Making Good on a Threat

I've been making a certain threat to Dave for a long time...that one of these days I was going to say "Fuck it." and start writing about English Premier League soccer on this blog.

Well, today is the day I make good on that threat, and the photo below is part of the reason why....

For the uninitiated, the man in red in the photo above is Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, a man who is arguably the most famous soccer player in England. (For a great photo essay of this shot, go here.)

Here is a little history for some context: he scored his first premier league goal before his 17th birthday, he was the youngest person ever called up to the English national team, he has played for Man U since age 18 (he's 25 now), and since David Beckham's retirement has become the face of English soccer.

He scored this bicycle kick goal in the 78th minute of Man U's game today against crosstown rivals Manchester City. The goal put United up 2-1 with only 12 minutes to play, sealing the game. Not only was it huge because of the rivalry, but also because Man U is in first and Man City is third in the Premier League standings. The standings would have gotten much tighter if City won this match.

I was watching this match live and jumped off my chair when Rooney made that kick. And for the record, I'm a Chelsea fan and I was pulling for City to win this match. (Man U is in first place, they are the Yankees to City's Mets, City was the visiting team, not supposed to win, David not Goliath, blah blah blah.)

It's rare you ever see a bicycle kick work. It's even rarer to see it work so well the goal keeper doesn't even make a move toward the ball. And it's rarer still to see a goal that exciting decide a match with so much importance. It was simply stunning.

Rooney said it was the greatest goal he's scored. Man U's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said it's the greatest strike he's seen in 25 years at that stadium. I have to agree.

Wayne Rooney made a bit of history today and I'm glad I was watching as it happened.

The Worm Gets A Little Respect

The Detroit Pistons have announced that they are going to retire Dennis Rodman's no. 10 jersey (the number he wore in the Motor City) at halftime of their game April 1st.

Depending on your age, and cultural awareness, you could know Rodman because of any number of things. To you he could be:

- The guy who was naked on a motorcycle on the cover of his book.

- The guy was in a coffin on the cover of another book.

- The guy who did a book signing in a wedding dress.

- The guy who stepped to Clint Black on the Celebrity Apprentice.

- A professional wrestler. (Dave?)

- A two time co-star of Jean Claude Van Damme in Simon Sez and Double Team.

- A three time Razzie winner for the above mentioned films.

- A tattooed, pierced, multi-colored hair, NBA sideshow.

- A two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven time All NBA Defensive First teamer, integral piece of five NBA championship teams (including the '95-'96 Chicago Bulls, perhaps the greatest single season NBA team ever), and arguably the greatest rebounding forward in NBA history.

I'm a little young to remember Rodman on the Pistons, but I clearly remember when he was a member of my beloved San Antonio Spurs. I remember reading box scores in the newspaper (if any youngsters need me to explain those five words, feel free to email me) and smiling when I saw David Robinson and Rodman on top of the list of leaders in rebounding. Robinson was always second, with something around ten or eleven rebounds a game, and fractions of a board ahead of the guy in third. Rodman was always a clear six or seven boards ahead of The Admiral. I was always baffled by the fact that Rodman was able to do that from the forward position, but I guess they didn't call him The Worm for nothing.

I was upset when the Spurs traded Rodman to the Bulls for a bag of basketballs named Will Perdue. It was hard to get excited about a guy who backed up Bill Cartwright and was sent packing because of the emergence of Luc Longley. (Who? Exactly.) I knew San Antonio was going to miss Rodman's rebounding and defensive hustle. I told a friend of mine at the time, who was a huge Bulls fan, about the trade and he thought I was making a joke. Hopefully these reports aren't a joke. (Anyone else notice the Pistons are reportedly honoring him on April 1st?)

Rodman deserves this, if for no other reason than to start to legitimize his career and his contributions to some great teams, which are sometimes overshadowed by his personal antics.

Dear Christina

Dear Christina Aguilera,

I fancy myself as somewhat of a gentleman, so I'll spare cutting your mic off like I did to Lil Wayne for your hibachi-style butchering of the National Anthem in front of 100+ thousand people at Cowboys Stadium and another 111 million watching at home on Super Bowl Sunday. You've taken enough of a PR beating over the last 72 hours, as is. It's funny because, had someone told me beforehand that both you and the Black Eyed Peas were going to be the musical guests at the Super Bowl, I totally would have bet the house on Fergie being the one that shit themselves on the national stage. Look, you're human, darling. You fucked up. We all make mistakes. After all, you aren't the first to embarrass yourself singing one of the most well-known songs in this country's history. There was poor little Natalie Gilbert, who had to be saved by Mo Cheeks while doing the Anthem at a Blazers game. There was that fat cow Roseanne Barr, who got booed off the field in San Diego. And who can forget U.S. Olympian Carl Lewis sounding like he squirted in the throat with lemon juice? Your pipes are far greater than those three idiots. Who are these nobodies on the Internet to criticize you? You're Christina "Motherfuckin'" Aguilera! You've got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You've won Grammy Awards. You've sold millions of records. You're the last remaining member of that vaunted late-90's bubble gum pop outbreak, which was like the 2000 NBA Draft in terms of talent depth. Shit, you're nominated for a Golden Globe. Don't let these people throw darts at you!

That being said, let me offer some friendly advice from a guy who doesn't have a stitch of musical talent to one of the best singers of our generation: Hang 'em up, sweetheart. It's over. Look, your resume is far more impressive than that ditz Jessica Simpson and you're far less batshit crazy than your old rival Britney Spears but, let's face it, from here on out, you're "The Girl Who Screwed Up The National Anthem At The Most Watched Television Event in History". I don't think there's any coming back from that. The music business is going down the toilet as it is. You have idiots like Drake making hit records. Kids these days are popping the headphones to their iPod into tin ears. This is a era that preys on people making public blunders like you did Sunday night. Why do you think Us Weekly is still in circulation?

On top of that, and I know this is going to come off as shallow but, you're not as attractive as you were in your prime. Look, I'm no prize myself, but even I can see that the baby fat and the bad blonde hair has turned you from Cindy Crawford to Cyndi Lauper. I'm sure we're a year away from you popping out another pup, hitting the gym like Rocky when he was training for Drago, and hitting the magazine covers looking like the second coming of Brooklyn Decker. I mean, you're only 30. Still, you're a bad nose job from being Lady Gaga's twin sister. Just sayin'.

You can't even try to milk Hef for some Playboy money like Kristy Swanson did to stay relevant until you at least start hitting Gold's 5 times a week. I know that's a bit harsh, but it's the truth, my dear. You used to be one of the ten best looking women on the planet. Now, you're getting passed up for Aubrey O'Day.

Maybe I'm being a bit rough on you. All I'm saying is lay low for a little bit. Focus on having your baby. Get back in shape. Call up VH1 for a reality show. Do a few indie films. Start dating "The Situation", and come back and see us. Sunday night was a Mike Tyson punch to your career. It's going to be tough to not be ridiculed for a very long time for that, but you have the pipes, kid. In a few years, when Glee is cancelled and people stop caring about the Carrie Underwoods and Taylor Swifts of the world, you can come back better than ever.

Until then, consider your mic cu.......nah, I think I've laid enough on you for one day.

Sincerely,

Dave

To The Victor......

The power of the Super Bowl, or at least winning the Super Bowl, is that it seemingly rewrites storybooks. It is as if the confetti that cascades from the ceiling during the postgame celebration is made with some kind of career cleanser.

For Aaron Rodgers, a win in Dallas Sunday would have removed him from the shadow of Brett Favre and moved him into the place where he rightfully belongs: Among the short list of the NFL's great QBs.

For Ben Roethlisberger, a win in Dallas would have put him in elite company as one of only five QBs to win three Super Bowls(Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Tom Brady being the others). Most importantly, it would have momentarily made people forget all about Roethlisberger's sexual assault-ridden offseason.

Unfortunately, only one man could have gotten what he wanted, and that man was Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers became the first Packers quarterback to win a Super Bowl MVP since Bart Starr in the Super Bowl II. By winning the MVP, he managed to achieve something his legendary predecessor couldn't and punctuated the epitome of an "Eff You" season from Green Bay to Brett Favre. That being said, and this is not to take anything away from the greatest sporting moment in the Leonardis house in 12 years, the position that Rodgers is in right now, oddly enough, is the same one Roethlisberger was in after his first Super Bowl.

Back in 2005, it was Big Ben who took a scrappy 6-seed Steelers team, conquered three giants on the road and marched into Super Sunday and walked away with a victory. Rodgers' night was spectacular, but it had been done before. Sunday night, however, the tables had turned on Big Ben. Rather than be celebrated(even in a loss) as someone who persevered through a PR nightmare to lead a team with the worst offensive line in Super Bowl history to within a final drive of winning his third ring, Roethlisberger found himself still the comic foil for transgressions that may or may not have occurred in Georgia bathroom stall.

Instead of a great game between two outstanding young QBs, many on the various social media platforms(including myself, who never passes up a chance to take a few shots at...well, anyone) made Rodgers and company's Super Bowl win into a triumph of good over evil. Don't believe me? Here's a sample of some tweets from people with a bit more money and fame than yours truly:

@rosemcgowan: Yes!!! Hooray for the non-raping quarterback!

@thefredsavage: My congratulations to the Packers for showing that Roethlisberger can only score when 3 of his bodyguards block the exit to the men's room.

I'm not saying we should be ashamed for taking shots at Roethlisberger or even saying Savage and McGowan were out of line for saying what they said. However, let the record show that Big Ben was never actually CONVICTED of rape. That's not to say that it didn't actually happen because, Lord knows, that Georgia assault case was handled with the clumsiness of the Keystone cops, but at what point do we let Big Ben off the hook for crimes he was only accused of? Next week? Next year? Next Super Bowl? Never?

Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and is doing time for his stupidity. He deserves our ridicule. Donte Stallworth actually killed a man with his car and got slapped on the wrist with a 30-day sentence. He deserves our outrage. If Michael Vick can win Comeback Player of the Year without the overwhelming cacophony of dog-fighting jokes and PETA picketing outside the league office, isn't it time to move on from Roethlisberger's trysts?

Maybe it's not, but it makes you wonder what the world would be saying about Ben had he did to the Packers Sunday night what he did to the Cardinals in 2008 in orchestrating a masterful 4th quarter comeback with less than two minutes to go to win the Super Bowl. You wonder if the storybook ending written for Ben would be different had he emerged from Dallas victorious instead of a couple incompletions short of a comeback. Kobe Bryant's rape allegations seem like a distant memory because, in the time that has elapsed since then and now, he won a few championships and is now billed more as a better "teammate"(even after he threw Andrew Bynum under the bus during a YouTube video taken at the mall and spent weeks demanding to get the hell out of L.A.). Winning seems to always change everything. As the cliche goes, "to the victor, belongs the spoils". Rodgers brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown and he'll spend the next few months of his life riding high. In the meantime, short of Christina Aguilera's O.J.-style butchering of the National Anthem and Fergie's atrocious singing during an equally-horrid Black Eyed Peas halftime show, the biggest tragedy Sunday night was the fact that this mess still found its way into the postgame conversations of a phenomenal football game and that a guy who has done everything he can to turn things around still finds his face on the dart boards of so many.

Look, I'm not telling you how to perceive Ben Roethlisberger, but the fact of the matter is, only two people know what really happened on that fateful night in Milledgeville and, whether you agree with the end result or not, the accused never spent a day in jail for what was believed to have happened. Ben Roethlisberger took the field Sunday with the chance to rewrite his story and he failed.

That makes him the defeated. It doesn't make him guilty.

Super Bowl XLV Preview

Super Bowl XLV kicks off in a few hours. Since hours upon hours have been wasted on various networks on hyperbole for this Packers-Steelers clash, I'll save you all the obligatory preamble stuff.

It's time to touch all bases on what could be the last football game for quite some time:

Over/Unders(Note: I made most of these up)

Number of times Joe Buck and Troy Aikman reference Brett Favre: 4.....bet the over. There's a lot to talk about with these two teams. Both QBs coming full circle, the magnificent play of these two defenses, the Packers bouncing back from 15 players on the IR, Matthews vs. Polamalu, etc. Still, all the talk leading up to this game has been about a guy who won't even be on the field: Brett Favre. Since commentators can't go a Packers game without mentioning Favre, you can expect Aikman and Buck to go the Favre well early and often. Every Rodgers shovel pass will be "Favre-esque". Every lull in action will be filled with the story of how Rodgers became starter and Favre became persona non grata. Every flash back will feature moments from Super Bowls XXXI and XXXII(the two Favre Super Bowls). The only story that has a chance to be talked about more than Favre is Big Ben's tawdry sexual assualt allegations.

Roughing the Passer penalties for Steelers LB James Harrison: 2.....push. I'd like to think that Harrison's impact won't be nearly as big as its been in week's passed because he'll be up against Pro Bowl LT Chad Clifton. That's not to say Harrison won't try to knock A-Rod's head off to give Pittsburgh a better advantage by forcing Green Bay to trot out Matt Flynn. Rodgers does a better job of getting the ball out on time than he did last year, but this offensive line of Green Bay's is still hardly a brick wall. The reason I go push here is because I don't Harrison will be as big a factor as his bookend teammate LaMarr Woodley(who will be up against rookie RT Bryan Bulaga). Still, Harrison has a reputation to keep up and, with refs and league execs not wanting the thrill of this game sapped out by dirty play, expect the whistles to be blown at full force.

300 Yards Passing For Aaron Rodgers.....under: The Packers are going to spread it out and exploit the weaknesses of this Steelers secondary, but Pittsburgh isn't dumb enough to give Rodgers anything deep. I expect there to be a lot of quick slants and screens to start out as McCarthy brainlessly gets conservative early on to avoid turning the ball over. Rodgers is obviously the key to Green Bay's success but he proved last week that he doesn't have to ball out for the Packers to win. With Green Bay wanting to protect Rodgers from this Steelers pass rush, I think we'll see quite a bit of James Starks with Rodgers pulling out a deep bomb or two. Final numbers for A-Rod: 22-30, 2 TD, 1 pick, 268 yards.

300 Yards Passing for Ben Roethlisberger....under: The Packers' secondary is far better than the one Big Ben roasted for 500 yards in their 2009 showdown. On top of that, Ben's offensive line is much worse and Green Bay's pass rush is far more aggressive in Year 2 under Dom Capers. Plus, Pittsburgh would be smart to unleash Rashard Mendenhall on the ground against an average Packer run defense. Roethlisberger can buy time with his quick feet and huge body, so a few bombs to Mike Wallace will happen. Still, the Packers don't want a repeat of last year and I think they'll be a bit more diligent against the pass this time around. Final numbers for Big Ben: 19-27, 257 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

2 sacks for Clay Matthews.....Over: I'm looking at 3 sacks here for "The Ultimate Warrior". There's a part of me that thinks he takes losing the Defensive MVP award to Troy Polamalu as a slight and goes on an absolute tear on this terrible Steelers offensive line. If Ben gets free from the initial pass rush, nobody will be better at running down the big fella than #52. Anyone who watched clips of Matthews putting Winston Justice on his ass in the Wild Card game against Philly should expect more of the same in this one. The only thing standing in Clay's way will be a few obligatory trips and holds from Flozell Adams. Needless to say, I like Clay a lot tonight.

4 total turnovers for both teams.....push: I predicted a INT a piece for both QBs, and that may be a bit generous if this game becomes a shootout like it's projected to be. It remains to be seen whether the big stage scares the inexperienced Packers here. They haven't had fumbling issues so far, but if there's a butterfingers candidate, it's WR James Jones. With Donald Driver iffy, Jones is going to see a lot of work opposite Greg Jennings. Jones cost the Packers a win against Chicago early in the regular season with a couple costly fumbles. He also got the hands of stone in the Wild Card game against the Eagles. I don't want to jinx my own team here but if anyone seems primed for the goat horns, it may very well be James Jones(although Mike McCarthy is a good choice as well). With two ballhawking defenses like this, there's going to be a lot of strip attempts and corners jumping routes. 2 turnovers a piece isn't impossible, so that's what I'm riding with.

100 yards rushing for Rashard Mendenhall....over: Mendenhall is the kind of back the Packers don't want to see: a powerful inside runner with speed who can break tackles on a whim. The Packers run D hasn't been as stout as it should be and, even with the Steelers' offensive line missing a crucial piece in C Maurkice Pouncey, I like Mendenhall's chances of having a big day if Mike Tomlin doesn't get tempted to go pass-for-pass with Green Bay. The Packers front three is much better than the Jets, so Mendenhall will have to be a bit more elusive than he was two weeks ago. Regardless, the Steelers need Mendenhall to keep Green Bay's D honest and, if there's an Achilles heel for these Packers, it's stopping the run. Final numbers for Mendy: 18 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD.

100 yards receiving for Greg Jennings.....under: The Packers are going to spread the ball around. Jennings clearly has the speed advantage over Ike Taylor but Rodgers ability to find him deep will depend on the time A-Rod has to throw. Rodgers is going to want to get that ball out fast because Woodley and Harrison will be coming in quick. If there's an 100-yard WR at all in this game, I'd put money on it being Mike Wallace, simply because he's the Steelers best big play guy.

The X-Factors

Pittsburgh: TE Heath Miller - The Packers' secondary is going to have its hands full with Hines Ward and Mike Wallace, and with Ben feeling the constant motor of Clay Matthews breathing down his neck, he's going to need a safety valve. That safety valve will be Miller, who came up with quite a few clutch catches against Baltimore in the divisional round. Green Bay's LBs are going to have to be strong in coverage to keep Miller from busting loose and it's a lot for a defense to account when dealing with two solid WRs and a soft-handed, big-bodied tight end while trying to take down a massive QB who is best when throwing on the move. Miller needs to be Ben's guy to keep the chains moving and wear out this injury depleted Packers defense.

Green Bay: DE Cullen Jenkins - NT B.J. Raji got quite a bit of the press as the extroverted star of this Packers' defensive line but, arguably, Green Bay's 2nd best pass rusher is Jenkins. Jenkins will be playing with a heavy heart after spending most of the week dealing with his missing father(who was inevitably found). While Raji certainly has a good chance of dominating the line of scrimmage with Pouncey on the sidelines, the Steelers would be wise to keep an eye on Jenkins too. Jenkins had 7 sacks in the regular season and, at 6'2, 305 lbs, he's a lot for an undermanned offensive line to handle. With the protection focused on Matthews(and even Raji), I see Jenkins exploiting a one-on-one occasionally and making his presence felt.

Super Bowl Unsung Heros

Pittsburgh: C Doug Legursky - All Legursky has to do is fill in for an All-Pro center who helped anchor one of the best rushing attacks in football and play admirably against one of the best 3-4 defensive lines in the NFL on the biggest stage of his career. Sounds simple enough, right? Again, the Steelers need to establish the run to keep Green Bay guessing and Legursky is going to have his hands full with a beast like Raji who is as quick as he is strong. If Legursky flunks in keeping Raji or any of the other Packers defenders at bay, the Steelers are probably toast. A QB, even one of Roethlisberger's size, can't expect to produce with an inside rush constantly in his face. The Steelers' offensive line has gotten lucky enough given all the patchwork it has utilized all season. Legursky has to be its next big miracle.

Green Bay: LB Erik Walden - While this game has been billed as a showdown between two great young QBs, their success depends on how they handle two great defenses. Walden has emerged as of late in filling in for Frank Zombo(who was filling in for Brad Jones). He's an athletic pass rusher who, like Jenkins, will benefit from attention being paid to the bigger names on this defense. Walden's strong play against Chicago in Week 17 helped get the Packers in the playoffs and a big game here would punctuate a rollercoaster season for this Packers defense. Now, prior to the NFC Championship, Sam Shields would get the call here but his 2-INT day against Chicago has made him less of a secret. The same goes for RB James Starks, who is the postseason's leading rusher but will probably have a tougher time adding to those numbers against a stonewall Steelers run defense. A big game by Starks, though, could make things interesting next season in Green Bay's backfield with Ryan Grant coming back from ankle surgery and Brandon Jackson a free agent.

Finally.....the only paragraph that matters......

Packers (-2.5) vs. Steelers

Pick: Steelers - Look, the reverse jinx has gotten us this far, right? The Packers are the better team but they are also the least experienced. Pessimistic Packers fans like myself have been waiting for Mike McCarthy to crop dust the field with brain farts this entire postseason. Does it happen here? That remains to be seen. Still, the worst thing that could happen to these Packers was the showering of hype they've received over the last two weeks combined with Vegas making them nearly a field goal favorites against a team that won a Super Bowl two years ago and is coming into this game as the 2 seed in a stronger conference. Roethlisberger vs. Rodgers will be one for the ages but the physicality of this Steelers defense worries me some, as does the tendency in these playoffs for the refs to slurp the Steel Curtain. Player safety will be paramount here so expect a few chintzy roughing calls. The same can be said for pass interference. Given the aggressiveness of both defenses, their inability to avoid dumb penalities, and the frequency of passing from both offenses, we could see a lot of non-Terrible Towel related yellow laundry on the field. Game plan will be key. Pittsburgh has a better chance of having success mixing it up on offense given Green Bay's weakness against the run. Green Bay, however, has the better QB and there is nobody in the building who wants to bury the memory of Brett Favre more than Aaron Rodgers. Experience didn't help Indianapolis last year against the "underdog" Saints but lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. I expect a MVP-calibur day from Mendenhall as both QBs trade strikes. Inevitably, McCarthy blows this one down the stretch and the Steelers win by a field goal.

Final: Pittsburgh 24, Green Bay 21.......Dave Leonardis obscenities: 167.

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger - QBs always have the edge in the MVP voting and Big Ben has missed out on two MVPs in his previous two Super Bowls. I like Mendenhall as the dark horse here but something tells me Tomlin will ratchet up the passing game to try to blow for blow with Green Bay(as opposed to running it down the Packers' throats, wearing down the D and keeping A-Rod off the field). That may be at Tomlin's demise but, from a storyline standpoint, I can see Big Ben going from pariah to Super Bowl MVP. Obviously, as a Packers fan waiting 12 years for another Super Bowl and as someone who wants to see Aaron Rodgers get that monkey off his back, I'm hoping I'm dead wrong with these last two paragraphs......but you never know. That's why we play the games.

Dumb Honest Question of the Week

One would think that picking in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft should make you more likely to improve on the upcoming season because, in theory, you have more of a selection of the best talent than the team picking, say, 26th. However, that hasn't been the case for quite some time now. The Detroit Lions have picked in the Top 10 for seven of the last ten years and they couldn't sniff the playoffs with Erin Andrews' nose. Cleveland has made the playoffs once, despite picking in the Top 10 eight times since their return to the NFL in 1999(they didn't have a 1st round pick in 2008, and they traded out of the top 5 in 2009 when they passed up on Mark Sanchez to move down and take center Alex Mack).

That leads us to this week's Dumb Honest Question.....

....Is it worth it to pick in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft anymore?

Critics will point to the exuberant rookie contracts handed out to Top 10 picks hamstringing salary cap strapped teams. Certainly, that theory has some merit, but the high failure rate of these high picks is more the cause than their hefty salaries. Is JaMarcus Russell's contract such a backbreaker if he's a 2-time Pro Bowl QB leading the Raiders to back-to-back AFC West titles instead of a Purple Drank-slurping, fat lard who can't even score a job in the UFL? Bad management is the root cause for teams routinely picking high every year. Case and point, Matt Millen, who crippled the Lions with bad pick after bad pick year in and year out. Do we think differently of Detroit if Millen hits on Charles Rogers and Joey Harrington? Probably, but he didn't so we don't. Regardless, teams are striking out at a rate that would make Mark Reynolds squeamish. In the last year's draft, only two teams picking in the Top 10 made the playoffs(Kansas City and Seattle, and the Seahawks made it with a 7-9 record). The year before, the same result: 2(although you can make the case for 3, since the Jets technically picked in the Top 5 after trading up to take Sanchez. The Bengals and Packers are the others).

Conversely, teams that routinely pick near the end of the Draft have done well for themselves. A lot of that can be attributed to front office savvy and their success in hitting on later round picks but it's still dumbfounding that teams picking at the bottom are outdoing their higher-picking counterparts. After all, this isn't fantasy football. We aren't running a snake draft here where teams picking at the end in Round 1 go on to pick early in Round 2. To take this case deeper, here's a look at all 12 playoff teams, their top 5 players and where they were picked:

AFC

1. New England Patriots

a. Tom Brady(6th round, 2000)
b. Wes Welker(undrafted free agent, acquired from Miami for a 2nd round pick)
c. Vince Wilfork(21st overall pick, 2004)
d. Logan Mankins(32nd overall pick, 2005)
e. Devin McCourtey(27th overall pick, 2010)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

a. Ben Roethlisberger(11th overall pick, 2004)
b. Troy Polamalu(16th overall pick, 2003)
c. James Harrison(undrafted)
d. Casey Hampton(19th overall pick, 2001)
e. Hines Ward(3rd round, 1998)

3. Indianapolis Colts

a. Peyton Manning(1st overall, 1998)
b. Dwight Freeney (11th overall, 2002)
c. Reggie Wayne (30th overall, 2001)
d. Dallas Clark (24th overall, 2003)
e. Bob Sanders (2nd round, 2004)

4. Kansas City Chiefs

a. Jamaal Charles(3rd round, 2008)
b. Dwayne Bowe (23rd overall, 2007)
c. Matt Cassel (7th round pick by New England in 2005, acquired for a 2nd round pick)
d. Eric Berry(5th overall pick, 2010)
e. Brandon Flowers(2nd round pick, 2008)

5. Baltimore Ravens

a. Ray Lewis(26th overall, 1996)
b. Ed Reed (24th overall, 2002)
c. Haloti Ngata(12th overall, 2006)
d. Terrell Suggs(10th overall, 2003)
e. Ray Rice (2nd round, 2008)

(Editor's Note: There are few things I am more certain of than my friend Carlos reading the Ravens rankings and taking issue with the order. I'd bet money on it.)

6. New York Jets

a. Darrelle Revis(14th overall, 2007)
b. Santonio Holmes(25th overall by Pittsburgh in 2006, acquired for a 5th round pick)
c. David Harris(2nd round, 2007)
d. Mark Sanchez(5th overall, 2009)
e. Nick Mangold(29th overall, 2006)

NFC

1. Atlanta Falcons

a. Matt Ryan(3rd overall, 2008)
b. Roddy White(27th overall, 2005)
c. Michael Turner(5th round pick, 2004 by SD, signed by ATL in 2008)
d. John Abraham(13th overall pick by NYJ, 2000)
e. Tony Gonzalez(13th overall pick by KC in 1997, acquired for 2nd round pick)

2. Chicago Bears

a. Brian Urlacher(9th overall, 2000)
b. Julius Peppers(2nd overall pick, 2002, by Carolina, signed as a free agent in 2010)
c. Jay Cutler(11th overall, 2006, by Denver, acquired for multiple picks in 2009)
d. Matt Forte(2nd round, 2008)
e. Lance Briggs(3rd round, 2003)

3. Philadelphia Eagles

a. DeSean Jackson(2nd round, 2008)
b. Michael Vick(1st overall, 2001, signed as free agent in 2009)
c. Trent Cole(5th round, 2005)
d. Asante Samuel(4th round, 2003 by NE, signed as a free agent in 2008)
e. Jeremy Maclin(19th overall, 2009)

4. Seattle Seahawks

a. Matt Hasselbeck(6th round, 1998, by GB, acquired for a swap of first round picks in 2001)
b. Lofa Tatupu(2nd round, 2005)
c. Earl Thomas(14th overall, 2010)
d. Mike Williams(10th overall, 2005 by Detroit, signed by Seattle in 2010)
e. Marshawn Lynch(12th overall, 2007, by Buffalo, acquired for 4th round pick)

5. New Orleans Saints

a. Drew Brees(2nd round pick, 2001, signed as free agent in 2006)
b. Marques Colston(7th round, 2006)
c. Jonathan Vilma(12th overall, 2004, by NYJ, acquired for a conditional draft pick)
d. Darren Sharper(2nd round pick, 1997, by GB, signed as free agent in 2009)
e. Lance Moore(undrafted)

6. Green Bay Packers

a. Aaron Rodgers(24th overall, 2005)
b. Clay Matthews(26th overall, 2009)
c. Greg Jennings (2nd round pick, 2006)
d. Charles Woodson(4th overall pick, by Oakland, in 1998, signed as free agent in 2006)
e. Tramon Williams(undrafted)

12 teams. 60 players. 10 of them picked in the Top 10. Four of the 10 became bigger stars on a team that didn't draft them(though I wouldn't classify Mike Williams as a "star", per se.). What gives? Obviously, luck is a factor in all of these picks. Some guys just need the right system and the right coaching to succeed. Clay Matthews didn't play a snap in high school, hardly saw action in college and dropped in the draft amidst steroid allegations. He lands with Green Bay, hooks up with Kevin Greene and Dom Capers and is now, to me, the best pass rusher in the sport. Still, this list should serve as a cautionary tale to the teams picking in the Top 10 come April. Yes, a Matt Ryan or a Sam Bradford can turn around your franchise, but the chances of that happening seem to be bleaker and bleaker as years pass. This year, there's no guy you would classify as a can't-miss, making the odds that more than 20% of the teams picking 1-10 making the playoffs next season all the more difficult. Can a Nick Fairley rejuvenate the Panthers? Could Patrick Patterson get Denver over the hump? Is Cam Newton the missing piece in Washington? Only time will tell. However, if this year's playoffs are any indication, GMs sitting at the top of the Draft may want to work those phones early in hopes of waiting a little longer for their rookie cornerstone.

Guess Who's Back!!

It's been a long time Boom Roasted Fans, too long in fact. I've had a transition in the way I make my legal money, and I've just now hit my groove and can get back to some of the things I love.

So, about this game today. This Super Bowl is going to be fantastic, if you're a fan of the game. If you understand the chess match that occurs on the field, you'll be in heaven. If you understand why Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are two of the best quaterbacks in the league, even though they have wildly different styles, you'll love this game. I predict the final score will be something like 20-17.

This game will not be for the casual fan. It won't be for the guy who watches three games a year and only understands offense and scoring. It is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape being given to a Yellow Tail crowd. The genius of this game will be in the subtlety.

It is going to be like the last two episodes of The Sopranos. People who had watched the show sporadically throughout the show's run checked in to those episodes to see how it would end, but were disappointed because they truly didn't know what was going on. Where's Johnny Aprile? Why is Johnny Sack in jail? Where's Ralphie? Real fans though, loved the end of that series.

So what do I think will happen? -

Green Bay's defense is built from the secondary forward. They will be able to take the Steelers' passing game away. But if you've been paying attention to the playoffs, the Steelers are fine with that. Big Ben has not put up good numbers so far, but they have still been winning.

Pittsburgh's defense is built from the linebackers forward. They will stonewall the Packers' (all of a sudden we have a) running game. But if you've paid attention to the season, the Packers are fine with that. Their offensive strength is Aaron Rodgers. He is the key. He needs to play well for the Packers to win. The Steelers can win if Big Ben has a bad game. They have enough other weapons to carry the team. If Rodgers has a bad game, the Packers are sunk.

My predition.....the Steelers do just enough and win 24-17.

And if I hear Journey and the screen fades to black at the end of the game, I might put a brick through my TV.

Here's A Story...

Much like myself, the Super Bowl is a blessed event that needs no introduction or an overwhelming amount of hype. It's the most watched sporting event in this country's history and is the epitome of "appointment television". Still, this year's Super Bowl offers up quite a bit of intrigue, and not just because it's my Packers first Super Bowl appearance in 12 years.

Here's a look at a few matchups and storylines you should be interested in while you are counting your squares, pounding your beers and looking for things to do during the Black Eyed Peas' halftime show tomorrow.

1. Aaron Rodgers vs. Brett Favre: You would like to think that, by making a Super Bowl appearance just three years into being named the full-time starter, that Aaron Rodgers would have done enough to build a name for himself and we can finally enjoy a Packers season without Brett Favre looming over the media coverage. You would be wrong. The football media have been unwilling to let go of their boner for Favre and the last two weeks have been non-stop questions about the last guy to take the Packers to the Super Bowl. It goes without saying that this is a big game for Rodgers. A win here not only legitimizes him among the ranks of today's great QBs but it finally takes him out of Favre's shadow much like Steve Young's Super Bowl win in 1995 took a monkey named Joe Montana off of his back. The constant talk of Favre is unfair to Rodgers, who is coming back from two concussions this season to lead a team with 15 guys on the injured reserve to the Super Bowl after backing into the playoffs as the 6th seed. If Rodgers puts up numbers similar to Drew Brees' night last year(32-39, 288 yards, 2 TD), then we can put all the Favre talk to bed. However, if you are looking for a fun drinking game to play tomorrow, take a shot for every time Brett Favre's name comes up during the Super Bowl....something tells me Aaron Rodgers will be doing the same if the Packers aren't victorious over Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

2. Ben Roethlisberger vs. The World: All of the storybook turnaround hype has seemed to, albeit justified, go to Michael Vick, who went from dog-killing prison inmate to Pro Bowl starting QB. Lost in the all the puppy love surrounding Vick, however, is the fact that Ben Roethlisberger will be competing for his third Super Bowl ring in 8 years following an offseason that saw Big Ben get put through the PR ringer after not one but two sexual assault charges. As bad a beating Vick took from PETA and various media outlets, Roethlisberger was right there with him as an NFL pariah. That point became all the more blatant this week when ESPN, and several other media outlets, made a huge deal out of Roethlisberger and a few of his teammates being seen at a piano bar until nearly two in the morning. This wasn't a strip club or a college dorm party. It was a piano bar. Now, I know a setting where both alcohol, Ben Roethlisberger and women are all present makes you uneasy if you are a Steelers fan or coach or, most importantly, a woman anywhere near a bathroom stall, but let's not get too carried away here. For all the mistakes this man has made over the last few years, I'd like to think a recently-engaged Big Ben would be smart enough to not to do anything extremely stupid the week before the biggest game of the season in a year where his every move is being watched like a hawk. Roethlisberger is as entitled to a good time as Vick is to owning a beagle or Donte Stallworth is to driving a car(if not, more so, since he wasn't convicted of anything). Roethlisberger may be a bonehead, but he's not the Son of Sam.

That being said, there will be no bigger "Fuck You" from Ben to the rest of the world than if he manages to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a third time. As Ray Lewis and Kobe Bryant can attest, nothing vindicates you from a season of bad press more than winning a championship. Whether the "rapist" stigma ever fully leaves Roethlisberger won't be known until years down the road, but don't think the thought of shoving it in people's faces(much like he did in that bathroom stall....sorry, couldn't resist) isn't on the mind of Number Seven come Sunday night.

3. Clay Matthews vs. Troy Polamalu: It was the closest vote for a Defensive Player of the Year award we've seen in years and, in my bias opinion, the wrong guy won. Troy Polamalu edged out Clay Matthews by two votes to win defensive MVP. We can spend all day dissecting who was better this season, but the biggest test over who is more valuable will come Sunday. Make no mistake about it, Clay Matthews IS the Packers' pass rush. Cullen Jenkins is a decent rusher. B.J. Raji continues to emerge, as has Erik Walden, but for the Packers to win tomorrow, they need "The Ultimate Warrior" to rattle Big Ben's brain a few times. The same goes for Polamalu. As Joe Flacco knows, Troy needs to be accounted for at all times, and Polamalu's ability as someone who is both excellent in coverage and as a blitzer means Aaron Rodgers has to keep a watchful eye on 42. While the Defensive Player of the Year award is a meaningless regular season trophy, the true title of "best defensive player" should go to the guy who makes the biggest splash on the biggest stage tomorrow evening. Polamalu has been invisible so far this postseason, with just seven tackles in two games, but that becomes a moot point if he continues to wreak havoc like he has done all season. The same goes for Matthews, who has 3.5 sacks in 3 games. He has to be everywhere to keep Roethlisberger from having the game he had against Green Bay in last year's epic clash.

Polamalu. Matthews. It's the battle of the hair. Winner takes all.

4. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman vs. Your Mute Button: The Super Bowl is such a big entity in and of itself that it shouldn't be bogged down by which network wins the rights to televise and have it commentated by their respective announce team. When it came down to it, there was no winners no matter how you looked at it. For CBS, you had the lullaby-inducing drone of Phil Simms and Greg Gumbel. NBC has the nasally annoyance of Cris Collinsworth. ESPN, the masters of overhype, would have trotted out "Captain Obvious" Jon Gruden. So, instead, we got stuck with atrocious bromance that is Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Now, both men's inadequacies in the booth have been well-documented so they don't need repeating in this space, but the question is: When will be your breaking point? First quarter? Halftime? 6 minutes to go in the 3rd? Inevitably, you will get sick of Buck overstating every deep pass or Aikman's good 'ol boy drawl muttering non-sensical jargon. If the NFL is going to waste big bucks on elaborate halftime shows, hours upon hours of pregame coverage and various other over-the-top methods to put a bow on its flagship event, it should be able to bring in its own dream announce team. 10 years ago, I would have said Pat Summerall and John Madden would be the way to go, but Madden has become the professor of the "Overstating The Obvious" course Gruden now masters and Summerall has been put out to pasture. The football world really doesn't have anyone out there anymore that fans would pine to listen to(except maybe Gus Johnson). In a humorous sense, I would love to see Brett Favre call this game just to force him into either gushing over Aaron Rodgers or being publicly unable to hold back his anger toward his former team and his heir apparent. What about Vin Scully? Certianly, the master of baseball announcing could handle one football game. Sure, Scully will be out of place talking about zone coverages and blocking schemes after decades of balls and strikes, but could he be worse than Buck and Aikman? What about Brent Musberger, the king of college football? He has football experience and he's far more of a joy to listen to than any of these other football cronies we have now. Even better, why not let the fans call the game? The Super Bowl will be heavily censored anyway, wouldn't it be entertaining to take two drunk wahoos out of the stands and let them break down what we're seeing. Chances are, you'll be doing that at home anyway. The NFL can put out an aptitude quiz and see who knows the most about football, get two lucky winners liquored and let them have at it. It can't be anymore of an abomination than what we'll be listening to tomorrow night anyway, right?

5. Fergie's Boobs in HD vs. Your Wife/Girlfriend/Baby Mama: The halftime show hasn't had anything close to an "urban" musical act since Janet Jackson whipped out her titty a few years ago. Sadly, the closest hip-hop fans will get to a Super Bowl halftime show will be the Black Eyed Peas tomorrow night. As any male who has ever watched anything BEP-related over the years can attest, there's only one reason to watch the Black Eyed Peas: Fergie. Chances are, you'll be watching BEP's set for two reasons: 1. You like terrible music. 2. To stare at Fergie in the glory of high-def for a half hour. Assuming you're not a lughead who wants to fist pump to "Let's Get Retarded" during halftime, you'll probably be opting for Door #2. If that's the case, be prepared for snarky remarks from your female significant other about Fergie "not being all that hot" or getting chastised for drooling over "The Dutchess" while everything around you is a blur(or, if you're like me, you'll get to listen to your buddy make jokes about how Fergie once pissed herself on stage as my friend Jakson points out every time her name is brought up). Look, the Peas aren't edgy enough to try anything close to what Janet and Justin Timberlake did in 2004, but after suffering through old-fogey acts like The Who and Bruce Springsteen over the years, this is the closest males of our demographic are going to get to seeing a hot chick for an extended period of time during a football game. Will Fergie whip 'em out on stage? Of course not. Will there be sexually-tinged innuendos like Prince did in 2006? Probably not. All you will get is the only watchable member of a extremely-intolerable pseudo-rap group grinding around in scantily-clad outfits while your woman gives you dirty looks. So, fellas, enjoy....and bob and weave.

Milk Carton All-Star of the Week: Super Bowl Edition

The Packers and Steelers will square off in the Super Bowl in a little over 24 hours, so it is only right that we dedicate this week's MCAS to a couple staples in the rich history of Sunday's combatants.

By the end of the 2001 season, it appeared the Pittsburgh Steelers hit two colossal home runs in the Draft. With the 19th overall pick, the Steelers solidified the interior of their defensive line with the selection of huge nose tackle Casey Hampton out of Texas. In Round 2, the Steel Curtain made what appeared to be another steal: Georgia linebacker Kendrell Bell. Bell worked his way into the starting inside linebacker spot in the vaunted Pittsburgh 3-4 in his rookie season. Once he got there, he wreaked havoc as the second coming of Levon Kirkland. Bell notched 69 tackles and 9 sacks and walked away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.....and then he was never really heard from again. The "sophomore slump" hit Bell like a typhoon and injuries transformed the former Bulldog from the next Greg Lloyd to the next Ah-Ha. Bell limped around the Steel City for a couple more seasons, but eventually wound up in Kansas City where he became even more irrelevant. By 2007, injuries forced Bell into an early retirement and the memory of his great 2001 season had been washed away by the young linebackers who came after him(most notably, James Farrior).

The second offering in this week's poop du jour is former Packers safety Eugene Robinson. Robinson spent the first 11 years of his career with the Seattle Seahawks as an unheralded and undrafted defensive back out of legendary pro factory, Colgate. He made the Pro Bowl with Seattle twice(1992 and 1993). After the 1995 season, Robinson pulled a Lil Wayne and hitched himself to the Packers wagon just in time for Green Bay's Super Bowl run. Robinson earned his first Super Bowl ring after the Packers beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI, after a season that saw him rack up 55 tackles and 8 interceptions. The next season, Robinson was equally clutch, picking off Steve Young in the NFC Championship in the Packers win over San Francisco. In the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year, Robinson would pick off John Elway in the end zone but the Packers would still lose to Elway's Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. Unsatisfied with taste left in his mouth by Elway, Robinson signed with Atlanta the following season and was an integral part to their miracle run to the Super Bowl where the Falcons would face......wait for it.....Elway's Broncos. With the foul taste of defeat stuck in his mouth, Robinson thought he would pregame by leaving a foul taste in someone else's mouth. On the night before the Super Bowl(in which he would receive the Bart Starr Award for "high moral character" as well as earn his third trip to the Pro Bowl), Robinson got busted for offering an undercover female police officer 40 bucks to give him a pregame blowey. With the scandal of the previous night looming, Robinson took the field and strapped on the goat horns. He got burnt crispy on a 80 yard touchdown by Rod Smith and then missed a tackle on a long Terrell Davis run that set up a touchdown en route to a 34-19 beatdown at the hands of Denver. Robinson spent one more season in Atlanta before heading to Carolina, where he inevitably retired. For his career, Robinson finished with a respectable 1,415 tackles, 57 interceptions(good for 12th all-time) 22 fumble recoveries, seven and a half sacks and two touchdowns. Still, he'll forever be remembered as the guy who paid a hooker so he can be gettin' gettin' some head prior to the Super Bowl and, for that(to borrow Daniel Tosh's famous line), we thank him.

So, let's give a obligatory applause to two has-beens whose former teams will do battle tomorrow.....Kendrell Bell, and Eugene Robinson, folks!!!

Cut His Mic Off Award: Lil Wayne

"Green and Yellow", a song by New Orleans-born/diehard Packer fan Lil Wayne, which is a play on the equally atrocious "Black and Yellow" by Wiz Khalifa(which, mind you, has zero to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers)




Normally, I'd be quick to co-sign an ode to my favorite football team.....but when it's coming from one of my least favorite rappers, who has spent an entire career putting the city of New Orleans on his back, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass.

Look, some may say it's hypocritical for me, a fist-pumping, Sopranos-loving, Jersey-born Packers fan, to rip on Lil Wayne for his latest public allegiance to the newly minted NFC Champion Green Bay Packers. You're certainly just in your outrage, haters. Fans can come from anywhere. There's no rule in the fan handbook that says that you can only support your local team. Of the four major sports, only one(the New Jersey Devils) reside in the place I grew up. My main issue with Weezy's opus is the timing. For one, he's clearly trying to capitalize off the popularity of "Black and Yellow"(the latest tumor on hip-hop's cancer-ridden body) by making the obvious switch from Steeler colors to Packer colors. Second, for someone who is such a hardcore Cheesehead....where was this song months ago? I'm not supposed to find it a tad suspicious that a rapper with numerous "New Orleans Nightmare" mixtapes out is deciding to drop a song about his supposed favorite football team a week before they are about to play in the Super Bowl? How much different is this from Lindsay Lohan sitting courtside during the NBA Finals in a Kobe jersey?

Naturally, I'm always looking for a reason to throw shots at Wayne(since no gunman is smart enough to do it), so perhaps some of my angst comes from my shear dislike for the guy, but prior to writing this I Googled "Lil Wayne Packers fan" and found one picture(the one you'll find above). One. There's no pictures of him hugged up with Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews(whom he name drops in the song). No pics of him sitting in the press box at Lambeau Field. No shots of him in a Reggie White jersey. Nothing. Where's the Brett Favre dis record, Weezy? And if you're the "best rapper alive", why resort to biting off another terrible rapper's track? All that time in the clink didn't allow you to come with something a bit more original? Also, how pissed is the city of New Orleans right now? You don't think they would have liked an anthem to bump around this time last year, when the Saints were competing for the Lombardi Trophy, from their hometown hero?

Again, Wayne could very well be a honest-to-God Packers fan and the lack of public evidence and timing of "Green and Yellow" could just be coincidental. Still, there's never a good reason to NOT cut Lil Wayne's mic off and, until I find a reason to legitimize his Cheesehead status, that's exactly what I'm going to do right...about...NOW.