February 5, 2012 – A View From The Middle (Class)

Posted on February 5, 2012February 3, 2013 by A View From The Middle (Class) · 10 Comments

Super Bowl XLVI: Offense and defense and ads, OH MY!!! (A live blog post)

I had SSSSOOOOO MUCH FUN doing a live blog post on the State of the Union speech a while back, why not do one on one of my favorite “holidays” of all … Super Bowl Sunday? And it’ll be in the same fun “spirit” (for the most part) as the live State of the Union blog post as well.

This live blog post on Super Bowl XLVI — written from the comfort of my own living room with vegetarian meatball sandwiches (aaahhh, but they’re still gooood!), chips, crackers, dip, veggies and soda at my disposal and an old 19-inch stereo TV that we’ve had for over 19 years or so bringing us all the action over rabbit ears (what do you expect, I’m still drawing unemployment checks, no cable or satellite here) — will be updated starting around 4 p.m. MST.

Feel free to keep this blog post up on your browser, and just occasionally hit your browser’s “Refresh” button to see what the latest nonsense coming from me happens to be at any point in time. As always, STAY TUNED!

Let the game begin!!!

(All times MST)

4:00 p.m. — Faith Hill has sung! It won’t be long now … well, not really long anyway. Still lots of talking to do, commercials to see, before Kelly Clarkson sings the National Anthem. Over 4 1/2 hours of hype is just never enough.

4:20 p.m. — Kelly Clarkson’s finished singing the National Anthem. She did fine, but … where are you, Whitney Houston? You are missed!

4:20 p.m. — “The Dictator” … LOL!!!

4:23 p.m. — Watch the pass rushers, which means WATCH THE GIANTS’ D!

4:27 p.m. — “Rocky” theme in a Hyundai ad. NICE!

4:29 p.m. — Mmmmmmm, veggie meatball sandwiches! Yum-yum-yum!

4:30 p.m. — GAME ON!!! Giants on offense first. Will the tone be set here and now?

4:35 p.m. — I see a VEEEERRRRYYYY long evening for New England’s defensive backs.

4:37 p.m. — Nnnnnniiiice punt, Giants!

4:39 p.m. — Audi’s vampires … a fitting end!!! Yeah!!!

4:41 p.m. — 2-0 Giants on a weird intentional grounding call on Tom Brady for a safety. WWWWOOOOWWW!!! Don’t remember seeing one like that before.

4:42 p.m. — These Hyundai ads are THE BOMB so far!

4:50 p.m. –New England, how do you miscommunicate so badly in a game like this?

4:51 p.m. — VICTOR CRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! And it’s 9-0 New York.

4:52 p.m. — “Naked” M&M’s … BRILLIANT!!!

4:55 p.m. — Chevy Silverado and the Apocalypse … I like it, and Twinkies do really last through anything too.

Alicia game face — Daughter Alicia has her “Super Bowl game face” on!

EDIT: A late addition, thanks to Facebook taking so long to upload a photo shown below …

Amy game face — My lovely wife Amy had her “Super Bowl game face” on too!

4:59 p.m. — On to the second quarter. GoDaddy sure knows how to tease!

5:04 p.m. — 3rd and 4 New England, and Jason Pierre-Paul knocks down a Tom Brady pass. Pats have to settle for a short field goal, 9-3 Giants. Why do I feel like New England needed that TD?

5:06 p.m. — Doritos ads are ALWAYS satisfying! AND I WANT THAT CAMARO!!!

5:11 p.m. — If New York just kept giving the ball to 264-pound Brandon Jacobs right now, they could win this game just running out the clock, kind of like they did when they beat the Buffalo Bills back in the early ’90s. How do you stop a guy like that with a full head of steam?

5:13 p.m. — James Brown and the fat dog, via VW!! I like it!! And Darth Vader … creative!

5:18 p.m. — Did you notice yet that Pats’ coach Bill Belichick dressed up for this game? His hoodie sleeves remain intact!!! No, I’m not a Bill Belichick fan.

5:20 p.m. — Can I have a Coca-Cola polar bear for a pet?

5:22 p.m. — Breaking (real) news: The family of Josh Powell, suspected by many of killing his wife Susan (they lived not terribly far from us), confirms that he died in an INTENTIONAL house explosion. SOURCE: KSL-TV NEWS. Maybe this is the only way we’ll know the truth about what happened to Susan Powell. What a weird story this has been, all the way around. And his sons died with him. Too sad.

5:28 p.m. — Suddenly, with the news of Josh Powell and his sons dying in an apparent murder-suicide, this game means nothing at all. What a sick individual.

5:34 p.m. — The Powell children … what a tragic story. Okay, I suddenly have a hard time focusing on this game.

5:39 p.m. — Back to the game.

5:42 p.m. — Grandma and baby get the Doritos teaser. Great! And the E-Trade babies never get old … did I just say that?

5:45 p.m. — Will the Pats score before halftime?

5:46 p.m. — Yes, they will. Danny Woodhead pass from Brady on 3rd and 3. New England needed this one. Could be a whole different game in the second half. 10-9 Patriots, and they get the ball to start the second half because they deferred the kickoff to start the game. Maybe Belichick knew what he was doing after all.

5:50 p.m. — Halftime, and time for Madonna. Might be worth staying tuned in just to see if she does anything outrageous. A “wardrobe malfunction” moment perhaps?

5:53 p.m. — To Susan Powell and children … rest in peace. Josh Powell will be judged in a bigger, much more different way now. This is just too sad to comprehend, especially knowing that Susan’s parents had custody. Beautiful lady, beautiful children, extremely troubled man. What were the “demons” that possessed him to do such things? We’ll never know.

6:00 p.m. — And heeeeeerrrre’s Madonna! Hhhhhmmmmmm … Roman gladiators? Where’s “Up With People” when you need ’em?

6:04 p.m. — Nothing like “canned” music. Give me a live show over this stuff, any time!

6:07 p.m. — “Y-O-U MADONNA???!!!” How about “W-H-Y MADONNA???!!!” Put the mic away, Madonna, you’re not really using it.

6:09 p.m. — A drum line? Ya know, Al Hirt put on a pretty good halftime show himself way back when. Jazzy! And real!

6:13 p.m. — Tell me when Madonna’s done … oh, wait, what?? Oh, good. NBC promo time!

6:16 p.m. — Tom Brady, 10-for-10 on the last drive, longest in Super Bowl history. Here’s what it’s all about now: halftime adjustments!! 10-9 New England heading into the second half.

6:17 p.m. — Clint Eastwood talking about America? Great message!

6:18 p.m. — “Yeah, it’s halftime America! And the second half’s about to begin!” LOVE IT CLINT!!!

6:23 p.m. — Oooooh, Chad Ochocinco caught a pass!!! MARK IT DOWN!!!

6:27 p.m. — Oooookaaaayyyyy, Brady’s hot. New game.

6:27 p.m. — TD pass to Aaron Hernandez, New England up 17-9. Important for the Giants to get a drive going now.

6:35 p.m. — This is turning into a great quarterbacking duel. Eli Manning’s sharp as a tack too.

6:36 p.m. — Giants facing 3rd and 10 … no go! Oh no!!

6:37 p.m. — 6:43 to go in the third quarter, 17-12 Patriots after a New York field goal. SLOW DOWN BRADY!!!

6:39 p.m. — Love the Fiat ad, nice l’il car!!!

6:40 p.m. — Toyota ad, cool! Coke polar bears are just too cute for their own good. KIDS, DON’T GO NEAR THE POLAR BEARS!!! Oikos yogurt ad, funny! Some great ads, back to back.

6:43 p.m. — If Jason Pierre-Paul’s hurt badly, could be game over.

6:46 p.m. — Justin Tuck sacking Brady on 3rd down!!! Yyyyeeeeesssss!!!!! Punt it away, Pats! New York takes over inside New England territory.

6:49 p.m. — Sorry, I’m not doing live blogging on “The Voice.”

6:51 p.m. — Hurry-up offense, mixing it up between Manning’s passes and Brandon Jacobs running it up the gut, would make for a nice combo about now.

6:53 p.m. — Brady nursing a bad shoulder? Hhhhmmm.

6:54 p.m. — Come on, Eli, there are more receivers out there other than Victor Cruz! Need those red zone TDs! 17-15 after a field goal.

6:58 p.m. — End of third quarter, 17-15 New England. And I hear the sounds of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?” LLLLLLOOOOVVVE IT!!!

7:02 p.m. — … And Brady gets intercepted! Yyyyyeeeesssss!!! By a LINEBACKER??? WAY DOWN THE FIELD??? WOW!

7:05 p.m. — It’s the new “Ferris Bueller ad!!!” Awesome! Oooooohhhhyyyyyeeeeaaaahhhh!!! Chicka-chicka!!

7:11 p.m. — Hyundai’s had the best, most consistently good ads in my book so far.

7:13 p.m. — Is there ANYONE besides one guy left who can play tight end for the New York Giants? Uh-oh. But Manning keeps firing away, and that’s good. This is like deja vu all over again from the Super Bowl four years ago.

7:16 p.m. — The Giants need to pull their heads out. Bad route running, poor clock management. Ugh!

7:18 p.m. — Should’ve been a pass interference call against the Pats! Giants wuz RRRROOOOOBBED, I TELL YA!! RRRROOOOOBBED!!!

7:26 p.m. — Wes Welker is just a football PLLLLAAAAYYYYAAHHH!!! Love having him on my points-per-receptions fantasy leagues!!!

7:28 p.m. — New England’s really working that clock now. Time management!!!

7:30 p.m. — 3rd and 11 for NE, incomplete pass from Brady. A break! Still time for Eli to do something big. DEJA VU, I TELL YA!!!

7:32 p.m. — Lllllloooonngggg Manning pass, under review … should be good! Both feet in!

7:35 p.m. — Catch is confirmed! YYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSS!!!

7:36 p.m. — Now time management’s going the other way, along with momentum.

7:38 p.m. — 2:00 warning … Giants, work the clock!!! DO NOT GIVE BRADY THE BALL BACK TOO SOON!!! This is I-N-T-E-N-S-E!!!!!

7:41 p.m. — Giants, first down inside the 10. Perfect field goal position, middle of the field. WWOOOOOWWWW!!! My palms are sweaty!!!

7:43 p.m. — Ahmad Bradshaw, unintentional TD to pull Giants ahead. NY defense, it’s up to you.

7:47 p.m. — Two dropped Brady passes. Third down … SACKED!!!

7:49 p.m. — Biggest fourth down in SB history … agonizing!

7:52 p.m. — Nine seconds to go … out of bounds. Oooooohhhh!!!!

7:53 p.m. — A Super Bowl for the ages is over! New York Giants are world champions again! Cue Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?”

8:10 p.m. — And the Super Bowl MVP is … ELI MANNING!!! What’d I say???!!!

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME, Y’ALL!! HAVE A GREAT EVENING!

Posted on February 5, 2012February 5, 2012 by A View From The Middle (Class) · 2 Comments

My Super Bowl XLVI Prediction: A New York state of mind

The last time the New York Giants and the New England Patriots faced off in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, it turned into one to remember.

That was the year the Patriots went into the Super Bowl undefeated, and they were 12 1/2-point favorites to one-up the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team to go through an entire season, including the championship game, undefeated with the Dolphins having done it in a 14-game regular season while New England did it in a 16-game season.

But that was also the day Eli Manning became a star, just like his big brother Peyton, as he led the Giants from a 14-10 deficit with just under three minutes to play on an 83-yard march for the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard sideline toss to Plaxico Burress, with a miracle escape by Manning and an incredible top-of-the-helmet catch by David Tyree on the same play keeping the drive alive.

This is another case of a high-powered New England team entering the big game with big numbers — going 13-3 in the regular season, scoring a whopping 513 points in that time (third highest in the league). They were the kings of the American Football Conference.

New York, on the other hand, came out a more mortal 9-7 in the National Football Conference, and the Giants ended up scoring fewer points (394) than they gave up (400) in the regular season. What business do they have playing against a mighty Patriots team in the Super Bowl … again?

I’ll give you one good reason: the Giants may be the hottest team in the league right now. You don’t dispatch teams like Green Bay and San Francisco that are both red-hot, on their home fields, and come away being considered slouches.

If you look at the NFL’s postseason stats alone, New York has players in the top five in all but one of the individual categories. Manning is second in passing yards with 923, Ahmad Bradshaw is second in rushing yards with 200 while Brandon Jacobs is fifth with 127, Hakeem Nicks is first in receiving yards with 335 while Victor Cruz — who’s been on a tear with Manning lately — is fifth at 244. Antrel Rolle and Chase Blackburn are second and third, respectively, in tackles with 21 and 20. Osi Uminyiora is in a three-way tie for the postseason lead in sacks with 3 1/2. Jason Pierre-Paul is also a major disrupter at defensive end, with 16 1/2 sacks and 86 tackles on the regular season.

It’s that kind of defensive pressure from the Giants’ front four that could spell trouble for New England’s star quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady will have to get rid of the ball quickly, and he has the tight ends to do that in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. But the problem there is that Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain and is questionable for the game.

In fact, Gronkowski is one of 11 Patriot players listed as questionable for the game. Even if he plays, his effectiveness may be limited. And that puts a damper on Brady’s style.

The other New England players listed as questionable include other key names, offensively and defensively: tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), safety Patrick Chung (knee), linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb), defensive tackle Kyle Love (ankle), guard Logan Mankins (knee), linebacker Rob Ninkovich (hip), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), tackle Sebastian Vollmer (illness, back, foot), standout slot receiver Wes Welker (knee), and linebacker Tracy White (abdomen).

That’s a lot of players who stand a 50-50 chance of playing at all, though there’s little doubt that most of them would suit up for this game.

The worst the Giants can claim on the injury list is six players with a probable status, led by Bradshaw.

Nope, I just don’t see it all adding up very much in New England’s favor. Too banged up at the wrong time, facing a team that’s as hot as a firecracker with the fuse about gone. I can see New York winning this one, 27-21, with Eli Manning getting to lift another Vince Lombardi trophy with yet another Super Bowl MVP award under his belt (and, given the fact that New England’s defensive secondary gave up a league-high 22 red zone touchdowns this season, it looks like New York’s passing game could go nuts today — and if it isn’t Manning getting the MVP award, it’ll be one of his receivers). And we’ll get to see endless shots of jubilation coming from brother Peyton and papa Archie from the skybox in the process.

The game may be set to go in Indianapolis, but the game will very much be in a New York state of mind.

Talent advantage favors New York in Super Bowl (tortsreport.com)
Giants vs. Patriots: Predicting the Winner of Super Bowl XLVI (bleacherreport.com)
Belichick: No setbacks for Pats’ Gronkowski (espn.go.com)
Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots Injury Reports (bleacherreport.com)
Super Bowl XLVI: Inside the Giants-Patriots Matchup (fox4kc.com)

Posted on February 5, 2012May 16, 2012 by A View From The Middle (Class) · 3 Comments

My music playlist for today (February 5, 2012 edition)

Boston Skyline (Photo credit: brentdanley)

In celebration of the Super Bowl today, it’s a special Boston vs. New York playlist! In this list, I’ll alternate between musicians from the Boston area and Big Apple musicians, either natives of the area or gaining their greatest fame there.