The Dugout - February 5
(Kevin C. Cox-Getty Images)
Superbowl XLVIII Fallout:
Well, that was not at all what we were expecting. But Seattle took ahold of Superbowl 48 from the very first play, where Denver made a mess of the snap and gave up a safety (one hell of a prop bet if you had it), and from there on Denver still didn’t manage a first down until the second quarter. They were 22-0 down at HT, and after an extended break to try get things turned around, they blew that option by giving up the kickoff for a TD. It was all going through the motions from there on in.
For a more comprehensive reaction, check this out.
There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Bronco
Seattle scored on a safety, a passing and rushing touchdown, a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown. Now that’s a well-rounded team.
Where to From Here?
The Denver Broncos may have missed their championship window. Peyton will have a checkup on his injured neck that could force him into retirement, though all signs are that he’s raring to bounce back. He’s got a year on his contract, so potentially they come back better, who knows? Seattle meanwhile are good to go for another decade. They and San Francisco threaten to be the teams to beat for years to come, just like the Pats/Colts/Steelers have been in the past. Carolina have the goods if they can find some better recievers alongside Steve Smith, maybe the Packers or Saints bounce back strong. New England showed what they can do with bare bones this year, a fully fit team next year could be dangerous. Can Philly make the step up? The Colts? The Chiefs?
Superbowl 49 Power Rankings:
- Seattle Seahawks
- San Francisco 49ers
- Carolina Panthers
- Denver Broncos
- New Orleans Saints
Joe Namath vs PETA
The Jets legend gave came out for the coin toss dressed like he’d walked off the set of a Macklemore vid…
But, damn, he wears it well.
NFL Awards:
The NFL awards were announced this week before the Superbowl. As it happens, I made my predictions a few weeks back. Let us compare.
MVP: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
Wildcard’s Pick: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
Offensive Player of the Year: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
Wildcard’s Pick: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
Defensive Player of the Year: Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers)
Wildcard’s Pick: Robert Quinn (St Louis Rams)
Rookie of the Year: Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers)
Wildcard’s Pick: Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers)
Coach of the Year: Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers)
Wildcard’s Pick: Bill Belichick (New England Patriots)
NBA Factoid:
Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks has hit at least one three-pointer in 116 consecutive games (and counting)! He has declined to enter the 3pt comp in the All Star Break.
Money Over Everything Revisited:
The money's been splashed around all MLB offseason (as always). This week, Braves 1B Freddie Freeman (who's an absolute ace in the making) got himself some fat cash with an 8 year $135m contract.
Weekly Pondering:
Don’t believe anything about this game damaging Peyton Manning’s legacy. He had a poor game, but he wasn’t hardly given the chance to do anything more. You can’t throw with hands slapping down every pass and four Seahawks in your face within a second of each snap. Even having lost 3 Superbowls now, Manning’s stats speak for themselves. Wins and losses aren’t everything. The issue is that Manning’s missed out on an opportunity to improve his legacy. He hasn’t regressed at all, but a second SB win and his all-time greatest legacy is a whole lot more solid. But Peyton’s in this conversation regardless.
Good Week:
- Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Mavericks) – I feel like I have to mention his, as a passionate Mavs fan, but Dirk has been absolutely dominating recently – possibly his best run of form since the 2011 title! His last 4 games: 30.8ppg 9.8rpg 2.8apg .597 FG% .500 3P%.
- Memphis Grizzlies – They lost yesterday, but before that it was 11 wins out of 12, which saw them storming back into the playoff hunt. Largely thanks to the return of Marc Gasol.
- The City of Seattle – But they still don’t have an NBA team.
Bad Week:
- Cleveland Cavaliers – Because I’m pretty sure there’s a quota as to how often Cleveland teams should be on this list. They certainly do their best, dropping 5 on the trot. Rumours are Kyrie Irving ain’t happy.
- Los Angeles Lakers – The rot continues. With no Kobe, and Pau on the disabled list (and possibly the trading block) this isn’t gonna change any time soon. Better write this season off, folks, if you haven’t already. Jack Nicholson’s made some bad films too.
Player of the Week:
The Legion of Boom (Seattle Seahawks) – Big call, but here goes: This could be the greatest NFL defence in the history of the game. Seriously. The ’86 Bears are probably the benchmark there, but this team is so young, and so damn good. This is the start of a dynasty. And while that Bears team similarly dismantled their SB opponents (46-10 vs the Patriots), beating up Steve Groban isn’t quite the same as doing it to Peyton Manning.
Upcoming Dates (NZ Time):
February 17 - 2014 NBA All-Star Game
February 26 - MLB Spring Training Begins
March 22 - MLB Regular Season Begins