Nfl 2011

[kidsmoke*]

Congrats to the Giants, who once again, simply showed up and wanted it. Manning shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone. I think all the praise for Brady has gotten to his head, when all the cameras are pointed at him. When he was sneaking up on everyone, he was money. Now he can't quite get her done for the big game. That underthrown Bomb to Gronk was the game for them. AFC win was a stinker that they eek-ed out, The Jets Game last year, the Ravens the year before, and of course the 2007 Super Bowl. Talented, but you gotta win the big one.He still dominates the regular season, and they should continue to be there for a couple of years. But something about the big stage. He just doesn't get it done. Had a good game, but that interception.....

Ah well, Next year.

[R_of_G]

The halftime show is not about football fans. It is to draw the people that don't care about football, but maybe want to check out the ads, etc. Thus, the mediocre, middle of the road, entertainment choices that often are made. The Prince show a couple years ago was pretty darned good though. And U2 was ok. I personally would like to see the Foo Fighters rock a real live show. I bet they could pull it off. And pick songs that would fit the demographic.

It'd probably be better if they didn't use the Foo Fighters as fans would only be disappointed when the FFs were forced to lip sync at least part of the performance. I still haven't forgiven Springsteen for that. I still love the guy, but I do count that as a negative. That said, even a lip synced FFs performance would be better than Madonna or the Black Eyed Peas.

Also, I agree with TKs points about Brady. He's a phenomenal QB, but he's not exactly Captain Clutch.

I'd also like to add that the Patriots have still yet to win a title since Bellichick was caught cheating. Maybe that means nothing. Maybe it means something. Either way, it's a fact.

[Tig***]

Foo Fighters would be a great show, and then I wouldn't mind the extra time Super Bowls use for halftime. They are so consistent and tight, they would never need to lip synch. I remember how much they praised Prince's cover of their song. saying they could never sound nearly as good as he did.

[piebaldpython***]

lol You have to remember that Brady had 1 or 2 excellent throws dropped in their final series. So that cost 15-20 yds........the final bomb was a good high throw and Gronk was out of position to snatch up a tipped ball. Kind of hard to blame Brady for that too!! lol

Kind of a shame Hound Dog Taylors and The Houserockers aren't around......they'd be a great show to catch.

[R_of_G]

lol You have to remember that Brady had 1 or 2 excellent throws dropped in their final series. So that cost 15-20 yds........the final bomb was a good high throw and Gronk was out of position to snatch up a tipped ball. Kind of hard to blame Brady for that too!! lol

Welker is taking a lot of heat for his drop, but that one is more on Brady than Welker to my eyes. He threw it too high and forced Welker to turn against himself to get it. Yes, Welker got his hands on it and he has to share in the blame, but it was not a good throw. Hernandez's drop was all his fault. Brady got it to him perfectly but Hernandez looked up for a second to see if he was about to get hit and when he turned around the ball was closer than he must have realized it would be.

Conversely (or inversely, whichever one is correct) Manningham made an absolutely spectacular catch on the Giants' last drive and deserves the praise he's getting for it, but that throw from Manning was one of the most accurate passes I've ever seen in my life. There was a space no bigger than the ball itself into which Manning could have thrown it for the catch to be possible and he put it exactly in that space. Unbelievable.

[R_of_G]

Foo Fighters would be a great show, and then I wouldn't mind the extra time Super Bowls use for halftime. They are so consistent and tight, they would never need to lip synch. I remember how much they praised Prince's cover of their song. saying they could never sound nearly as good as he did.

It's not a "need" to thing with the lip sync/music sync at the Super Bowl, it's a requirement by the broadcast people. Recall if you will my horror a few years back when Springsteen did it. If ever there was a band that was tight enough to never need to pre-record anything it's the E Street Band and yet here we are. They weren't given an option. Same for Prince. Same for the Stones. And I would imagine, same would apply for the Foo Fighters.

[Tig***]

It's not a "need" to thing with the lip sync/music sync at the Super Bowl, it's a requirement by the broadcast people. Recall if you will my horror a few years back when Springsteen did it. If ever there was a band that was tight enough to never need to pre-record anything it's the E Street Band and yet here we are. They weren't given an option. Same for Prince. Same for the Stones. And I would imagine, same would apply for the Foo Fighters.

Ah, the smell of NFL money and power! I consider the NFL as a modern corporate mafia that people actually worship (reference American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman). When I whine about what the music business has done to music, it is in the same vein as what the NFL has done to football. Any business that happens to print or say "Superbowl" in an ad will be sued unless they pay up for the privilege. Remember when it wasn't like that not too long ago?

Sure, I love to watch the game, but I never forget just how powerful the business really is. Even college football has turned into a multi-billion dollar business.

/rant

[Tig***]

[marnold***]

Last I checked, no one put a gun to any of their heads and forced any of those acts to perform. If big, top-name acts say they won't perform under those circumstances, things would change. They don't, so they won't.

[sunvalleylaw]

I didn't realize it was a forced deal. Makes the performance of the remains of the Who even worse in retrospect. I am a Springsteen admirer and didn't like his show much either. That knee slide was over the top and forced seeming. I guess I did not remember it was lip synced too. For some reason, I thought the Prince show was live. I guess I am gullible.

[piebaldpython***]

Any of those acts could have said NO....but.......the chance to perform before untold millions of people....a decent amount who might not know who they are.....and hence, sell CDs to.......is too tempting to resist.

Seriously, if it wasn't for the CSI TV shows, would many kids under 25 know who the WHO is?

[R_of_G]

And you thought this thread was over.

I thought this was a nice piece on Eli by ESPN.com's Liz Merrill. It balances out things a bit for me with ESPN, with whom I was once again disappointed yesterday. Two days after Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl (and second SB MVP) ESPN is running a special on Tim Tebow.

I barely understood the network's obsession with him during the Broncos' season, but there were several QBs whose stories were (to me anyway) far more interesting this season and performed at a significantly higher level.

At the top of that list is Eli Manning who began the season as fodder for imbecilic sports columnists and talk radio hosts because he dared to answer a no-win question.

What's the guy to say when asked if he thinks he's an elite QB?

If he says no, they jump on him for having no confidence in himself.

Instead, when he says yes, they jump on him pointing out that he's not as good as his brother or Rodgers or Brees, all of whom would now have to pool their championship rings together to have more than Eli.

This was the season he finally stepped out from Peyton's shadow. If you still question whether or not he's an elite QB, I question whether or not you're an elite appreciator of the game of football.

Anyway, here's the piece.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2011...e-indianapolis

[piebaldpython***]

+1 on Eli................now it's Peyton who has to play catch-up. lol Nothing shuts people's mouths faster than WINNING........especially winning the way the Giants won.....at the end with some fine passing by Eli.

My wife asks me "no-win" questions every now and then. I just look at her and laugh.....and say no matter how I answer that I LOSE. She agrees and then finds a way to ask the question that doesn't get me in Hot water. lol

[R_of_G]

+1 on Eli................now it's Peyton who has to play catch-up. lol Nothing shuts people's mouths faster than WINNING........especially winning the way the Giants won.....at the end with some fine passing by Eli.

Funny how Giants' fans weren't sold on Eli but a Jets' fan and an Eagles' fan saw how good he really was.

[sunvalleylaw]

And you thought this thread was over.

I thought this was a nice piece on Eli by ESPN.com's Liz Merrill. It balances out things a bit for me with ESPN, with whom I was once again disappointed yesterday. Two days after Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl (and second SB MVP) ESPN is running a special on Tim Tebow.

I barely understood the network's obsession with him during the Broncos' season, but there were several QBs whose stories were (to me anyway) far more interesting this season and performed at a significantly higher level.

At the top of that list is Eli Manning who began the season as fodder for imbecilic sports columnists and talk radio hosts because he dared to answer a no-win question.

What's the guy to say when asked if he thinks he's an elite QB?

If he says no, they jump on him for having no confidence in himself.

Instead, when he says yes, they jump on him pointing out that he's not as good as his brother or Rodgers or Brees, all of whom would now have to pool their championship rings together to have more than Eli.

This was the season he finally stepped out from Peyton's shadow. If you still question whether or not he's an elite QB, I question whether or not you're an elite appreciator of the game of football.

Anyway, here's the piece.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2011...e-indianapolis

unbelievable! Nothing against Tebow himself, but I just do not get the media. And I think Eli answered the question the only way he could, then let his play do the talking. Good for him.