A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Flash back about 15 years.
That was a time before my children had single-handedly decimated my social life. I was out at a bar with several buddies, when one of my cronies boasted “I am going to make over $500,000 this year. That puts me in the top 2/10 of 1% of earners in the United States. That makes me truly elite.”
I came to two conclusions that night. First, this guy is a tool. And second, I now define “truly elite” as the top 2/10 of 1%.
With that in mind…
Athletes are preternaturally competitive beings.
During the heat of competition, the passion that courses through combatants can sometimes take a turn into uglier territory.
Injuries happen in all sports – especially football.
It would be awesome if we could develop a way to completely solve the problem, but we never will. Football is a violent sport, and when you have guys as big and as fast as NFL athletes, injuries will invariably follow.
However, every year, injuries DO occur that could be avoided – especially when guys like James Harrison are involved.
In one of the most promising, if not the best, Monday Night Football match-ups of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) head west to take on the San Francisco 49ers (10-3).
Unlike last week’s less-than-stellar showing from the Rams and Seahawks, this game features two teams each near the top of their conference, both fighting for playoff seeding and the hope of a first-round bye.
The game will kick off a crazy holiday week for the NFL, with games on five of the next eight days. This one has the potential to be a slugfest and will definitely be worth watching Monday night.
If you are not a fan of Breaking Bad, a) why not? and b) you can just stop reading this and don’t bother watching the video because you won’t get it. (Note: I’ll assume that everyone is either a fan of The Simpsons or at least aware enough of it for this to be relevant.)
After watching the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Cleveland Browns 14-3 on Thursday night, I noticed a familiar sight.
It was the battered Browns’ quarterback Colt McCoy, slumping his shoulders with a disappointed and depressed look on his face after yet another though loss.
If you have not seen it by now, Steelers linebacker James Harrison absolutely went off on a few subjects in an article at Men’s Journal. He predictably rips Roger Goodell and the New England Patriots, but surprisingly even spews some venom at members of his own team.
Some people seem to admire Harrison’s “refreshing” honesty. Personally, I think that Harrison comes across like a classless idiot, even though I simultaneously find his story of hard work and perseverance inspiring, as it speaks to the genuine fire in his heart and his extreme mental and physical toughness.
James Harrison is, without question, a complicated and multi-layered figure, a compelling amalgamation of virtue and vile born to be a star figure on America’s gladiatorial gridiron; but ultimately, I think he pretty much just comes across as a scumbag in this interview.
So, in the spirit of Reddit and one of the many memes often found there (which started as “Scumbag Steve” if you want the background), let’s salute “Scumbag James Harrison” and the most notorious of the comments in his Men’s Journal interview heard ’round the sports world.
Under Mike Tomlin, one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sacred pregame rituals takes place the night before games. It involves darkening the room, listening to Phil Collins’ classic song In The Air Tonight, and the players visualizing making plays. Numerous Steelers players have talked this week about the importance of the ritual as a method for getting in the right frame of mind to compete at their best on Sundays.
But according to MSF sources* close to the situation, Tomlin made a gargantuan error last night when it came time for the Phil Collins ritual. Rather than playing In The Air Tonight, Tomlin accidentally hit play on Sussudio. The CD player subsequently froze, thus leaving Tomlin powerless to change the track.
The effects on the Steelers’ mindsets for Super Bowl XLV could be devastating.
The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame a lot to reach Super Bowl XLV. Thanks to the steady, intense leadership of Mike Tomlin, the Steelers were able to persevere when many other teams might have given in.
One of the rallying points for the Steelers was the us-against-the-commissioner mentality that developed with Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension and then the NFL’s crackdown on helmet hits, which seemed to single out James Harrison. If the Steelers win Sunday night, it will be quite entertaining watching the awkwardness when Roger Goodell has to present Tomlin and Harrison with the Lombardi Trophy.
What you might not know is that Tomlin and Goodell have already talked about it. And let’s just say it wasn’t the friendliest conversation, as our newest photo story shows.
It’s a simple question, and after the week of hype that is about to ensue, it’s going to be the only question you care about come Sunday night.
Because once we get past ludicrous storylines like “The Redemption of Big Ben” and non-story storylines like “PackersTeamPictureGate” and annoying storylines like “What Will It Take For Labor Peace?” all that really matters come Super Bowl Sunday is whether the Packers are hoisting their fourth Lombardi Trophy or whether the Steelers are hoisting their 7th.
So what do you think? Who will win Super Bowl XLV: the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers?
As you know, one of the biggest current narratives for the 2010 NFL season is Roger Goodell’s sudden crackdown on hard hits.
I am on record as saying that the NFL needs to do something about making the game safer. I am also on record as saying that doing so spontaneously in midseason might not have been the most prudent way to go about it.
And if I were saying this to Roger Goodell, he would probably tell me to shut the hell up, and then he would fine or suspend me.
How do I know this? Because Goodell is so confident and audacious in wielding the power of his office that he is now taking on some of the legends of the football who might dare to disagree with him.
Wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON of the Houston Texans, linebacker JAMES HARRISON of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kicker MIKE NUGENT of the Cincinnati Bengals are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the second week of the 2010 season (September 19-20), the NFL announced today.
I figured I’d whip up a quick Super Bowl 43 edition of the Link of the Day in the aftermath of one of the most entertaining Super Bowls in my lifetime.
This one easily ranks right up there with all of the Patriots’ recent Super Bowl appearances and the Rams-Titans game. Just a great game between two teams that gave everything, and it came down to the last minute of play.
Unbelievable.
Super Bowl 43 also featured the longest play in the history of the Super Bowl, and ultimately proved to be one of the most pivotal plays of the game. On the last play of the first half, James Harrison picked off a Kurt Warner pass intended for Anquan Boldin and rumbled 100 yards for a touchdown. At a minimum, it was a 10-point play — if you assume a field goal for the Cardinals. It was a 14-point play if it kept the Cardinals from a TD. In the end, Harrison covering those last few inches to paydirt proved to be the difference in a closely contested 4-point game.
LOTD: Courtesy of Robert Littal over at Black Sports Online, here is the video:
James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown broke the previous record-long play in a Super Bowl, which was held by Jake Delhomme and Muhsin Muhammad who connected on an 85-yard TD. The previous record long for an INT return for a touchdown was held by Kelly Herndon of Seattle, who returned an INT 76 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl 40 against the Steelers.
And now, some other early links in the aftermath of Super Bowl 43:
I GOT A FEELIN!!! The Pittsburgh Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl!!!! — (Steel Tradition)
Super Bowl 43 Images — (NFL Fanhouse)
Brenda Warner got hot — (Sharapova’s Thigh)
Yep, Santonio Holmes’ feet were both definitely down — (The Big Lead)
The Buzzsaw loses, and Will Leitch is sad — (Deadspin)
Commercial Critic: Super Bowl Special — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
Lots of records set in Super Bowl 43 — (Pro Football Talk)
As part of our week-long project to educate you on Super Bowl history and get you ready for Super Bowl 43 this weekend, yesterday we offered up the Super Bowl winners and losers by year, as well as the list of teams who have won and lost the most Super Bowls.
Today, we are breaking down the history of the Super Bowl MVP award, as well as offering up a prediction as to who will be the MVP of Super Bowl 43.
Before we get into any predictions, let’s get a historical perspective by looking at the Super Bowl MVP winners by year, as presented to you in the table below:
| SB# | Year | Player | Team | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl 1 | 1967 | QB - Bart Starr | Packers | Chiefs | 35-10 |
| Super Bowl 2 | 1968 | QB - Bart Starr | Packers | Raiders | 33-14 |
| Super Bowl 3 | 1969 | QB - Joe Namath | Jets | Colts | 16-7 |
| Super Bowl 4 | 1970 | QB - Len Dawson | Chiefs | Vikings | 23-7 |
| Super Bowl 5 | 1971 | LB - Chuck Howley | Cowboys | Colts | 13-16* |
| Super Bowl 6 | 1972 | QB - Roger Staubach | Cowboys | Dolphins | 24-3 |
| Super Bowl 7 | 1973 | S - Jake Scott | Dolphins | Redskins | 14-7 |
| Super Bowl 8 | 1974 | RB - Larry Csonka | Dolphins | Vikings | 24-7 |
| Super Bowl 9 | 1975 | RB - Franco Harris | Steelers | Vikings | 16-6 |
| Super Bowl 10 | 1976 | WR - Lynn Swann | Steelers | Cowboys | 21-17 |
| Super Bowl 11 | 1977 | WR - Fred Biletnikoff | Raiders | Vikings | 32-14 |
| Super Bowl 12 | 1978 | DE - Harvey Martin, DT - Randy White | Cowboys | Broncos | 27-10 |
| Super Bowl 13 | 1979 | QB - Terry Bradshaw | Steelers | Cowboys | 35-31 |
| Super Bowl 14 | 1980 | QB - Terry Bradshaw | Steelers | Rams | 31-19 |
| Super Bowl 15 | 1981 | QB - Jim Plunkett | Raiders | Eagles | 27-10 |
| Super Bowl 16 | 1982 | QB - Joe Montana | 49ers | Bengals | 26-21 |
| Super Bowl 17 | 1983 | RB - John Riggins | Redskins | Dolphins | 27-17 |
| Super Bowl 18 | 1984 | RB - Marcus Allen | Raiders | Redskins | 38-9 |
| Super Bowl 19 | 1985 | QB - Joe Montana | 49ers | Dolphins | 38-16 |
| Super Bowl 20 | 1986 | DE - Richard Dent | Bears | Patriots | 46-10 |
| Super Bowl 21 | 1987 | QB - Phil Simms | Giants | Broncos | 39-20 |
| Super Bowl 22 | 1988 | QB - Doug Williams | Redskins | Broncos | 42-10 |
| Super Bowl 23 | 1989 | WR - Jerry Rice | 49ers | Bengals | 20-16 |
| Super Bowl 24 | 1990 | QB - Joe Montana | 49ers | Broncos | 55-10 |
| Super Bowl 25 | 1991 | RB - Ottis Anderson | Giants | Bills | 20-19 |
| Super Bowl 26 | 1992 | QB - Mark Rypien | Redskins | Bills | 37-24 |
| Super Bowl 27 | 1993 | QB - Troy Aikman | Cowboys | Bills | 52-17 |
| Super Bowl 28 | 1994 | RB - Emmitt Smith | Cowboys | Bills | 30-13 |
| Super Bowl 29 | 1995 | QB - Steve Young | 49ers | Chargers | 49-26 |
| Super Bowl 30 | 1996 | CB - Larry Brown | Cowboys | Steelers | 27-17 |
| Super Bowl 31 | 1997 | KR/PR - Desmond Howard | Packers | Patriots | 25-21 |
| Super Bowl 32 | 1998 | RB - Terrell Davis | Broncos | Packers | 31-24 |
| Super Bowl 33 | 1999 | QB - John Elway | Broncos | Falcons | 34-19 |
| Super Bowl 34 | 2000 | QB - Kurt Warner | Rams | Titans | 23-16 |
| Super Bowl 35 | 2001 | LB - Ray Lewis | Ravens | Giants | 34-7 |
| Super Bowl 36 | 2002 | QB - Tom Brady | Patriots | Rams | 20-17 |
| Super Bowl 37 | 2003 | S - Dexter Jackson | Buccaneers | Raiders | 48-21 |
| Super Bowl 38 | 2004 | QB - Tom Brady | Patriots | Panthers | 32-29 |
| Super Bowl 39 | 2005 | WR - Deion Branch | Patriots | Eagles | 24-21 |
| Super Bowl 40 | 2006 | WR - Hines Ward | Steelers | Seahawks | 21-10 |
| Super Bowl 41 | 2007 | QB - Peyton Manning | Colts | Bears | 29-17 |
| Super Bowl 42 | 2008 | QB - Eli Manning | Giants | Patriots | 17-14 |
| Super Bowl 43 | 2009 | WR - Santonio Holmes | Steelers | Cardinals | 27-23 |
| Super Bowl 44 | 2010 | QB - Drew Brees | Saints | Colts | 31-17 |
* – Chuck Howley, the 1971 winner, is the only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team. The Cowboys were defeated by the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V.
* – The Cowboys are also the only team to have Co-MVPS, when Harvey Martin and Randy White split the award in 1978.
* – The Super Bowl MVP breakdown by team goes as follows:
* – The Super Bowl MVP breakdown by position goes as follows:
Based on history, there are a few things that we can reasonably anticipate about who will be the MVP in Super Bowl 43:
With that being said, if I was forced to bet on whO the Super Bowl 43 MVP will be, my money would be on Ben Roethlisberger. I think that the Steelers are going to win the game, and after Big Ben’s putrid performance in Super Bowl 40, I think he will play well Sunday. Plus, while Arizona’s defense has been solid, they are not great by any stretch of the imagination. Roethlisberger should have a chance to put up pretty good numbers.
However, I would not be surprised to see either James Harrison or Troy Polamalu come away with the trophy. Kurt Warner, while he has been spectacular for most of his career and for most of this season, can be prone to turnovers. Additionally, the Steelers do have a historically great defense. Defensive players from the ’85 Bears and ’01 Ravens won the MVP trophy, and I could see one of the Steelers players getting the award too. Polamalu and Harrison would actually be my #2 and #3 choices for Super Bowl 43 MVP.
Assuming that the Steelers win, and assuming the percentages play out, an offensive player will be the MVP. I know that Hines Ward won the trophy in Super Bowl 40, but Big Ben was just a young pup then. He is absolutely the catalyst of the Steelers offense this year. If he does not play well, Arizona has a chance to win. If he does play well, he will get the requisite numbers to win the award. I don’t see another Steelers offensive player trumping him, unless something fluky happens.
Should the Cardinals somehow with the game, either Kurt Warner or Larry Fitzgerald will come away with the award. I think Fitzgerald would have to just be phenomenal to overcome the whole “storybook” aspect of Warner taking home another MVP trophy. Fitzgerald is certainly capable, but any numbers he gets would also go to Warner. My prediction, if Arizona wins, is that Kurt Warner takes home the trophy.
So, if I was handicapping the race, my Top 5 Players Most Likely to win the Super Bowl 43 MVP list would go something like this:
What do you think?
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