4
Feb
2012
ReadAndReact’s Super Bowl XLVI picks
(Photo: BleacherReport)
Yes, that’s right. Since there is clearly a lack of opinions on the subject available on the internet, we’re here with our own prognostications for Super Bowl 46!
It’s the Giants versus the Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 42 – widely considered one of the greatest championship games of all time – and everyone at R&R HQ has pretty strong feelings about this one. Artie is a diehard Giants fan, while steverodgers is a Patriots backer, so they’ve both been riding their team’s bandwagon to the promised land since the beginning, and are on the verge of an emotional breakdown in anticipation for tomorrow’s contest.
So without any further adieu, here are our picks for the big game (CLICK TO EMBIGGEN):
As you can see, our “experts” our split down the middle, with Artie and COURTNEY (a loyal Cowboys fan) picking the Giants, and going with Victor Cruz as the MVP over the odds-on favorite Eli Manning. Meanwhile, TDH and steverodgers picked the Pats and Tom Brady to bring home the most valuable player trophy.
Most of our gambling will come in the form of inane prop bets that have nothing to do with the actual football game, like how many times they show Gisele on TV, or how long it takes Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem, or whether Madonna will be wearing a hat during the halftime show … all real available bets, by the way.
Enjoy the national holiday that is Super Sunday, and let’s just hope it’s a competitive game that’s worth watching.
3
Feb
2012
Your Super Bowl XLVI Lombardi trophy (PIC)
Seriously, Sunday can’t come fast enough …
(Photo: TheDarkHorse)
2
Feb
2012
ReadAndReact’s Super Bowl XLVI Media Week Photo Essay (16 Photos)
ReadAndReact’s very own TheDarkHorse is in Indianapolis this week for the Super Bowl XLVI festivities as part of his side-gig for NFL.com, and has been right in the thick of it on Radio Row for all the Media Week action. Fortunately for us, he managed to grab a few quick snapshots along the way:
Rich Eisen prepares to join Heath Evans and Warren Sapp on the NFL Network set (Photo: TheDarkHorse)
Giants WR Hakeem Nicks has big hands (Photo: TheDarkHorse)
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski's ankle is the talk of Super Bowl week (Photo: TheDarkHorse)
When egos collide: Primetime and Ochocinco (Photo: TheDarkHorse)
Giants DE Osi Umenyiora made it for this media session, after missing one earlier in the week (Photo: TheDarkHorse)
MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP
1
Feb
2012
The Inevitable “Sh*t People Say During the Super Bowl” (VIDEO)
Well, the “Sh*t ____ Say” phenomenon that’s been sweeping the interwebs – which has seemingly been exhausted to cover every race, gender and social substrata – has finally reached the NFL.
This “Sh*t People Say During the Super Bowl” compilation, courtesy of theguysfromtheinternet, should give you a pretty good sense of what to expect if you’re planning to watch SB XLVI with friends this Sunday. We really didn’t plan on enjoying this (let alone re-posting it), but it’s actually pretty funny … particularly the commentary on Madonna’s halftime show:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
30
Jan
2012
Giants LB Mark Herzlich is the feel-good story of Super Bowl XLVI (VIDEO)
(Photo: NFLMocks.com)
Giants rookie linebacker Mark Herzlich has already defied the odds.
Two years ago, as an All-American at Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer – and was told by doctors that he might not ever walk again, let alone play football. Well, after beating the cancer, returning to play his senior season and making it to the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New York, Herzlich continues to prove the doubters wrong. He played in eleven regular season games this year for the Giants, starting two (including a week 11 showdown against the Eagles), and making an immediate contribution on special teams.
But Herzlich’s tweet from today really put things into perspective as to just how far he’s come in so short a period of time:
(via LarryBrownSports)
Even though he hasn’t played since week 12 due to an ankle injury and illness, Herzlich hopes to take the field for the Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday to complete his utter & total domination of cancer. And regardless, if you’re not inspired by Herzlich’s journey thus far, you may have no soul.
Back in September, NFL Network had Steve Mariucci sit down with Herzlich for this excellent in-depth interview:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
29
Jan
2012
Brandon Marshall makes ridiculous TD catch; wins Pro Bowl MVP (VIDEO)
(Image via SportsGrid.com)
Sunday’s 2012 Pro Bowl started out pretty much as expected, with defensive players giving minimal effort at little things like rushing the passer, covering and tackling, setting the stage for the offensive shootout that ensued. The AFC ultimately out-gunned the NFC 59-41, with Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall reeling in a Pro Bowl record 4 TDs and earning the MVP trophy.
And while this laissez-faire defensive attitude elicited boos from the crowd and groans from television viewers everywhere, the game did end up providing a few noteworthy moments. To be honest, we didn’t actually watch the whole thing, but we got a pretty good feel for things via the stats and game highlights … and with 100 total points scored, you get the general idea: defense (and running backs) took the day off in Honolulu today. For their part, the NFC had three players – Tony Gonzalez, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith - with more than 100 yards receiving, with Fitzgerald pulling in three scores of his own.
Marshall finished with 176 yards on six catches, but none of them were as memorable as this unbelievable (and wildly lucky) third quarter grab of a tipped Andy Dalton pass while laying on his back in the endzone:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
29
Jan
2012
Oh yeah, the Pro Bowl is today (LINKS)
Cam Rodgers (Photo: Dan Hicks via Twitter)
In case it slipped your mind (it almost did ours), the NFL’s finest players – minus the Giants and Patriots, of course – have gathered in Honolulu for a week of golf, beach time, goofing off and some half-assed preparation for the 2102 edition of the Pro Bowl.
Everyone knows the Pro Bowl is a joke as far as professional sports all-stars games go, since nobody – including the players – cares about the outcome, and therefore nobody really tries. And ever since they got rid of the NFL Skills Challenge in 2007, there’s even less of a reason for fans to tune into the week-long all-star festivities. I mean, has anyone ever gotten a decent explanation for why they stopped doing skills competitions? Instead of a half-speed football exhibition, wouldn’t it be far more compelling to watch these all-stars compete for the title of NFL’s fastest man, strongest leg, best hands, biggest arm, etc? Does anyone genuinely think there’s any more risk of injury here than with the game itself? Hell, I even tuned into the NHL’s All-Star skills competition yesterday just to check it out, and I don’t watch hockey at all.
But I digress. If you’re so inclined, the game itself starts at 7pm ET tonight, and you can watch all the non-action live online.
In the mean time, here are a few Pro Bowl links that caught our eye this week:
- Our banner pic (above) is Aaron Rodgers rocking his Cam Newton look earlier this week in Hawaii, from NBC’s Dan Hicks’ Twitter. Oh, and these are the shoes Cam is rocking this week
- The Jared Allen Experience gives you some insight into a Pro Bowl practice through the eyes of one of our favorite NFLers. Allen was not only mic’d up, but wearing a helmet cam for the day, and has plenty of fun with his fellow NFC elite while making sure not to work too hard. Best moments: Allen imitating the “Wide Nine” stance of Eagles DE Jason Babin, and jokingly asking Clay Matthews “How’d that Super Bowl run work out for you?” Matthews reply: “Shut up.”
- Nike released their brand new Vapor Jet gloves just in time for the Pro Bowl, and also in time to leak the Panthers new logo
- In an effort to increase the social profile for the game (and in stark contrast to their regular season policy), the NFL will allow players to use Twitter during the Pro Bowl game … but only from computers located in designated areas on each team’s sideline.
- Speaking of the NFL Skills Challenge, here are Ben Roethlisberger (2005) and Ken O’Brien (1991) competing in the QB Challenge from back in the day. This wasn’t actually a Pro Bowl week event, but was cancelled at the same time as the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge in a sweeping ban of all skills-based competitions by the league back in November of 2007. Yeah … after watching those, I guess it wasn’t that exciting after all. Even with the dramatic music.
- And last but not least, here is the biggest hit in the history of the Pro Bowl: Washington’s Sean Taylor destroying punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
29
Jan
2012
Did you know the New York Giants made a music video back in 1986? (VIDEO)
Paula Abdul reportedly did the choreography for this video (Image via Youtube.com)
Wow. I’ve been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember, but I don’t ever recall seeing this video before yesterday … and it’s absolutely, awesomely & hilariously awful.
Back in the ’80s – fresh on the heels of the Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle” sensation – getting sports teams to sing terrible songs and make even worse music videos became the cool thing to do. And during their own run toward Super Bowl XXI in 1986, some members of the New York Giants apparently couldn’t resist the seductive allure of the music biz either.
This video for the creatively titled “We’re the New York Giants” was shot in the old Giants Stadium on a budget of approximately $42, featuring a random collection of just eight Giants players with stars in their eyes, dancing (awkwardly) and lip synching in street clothes to a super-sweet electro/pop synth beat. And holding a deflated football.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
28
Jan
2012
Watch this amazing compilation of fan reactions to the AFC Championship game (VIDEO)
(Image via Youtube.com)
There has been a trend sweeping YouTube in recent years of fans recording themselves watching live sporting events unfold, and then uploading their reactions for all the world to see. This has provided us with all kinds of tremendous sporting moments caught on camera from the fan’s point of view, like this remarkable compilation of fans watching Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal in the 2010 World Cup.
And as you might guess, last week’s AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Ravens provided all kinds of fodder for superfans everywhere to freak the eff out, with their cameras rolling. Between both Lee Evans’ near-game-winning-TD that wasn’t and Billy Cundiff’s field goal shank that lost it for Baltimore, the final few minutes were an emotional roller coaster for fans of both teams.
So that’s what makes this compilation of fan reactions to the game (aptly titled “The Agony of Defeat and Thrill of Victory“) – which features both ebullient celebrations and soul-crushing collapses from Pats and Ravens fans alike – just so fantastic. You really get to feel the win/loss from both perspectives, and get a sense of just how much this game means to people everywhere. And of course it includes this guy.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
28
Jan
2012
Lucas Oil Stadium is gearing up for the big game (PIC)
This awesome aerial photo of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy – where preparations are well under way for Super Bowl XLVI – comes to us via Reddit.com/r/nfl from user fit431, who works in the network/internet department at the stadium, and can apparently climb like a spider monkey up into the rafters for this perspective.
As you can see, the endzones are already painted, along with the SB logo … and it looks like they were in the middle of painting the Giants’ sideline when this shot was taken yesterday:
(Photo: Reddit.com/r/nfl via user fit413)
The best comment from the thread was easily this one by Redditor NightEmber79:
Lucas was such a good choice for the Superbowl. The field is in great shape. Hardly any football was played there this year.
Good night everybody! Try the veal.
