Super Bowl XLIII proves it's the game, not the teams, that matters
I guess I need to apologize.
I was very tough on a certain group of fans. I didn't think they would turn out in droves like they did Sunday.
So, I offer my heartfelt apologies to the football fans of America. You proved last Sunday that it doesn't matter what teams are playing in the Super Bowl. You're going to tune in and watch.
Nielsen Media Research announced this week that Super Bowl XLIII is now the most viewed television program in United States history, with a total audience of
151.6 million viewers. They saw a great game on NBC, with the Pittsburgh Steelers pulling out a last-minute 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's always incredibly satisfying to amass large audiences, but this television record simply reaffirms the power of the Super Bowl and the National Football League," NBC Universal Sports and Olympics chairman Dick Ebersol said. "Everyone associated with the NFL should feel a great sense of pride in this accomplishment and in providing a day of enjoyment to American families - especially those who are struggling in these difficult times."
The game topped the previous record, set in last year's Super Bowl between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. A total of 148.3 million viewers tuned in for the Fox broadcast.
In the last two weeks, I have been writing that I thought having the Cardinals in the Super Bowl would prove to hurt NBC's ratings. I thought the best matchup for NBC would be a Pittsburgh-Philadelphia Super Bowl, or even a Baltimore-Philadelphia one. Of course, my loyalty to the Eagles probably had a little bit to do with my opinion. I even thought we would see a rating that would be below 30.
But I find it amazing how the NFL can pull viewers into its biggest game, even when the teams aren't the most attractive. Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL are probably envious of that.
It wouldn't surprise me, though, if everyone at NBC had been privately worried heading into the Super Bowl. They had a known commodity in the Steelers, who were going for their sixth Super Bowl title.
The Cardinals had to be a major concern. This was their first Super Bowl, and one of the lasting images prior to the playoffs was them getting blown out by the Patriots in Week 16.
But the Cardinals and Steelers played a great game, especially in the fourth quarter, when the Cardinals rallied to take a 23-20 lead, only to have the Steelers retake the lead with 35 seconds left.
So, football fans, I hope you accept my apology. I will never doubt your faith in the NFL again.
And you were probably thinking I was going to apologize for my comments on the rock band Journey I made on one of my many reviews of the broadcast on my blog. For all of you Journey fans, I stand by what I said.
(c) The Daily Gazette Co. 2009
Battlers backing Steelers
Times are tough in Steeltown USA, but a victory by the beloved Pittsburgh Steelers over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII will help lift the gloom of layoffs and economic woes, at least for a while.
Few United States sports teams have as deep a link with supporters or as widespread a fan base as the Steelers, who could win an unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title by beating the Cardinals in today's NFL final.
''The Steelers give Pittsburgh a lot of hope,'' safety Troy Polamalu said.
''When we lose, the depression is so thick you can swallow it. They ride the emotional roller-coaster the same way we do.''
Historically, the Steelers have had the lion's share of supporters wherever they play and when they play in the Super Bowls including their four crowns between 1975 and 1980, and the most recent in 2006.
Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said, ''They've had difficult times in Pittsburgh and we sort of fill the void. They could have something for their pride. There are still great workers and steel mills there.
''[But] a number of people lost their jobs and had to move so that has something to do with it.''
The Steelers adopt the same working-class values their city made famous, hammering a hard-nosed attitude into place like hot metal from a forge.
The team logo was even adapted by permission from US Steel.
''Smash-mouth football. Knocking guys out of the game,'' receiver Santonio Holmes said. ''This is Steeler football.''
It's a venting of frustrations for Pittsburgh faithful who have no way of punching bad economic news.
''Sometimes we're the heartbeat of the city,'' linebacker James Farrior said.
''When we are successful, the city is doing well. When we're playing bad the city is sort of down too.
''We definitely feel they're part of this team. We come to work with our hardhats on.''
Both Super Bowl teams have roots in the 1930s Great Depression era infancy of the NFL. They even merged in 1944 due to a player shortage in World War II.
The Card-Pitts went 0-10 and split. Their fates have been very different since.
The Steelers stayed in Pittsburgh and endured decades of defeats until their first NFL crown came after 41 seasons. But now Rooney's team is so revered that the Cardinals use the same system and have nine coaches with Steeler ties.
The Cardinals have been losers and vagabonds, relocating from Chicago to St Louis in 1960 and to Arizona in 1988. Their only title came in 1947, when current owner Bill Bidwill was a ballboy for his late father's team.
Their 61-year title drought is the second-longest active futility streak in US sport to the 100-year wait of baseball's Chicago Cubs.
Copyright (c) 2008. Fairfax Media
Steelers stayed unaffected by early distractions
The Pittsburgh Steelers, an NFL pillar of stability, were a bit unsettled entering the season.
Dan Rooney, the team chairman, and son Art II, the president, were working to keep the team following months of family negotiations, but the outcome was uncertain. The news then was that Dan Rooney's four brothers might sell their shares to Wall Street billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller, and the Steelers could be out of family control for the first time since their founding, except for a few brief months in 1941.
The message Dan Rooney gave the team: Don't worry about this, we will. You guys go win football games.
"I think they did a wonderful job of not letting it become a distraction, because it was a big deal," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "You don't know if your owners are going to stay the same or not. They came to us and said, 'We hope it comes out the way we would like, and we want you to concentrate on football because we have a tough schedule, and that's what's important.' That's what we did."
The result: The Steelers are going to the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., next Sunday to face the Arizona Cardinals with their structure virtually unchanged. Dan Rooney's brothers voted two months ago to sell all or part of their shares to him.
"He (Dan Rooney) actually told us, 'There's a situation going on with the ownership right now but, you know what, if we win, it will take care of everything,' " All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu said. "And you know everything's happened the way he predicted."
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Brian Schottenheimer will remain the New York Jets' offensive coordinator despite losing out to Rex Ryan for the head-coaching job. Schottenheimer has been the Jets' offensive coordinator the past three seasons.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to terms with new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and new special-teams coordinator Russ Purnell.
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonathan Dekker was arrested in Alexandria, Va., early Saturday and charged with obstruction of justice. Dekker, who injured his knee in August and spent the season on injured reserve, was released on $1,000 bond, police said.
Police gave no details on the arrest.
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Seattle Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill has been arrested on charges of misdemeanor marijuana possession in Atlanta.
Copyright (c) 2009 - San Jose Mercury News
46 underclassmen will enter draft
The National Football League announced today the names of 46 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25-26.
Each of the 46 players has met the league's three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was Jan. 15.
Heading the list are Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and Florida receiver Percy Harvin. All of them are considered to be first-round draft picks.
In 2008, 53 players were granted special eligibility for the draft.
The players declared eligible are:
Player Pos. College
Allen, Asher DB Georgia
Britt, Kenny WR Rutgers
Britton, Eben T Arizona
Brown, Donald RB Connecticut
Brown, Everette DE Florida State
Butler, Carson TE Michigan
Byrd, Jairus DB Oregon
Casey, James TE Rice
Childs, Jeremy WR Boise State
Coffee, Glen RB Alabama
Cook, Emanuel DB South Carolina
Cook, Jared TE South Carolina
Crabtree, Michael WR Texas Tech
Davie, Andrew TE Arkansas
Davis, Nate QB Ball State
Davis, Vontae DB Illinois
Evans, Maurice DE Penn State
Freeman, Josh QB Kansas State
Goodson, Mike RB Texas A&M
Greene, Shonn RB Iowa
Hartline, Brian WR Ohio State
Harvin, Percy WR Florida
Heyward-Bey, Darrius WR Maryland
Hill, P.J. RB Wisconsin
Isdaner, Greg G West Virginia
Jean-Francois, Ricky DT Louisiana State
Maclin, Jeremy WR Missouri
Marks, Sen'Derrick DT Auburn
Maybin, Aaron DE Penn State
McCoy, LeSean RB Pittsburgh
Means, Andrew WR Indiana
Moore, D.J. DB Vanderbilt
Moreno, Knowshon RB Georgia
Morrah, Cameron TE California
Munnerlyn, Captain DB South Carolina
Nicks, Hakeem WR North Carolina
Ogletree, Kevin WR Virginia
Powers, Jerraud DB Auburn
Quinn, Richard TE North Carolina
Sanchez, Mark QB Southern California
Smith, Andre T Alabama
Smith, Sean DB Utah
Stafford, Matt QB Georgia
Washington, Donald DB Ohio State
Wells, Chris RB Ohio State
Williams, Brandon DE Texas Tech
(c)COPYRIGHT 2009 The Honolulu Advertiser
Marinelli's Success As Defensive Line Coach Speaks For Itself
After being eliminated from playoff contention, Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith promised there would be change. Today Lovie took a step in that direction by hiring former Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli as defensive line and assistant coach.
Marinelli is coming off a 0-16 season in Detroit, becoming the first coach to lead a team to a 0-16 record. What Marinelli did as a head coach in Detroit is a moot point for the Bears. The Bears have hired him to coach one of the most talented but underachieving defensive lines in football.
Prior to taking the Lions job, Marinelli spent a decade as the defensive line/assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his time in Tampa, Marinelli was considered one the best D-line coaches in all of football.
During his tenure with the Bucs, his defensive front led the NFL in sacks. Warren Sapp Simon Rice, and Chris Hovan are few players who have credited Marinelli for making them NFL stars.
Similar to Tampa, Marinelli will have a lot of talent to work with in Chicago. Maybe his biggest project is Tommie Harris. The talented defensive tackle is coming off his second straight disappointing season, but he's very excited about being coached by Marinelli.
Harris said, "I always wanted to be coached by him. He is the best defensive line coach. I know that from talking to Warren Sapp and also from what I have seen on tape."
Along with working with Harris, Marinelli will work with talented young defensive tackle Marcus Harrison. The third round draft pick out of Arkansas had 28 tackles and two sacks this season. He will most likely get much more playing time next year.
Anthony Adams and Israel Idonijie took a step forward this year, and will also benefit from working with Marinelli. As for defensive end, Mark Anderson, who recorded 12 sacks during his rookie season, but only a total of six the past two years, should benefit from working with Marinelli.
Much has been said about the relationship between Lovie and Marinelli. Both became very close friends while working together and rooming together in Tampa. Make no mistake, the signing of Marinelli has very little to do with their relationship and a lot to do with the success Marinelli has had as a defensive line coach.
If anyone can turn around this very talented but underachieving defensive line is Marinelli. The Bears did a very good job against the run this year, ranking fifth. Unfortunately, they could not get any pressure without blitzing. The Bears had a total of 28 sacks this year. I don't need to tell anyone how bad that is.
If there's a difference to be made up front, Marinelli will make it. Time will tell.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Taking Unlikely Twist, Ravens Turn to Offense
OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens lined up in front of a Tampa Bay pirate ship, smiling into the sun for their team photograph just days before they won the Super Bowl eight years ago. The seating arrangement unintentionally revealed plenty about that team.
In the center was Trent Dilfer, among the least heralded of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. On either side of Dilfer were the mammoth defensive tackles Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams. Even in an innocuous photograph, the leader of the offense was squeezed by the Ravens' dominant defense.
The theme was the same on the field in the 2000 season. The offense, which was almost exclusively limited to runs by Jamal Lewis and Priest Holmes and short passes to Shannon Sharpe, was overshadowed by a defense that was so good, the Ravens survived not scoring a touchdown in October. The Ravens won two of five games that month in a week-to-week showcase of offensive ineptitude.
If the Ravens pose in front of that pirate ship again this year - the Super Bowl is back in Tampa for the first time since the Ravens pounded the Giants there in January 2001 - the team picture may be vastly different. The Ravens who meet the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's American Football Conference wild-card game have a new look. If their defense still belongs front and center, their offense can be seen in a flattering light.
The Ravens' offense scored 337 points during the regular season, ranking 17th in the 32-team NFL, according to Stats LLC. (In 2000, the Ravens' offense scored 309 points.) Two of the 11 other playoff teams - Miami (329) and Pittsburgh (324) - scored fewer points. Surprisingly, the Ravens rank just behind Indianapolis, which scored 342.
The Ravens' offense still isn’t anybody's definition of explosive - San Diego scored 410 offensive points, after all. But it's also hard to imagine them losing a playoff game because the offense manages two field goals while the defense holds the opponent to 15 points, as the Ravens did in 2006.
"Since I've been here, we've tried to get it that way, and this is the first year we've succeeded," Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "The defense doesn't worry about us, and we don't worry about the defense. No longer do we have the mentality of 'just manage the game and the defense will win it.' No. 'Defense, you just stop guys, and we'll win it for you.' "
That significant shift in mind-set for the Ravens, whose offensive strategy for nearly a decade was to not mess up the defense's masterpiece, comes at a crucial time. Leaguewide scoring has risen steadily in recent years as rule changes and the increasing popularity of the spread offense have pried open the passing game.
This season, the NFL set a record with an average of 44.1 points a game. The long-term meaning is obvious: no team, no matter how great its defense, can hope to win consistently unless it scores at least 20 points a game.
The rookie quarterback Joe Flacco is credited with shoring up the Ravens' confidence in their offense. His strong arm and even-keeled demeanor impressed the defensive veterans who set the tone for the team. Linebacker Ray Lewis, the most important voice in the locker room, told Flacco early on to just play his game, and he raved publicly about Flacco last week.
Such praise for a quarterback from Lewis and other members of the defense is unheard of. On this team, the NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said, offensive players used to be intimidated by the defense, their ability to make plays paralyzed by their fear of making a mistake.
Still, the Ravens looked a lot like the 2000 team on the field until recently, striving for balance even as Flacco emerged. With three running backs, they rank first in the NFL in rushing percentage, running the ball 56 percent of the time, well above the league average of 44.6 percent and bucking the trend toward the pass-heavy game. They were fourth in average rushing yards.
It helps that the defense, so adept at creating turnovers, often gives the Ravens a short field. They rank second in quick-strike drives of four or fewer plays, not because they are throwing 75-yard bombs down the field, but because their average starting position is their 32, fifth best in the league. And the Ravens are second in the league in converting turnovers to touchdowns.
"That's a big thing for our defense to see," Flacco said.
One of their favorite plays is a run behind an unbalanced line, with both tackles playing on the same side of the center. That explains why the Ravens ranked first in the league in third- and fourth-and-1 situations, converting 89.3 percent of the time, and why they were ninth in drives that lasted at least five minutes.
"They're strikingly similar to us in 2000," said Dilfer, now an ESPN analyst. "Flacco has probably played better late in the year than I played late in the year. But the formula is the same: very conservative with a lot of rushing attempts. It only wins if you're a dominant defense, not just a good defense."
Dilfer said that one of Baltimore's coaches told him that the Ravens still were not very good on offense, but they are good enough. They seemed to perform better late in the season as the offensive line, considered the weak link, settled in and Flacco became more comfortable standing in the pocket.
That has allowed the Ravens to take advantage of opposing defenses' concentration on stopping their running game.
The Ravens ranked 17th this season in completions of 20 or more yards, two below the league average, 42. But their passer rating on attempts of 21 or more yards ranked seventh. Although the Ravens tied for 16th in plays of 20 yards or more, 32 of those 51 plays came in the last eight games - sixth in the league during that period.
Fittingly, the offense was in full flower in the most important game of the season. Against Jacksonville last Sunday, with a playoff berth in the offing, Flacco let fly with five passes of more than 20 yards and completed 73.9 percent of his attempts over all. It was a career game for Flacco, but it may also have sent every future opponent a message.
"Those downfield throws were there earlier in the year, and we either didn't make them or we threw interceptions," said Hue Jackson, the Ravens' quarterbacks coach. "It does create for a defense the thought that 'If we play up tight, they could throw it over our head.' It gives your offense the opportunity to be very dynamic."
And, after a decade in the shadow of the defense, to get back in the picture.
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Bucs, Bears Choke It All Away
As the Bears trifled away their must-win against the Texans, they didn't know Minnesota would come back to edge the Giants by a point. The Vikings spent the afternoon locked in a tight, tight battle with nothing-to-play-for New York while Chicago spent its entire game trying to make up lost ground. The Bears couldn't get there and lost by seven, sealing up the division for Minnesota and keeping Philadelphia's hopes alive.
The Bucs, with Chicago trailing, kept hope -- a win combined with a Dallas loss would send Tampa Bay to the postseason. And after trailing 14-7, the Bucs charged back and took a three-point lead in the third. But JaMarcus Russell played nearly flawless, Michael Bush ran amok (his new diet: hearts) and Jeff Garcia had a rough time getting the T.B. offense moving. Oakland won by a touchdown, sealed with a sack of Garcia on the final play of the game.
Carolina won a nail-biter over New Orleans to seal the NFC's two-seed, which negated Atlanta's nail-biting win over St. Louis and relegated the Falcons to the 5th seed. The only game that mattered which turned out a bore was New England's must-win over Buffalo, which ended 13-0 Patriots. Great early slate, and it looks like the late set will be exciting as well: Philly leads Dallas 10-3 with a playoff berth at stake, Miami and New York remain scoreless in their battle, and Jacksonville has a 7-3 lead on Baltimore (which serves to keep the Jets alive and the wild-card option available for N.E.). Football, yeah!
(c)2008 SportingNews.com
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