Breath of Fresh Air

As the whole sports world knows by now, we lost a great coach and man yesterday. Joesph Vincent Paterno passed away yesterday at the age of 85, succumbing to complications from lung cancer treatments. I don’t think I need to go over all of the countless accomplishments this man has achieved in his life. I think all of the records speak for themselves. But I wanted to take the time to take about how he died. I know and understand that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of months ago, but I feel like more than anything, Paterno died from a broken heart. You heard a lot of former players and friends say the same thing. Keep in mind that Paterno had been part of the Penn State program for over six decades and was the head football coach since 1966. When you have something that you love and enjoy doing taken away from you all of a sudden, the will to live tends to go away. That what I feel happened to Paterno. We all know that Paterno got fired due to all of the sexual charges against one of Paterno’s assistant coaches during his tenure, Jerry Sandusky. We can debate all day long on whether or not Paterno deserved to get fired just based on what each of us as individuals believe is right or wrong. We can also debate what we feel his legacy should be as well. Those debates are other topics for other days. Everything that involves Paterno is very complex and fluid. But the fact remains that the man’s livelihood was taken away. Think about this. Paterno has built and dedicated his life on doing things the right way, and for about 99 percent of his life he has been spot on. But that 1 percent, or a lapse in judgement, might be what people look at when it comes to looking at his legacy. That lapse in my opinion cost him his job and ultimately, his life. Paterno had never dealt with something like this in his life, so do say that he was overwhelmed with the intense media scrutiny would be an understatement. Paterno said the words “I wish I had done more” in regards of his handling of this tragic Sandusky scandal. I think that also weighed heavily on him. All of these factors I think contributed to Paterno passing away. I think we all have our own opinions on what his legacy should and should be, but for now I don’t think there’s no denying that a broken heart is the main reason for Paterno passing away. It’s sad to see a man who has done some many good things go out in this way. R.I.P. Joe Paterno.

What we saw yesterday in the NFL’s conference championship games was nothing short of great. Both of these games could’ve gone either way, but as it is we have a rematch in Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Of course, these two teams met four years ago in one of the best Super Bowls ever played. The Giants won the title and in the process ended the Patriots’ bid to go undefeated in the 2007-’08 season. But back to this season, you have to give credit where credit is due. Both the Patriots and the Giants won wars on Sunday to get to the Super Bowl. The Patriots were able to hold of the Baltimore Ravens 23-20, while the Giants went toe-to-toe with the San Francisco 49ers before landing the knockout blow in overtime to win the game 20-17. I know a lot of people have expressed displeasure in seeing a Super Bowl rematch, including myself. But I would be lying to you if I said that I will not watch this game because I will. I’m a huge football fan and I know this will be an excellent game to watch. These are two very good football teams and they deserve to be playing for the NFL championship. I am a 49ers fan so I’m still hurting from the loss, but I look forward to a great game. So let the two week hype period begin. Congrats to the Patriots and Giants.

I have been a San Francisco 49ers fan ever since I can remember. Over the years, I have been very critical of quarterback Alex Smith. I was one of the main guys who said that the 49ers need to let this guy go. Since Smith was drafted before the 2005-’06 season, all he has done is underachieve and I just didn’t feel like he was going to reach his potential. After seeing what Smith has done this season under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh and his performance in the 36-32 Divisional Playoffs victory over the New Orleans Saints, I’m very proud and happy to say that I was wrong about Alex Smith. To be honest, Smith has been playing at a high level all year long. It’s just that not a lot of fans have seen it simply because the 49ers were looked at as just a nice story throughout the season. Another reason is because the 49ers aren’t a team that will impress you with glitz and glamour. They’re a team who wins primarily by running the football and playing good defense. The perception is that Smith is asked to just take care of the football and manage the game. The game against the Saints was the first time that a lot of fans have seen the 49ers play on T.V. What a lot of people didn’t know is that when Smith has had to step his play up, he has done just that. The glaring question was if put into the situation, how would Smith do if he got caught up in a shootout with one of the elite QBs in the league. Well I think the answer was a resounding excellent. He traded haymakers with Saints QB Drew Brees and landed the death blow when he found tight end Vernon Davis in the end zone with 9 seconds left in the game to send the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where they will face the New York Giants for a chance to go to Super Bowl XLVI. Smith’s stat line in the game was 24-42 for 299 yards with 3 touchdowns and a rushing TD, and no interceptions. That doesn’t sound like a guy who is “managing the game.” When the 49ers needed him the most, Smith has come through time and time again this year. The moral of the story is that this shows what you can do if you continue to believe in yourself. When Harbaugh came in, he sat down with Smith and asked him on very simple question. That question was if Smith wanted to be a 49er. Smith said yes and the rest was is history. Harbaugh saw something in Smith that a lot of people, including myself, didn’t see. What Smith is doing right now was something that exceeded my wildest dreams. I’m glad to see it. No matter what happens against the Giants, Smith has carved his spot as one of the good quarterbacks in the league and he can finally say that he has found a home in San Francisco. I’m glad to say that I was wrong about Alex Smith. It goes to show you what you can do as long as you believe in yourself and put your mind to it.  Let’s go win this title San Fran.

We were all waiting to see if Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was going to get the endorsement from the Broncos management to be the starter going into training camp come late July. Well we got that answer today from Executive Vice President of football operations John Elway (Elway of course is also the best player ever to put on a Broncos uniform). After the Broncos’ 45-10 season-ending beat-down they suffered at the hands of the New England Patriots on Saturday night, nobody knew what Tebow’s status was going to be going in next season. On Monday, Elway said “Tim has earned the right to be the starting quarterback going into training camp next year.” Elway also said that Tebow “has made some good strides” in regard to his overall play through the season. I feel that Elway and the Broncos brass has made the right decision to bring Tebow back as the starter. Tebow came into the starter role at a time when this Broncos team was left for dead. Denver was 1-4 at the time and all Tebow was supposed to do was get a few reps and play the season out. Instead, Tebow was able to inspire the Broncos and lead them to a AFC West title and a Wild Card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. To be honest, I don’t think the management had no choice but to bring Tebow back as the starter. Now I feel we will get to see what Tebow is all about. As you know by now, I’m a Tebow believer. This guy has been able to bring life into a franchise and he isn’t even reaching his full potential. Just imagine if Tebow gets to polish the skills he does have and work on the things that he knows he is weak at. If the haters thought they were mad this year, just wait now that Tebow actually has the stability know that he will be the starter and this is not an audition of some sort. He will now go into the off-season as enthused and motivated as ever. I’m glad to see it, because I honestly didn’t think he was going to get a fair opportunity in Denver. Now that it looks like he will, we can see how he will develop. The only thing that I asked is that we give Tebow a chance to improve. We give all these other QBs the benefit of the doubt when they stink it up on any given Sunday, so why can’t Tebow get that same liberty? I know that he hasn’t been consistent throwing the football, but who’s to say he can’t improve and learn from his mistakes? Let’s not forget that the man has only started 16 games in his young career. I see tremendous upside in Tebow, and the haters don’t want to see Tebow get that chance to reach his full potential. That’s why they hate. I say again that the Broncos brass made the right decision to have Tebow be the starter, and this is a decision they will not regret. I believe in Tebow, and I think the amount of haters will go down significantly come this time next year as well. If I’m Tebow, one thing I would do right away to get this improvement process going are these three words: CALL STEVE YOUNG. If Tebow does make that call, I feel he will get better instantly. We will see what Tebow does to get better. Whatever route he takes, you can trust that Tim Tebow will be poised to make the Broncos management look like geniuses for believing in him.

I remember at the beginning of this NFL season that people laughed when they heard New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning say that he is one of the elite QBs in the league. People thought he was crazy and foolish to say such a thing. After seeing what Manning did in the Giants’ 37-20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on Sunday, I don’t think there is any doubt that his statement before the start of the season was accurate. Personally, I didn’t see anything wrong with Manning saying what he said. I feel like if you’re going to have any success in anything that you do, you have to be confident in yourself and your abilities to master your craft. There are a lot of confident, and sometimes cocky, people out in the world that know how good they are and can be. Manning was just thinking out loud and expressing it in his own way. Where a lot of people get exposed is if you’re bold enough to express and talk about how good you think you are, you better be able to back it up. There are many people who can’t back up what they say, but Manning has been able to walk the walk. Manning’s overall play is a big reason why the Giants are going to play in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers this coming Sunday. Through all of the ups and downs that the Giants have had this season, the one constant was Manning. No matter what the situation was, you always knew that Manning was going to be that calming influence. The one thing that really stands out about Manning’s play is how he seems to play his best ball in the 4th quarter. Manning had numerous game-winning drives, such as the ones in New England and Dallas earlier this year. This season Manning for almost 5,000 yards and 29 touchdowns to go with a career-best 92.9 QB rating. This was probably his best statistical season in his career. I know that he has a Super Bowl ring from back in 2007, but most people give the Giants defense credit for that title. But even then, it was Manning who had to put together a last minute drive to win Super Bowl XLVI. But back to this season, I think Manning has more than proved that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in this league. He just out-dueled Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who a lot of people (including myself) feel is the best QB in the league. In my eyes, when you mention the elite QBs in the league, Manning has earned the right to be on that list. After seeing the year Manning has had, those comments he said before the season started don’t sound so shocking don’t they??

So here we are on the most exciting weekend in the NFL season, the Divisional Playoff round. The winner of these games will punch their tickets to the conference championship games next weekend. I feel that all four of the match-ups are intriguing and can go either way. So to say that I’m excited would be an understatement. I’m going to break down the match-ups and pick the winners just based on how I feel. I will also give you the scores and the reasons why I feel the way I do. Please feel free to agree or disagree after I break this down.

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers

This is your classic battle of offense vs. defense. The Saints have the # 1  ranked offense while the 49ers have the #4 ranked defense. The Saints offense, led by quarterback Drew Brees, seem to set record after record every time they step on the field. Brees has a bunch of weapons around him, but the two weapons that might be the most lethal are running back Darren Sproles and tight end Jimmy Graham. The 49ers have to find a way to defend these two guys. One thing the 49ers can do is rush the passer, and pressure on Brees is vital. If they can get that pressure, then maybe they can take the ball away, something that the 49ers are very good at (they were tied with Green Bay for the most takeaways during the regular season). Another way to defend against Brees is to keep him off the field. The 49ers have a great running game, led by Frank Gore. QB Alex Smith has been very good about taking care of the football, but plays can be made against a poor Saints defense. If the 49ers are to win this game, they have to make the most of their red-zone opportunities, meaning they have to get touchdowns and not field goals. I know everyone is crazy about the Saints and they seem to be the trendy pick right now to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but the bottom line is that the Saints are a different team when you get them out of the Superdome. The game is in San Francisco on natural grass. I just feel like the 49ers defense and the ability to run the football, combined with the fact that the Saints struggle outdoors, will be enough. The 49ers will score touchdowns in the red-zone as well. I am also a 49ers fan, so I can’t help but be a little bias. But I think there will be a lot of people jumping of the Saints bandwagon when their season ends today.

Prediction: 49ers win 27-17

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots

Another week has passed and the Tim Tebow craze has reached an all-time high (hasn’t it always been at a fever pitch?). I for one love it because I feel like he is doing what he has done all of his life, which is prove all the haters wrong. Now Tebow is coming off of a performance in which he torched the Pittsburgh Steelers’ #1 ranked defense. I am a Tebow believer through and through. Unfortunately, I feel like the Tebow train will derail for the season after this game, but it wouldn’t surprise me if The Broncos were able to win this game. Denver’s running game has to come up big. Running back Willis McGahee has found new life in Denver this year and will have to have a huge game if the Broncos are to have a chance. On the other side, linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller have to be able to get pressure on Patriots QB Tom Brady all night long. If not, then Brady will continue to find wide receiver Wes Welker and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez was the guy who killed the Broncos when they played a few weeks ago in Denver. I just don’t see the Broncos defense withstanding the Patriots onslaught. I also think the Patriots defense may be able to confuse Tebow a little bit and force some mistakes. I know New England’s defense was awful this year, but I think they will make the plays when they have to make them. Once again, I would not be surprised or upset if we hear about Tebow for one more week. But I think this is the week that the Broncos’ Cinderella season will end.

Prediction: Patriots win 35-25

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens

When you look at this match up, these two teams are almost mirror images of each other. Both teams love to run the football and play good defense. The Texans have two good running backs in Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Having wide receiver Andre Johnson back in the mix is also huge. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates has played well since taking over the starting job after all of the injuries. This has been a breakthrough season for the Texans, but it will end on Sunday. The Ravens were 8-0 at home this year and that defense, led by linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, and safety Ed Reed, will wreak havoc on Yates and contain that potent Texans rushing attack. RB Ray Rice will provide that Ravens’ rushing attack, which will set up the play-action throws from QB Joe Flacco to WRs Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. The Texans will fight, but I just feel the Ravens are too physical and too tough at home. I feel this is the year the Ravens will make the Super Bowl if they are going to do it with this present group of players. I think they know that as well and they won’t let this opportunity slip away, at least not this week. The Ravens were my Super Bowl pick from the AFC at the beginning of the year, so I’m entitled to stay with that pick as well.

Prediction: Ravens win 26-14

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

I have heard all the comparisons about how the Giants are playing at this point of the season and how they played when they were able to ride a hot streak to the Super Bowl title back in 2007. I must say that it is very similar to what we saw four years ago. The Giants do look like they are peeking at the right time. Quarterback Eil Manning is play what I feel is the best football he has played in his career, and running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are finally getting that running game going. We can’t forget about the receiving core with Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham. Green Bay on the other hand are the defending Super Bowl champs. QB Aaron Rodgers in my mind is the best QB in the league playing right now, and getting wide receiver Greg Jennings back in the mix makes them that much more dangerous. If the Giants are to win, their defense line, led by defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck among others, have to play the game of their lives. They must get pressure on Rodgers. If not, it will be a long game for the Giants. I think Rodgers will do what he has to and the Packers defense will step up. I think linebacker Clay Matthews and cornerback Charles Woodson will make a huge play at some point in the game. I think this will be a close game, but in the end I think Rodgers will outlast Manning in the battle of Super Bowl MVPs.

Prediction: Packers win 31-27

So there you have it. I have Baltimore and New England in the AFC, and San Francisco and Green Bay in the NFC. I think these will be some great games to watch, so best believe I will be right in front of my T.V. watching. Let me know what you think.

Last week I wrote an article about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and how quick things and opinions change depending on how he does. Leading up to the Broncos’ Wild Card game with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, all I heard was people saying that the “Tebow Experiment” needs to end and how Tebow can’t be a good quarterback in the NFL. Now after Tebow led the Broncos to a 29-23 overtime victory over the Steelers, here comes all the praise once again just like I expected it to. There’s even talk of the Divisional Playoff game between the Broncos and the New England Patriots may push the record for the most watched program on a Saturday night in television history!!! I must say that the matchup between Tebow and Patriots QB Tom Brady could keep people interested. Last week I asked the question “What would people say about Tebow if was able to led the Broncos to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers?” I guess now I’m seeing it, and I’m not surprised at all by what’s being said. I feel that it’s an understatement to say that no one has been analyzed more in recent memory, and maybe in sports history, than Tebow. As far as his success on the field, I am not surprised just for the simple fact that he has been proving people wrong all of his life. All Tebow hears is how he can’t do this and how he can’t do that. All the Tebow haters out there say that he can’t throw the football. How can he not throw the ball if he is in the NFL in the first place? How was he one of the best high school players the state of Florida has ever seen if he can’t throw the ball? How did he have a hand in winning two national championships at the University of Florida if he can’t throw the ball? How was he able to help the Broncos win the AFC West in a season that was supposed to be all but dead for the franchise if he can”t throw the ball? If the haters want to say he’s not consistent in throwing, that’s cool and accurate. But don’t say he can’t throw period, because that’s not true. He has made many good throws this year. I also hear the haters say he can’t improve as a passer. Why not, and on top of that, why can’t he have an opportunity to prove what he can do? All of these haters are very, very quiet now that they just saw Tebow shred the NFL’s stingiest defense with big play after big play. This of course includes the game-winning connection from Tebow to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for 80 yards (I don’t want to forget the run after the catch that Thomas had to make that play). There were rumors after the game that the Steelers’ hall of fame defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau, would not return next season. That how bad Pittsburgh got torched last Sunday. All I’m saying is that I have been a Tebow believer ever since I can remember. Just when you think he can’t do something, he proves you wrong, and it’s funny to see how people flip-flop depending on the week and how Tebow does. I would not be surprised if Tebow is able to lead the Broncos to a win over the Patriots on Saturday night (I do think the Patriots will win the game, but it’s not a sure thing like some people think). Whatever happens, I think Tebow has earned his spot to be the starting QB on the Broncos roster come the start of next year. If the Broncos brass is smart, I think that would be the best move. Trust this, I know Tebow hears all the talk, and this man doesn’t know how to fail. A guy like that is hard to bet against. I’m just glad to see Tebow do well, and I think he will get better.

It’s Wild Card weekend in the NFL and I can’t wait for the playoffs to begin. As we know, three of the last five Super Bowl champions have come from the Wild Card round. So my question to you is “Which Wild Card team do you think is the most equipped to make that Super Bowl run?” I know that a lot of people like the New Orleans Saints to make that run, but I’m going to say the New York Giants in this discussion. I know the Saints have a great offense and they have a lot of weapons, but the Saints are a different team when you get them off of that fast turf in the  Superdome. If they beat the Detroit Lions on Saturday, they are looking at a game in San Francisco and maybe Green Bay in the future. Both of those teams play outdoors on natural grass. So I don’t think we will see that same Saints offense outdoors. The Giants look like they are starting to peak at the right time and it appears that they have that momentum you need to make a Super Bowl run. Eil Manning is playing at a high level and the defense is finally getting healthy and looking like the defense we’ve come to expect from the Giants, so I’m saying the Giants. What do you think?

I think it would be a huge understatement to say that Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been one of the most analyzed players in maybe the history of the NFL, if not sports. I knew this from the day he was drafted by the Broncos back in 2009. If Tebow was able to do well, people would be praising him from coast to coast. If he wasn’t, the haters would be heard across the world. In my opinion, the criticism for Tebow has been unfair. We have to realize that he is not going to be a QB like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, or Tom Brady among others. Tebow has his own talents, and I still think that he can and will be a good quarterback in this league. I just don’t feel like the leash is nearly as strong as it is for other quarterbacks. If Brees or Brady or even Ryan Fitzpatrick throws four interceptions in a game, it’s just looked at as a bad game and they can bounce back the next game. If Tebow has a bad game, people are quickly saying he can’t be a good quarterback or it’s time to “end the experiment.” It’s mind blowing how much people were saying that Tebow couldn’t play in this league before he took over the starting job in mid season. Then when he wins six straight starts to help the Broncos get to 8-5 and first place in the AFC West, everyone was singing praises. All you heard was how Tebow was a great leader finding a way to will his team to victory, along with turning the haters into believers all of a sudden. Now that the Broncos have lost their last three games and “backed into” the playoffs, here comes all the questions about whether or not he can play QB in the league again. I understand that everything these days is what have you done for me lately, but come on. I’m hearing people say that the Tebow experiment should end and the Broncos should go in another direction with their QB situation. What’s going to be said if Tebow leads the Broncos to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in this weekend’s Wild Card game? Is everyone saying that they should keep the Tebow experiment going? Probably, especially seeing how the Steelers’ defense is #1 in the NFL. The bottom line is I feel like Tebow needs some time. Give him an opportunity to make strides in becoming a quarterback. I think everyone is so quick to put him down. Why can’t he improve?? I guess that’s the society we live in though. It is what it is. It’s just crazy how quickly things can change sometimes.

Every year when the playoffs come around in every sport, you always hear about teams that “backed into” the playoffs. Such is the case with the NFL playoffs upon us. The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are among the teams that we hear about backing into the playoffs. It’s one thing to say that they aren’t playing well going into the playoffs, but don’t take away from their accomplishments just because of the fact that they aren’t playing well. The bottom line is that they did what they had to do to get into the big dance. Just because these other teams, such as the Oakland Raiders, didn’t take care of their business when they had the chance doesn’t mean you penalize the teams that did take care of their business. If they didn’t handle their business, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. I don’t want to hear anything else about the teams that aren’t in the playoffs. So all the talk about the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys among others not taking advantage of their opportunities needs to stop. They’re where they deserve to be, at home watching the playoffs with the rest of us. As for the Broncos, they are in there. So we will hear at least another week of the Tim Tebow train. We’ll see how they do against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. They did what they had to do in the middle of the season to put themselves in position to win the AFC West. The other teams didn’t do what was needed. Meanwhile, the Texans had already clinched the AFC South in early December, so how did they back into the playoffs when they already had their ticket punched. I get that they had an opportunity to get better positioning and play a little bit better going into the playoffs. So you can say that they weren’t playing well, but don’t say they back into the playoff when they were already in. Also, just because the Texans don’t have a first round bye doesn’t mean they can’t make a run at the Super Bowl. If I remember right, three of the last five Super Bowl winners were wild card teams. That’s where mind is right now, on the teams that are in the playoffs. We have a whole off-season to talk about what could have been for those teams that are at home. Let’s talk about the playoffs, because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how teams were playing going into the playoffs, all that matters is how they do when the playoffs start. Everything will play itself out. As for those teams who are at home, there’s always next year.