The 11 Best Super Bowls of All Time…That Never Happened

Brett Favre's Last Throw As A Packer 2007 NFC Championship

We are less than a week out from Super Bowl XLVI, but we’ve technically already seen this game before, so what’s the fun in talking about it?

Instead, let’s talk about the best Super Bowls that never happened. [Read more...]

Photo Story: “Player/Coach” starring Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay with special guest Jim Tressel

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The most compelling NFL franchise right now outside of the still-playing Giants and Patriots is clearly the Indianapolis Colts.

After a decade of 10-win seasons and playoff appearances, Indy went 2-14 this season without Peyton Manning under center. Now Bill Polian is gone, Jim Caldwell is gone, Rob Lowe is causing Twitter firestorms with suggestions that Manning is retiring…and it all has Peyton feeling a bit out of sorts, as he described to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.

In addition to determining Manning’s playing status for next season, the other big decision the Colts must make is who their head coach will be. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel’s name has been bandied about, but as our Chris Callaway wondered last week, why not Manning as player/coach? As absurd as the idea sounds (and is), is it any more absurd than Manning attempting to operate under the ultra-conservative direction of Tressel?

These thoughts, and a few choice photos of lovably eccentric Colts owner Jim Irsay, coalesced into our latest photo story.

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With Jim Caldwell Fired Is It Time For Peyton Manning, Player-Coach?

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I’m not sure what the Indianapolis Colts were thinking when they fired Jim Caldwell.

In his three years as coach of the Colts, he went 14-2 in 2009, 10-6 in 2010 and 2-14 in 2011. Yes, Indianapolis was terrible this year without Peyton Manning under center, but just two short years ago, with #18 healthy, the Colts won the AFC and played in Super Bowl XLIV. In 2010, Manning threw for a career-high 450 completions and 4,700 yards to go with 33 touchdowns.

The Colts relied so heavily on what Manning could do that they were lost without him in 2011. It’s not surprising that Indianapolis wen’t 2-14 this season.

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Kurt’s Angle: Family Tragedies Link ’05 Colts and ’11 Packers

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It is a place where I warned few would go if the Packers were to fall at home to the New York Giants, thus going one and done in the playoffs after a 15-1 regular season.

That is, how much of a distraction did the events involving the tragic loss of Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin’s son play into preparing for the Divisional Playoff?

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Indianapolis Colts Should Keep Peyton Manning, Draft Kellen Moore

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By now we have heard every angle possible about either drafting Andrew Luck and getting rid of Peyton Manning, or keeping Peyton and trading the pick, or drafting Luck AND keeping Manning so Luck can sit a couple of years.

I have a different idea. It may sound crazy, you may not like it, but here it goes…

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Kurt’s Angle: Does Indianapolis still have ‘Luck’ on its side?

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With one final game remaining, the Indianapolis Colts still control their own destiny in the Andrew Luck Derby.

Problem is, this team is peaking at absolutely the wrong time.

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8 Things We Learned This Weekend

Drew Brees shattered records this year with the help of his sentient Muppet football.

All of my teams lost this weekend, so I’m really in no mood to think about sports, let alone write about them. But perhaps this little exercise in which I review what we learned this weekend in sports will be therapeutic and help me prepare for the months of heartache that surely lie ahead.

Maybe by taking a look at all the wonderful and curious things that are happening in the world of sports, I can learn to become a passive observer who can relax as I enjoy watching feats of athleticism, competition, gamesmanship, and sportsmanship, instead of a fan whose weekend is wrecked when Evansville loses a close game to Tennessee Tech (at home).

I’ll give it a try. Here’s what we learned this weekend.

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The Unsung Heroes of Week 13 in the NFL

You too can own a small piece of Lambeau Field.

It was an eventful week in the National Football League.

Aaron Rodgers led a last-minute drive to give the Packers a win over the Giants, extending Green Bay’s winning streak to 18. Drew Brees became the first quarterback in league history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in 12 games. Tim Tebow led the Broncos to their fifth straight win and proved that he is more than just a pair of legs, throwing for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Chris Johnson put to rest any doubt that he had emerged from an early-season, hold0ut-induced funk by rushing for 153 yards and 2 scores. Marshawn Lynch had similar numbers in the Seahawks’ Thursday-night thrashing of the Eagles. And the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski caught 3 touchdown passes, tying the record for most touchdown receptions in a season by a tight end with 13.

First-year coach Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers clinched the NFC West and earned their first Playoff bid in nearly a decade. During the Niners’ shutout of St. Louis running back Frank Gore became the leading rusher in franchise history.

These are the players you’ll see on the highlight shows and read about in the week-in-review columns. These are the players who sell jerseys and star in commercials for insurance companies. But, as is always the case in football, no team is successful apart from the contributions of several players whose exemplary work we often overlook.

Here are but a few of the unsung heroes from Week 13 in the NFL:

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NFL Suck For Luck Power Rankings Week 14: Rams Suck Edition

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Andrew Luck didn’t play this past weekend, as his Stanford Cardinal did not make the Pac-12 championship game. Oregon did. And so did UCLA, which really made the game less “championship game” and more “meaningless exhibition between a good team and a crappy team whose coach has already been fired.”

Anyway, there isn’t much to say about Luck for this week in looking back; but we can look forward.

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NFL Suck For Luck Power Rankings: Week 13

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Expected #1 draft pick Andrew Luck capped off a terrific regular season Saturday night by leading his Stanford Cardinal to a victory over the hated Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In the process, Luck went 20-30 for 233 yards and 4 TDs. He did toss one pick, but overall it was a solid, steady performance from the man who just may end up being Peyton Manning’s replacement in Indianapolis.

But today, the phrase “suck for Luck” has nothing to do with a certain NFL team losing game after game and positioning themselves for the #1 pick. Rather, it has to do with the Nike Pro Combat unis that Stanford wore Saturday night.

Which sucked.

stanford-nike-pro-combat-uniforms-andrew-luckPhoto credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma via ESPN.com

I’ve seen some bad version of the Nike Pro Combat unis (Georgia’s immediately come to mind), but these may the worst. Black helmets? Black numbers? For Stanford? I suppose the jersey itself isn’t bad, but nothing about it says Stanford. And, um, isn’t that what jerseys are supposed to do?

I have a solution.

We need to get this guy on the case:

1800-tequila-suck-for-luck

Seriously, can you imagine the indignation if this bro had seen that Stanford-Notre Dame game? He’d have downed the entire bottle of 1800 by halftime because of those uniforms.

Whatever happened to men, Michael Imperibroli? Nike. And it’s Pro Combat Uniforms. That’s what.

Now drink up while I break down the NFL’s top/bottom 10 in the race to draft Matt Barkley or Robert Griffin (if they go pro) since the race to draft Luck is pretty much done.

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NFL Suck For Luck Power Rankings: Week 13

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1. Indianapolis Colts (0-11)

Breaking news: the Colts lost again.

Here is their remaining schedule. You tell me where a win might come from: at New England, at Baltimore, vs Tennessee, vs Houston, at Jacksonville.

  • They sure as hell aren’t beating New England or Baltimore. In fact, they might lose by a combined 100 points.
  • I suppose they could beat Tennessee, but the Titans should still be alive in AFC South race then.
  • Houston at home is a possibility depending on their QB situation, and if they have the AFC South clinched, but I think the Texans could win just direct snapping it to Arian Foster.
  • Week 17 at Jacksonville is a possibility because any team quarterbacked by Blaine Gabbert could lose to any team quarterbacked by anyone else – even you, dear reader.

So, with nothing else really to say about this sorry sack of a Manning-less team, here is a picture of Curtis Painter doing one of the few things he does better than Peyton Manning: carrying laundry.

curtis-painter-sucksPhoto credit: USA Today

2. St. Louis Rams (2-9)

That’s it. I’m done with the Rams. And they still have to play San Francisco twice! If you own Steven Jackson in fantasy, trade him. Trade him now.

3. San Diego Chargers (4-7)

A bunch of the other craptastic teams won this weekend, so we’ll bump the sorry Chargers all the way up to #3. When you start out 4-1 then lose six straight games, each in excruciating fashion, you get rewards like this.

It’s safe to say that the Norv Turner Era will soon be ending in San Diego, and all 16 of their die-hard fans must be thrilled with that news.

In honor of the Chargers’ rapid ascent up these Suck For Luck Power Rankings, here is the most disturbing image of Philip Rivers on the first page of a Google Image search for his name:

philip-rivers-mouthface1-suck-for-luck-power-rankingsImage source: Pyromaniac

Ah, what the hell. Here’s another one:

philip-rivers-mouthface2-suck-for-luck-power-rankingsImage source: Pyromaniac

My apologies in advance for any nightmares you have tonight.

4. Carolina Panthers (3-8)

Let’s not carried away with excitement here. You beat Indianapolis, and you allowed them to score 19 points. And congrats on running all over them, but everyone does that.

5. Cleveland Browns (4-7)

The Browns jumped out to an early lead over the Bengals, only to give it away to the clear #1 football team in the state of Ohio (since Ohio State is down this year).

But hey, at least Peyton Hillis was back! Maybe now he can start to recapture the magic of 2010. Assuming, of course, that he doesn’t get anymore sore throats or have any more shotgun weddings.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)

The Bucs have now lost five in a row, and they actually make the Colts looks suffocating against the run. Chris Johnson hasn’t been able to juke a brown paper sack this year, yet he racked up 190 yards against the Bucs on Sunday.

The only question for this team now, with the playoffs clearly out of the question, is does Raheem Morris make it to next year? If the Bucs want to have any hope of not squandering the talent they’ve accumulated, I say the answer is no. We’ll see.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (4-7)

Yes, I think the Vikings and Dolphins, among others, would beat the Eagles right now. That is how bad this team is playing. Their coaches are yelling at eachother on the sidelines, Desean Jackson isn’t blatantly short-arming catch attempts, and good players are getting injured one right after another.

Side note: when Andy Reid gets his walking papers at the end of the year, and it’s becoming likely that he will, some team looking for a head coach (hello Dolphins!) better snatch him up quickly. I’ll agree that perhaps it’s time for a parting of the ways in Philly. Sometimes that happens, even to good coaches. Sometimes change is needed. But it doesn’t mean Reid is no longer a good, perhaps even great, NFL coach. I don’t think he’d stay unemployed for long.

Now, apropos of absolutely nothing, here is a video of a hippo releasing a little pressure after a second helping of Thanksgiving dinner.

8. Minnesota Vikings (2-9)

Yes, the Vikings have now replaced the Rams as the team I irrationally support despite their record. But seriously, the Vikings have played decent football in hanging tough at Atlanta without Adrian Peterson and almost coming back to beat Oakland. Can you honestly tell me you don’t think Minnesota could beat the seven teams above them on this list?

9. Seattle Seahawks (4-7)

You lose at home to Rex Grossman and the Redskins, you make this list. It’s as simple as that.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8)

Frankly, I kind of forgot about the Jaguars. Had I remembered them, I probably would have placed them in the 4-6 range because Blaine Gabbert sucks so much. But out of deference to the great Maurice Jones-Drew, who continues to play hard and churn out tons of yards in losing efforts, I’m going to keep the Jags here.

Seriously though, watch Gabbert in the pocket anytime anyone gets near him. He freezes up and braces for contact instead of standing in there like a man and delivering a throw (which I obviously would do if I were a professional football player). I wonder what Michael Imperioli would have to say about that after a few shots of 1800 tequila.

Honorable mention: Kansas City Chiefs (4-7), Washington Redskins (4-7), Arizona Cardinals (4-7), Buffalo Bills (5-6).

Honestly, all four of those teams deserved mention. There is a pretty clear line between the top 18 teams in the NFL and the bottom 14. So congrats to everyone who made this list! You officially suck.

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NFL Suck For Luck Power Rankings Week 12: Stiffen For Griffin Edition

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For once, Andrew Luck is not the toast of the college quarterback world.

Combine Stanford’s loss to Oregon two weekend ago with Luck’s pedestrian numbers against Cal on Saturday (20-30, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT in a 31-28 win), and then mix in superlative performances by Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and USC’s Matt Barkley this past Saturday, and Luck doesn’t seem luck such a clear-cut #1 prospect any more, now does he?

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NFL “Suck For Luck” Power Rankings: Week 11

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In the aftermath of Stanford’s disappointing loss to Oregon on Saturday night, you are likely to hear little birdies chirping that Andrew Luck isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

Don’t buy it.

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Could this be the nadir of the Indianapolis Colts’ winless agony?

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The Indianapolis Colts, after a decade of 10-win seasons, have opened the 2011 season at 0-9. While this does make them the favorites in the most closely watched NFL draft sweepstakes ever, it also places them just seven wins away from joining the Detroit Lions in the winless infamy.

Fortunately for Colts fans, the winlessness could end this weekend. The hapless Jacksonville Jaguars and their bumbling rookie QB Blaine Gabbert come to town on Sunday, giving the Colts their best chance of achieving victory in 2011. I even picked them to, at a minimum, cover the 3-point spread.

Should the Colts find a way to vanquish Jack Del Rio’s crew, then this Reddit post I was just thoroughly entertained by may prove to be the nadir of the Colts’ awful, ignominious season.

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Photo Story: “Sucks For Luck” starring Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, and with special musical guest Jim Irsay

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Outside of Tim Tebow, the two players most discussed this season by NFL pundits and fans alike have combined to take zero NFL snaps through 8 weeks.

I am referring, of course, to Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, two quarterbacks whose futures become ever more entwined as the Colts get closer and closer to having the first pick in next April’s draft (and as the news about Manning’s neck continues to worsen).

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NFL Power Rankings Week 9: The Midseason Motown Edition – One Classic “Hitsville, U.S.A.” Track For All 32 Teams

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Week 8 is now in the books after Philip Rivers fumbled away a road win in Kansas City, which means we are right around the midway point of the 2011 season. Most teams have played 8 games, a few have played 7, and we can finally start to state with some level of certainty who is good, who is not, and who is too enigmatic to declare.

Without question, the story of the first half of the season (other than this) has been the ascent of the Detroit Lions.

They went 0-16 three years ago, then 2-14 in Jim Schwartz’s first year, then 6-10 last year; and now halfway through their 2011 slate Detroit, sitting at 6-2, is a bona fide contender in the NFC. And the Lions aren’t just an empty record either. They have the skill, attitude, reputation, and right now the health (knock on wood) to suggest that they aren’t going away.

So in honor of the Motor City Mufasas, and their roaring wreakers of wreckage Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson, I give to you my Midseason NFL Power Rankings, with each team presented alongside a Motown classic that sums up the first half of its season.
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