Monday Morning Falcons Hangover (Super Bowl Edition)

Green Bay Wins the Super Bowl, Prime Time Makes the Hall

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers and the state of Wisconsin on your fourth Super Bowl Title. As I wrote here, I am not “happy” the Falcons lost to the Super Bowl Champion, as in, “At least we lost to the Super Bowl Champion,” line of b.s. many in Atlanta will be espousing this morning. That’s the lament of the loser, and it’s not for me. I will say my congratulations, and mean it, but it doesn’t heal the wounds of the butt-kicking the Falcons took, the only butt-kicking Green Bay doled out this post-season (all other games were won by single-digits), because the Falcons head coach, Mike Smith, coaches scared, like Marty Schottenheimer.

Now that the congratulations to the Super Bowl Champs are out of the way, I want to also congratulate the seven men who were elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter, Ed Sabol, Shannon Sharpe, and of course, Prime Time himself, Deion Sanders! Congratulations, guys, on your outstanding careers in the NFL, but as it is related to Sanders, this is an especially sweet moment, or it should be, for Falcons fans.

Deion Sanders is the first player to be drafted by the Falcons to make it into the Hall of Fame. It is because of that fact that the many Falcons fans that hold any resentment for Prime Time need to let it go; especially since that resentment is usually based in untruth. Falcons’ fans: Deion did “leave” the team to go chase money and Super Bowls. No, the notoriously dumb and cheap Rankin Smith, the team owner at the time, didn’t even offer Sanders a competitive contract when he became a free agent. By claiming that he couldn’t afford to pay Sanders and not even offering a contract, Rankin Smith was able to turn many fans against Sanders; fans that didn’t understand the relatively new salary cap and free agency system.

Rankin Smith could’ve re-signed Sanders. He had the money. The Falcons weren’t strapped for cash or that close to the cap at the time. Smith simply chose to not even offer Sanders a contract because he didn’t want to be rebuffed and look like a fool for being a terrible owner no big name star wanted to play for (which he was). So please, Falcons fans, don’t buy into the anti-Deion hype in Atlanta anymore. The guy was electric. He put the Falcons on the map and gave forlorn fans a reason to cheer. He was a big part of the first Falcons team to win a playoff game (in 1991 against the Saints). And he is now the first player drafted by the Falcons to earn a place in Canton. Be proud of Prime Time, Falcons' Fans!

And to lay another myth to rest: Deion Sanders was not “afraid” of contact on the field. The man was one of the best punt returners in NFL history. Punt returners routinely get hammered on the gridiron. As a corner, he simply always played the ball, not the man. He wanted interceptions, and that’s how he played. Contrary to the myth, he could, and did, frequently make a tackle or two. For about an eight-year period, he shut down an entire side of the field. Who needs to be a physical corner, like Rod Woodson, when you could do that?

The Seven Things I Know

1) Aaron Rodgers is now something Brett Favre can never be: A Super Bowl MVP. Congrats, ARod.

2) Although I picked the Steelers to win 34-31, a part of me can’t help but marvel at the symmetry of karma in Ben’s horrible performance coming at the worst time possible after his previous bad behavior during the off-season. What goes around…

3) Comeback Player of the Year Awards should only be eligible for players who sustained an injury or illness only to overcome true adversity and excel on the field once more. It should NOT be eligible for animal-torturing-and-killing sociopaths who’s personal CHOICES (not mistakes) led to a situation that took them off the field (and into federal prison).

4) Dallas, with its sand (not salt) on the roads, falling ice injuring people, & screwing ticket-holders out of seeing the game, has now become the worst city to hold a Super Bowl. The citizens of Jacksonville can now breath easier.

5) Aggressive, throw-first offenses have now won the vast majority of Super Bowls in the last 20 years or so. Going back to 1989 and Super Bowl XXIII won by the 49ers against the Bengals, teams with attacking, throw-first offenses have won 17 out of the last 22 Super Bowls. You don’t win the big games if you coach scared (don’t take chances with the deep ball), or if you run more than throw. It’s why Marty Schottenheimer never won a game that mattered.

6) The NFL needs to scrap the lame corporate-ized Super Bowl logo and go back to game-specific, city-specific Super Bowl logos. They had character, and some were great, like this one.

7) We’ve now gone 8 years since a terrible Super Bowl game (2003, Raiders-Bucs), and since 1998 (Packers-Broncos), we’ve only had three total truly bad Super Bowl games (Falcons-Broncos, Giants-Ravens, Raiders-Bucs). For a kid who grew up in the midst of NFC domination of the 1980s and 90s, the last 13 years of Super Bowls has been nirvana.

Today in History

On 07 February 1990, the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party decided to allow the different states making up the Soviet Union to have not only their own elections, but elections with candidates not backed by the Communist Party. The decision by the Committee and Premier Gorbachev was like the first crack in the dam, allowing first just a trickle of water, but soon growing into a torrent, as many of the states elected reformers and began to sever ties with the Soviet Union altogether. To this day, I find it amazing that I lived to see the end of the Evil Empire (although a democratized form of (evil) socialism still haunts the world, including our own beloved country), and as always, give particular thanks to this guy for helping to make it happen.

Film Real

There were trailers for many big name films shown as commercials during the Super Bowl, from Captain America, to Thor, to the new Pirates of the Caribbean film (yep, they’ve made another one of those), but the trailer that had me the most interested was the really quick look at the new Matt Damon film, The Adjustment Bureau.

I’m always a guy who loves smartly written science fiction, like Asimov or Heinlein would write, and from the quick look at this film, it looks like an interesting and intriguing idea. Plus, the guys in this Adjustment Bureau, who control our destinies, look vaguely similar to the Observers on Fringe, a favorite television show of mine, so that can’t hurt.

The idea though, that we are not in control of our destinies is a harrowing thought many have, and that idea could be mined for great material if done right. I hope it’s been done right. Check out the short trailer of here, and see if The Adjustment Bureau looks like a film you’d want to see.

Smart Quote

This quote is for Aaron Rodgers.

Leaders are made; they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.

Vince Lombardi

Hey, Check This Out!

Without a doubt, this is the best Super Bowl Commercial this year, if not this decade. I laugh so hard I cry when watching this. Love the little kid’s body language. Hilarious!

Super Bowl Prediction

[NOTE:  I write about the Carolina Panthers for Around Pro Football, but with our editor's permission I'm including my Super Bowl prediction column.  I originally wrote this for my own blog, which can  be found here.  You can also follow me on Twitter @JasonBlackwood.]

After the Steelers beat the Jets and the Packers beat the Bears two weekends ago, Vegas set an early line that had Green Bay favored to win the Super Bowl by 2.5.  Last I checked, the line had jumped to three, meaning more people are taking the Pack to cover that spread than they are the Steel.

This event matches what are almost certainly the two largest fan bases in all of football (the Cowboys are not candidates because it is unclear whether or not they have any real fans) in what has surely been a boon for the local economy.  I have no doubt the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex can hold its own with most Super Bowl sites, but the area has been dominated with a winter storm all week, something that has surely put a damper on the occasion.  It's not as if Packers and Steelers fans aren't used to the weather, but the scene has once again brought up the argument of whether (no pun intended) or not certain cities are Super Bowl-worthy.  The event has a way of really embarrassing any place that proves it can't handle the situation.  Again, in fairness to DFW, I'm confident that there are enough hotels, bars, taxis, strippers, and unique food joints to handle the world's largest sporting event, but the skies are literally dumping on the whole aura.  This has been a remarkably uneventful Super Bowl week.  The game should always take place in one of our nation's party capitals - Miami, New Orleans, or Las Vegas (Vegas, of course, would need to build a stadium) - areas that almost certainly never have to worry about winter storms (hurricanes and oil spills are another matter).  If there is a chance people can become critically injured by ice falling off the roof of your stadium, then you probably don't need to be hosting the Super Bowl.  With that said, let's get to the game.

The word on the street largely seems to be that the Steelers overachieved a bit to get here, winning two home games in very unconvincing fashion and basically getting lucky by not having to play the Patriots, a team that picked their defense apart earlier in the year.  That may be true, but there's a reason these guys are in the hunt pretty much year after year: they draft so well that it doesn't seem to matter when players get old or get hurt - someone is always willing to step in and perform well.  Their offensive line has been banged up all year but as I said in my last post that shouldn't matter because Ben Roethlisberger actually becomes more effective when he's forced to make plays on the fly.  The absence of center Maurkice Pouncey, however, should be cause for concern.

Jason really doesn't want to see Big Ben win another Super Bowl...

The main reason Pittsburgh is here, of course, is Roethlisberger.  One can never count the Steelers out when that guy is on the field.  He just makes plays.  If he has snap issues with Pouncey being out, I expect his rushing yardage total to go up.  If the Steelers can't run the ball, I expect him to get away from the rush and find his receivers open deep.  I just expect Roethlisberger to do great things.

(Note: I am definitely among those who are going to be a bit sick if Big Ben leads the Steelers to a title again this year because of what kind of guy he is.  I don't really want to write that column, though, and I don't have to because Andrew Sharp already did.  I suggest you read it if you're having trouble deciding whom to cheer for on Sunday.  Or if you're a Steelers fan in denial.)

As far as the Packers are concerned, the secret is out.  The overwhelming consensus now is that this truly was a title contender from the get-go but the team suffered enough injuries and lost enough close games that they ended up going 10-6 instead of 13-3 or 14-2, as we touched on in the last blog entry....  That Aaron Rodgers is just a stud, possibly ready to deny the Steelers dynasty status and stake his claim as the league's best quarterback all at the same time....  That they are far more than just Rodgers - look how good that defense was against the Bears, and unsung players continue to step up.  Green Bay has veterans such as Charles Woodson, hungry for his first title; they have young stars like Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, and Tramon Williams; they have nose tackle B.J. Raji up against an unproven Steelers center (Legursky, Pouncey's replacement).  They have running back James Starks, who has suddenly given the Pack a ground game once again (star back Ryan Grant was among those hurt earlier in the year).

But let's be honest, this is about Rodgers.

Come back with me to 2008, will you?

Packers legend Brett Favre was retired.  Green Bay was ready to move on with Rodgers, who had been sitting for three years, and the team had already gone through minicamp workouts and begun training camp with him as their leader and quarterback when....Favre un-retired.  (I am better at un-retiring than he is, I'd like to add.)  He wanted to come back and play again, naturally for the Packers, whose reaction was basically, "Uhhhhhh.....welllll.....umm...really?? Isn't retirement cool and all?  You don't really want to come back, do you?"  The team eventually scheduled a really awkward meeting with Favre, and afterward declared him "mentally unfit to lead this team" or something to that effect.  Packers fans, of course, were outraged.  The team's public stance was basically that they weren't sure he was ready to come back - that maybe his head wasn't in the right place.  And this was a man who had just led them to within a game of the Super Bowl the previous season.  Do you really think that was the reason they didn't want him back?

...and because of this guy, he won't have to.

Of course not.  It's because they knew Rodgers was better.  Green Bay would have happily dumped him and handed the keys back to Favre if they felt otherwise.  Of course they would have.  Why?  Because winning means more than doing the right thing in pro sports, unfortunately.  There are examples of it everywhere.  The Packers said no to the most famous player in their history - again, infuriating their fans in the process - because they knew Rodgers would give them a better chance to win.

Fast-forward to the present day, and you will see that Rodgers' numbers in his first three seasons as a starter compare quite favorably with those of Favre during the best three seasons of his career (1995-97, when he won three straight MVP awards).  If he can lead this team to victory tomorrow, he will have just as many rings (1) as Favre does, as well.  You might say that Rodgers will have single-handedly buried the Favre era in Wisconsin, and with great authority.  He handled the Favre situation with incredible class, never dissing his predecessor in public or getting upset with the fans who wanted the legend to take his job back.  Instead, Rodgers just went out on the field and became a star.

I watched the Packers-Falcons game three weeks ago with my jaw practically stuck to the floor.  This Green Bay team just reaches another level when they play in a dome - essentially the scenario on Sunday - because they are so much faster and have so many weapons.  Everyone talks about the Steelers defense, and while they do make plays against the pass, they are predominantly a run defense.  The Steelers can be exposed by teams who can spread the field; no one does that better than Green Bay.  This truly is the worst possible matchup this season for Pittsburgh.

Everyone is planting storylines for this one, about how it matches two legendary franchises, two great teams, and two rabid fan bases.  This is already being touted as one of the more exciting games, and they haven't even kicked off yet.

I'm sorry, but no.  This is about Aaron Rodgers.  Super Bowl XLV will be his official coronation as the league's new star, and if the Steelers can't make a big play on defense, this might not be close.  I just hope someone keeps Aaron away from the Kardashians.  Packers 38, Steelers 28.

The Packers Return to the Super Bowl

This is one of greatest Super Bowls to ever be played. Both teams have a rich history of winning championships. The Green Bay Packers have an NFL best 12 world championships (including 3 Super Bowls), while the Steelers have an NFL best 6 Super Bowl wins. There has never been a Super Bowl with this much history in it. No matter the outcome it will be an "instant classic."

It will be a very hard game for both teams but I believe that the Packers will come away with their 13th world championship. To be successful against the "steel curtain" defense of the Steelers will not be an easy task. I am tired of hearing everyone in the media say that Green Bay needs to spread the field and use their 5 wide receiver set. I think if the media is smart enough to figure this out, then so is Dick LeBeau. Green Bay just needs to play smart and aggressive.

The first thing that Green Bay needs to do is to win the field position battle. This is important because both teams have very good defenses and the team with the shorter field will have a huge advantage. I think this will be a game that is decided by 1 or 2 field goals. Obviously, it is easier to go 40 yards and kick a field goal than it is to go 60 yards. Field position will be a huge factor in deciding the winner.

The Packers will also need to keep the pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. Even though he is very hard to take down, it is much harder to find the open receiver with a linebacker hanging on to your back. If the Green Bay pass rush can consistently get in Roethlisberger's face I think he will be more likely to try to force the ball out, which will give the Packer secondary a chance to make a play on the ball. Green Bay has been thriving off turnovers during their historic playoff run and if they can continue to do this, I think the Packers will have a chance to win.

Another key factor for the Packers in this game is for them to just stay calm and execute their game plan. I know that Mike McCarthy can put a perfect game plan together when he is given 2 weeks to do so. Dom Capers (the Packers' defensive coordinator) can do the same thing. With these two master minds having two weeks to plan for one game, there is trouble for the opposing team, no matter who it is. With that being said, it is up to the players to keep their cool and just play football the best they can for one game.

Is this the game that will put Aaron Rodgers in the same class as Bart Starr and Brett Favre? Will Clay Matthews finally win a ring for his family name? Will the Packers finally be able to put all the Brett Favre talk behind them for good? Will this be the start of a new dynasty for the Packers rich history? Or will the 2010 Green Bay Packers just be the forgotten team that lost the Super Bowl?

Only time will tell. For me, I hope this is only the first of many rings for Aaron Rodgers. I have been a Packer fan for 10 years and I have never been happier to be a Packer fan than I have this year. No matter the outcome of the Super Bowl, this is by far the best team I have seen in Green Bay and I am proud to call myself a Packer fan.

My prediction: Packers 31 Steelers 27