takes a lot of punishment, which is something our quarterbacks currently deal with already. It is a perfect fit.

So the question now is who stays with the Eagles? I wonder if Marty Morhenwig cut off the top of his Eagles hat to make it look like a visor? I hope he is gone. The whole team needs a reboot. Batman rebooted itself and it was awesome. Chip Kelly ran the ball the most out of all college coaches, a rarity (or so I am told) at the college level. People in Philadelphia have been dying for years for Lesean McCoy to be unleashed, and now also with perhaps a two-headed attack of Bryce Brown and McCoy. People call in to the radio and say that they need a running quarterback to work a Chip Kelly system. Really? Is Tom Brady a running quarterback? No, he is just really good. Most of the people who call in are jealous of the excitement that a player like Colin K-somethingorother, Cam Newton, RG3, or Russel Wilson generates while we have ol' man brittle Mike Vick. Face it - the Eagles must rebuild. Maybe Nick Foles is the answer, maybe not. Time will tell. We won't be as lucky as we were when McNabb was great off the bat. I believe in Nick Foles, but he needs work and experience. It also didn't help that he came in to a team that had no hope. He can either be the next Tom Brady or the next Brady Quinn. 

If the entire scheme of offensive attack changes, are our players smart enough to handle the change? The offensive line will return to full strength next year, but they must stay that way. They all seemed to come together to look like something special in 2011, but that faltered when Jason Peters fell like a huge domino (twice) to dismantle the line, one by one. If the plan calls for DeSean Jackson to run across the middle, we may be looking at Jeremy Maclin as the #1 receiver. 

On defense, where do we start? At least Chip Kelly got his coaching start as a safeties coach. Whew. Hopefully he can help select a quality coordinator or find a way to get the most out of and for Tod Boles. Maybe Boles isn't the problem and perhaps there just needs to be a stronger set of players in the secondary. I could maybe be okay with him still there if the positional coaches are alright. There has to be some stability. Although perhaps a total restructuring of everybody may take place and it may be 2.5 to 3 years before we as fans feel any success.

The short term progress of this hiring will most likely be teams getting caught off guard by the "blur" offense of Chip Kelly and maybe get some cheap wins as the team rebuilds. Cheap or not, wins are wins. It is possible for them to finish 0.500. I am sure the fans will be fanatical for the team next year and the new blood. 

One other thing apparent to me about Chip Kelly is that he is a terrible whisperer...

No matter what, as an Eagles fan I am lucky to get to witness a new era. An era where hopefully the next coming of players like Westbrook, Staley, Dawkins, Trotter, "Huuuuuuugh", and other city-made legends will be born. Maybe Jason Avant becomes the greatest 4th down receiver in NFL history. Maybe Bryce Brown/Lesean McCoy become the the awesome version of CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson. Maybe DRC gets fired up with Demeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks to rally the defense into the hardnosed unit Philadelphians expect. Who really knows?

All I know is, I never really cared who was hired as the coach, as I dread the lows and false highs of the rebuilding years. Hopefully we aren't the next Lions. Or Jaguars. Or Browns. Now that a coach has been named, it is time to anticipate the underlings, the firings, the draft, the preseason games. It is time to anticipate change and the next era of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Duba's 4th Annual "Only When I have a Blog or Other Available Forum Where I can Riff" Ideal Superbowl Matchups

Well, much like last year, it is that time of year again to pick the matchups for Superbowl 47 I want to see the most, and then pick which will probably happen. Last year, the least favorable matchup in my eyes happened, but the game did not disappoint. For the first time since I can remember (or was keeping track, for that matter), 3 of the teams that were here last year are back. And the outcomes could be even more unpredictable.

So, without further aduba, let's get right to my ideal Superbowl Matches...

1. Ravens Vs. 49ers - Oddly enough, it was the one I most wanted to see last year as well. It is not about watching the two Harbaugh brothers battle it out, as they had played each other previously in 2011 regular season. I like the defense of the Ravens and their legendary status, and like the inspiration they draw from each other. Despite the emotional leader being Ray "Every Day I'm Stabbin" Lewis. If I have to hear one more religious sermon from Reverend Lewis I will most likely vomit and petition Tim Tebow to tell Ray to keep it down. Despite that, and despite having lost a step or two, Ray Lewis is the leader of that defense, while Joe Flacco has stepped up to be the leader on offense with Ray Rice in a supporting role. On the flipside, you have a young, upstart quarterback in Colin K-somethingorother. He has a gun of an arm and just watching him dismantle the Packers last weekend, I am now officially rooting for them to make it to the big game. Their defense is smothering and stopped a team that had 10 different receiving threats. Albeit at home, but they have proven they can go to an intimidating place (like Foxboro) and beat the best. Who would be the underdog in this game? The Ravens. And I hope that if the Ravens can pull off one more miracle win this weekend, they take the full two weeks to rest and shape up. I can root for the Ravens over the 49ers, but either way in this case I would cheer for the game, and maybe 60-40 for the Ravens to win it all. They have been so close so many times before. I actually liked what Joe Flacco showed in the Bronco's game, and that team never quit. San Francisco never quit putting their foot on the throat of the Packers. I just hope both teams can make their rise to the top (even though last week I didn't predict jack shit for either team).

2. Patriots vs. 49ers - Last year's second most anticipated matchup. It would be a rematch from earlier this season where I think we saw what was the Patriots last defeat. Perhaps last defeat of the year. If they can put the Ravens back in Baltimore, they will not lose again until next season. I tried arguing this point to some other people - Yes, we have come to get tired of the Tom Brady accolades, model wife, advertisements, stupid hair cuts...

...but despite all that, he may very well be noted as the greatest quarterback ever. I respect his career enough to believe that it is now a treat to watch him play. Although I would root for the 49ers to beat him, I certainly couldn't get upset over another Superbowl win. I am a fan of football and the NFL, and to say I was able to witness an era that I only get to hear other people talk about would be cool. The Patriots stand the best chance of all 4 teams making it to the Superbowl, even with a star tight end out of the game. They are just great, make adjustments, and will kill you if they had the chance. That is the same way Colin K-somethingorother played the past few weeks and the defense follows suit. I would okay with this matchup.

4. (TIE) Ravens vs. Falcons - No way in Hell do I want to see the overrated Falcons in a Superbowl. I don't know why I dislike them so much. It is something about the "I'm too good to admit that I poop" face that Matt Ryan has. It is the love they received over the past couple seasons about how great they are. It is the constant talk we would have to hear about how the Falcons are finally playing to the level they should have been at for years and their journey blah blah blah bullshit. The reason I put this matchup over the other is that it would pit two quarterbacks, Flacco and Ryan, who have the same career length playing each other in a "changing of the guard" Superbowl. I would like to see Flacco all day long beat the pants off the Falcons, but then I would see a bunch of black guys with no pants on. The Falcons almost let the Seahawks squeak by them and is a sign that the Falcons armor may be a little rusty. I certainly wouldn't think that Flacco could assassinate them, but he found a way to work over the vaunted Broncos defense so he could shine in the biggest game of them all. Flacco has proven time and time again that he CAN step up to the plate. Matt Ryan hasn't proven that to me, as he is only 1-3 in the playoffs. I would want to see Flacco earn all the accolades in this game and have that near tears look of defeat Matt Ryan showed last week with less than one minute to go.

4. (TIE) Patriots vs. Falcons - This game, I'm telling you right now, would be a rout. It would be the worst Superbowl of the past 10 years. Even worse than Seattle-Pittsburgh. Blowout city. It better not happen.

Reality...I fully believe in the 49ers. I have selected half of my NFL.com Playoff Challenge team to include several San Francisco players. Including Colin K-somethingorother. There are several emotions running through the AFC Championship game, as the Ravens had an improbably fight you till you die win last week, but the Patriots are thirsty for blood after getting bested by the same team twice on the grandest stage. Therefore, I would have to say, and it is a very small, uncomfortable thought they may win, and I am banking my Playoff Challenge hopes on, that the last team to make the Superbowl will be....The Baltimore Ravens!

Dubaround the NFL: Divisional Round Playoff Predictions

Well folks, last weekend came and went and I went 3 for 4 in my predictions. I should be 4 for 4 but I swung and miss on my bold prediction. This weekend in my opinion is even tougher to call. The AFC not so much, but I feel any of the 4 teams below can make it to the Superbowl.

In order to understand what these teams are up against, you have to see how the four top teams in the AFC and NFC fared coming off their bye weeks. This includes the typical bye week as well as what I consider the "mini" bye created by the Thursday night games.

Both Denver and New England crushed teams coming off their bye week, then crushed their opponents after the ten day Thursday night football bye. I think everybody is expecting to see Peyton hosting Tom Brady next weekend.

However the NFC is still wide open. Atlanta, the NFC number 1 seed, were pretty much undefeated heading into their bye, and they needed it as the Falcons snuck by Oakland, 23-20. Their next game was against my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, who had never lost after a bye week in Andy Reid's previous 13 seasons. I remember watching this game, and I will admit the Falcons destroyed the Eagles, and Matt Ryan came out swinging. However, at their Thursday night debacle against the Saints, the Falcons had 10 days to prepare for a 30-20 loss to the Panthers. The 49ers kind of had it backwards. They had the mini-bye Thursday night game before their bye. They had Arizona 10 days later, who they destroyed 24-3. The bye week was after this game, in week 9, and the 49ers prepared for St. Louis and ultimately ended that game in a tie. THEN Colin K-somethingorother came in.

So, with this in mind, the quick playoff thoughts below:

Ravens at Broncos - Ravens, it was fun. I admire the player Ray Lewis, his leadership and spirit can will his time. But as a person he is a murderer. Peyton Manning is at a point where I can root for him, root for greatness (except when they play the Eagles next year). I think Denver is the most complete team, and just got one additional starting running back off of IR. Broncos 30, Ravens 20.

Packers at 49ers - Packers got their loss out of the way in Week 17, despite their best efforts. They know the mistakes they made on the road to let a game slip bye and a chance at a bye. It was for the better. I think the Packers have too many receivers for the great defense of San Francisco to cover. Plus, Colin K-somethinngorother will mess it up somehow. Packers 35, 49ers 21

Seahawks at Falcons - I hate "Matty Ice." It is the worst nickname ever. I prefer "The Matural" but regardless I hate the Falcons. They are disrespected blah blah blah this is their year blah blah blah. The Seahawk refers to an Osprey, which is closely related to the Eagle (thank you, Nick Scalise). Therefore, I prefer the Seahawks over the Falcons. Want to talk about a good nickname, how about DangeRuss. Seattle is on a roll, and I think they can smash the Falcons early and hopefully that can make the Falcons feel like little bitches and not a number 1 seed and the best team in the NFL. This to me is the most difficult game to call, and Seattle going east to west to east coast two weeks in a row is bad news, but I am going more with what I want than reality. I go with Seattle 23, Falconss 14.

Texans at Patriots - As much as you want to try to convince me that the Texans are different and that the Jets did to the Patriots what Houston could do, no. New England has had it happen to them before, and they would rather die on the field than allow a team they already showed their fans they could destroy at home would not be allowed back on their field to not have the same result. That sounded weird. The Patriots will kill them again, because the Patriots are cut throat. When they have suffered one week, they killed the next. That is their way. Texans could pull off the upset, but I go with greatness in the AFC. Patriots 38, Texans 24.

Moving on, the Broncos host the Patriots and prep for a super bowl berth while the fail mary game is replayed. I have full confidence in the Broncos moving on, but the NFC is a crap shoot. I am good either way but feel Green Bay won't be denied. Green Bay - Denver super bowl.

Dubaround the NFL: Wildcard Weekend Predictions

Well folks, it is that time of year again. Time, as an Eagles fan, to figure out which team other than mine will be the next Super Bowl champion. Last year, I failed miserably at picking the games. This year may be no different so let's just get this over with...

Bengals vs. Texans

So last year's playoff opening matchup is set to kick us off again this year. The Bengals had a mostly up and occasionally down season as the Texans limp in losing 3 of their last 4. The Texans boast one of the league's best defensive players both on the active roster and in the IR. They have what I used to think was the best running back in Arian Foster, a veteran QB and a late surging great receiver. Meanwhile the Bengals boast a Texans-light defense a good game manager and a throw-can-be-clutch-when-necessary QB and the league's second best receiver. I didn't hear the stat, but I heard all day on the radio that QBs in their first playoff appearance are doomed to fail. But Schaub has been playing for about 36 years now. The Texans have been flat lately whether it be at home or away. I hope they win, but I don't think they will. Bengals 20 Texans 14.

Vikings vs. Packers

The Vikings' magic carpet ride sponsored by Adrian Peterson must end at some point. There is a stat that Ponder has never played in sub 40 degree weather and that alone is enough of a factor to count them out. I also remember being told Tampa Bay couldn't win a game in cold weather in 2002. Bottom line, the Packers are a machine that didn't need to win last week in a rival's house. This week they get back EVERYBODY and like 2 years ago maybe found a new running game. Rogers is a machine and will not let his team lose. Packers 38, Vikings 20.

Colts vs. Ravens

Andrew Luck's struggles on the road were well publicized earlier this year, but he did everything he needed leading a culture of change for the worst team last year. They are an inspirational team, but Ray "I be stabbin" Lewis changed the Colts' luck. With Ray Lewis letting it be known he will retire at the end of this year will fire up the team and crowd beyond what Seattle could ever hope to muster. The Ravens will control this game via defense as that's just what happens in football. It will be magic. I can actually see Lewis reinjuring his arm and his team rallies for him. Either way, I can't see the Colts winning. If they do, Luck may be one of the future's greatest quarterbacks. Ravens 17, Colts 10.

Seattle vs. Redskins

The "teams I hate bowl". Fact of the matter is, due to owning Marshawn Lynch in fantasy, I watched a lot of Seahawks games. Let me tell you, I no longer hate them (this incarnation at least). They are as complete of a team as the Broncos. They don't have that must-have wide receiver, but everybody contributes. Russel Wilson now shares the Rookie QB touchdown record with Manning, and his play is very definitive of a leader. I think this team has it all in all three phases of the game. On the flip side, I still hate the Redskins. RG3 is a really good QB and with Pierre Garcon on the field they have been like 9-1 I think? They get to host a decent-on-the-road-late-in-the-season Seahawks team. I think its the first time two rookies have started opposite each other in the playoffs. That said, only one rookie qb makes it out of Sunday. RG3 is gimpy, but he still owned Dallas along with Alfred Morris running a mudhole in the Cowboys. Seattle has given up rushes on the road so perhaps this is an advantage for I think the number 1 or 2 rush attack. I cannot ever, in good consciousness, pick the Redskins to ever win. Seattle 21, Redskins 17.

In the further future, I think you will see the Broncos decimate the Bengals (or if the Texans do it, the Ravens). The Patriots will then get payback in a great game vs. Baltimore. The Packers go to San Francisco and come out smelling like roses and Seattle proves to be the more dominant bird in Atlanta.

Expect the exact opposite to happen across the board.
-Jim Duba