March Madness is Upon Us
March is here, and to sports fans that only means one thing: March Madness. Even if you haven’t watched a game the whole season, it is difficult not to get caught up in the lore and mystique that the NCAA’s culminating tournament provides. We are already starting to get a bit of a March Madness appetizer with the various conference tournaments taking place.
Despite the pageantry and spectacle inherent in the tournament, selection Sunday will undoubtedly leave many teams left asking questions and fans throwing down their college basketball jerseys in disgust. Some have suggested expanding the field or altering the selection process, but no matter what you do, there will always be people on the wrong side of the bubble.
Aikman’s Rookie Year Woes
In the 1989 draft Troy Aikman was the number 1 pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Aikman’s NFL career started with a 29-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, and then the following week, Aikman threw his first touchdown pass, a 65 yard completion to Michael Irvin. In a game against the Phoenix Cardinals he threw for 379 yards to set an NFL rookie record. He finished 1989 with a 0-11 record as a starter. Following his rookie season, Dallas selected Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft. With Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin, Aikman nearly led the Cowboys to the playoffs in the 1990 season.
In Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills, Aikman got his first test of the NFL’s most watched game and I think he passed with flying colors winning in a blowout victory of 52-17. This is why throwback Dallas Cowboys jerseys of Troy Aikman are very popular and still one of the best ways we all can show our support for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Losing Another Great Player
Thursday on the NFL Network LaDainian Tomlinson’s agent announced he will not be playing for the San Diego Chargers in the next season. Tomlinson is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, but he just finished the least productive season of his nine-year NFL career (730 yards on 223 carries). Last offseason, the 2006 NFL MVP agreed to restructure the final three years of his contract and take a pay cut, but now he says that he won’t do that again.
“It would be sad to see the Hall of Famer depart and play for another team at the end of his career. Certainly he is still a high-quality football player and He keeps himself in tremendous condition. I expect him to be playing in the National Football League this year, and I think he will be a major part of somebody’s offense.
Nevertheless I will be donning my San Diego Chargers jerseys to show him I will be supporting him in whatever decision he makes, and I hope he will decide to continue in the NFL.
An Unlikely Rise to the Top
In terms of elite NFL quarterbacks, Kurt Warner’s path to the top is unprecedented. After taking over for the Rams in 1999 following a season-ending injury to star QB Trent Green, Warner led St. Louis to a Super Bowl victory. His transformation to grocery store bagger to Super Bowl MVP is well-chronicled, and with his recent retirement, the only question left to answer is whether or not he’ll make it the Hall of Fame.
While his career was plagued by injuries, Warner still boasts two MVP awards and the three highest passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. For his career, Warner also turned in a QB rating of 93.2—number three all time behind Steve Young and Peyton Manning. If Warner does make it to the Hall of Fame, he will more than likely go in as a Ram, with whom he won his Super Bowl, but fans should still keep their Arizona Cardinals jerseys as collector’s items.
Saints Win Super Bowl 44
The New Orleans Saints are victorious over the Indianapolis Colts in their first ever Super Bowl appearance 31-17. Jeremy Shockey was a big part of the New Orleans Saints’ sweetest victory. In 2008 Jeremy Shockey was with the New York Giants when they defeated the New England Patriots but he watched the game from the suite above the field with a broken left leg. That essentially set up his trade to New Orleans. There are a lot of people out there that think negative thoughts about Shockey, but now he feels redeemed as a player.
Jeremy Shockey came to the NFL from the Miami Hurricanes, where he blossomed into a star. As a rookie with the New York Giants in 2002 he caught 74 passes for 894 yards. Each of those numbers still represents career highs. He may have only had three catches for 13 yards in the title game, but I say that Shockey did so much more than that on the way to this championship. The Saints were thought of by some as a finesse team until Shockey came along, with his rough-and-tumble ways. Now you have a very good reason to wear your New Orleans Saints jerseys and I will be wearing mine during the summer to support them well into the next season.
Saints Finally Make the Big Stage
After years of wallowing in NFL mediocrity, the New Orleans Saints have finally made it to the game’s biggest stage. Although football is just a game, the story of how the city of New Orleans has coalesced behind the organization is undoubtedly one of the league’s biggest “feel good” stories in recent memory. Despite their historic run to South Florida, this season will be considered a failure if the Saints fall to the Colts.
The Colts are prohibitive favorites in Sunday’s matchup, but there are glimmers of hope for those donning New Orleans Saints jerseys. First and foremost, defensive end Dwight Freeney is battling a severe ankle injury and, even if he can play, his impact should be minimal. If the game turns into a shootout, the Saints have the firepower on offense to keep up with the Colts. And despite stellar performances in the AFC Championship game, the Colts young secondary receivers lack valuable experience.
Eagles Stumble in Season’s Final Weeks
Just a few weeks ago analysts were touting the Philadelphia Eagles as a sleeper pick in the playoffs and bandwagon fans around the country were rushing out to get their Philadelphia Eagles jerseys. Following back-to-back embarrassing blowout losses to the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles are reevaluating their position. Many players assumed to have job security heading into the offseason, but that may not be the case any longer.
The Eagles’ roster and payroll is weighted down by three mid to top level quarterbacks: Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb. NFL insiders are predicting that at least one, and more probably two, of these play callers will be dealt by next season. There is also talk that Andy Reid, one of the league’s longest tenured coaches, may be on the hot seat after continually failing to live up to Philly’s expectations.
One More Time For The Colts
The Indianapolis Colts will face the New Orleans Saints in a bid for their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history after beating the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game 27-17. Payton Manning became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. That broke a tie with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana. Manning continually dropped passes right over the fingertips of the defenders, and the Jets just couldn’t stop him. After falling behind late in the first half, Manning took the Colts 80 yards in four plays, hooking three straight times with rookie Austin Collie including the 16-yard TD pass that made it 17-13 with 1:13 to go in the half.
Replica jerseys are an excellent way to tell your team that you are with them all the way weather you are at the game or at home. Personally I will be wearing one of my Indianapolis Colts jerseys at the game to cheer on Payton Manning and the rest of the Colts on February 7th in Miami.
Here Come The New York Jets
The New York Jets are the only team to win on the road in the second round of the NFL Divisional Playoffs beating the San Diego Chargers 17-14 and advance to the AFC championship versus the Colts for the title. Mark Sanchez is the hottest rookie quarterback in the NFL today and Shonn Green is a weapon the colts have to suppress in order to pull off a win in the AFC Divisional Championship game.
The teams met once this season, on Dec. 27, when New York won 29-15 in Indianapolis to allow the New York Jets to advance to the playoffs as a wildcard team. I believe the Jets won only because the colts pulled their starters in the middle of the 3rd quarter. The Jets were 3-point underdogs, and the score went over the total of 40.5. Never the less I will be wearing one of my New York Jets jerseys to cheer on the underdogs in their quest for the Championship Trophy.
Favre Heads To NFC Championship
The Minnesota Vikings advance to the NFC Championship after a commanding performance to beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-3. The Vikings will face the New Orleans Saints for an opportunity to add a fifth conference title, the last of which was obtained in 1976 when they beat the then L.A. Rams 24-13. The 40 year old Brett Favre completed 15 of 24 passes for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns. Favre, who is having the best season of his career, came out of retirement for a second time with great enthusiasm and did everything he could to give his new team a chance at the finals and the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Vikings will have their hands full this week against the New Orleans Saints to determine who the NFC champions will be. My enthusiasm will be shown when I put on one of my Minnesota Vikings jerseys for the reinforcement of one of the best teams of the National Football League.
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