This year’s Super Bowl is quite a matchup. I will admit, if anybody had told me that the Arizona Cardinals would be playing in this game at the beginning of this season, I would have laughed at them. Make the playoffs, sure; I’ve seen them do it before and they have a stellar offense, but no way the Super Bowl. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1998 before beating the Atlanta Falcons in the first round. They have never played in a Super Bowl, and haven’t won a championship since the Truman administration in 1947, when the team was still in Chicago (the Cardinals left in 1959).

Needless to say when compared to a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have played in six Super Bowls before this one (winning five), the Cardinals have a history of being a punching bag for most NFL teams. This season does prove that any team can reach the Super Bowl any year.

There is a way that these two teams are related however, and it makes sense that the Cardinals can make it to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals’ head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers before he became the Cardinals’ coach. He won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2005. So I guess it does make some sense that the Cardinals are in this game.

This will be the first Super Bowl of the 21st Century to feature two quarterbacks who have already won a Super Bowl; Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner. While Warner has put up more impressive numbers then Big Ben, Roethlisberger is a proven winner. Even so, the Steelers bread and butter is still their defense, which is just as good as their Steel Curtain days in the 70s.

The Steelers defense finished the season ranked at the top, and that stout defense has help lead the team to another Super Bowl bid. While the offense has been productive, it has not been overwhelming in their victories. Troy Polamatu, the Steelers star safety and leader, should be all around the field come game time and like in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore could cause some key turnovers.

The Cardinals have one of the top ranked offenses in the NFL. Lead by Kurt Warner at QB and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at wide receiver, the Cardinals offense has been impressive and one that is eerily familiar to Warner’s old team, the ’99 Rams (aka the greatest show on turf). Coincidently, the Rams were also the punching bag of the NFL before Warner’s arrival. While defense usually wins Super Bowls, Warner’s Rams won it, and the Cardinals have been playing pretty good defense lately.
Even so, the odds makers still have Pittsburgh as a 6.5 point favorite. Throughout the entire season, Pittsburgh has had one of the better, if not the best, defenses, and played consistently throughout the entire season. That cannot be said of the Cardinals.

With Kurt Warner being upset that the MVP award went to the Colt’s QB Peyton Manning instead of him and Larry Fitzgerald being a freak of nature, I’m going to pick the Cardinals to not only cover the spread, but win the game, and continue the NFL’s ideology of league parody.

Popularity: 5% [?]

In all of sports, there may be no rivalry that is bigger than the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. It is the type of game that means just as much as the entire season. As a Packers fan, I would only be able to stomach a losing season as long as my team won both games against the Bears.

Heading into Sunday, this was a season-defining game for the Packers. The convincing 37-3 win propelled them to 5-5 and put them even with the Bears. A loss at this crucial point in the year would have dropped them to 4-6 and place insurmountable pressure on the Packers’ first year starter, Aaron Rodgers.

No doubt, the vicious Packers’ secondary was drooling at the chance to face the battered Bears passing game led by Quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton was coming off an ankle injury, causing him to miss last week’s game. Clearly, Orton, a Purdue alum, was bothered by his ankle as he was rather ineffective throwing for just 138 yards on 13 of 26 passing, with no touchdowns. Rex Grossman relieved Orton late in the fourth quarter.

Leading the offensive surge for Green Bay was the running back tandem of Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson. Grant accumulated 145 yards on the ground on 25 carries, while finding the end zone once. Brandon Jackson, the second year back out of Nebraska, finally proved he belongs, as he had 50 yards on 10 carries and contributed well in the receiving game as a weapon for Rodgers out of the backfield.

In the passing game, Rodgers was 23 of 30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. His only blemish came on a poor throw intended for Donald Driver that was picked off by Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Greg Jennings and Donald Lee caught the touchdowns for Green Bay. Driver added 60 yards on four receptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Pack’s defensive unit played a stellar game despite the absence of middle line backer Nick Barnett. Bears’ rookie running back Matt Forte was held to a modest 64 yards on 16 carries. Packers’ linebackers AJ Hawk and Brandon Chillar led the team with seven tackles apiece, while Charles Woodson had the lone sack, his second of the season.

Adding to the well-rounded performance was the Packer’s special teams unit as kicker Mason Crosby put last week’s crucial miss behind him as he was a perfect 3 for 3.
The victory puts Green Bay in a tie for first place with the Bears and the Vikings, who lost to the Buccaneers on Sunday. With the New Orleans Saints due up next for the Packers, they have to be riding high following a 37 point performance against the Bears.

Sunday’s win for the Packers improves their record to 80-90-6 all time in this rivalry, which has been taking place since 1921.

Popularity: 5% [?]

As I was walking into Lambeau Field last Sunday afternoon, eager to see the Packers and Colts matchup, I couldn’t ignore how many Number 4 jerseys I saw. Clearly, the hysteria from the Brett Favre saga has not left Packer fans. Heck, CBS even went so far as to bring New York Jets games to the homes of Wisconsin residents every Sunday this fall, effectively ending any chance for closure. While this is inevitable, however, like most Green Bay Packer fans, I am still warming up to the idea of seeing a guy from California wearing number 12 under center.

This Californian that I am referring to is of course Aaron Rodgers. In his first year on the job, Rodgers has managed to keep the Packers in the playoff hunt, something Favre did almost every single season. While Aaron Rodgers is no Brett Favre, he is playing very efficiently as seen in his QB rating of 98.8, tied for fourth best in the league (all statistics courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau). Also, Rodgers has thrown 12 touchdowns.

Aside from the statistics, Rodgers has won over the support of his Packers’ teammates with his toughness. In his first three years as a backup, Number 12 was often injured, including a season-ending injury in his sophomore campaign. This season seems to be a new story for Rodgers, who has led the Packers to a 4-3 record. He has shed his California pretty boy image by playing the last three games with an injured shoulder.

Surely, this has won him a few points with the veterans in the locker room, but he has a long way to go before even drawing comparisons to Favre.
Brett Favre, on the other hand, is putting up very solid numbers this year. He still takes his share of chances throwing the ball. Despite a devastating overtime loss to Oakland, Favre is showing that he can still compete. He has thrown 13 touchdowns in six games, but he has been intercepted eight times already.

The starting quarterbacks of the Jets and Packers do garner their share of the attention, but other skill players on the offensive side of the ball have been effective for both teams.

For the Pack, the receivers have been making most of the offensive plays this season. Greg Jennings is performing great as a deep threat, and has led the Packers in receiving yardage every single game in 2008. Jennings is currently first in the NFL in receiving yards with 685 yards.

Donald Driver, Donald Lee and rookie wideout Jordy Nelson have performed well as possession receivers. The ground game has been slower than expected this year for the Packers. Fresh off of a breakout year, Ryan Grant has yet to prove that he is worth his new six year contract.

For the New York Jets, Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles have given the team a potent one-two punch in the wideout positions (stats).
Out of the backfield for the Jets is Thomas Jones, the former Chicago Bear, who is on pace for a 1,000 yard campaign. Running back Leon Washington has also been effective catching the ball out of the backfield with 16 catches in six games, while giving starter Thomas Jones valuable relief in the rushing department. Washington is also one of the most dynamic punt returners in the game, averaging 10.7 yards per return.

The defensive side of the ball for the Packers has been a tale of two seasons. When it is healthy this can be one of the most effective units in the league, as seen this past Sunday holding the Colts to 14 points. But with injuries to Atari Bigby, Al Harris and Cullen Jenkins to name a few, the defense is struggling to keep opponents at bay. The good news is that the Packers expect most of the injured players to return this season.

The standout performers for the Packers defense this year have been in the secondary. Cornerback Charles Woodson and safety Nick Collins are tied for the league lead in interceptions with four apiece.

The defense has taken pressure off of Rodgers by providing some offense of their own. Woodson has two defensive touchdowns this year while backup safety Aaron Rouse had his first career touchdown when he picked off a Peyton Manning pass and took it 99 yards for the score. Safety Nick Collins also added a defensive touchdown in the matchup.

The New York Jets defense has remained relatively healthy this year. Defensive end Shaun Ellis is tops on the team in sacks with five, while linebacker Bryan Thomas has 4.5 to his own credit. Second year cornerback Darrelle Revis has been the leader of a much improved secondary. Revis has three picks this year, along with one touchdown.

Too often, fans get caught up in the players and their stats when the real driving force behind a team’s success is their Head Coach. The Packers coach Mike McCarthy is enjoying success in his third season as a head coach. McCarthy has ties to the Packers all the way back to 1999 when he was the team’s Quarterback Coach. McCarthy is looking to capitalize on last year’s playoff experience to build momentum for a young team.

For the Jets and their coach Eric Mangini, it has been less than glamorous in two plus seasons. When originally hired, “Mangenius” (as he is known around the NFL) was heralded because he coached under the Patriots with the future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick for six seasons. Since taking over Mangini is 17-21 with a playoff appearance. Success this year for Mangini is critical to his job security. A funny fact about Mangini is that he is actually 15 months younger than his quarterback, Brett Favre.

With seven weeks down and ten to go, the Packers at 4-3 and the Jets at 3-3 are both in good position to snag a playoff spot. Given the talent for both teams, a playoff appearance would provide good momentum to facilitate more successful seasons in the future.

Popularity: 7% [?]

After convincing victories over two division rivals, the Green Bay Packers had reason to be flying high. But on Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys pulled the Packers back to reality, putting together a bruising ground game and upending Green Bay 27-16.

Dallas running back, Marion “the Barbarian” Barber overpowered the Packers, using brute force to run for 142 yards and a touchdown, carrying the Cowboys to victory in front of a national audience.

Barber’s career performance overshadowed the homecoming of teammate Tony Romo, who was making his first start at Lambeau Field. Romo was raised in Burlington, WI and gradated from Burlington High School in 1998.

Romo and the Cowboys’ passing game was almost non-existent in the first half, but the Packers’ lack of offense, big plays and run defense throughout the game proved to be more costly in the end.

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, who had played almost flawlessly in the first two games of the season, had a mistake-filled evening in front of a record crowd at Lambeau Field.
Despite his 290 yards passing, Rodgers overthrew receivers, was sacked five times, and failed to put together any consistent drives. While he had a couple of noteworthy plays, including a 50 yard bomb to Donald Driver, Rodgers spent most of the evening trying to elude pressure. He was consistently forced out of the pocket and threw prematurely on many occasions.
The Packers set the tone for the evening early in the first-quarter when running back Ryan Grant fumbled the ball deep in Packers’ territory on the second play from scrimmage. The Cowboys recovered and were held to only a field goal, but errant and lackluster plays were to characterize the Packers offense throughout the game.

Dallas rookie running back Felix Jones gave the Cowboys their first touchdown in the second-quarter when he took a handoff up the left side of the field, dodging a Charles Woodson tackle, to go 60 yards for pay dirt.

Barber then gave the Cowboys their second touchdown of the night and a 20-9 lead in the third quarter, plowing over a weary Packer defensive line for a 2 yard score.
Tony Romo blew open the game in the fourth quarter when, on third and 20, he tossed a 52 yard touchdown pass to receiver Miles Austin to put the Cowboys up 27-9.
Rodgers eventually put together a touchdown drive when he dove 2 yards over the goal line in the fourth to bring the Packers within 11, but by then it was too little too late.
The Packers defense was able to shut down all-pro receiver Terrell Owens, who was limited to only two catches for 17 yards. But big plays from other Cowboys plagued the Packers. Especially plays from Cowboy running backs and backup receivers.

When all was said and done, the Cowboys had rushed for 217 yards and an overbearing 453 total yards.

It was the Dallas Cowboys’ (3-0) first win at Lambeau Field in franchise history, previously going 0-5. With their victory over the Pack (2-1) on Sunday, the Cowboys joined the New York Giants as the only two undefeated teams in the NFC.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy gauged the importance of the game and gave credence to an impressive Dallas team.
“It was a big game, it was a great measuring stick for our football team,” McCarthy said. “And I’ll tell you exactly what I told them, the Dallas Cowboys are farther ahead than we are right now, and that’s the facts, and it’s Week 3. How much farther ahead, we’ll answer that question. We have worked to do.”

If the Packers can correct mistakes and shore up holes in their defense, they could very well be facing the Cowboys again come January.

What’s Next…?

Next week the Packers travel to Tampa Bay to take on a pass-oriented Buccaneers team. Tampa Bay came away victorious Sunday in Chicago, defeating the Bears 27-24 in overtime.
In that game, Bucs’ quarterback Brian Griese threw 67 pass attempts, the fifth most in NFL history. Griese was able to throw for over 400 yards, but also threw 3 costly interceptions.
Tampa Bay, coached by the ever-frightening Jon Gruden, has had a peculiar quarterback controversy brewing the past several weeks.

Going into the season, quarterback Jeff Garcia, the clear-cut starter, was benched after the season opener. As of Sunday, Garcia had been dropped to third-string on the depth-chart and Griese became the de facto starter.

Regardless of the quarterback situation, Tampa Bay has decided to be a pass-heavy team. Running back Warrick Dunn was limited to just 31 rushing yards Sunday and is beginning to show signs of aging, so the Bucs’ (2-1) are looking to the air to produce some offense.

On Sunday, the Packers had both starting safety Nick Collins and starting cornerback Al Harris leave the game due to injury. Monday afternoon, Harris’ agent reported that the cornerback might have suffered a ruptured spleen, which would sideline him for the remainder of the season. Harris is seeking a second opinion, but it is likely that he is lost for the year, a devastating blow to the Packer’s defense.

The Packers other starting safety, Atari Bigby, was injured in Week 2 and did not even suit up against the Cowboys. If the Packers cannot get any players back, they will be scrambling to fill the void left by their defensive backs.

With Harris out, inexperienced back-up Tramon Williams will be the likely candidate to replace him. As for the starting safety positions, Aaron Rouse and Charlie Peprah would be summoned to step in and start if the injuries are of a high level of severity.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Packers should be able to bounce back from their poor performance against Dallas. Tampa Bay surrendered over 400 total yards to a Bears team many would not call “offensively gifted.”

If it turns into any sort of offensive shoot-out, look for Aaron Rodgers to show much more poise than last week and for the Packers talented receivers to step up. But the recent diagnosis of the Packers’ Pro-Bowl cornerback (Harris) may make the game closer than it should be.

Popularity: 7% [?]

What was supposed to be a nostalgic night spent reminiscing about the past and paying deference to one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, instead became a night spent looking towards the future and more importantly, the present. The Green Bay Packers kicked off its 90th season in franchise history (its 88th in the NFL) by defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 24-19.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an impressive showing in his first NFL start. Rodgers went 18 for 22, throwing for 178 yards with one passing touchdown to go along with his first NFL rushing touchdown.

Originally, the Monday Night Football opener was slated to be a night in which former Packer quarterback Brett Favre was to be honored and have his jersey and number retired. But a tumultuous summer ensued, one in which Favre came out of retirement after feeling the “itch” to play and the next thing Packer fans knew, Favre had been traded to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick.

So when Aaron Rodgers took the opening snap Monday night, it marked the first time since Sept. 20, 1992 that a Green Bay quarterback not named Brett Favre started a game.
Quick Favre Update (As if we haven’t heard enough): Sunday in Miami, the exiled Brett Favre extended his win total to 161 games by leading the New York Jets (1-0) over the Miami Dolphins (0-1), 20-14. Favre went 15-for-22 and threw for 194 yards.

In his highly anticipated first drive, Rodgers and the Packers came out a little stagnant. A 3-yard dump off to tight end Donald Lee and an illegal formation penalty, which forced the Packers to punt, were the highlights of the season’s opening drive.

But in the second quarter Rodgers came alive launching a 56-yard bomb down the middle of the field to wide receiver Greg Jennings, who wrestled the ball away from a Vikings defender.
Several plays and penalties later, Rodgers threw for his first passing touchdown of the year. In similar fashion to that of his predecessor, Rodgers rolled left and threw a laser into the hands of blanketed Korey Hall who held on for the score.

The 24-year old Rodgers would have added a 68-yard touchdown to his stat line but it was stand-in guard Tony Moll whose illegal man downfield penalty nullified a laudable throw to receiver Donald Driver.

The Packers did eventually catch a break from the Packers special teams late in the third quarter when cornerback Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown. Blackman tiptoed up the sidelines then abruptly cut back across the field and into the end zone to bring the score to 17-6 in favor of the Packers.
The Vikings would answer with a 23-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 17-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Tavaris Jackson was able to find a wide-open Sidney Rice on 4th and 1.

With eight minutes remaining and the Packers in need of a sustainable drive, running back Ryan Grant took some pressure off Rodgers by taking the ball 57 yards to the Vikings 3-yard line. That set up an Aaron Rodgers quarterback sneak as he plunged over the goal line to put the Packers up 24-12. A beaming Rodgers spiked the ball with vigor and ran to take his first career Lambeau leap.

An Adrian Peterson run brought the Vikings within five points, who were able to take advantage of a Packer penalty and get the ball back with 1:51 remaining.
The Packers were able to seal the game when safety Atari Bigby intercepted the ball near midfield with about a minute left and the Vikings threatening.
All in all it was a very impressive showing for Aaron Rodgers, a former first round pick. It was his first regular season action since he replaced Brett Favre midway through the team’s game against the Dallas Cowboys last season.

It was that game in which Rogers showed much poise and convinced Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy that he was ready to step out of Brett Favre’s shadow and into a starting role.

Rodgers also found his way into the NFL record books on Monday night by completing 81.3 percent of his passes, the second highest in NFL history for a quarterback making his first start.

On his very first Lambeau leap, Rodgers called it something he has been “dreaming about for four years.” With performances like the one he put forth on Monday night, he won’t have to wait four years for another opportunity.

Popularity: 8% [?]

April 26 is an important day for football fans: the NFL draft. What does this mean for the two most important teams in the NFL, the Bears and the Packers?

Both teams have needs and have waited until the draft to fill most of them. Let’s first look at the needs of the Packers.

The Packers have eight picks in this year’s draft, with six of them in the first four rounds. They have the 30th, 56th, 60th, 91st, 128th, 135th, 162nd and the 237th picks.

The team needs a cornerback, an offensive tackle, a tight end and now they need a back up quarterback. This draft is loaded with tackles, but is a bit thin in cornerbacks.

With that in mind, the Packers should look into getting one of the better cornerbacks in the draft. Since they have a lower pick in the first round, Leodis McKelvin from Troy and Mike Jenkins from South Florida might already be taken, but if they are available the Packers should take them. Cornerbacks that should be available include Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Tennessee State and Antoine Cason from Arizona.

Rodgers-Cromartie is the tallest of the cornerbacks at 6 feet 2 inches and he had the fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.29 seconds. His downside is that he did not play in a major conference, so there are questions if he can succeed at the next level. I would think that he would be a good fit for the Packers in the first round.

In the second round the Pack should look into an offensive tackle. Gosder Cherilus, a tackle from Boston College, should still be available at the 56th pick. He would be a good shot of youth into an aging offensive line. At 6 feet 7 inches and 317 pounds, he has the right size, but some question his instincts. He should be a great pick for Green Bay here.

For the rest of the draft, the Packers should look into another cornerback and tackle, and fill the needs of a backup quarterback and a tight end, but if they get Cromartie and Cherilus with their first two picks, they should be looking good.

The Bears have eleven picks in the upcoming draft, with five of them in the first four rounds. They have the 14th, 44th, 70th, 90th, 110th, 142nd, 175th, 222nd, 243rd, 247th and 248th picks.

The Bears also need an offensive tackle, running back, wide receiver and a quarterback (like always). As said before, this draft has plenty of tackles, and with a higher first round choice, the best pick for the Bears is a tackle.

In a move a bit different here for the Bears, they should take Rashard Mendenhall, running back out of Illinois. He has speed and strength, something you would want a first rounder to have.

Mendenhall also has far less mental aspects to worry about than the last Bears first round running back. He would be a great fit in Ron Turner’s offense, especially since Turner recruited him back when he coached the Illini.

The Bears could address their need at tackle in the second round. Sam Baker out of the University of Southern California should still be available in the second round. He has the size that scouts look for, but he lacks some of the footwork. He would still help a really aging Bears line.

The Bears should look for another offensive lineman or quarterback or a wide receiver with their two third picks and their fourth rounder.

The Packers were one win away from the Super Bowl last year and the Bears were there the year before. If their drafts turn out to be good ones, they both could see each other for a third time next season.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Peyton Manning’s prominence in the history of the NFL is easily apparent to anyone who has seen a Packers game during Brett Favre’s impressive string of record-breaking performances. Nearly every time Favre sets a new NFL mark for wins, touchdown passes, yards or any other of a host of statistical passing categories the announcers cannot be quick enough to indicate that Favre is merely holding the spot until Manning has an opportunity to break the record.

All of this has led to frequent comparisons of Manning and Dan Marino, the former holder of many of the records Favre is now breaking. Marino, despite his statistical legacy, will be forever discounted from contention for greatest quarterback ever due to his inability to win a Super Bowl. This same criticism plagued Manning until the Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears last season. Thanks to his much-deserved Super Bowl ring, Manning’s many other accomplishments can now be brought to bear in his near constant comparison to the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady.

This comparison is a critical one, as fans of over great sports rivalries know. One cannot discuss Magic Johnson without Larry Bird .Just as this generation asked their parents about the 1979 title game that established this legacy, future generations will ask us to recount the meetings of two of the greatest NFL quarterbacks ever. With that in mind, one should be sure to view both Manning and Brady in terms of their achievements as well as the context in which they earned those achievements.

Since he entered the NFL as the first overall pick in the 1998 draft, Manning has been the face of the Indianapolis Colts. He has been the focus nucleus of the franchise and the centerpiece of future roster plans. In light of this, Manning has been given an amount of responsibility and power on the field that few other players, even quarterbacks, have enjoyed. He is asked to make decisions at the line of scrimmage that frankly most offensive coordinators are incapable of making. In light of this, it is easy to see that Manning deserves more credit for his Super Bowl ring than your typical quarterback.

Brady entered the league as a successful but relatively unknown quarterback from the University of Michigan. He became a starter after an injury to Drew Bledsoe during the 2001 season. Since then, he has won three Super Bowls, an impressive feat, but in each instance Brady was far from the catalyst for the season. To put it in a more accessible context, name as many defensive starters for the Patriots’ Super Bowl squads as you can. Without much effort many can name Richard Seymour, Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Asante Samuels and maybe a few others. Now name all the Colts’ defenders you can. So, Dwight Freeney? This pretty clearly illustrates a substantial difference in the quality of defense playing the other half of the game for both Manning’s Colts and Brady’s Patriots.

The obvious objection is that Manning has had a better set of weapons at his disposal on offense. This may seem to be the case but the difference may not be as significant as Brady supporters would have you believe. Brady has had a very respectable running game behind him his entire career. Whether it was Corey Dillon or Laurence Maroney, a viable ground game has always been a part of the Patriot’s offense.

Manning has also had an above average run game at his disposal for his entire career with Edgerrin James headlining the attack. Fortunately for our purposes, James left the Colts and is now part of a less than impressive ground attack for the Arizona Cardinals. One extremely probable explanation for this is the pass first mentality of the Colts, which forced defenses to play extra defensive backs which led to a more user friendly environment for James while he was in Indianapolis.

In terms of receivers, the recent departure of Brandon Stokely again provides a useful case study. While Stokely was with the Colts he was the third wide receiver and had immense success in that role. So much success that in fact people often speculated that he could become a starter on another NFL roster if he chose to leave Indianapolis for a lesser offensive unit. Well, three years after catching 10 touchdowns from Manning, Stokely departed for the Denver Broncos. In Denver, Stokely was again slotted as a third wide receiver, only this time instead of being stuck behind Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, he was sitting on the bench behind Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall until a recent Walker injury.

Bearing these two instances in mind, it is hard to believe that if their situations were reversed that Brady would have been able to match the success of Manning over the last decade. Manning on the other hand seems more than capable of performing the duties of Brady. Manning has provided the Colts with more offense than Brady has been capable of in every season but this one and Brady’s sudden surge of offensive productivity can be easily traded to the off season acquisitions of Randy Moss, arguably the most physically talented player in the NFL, along with a slew of other offensive tools including Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker.

Popularity: 12% [?]

The primary measure of a quarterback’s greatness at any level, but particularly in the NFL has always been and always will be their ability to win games. This is an even more critical tool for assessment when the games being considered are “big games.” For NFL fans our age it is impossible to discuss winning quarterbacks without mentioning Tom Brady. Brady has made winning Superbowls a lifestyle choice; he already has three Superbowl rings a mere seven years into his young career.

Brady’s three Superbowl victories equal those of Troy Aikman tying him for third behind only Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw all-time. Manning has a paltry one Superbowl Ring just like Trent Dilfer. Brady is 91-26 all-time as a starter in the NFL giving him a win percentage of .850, the best in the NFL since the inception of the Superbowl for any quarterback with over 40 starts. Brady also quarterbacked the Patriots during their twenty-one game winning streak that set the NFL mark for most consecutive wins by a franchise. That’s right he has won nearly as many games in a row as he has lost total in his career. Furthermore, Brady is an otherworldly 12-2 in the playoffs in his career, including 10 straight wins to open his playoff career.

Brady has been an impressive quarterback in terms of passing statistics as well. The most obvious example would be his awe-inspiring touchdown pace this season. Through nine games Brady has tossed 33 touchdowns; meaning that he needs a mere 17 touchdowns over his last seven games. That is right, Tom Brady is on the brink of breaking Manning’s most impressive achievement to date. One has to wonder what possible claim Manning will have on Brady’s status as the best quarterback in the NFL when he has shattered all of Manning’s most cherished accomplishments with his fist (featuring two more Superbowl Rings than Manning as well I might add).

Brady is currently sporting a 131.8 quarterback rating on the year, which means it is probable that come week 17 he will be breaking Manning’s best single season mark for quarterback rating as well. So far this season Brady has put up video-game-like statistics at every turn, seriously undermining any argument that he was inherently inferior to Manning. Brady should not be punished for doing what Belichick requires of his players. Rather, Brady’s willingness to put personal accolades aside and play within his team’s game plan should be recognized and praised. This is particularly important to realize now that Brady has been given the opportunity to put up video-game-like statistics and he has.

Brady’s efficiency as a passer has allowed him to be exactly what the Patriots need, the best on-field game manager in the NFL. Brady rarely makes mistakes but still has the confidence to regularly make exceptional plays to win games. To start his career Brady threw 162 passes without an interception, setting the record for most passes to start a career without an interception. He is currently 27-5 in games with a margin of less than a touchdown including a 6-1 mark in such games during the playoffs. In addition, he is undefeated, 7-0, in games going into overtime. In his 117 games Brady has engineered 24 game winning drives including six such efforts in his 14 playoff appearances. In short, Brady deserves substantially more credit for many of the Patriot’s most widely famous wins. Without Tom Brady’s arm the leg of Adam Vinetari would have been hard pressed to gain such notoriety for clutch performances like Superbowl XXXVI.

Brady’s critics will say that Bill Belichick is the mastermind behind all of Brady’s achievements, but in reality Belichick was a very average coach before he teamed up with Brady. Belichick’s record with the Brady under center is now a sterling 91-26, standing in clear contrast to his losing record with as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Right now the historical comparison for Brady is clear, he is on pace to become the next Joe Montana. The Superbowl wins make this comparison nearly unavoidable and frankly the fact that a very young Tom Brady witnessed “The Catch” in person only further mandates this comparison. This is obviously a favorable comparison for Brady fans, after all many consider Montana to be the greatest NFL quarterback to date.

Bearing all of this in mind how could anyone possibly believe in Manning’s superiority? The answer is simple, mass media. Most NFL fans out there see more of Manning in commercials for various products like DirecTV, ESPN’s Sportscenter, Sprint Nextel and Mastercard. Couple this with his family’s nobility like status in the NFL and misconceptions about his relative greatness are easy to conceptualize.

At the end of the day though, commercials do not decide who gets into Canton and thankfully the debate over the greatest quarterback ever will be far enough down the road that commercials will not play a role in that debate either, leaving us one clear choice.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Although Marquette University has not been exactly prominent in student diversity, those looking to find a more varied population just need to know the right place and the right time, to find it. At noon on Sunday at 804 N. 16th St., fans can find the most multi-faceted site on campus: the Union Sports Annex. John Marston, a junior in the College of Communication and Minnesota Vikings fan, has been coming to the Annex since his freshman year.

“The atmosphere is so incredibly loud,” Marston said. “When Rex Grossman throws an interception, or sometimes a touchdown, everyone in the restaurant will find out because the Bears fans are excessively loud.”

What other place can claim a restaurant, bar, dodgeball court, bingo arena, bowling alley and game room all wrapped into one?

But what has made the Annex distinct has been its Sunday afternoons, when National Football League die-hards can all gather together in one place; and also trash-talk to their hearts’ desire. On a typical Sunday, pro football teams from across the entire nation will be represented, including Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills’ fans from the East Coast or Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers’ fans from out West. While out-of-town students make up a handful of the regulars at the Annex, midwesterners have dominated the scene. With Bears, Lions, Vikings and Packers’ fans filling up most of the tables and constantly cheering on each other to lose, Sunday afternoons at the Annex could be confused for a NFC North convention promoting non-violence. Most of the jeers will be in jest and fans have their hands full trying to keep track of all the games rather than arguing with the opposition.

With over 20 televisions throughout the complex and the television package NFL Sunday Ticket, the Annex is capable of showing seven different football games at the same time, a football fan’s dream. The vast array of screens includes one large screen in the main dining area, a number of small televisions inserted into the walls of each booth as well as a gigantic screen in the dodgeball court for the most popular games. (When Bears’ games have been scheduled at the same time as Packer games, the Bears’ game can’t be seen locally.)

In addition to the viewing capabilities, the Annex also offers a variety of food options, most of which perfectly supplement a long day of footballwatching. The menu consists of both “build-your-own” burgers and pizza, a number of appetizers and sandwich platters and perhaps the most popular item, the Annex Golden Eagle wings, which come in a variety of flavors in regular or boneless style.

It will not be the healthiest or cheapest meal, but the service is very quick and friendly, and there’s no better way to celebrate a fantasy members’ touchdowns than with a burger or some wings.

Mike Lavender, a junior in the college of Arts & Sciences and a big fan of Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans, gets up early every week to get a good view of the TV his team’s playing on.

“I’ve only been coming here this year, but it’s really a unique experience,” Lavender said. “I just like all the different fans cheering on their respective teams, plus it’s a lot better than watching it by yourself at home.”

Lavender also showered praise on other aspects of Annex Sundays. “You can see all of the games at once, which is really convenient,” he said. “The service is great and you can spend six hours of your Sunday sitting in a chair and not get sick of it.” “It’s incredible to go to the Annex and see fans of almost every NFL team huddled together around one of the many TVs,” said Marston. “When the Vikings lose and I’m really frustrated, it’s nice to look around the Annex to see fans of other teams that got beat-up worse. Getting to see the expressions of joy and pain from all these fans around you is just heavy.”

Popularity: 10% [?]

Each year, nearly 100 million people tune in on Super Sunday to watch the worldwide phenomenon that is the Super Bowl. Football fans, party goers and commercial enthusiasts alike all watch the “big game,” and, for roughly four hours on the first Sunday in February, the world seemingly comes to a stand still.

But have you ever wondered what it was like to actually be in attendance for this cultural giant of a football game? This year, 93.2 million people viewed the game on television, whereas only 75,000 people where fortunate enough to be in attendance. This reporter happened to be one of those 75,000 football aficionados at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Fla.on Feb. 4, 2007.

As any sports fan can attest to, the Super Bowl is the single most momentous game in all of sports; it is the climax of arguably the most popular sport in the United States. After having the opportunity to actually attend the event, I would argue that it is in fact the most enjoyable weekend any sports fan ever has the chance to experience. Perhaps it is because this year’s game was held in Miami, or maybe it is because the Super Bowl has a magical aura about it, but the feeling of being there simply cannot be recreated.

We arrived in Miami around dusk on the Friday, Feb. 2 and headed directly toward the vicinity of Dolphin Stadium to check out what was going on down there. Upon arrival, it was amazing to see all the preparation the NFL and the city of Miami put into this event. Everywhere you looked, you were constantly reminded of where you were. Whether it was one of the thousand decorative signs donning the XLI logo, over-priced memorabilia vendors or the abundant media outlets from around the globe that surrounded the stadium, it was quite obvious that the Super Bowl was to be played at this location in two short days.

After Saturday’s mid-day festivities (including beach dwelling because when you leave Milwaukee for Miami it is essentially required) came to an end, it was time to spend the evening down at the party on South Beach. Musicians such as Jimmy Buffet, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez all performed, and celebrities such as Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman could be seen carousing down the crowed streets.

When Super Sunday finally came, it was time to experience the chance of a lifetime. There are no words to describe the sensation one feels when attending such an event, not even long and heavy rain could spoil it. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Everything from Devin Hester’s opening return for a touchdown to Peyton Manning’s hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy was emotionally stimulating given the cultural importance of this game.

There is nothing that can be put into print that does this event justice. It is simply one of those things where you just have to be there and experience what it has to offer. Luckily, I can now say I have been.

Popularity: 9% [?]