The Super Bowl Has Been Over!

And coming from you live in this computer lab at my school university....it is the Super Bowl champs....

The Green Bay Packers!
After getting the lead in the first quarter (and a lead by 10 points, which no team has ever overcome) the Packers held of the Pittsburgh Steelers to get their record 13th NFL Championship and 4th Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers and Co. brought the namesake Lombardi Trophy (and a red Camaro) back to Green Bay. But the journey doesn't end. They showed the trophy to the small town of Green Bay, in which fans came out in below zero weather, and then they high-tailed it to Disney World so that Disney could air that traditional commercial over and over and over again (especially on ESPN).

I was reading some tweets from friends on Twitter noting how many were jumping on the bandwagon. And I responded "WHO DOESN'T?"There are only two teams in the game and if they aren't yours then you aren't going to sit indifferently. Ravens fans want to see Pittsburgh fall and Chicago fans want to see Green Bay fall. It is common. Now it is a problem when the next season starts and you're still on that bandwagon.

Super Bowl XLV is now the most watched television program in history. Beating out last year's Super Bowl, which in turn beat out the finale of M*A*S*H. 111 million people watched the game it's commercials (post to come later) and a Black Eyed Peas (feat. Slash and Usher) halftime show. Impressive as they lowered from the rafters and Dallas Cowboys Stadium is huge. And then unimpressive as their singing sounded off-key (at least they were live) and the "V" in a large stage on field that spelled "LOVE" didn't light up as the rest of the letters did. But it is all that comes with a large live show.

In all this Super Bowl was full of surprises and fun. I look forward to next year as it seems Super Bowls are getting closer and closer to where I live. Next year in Indianapolis and then in New York....do I hear Baltimore? No. J out.

EDIT: I refused to mention Brett Farve. I forgot Mike McCarthy and his irony. And I shall address Christina Aguilera in a later post.

Idol's Back!!! (for Week 2)

Happy New Year and....THEY'RE OFF!!

I am referring to the rest of the television season. Show come out the gate on an here and there basis in January trying to pick up views. Expect the real competition to come in February. That's when there is a new show on every week and you know sweeps is here. In January, however, networks leave it up to mid-season replacements and football playoffs. Yet come mid to end January a show premiers and it captures us for 4 months. That's right, American Idol.

American Idol suffered its biggest shape up when all but one of the judges left the show last season. We lost Ellen (no surprise), Kara (still no surprise), and Simon (a tear). Randy was left and we know he couldn't handle the show by himself. So who was to come in? Well the rumor mill spun so fast with names that it caught on fire. In the end the choices were Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. The producers decided to scrap the fourth chair and bring in two singing powerhouses.

They went out last week and well the news was good and bad. The bad news is that they suffered their biggest drop in 9 years. The good news is that it was big enough to win the night anyway. I still think their fall from atop the ratings will occur this year though and here is why:

• Simon's gone. Not trying to say he made the show, but his brutal honesty did.
• They moved the show from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. On those days they practically give Dancing with the Stars a win for its results shows on Tuesday (although DWTS could suffer after last seasons controversy). Also they head up against stiff competition on Thursdays in the form of The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, and CSI.
• Getting used to something new takes time, time you can't waste in television

So will American Idol hit #1 for the seventh year in a row? Or can we finally give the #1 spot back to a scripted show?

Personally, I liked Steven and Jennifer. They did a pretty good job on their first go rounds. It was fun watching them trying to figure out how to say no. How will the ratings fair in week 2? We find out tonight. J out.

What Happened to Messed Up Calls Falling on Deaf Ears?

For the second time in less than a month, a golfer was disqualified after a fan ratted him out over the internet.

Padraig Harrington was disqualified from the tournament he was competing in after moving his ball while picking up his marker. The officials at the course didn't notice, but an eagle eyed viewer did and reported it on the internet. The same thing happened only weeks earlier to Camilo Villegas. He was having a hard time making it up   a hill to a green. As his ball roll down the hill another time, he moved a divet. That was a no-no and once again instead of the tournament officials catching it, an eagle-eyed viewer turned him in. There seems to be a problem with this and it should be a no-brainer to any idiot trying to defend the "home officials."

Plain and simple; if I can't make calls on plays in other sports then golf should be no exception. I couldn't call the NFL and tell them that the holding call that took away a game changing touchdown was a mistake. Or that the charge in basketball wasn't as such. Or that the ball in baseball was outside the foul line. It really does make a difference and if I can't do it in these sports than golfing fans shouldn't be able to do it in theirs.

The Baltimore Ravens, Armando Galarraga, Venus Williams. All sports players affected by bad calls. Viewers cried in vain that the calls in those games were wrong. Why should golf viewers get their way? It is unfair and until other sports open up that option, which they shouldn't, then I will lighten up. J out.

Pick Em' (Divisional Playoffs '11)

So I missed the opportunity to post my picks for last weekend. But I can tell you this, I did not have the Seahawks at all.

After one weekend of 4 tumultuous games, we're back for Round 2. The Divisional Round.

The AFC is made up of two Week 13 divisional match-ups. The (5.) Baltimore Ravens will go against the (2.) Pittsburgh Steelers. This has been arguably the rivalry of the decade in the NFL. The Ravens and Steelers have been fighting hard for a while and once again they'll be coming together in what is expected to be a tight, hard hitting match. They split their games they had this year, both teams winning in the others city. Now the Ravens have to do it again. In their rivalry, the scoring is 302-302 and the game count is 8 wins for Baltimore and 9 for Pittsburgh. We'll see what happens come Saturday My pick is below.

The other match-up from Week 13 features the (6.) New York Jets at Foxborough to face the (1.) New England Patriots. After winning against New England in Week 2, the Jets lost a miserable 45-3, Week 13. Now they head back to their old foe of 6 weeks ago, trash talking along the way. The Jets defense is going to have to step it up, like Jefferson's Movin' on up, to stop the "score when we can" Pats. And the offense is going to have to put together more connections if they expect to score 6 in the Razor Blade. My pick is below.

The NFC is just....the NFC. No one wants to give them real credit. I don't, yet time and time again they prove that everyone should have their eyes on them. The (4.) Seattle Seahawks will travel to the (2.) Chicago Bears. The underrated losers that is the Seahawks have proved everyone wrong and beat the champion Saints. Putting something together against the Bears is plausible. Especially if the Bears defense has a liquidation meltdown like the Saints. My pick is below.

The final match-up of the NFC and the weekend is the (4.) Green Bay Packers travelling to the (1.) Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons seem to get no respect at all, even though their record suggest otherwise. I mean Matt Ryan is 20-2 at home and no respect for this team. I guess the Atlanta Falcons are the illegitimate child of the late Rodney Dangerfield. Meanwhile, the Packers are coming off of a good win against Philadelphia and Aaron Rodgers has had a good season thus far. Is momentum good enough to get them the win? My pick is below.

THE PICKS

Baltimore Ravens 17

@ Pittsburgh Steelers 13

(CBS, 4:30pm Saturday)

Even though Joe Flacco has never won against Big Ben, I gotta go with my home team. In a tight-fisted rivalry, it's anyone's game.

Green Bay Packers 21

@ Atlanta Falcons 27

(FOX, 8:00pm Saturday)

The Falcons have been the NFC team this year and anyone who disputes this must not have been watching their games this season. I think the Aaron Rodgers train ends here.

Seattle Seahawks 10

@ Chicago Bears 24

(FOX, 1:00pm Sunday)

Seattle may have had the Saints implode, but the Bears eh, maybe. And the Seahawks did allow 36 points against the Saints...luckily the Saints allowed more. So the Bears have it.

New York Jets 34

@ New England Patriots 31

(CBS, 4:30pm Sunday)

The game will yet again rest on a field goal after being tied for most of the 4th Quarter. And as crazy as it may seem and the Jets could do it. They talked all that $h*! before the game in Indy, maybe it'll payoff here....even though it didn't Week 13.

So there you have it. I'll probably be proven wrong on all accounts. But we'll see.

J out.

Alright, I'm Done...Not Really

I need to just stop with this disappearing act. I really do.

I'm back. Don't know for how long. And don't know how often I will post. I will post, and I hope you will listen.

I'll also let you know when there will be long stoppages in posting.

Thanks. (Even though, no one's reading)

What has become of American Idol?

So American Idol is in mid-season. They are gearing up for auditions and Hollywood, but something is missing. That may be Simon, or Ellen, or Kara.

We all saw Simon's grand exit in May, and I have to say I miss him. Then, Ellen announced that she is just too busy to be judging a show. Now the rumors are swirling that Kara has been let go. If that is true then when you turn it on Fox come January for season 10. You will only recognize Randy and Ryan. It seems that after nine years American Idol is ready to implode.

The rotating doors, all 3 (?) of them. It is supposed that Steven Tyler will join the AI team now. But before that, Jennifer Lopez was selected as a possible replacement. However, it turned out that J. Lo may have been a little too much of a diva for Fox and was supposedly let go. Now the rumor mill has put Shania Twain in the running. Shania was previously a guest judge during the summer auditions and a mentor for a week about her.

At this point the the three vacant chairs seem to be a constant guessing game. Will they take away the 4th chair? Who will take those three spots? Why did Simon leave to create a clone of his British show which was a clone of his other British show which this show was cloned from?

J out.

Football is BACK! (sort of. . .)

August 12th. On this day, in 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on Austria-Hungary and in 2010 football unofficially officially started (Is that a double negative?)

The preseason started with a number of games this Thursday night. Among the headliners were the New England Patriots taking on the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Also the nationally televised Carolina Panthers versus the Baltimore Ravens. Now I'm from Baltimore so you already know I'm ecstatic. To see the Ravens play for the first time in some organized game was thrilling and to see them win is great. Plus, the fact that they are getting so much national coverage is exciting. Not only did they open up Monday Night Football's preseason games they will also open Monday Night Football's first season game when they go against the New York Jets in the new Meadowlands stadium. It is just going to be a good year for football, I can feel it.

And as the preseason continues we hope for no injuries and think good thoughts. More football news is to follow. J out.