Super Bowl Weirdness Or "The Devil and the Deer"

The Super Bowl has evolved into such a mega-colossal, super-duper, bigger-than-life-itself event, that some sort of weirdness is almost always dug up, every year.

This year, it's Ray Lewis, deer antlers and the devil.

Oh, you need that explained, huh? I'll try.

It started, sort of, when Lewis was alleged to have used deer velvet antler spray as a quickie aid in recovering from a torn triceps. Unfortunately, it contains a substance banned by the NFL.

Lewis has spent a couple days denying it, and his latest explanation has some serious biblical dimensions. Or let Ray himself tell it.

"...That's the trick of the devil," Lewis told the media, concerning the allegations. "The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."

If true, El Diablo is doing a pretty good job. Distraction, that is. No evidence of murder, theft or destruction at this Super Bowl.

Yet.

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It's Finally Here! What to Watch for in Today's Super Bowl

Sometimes with all the hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl, it seems like the actual game will never come. The NFL wants to milk this mega-event for all it's worth and that's why we have the two-week buildup.

Well, game day is here and most of the circus acts are through. There is a game to be played, and that's what we hard-core football fans have been waiting for.

This Super Bowl has some of the hardest hitters in the the game, but it will also involve a lot of chess moves by the coaches, coordinators and players.

With the talent fairly equal for both Baltimore and San Francisco, the game will most likely come down to who adjusts better in the heat of battle. So, here are some vital signs, portents and just plain stuff to watch for in the big game today.

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Why the San Francisco 49ers Will Win the Super Bowl

I picked the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl earlier, and I don't care how many times Beyonce lip-synchs or how many orangutans pick Baltimore, I am not backing off.

In fact, here are some more reasons why the 49ers win Sunday.

- This is looking more and more like it will be a fairly high-scoring game, and the 49ers like it when the scoreboard blazes. In their last 23 games in which they scored more than 20 points, they're 22-0-1.

- On the other hand, the old adage "defense wins games" doesn't go away just because this is the Super Bowl. The better defensive team wins the Super Bowl 70 percent of the time, according to renowned statistician Nate Silver.

The 49ers had the second-best scoring defense this year. The Ravens ranked 12th. Baltimore's defenders are not fast enough to deal with the 49ers' multiple offensive weapons, especially quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The 49ers have the best offensive line in the NFL, with three first-round draft picks. They will manhandle the Ravens' defensive front.

- San Francisco has never lost a Super Bowl, going 5-0. In fact, they are the only undefeated Super Bowl team among those 18? teams that have been to the big game multiple times.

- The 49ers love the Superdome, and they have a .656 winning percentage there. That doesn't sound great, but it's the best among teams that have played at least 10 games there.

- However, if the game comes down to a field goal, San Francisco could be in serious trouble. Their kicker, David Akers, has had a terrible season. He's tied with Buffalo's Scott Norwood for the third-worst regular season field goal percentage entering the Super Bowl.

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Super Bowl XLVII: Um, What About the Football?

You are to be pitied if you are looking for actual news coming out of New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. You know, something about the actual football game.

We've had to endure Beyonce's lip-synching scandals, gays in the NFL, the healthiest Super Bowl snacks, deer antler spray, all about halftime shows, predictions from orangutans and of course the hot, hot, hot Super Bowl commercials.

And I'm not sure I would be ready for the big game if I hadn't learned what Jude Law's plans were for Super Sunday.

Anyway, let's think about an aspect of Sunday's game that has been largely overlooked: Special teams.

Special team play can and often do decide football games. Field goals have decided four Super Bowls, for example.

The Baltimore Ravens have a huge edge when it comes to placekickers, one of their few advantages in my opinion.

Justin Turner missed only three field goals all year, going 30 for 33, and he was four for four from 50 yards and beyond.

For the San Francisco 49ers, David Akers had a terrible year, missing 10 of 19 tries from at least 40 yards.

However, San Francisco has one of the best punters in the league in Andy Lee, who tied for the highest net punting average. Lee rarely out-kicks his coverage and is very accurate, often settling his kicks down delicately inside the opponents' 20-yard-line.

Both teams have good kick returners, but Baltimore's Jacoby Jones is probably the best in the league. His 30.7 yards per kick average is the best in the NFL among those who have returned at least 16 kicks.

On the other hand, the Ravens, who were generally solid in special teams coverage, have lapsed in the postseason, surrendering two touchdowns on long kick returns by Denver's Trindon Holliday in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Prediction: The 49ers will try earnestly not to kick to Jones, but he will still manage to have at least one game-changing return.

I'm sticking with my prediction, though, of a 49ers win.

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2013 Super Bowl: Wisdom and Experience over Youth and Talent

It seemed that the Young and Restless had everything? happening over the Old and Listless going into the 2013 Super Bowl or, more formally Super Bowl XLVII.

The San Francisco 49ers had tatooed quarterback Colin Kaepernick on a hot streak. The Baltimore Ravens had linebacker Ray Lewis going out on his retirement party.

There were fireworks aplenty in New Orleans last night and the youngsters did indeed put on a show. Kaepernick put up some good numbers in a 34-31 losing effort and Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco had a super game, winning MVP honors.

But, when crunch time came, it was Baltimore's veterans who staved off defeat and handed the Ravens their second Lombardi Trophy, one more than the old Colts could manage for the city. Read all about it here.

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Is Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco Worthy of a Super Contract?

Is there anything in sports hotter than a winning Super Bowl quarterback?

And if that winning quarterback happens to be the MVP for the winning team? Man, he's so hot he's contributing to global warming. You can actually spot him from Google Earth.

Big contracts, beautiful women, huge endorsements - it's enough to give anybody a big ol' head.

That's Joe Flacco, currently the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, who, you know, won the Super Bowl.

People are saying he's one of the league's elite QBs now. His teammates are saying he's the best.

His agent is saying: Big Money. At least as much as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Flacco is also, you see, a free agent. Nice timing, huh?

But, is Flacco really worth being paid a whopping contract bigger than the accepted elite NFL quarterbacks?

In a word: No.

There have been more than a few Super Bowl heroes who parlayed the big game into big dollars, then went on to become busts or mediocre at best, as TomVan Riper points out in an interesting article in Forbes.

Among them: Super Bowl MVP safety Dexter Jackson, a Buccaneer at the time, got $14 million from Arizona after that show but never exceeded mediocre after that.

Others include Deion Branch and Larry Brown, as well as a few hot assistant coaches.

Flacco has earned his reputation as a big-game quarterback, but overall his numbers are pretty average. This past season, for example, his passer rating was 12th in the league.

The Ravens quarterback deserves a good contract and a hefty raise, but not a super-inflated one because of his super showing. He's a pretty good ways above merely solid, but somewhat south of spectacular and elite.

I'd be interested in any thoughts you might have about Flacco.

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View the original article here

Super Bowl Weirdness Or "The Devil and the Deer"

The Super Bowl has evolved into such a mega-colossal, super-duper, bigger-than-life-itself event, that some sort of weirdness is almost always dug up, every year.

This year, it's Ray Lewis, deer antlers and the devil.

Oh, you need that explained, huh? I'll try.

It started, sort of, when Lewis was alleged to have used deer velvet antler spray as a quickie aid in recovering from a torn triceps. Unfortunately, it contains a substance banned by the NFL.

Lewis has spent a couple days denying it, and his latest explanation has some serious biblical dimensions. Or let Ray himself tell it.

"...That's the trick of the devil," Lewis told the media, concerning the allegations. "The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."

If true, El Diablo is doing a pretty good job. Distraction, that is. No evidence of murder, theft or destruction at this Super Bowl.

Yet.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Is Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco Worthy of a Super Contract?

Is there anything in sports hotter than a winning Super Bowl quarterback?

And if that winning quarterback happens to be the MVP for the winning team? Man, he's so hot he's contributing to global warming. You can actually spot him from Google Earth.

Big contracts, beautiful women, huge endorsements - it's enough to give anybody a big ol' head.

That's Joe Flacco, currently the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, who, you know, won the Super Bowl.

People are saying he's one of the league's elite QBs now. His teammates are saying he's the best.

His agent is saying: Big Money. At least as much as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Flacco is also, you see, a free agent. Nice timing, huh?

But, is Flacco really worth being paid a whopping contract bigger than the accepted elite NFL quarterbacks?

In a word: No.

There have been more than a few Super Bowl heroes who parlayed the big game into big dollars, then went on to become busts or mediocre at best, as TomVan Riper points out in an interesting article in Forbes.

Among them: Super Bowl MVP safety Dexter Jackson, a Buccaneer at the time, got $14 million from Arizona after that show but never exceeded mediocre after that.

Others include Deion Branch and Larry Brown, as well as a few hot assistant coaches.

Flacco has earned his reputation as a big-game quarterback, but overall his numbers are pretty average. This past season, for example, his passer rating was 12th in the league.

The Ravens quarterback deserves a good contract and a hefty raise, but not a super-inflated one because of his super showing. He's a pretty good ways above merely solid, but somewhat south of spectacular and elite.

I'd be interested in any thoughts you might have about Flacco.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Is Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco Worthy of a Super Contract?

Is there anything in sports hotter than a winning Super Bowl quarterback?

And if that winning quarterback happens to be the MVP for the winning team? Man, he's so hot he's contributing to global warming. You can actually spot him from Google Earth.

Big contracts, beautiful women, huge endorsements - it's enough to give anybody a big ol' head.

That's Joe Flacco, currently the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, who, you know, won the Super Bowl.

People are saying he's one of the league's elite QBs now. His teammates are saying he's the best.

His agent is saying: Big Money. At least as much as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Flacco is also, you see, a free agent. Nice timing, huh?

But, is Flacco really worth being paid a whopping contract bigger than the accepted elite NFL quarterbacks?

In a word: No.

There have been more than a few Super Bowl heroes who parlayed the big game into big dollars, then went on to become busts or mediocre at best, as TomVan Riper points out in an interesting article in Forbes.

Among them: Super Bowl MVP safety Dexter Jackson, a Buccaneer at the time, got $14 million from Arizona after that show but never exceeded mediocre after that.

Others include Deion Branch and Larry Brown, as well as a few hot assistant coaches.

Flacco has earned his reputation as a big-game quarterback, but overall his numbers are pretty average. This past season, for example, his passer rating was 12th in the league.

The Ravens quarterback deserves a good contract and a hefty raise, but not a super-inflated one because of his super showing. He's a pretty good ways above merely solid, but somewhat south of spectacular and elite.

I'd be interested in any thoughts you might have about Flacco.

- Getty Images

View the original article here

Super Bowl Weirdness Or "The Devil and the Deer"

The Super Bowl has evolved into such a mega-colossal, super-duper, bigger-than-life-itself event, that some sort of weirdness is almost always dug up, every year.

This year, it's Ray Lewis, deer antlers and the devil.

Oh, you need that explained, huh? I'll try.

It started, sort of, when Lewis was alleged to have used deer velvet antler spray as a quickie aid in recovering from a torn triceps. Unfortunately, it contains a substance banned by the NFL.

Lewis has spent a couple days denying it, and his latest explanation has some serious biblical dimensions. Or let Ray himself tell it.

"...That's the trick of the devil," Lewis told the media, concerning the allegations. "The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."

If true, El Diablo is doing a pretty good job. Distraction, that is. No evidence of murder, theft or destruction at this Super Bowl.

Yet.

- Getty Images

View the original article here