$900 to Tailgate the Super Bowl is Flat Out Unamerica

ESPN Dallas:

IRVNG, Texas -- If you're lucky enough to have a ticket to Super Bowl XLV between Pittsburgh and Green Bay, then the next step is to find parking near Cowboys Stadium.

And that might be more expensive than the ticket.

According to ParkWhiz.com, there is a spot available a tenth of a mile from Cowboys Stadium going for $990 at 908 North Collins at Ticketsource.com Parking. To be fair, you would have access to a restroom, on-site security and the ability to tailgate.

Someone explain to me why there might be a lockout again? Because this "No Fun League" that everyone seems to hate yet continues to watch at record shattering rates is straight stealing from us. Listen, I understand supply and demand and they're going to keep hiking rates as long as people keep paying for this shit, but when is enough finally enough? Fans paid $15 for beer at last years Super Bowl. That makes Yankee Stadium look a soup kitchen. Jersey's are like $80 and they fall apart if you wash them more than three times. A stupid hat that has your team's and the NFL's logos (and if it doesn't have the NFL logo its cheap-ass bootleg shit, don't wear it to a game or Roger Goodell will personally strangle your ass) costs over $20. This league is out of control. The average fan simply cannot afford to support their team anymore. The worst part of it is that it is diluting the experience of going to a game. Sure there are still some degenerate assholes who still make games amusing even when its a slop fest 10-6 game where neither team can move the ball, but those guys are fewer and farther between these days. Gillette Stadium is a perfect example of it. In the old Foxboro Stadium, every fan in there was there to watch the game. Sure they got piss drunk and made assholes out of themselves, but they were all their because they loved the Patriots and the loved football. Now the best seats cost over $1,000, and the result is arrogant rich folk who don't care about the game sitting in the prime seats. People leave games -- good games -- at halftime because its tool cold. "Fans" leave Heinz Field before their team is presented with the Lamar Hunt Trophy because they have no appreciation for the game. You know why NFL television ratings are shattering records? Because the REAL fans cannot afford to go to the games anymore.

And yet the owners are complaining they don't get enough money? Maybe there is some fucked up shit going on where all the money we pay at the ticket windows, fan shops, and concession stands is all just getting wired to Bill Belichick's Swiss bank account. That must be it.

Jimmy on Championship Weekend

Shout out to Barstool New York for the picture

I'll start with the story of the day, Jay Cutler. The Commish and I disagree on this completely. I believe every player, writer, fan, and anyone else out there tweeting, jersey burning, or drunk babbling about Cutler being "soft" or a quitter should go suck a fat one. The guy tore his MCL for Christ's sake. Sure, we didn't know that at the time, but what the fuck did you morons think? It was a one score game. They weren't getting embarrassed, they were playing better on both sides of the ball than most people expected them to. He hadn't made any boneheaded plays that he is some how famous for (despite his respectable 82 career QB rating). What incentive would he have to "quit"? So you tell me, why was everyone assuming the worst? Why does everyone want this guy to fail? Is it because they're scared he's the next Brett Favre? Because he damn well could be. Is it because they don't want to see someone from Vanderbilt succeed? Because that would be quasi-legitimate. Is it because he demanded out of Denver once McDaniels got hired? Because not only does that look like the best decision of his career, let's not forget John Elway and Eli Manning both demanded trades before taking a single snap in the NFL. So please, until I hear a legitimate argument against Cutler that is not based purely on hearsay, lay off the man. His girlfriend is a smokeshow, too.

As for the games, they both went about as I would expect. I thought the Packers would move the ball a little more freely on the Bears but I'm not surprised it was a fairly close, fairly low scoring game. Bitter rivalry, frigid conditions, two strong defenses. Even though the Bears had a shot at the end, that game wasn't as close as the scoreboard showed. The Packers were too good on both sides of the ball. I was somewhat surprised that Shittsburg let the Jets back into the game in the second half. I hate to admit it, Sanchez played a pretty good game in the second half and almost brought them all the way back verse one of the toughest defenses in the league. I'm shocked Palamalu didn't play a bigger role in the game, but then again the Jets didn't complete a single ball deep down the middle (Sanchez was 9-for-9 over the middle when they played in December, Palamalu did not play that day). Considering how well the Steelers ran the ball in the first half, a near second half meltdown is inexcusable. Sanchez is a mediocre QB at best, and you know they have to throw the ball down three TDs at half, so how in the hell you let him pick you apart in the second half I cannot explain. Also, the Jets not finding a way to get the ball in from 1 yard out is inexcusable. You pride yourselves on running the ball and playing smash mouth football. You went out and signed a future Hall of Famer for these situations, and you come away with nothing? And do so by putting the ball is Mark Sanchez's hands twice? Unreal.

All that aside, how great is it to listen to fat Rex after a loss. The guy just sounds like a moron. Like sure, he comes off as a self-centered asshole after wins too, but its hard to say anything after he just won. But to come out like he did after the 45-3 game, and like he did last night, you just look like you don't belong in the big leagues. You sound like a whining 4th grader who just got beat up by a 3rd grader. At that point, you need to just take your medicine and go home. Unfortunately for Rex and gangrene, he doesn't know how to do that. So instead of people dwelling over the fact that the Jets had an impressive season, they're sitting around baffled by the ignorance and arrogance of that fat piece of shit. Maybe some day Rex and his crew will learn you can't talk your way to a championship. The Jets were built to win it all this season, and they failed. It's going to be a long summer in Florham Park.

6 picks in the first 3 rounds anyone?

Who is Tonight's game more important for?

Tonight, in Atlanta (8:00 PM EST, FOX), the next generation of Elite Quarterbacks (sans Joe Flacco) square off in the Georgia Dome. Both Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan (aka "Matty Ice," possibly the sickest nickname given to any player, ever) have already enjoyed exorbitant success in their NFL careers. While Ryan is two years younger (25, Rodgers is 27), they have both been starters for their respective clubs for the last three seasons (recall, Rodgers backed up the immortal Brett Favre for the first 3 seasons of his career). Statistically, Rodgers has a clear edge. Here is how their numbers stack up:

Rodgers: 64.4 Completion %, 12,723 Yds, 87 TD, 32 INT, 98.8 rating
Ryan: 60.8 Completion %, 10,061 Yds, 66 TD, 34 INT, 86.9 rating

However, it is worth noting that Ryan is 2-0 in his young career vs. Rodgers, and Rodgers has 16 fumbles in his career as a starter. Ironically, both of these players lost their playoff debut to the Arizona Cardinals. Rodgers last year, on the road, in that absurd 51-45 overtime game in which it was his fumble that was returned for the winning score, and Ryan the year prior to that, in the Georgia Dome, as the upstart Cardinals went on to lose to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.

Overall, both of these young quarterbacks have shown incredible poise and talent. Ryan has a record of 33-13 as a starter, and Rodgers is not far behind with a record of 27-20. Toss out Rodgers' first season as a starter -- in wish he completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 4038 yards, 28 TDs and 93.8 QB rating -- and he is 21-10 as a starter over the last two years. Together, in their young careers, the two have played just three playoffs games, with the only win belonging to Rodgers last week in Philadelphia. Despite this limited sample size, we still hear the questions of "Can they finally win in the playoffs?" When I hear this I think "That has got to be a joke, right?" Ryan lost his playoff debut in his rookie season to a team with a Super Bowl winning quarterback (Kurt Warner) that went on to win the NFC. Rodgers lost his playoff debut on the road, in overtime, to the same Super Bowl winning QB. It's not as if we're discussing John Elway who was 0-3 in Super Bowls 15 years into his career. Chances are, either Ryan or Rodgers will never win a Super Bowl, most quarterbacks never do. But only three years into their career, this talk about not producing when it counts is absolutely absurd.

Now that I have given my 2 cents on that front, I will say this. This game tonight means more for Matt Ryan than it does Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers "finally" got his big playoff win, on the road none-the-less, in Philadelphia. If Ryan loses tonight, he will drop to *gasp* 0-2 in his playoff career. While I may poke fun at analysts who flip their shit over such a stat, it is worth noting that it will be 0-2 at home in the playoffs, whereas he is 20-2 at home in the regular season in his tenure in Atlanta. While I do not believe Falcons fans have anything to worry about, they still have an enormously talented, young roster that is poised for much success over the next several seasons. However, if Matty Ice wants to avoid hearing "Can he win when it counts" all summer long, he needs to win tonight. For Rodgers, the pressure is off. He got his playoff win, courtesy of Mike Vick going all Jay Cutler last Sunday.

Now, what you've all been waiting for, it's time for T-Bred Predictions:

Ravens over Steelers in Heinz Field -- The Ravens are getting hot at the right time. Their offense was scary good last week in Kansas City, and the defense is starting to look like the 2000 Super Bowl team creating turnovers like it's their job. Oh wait, it is their job. And they're doing it.

Packers over Falcons in the Georgia Dome -- The Falcons squeaked out a 20-17 win in week 12, but there were a few questionable calls including some "technical difficulties" that interfered with Mike McCarthy's ability to challenge a key play. Also, the Packers reestablished their running game last week in Philadelphia, something they have struggled with since Ryan Grant went on season-ending IR.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for T-Bred Predictions on Bears at Seahawks and Jets at Patriots.

Gov. Rendell has Redeemed the State of Pennsylvania -- almost

Ed Rendell would have been proud of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago
Cardinals, who played the 1948 NFL Championship Game in a blizzard.

As you all have probably heard by now, PA Governor Ed Rendell was extremely critical of the NFL's decision to move Sunday Night's Eagles-Vikings game to tonight due to inclement weather. The Democrat wasn't exactly soft-spoken in his criticisms, either. After calling the postponement "a joke" and declaring that "Vince Lombardi would be spinning in his grave" Rendell continued with this:

"My biggest beef is that this is part of what's happened in this country ... We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything. If this was in China do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."

Preach, thoroughbred, preach! I couldn't agree with Gov. Rendell more, quite honestly. On the same night that the Eagles were to host the Vikings, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Simultaneously, the New York Islanders hosted the Montreal Canadiens in Nassau County on Long Island. The New York metro area got 2 feet of snow, in comparison Philadelphia got roughly a foot, and it was only about five inches at the scheduled game time of 8:20 PM.

Now I won't even get into the argument of "football is an outdoor sport, hockey is an indoor sport" because that is utter bullshit and everyone knows it. Just this year, the Patriots and Bears duked it out amidst a blizzard, however in hind sight the Bears probably wish they would have postponed or even canceled that one. I also won't turn this into a New York vs. Philadelphia debate, because as we all know New York wins that one 95 times out of 100 (with the 5 NY losses being the Giants vs. the Eagles). I will, however, investigate who is to blame for this embarrassment.

1. The City of Philadelphia -- It's the year 2010. We have snow plows, trucks full of salt and ash, and Doppler Radar that tell you when, where and how much snow is coming. You really can't clear the roads? Get it together man.
2. NBC -- If it wasn't for NBC, the game would have been played at 1:00 PM. Given that there were only five inches on the ground at 8:20, I think the conditions would have been just fine at 1:00, but that would cause NBC to lose a prime-time game. Can't do that, no, instead we'll just make history by having the first Tuesday NFL game since Bill Dudley was the MVP. (Never heard of him? Google him)
3. The Eagles -- Obviously, the Eagles have to have had some say in this. There is no way Roger Goodell wanted to move the game, and there is no way the Vikings wanted to stay in the miserable city of Philadelphia two extra days. Why would the Eagles want the game moved? Let's think about it. The Eagles game is built on speed. Mike Vick and DeSean Jackson just don't seem as intimidating when there are 50 MPH winds and nobody on the field can hold their footing. Also, you try tackling Adrian Peterson in a blizzard. That's hard enough when it's not snowing. Furthermore, think of the money the Eagles would have lost by having the game in a blizzard. Obviously Philly fans (since they're all, in the words of Gov. Rendell, wussies) aren't going to come out in strong numbers in a blizzard. That means the team will lose money on parking, concession sales, etc.
4. Brett Favre -- Ah, but it wouldn't be the NFL in 2010 without a Brett Favre subplot. As you probably know if you're reading this, because quite frankly I only think about 5 people at the most are reading this, Brett Favre was not cleared to play before Sunday night after suffering a concussion last Monday Night verse the Bears. Moving the game back two days gives the almighty Favre two extra days to stop seeing stars and possibly pass a concussion test. If anyone else follows Adam Schefter on twitter, you know this theory is now shot (or if it's true, it backfired) because Favre is inactive tonight. Still, on some level one has to feel the great gunslinger had his hand in all this somehow.
   

I'm sure the Chinese could conjure up some mathematical equation to figure out which of my theories is most accurate, but I'll just be content doing the American thing: crack open a few cold ones and put my money on Philly, even with the -15 spread. There's one thing I've learned in college, never bet against Andy Reid when he has extra time to prepare. Unless, of course, he's going against Belichick. But I learned that one in high school.