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NFL General

The Men Are Black

Lovie & Dungy Make NFL and Black History

There was an old proverb that I once saw on a wall at one of my local bakeries that read, “If it ain’t white, it ain’t right.”  Now of course they were referring to bread, but that really struck a nerve with me.  One, because I was there to buy a loaf of rye, and two, it made me think about the number of African-American coaches in the NFL.  I have been watching NFL football for a substantial amount of years and that statement really hit home and made me rethink my views about the coaching position in the NFL.  Now with the success of Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, both Black men and head coaches, leading their teams to the Super Bowl; maybe its time to say “If it ain’t white, that’s alright.”

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NFL General

Super Sunday

Super Bowl XLI is sure to be the most over-hyped event in history—that is, until next season.  Every year the annual event swells in size not only in vewership, but in money and exposure as well.  Add in a mix of uncommonly juicy storylines, and you’ve got a media and advertising giant on your hands.  But before you get caught up in things like pioneers in African-American coaching history, superstars like Peyton Manning and Brian Urlacher making it to their first Super Bowl, and other issues of a trivial nature, first consider the impact of this event on important things like advertising and the opportunity to make a TON of money.

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NFL General

Championship Week Preview

Last week’s divisional playoff games were an absolute riot. Like most years, those four games provided a weekend of football that is hard to top. Every game featured big-time surprises, and all but one had down-to-the-wire endings. Could anyone have predicted that both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady would have sub-par games, yet their teams would still win? This is what the playoffs are all about: discovering things about each team that the regular season could not show, answering all questions, and delivering an undisputed champion. The Final Four is set, and each team absolutely deserves to be there.

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MLB General

What’s The Use?

It’s still weeks away, and I already feel like Super Bowl XLI is going to be one of the most boring sporting events of my lifetime.

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NFL General

The Road to Super Bowl XLI: In-Depth Analysis

By David J. Cohen

The playoffs have a different feel this year than in recent years. In those years there were clearly defined contenders and pretenders for the championship. However, this year the playoffs seem truly wide open. This year the playoffs are centered on three inexperienced quarterbacks: Tony Romo of the Cowboys, Rex Grossman of the Bears, and Philip Rivers of the Chargers. If they can rise to the occasion their teams will make the runs expected of them. If they falter, proven veterans will seize the day.

The NFC is the perfect example of what parity has done to the league. It has made teams competitive which have been awful the year before. With parity, you can go through Hurricane Katrina one year and earn a bye the next. Parity has also made mediocrity a premium. The 8-8 Giants are in the playoffs, and teams like Green Bay were still in it going into the last week of the regular season. The playoff picture in the NFC is murky, with no clear cut choice. With that said, here is how it should play out.

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NFL General

10 NFL Questions: Week 11

Nine games into the season, we are finally being shown some team’s true identities. The Falcons, Bengals, Rams, Vikings, and Jags have all declined from the teams they were a month ago. Even New England is down, after back-to-back losses for the first time in years. While the NFL’s middle ground remains muddled, two things are clear: some teams are elite while many have already secured a top 10 pick in next year’s draft. This week, with the exception of a few games, it’s the haves playing to have-nots.

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NFL General

10 Questions About the NFL: Week 7

It was a strange way to end a strange week. In a set of NFL games that saw three teams get their first win this season, it appeared that one of two unbeatens was about to taste defeat. But the Cardinals collapsed as they always do, and the Bears escaped Glendale at 6-0. How long will the Bears stay undefeated? What’s wrong in Kansas City? And are the Raiders the worst team of all time? Here are this week’s 10 Questions: