| NFL | |
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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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| NBA | |
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Super Bowl Recap By Ron Jumper The Colts triumphant victory over the Bears was a great day for yours truly. Not only was I excited for Peyton Manning, it capped off an impressive playoff run than saw me finish 8-3 ATS and 11-0 SU. After an 0-2 ATS start, I was nervous to say the least. However, rattling off 8 of the last 9 games more than made up for the slow start. On to more intriguing matters, the trip itself… With the Super Bowl trip behind me, I can’t help but look back on the short but memorable trip. From the atmosphere to the alcohol, there were plenty of things that stood out over the weekend. I understood the passion and excitement shown by college fans, but I was blown away at the level of dedication NFL fans show in order to support their team. My family and I haven’t even made it to Miami yet, and all you can see as we are getting on the plane to Miami is Colts and Bears jerseys everywhere. Fans were bickering and jabbing at one another on the flight down Saturday, I could feel the tension building already for the big game. I recall thinking to myself, “these guys aren’t even in Florida, nor they do have any alcohol in their systems, and it is taking all they have to hold back from brawling with one another.” That was when it started to sync in how big the Super Bowl is. It is a symbol of America. Not having it would damage our culture as a whole. Even the women look forward to the Super Bowl to see all the commercials, though I hear this year was a little disappointing. Once we arrived in Miami, we headed to the hotel to get settled in. Staying at my favorite hotel, The Marriot, is a staple of our family trips. My father has stayed there so much on business trips and vacations he is an Elite Platinum Member, which makes him guaranteed a room even at full capacity. He enjoys being at this status, you can just tell. When they screwed up room service that night, you could hear his classic catch phrases. To make the employee fear for his or her job, he always asks, “And what is your name, mam/sir?” I love the sudden pep in the employees step. If that doesn’t work, just slipping the word “manager” in there occasionally toys with employee’s minds. They really don’t want to be the one that pisses off the Elite Platinum Member. That was about as exciting as Saturday got, much to my chagrin. Having given my girlfriend a hard time all week about how I was going to lay out on the beach, I was very disappointed to wake up to rain on Sunday morning for multiple reasons. First off, if you have been to South Beach, you know what the view is like. Secondly, my girlfriend treats tanning like a sport. If tanning was a sport in the Olympics, she would be the defending Gold Medallist. She takes it very seriously. I was looking forward to calling her from the beach to tell her all about it. Being relegated to the hotel, I had to endure one of the worst times in television every year: Super Bowl Pre-Game Shows. They have already beaten everything into the ground so many times that there is nothing they could possibly say. The media got so bored with the plot lines this year that they focused on Eli Manning more than they did the players actually in the game. Just between me and you, I could care less right now whether Eli is ever going to make it to a Super Bowl and if by Peyton making it that he now has more pressure to win. What a load of bologna. I tried ESPNews, that had the same two or three segments being repeated over and over again. I will say that Eli turning in the video of Peyton doing the tango back in junior high was classic. When young Peyton does the infamous “bull” move, I couldn’t help but crack up. When the time came, around 2 PM, we headed to the stadium. It wasn’t until I actually saw the stadium that my excitement really grew. The lights and festivities seemed to make me realize that I was actually there, where before it had seemed surreal. Once I made my way into the stadium, my attention quickly shifted away from the game itself. About every 10 feet was a different brand of alcohol with its own individual stand. If you felt the need for a Crown Royal and Coke, there was a stand for that. If you were in a more festive mood, there were Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiris available at the Bacardi stand. Not to worry, you had all the beer selections available for your drinking needs. Miller Light, Bud Light, Fosters, and Coors Light were available in every corner. Granted, it cost a whopping $10 for a single beer, but it was certainly a sight to see. Onto the game itself, the first half went up and down like a see-saw. I would get excited about a big turnover, then the ball would go right back. Heck, Adam Viniteri even missed a field goal to leave the Colts up by only 2 at 16-14. Since the rain had been non-stop, I decided watching Prince wasn’t worth sitting in the rain for another 30 minutes when I could sit covered out in the walkway. I heard Prince did a great job, though I couldn’t have cared less at that time what he did. The second half was a completely different story. The Colts came out and took over from the opening possession to the end. There were times where you felt Chicago might make a play and get back in it, but deep down you knew it was Manning’s day to shine. The vaunted Bears defense had been shredded all day and was worn down because their own offense couldn’t stay on the field. This led to a great outing from Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Adaii. To think Rhodes was even in the ballpark of getting MVP was a surprise to say the least. With him being a free agent, I am curious if someone will want to open the checkbook for him. On the plane ride home to Little Rock, I noticed a lot of people with Bears stuff on. Then my dad, who would talk to the wall if it would talk back, strikes up a conversation with one of the Bears fans. The man turned out to be Charles Harris, the father of Nick Harris. Nick Harris is a safety for the Bears and actually picked off Manning in the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Charles Harris told us his son’s interesting story about how he came to be in the NFL. Chris graduated from J.A. Fair in 2000, the year after Cedric Cobbs had led them to a state title. Harris, known for his ability to play the trumpet and centerfield, decided to give football a try his senior year. Flying under the radar, he was offered a scholarship by Louisiana-Monroe. There he flourished into a standout, though playing in the NFL still seemed like a stretch. In the 2002 draft, the Bears took a chance on him and rest is history. The trip certainly was more than I expected it to be. I hope to make it again someday, maybe with my kids. The atmosphere is something else, it is kind of hard to truly describe. The tension and excitement in the air is something extraordinary. The fans love and pride for their teams is something to admire, not so much the taunting and sarcasm but you understand what I mean. The Super Bowl is the ultimate experience and I hope to return someday. February 8, 2007 |
| NCAA Football | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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