I was actually happy for the Ravens, making it back to the big game after beating my Patriots. That is until the Patriot haters, especially Ravens LB Terrell Suggs, decided to treat the Pats like the Yankees. I understand that people are still angry about Spygate, but seriously, and Marshall Faulk I'm talking to you, Belichick and the Pats paid their penalties for Spygate already. It was your esteemed Commissioner, Roger Goodell, who levied the largest fines in league history onto New England for it. But NFL teams, specifically the Saints, didn't learn their lesson from Spygate, and are continuing to break rules and are cheating to win. That's why the Saints fines were higher than the Patriots. Because the Pats came first. Even so, I'll never truly believe the Pats, and my people, the Patriot fan base, will ever be as arrogant as Yankee fans. We don't have the history of being good for as long, quite frankly. When I was growing up, the Patriots were one of the laughing stocks of the league. Before Kraft and Parcells there was Rod Rust and Tommy Hodson, Hugh Millen, Mosi Tatupu, Tony Eason and the team that got trounced by the Bears 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Even the great Syracuse coach Dick MacPherson oversaw two pretty laughable seasons at the helm in New England. I'm sorry, but this idea that Belichick, Brady and the rest of the Pats are arrogant and terrible and the worst human beings ever is just ridiculous. They got beat fair and square and I give credit to Baltimore for getting the job done, no cheap penalties, no reason for New England fans to cry foul. Give it a rest already people. I am. No more talk of the Patriots in this entry.
Super Bowl Weekend is very interesting this year. In addition to the big game, locally we've got two big ECAC West hockey games between the top two teams in the conference, UC and Hobart, both at the Aud. The Pioneers beat the Statesman at their place two weeks ago, so you can bet Hobart will be out for revenge. The first game is Friday night at 7 and the second is Super Bowl Sunday at 3. Yep, it's right before the big game and will end just before the pre-game ceremonies commence. Friday night at 7, there's also a huge high school game at Kennedy Arena in Rome. RFA, undefeated in league play, hosts C-NS, whose only league loss so far this year was an early season setback at home to the Black Knights. The game should decide the #1 seed in Division I East, unless something strange happens.
In the NHL, the only game we'll see locally Friday night is Blues-Red Wings on NHL Network. On Saturday they've got two games, Devils-Penguins at 1, then Bruins-Leafs at 7. (That Jersey game will also be on MSG+) CBC's got Sabres-Canadiens at 2, then MSG has Rangers-Lightning at 7. Super Sunday has a number of games that might split the hockey crowd, especially with UC playing at the Aud. On NBC, thus on NEWSChannel 2, Penguins-Caps is at 12:30, then Senators-Canadiens at 2 on CBC, Devils-Islanders at 3 on supposedly both MSG and MSG+, though I'm guessing one of them will have Panthers-Sabres here in CNY.
College Basketball is also all over Super Bowl Weekend as well, with Syracuse visiting Pittsburgh at noon on Saturday, as well as another Big East game at 2, Notre Dame-DePaul. Plus Oklahoma State-Kansas at 4 in the Big 12, Ole Miss-Florida at 7 in the SEC, and a battle of two top 3 teams as Michigan visits Indiana at 9 in the Big 10. On Super Sunday there's three more Big East games, with Providence-Villanova at noon, then Marquette-Louisville and USF-UConn, both at 2. There are plenty of other games all over the place as well that I haven't mentioned that are just too numerous to go through.
The NBA also has some interesting games, with Bulls-Nets, Bucks-Knicks, Heat-Pacers and Lakers-Wolves on Friday. Saturday there's Kings-Knicks and Hornets-Wolves. For some reason there's no Sunday games on ABC, which I think is a bad call. But Clippers-Celtics is on NBATV at 1, though I don't like Boston's chances now that Rajon Rondo is out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Ah yes, the Rondo injury. Just the latest setback to Boston Sports, who rode an incredible run of success that will likely never happen again. All four pro teams won at least one title between Super Bowl XXXVI in early 2002 until the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. Plus Boston College and Boston University collected a few NCAA Division I Hockey championships as well, but the downturn had to start eventually.
As for the big game, I've been going back and forth as to whom I think will win as well as who I'll be rooting for and it's not the same for me. I could really care less who wins, but I actually wouldn't mind seeing San Fran win their sixth title. More than Baltimore getting number two anyway. Too bad I have to stay with the Ravens, since I picked them at the beginning of the season. MIKE'S PICK: RAVENS 22, 49ERS 20
By the way, Ray Lewis, I do not believe you. I think you used that deer antler spray with the banned PED, which is why you were able to come back from a supposed season ending injury so fast. That's just my opinion and I'm entitled to it. Same for you A-Rod. Why exactly did the Yankees give him a ten year contract in 2007? No matter how good any athlete is, ten years is way too long of a deal and every team that signs a player to one has regretted it in the end. Yep, that's how I'm ending this entry. Boo you PED players!!!
