No underdogs this year. No Wild Cards. No weak division winners. No “undeserving” teams. No sixth seeds; not even a fifth, fourth, third, or lowly second. Nothing but number ones invited to this shindig. The NFL’s two top teams, both of which beat their stiffest competition in their respective conference championship games. High-powered offence vs. punishing defence. Record-setting QB and receivers vs. the top defensive secondary.

Welcome to the greatest Super Bowl matchup of all time.

It doesn’t feel like it, though. At least not to me.

Where’s the controversy. The drama. The HYPE! Did I miss it?

The biggest story in the lead up to the big game was Richard Sherman, after his outburst on live TV immediately following the Seahawks’ victory over their hated rival the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. However, the whole controversy devolved into abject stupidity, at which point sanity somehow prevailed and the story fizzled.

Lemme ‘splain… no, there is too much… Lemme summup:

Richard Sherman is a jerk because he gave a choke sign to an opponent then yelled at a pretty, mentally-challenged girl holding a microphone but we don’t know what the other guy said about him so maybe he was justified and isn’t this criticism really just racism and Sherman isn’t really a bad guy I mean how could he be he went to Stanford and got a degree in communications and everything and you don’t know the real guy and there’s two sides to him and you really just need to get to know “Stanford Richard Sherman” because college-educated equals class and intelligence and hey did you read the column he wrote in Peterland and blah blah blah blahblahblah………………….

Oh, and Marshawn Lynch hates reporters and likes Skittles. That should describe everyone, really.

Boring.

Richard Sherman is a physically-gifted, hard-working athlete. He is a very good football player. He may very well be a drug cheat, but I have no proof of that. Off the field, I don’t care a whit about what he does. On the field, he is a jerk. He is a trash-talker. He likes to show-up opponents. He likes to disrespect opponents. He represents everything that is good and bad about the game itself, and therefore everything I like and dislike about it.

That’s enough about that. It’s time to talk about the game.

NFL Championship Game

Seahawks at Broncos, Snoopy Stadium, New Joisy, USA

These two teams are really evenly-matched. Picking a winner is tough, kind of like guessing which of two Sean Bean characters would win a fight to the death. To me, it’s simple. It’s all about the QBs. No matter what kind of offence you run, no matter your team’s strengths, tendencies, talents, it all begins with the man behind center. He touches the ball on every play. He runs the show. He has to make some plays. Maybe a lot, maybe a whole lot. Russell Wilson is undeniably talented. He has a strong arm. He’s smart. He’s quick. He can make plays with his feet, scrambling, buying time, avoiding pressure, or just running with the ball. He can also make mistakes. He’s young. He most likely still hasn’t fully absorbed the magnitude of this game.

This really is Peyton Manning’s season. He has been getting ready for this game all year. He’s a machine, a cyborg, the Quarterbot 18. He’s the computer who wore cleats. Yes, the Seahawks’ defence is deep, talented, well-coached, hard-hitting, and prepared. How prepared can you be, though, against a player who is playing the game on as high a level as Peyton is now? As good as the Seahawks are, they have to react to Peyton and his offence. Peyton gives so many looks, knows so many wrinkles, has an unparalleled command of the game, sees things so well. When I’ve watched him this season, especially against New England in the AFC Championship, he looked like the only player on the field. And by that, I mean that the other players, on both teams, were merely pieces in a game he was playing by himself. He’s that locked in.

That’s how I see this game. Make no mistake; this Seahawks defence is everything it’s advertised to be, and they will make it extremely challenging for Manning to do the things he wants to do. The going will not be easy for the Broncos offence. Manning’s pieces, and he has some really great pieces (not a pawn in the bunch) will have to execute against a defence that will push them, challenge them, punish them, even hurt them. Peyton will do his thing. This is the ultimate challenge, and he loves it.

The key to the Seahawks’ chances is Russell Wilson. Seattle’s defence will do everything it can to give Wilson the chance to make the plays he needs to make to win. He won’t be up to the challenge. It’s no knock on him.

There’s no shame in not being Peyton Manning, unless you are Peyton Manning.

Oh, and I’m rooting for Champ Bailey in this one. Guy needs a ring.

Seahawks 23, Broncos 30

Just a few quick observations before I head out to do my last night shift for a few weeks:

49ers at Panthers

Tough call here. San Fran barely won last week against a Packers defence that isn't very good and was missing some key players, and now they have to travel across the country to face the buzzsaw Panthers defence. I expect a low-scoring affair. The deciding factor will be which QB can do more with the limited opportunities they will have. I'm keeping the faith with Cam Newton. Winner: Panthers


Chargers at Broncos

If you're a Denver fan, and you say that this game doesn't scare the bejeesus out of you, you're lying. You should be scared. I'm expecting a shootout here. It won't be as easy for San Diego as it was last week, because unlike Andy Dalton, Peyton Manning is toilet-trained. Both offences are explosive, and neither defence is particularly great. (Aside: The Broncos briefly flirted with defensive mediocrity when dirty cheater Von Miller returned to the lineup after his too-short suspension for trying to circumvent the league's drug-testing procedure. Now, I would never applaud a player's injury, but it is fitting that Miller will not play. Don't worry Bronco nation; I'm sure he's currently taking some combination of caribou-antler extract, human growth hormone, and Adderall, with a twist of lemon, and will show up for training camp fully healed with an extra 10 pounds of muscle added for good measure.) I truly feel like this game could go either way. Screw it. I'm taking the spoiler. Winner: Chargers

(Note: After being implored by a reader to post my picks earlier, I actually started writing this on Friday. However, life and family duty intruded, and I had to make a sudden unexpected trip to Cape Breton. I arrived back home at around 1am Sunday, and stayed up all night finishing this sucker. This one’s for you, Paul.)

(Another note: If you're so inclined, you can follow me on Twitter: @GFHowie) 

 Well, I made it all the way to Week 4 without one of those idiots getting to me.

I try. I mean, I really try to focus on the game. Unfortunately, I like to keep up on things, which means I have to make forays into the mainstream media to look for information. And that’s when, invariably, I see something that pisses me off.

One of the fairly recent developments in the NFL that I really like is the fact the mechanisms that the league put in place to limit rookie salaries. I watched for years as high draft picks signed progressively more ridiculous contracts, guaranteed bonuses in the tens of millions of dollars, plus salaries that often eclipsed those of proven NFL veterans, based on college statistics, and without ever having played a down of professional football.

So, you can well imagine how frustrated I was to read this post by Mike Florio on NBC’s PFT. Specifically this paragraph:

It’s believed that the 2011 rookies who have become great players will be lining up at their owners’ doors, demanding the money that was kept from them by a system aimed at keeping windfalls from going to incoming players who never earn it.  From Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to Bengals receiver A.J. Green to Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson to Falcons receiver Julio Jones to Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt, guys taken at the top of the draft two-plus years ago will want next year what they should have gotten in the first place.

The phrases “…kept from them…” and “…what they should have gotten in the first place,” indicates clearly that Florio would be much more comfortable with a system that awards multi-million dollar guarantees to college superstars like Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Vernon Gholston, and Matt Leinart. Or, you know, you could endorse the current system which makes players earn the big contracts. All of the players mentioned on the excerpted paragraph have earned the opportunity to sign a big contract due to superior play at the pro level. If anything, the new rookie salary scale motivated them, rather than hindered them. Florio’s failure to understand this is baffling, but is indicative of a streak of arrogance which has pervaded his site since he sold out to NBC and became a blow-dried TV talking head. Case in point: in the very next paragraph of the same post, he makes this statement:

While there’s no disputing that Broncos linebacker Von Miller and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith are among the best defensive players in the league, off-field issues could make their teams more reluctant to make a gigantic financial investment in them after only three seasons.

No disputing, eh. Well allow me to retort. Aldon Smith is in rehab, because he’s an idiot millionaire drunk driver, and will not be playing for a while. He may not even play again this season, if Uncle Roger steps up and makes the example out of him that the league sorely needs. Von Miller hasn’t played at all this season. He was suspended for six games; four is the standard for violating the league’s drug policy, plus they tacked on an extra two games because he attempted to cheat the drug testing procedure (Aside: It’s been alleged that Miller conspired with someone from the drug testing company to beat the test; if this is true, Miller should be suspended indefinitely, and should have to apply to the league for reinstatement.). Anyway, my point is this: how can you be “among the best” anything in the NFL if you’re not playing. Smith and Miller are criminals. Besides that, they’re selfish; their actions have hurt their respective teams. Are they talented? Sure. Fat lot of good that’s doing the 49ers and Broncos right now. Sitting on my couch watching the games this week, I guarantee you I will have just as many sacks and tackles as both Smith and Miller put together. Football, Florio; you remember football, don’t you? It’s played on a field.

Colts at Jaguars

Indianapolis is coming off a HUGE road win against San Francisco, and would be prime pickings if they were playing a competent team. Alas, it’s just the Jags. Winner: Colts

Seahawks at Texans

If you had asked me three weeks ago, I’d have said that this would be a titanic struggle, and that the Texans would prevail at home. However, after watching Houston’s offence struggle mightily as the team squeaked out wins against the Colts and the Chargers , then lost to the Ravens, I’m seriously starting to question whether the Texans are the contenders I thought they’d be this season. The Seahawks, on the other hand, have lived up to and beyond expectations thus far. If they can win against a tough opponent on the road, they will become the NFC’s frontrunner for certain. Winner: Seahawks

Ravens at Bills

Buffalo is coming off a horrible performance on the road against the Jets, where they lost in spite of the fact that New York was penalized (this is not a misprint) 20 times for 168 yards! CJ Spiller is banged-up, and isn’t a lock to play this week. EJ Manuel is talented, but erratic. The defence is a mess. Baltimore’s offence showed some signs of life last week against Houston. That’s bad news for the Bills, especially considering how much better the Ravens’ defence has looked on a week-to-week basis. Winner: Ravens

Bengals at Browns

Cincy is coming off a big win against the Packers. Sure, it was a sloppy, turnover-filled affair, but a comeback from 16 points down in a game where you give up 30 consecutive points to a top team is impressive no matter how you do it. Travelling to Cleveland has the whiff of “trap game” all over it. Sudden genius Marvin Lewis should have his Bengals ready. Winner: Bengals

Cardinals at Buccaneers

So, “As Tampa Turns” continues. In this episode, QB Josh Freeman gets benched for rookie Mike Glennon. The Cardinals got thumped by New Orleans last week, but the Bucs sure ain’t the Saints. Winner: Cardinals

Steelers at Vikings (In Jolly Old England)

Pittsburgh showed a bit of life against Chicago last week before turnovers did them in. Ben Roethlisberger got a little careless with the ball, and I bet he’s pretty pissed at himself. The Vikes gave up 31 points to the Brian Hoyer-quarterbacked Browns. Matt Cassel gets the start at QB for Minnesota this week. Also key is the fact that this is not a true home game for the Vikings; they'd probably do better in one of the Scandinavian countries. Winner: Steelers

Giants at Chiefs

Sure, there are lots of fans rooting for terrible teams, but is there anything quite as exquisite as the agony that Giants’ fans must be feeling about now? I mean, they expect their team to be good, and they are just absolutely horrible. Not that the Carolina Panthers aren’t a talented team, but 38-0! Now the turnover-prone Gothamites have to go into one of the loudest barns in the league to face a legitimately good defence and a QB who does not turn the ball over. I’m just sayin’… Winner: Chiefs

Bears at Lions

Chicago handled these guys last year, earning the season sweep. The Bears are better this year, particularly in pass protection, which is bad news for the Lions, who have a strong pass rush, but have not improved appreciably anywhere else on defence. Detroit’s offence upgraded slightly with the acquisition of Reggie Bush, but he’s less than 100%. Also, #2 wideout Nate Burleson is out, putting the focus of Detroit’s offence on, surprise surprise, Megatron. The Bears handled him pretty well last year, too. Winner: Bears

Jets at Titans

I’m starting to believe in the Tennessee renaissance (Tennessance?), especially after they pulled one out against San Diego last week. I still believe in the Jets. Believe that they’re terrible, that is. Winner: Titans

Washington at Raiders

I’d be comfortable picking Oakland if I knew that Terrelle Pryor was healthy. I really like this kid. I watched the Monday nighter against the Broncos; Pryor was under intense pressure all night, but he hung in and kept his cool. Pryor has a lot of talent and a good attitude. I hope, for the sake of Raider fans that he gets developed properly. They can build around this guy. This game sucks. Winner: Washington

Eagles at Broncos

As intrigued as I am about how Philly’s offence matches up against Denver, I still don’t think the Eagles will quite be able to keep up with the Broncos’ offence, which is quickly moving towards juggernaut status. Winner: Broncos

Cowboys at Chargers

Are either of these teams any good? Based on what I’ve seen of them thus far, neither is a contender. I’m basing this pick on the Cowboys’ big win last week against St. Louis. I had the distinct displeasure of watching the Rams’ putrid offence in action this past Thursday, and going from Sam Bradford to Philip Rivers could be a bit of a shock to the Dallas defence. Winner: Chargers

Patriots at Falcons

This looks like a bad matchup for Atlanta right now. New England doesn’t have to crowd the box to stop the run, allowing them to focus on pass defence. Pats CB Aqib Talib is big and physical enough to handle Falcons WR Julio Jones with Safety help over the top, which is easier to provide consistently when Roddy White is less than 100%. This game will be won or lost based on how much progress Tom Brady has made with his new young receivers. The injury-depleted Falcons’ defence should give Brady the time and space he needs. Winner: Patriots

Monday Night

Dolphins at Saints

This is another game where I’m more focused on who isn’t playing than who is. Star Miami DE Cameron Wake will either be playing hurt, or not at all, and getting pressure on Drew Brees is imperative for any defensive unit that wants to stop the Saints’ offence. I might have been tempted to pick the Dolphins here, but not without a healthy Wake. Winner: Saints

This is a story about Lance Armstrong, and it is absolutely true.

There's this young man I know. Just a teenager, seventeen-years-old. A few weeks ago, he was telling me about what he wants to do when he finishes high school. He wants to get involved in a competitive sport. He has already been training for a while now. He's a smart kid. Focused. Serious. He has definite goals, and he has definite ideas about how he's going to achieve them.

He talked to me about the lengths to which he would have to go, the sacrifices he would have to make, in order to get where he wants to achieve his goals. At just 17, he already has what appears to me to be an encyclopedic knowledge of performance enhancing drugs, PEDs. He talked at great lengths about things that I didn't understand, things like "loads" and "cycling on and off." He used terminology that I didn't understand at all, had never heard before, and can't remember. It was like he was speaking another language, one in which he was quite fluent.

Since I couldn't discuss the subject on his level, I asked questions from a perspective that I could understand. I asked him if it would be satisfying to be successful knowing that he had used PEDs. He replied that anyone who succeeded in his chosen sport had to use PEDs, and that because everyone used them it wasn't really cheating. I asked him about the potential health risks. He replied that the people who develop health problems, as well as the ones who get caught, are the ones who don't know what they are doing, and that he would never be like that. I wanted to know how he would feel if, later on in life, he found out that taking PEDs had wrecked his body and shortened his life. He told me that if he were to achieve the type of success that he hopes to achieve, it would all be worth it.

This young man, barely 17, serious, intelligent, focused, told me that he hadn't used any PEDs yet, but that he knew that he would. There was no question in his look, in his tone. It was just the way that it had to be. He didn't even seem resigned to the fact. He had a goal, and PEDs were merely a necessary step towards achieving that goal. I can tell you, honestly, knowing this kid, listening to him speak, that it didn't bother him at all.

I've heard a lot of talk this week about Lance Armstrong and the worst-kept secret in sports, that he cheated. A lot of what I have heard centers around balancing out the harm he has done, versus the good he has done. I happened upon a thread on Twitter today, where a guy was arguing that the fact that Lance Armstrong cheated to win some races was insignificant because Armstrong has raised something like $500 million through lending his celebrity to a cause. When challenged, the Twitter guy would just repeat the same argument, "case closed... discussion over."

I have never been comfortable with defending someone's bad actions by arguing about all the good they did. If that's your opinion, you're entitled to it, I suppose. However, if you're going to compare the good things accomplished in Lance Armstrong's name (and surely no one believes that Armstrong personally raised $500 million) with the harm he has done, then don't trivialize it by believing he cheated to win some races and that's all. If you believe that, you're buying into a rationalization. Either that, or you really don't understand the issue at all.

Yes, Lance Armstrong cheated to win some races. Throughout his career, as well as in retirement, he has responded to all accusations with not just denials, but with out and out threats towards the people and organizations which sought to bring his malfeasance to the light of day. He has, for years, actively undermined the very mechanisms that are in place to attempt to keep sports free of the type of cheating to which he now admits. And what of the people who have defended him over the years, who worked for his charity, who raised money in his name for a cause in which they believe with all of their hearts? I can only imagine the disappointment, the sense of betrayal that they must feel.

When you're adding up the credits and demerits of the sordid story of Lance Armstrong, cyclist, cancer survivor, liar, cheater, remember all of the people he has hurt. Remember that 17-year-old kid I told you about. If you want to play the game of balancing out the good that Lance Armstrong has done versus the harm, make sure that you give him a fair accounting.