San Francisco, Houston Will Host Future Super Bowls

Votes have been tallied, and the host cities for two future Super Bowls have been decided by the owners earlier today: San Francisco and Houston.

The two large, warm-weather cities have great football atmospheres in addition to great football franchises. San Francisco will play host to Super Bowl L (SB 50) in 2016, while Houston plays host to Super Bowl LI (SB 51).

Now, obviously this is a few years down the road as we still have yet to witness the 2014 (New York) and 2015 (Phoenix) Super Bowls, but I'm just glad that we will not have to sit through another year of knowing that Miami will once again be hosting a Super Bowl.

New Orleans, the host of this past Super Bowl, and Miami have combined for 20 Super Bowls (10 each). Enough is enough. We get it, the National Football League loves South Beach. But can't we spread the love around a little? I'm not exactly the most thrilled about Houston hosting its third, but it sure beats the hell out of Miami.

The Bay Area hosted one other Super Bowl, SB XIX in 1985 between the Dolphins and Niners, though I don't actually count that as a San Francisco hosting. The game was played in Stanford Stadium in Stanford, CA. So, not technically San Francisco, just considered the Bay Area. Though, once again, this will not technically be a San Francisco-hosted stadium, it's close enough. The game will be played in the Niners' future Levi's Stadium, which is set to be built in Santa Clara, California.

As for Houston, Super Bowl LI will be played in Reliant Stadium for the first time since 2004, when the Patriots defeated the Panthers 32-29.

The best news of the day continues to be the state of Miami's hosting. The voting came down to the two aforementioned stadiums and the Dolphins' Sun Life Stadium. I've never been to Miami, and I'm sure it's a really nice area for the beach and night life, but I'm just glad the wealth is being spread around the National Football League a little more.

Huge win for San Francisco, a couple of months following a devastating Super Bowl loss.

One more thing: Does anyone else feel strange calling it "Super Bowl L" and "Super Bowl LI," or is that just me? Ditch the roman numerals or keep them around? You tell me––tough to go against history, I must say, but 'Super Bowl L' just doesn't roll off the tongue.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Former Kicker, Legendary Broadcaster Passes Away at 82

Earlier today the NFL world discovered that we have lost a legend. Former Detroit, Chicago and New York placekicker Pat Summerall passed away in Dallas, Texas at the age of 82. Summerall, born on May 10, 1930 in Lake City, Florida, was better known as the voice of the NFL for several decades.

After attending the University of Arkansas, Summerall was drafted by Detroit in the fourth round of the 1952 draft.

Following his 10 seasons in the league, Summerall retired and his legendary broadcasting career began with CBS Sports in 1962. He began his new career covering the New York Giants and Washington Redskins games for the Network in the first several years before being paired with Jack Buck (and later Ray Scott) as the network's lead national crew. So after spending years covering specific teams, Summerall began covering all the teams in 1968.

In 1974 Summerall made the switch from color commentary to doing just the play-by-play for games. He worked three Super Bowls alongside Philadelphia's legendary Tom Brookshier in the late '70s and early '80s. It wasn't until he teamed up with Hall of Fame head coach John Madden on CBS that Summerall gained national attention as a play-by-play broadcaster.

The Summerall-Madden partnership lasted over 20 years, and the two covered five Super Bowls together for CBS.

Similar to what Jim Nantz does today for CBS, Summerall dabbled in numerous additional sports for the network over the years. It wasn't just the NFL. Other sporting events include The Masters (Nantz is the voice of the event these days), the U.S. Open and the NBA Finals. He was a broadcaster for CBS until the early 1990s, before taking off for FOX Sports. Once again joining his old mate John Madden, the duo covered three more Super Bowls together for their new network.

He retired from the broadcasting industry during the 2002 season, right around the time John's contract had expired, abruptly ending one of the most well-known broadcasting duos in sports history. But Summerall's career didn't end there, as he was convinced to come out of retirement shortly after he announced he had finished.

Though he never teamed up with Madden again, Summerall went on to cover football games for FOX Sports and ESPN for a couple more seasons. His long list of accomplishments in his field includes being inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1994, the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1999 and now has a sports broadcasting award named after him.

In all, Summerall spent more than four decades on the air for numerous different major sports networks and has broadcast a record 16 Super Bowls combined for both CBS and FOX. Quite the accomplishment in his industry.

Rest in peace, Pat Summerall. 1930-2013.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Why Kurt Warner's Canton Enshrinement May Come Down to Just Two Games

As I'm re-watching A Football Life: Kurt Warner, an hour long NFL Network documentary on the career of Super Bowl champion quarterback Kurt Warner, I've decided to open the debate a couple of years early: is Kurt Warner Hall of Fame-bound?

Trust me, I've done a little research and this may be one of the toughest calls the Hall voters will be forced to make in recent history.

In his 12 professional seasons with the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, Warner put up impressive numbers while receiving the league Most Valuable Player award twice and the Super Bowl MVP award following his one Super Bowl victory in 1999 while in St. Louis.

If it came down to his back-story, and how he got into the league, he'd be a first ballot Hall of Famer without a doubt. But unfortunately that's not how the voters make the decision to induct a player into the Hall in Canton, Ohio.

The former grocery bagger and Arena Football League standout went undrafted in 1994. The Green Bay Packers invited him to training camp that summer, but due to a crowded roster in terms of QBs (Brett Favre, Mark Brunell and Ty Detmer), Warner didn't even last until the start of the regular season.

It was following his release from the Packers that the Iowa-native resorted to stocking shelves in a grocery store and playing in the Arena Football League. While playing for the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995 until 1997, Warner threw for 183 touchdowns and over 10,000 yards (the AFL is a much more pass-oriented league). His jersey is retired and he was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in August of 2011.

Three productive seasons in the Arena League was enough to get a tryout with the Rams in 1997, and newly-hired head coach Dick Vermeil saw potential in Warner. Prior to his second season with the Rams, starter Trent Green went down with a season-ending knee injury during a preseason match-up. This paved the way for Warner to step in and lead the Rams to an NFC West division title and Super Bowl appearance.

Going 13-3 during the regular season and throwing for 4,300+ yards and 41 touchdowns, Warner won his first of two career Associated Press MVP awards and was the key component of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" offense that featured Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk and Warner's targets Isaac Bruce (future HOF wideout) and Torry Holt.

Receiving a first round bye in the '99 postseason, Warner's Rams got a Divisional round match-up with Minnesota and put up 49 points in the dome. A home Conference Championship win over the Bucs put the league's top scoring offense in the Super Bowl and Warner was the primary reason for this.

A late scoring drive for Warner's Rams against Tennessee in the Super Bowl was enough for the Rams to shock the world and come away with the franchise's first-ever Vince Lombardi trophy. Warner passed for a Super Bowl record 414 yards and two TDs, capturing the Super Bowl MVP award.

Two seasons later he found himself back in the same position––the Super Bowl. Falling a couple hundred yards shy of 5,000 yards (and 36 TDs) in the regular season, the Rams were once again the league's highest-scoring offense. Two straight home postseason victories over Green Bay and Philadelphia put the Rams up against the up-and-rising New England Patriots, led by a quarterback in a similar position as Warner from two seasons ago––Tom Brady.

Thanks to a game-winning scoring drive from Brady and the Pats, Warner fell just shy of a second championship, losing 20-17.

The next two seasons Warner battled numerous injuries and was basically forced out of St. Louis due to the up-and-coming signal caller Marc Bulger (put up 18-4 record during his first two seasons in STL, 2002-03).

It could be argued that Warner's legacy in St. Louis may be tarnished by the unproductive, injury-riddled final two seasons. During that time Warner went winless in his seven starts over those two seasons and the 32-year old was forced out by a younger guy who outperformed Kurt.

Two days after being released by the Rams in the off-season leading into the 2004 season, Warner signed a two-year deal with the Giants. His Giant career was short-lived, as he merely was there to help shape the rookie Eli Manning. In his nine starts that season, Warner was 5-4 and posted an 86.5 QB rating. It was thought that this was the end of the then-33-year old's career.

However, he was given one last chance by the Arizona Cardinals, signing a one-year, $4 million contract with them prior to 2005. It appeared as though he'd be doing exactly what he did in New York––mentoring a younger quarterback to take his spot. He did get a majority of the starts in his first season as a Cardinal, but the drafting of Matt Leinart in 2006 was a sign of what's to come for the Cardinals.

Warner started the season under center, but ended up starting just five games in '06 (1-5 record) and 11 games in '07 (5-6). It wasn't until the realization that Leinart wasn't likely to fully develop as the Cardinals starter that Warner received his one final shot at another championship: the improbable run of the 2008 Cardinals.

With the help from Pro Bowl wideouts Larry Fitzgerald (96 catches, 1,431 yards, 12 TD) and Anquan Boldin (89 catches, 1,038 yards, 11 TD), the Cardinal offense put up 30+ points on seven different occasions throughout the regular season, winning the NFC West with a 9-7 record. A huge underdog, much like he was throughout his 12-year career, Warner led the Cardinals to three consecutive playoff wins (30-24 over Atlanta, 33-13 over Carolina, 32-25 over Philadelphia) and a Super Bowl berth. The third of his career.

But, as the title of this article suggests, a heart-wrenching 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLVIII leaves Warner's career with a huge question mark.

Warner's career regular season record of 67-49 (9-4 in the postseason) is superb, but his career numbers leave him on the fence in terms of Hall of Fame-worthy:

116 starts, 65.5 comp %, 32,344 passing yards (29th all-time), 208 touchdowns (t-28th all-time), 128 interceptions, 93.7 QB rating, nine 4th-qtr comebacks, 14 game-winning drives.

It's tough to put a guy in the Hall of Fame based solely on just a handful of excellent seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler played just three complete seasons and had five seasons in which he posted a losing record as the team's starter.

His postseason numbers are a different story, and will certainly get the attention of voters:

13 starts, 9-4 record, 66.5 comp %, 3,952 passing yards (304.0/game), 31 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 102.8 QB rating; six games with 300+ yards, nine multi-TD games, four games with rating over 100.

The two MVP awards and one Vince Lombardi trophy don't appear enough to put him in as a lock at this point in time. However, had he been able to pull off a Super Bowl victory in 2001 and 2008, I think it'd be enough to put him in.

It's also tough not to put a three-time Super Bowl champ in the Hall. This is exactly why the Warner/HOF debate is so tragic, because it may come down to just two games. Games in which he played greatly (365 passing yards and 2 combined TDs vs. New England; 377 yards and 3 TDs vs. Pittsburgh), but was unable to come out on top due to simply being outplayed. The Rams and Cards were outscored by a combined seven points in those two big games in '01 and '08.

There's still plenty of time to debate this, but looking at everything in perspective, Warner may end up needing some generosity coming from voters to find himself inducted into Canton.

What do the readers think: Hall of Fame, or no Hall of Fame?

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

All-Out Blitz's Super Bowl Prediction

Today's the day we've all been waiting for: Super Bowl Sunday. Since I have yet to announce my Super Bowl prediction I think it's time, considering we are just over six hours away from the opening kickoff in Indianapolis.

I have conducted an experiment in order to fully get a feel for who everyone thinks will win the game, a game in which I think may be one of the most evenly-matched Super Bowls in the league's history–New England is favored by 3 1/2 but I think New York may be the real favorites. The experiment included a simulation using Madden (for my PS2) and Whatifsports.com's free online simulator.

For the Madden simulation I completed a best of nine series in which the two teams played 4-minute quarters (CPU vs. CPU), because I didn't have the time to do complete 15-minute quarters. As for the WIS simulation, all you need to do is set it up and click "play game" and they give you the results right away, so I did a best-of-11 simulation for that one.

In total, there was 20 simulated games played, and here are the results of each "experiment:"

Madden: New England 5 games, New York 4

Average score...NE 12.8, NYG 12.1

Clearly, I don't trust Madden's results will be very accurate. First of all, both quarterbacks played poorly in a majority of the nine games. Secondly, both offenses are bound to score more than 12 or 13 points. While I do agree with how close this game will end up being, the average scores don't seem very reasonable, in my opinion.

WIS: New York 7, New England 4

Average score...NYG 29.4, NE 30.4

New England averaged a whole point more than the winning Giants, which shows me they don't believe the Patriots will have much trouble in blocking New York's front seven. Between the two teams, the offenses were held under 20 points a mere three times, and put up 40 or more on four separate occasions.

What All-Out Blitz thinks

Considering the secondaries of the two teams, and the passing offenses they are matching up against, I think that Whatifsports.com's simulation will end up being much more accurate when it comes to the amount of points being put up on the scoreboard. Both Eli Manning and Tom Brady will be throwing the ball 40-50 times, possibly even 60.

Running games wont be as strong as in past Super Bowls, unfortunately. This could make it hard to put the game away late if one team finds themselves up by a touchdown or two in the fourth quarter.

The 2007 Super Bowl and the match-up earlier in the season means absolutely nothing right now. The media likes to blow this out of proportion and try to compare this game to games in the past, but the players and coaches are focused on today, and doing all they can in their power to win this game.

The key matchup will be New England's offensive line, and two over-sized tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and New York's front 7–led by Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. In the end, Gronkowski's ankle will be fine to play on and he could end up making it a rough day for New York's linebackers and secondary.

Say what you want about New England's secondary, but they have certainly stepped up their game a bit in the postseason compared to the regular season. Vince Wilfork up front will help clog up the middle and contain Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs so they can focus solely on stopping Manning and the passing game.

From a fan standpoint, the outcome of this game plays no effect on how I sleep or how I handle the rest of my week, meaning I really am not cheering for either team and I will simply be taking this game from a professional standpoint.

If Brady wins, he will no doubtably go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play this game. His career accolades would include most postseason wins, four Super Bowls in five appearances, 50 TD passes in one season, 5,000 yards in one season, 7 Pro Bowls, two MVPs, two SB MVPs, two First Team All Pros, etc. His stats stack up with Joe Montana (like I pointed out in the Brady/Montana debate article), so why shouldn't he be seen as the greatest ever if he wins today?

And if Manning wins, that would make it twice that he defeated the mighty Pats in the Super Bowl, allowing him to pass his older brother Peyton with two Super Bowl rings and doing so in Peyton's town and stadium. He'd improve to 8-3 in the postseason, as well. Having two rings would even put him in the talks of a possible call from the Hall after he hangs up his cleats for good.

Positive things would come no matter who wins this game, in my opinion at least. So, when it comes to predicting the winner and score of the game I think it's safe to say I will be pulling no bias, just like I always do.

However, I do feel an obligation to pick the Patriots to win this game considering I predicted them winning the Super Bowl in my 2011 Season Preview article posted back on September 11. I almost lose some of my credibility when you see who I had them going up against (the Eagles), but nevertheless I believed the Pats would win it before the season started, so I'll stick by my pre-season prediction.

Patriots win 28-24, Wes Welker named the game's MVP

Brady's line will protect him much better than they did back in Super Bowl XLII, and he tears up New York's secondary for 250 yards. Manning has a big day as well, but I think it will come down to Brady elevating his play over the younger Manning brother (although I'm still a firm believer in Eli, not one of his many critics).

Photo credit
Helmets/Lombardi trophy: Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger

Best to Ever Play the Position: Tony Gonzalez Deserves More Respect

In the wake of Super Bowl week, all the talk has been centered around New England's tight end Rob Gronkowski. Will he play, or will he sit? After spraining his ankle after an awkward tackle against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, Gronk has been seen in a walking boot earlier this week.

When seen at yesterday's Media Day, the second-year pro had taken off the walking boot. But after missing practice again today (only two practice days remain before Super Sunday) the question still lingers.

Personally I don't see him missing the game. No way he will allow himself to miss what will be the biggest game/day of his life...especially considering what he means to this New England offense.

Gronk, 22, has blossomed in to perhaps the league's most well-known tight end within about a season. He broke on to the football scene with 546 yards and 10 TDs as a rookie in 2010, but he followed that up with a record-setting performance in 16 games this season: 90 receptions, 1,327 yards and 17 TDs. The single greatest season ever put together by a tight end. He led the league in receiving TDs and set TE records for most yards and most TDs.

The sudden stardom of the bruising 6'6'' and 265 pound end has led to the expression "Gronk'd." His powerful spike, in celebration of a TD, has been known as a Gronkowski trademark by many, and he even has t-shirts and songs in dedication to his athletic ability and on-field success–mainly in the New England area.

This has made for a sad, sad day in Kansas City and Atlanta. The two cities that the 12-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez has played in. Still a Falcon, the 35 going-on-36-year old veteran has lost his touch. He has put up 15 hard-working and well-fought seasons, starting 222 career games and missing just one start since 1998 (he didn't start any games in his rookie season, 1997).

Gonzalez has already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and he doesn't even think he's going to retire for another couple of seasons. Yet new faces such as Gronk, New Orleans' second-year pro Jimmy Graham, New England's Aaron Hernandez and San Francisco's Vernon Davis have stolen the spotlight away from the blue collar Gonzo.

The worst part, in my opinion, is that I don't think it even really bothers Gonzalez at all. Young kids have seemed to have chosen Gronk as their hero, rather than Gonzalez. I'm not trying to take anything away from Gronk and Graham, or anyone else, because they have played hard and deserve some credit as well. But I'm disappointed that fans have seemingly overlooked perhaps one of the league's greatest receiving tight end of all time.

The NFL has recently put together an official magazine (NFL the Magazine) to which I have subscribed to. The most recent issue–just the second one made, actually–had an article in it written by Lisa Altobelli that I think everyone who calls themself an NFL fan needs to read.

Of course I was well aware of what Gonzo has done for the league before I read the article, but the article reiterates his greatness and reassures fans that his loss of the spotlight hasn't phased him one bit. Just like every other season, Gonzalez prepares the same way and goes about his business. According to the article, as well, his teammates have started calling him "Low-key Tony G," which is very fitting for the calm-minded Tony.

What has he done over his decade-and-a-half of play? Simple, he has racked up 1,149 receptions, 13,338 yards and 95 TDs. His reception total is second all-time to the great Jerry Rice, his yardage total 11th all-time and his TD total is 9th all-time (he is six away from passing Steve Largent at No. 6). All three categories rank No. 1 among every other tight end to ever play the game.

What I like most about him, however, is his humbleness and the fact that he focuses more on his blocking techniques than his catching ability because obviously run blocking is No. 1 priority for all tight ends. Their second responsibility is catching passes. He's first one in the facility and often the last one out, according to many of his teammates as well.

What I believe is the reason for his lack of respect among NFL fans, and some experts too, is that he's never really been in those big games. In fact, he's never been fortunate to win a playoff game. In five tries, Gonzo is 0-5 in postseason play. But that's not his fault!

Gonzo hasn't exactly been the brightest star in those postseason games (16 Rec., 157 yards, 2 TDs, 9.8 YPR), but the tight end isn't going to be the game-changer in a big playoff game. He's never really been on an exceptional team and he's actually never really had an exceptional quarterback throwing him passes.

There's Matt Ryan in Atlanta right now, but he's only been there for three seasons. In Kansas City 1997-2008 Gonzo's best quarterback was probably Trent Green ('01-'06). Other than Green, Gonzo had the likes of Elvis Grbac, Rich Gannon, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard throwing him passes. Gronkowski/Hernandez, Graham and Jason Witten, who did they have throwing them passes? Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. Even Vernon Davis has had a more capable arm in Alex Smith throwing him the ball (despite 2011 being his first solid season).

The fact Gonzalez has been so healthy, reliable and productive throughout his career with below-average signal callers throwing him passes just makes me respect him even more. Catching passes over defenders seems to come naturally for the 6'5'' former basketball standout.

So, before we go naming Gronk the greatest tight end ever, and possibly a future HOFer (in his second season) if he goes out there on Sunday and rocks New York's defense, lets not forget about poor old Gonzo down south in Atlanta.

Photo credit

With Atlanta: Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

With Kansas City: borrowed from Sports Crunch

Super Bowl Week: Media Day Tuesday

The Pro Bowl has been played: AFC won the All-Star game 59-41 Sunday evening in Honolulu. Miami wideout Brandon Marshall was named the game's MVP with 6 receptions for 176 yards and a Pro Bowl record 4 TD catches.

Both New England and New York have officially arrived in Indianapolis, IN over the last two days.

And finally, the media have set everything up for a full five days of coverage before Super Bowl XLVI gets underway in Lucas Oil Stadium. You know what Tuesday means, right? Media day.

I'd love to be able to attend, not only the Super Bowl, but the Media Day festivities as well. This year, according to sports writers and television personalities on their Twitter pages, it seems that there are more fans in attendance than media members.

It's true, fans were able to buy tickets for about $25 apiece and attend the day long festivities in Indianapolis. Also, there is apparently plenty of media interviewing media going on in addition to the player and coach interviews.

In other words, Media Day is dedicated to talking about, analyzing, re-analyzing and consuming anything and everything possible. Anything from score predictions to trash-talking can go down on the annual Media Day. Although, considering the conservative Bill Belichick is on one side of things...and the mouthy duo of Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress are no longer on New York's roster, I doubt any of that will go on this go around.

This day (Tuesday before SB) four years ago Burress guaranteed that the Giants would defeat the undefeated Patriots. New England's Tom Brady simply smiled and laughed when a reporter told him the news, declining to say anything in response. We all know Burress proved right in the end, but that doesn't mean it didn't help stir the pot for New England.

To me Media Day usually seems pretty redundant, and I don't expect anything interesting or "bulletin board material" to come from today, but that doesn't mean we can't all sit back and enjoy a 3 1/2 minute long video of some of the great Media Day memories.

I found this video on Youtube and couldn't resist putting it up for all to enjoy! Obviously, I do not own the video or any of the clips from the video.

I think it's safe to say Denver's Shannon Sharpe wins the crown for Media Day King after his brush up with Atlanta's Ray Buchanan via the Media prior to Super Bowl XXXIII.

One thing everyone wants to know, and still wont know after Media Day is through, is will Rob Gronkowski play Sunday? Good news, however, for Pats fans: he wasn't wearing the walking boot that he was wearing when he walked off the plane upon arriving at Indy.

Gronk is tough, and despite missing yesterday's practice, I have no reason to believe he wont be on that field come Sunday evening.

The Great Debate: Joe Montana vs. Tom Brady

No matter what happens come February 5, 2012, I think it's safe to say that just by suiting up for the Super Bowl future Hall of Famer Tom Brady is further cement his legacy in the National Football League.

Anyone and everyone outside of the New England area seems to be a Tom Brady hater. I hear fans say it's because the league treats him very well, but I think it's simply because they wish they were him. That's usually why people hate another person: jealousy.

Brady has what every man in the United States is dying to have: good looks, hot wife, perfect life as the league's best quarterback, money. What more could you want? Now he is one win away from surpassing Joe Montana as the most decorated postseason quarterback in NFL history.

This will be his fifth appearance in the Super Bowl, which ties Denver's John Elway with most by a quarterback in the history of the league. With his 23-20 win over Baltimore on Sunday, despite his two almost-costly interceptions, Brady tied the legendary Montana with most-ever postseason victories at 16. Only difference between Brady and Elway, and Brady and Montana? Brady has more rings than Elway and Brady has a better winning percentage (regular season and postseason) than Montana.

I'm not a Patriots fan or a Brady lover, but you have to respect what he's done over the last 12 seasons. Elway played 16 years and captured two rings in his final two years in the league, and Montana played 15 years, won four Super Bowls and three SB MVPs spread throughout his career. In just 12 seasons in the league, Brady has won three Super Bowls and earned two Super Bowl MVP awards.

And you have to take in to consideration that he has only played nine complete seasons (didn't start in his rookie season, 14 starts in first SB season in 2001 and suffered season-ending injury in Week 1 game of 2008 season). His list of accomplishments seems endless:

• Two-time AP NFL MVP ('07, '10)
• Seven-time Pro Bowler
• Two-time First team All Pro, one-time Second team All Pro
• Three-time Super Bowl champion
• Two-time Super Bowl MVP
• Five-time AFC Champion
• SI Sportsman of the Year (2005)
• NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2009)

Some of his records include most passing touchdowns in a single-season (50), most consecutive passing attempts without an interception (358), most consecutive postseason wins (10), most TDs in one half in a postseason game (5) and fewest starts to achieve 100 career wins (131 starts).

He also became the only quarterback in history to win three Super Bowls before the age of 28. Of course he received help from his supporting cast, because there's no way one guy has the ability to make that much of an impact in a team sport such as football. But the idea that Brady managed to help keep the Pats as contenders each and every year since his second season is quite a feat in itself.

Now, it's time for the Brady/Montana comparisons (career in regular season):

Montana (164 starts in 15 seasons): 117-47 record, 63.2%, 40,551 yards, 273 TDs, 139 INT, 92.3 QBR, 26 fourth quarter comebacks, 28 game-winning drives

Brady (159 starts in 12 seasons): 124-35 record, 63.8%, 39,979 yards, 300 TDs, 115 INT, 96.4 QBR, 24 fourth quarter comebacks, 34 game-winning drives

If Brady's superior record, TD total and overall rating weren't enough to prove that Brady has accomplished more with less, then perhaps his postseason numbers will suffice:

Montana (23 starts): 16-7 record, 62.7%, 5,772 yards, 45 TDs, 21 INT, 95.6 QBR

Brady (21 starts): 16-5 record, 62.8%, 5,009 yards, 36 TDs, 19 INT, 87.6 QBR

The only number that truly matters, I believe, when comparing the two is number of rings. Montana currently sits atop with Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowls.

However, if Brady is able to knock off Eli Manning and the Giants I think it's safe to say we have a new King of the Postseason. And he doesn't go by the name of Joe Montana.

Photo credit

Montana: found on makefive.com

Brady: found on nflpassers.com

Q&A with Super Bowl Champion Kevin Carter

I recently had the chance to talk with former NFL defensive end Kevin Carter after coming in contact with him via schoolofthelegends.com, a new interactive website created so that fans and current/former NFL players may have a commonplace on the web.

Kevin is a busy guy, even while retired, so the interview was done through email. Here's what he had to say...

All-Out Blitz: As creator of the new fan-friendly website Schoolofthelegends.com, what gave you the idea for the site and what went on behind the scenes to set it up?

Kevin Carter: I can’t take credit for creating Schoolothelegends.com. I originally came on as a spokesperson for a concept that I believed in. One of the coolest social media networks made up of Legends and fans of all things football. DeMaurice Smith (Executive Director of NFLPA), gave me a call last summer about the NFL Players (The marketing arm of the NFLPA) possibly partnering with a social media company.  When I thought about what we are experiencing now as a reality as a possibility back then, I jumped at the chance to be a part of something so cool.

AB: Continuing with this topic, is there anything you would like accomplished with the site, do you have any goals (for the site)?

KC: When I first thought of the possibilities of what this could mean for players, I thought of the teams that would be reassembled, relationships rekindled, the expressed respect given, the encouragement taken, etc. As a former NFLPA executive committee member, I think of the benefits of networking. What better place to do that than inside the “locker room.”

AB: Throughout your 14-year NFL career, and still to this day, you are involved in numerous charities. Could you tell your fans a little bit about the charity work you do/have done and who benefits from the hard work?

KC: My wife and I started the Kevin Carter Foundation in 2001. In 14 years of professional football, the thing that I’m most proud of is all the good we have been able to accomplish through our foundation.  I’m proud to have raised and given away nearly 2 million dollars in just 10 years. Primarily to Make A Wish, Boys and Girls Club, Leukemia and Lymphoma society, Cystic Fibrosis, Bridges of Williamson County, just to name a few.

AB: You are one of 25 players in the history of the NFL with over 100 sacks. What tips or advice would you give young (youth, high school, college) defensive lineman trying to improve their pass rushing skills? Or just players in general trying to reach the professional level one day?

KC: Core Strength and extra work on balance are always good. Plus watch all the good pass rushers you can… It’s amazing how many ways there are to get to the Quarterback!

AB: How does winning the Vince Lombardi trophy with St. Louis in 1999 compare to any of your other accomplishments both in football and life in general?

KC: It was a truly magical moment in my life, where so many things were perfect. I’m so blessed to have been a part of something so special. It means more and more as the years go by to see the trail of memories and experiences that can be traced back to pivotal moments of my personal history. Winning a Lombardi Trophy is one of those pivotal moments.

AB: Considering you're a former player and all, did you go to Dallas for the Super Bowl this year? If so, what was the experience like, and what are your thoughts on Aaron Rodgers' postseason success?

KC: Dallas was an absolute treat! It was a lot of work for SOTL, but well worth it.  Because of my job, I got to sit in and consult during  the filming  of  Training Videos by  Pro Bowlers Michael Vick and Larry Fitzgerald.  Got to see so many other legends.

Also, being in that atmosphere always brings back memories of Atlanta. I believe we had an ice storm that year as well... I think that Aaron Rodgers had the kind of year within an obviously great team situation. That let's you know the kind of poise & balance that he maintains as the person who touches the ball on every offensive play. He was playing his best football at the end of the season.

AB: Thank you for your time, Kevin, and good luck to you and the website.

I advise all fans, and current and former players and coaches to check out the site (Schoolofthelegends,com). It is still improving each and every day and is a great way to interact.

Photo: No copyright infringement intended

Packers Champions Again; MVP Rodgers Leads the Pack to Fourth Super Bowl Victory

Stepping out of the lurking shadows of a legend in Green Bay, the 27-year old Aaron Rodgers led his Packers to its fourth Super Bowl title. In the franchise's first appearance since falling to Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and his Denver Broncos in 1998, the Packers wasted no time in taking full advantage of this opportunity in Dallas.

After barley squeezing in to the postseason (10-6) as the sixth seed in the NFC, the one-time Pro Bowl quarterback took hold of his opposition and steered Green Bay to three straight road playoff games by scoring a combined total of 90 points against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago.

Rodgers, in his four postseason games (including the Super Bowl), became just the second quarterback to throw for over 1,000 yards in a single postseason.

Rodgers won the Super Bowl MVP award after the team's 31-25 victory by going 24 for 39 pass attempts, 304 yards and three touchdowns. But it was really Green Bay's top-tier defense whom stepped its game up and led head coach Mike McCarthy to the six-point victory against Pittsburgh.

It wasn't AP Defensive Player of the Year winner Troy Polamalu who made the biggest impact, rather DPOY runner-up Clay Matthews and his clan who made the big plays. Matthews recorded three tackles and forced a costly Rashard Mendenhall fumble.

Defensive back Nick Collins' 37-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the opening quarter of play seemed to set the tempo for Green Bay's defense, putting them up 14-0. (Note: Teams with an interception returned for a touchdown in the Super Bowl are 11-0).

It wasn't until late in the second quarter when the Steelers finally showed signs of life. Down 21-3, two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 77-yard drive with a touchdown toss to veteran wideout and former Super Bowl MVP (XL) Hines Ward from eight yards out.

Despite being downright dominated in the first half, Pittsburgh's offense came back out in the second half and outscored Green Bay 15-10, but the early offensive woes were too much to overcome. Roethlisberger finished the game with two INTs and Mendenhall's lost fumble gave them a grand total of three turnovers. All three of those turnovers were turned in to Green Bay touchdowns.

On Sunday the Packers showed the nation that you can win championships with not just great defense (obviously, because "defense wins championships), but also that an effective pass game can do more damage than a running game. Pittsburgh dominated the ground with 126 yards and a touchdown compared to Green Bay's 50 yards and no touchdowns. Making Green Bay one dimensional hasn't worked all season long, why should Super Bowl Sunday be any different?

Rodgers has been very patient over the last five seasons, including three years of warming the bench up for Favre. This championship was certainly much deserved as he brings the Lombardi trophy back to Titletown, USA. Also known as The Frozen Tundra in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

No "Stairway to Seven" will be played in Pittsburgh as Mike Tomlin's crew will be known as Sixburgh for at least another year.

**Packers Capture Fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history; Rodgers Becomes Third Different Green Bay Quarterback with a SB Ring**

("Editor's Note:" The Green Bay loss drops my postseason picks record to 7-4, unfortunately).

Photo credit

Aaron Rodgers: Kevin Terrell/NFL

Packers: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Hines Ward: Kevin Terrell/NFL

Lombardi trophy: Gary A. Vasquez/NFL

Super Bowl Preview: Pittsburgh to Capture its Seventh Title??

Tonight can't come any faster for Green Bay and Pittsburgh fans. Tonight, of course, is what everyone is waiting for, but it will be a long ten hours before we see kick off in Dallas.

Aaron Rodgers is looking to become just the third Green Bay Packers quarterback to win a Super Bowl (Bart Starr--twice--and Brett Favre are the other two). Ben Roethlisberger? He is trying to become just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowls, joining Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Tom Brady and Troy Aikman.

Considering Roethlisberger has quite a bit experience in big games, and the fact that he is among the elite in the league, I really don't think Rodgers will be able to keep up with him against Pittsburgh's stellar defense, led by AP Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu.

My prediction is Pittsburgh wins 21-17, but we still need to find out what Whatifsports.com and Madden thinks of this matchup...

WIS: Pittsburgh 20, Green Bay 10

Roethlisberger attempted just 22 passes, throwing for 149 yards as Rashard Mendenhall took the game over with his 109 yards and one touchdown. The difference in this game was Aaron Rodgers' two interceptions. As a team the Steelers forced three turnovers and ran for 202 yards. Rodgers' interceptions ended up being the key to this game as the Steelers scored 14 points off turnovers.

Madden: Pittsburgh 32, Green Bay 17

Both simulations had the Steelers coming out on top, but this one got ugly. Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to a 21-0 halftime lead thanks to three touchdown passes (two to Hines Ward and one to Heath Miller), and was named the MVP (technically 'player of the game' but in Madden that's the equivalent to Most Valuable Player). Troy Polamalu outplayed Clay Matthews as the game's X-Factor with his six tackles, sack and interception returned for a touchdown late in the game. Matthews added four tackles and two sacks of Roethlisberger.

Enjoy this game tonight (kickoff is at 6:29 PM ET). No matter who wins, it is sure to be a great game.

Follow Media Day Action on NFL.com!

The week leading up to the Super Bowl is all about the players and coaches getting media attention.

Most of the time the questions being asked has nothing to do with the game itself. Rather, the headlines that have been made off the field in the recent past. Prime example No. 1: Ben Roethlisberger's off-field issues. Or the recent naming of Troy Polamalu as the league's AP Defensive Player of the Year.

Either way, fans get the chance to watch their favorite players and coaches answer a variety questions in front of dozens of reporters and writers. Be sure to follow these links below to watch interviews of both Pittsburgh and Green Bay:

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/45/live/app?module=HP_cp2

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl/09000d5d81e0a9da/Media-Day-Aaron-Rodgers?module=HP_cp2

Hopefully this week will be over with quick so we can get on with the game itself.

Video(s) of the Day 2/1/11: More on Matthews and Polamalu

With Pittsburgh's strong safety Troy Polamalu winning the AP Defensive Player of the Year award last night, despite Matthews being favored by many (including myself), I think it's time for a little bit more hype on the Polamalu vs. Matthews headline in the Super Bowl.

Here are a couple of highlight videos I found on youtube which feature the two long-haired, hard-hitting defenders. Enjoy.

Most of the highlights aren't from this year alone, but these were the two best videos I was able to find.

Arrival Day for Super Bowl Teams

Sadly, it's been nearly two weeks since I have posted, but today is a big day for football.

One day after the league's top players competed in the Pro Bowl (NFL's version of the All-Star game) in Honolulu, Hawaii, the two Super Bowl teams have arrived in Dallas and will begin the longest six days of their lives.

For veterans such as Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu this will be their third Super Bowl appearance, so they have had this anxious feeling a couple of times already. As for Green Bay, a majority of Packers are first-timers and had to take it all in--taking pictures and videos with cell phones and cameras as they exited the plane earlier today.

With my two Conference Championship game picks correctly predicted, I improved my playoff record to 7-3 (WC: 3-1, Div: 2-2, Conf: 2-0).

We are poised for a fantastic showdown between two of the most balanced teams in the league. Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu and James Harrison and Green Bay's Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson lead the two top five defenses in to Dallas for the February 6 matchup.

Elite quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are both highly successful playoff signal callers. Roethlisberger's 10-2 record shows experience, while Rodgers' 3-1 record shows how great his three-game playoff stretch this season has been.

Because of Rodgers, Green Bay has already forgotten about the legendary Brett Favre, who handed the Pack their last Super Bowl championship following the 1996 season. Because of Roethlisberger, it seems as though the city of Pittsburgh has put Ben's past behind them and has given him their full support. After all, winning cures everything.

It's obvious that both teams have the talent and ability to win this game, so it may end up being experience that prevails in this game. This is Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin's second Super Bowl, and Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy's first. Green Bay, in fact, has just two players with Super Bowl experience: Charles Woodson and Ryan Picket. Pittsburgh has 25.

Either way, should be a great game on Sunday. My game prediction will be coming later this week.

Photo credit

Ben Roethlisberger: Matthew Emmons-U.S. Presswire
Aaron Rodgers: Jeff Hanisch-U.S. Presswire

Tired of "Fans" Hating on Tom Brady

This is one of my pet peeves when it comes to all of these so-called NFL fans. Calling him offensive names is not going to change the fact that he will go down in history as one of the best quarterbacks in league history.

The 33-year old has three Super Bowl championships, two Super Bowl MVP awards, a league MVP award (2007), five Pro Bowl selections, etc., etc., etc.

Yes, ok, I agree he is a bit of a pretty boy. And, yes, at times it may seem that the league is overly protective. But, with his top-tier offensive line he is able to pick apart defenses like it's his job--oh wait, it is his job, isn't it? And he does his job better than anyone else out there. After watching him tear apart Pittsburgh's hard-hitting defense last night, putting up 39 against the league's leader in points allowed per game, I'm convinced that Brady isn't going away anytime soon.

Much like Indianapolis' three-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning, I really don't think it matters who Brady's weapons are. In fact, just twice in Brady's 11 seasons have the Pats ranked in the top 10 in rushing. Could be the result of Belichick trusting Brady with the ball in his hands, and the team's pas-to-run ratio. But nonetheless, Brady turns decent receivers in to great receivers, and Belichick's calm coaching style complements Brady well.

Hate the pretty boy all you want, but if you're a fan of football, the passing game in particular, you should appreciate Brady's approach and his passion for the game of football. Stop hating just because he knows how to win games and doesn't buckle under pressure. Please and thank you.

Photo Credit
Tom Brady: Joe Robbins/NFL