Too bad.

He could have discussed one of the most widely watched Super Bowls of all-time and a football game that will be remembered as legen….wait for it….dary!

MVP/MVC:

Drew Brees’ 32-for-39 passing performance, during which he tied a Super Bowl record for completions, was nice.  But for the first time in history the top individual hardware should have gone to someone who never left the sidelines. Player or not, no one was as instrumental to this outcome as Saints coach Sean Payton – who pushed all the right buttons.

His best decision – and the true turning point – was going for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal late in the first half facing a 10-3 deficit. Sure, the offense got stopped on that play but kicking a field goal would have required kicking off – which means giving Peyton Manning field position and a chance to execute the two-minute drill and get back the three points.

Turning the ball over on the 1-yard line only meant the Colts – who can be more conservative than Tom Selleck and more cautious than a first-time mom – would play for a first down and run out the clock.

Payton’s decision to go for it on offense really was a vote of confidence for his own defense, which forced a punt and the Saints ended up kicking their field goal anyway. It was delayed gratification – a sudden theme for the city of New Orleans.

Also considered:

Drew Brees – Think San Diego misses this guy?

Garrett Hartley – The Saints’ kicker’s season began with a four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension and ended with three 40-plus yard field goals in the Super Bowl. Hmmm…

Goat:

Has anyone with such a damaged track record ever inspired so much widespread confidence? Manning’s postseason resume includes a 9-9 record and a slew of disappointing losses, and yet NFL nation deemed it undeniable that Manning would drive down the field for the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Instead the man who is credited for his unwavering trust in Average Joe receivers forced a pass to top target Reggie Wayne – when Austin Collie was open on a shorter pattern – and wound up with the most famous pick-6 in the Super Bowl since Neil O’Donnell threw two passes into the breadbasket of Larry Brown.

To compound matters, Manning also fouled up the next drive. After moving the Colts inside the 10-yard line, he called for a timeout – then unsuccessfully tried to take it back. This bonehead move is sure to get lost in the shuffle but if the Colts had scored a touchdown, they would have been forced to try an onside kick because of Manning’s timeout call. Otherwise, will all three timeouts left, they could have kicked off normally and played for field position. If you don’t think this is a big deal, ask Norv Turner.

As long as we’re talking about Joes, this Super Bowl proved that Peyton is no Joe Cool.

Also considered:

Reggie Wayne – The target of 11 passes had 5 catches for 46 yards. Those pedestrian numbers are fine against Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis but you can’t become a permanent decoy.

Robert Mathis – Everyone learned his name last week when Dwight Freeney’s injured ankle became a headline. Everyone will forget it this week after a no-tackle, nowhere-to-be-found performance by Freeney’s opposite defensive end.

Most Underrated Performance:

The Saints’ offensive line not only stifled Freeney and Mathis – Freeney’s one sack was the only serious hit Brees took all game – but excelled in the screen passing game. The most notable example is the downfield blocking on Pierre Thomas’ 16-yard touchdown catch, but running backs Thomas and Reggie Bush combined for 93 receiving yards – many of which came because of the athleticism of the offensive line. Besides, how cool was it seeing an offensive lineman in pre-snap motion a few times?

Also considered:

Marques Colston – He made up for his facemask blooper on the second series by finishing with seven catches for 83 yards

Joseph Addai – No running game for the Colts? Tell that to Addai who had 13 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Gary Brackett – The former undrafted free agent turned Colts’ defense captain posted a game-high 13 tackles – 12 solo.

Best Play:

If you’re not a fan of The Who and not quick with a remote control, you probably missed the best play of the game. The onside kick to start the second half showed guts and an example of how much film the Saints’ coaches must have watched to notice such a tiny vulnerability in the Colts’ special teams. Of course, what did you expect from the man who fumbled away the kick? Hank Baskett could have come back to catch the game-winning touchdown pass (ala Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes) and his biggest score still would have been landing his wife, Kendra Wilkinson.

Also considered:

Tracy Porter’s interception return for a touchdown

Too bad we didn’t see…

Overtime. Maybe if the Super Bowl ended on a coin flip, the NFL finally would understand its overtime rules are outdated. Remember, Manning’s gripes got the pass interference rules changed a few years back. If the Saints had won the toss and scored without Manning touching the ball, then you can bet that Roger Goodell’s first phone call Monday morning would have been to the NCAA. It would have begun something like this: “So both teams get the ball no matter what?”

Best Commercial:

Not a great overall selection relative to years past – how can it be without Pepsi participating? – but the winner is the Snickers’ commercial featuring Betty White. Who knew the former Golden Girl could take a huge hit and talk smack? And the new slogan – “you’re not you when you’re hungry” practically convinced me to heat up more wings.

Also considered:

Doritos’ man wearing the dog collar

E-Trade’s cheating babies

Google’s progression of a relationship

Tomlinson is due a $2 million bonus in March, but I doubt at this point he’ll make it that far.  He went on to make mention of how he didn’t feel the team was as unified this season and making the comment that “I’m not really sure (if he thinks he’ll be in San Diego next year). I can see a lot of things happening. I just kind of leave it open. I spent a lot of years here and enjoy football a lot and enjoy being around the guys in the locker room.”

Although he has had a tough year this year in only rushing for 730 yards, his first under 1,000 yard season, he mentioned that he still feels he can rush for 1.400-1.500 yards.

Nothing else has surfaced at the moment regarding LT, but I can imagine that many teams would be able to move some personnel around to bring him on board.

Peyton Manning will be attempting to grab his second title and in the process put him one step closer to having his name thrown around with Dan Marino, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice.  Just think for a moment that the 33 year old still probably has a couple years left if not maybe even 6 or 7, but he already has 10 Pro Bowl selections, 4 MVP Awards, a Pro Bowl MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, and 1 Super Bowl Title.  All that and I haven’t even mentioned his stats yet…

Manning holds the records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career.  Those are just 2 of the 31 regular season records he holds.  Wait, he also holds 7 playoff records, 7 rookie records, 5 QB-WR tandem records, 7 Pro Bowl records, oh and just 54 team records. Did I mention that since he was drafted in 1998, the Colts have the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%)?

This obviously doesn’t count all the major records that he’ll most likely steal from Brett Favre as Manning closes out his career.

If the colts win on Sunday, he’ll have his second title, most likely his second Super Bowl MVP and I can’t see why he might have contention to be called the greatest after that game.  He won 115 games in the 00’s, he puts the team on his shoulders (in 2009 he had 7 4th quarter comeback wins), and at times looks like he is unbeatable (completed 82% of his passes in December 2008).

I didn’t get to see some of the other great players our parents claim were unstoppable, but every time Peyton is on the field I see something amazing and outside of a couple games, there is nothing that can stop him.  He trains and studies like no other and he has never been the center of controversy.

To me, he is 1 win away.

This past weekend, two-time Olympian and 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen competed for a spot on the 2010 Olympic figure skating team.  Unfortunately, she missed qualifying (finishing fourth) when she fell during her long program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This most likely marked the end of her competitive skating career.

She is 25.

Looking back at women’s figure skaters during the past two decades, the average age of female gold medalists is 19. The oldest female to win a gold medal since World War II was 24-year-old Shizuka Arakawa from Japan, at the 2006 Olympics. Ironically that was the same year that 27-year-old Irina Slutskaya of Russia became the oldest female in that same time period to receive any medal.

The two women (or should I say girls?) who are leading the 2010 U.S. figure-skating team are Rachel Flatt, 17, and Mirai Nagasu, 16. Both were relative unknowns until now, but if either medal during the Games next month in Vancouver they could end up as famous and successful as former gold medalists Dorothy Hamill, Katarina Witt, or that random girl who stole the gold from Michelle Kwan in 1998.

Judging by their age, both skaters have a fairly good chance of going to the Olympics two more times. It seems like a fulfilling career, but these girls are making huge sacrifices for this kind of life. Young athletes are often portrayed as being “normal” girls who just happen to be headed to the Olympics. However, these girls spend hours every day perfecting their craft. They sacrifice everything normal for a world in which very few succeed and for a career that often ends abruptly after 15 years of painful, intense, and stressful training.

For example, Sasha Cohen (not the Borat guy) started taking ice-skating seriously at age 11. When I was 11, I was obsessed with gymnastics, horseback riding, boys, going to the mall, and ice cream—none of which I’d say I “took seriously.”

Often dubbed “The Ice Queen” due to her harsh and “bitchy” nature, Cohen spent the greater part of her teens simply training. By age 16, she had to skip competitions due to a stress fracture in her back. At 16, I was learning to drive a car and looking for a prom dress.

Cohen reached the Olympics by 17 and was an Olympic silver medalist by 21, the same age most girls are out at bars drinking, dancing and partying with friends after acing a big econ exam. Hardly a “normal” life.

This is why it’s not uncommon for skaters to end their careers when they peak (read: winning Olympic gold). Skaters such as Peggy Fleming, Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski (oh, THAT’S her name), and Sarah Hughes all finished competing after they won the gold. It makes sense that after achieving the top prize, they move on to something else.

It’s the skaters that fall short of the gold who have returned to redeem themselves: Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, and, most recently, Sasha Cohen. All were around the age of 25 when they made their last attempt at the gold; all fell short once again. Kerrigan received silver in 1994 after the notorious incident involving Tanya Harding. Kwan received a place on the 2006 Olympic team only after petitioning for it, even though she was unable to compete at the U.S. Championships due to injury; she later withdrew from the Olympics, finishing her career sans gold. And Cohen, after leaving the competitive world of skating for four years, was unable to beat the aforementioned teen duo for one last shot at the elusive gold.

After most competitive skaters turn pro or retire, only the true figure-skating enthusiasts ever truly hear about them again. Most go on to do exhibition shows that air on random Saturday afternoons; others become announcers or coaches. For many, that brief time in the spotlight with billions of people worldwide watching them is as good as it gets.

What happens if they don’t win the gold or even medal and, in the process, fail to capture their country’s hearts? Unfortunately, if they don’t “make it” by 25, they don’t get another chance.

I’m not sure what’s worse: starting a career at 25, or ending one. But I do know that even though Cohen’s competitive career appears to be over, despite the injuries and sacrifices she has undoubtedly accomplished a lot by age 25. And maybe that’s all that really matters.

He is the quarterback who threw an interception on his team’s final offensive play in a NFC championship game loss – and maybe on the final pass of his Hall of Fame career.

There is a lot of irony in the symmetrical stories but the next 24 hours could serve as the point of divergence. It is the period that will serve as the litmus test for how far the once-beloved Favre has fallen from grace.

Two years ago, after his overtime interception cost the Green Bay Packers against the New York Giants, every football-watching American understood that the mere idea of Favre’s final pass being an interception was unjust.

Tears were shed for the hero who was dealt a villain’s ending.

Will anyone share that opinion this year? Will anyone still pity Favre after a two-year journey in which he has looked spoiled, selfish and greedy?

Or will his tarnished image lead to calls that the potential send-off served Favre right for being too much of a gambler in a big spot?

The only things we know for sure are not to expect a quick decision on whether or not the 40-year-old gunslinger will be back again next season and not to believe that decision.

Call it karma.

Call it bad luck.

Call it whatever you like.

But Favre again has been cast in a villain’s ending, and this time the role fits him much better.

According to freetranslation.com, it means “Please let me sit on your bench and collect a paycheck” – a quote that we would have heard from Stephon Marbury if he took a even small dose of truth serum after signing a contract to play a professional basketball team in China.

Instead lets all hear about the “unique experience” and “challenge” of living overseas.
At its worst, the decision to sign with Shanxi – team located in the city of Taiyuan – is a way for the former All-Star point guard to steal money from an organization just as he did to the Knicks.

At its best, it’s a shameless self-marketing tool – much like his all-about-me YouTube video posts – designed to increase sales of his Starbury-brand basketball shoe and clothing line.

Marbury probably figures if he’s retired, Starburys aren’t truly a basketball shoe since not one player in the world is wearing them.

The true irony of the situation is that even traveling across the world probably will not allow Marbury the opportunity to prove he can win a playoff series. Shanxi has just three wins and is in 12th place in a 17-team league.

In other words, Marbury found a way to join the New Jersey Nets without actually returning to the franchise he once saved – by being traded away for Jason Kidd.

Now the question becomes: How long before he is teammates with Tracy McGrady?

Now I am not saying that Norv Turner is some god of coaching or he would be the person I would want to coach my team, but look at the stats for a moment.

Under his direction the Chargers are 32-16 in the regular season, winning their division, albeit an easier one, 3 times. So before we go any further, let’s put this in our minds – Averaging 10.6 wins and hasn’t lost his division yet or not made the playoffs.

Playoffs?!?! (sorry I had to).  Turner has made the playoffs all 3 years being head coach of the Chargers and has an overall record of 3-3. His first loss was to the Patriots in 07-08.  The Patriots team that came an All-Madden helmet catch play away from becoming the 2nd team ever to go undefeated. The 08-09 loss was to the eventual Superbowl champion Steelers and this years loss to the Cinderella Jets.

People want rings, I get it, but give the guy a chance.  He hasn’t steered you wrong, he’s made the playoffs, he’s won some playoff games, he turned around this years team and not to mention his (then) best player, LaDainian Tomlinson, has become just another running back.

It took Tony Dungy (Colts) and Mike Holmgren (Packers) 5 years to make the Superbowl (both won it that year), it took Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin (Giants) both 4 years to get there, and it took Bill Cowher 14 seasons to Win a Superbowl, Tom Landry (Cowboys) needed 12 years to win it, Chuck Noll coached in steel town for 6 years before he got his shot at the big one, and poor Marv Levy.

If you look at the top 20 coaches of all time by number of wins, obviously coaches that won a ton, only 2 other coaches have won their division 3 times in their first 3 years (Paul Brown with the Browns and Chuck Knox with the LA Rams).

Give the man a break Charger fans, he might just be due.

The big issue is that Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are currently holding two spots according to fan voting when neither one deserves to play in the game.  Tracy McGrady has played 46 minutes this season and Allen Iverson is having a less than mediocure season with the Sixers.

“Tracy, if he played, I’m sure he’d play well enough to be an All-Star player, because he’s done that his career,” Allen said. “But again, that’s taking away from another player in the Western Conference that’s having a great year, that’s been playing, that deserves to be in there.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself Ray.  All-Star games should be an honor and privledge, not who can sell the most jerseys or gets the most press.  So someone like Steve Nash or Chris Paul doesn’t get to start the All-Star game because Tracy McGrady’s 46 total minutes this year gain him international stardom.  I’m a fan of McGrady, don’t get me wrong, but this system has huge issues.  This isn’t about honoring the best players in the NBA anymore.  How can you factor hall of fame thoughts or rememberences of a player on all-star appearences when they are a joke.

The NBA needs to fix this to a system that allows coaches and players to get 50% of the voting to ensure that the fans are picking the correct players.  And it needs to be dones ASAP.

Sports work in mysterious ways with a bounce or missed call causing your season to be a disaster. In the Jets case they have pretty much relied on their defense, a defense no one can argue against, to keep them in games and put them in positions to win. You have to believe Rex Ryan has planned this for Mark Sanchez, who is now tied for the Jets all time leader in playoff victories (2), to not have to win any games under any circumstance.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The Jets blew a 3-0 start and put themselves in a position where they were 4-6. 4-6 is pretty much done. Then miracles happened. They won 5 of their next 6 and got every team that they needed to lose to lose. Many people will say they got a “gift wrapped” playoff spot, but the bottom line is, they beat the teams on the field. You can’t fault the Jets for beating the backup Colts. They didn’t tell them to pull their starters, they didn’t pay the other teams to lose. The bottom line is, they won the games they needed to win and other teams lost. Give them that respect.

They came into the playoffs did the same thing they did in the final 6 games: Let the defense put you in a position to try to break a big play or catch some bounces.

Against the Bengals they got a very timely fumble early in the game when the Bengals had the ball on the Jets 30, they got Shane Graham to miss 2 FG’s, and scored on 2 plays of 39 or more yards. In San Diego, they looked like they were done. Sanchez couldn’t move the ball, the chargers couldn’t be stopped, and then it all happened. Nate Kaeding, who I think even Jets fans would say is a top if not THE top kicker in the league missed FG’s of 36, 57 (we’ll give him that one), and 40 yards. They got a turnover which put them in the Chargers redzone and cashed in later on a 53 yard run.

By no means am I suggesting the Jets got to this point by luck, maybe a little, but they deserve the respect of everyone in the league. They play hard and put themselves in positions to catch breaks. Yes, Kickers are 0-5 against then in the playoffs with the average kick being 39 yards, which is probably made 80% of the time, but they didn’t allow touchdowns.

Either way, they have deserve more respect than what they have been given up to this point. They are the best defense in the league and they are the best rushing team in the league. Every team that wins has a great defense (for the most part) and this team does. In the past 8 games they have let up an average of 9 points a game. 9 Points.

Maybe it’s Rex Ryan, maybe it’s the defense, maybe it’s sports fate. Either way the way the Jets squeaking out wins at this point in the season, maybe they have a shot in Indy, maybe they have a shot at the Superbowl as their coach proclaimed a couple weeks back, maybe just maybe there is one more Joe Namath like miracle left in the Jets.

Hilary Clinton suggested American citizens donate $10 via cell phone text message. But, because I still don’t like the idea of sending text messages to those strange numbers advertised on TV, I decided to donate my $10 to the Red Cross via their website (much more reputable in my opinion). After I did, I felt a little better and hoped that my money would make some small difference.

Like me, professional athletes have decided to donate funds to help the Haitian cause in a time of deep need. Unlike me, professional athletes have much deeper pockets. The New York Yankees, while sometimes known as “The Evil Empire,” generously donated $500,000 to the relief effort. What’s more, Major League Baseball contributed $1,000,000 on behalf of all of its teams. Philidelphia 76er Samuel Dalembert, who has family residing in Haiti, wrote a $100,000 check and plans to match fan donations at the next game against Sacramento. The Livestrong Foundation, brainchild of cyclist Lance Armstrong, will supply $250,000 in aid to Doctors Without Borders.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, Pierre Garcon, is still missing family members in the tragedy. With electricity, telephone connections, and internet connectivity still sketchy, Garcon has been unable to reach all of his relatives living in the area. All the while, Garcon is expected to be at his best for the AFC divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. Via his Twitter account, Garcon is offering signed gear as a thank you to fans for their donations to relief organizations and the Haitian people. In addition, the Colts organization will donate $10,000 to the Red Cross.

Because the United States has such close relations with the Caribbean nation, many in our community of friends and neighbors have been deeply impacted by the natural disaster in Haiti. It’s no surprise, then, to see this heartbreak, confusion, and ultimately, generosity mirrored in our community of professional athletes. Plagued by bad sports news lately (Gilbert Arenas toting guns into crowded stadiums & Mark McGwire’s steroid admissions) its nice to see athletes and organizations acting as role models and putting their money where their mouths are.