I was beaten up once when I was about 13, but it did take 11 guys to get the job done properly. After recovering from my various medical issues I lived to fight another day. So will the Baltimore Ravens.
Joe Flacco has erased my doubts about his talent and potential, and with better position players around him, his future looks terrific. Too bad the lethal defence is aging faster than Flacco can mature.
Roethlisberger and my Steelers pulled out a huge win with some of the last minute heroicsBig Ben is becoming famous for.Both teams slugged it out for 60 minutes, but the Steelers were the ones left standing. Nobody thought the scoreboard would reflect such a shootout after their history of low scoring battles.
The Ravens jumped out to an early lead and, as expected, held the Pittsburgh running game to a point where a two-yard gain was a veritable explosive offensive play. In the end, one huge third down conversion by Pittsburgh's rookie Antonio Brown led to a game winning TD by Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Now we can only pray Ray Lewis doesn't own a Glock handgun. He has a history of reactive behavior. I know a sports writer just like him.
My MVP pick: Aaron Rodgers and his Packers strolled into Atlanta like the mayor had handed them the keys to the city and they laid a horrible thrashing on the upstart Falcon, who, like Baltimore, have a fabulous young pivot to guide them. Rodgers was an ungodly 31 of 36 passing while chipping in three TD tosses, and then, as if to rub lard on runaway acne, he ran for another score.
Green Bay's utter lack of a ground game will put more pressure on Rodgers as the playoffs unfold, but I recall picking them to go rather deep into post-season. Facing every single match-up while on the road will either cement his legacy and lead the Packers to glory or give him an easy excuse to go golfing.
History suggests the latter, but my most recent head injury seems to have sharpened my prescience. While driving to Winnipeg over the weekend I was nearly killed three times by wild and careless drivers in road conditions that reminded me of the neurological fog of my 2005 stroke symptom. Only the utilization of certain "visceral maneuvers" ensured I was able to make it back to my computer and type with my two index fingers.No liquid inebriants were involved, but this columnist nearly bit the dust. While hitting the ditch near Kipling I smashed my nose against the steering wheel and looked like I had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. When the guy who drove me off the road helped winch me back out - I broke his nose based purely on Hamilton principle.
Back to football and athletic retribution instead of personal revenge and blatant threats on social networks. Writing from prison is something I would prefer to skip.
Jay Cutler threw for two TDs and ran for two more while doing his finest John Elway impression and the Bears held off a late surge from Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle Seahawks. The aging Seattle QB put together fabulous back-to-back performances in these playoffs and will return to the team for 2011. Don't expect a different hairdo. You could shave in the reflection of his shiny chrome dome, the obvious ramifications that are closely associated with being chased by 260-pound linebackers with blood dripping from their teeth.
The biggest yap in the NFL continues to justify press conferences, as mammoth New York Jet coach Rex Ryan and company shocked Brady and the Patriots with their shut-down defence and a pass rush that had even Brady's well-coiffed locks falling like autumn leaves. Five sacks later, coupled with the razor sharp passing of the QB I take great pride in chiding, Mark Sanchez, and it was never really close. Sanchez threw for three TDs. Shonn Green carried the load as far as the Jets' running game goes, but Ladanian Tomlinson appears to be going out with style.
Thank God freelance writers don't get typecast as senior citizens when they're 31 years old. I have running shoes older than LT.
My hope is for a Pittsburgh versus Green Bay Super Bowl, but if the Jets manage to surprise this scribe, then I'd like to be on hand to poke a pin in Rex Ryan to see if he would explode like a gigantic helium balloon and go sailing through the cosmos. To his credit, Ryan is indirectly helping me with my body image issues. Making fun of his girth is indeed bad form, but what is really disturbing is his motor-mouth that revs like a pimped out muscle car. I suppose every coach has his own method of motivation. Locker room speeches are an art form. As an ex-baseball coach I used to just threaten my kids that if they lost the game they were walking home from whatever town just beat us.
Let's get on with the show, baseball spring training is mere weeks away. For the record "Shonn" should be spelled Shaun or Shawn. Are the nurses simply writing these names down erroneously or are pro athletes just prone to such strange handles. It baffles me, but then again I have had a few head injuries.
