2011 College Football Picks
Weds December 21:
3 Stars: LA TECH +10
2011 College Football Bowl Picks!!!
This is one of our favorite times of years at Rock Box Sports. We’ve got a track record of success over the years, looking to do it again 2011-12. Jump on board the ride starts here with our picks for Saturday December 17, 2011 and Tuesday December 20:
2 Stars: WYOMING +7
1 Star: OHIO +1.5
1 Star: MARSHALL +4.5
The Quest for Perfection: Historical ATS Performance Over the Last Four Weeks of the Regular Season for Teams that Start 12-0 OR Why the Green Bay Packers May be the Perfect Team to Bet AGAINST Right About Now
Things can get ugly- pointspread-wise- when you start off 12-0.
Central to the Rock Box handicapping philosophy is the idea of exploiting the gap between perception and reality. This is why we like Hype. We like it so much that we capitalize it for effect. Like this: Hype.
Media Hype. ESPN Hype. Sports Illustrated Hype. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing for the savvy gambler on more than one level. First and foremost, Hype inflates public perception. And that, in turn, inflates point spreads. And then we take the points. And that inflates our bank accounts. That’s pretty much the way it works around here when all goes well.
But hold on, I’m getting ahead of myself just a bit. There’s a secondary quality to Hype as well. Hype inflates egos. It creates distractions. It diverts focus. The Greeks had it right, my friends. Hubris rankles the Gods. Pride comes before the fall. And Hype comes before the Pride.
And while we’re at it lets throw in the fact that Hype motivates the opposition. Have you ever seen Ray Lewis on the sidelines before a game against Tom Brady and the Patriots? If you didn’t know any better you might get the sense that he feels a touch of animosity. That’s because he doesn’t like the Hype. He feels disrespected. Overlooked. He wants to do something about it.
So what we’re saying here is that Hype is like a beautiful equation for the astute gambler:
Line value + Distracted/Overconfident Hype Recipient + Motivated Opposition = KaChing!
Okay, so with that established we’re ready to get down to the real business of today’s column: The 2011 Green Bay Packers and the Quest for the Undefeated Season. Because there’s no Hype quite like the “Can They Go Undefeated?” Hype that kicks in when a team gets to 12-0 and beyond.
If you happen to be a Patriots fan, as I am, you might recall an interesting point spread phenomenon that emerged during the 2007 near-perfect season. After starting on a murderous 9-3 tear ATS (actually they started 8-0 ATS), the Pats went 1-3 ATS in their final four regular season games that year, in addition to going 0-3 ATS in the postseason, for an Icarus-like 1-6 ATS crash and burn down the stretch.
Considering that the Packers are in a similar position right about now, sitting at 12-0 SU and 8-4 ATS, Rock Box Sports decided to take a closer look at some of the other prominent teams that have started 12-0 or better in recent history. The list includes (in addition to the 2007 Pats): the 1998 Broncos (started 13-0); 2005 Colts (13-0); 2009 Colts (14-0); and 2009 Saints (13-0).
So what did we find? Well it shocked even us. All of the aforementioned teams were in roughly similar spots after 12 games in terms of their ATS records:
1998 Broncos: 9-3
2005 Colts: 9-3
2007 Pats: 9-3
2009 Colts: 8-3-1
2009 Saints: 8-4
2011 Packers: 8-4.
Okay, pretty good, right? Everyone’s betting the undefeated team, people are making money, Hype is building, the media’s on board, the public’s on board, [Insert Name Here] is the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. HE JUST CAN’T BE STOPPED.
And then what?
The bandwagon capsizes. The combination of public frenzy, media distraction, player Hubris and increasingly motivated opposition becomes too much to bear and the whole thing just tips. Call it the Point Spread Valdez.
Here’s a look at these same teams and their ATS records over the last four games of the regular season:
1998 Broncos: 0-4
2005 Colts: 0-3-1
2007 Pats: 1-3
2009 Colts: 2-2
2009 Saints: 0-4
See what I’m getting at here? Total ATS record in the final four games of the regular season for teams that started 13-0 or better since 1998: 3-16-1.
Don’t believe the Hype, folks. The best bet in the NFL over the next four weeks might just be a blind one AGAINST the Green Bay Packers.
Anatomy of a Disaster: A Parallel Timeline between the 2011 Boston Red Sox and the Demise of the Andrea Gail as Depicted in the Film “The Perfect Storm”
By Chris Marakovitz
Note the Red Sox hat.
It was on September 20, 1991 that the Andrea Gail shipped out off the coast of Massachusetts with the highest of hopes. Like the 2011 Boston Red Sox, the crew of the Gail expected to sail deep into the month of the October.
It was not to be. Not for the Andrea Gail. Not for the 2011 Red Sox.
What follows is a point-by-point breakdown of the demise of the one (2011 Red Sox) in terms of the other (Andrea Gail)- based on depictions offered in the film The Perfect Storm.
Get Aceves up in the bullpen.
1. Meet the Skippers: Billy Tyne and Tito Francona
Admittedly there are some stark differences between the men who presided over the respective disasters. Billy Tyne had a chip on his shoulder. He had something to prove- maybe too much to prove. Tito acted like a man with far too little to prove.
Billy Tyne was quick to verbally bitchslap any member of his crew who showed the slightest indication of going soft. Tito enabled the considerable softness in his own ranks by coddling and defending a crew of overpaid, underachieving clowns.
Billy Tyne was restless. Tito Francona was complacent. What they had in common was a willingness to believe- even in the face of contrary evidence- that they were on the right course, that everything would work out in the end.
Key Quotes:
Tyne: “I always find the fish. Always! And I will this time. So don’t fuck with me!”
Red Sox Equivalent: Francona’s generally entitled and condescending attitude, as if to say: “Calm down, you nitwit fans and media, I’ve won two rings. So don’t fuck with me!”
2. The Journey Begins: Things Don’t Go as Planned
Like the 2011 Red Sox, the guys on the Andrea Gail thought success was inevitable. Perhaps they thought it would come easily. But it doesn’t work that way. You have to want it. You have to earn it. And right from the get go, neither the Andrea Gail (no fish) nor the 2011 Red Sox (2-10 start) were delivering the goods.
Key Quotes:
Bobby Shatford: “Hey. You promised me a shitload of fish!”
Red Sox Nation: “Has Carl Crawford ever actually played baseball before?”
3. The Hot Streak
Sometimes, though, you just can’t hold a good team down. Everything changed for the Andrea Gail when Billy Tyne busted a move and hit the motherlode at the old Flemish Cap. For the 2011 Red Sox it was a mid-May swing through Yankee Stadium that jumpstarted a 7-0/13-2 run that would get Tito and company right back in the race.
Key Quotes:
Andrea Gail crew: “We’re gonna party at the Crow’s Nest and we’re all gonna get laid- even Bugsy with the fat redhead!”
Red Sox Nation: “Wow. Adrian Gonzalez really does look good in a Red Sox uniform, doesn’t he?”
Ominous.
4. The Ominous Sign
Andrea Gail: The refrigerator dies.
Fucking Bob Brown! The guy who owned the Andrea Gail was a cheap, blood-sucking bastard who refused to get a new refrigerator for the boat when the old one was obviously breaking down. And when it finally died once and for all- the Gail crew faced a tough decision. Sail back home through a brutal storm while the catch is still fresh or wait out the storm and let the fish go bad.
2011 Red Sox: The rapidly spoiling John Lackey openly castigates his fielders from the mound.
Fucking Theo Epstein! The guys who own the Red Sox have so much money they don’t know what to do with it! Just because John Lackey happens to be the next best thing on a weak free agent market the year after after the Yankees land Texeira doesn’t mean you have to go out and throw 5 years, 82.5 million at the guy. Now the 2011 Red Sox face their own difficult choice: try to bring this ship into the port with the likes of John Lackey, Tim Wakefield, Andrew Miller and Eric Bedard rounding out the rotation or, I don’t know, something else maybe? Like how about making Aceves a starter?
5. The Perfect Storm Gathers
Andrea Gail: TV Meteorologist Todd Gross is awestruck by what he sees developing…
Gross: “Look, look at this. We got Hurricane Grace moving north off the Atlantic seaboard. Huge… getting massive. Two, this low south of Sable Island, ready to explode. Look at this. Three, a fresh cold front swooping down from Canada. But it’s caught a ride on the jet stream… and is motoring hell-bent towards the Atlantic. What if Hurricane Grace runs smack into it? Add to the scenario this baby off Sable Island, scrounging for energy. She’ll start feeding off both the Canadian cold front… and Hurricane Grace. You could be a meteorologist all your life… and never see something like this. It would be a disaster of epic proportions. It would be… the perfect storm.”
Red Sox Nation: “Look, look at this. We got complacency creeping up the Atlantic seaboard. Huge…getting masive. Two, injuries are killing us. Youkilis. Buchholz. Beckett and Lester missing some time as well. It’s uncanny. Three, incredible cold streaks gathering momentum. Crawford. Lackey. Even Adrian Gonzalez cooling considerably down the stretch. And what’s worse, there’s the Boston media, just magnifying the slide beyond anything imaginable. And here come the Rays, moving up rapidly in the standings from the south Atlantic. What if they run smack into us? Add to the scenario the increasing sense of panic closing in among Red Sox players over time as they realize the magnitude of what they’re caught up in. A choke job just waiting to happen…feeding off the cold streaks. Who’s pitching today? Wakefield? God help us. You could be a baseball fan all your life and never see something like this. It would be a disaster of epic proportions. It would be…the greatest collapse in baseball history.”
Mayday!
6. Desperate Pleas from the Outside
Remarkably, even with ominous signs piling up, both the Andrea Gail and the 2011 Red Sox sail on, oblivious to their impending doom.
Key Quotes:
Linda Greenlaw [warning Billy over the radio]: “Billy? Get outta there! Come about! Let it- let it carry you out of there! What the hell are you doing? Billy! For Christ sake! You’re steaming into a bomb! Turn around for Christ sake! Billy, can ya hear me? You’re headed right for the middle of the monster! Billy?…” [starts crying]
2011 Red Sox equivalent: A fan warning the Red Sox as Jimi Hendrix finishes playing over the Fenway PA system at the final home game: “Jimi Hendrix has more life than you guys!” [starts crying]
Clooney!
7. Battling the Storm
Andrea Gail: The crew fights valiantly, engaging in numerous acts of selfless heroism to save themselves in the face of insurmountable odds.
2011 Red Sox equivalent: None.
Okay, that’s not totally fair. I can think of maybe two examples worth mentioning:
1. Alfredo Aceves pitches 42 days in a row down the stretch in a desperate bid to bridge the gap between mediocre 5-inning starters and Bard/Pap. If Aceves’ arm goes out within the next year he should sue Tito.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury makes a valiant bid to put the team on his back in the final days and then literally runs into a wall…and drops the ball.
Good God! It's the Tampa Bay Devil Rays!
8. The Really Big Wave
Andrea Gail: Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney- along with movie audiences everywhere- look on in horror as a gargantuan 100 foot wave rises up before them.
2011 Red Sox: During a rain delay in Baltimore, Red Sox players- and Nation fans everywhere- look on in horror as the Tampa Bay Rays mount an impossible comeback from a 7-0 deficit in the eighth inning.
9. Facing the Abyss
Andrea Gail: As the water rises around him, Dale “Murph” Murphy speaks his last words: “This is going to be hard on my little boy.”
2011 Red Sox: As Carl Crawford flails around in left-field and the winning run rounds third, Red Sox dads everywhere cringe: “This is going to be hard on my little boy.”
COMING SOON: The Rock Box Sports 2011 Postseason Preview and Selections…
Week 3: Hilton Picks
Rock Box Sports Hilton Picks for Week 3:
Buffalo
Oakland
Tampa Bay
Chicago
Washington
Top Plays of NFL Week One: Over/Unders
Pittsburgh/Baltimore OVER 36:
Traditionally a low-scoring matchup, but look for this week’s game to divert from the trend. Both defenses have big names, but they’re also aging rapidly- two of the oldest defenses in the league. Meanwhile, the offenses are stocked with dynamic young playmakers. This is particularly true of the Steelers, who hold the potential to field one of the more explosive passing attacks in team history. Roethlisberger goes big in this one, and Flacco, Ray Rice and company put up a few points of their own. Forget the history- this one goes over easy.
New England/Miami UNDER 45.5: The Dolphins defense is better than you think- but their offtense is every bit as bad as you think. Meanwhile, the Pats look to be much improved on defense with a beefed up d-line and good young players like devin mccourty, patrick chung and jermaine cunningham emerging rapidly. Offensively, Pats may be a tad unsettled along the offensive line and in the receiving corps. Miami has enough on “D” to slow them down a bit and on the flipside New England’s new look defense should be able to handle Henne and company. It all adds up to a lower scoring game than one might think.
Week One Hilton Contest Picks for rockboxsports.com:
St. Louis, Buffalo, Washington, Carolina, Cincinnati
10 GREAT MARCH MADNESS MONSTER DUNKS
“I like the dunk. It’s a high percentage play.” -Guy Lewis, Head Coach, Phi Slamma Jamma
10. Vince Carter, North Carolina- 1996
In honor of Championship Week we include this one-handed monster in-bounder from Vince Carter in the 1996 ACC Tournament. Carter was one of the greatest- if not the greatest- dunker of the modern era and this clip shows why: incredible rise, timing, mid-air dexterity and the strength to go get it and finish with authority in traffic.
9. Stanley Robinson, UCONN- 2009
Perhaps you remember this instant classic follow-up slam from Robinson in the midst of UCONN’s late bid to close the gap against Michigan State in the national semis. Big bonus here for the element of surprise. You never saw this one coming- it was sudden and it was EPIC. Most of all, though, it’s the perfectly timed guttural sound effect that sets this one apart.
8. Durrell Summers, Michigan State- 2009
This time it’s Stanley Robinson on the wrong end of a Durrell Summers power thrust in the very same game. The Dunk giveth and the Dunk taketh away.
7. Hakim Warrick, Syracuse- 2003
Two words: WING SPAN.
6. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma- 2009
Griffin had several monsters in the 2009 Tourney. This one shows him at his Vince Carter-esque best. He might not be as athletic as Carter, but Griffin’s strength makes him one of the great power dunkers of the modern era.
5. Darrell Griffith, Louisville- 1980
Gotta give a nod Dr. Dunkenstein. This isn’t necessarily one of his best, but the clip is nevertheless highly entertaining. Take note of the alarmingly unsexy outfits of the Louisville cheerleaders and stick around for the replay to hear Al McGuire’s timely reference to Griffith’s mid-dunk “disco move.”
4. Earl Watson, UCLA- 2000
Time out for a brief tribute to the alley-oop, one of the pivotal developments in slam dunk history. In this case it’s the passer making the spectacular play as much if not more than the finisher. Nobody had better touch than Earl Watson, particularly in this 2000 tourney dismantling of Maryland.
3. Darvin Ham, Texas Tech- 1996
The ultimate power dunking bona fides.
2. Benny Anders, Houston- 1983
While Darrell Griffith’s “Around the World” dunk doesn’t quite stand the test of time, the offerings of the early 80’s travelling dunkfest known as Phi Slamma Jamma have aged remarkably well. Watching the crowd and announcers wet their pants with excitement over Griffith’s dunk in 1980 while a modern audience views it with a barely stifled yawn, one would think that the bar has just risen over time. Old clips are fun for their short shorts and high socks but surely the players of the 80’s had athletic limitations that have been far exceeded today. Maybe that’s a valid assumption, but it doesn’t apply in the case of the Houston Cougars circa 1983. Obviously there was some sort of internal culture with this set of players that embraced and nurtured the art of the dunk. Not only did the team produce world class dunkers among NBA talents like Drexler, Olajuwon, Michael Young and Larry Micheaux, but the Cougars had a sixth man named Benny Anders who, according to Drexler, was the best athlete of them all. The interesting thing about Anders is that he so loved the dunk that he neglected other areas of his game, never developing as a complete player, never becoming a starter, and eventually quitting the team in 1984 in response to a lack of playing time. But for anyone of a certain age who saw him play, Benny Anders goes down as one of the great dunkers of all time and is every bit as memorable a member of the Phi Slamma Jamma fraternity as Olajuwon or Drexler. Watch here as Anders takes a perefect angle for maximum dunkability, extends himself completely and then snaps back down on the rim like a coiled spring. Favorite part: Anders lies on the ground for a few seconds to milk the moment then gets up and about 00:12 on the clip watch as he pats Louisville’s Charles Jones on the ass after just dunking in his face on national television. A few seconds later, around 00:17, Anders is still milking, pointing to the crowd. Can you imagine a Duke guy acting like that? Probably not, because you can’t imagine a Duke guy dunking like that. I’m half-surprised Anders didn’t walk out to center court and take a bow. As far as I’m concerned he fucking should have. God bless you, Bennie Anders, wherever you are today.
1. Clyde Drexler, Houston- 1983
Clyde Drexler was a circus freak dunker and my nominee for the title of best ever- college, pro, tourney, regular season, whatever. The nickname Clyde “The Glide” isn’t just a convenient play on words. It pretty much sums up the visual effect of Drexler’s game. Whereas Jordan famously had the ability to hang in mid air, Drexler could literally glide, taking off impossibly early and rising upward as if moving along an invisible conveyer belt on an upward plane. Upon arrival at the rim, Drexler finished the job as swiftly and powerfully as anyone, always earning a perfect 10 style points in the process. Arms and legs flailing, a great Drexler dunk was like a shark attack- sudden, violent, decisive.
Boise State Blinks: Brilliant Two-Year Run Comes to an End
Is there such a thing as better than perfect?
Sublime, maybe?
Because that’s what Boise State had to be this year. Oregon and Auburn have had the luxury of just being perfect. For those teams, running the gauntlet of a big-time schedule and winning every game has been enough. Even by the skin of their teeth, as Auburn did against Alabama. Even while getting the lucky break of having an opposing kicker gift wrap a win, as Oregon did against Cal.
Not so for Boise.
Perfect?
Been there, done that. The Broncos were 14-0 last year. But it wasn’t enough. Not for the BCS system. Not for the Boise fans. Not for this team. Last year’s perfection was just a stepping stone. This year they wanted something more. The National Championship.
And for that happen, this team would have to be better than perfect.
Week in, week out, the Broncos have been faced with the task of not only beating their opponents, but eviscerating them. Owning them. Never letting up. Not a single player. Not a single moment.
Better than perfect.
Wrap your mind around that.
Oregon- a team that Boise has beaten each of the last two years- had the luxury of sleepwalking through a game against highly suspect Washington State and coming out ahead.
No one questioned it.
Auburn had to squeak by against Mississippi State (17-14), Clemson (27-24 OT) and Kentucky (37-34).
As long as they stayed perfect it was enough.
For Boise, strangely enough, despite a schedule loaded with cupcakes, there haven’t really been any days off. The bigger the cupcake, the bigger the pressure on Boise not just to win, but to dominate.
And all year long they met this challenge with relish. After pulling victory out of the jaws of defeat against Virginia Tech and following up with a solid win over Oregon State, they went on a rampage, answering their critics as forcefully and completely as they possibly could have, to the tune of 59-0 (New Mexico State), 48-0 (San Jose State), 42-7 (Hawaii), 52-14 (Idaho) and then, perhaps most shocking of all, a 51-0 pasting of a not-so-bad Fresno St. program with a well-earned rep for hanging with the big boys.
Not just a physical test for Boise, really, but a mental one.
It had to make you wonder. How long could they keep it up? At what point would the psychological burden of being better than perfect, a burden that grew exponentially every week as they moved within range of the BCS top two, become too much to bear?
At what point would it all come crashing down?
On Saturday night in Reno we got our answer.
Somewhere in the fourth quarter we discovered that this would be no blowout. Boise, for once, would not be better than perfect.
It seemed like a defeat in itself.
But, still, there was the chance, or should we say the expectation, of being at least perfect.
And right up until the bitter end it looked as if they would be. It looked that way when Doug Martin took a screen pass 79 yards to the bank, putting Boise up seven with 4:53 left. And it certainly looked that way when the Kellen Moore hit a diving Titus Young inside the ten, setting up a chip shot for perfection with exactly :01 on the clock.
And then it happened. As Kyle Brotzman lined up for the kick, reality set in. Not the reality of being not good enough. The reality of recognizing that ungodly expectations, the hopes of an entire team, university, city and state, a dream three years in the making, were now riding on your shoulders.
For Brotzman, in that moment, and once again in overtime, it was too much.
Wide right.
Finally, sadly, after 24 consecutive wins dating back to last year, after a 36-1 run since 2008 (the only blemish being a 17-16 loss to TCU in the ’09 Poinsettia Bowl), after a string of heroic beatdowns in 2010, Boise blinked.
Better than perfect.
They gave it a good run.
GreenBayPackerCheerleaders
Things can get ugly pointspread-wise when you start off 12-0
TOURNEY COUNTDOWN: TEN GREATEST LEGENDS OF MARCH MADNESS
We kick off our Tourney Countdown with a little historical perspective: the ten players who have posted the most impressive NCAA tournament performances over the course of their college careers. Interesting to note that nobody on this list postdates 1992. That’s a sign of the times- anyone of this generation remotely as dominant as the players on this list is going one and done or straight to the pros. The era of the 2-4 year sustained postseason presence is fading fast. All the more reason to take a minute to highlight the greats of bygone times…Click pics to enlarge.
10. Austin Carr, Notre Dame- 1969-1971
The only player on our list not to reach the Final Four, Carr never got past the Sweet Sixteen. He did, however, post a 41.3 scoring average in seven career games. Carr owns three of the top five single game scoring totals in tournament history including an all-time best 61 vs. Ohio in 1970.
9. Jerry West, West Virginia- 1958-1960
Little known fact: West played forward in college. Sure he averaged 30.6 in nine career tournament games, but you might be surprised to learn that he also averaged 13.8 rebounds. The future NBA logo led the Mountaineers to the championship game in 1959, earning tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors even in a losing effort.
8. Glen Rice, Michigan- 1986-1989
Michigan’s all-time leading scorer was epic in 1989, scoring a single tournament record 184 points in leading the Wolverines to their only national title. Rice played in four tourneys, averaging 23.7 along with 6.3 boards and 2.7 assists en route to a 10-3 record.
7. Elvin Hayes, Houston- 1966-1968
The “Big E” led Houston to consecutive Final Fours, running into the UCLA buzzsaw both times after knocking off the Bruins in a January, 1968 regular season showdown with Jabbar in the Astrodome that was dubbed “The Game of the Century.” Hayes never got past Jabbar to claim a title, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He was spectacular in 1968, posting tournament averages of 31 points and 19.4 boards.
6. Danny Manning, Kansas- 1985-1988
Perhaps the greatest one-man show in tournament history, Manning led Kansas to two Final Fours in three years, winning it all in 1988. His supporting cast was so suspect that the team was coined “Danny and the Miracles.” In the ’88 title game Manning went for 31 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
5. Bill Bradley, Princeton- 1963-1965
Imagine a time where Ivy League teams went to the Final Four and featured the best player in the country. Now we’re going, as Chris Berman would say, back back back. Bradley, the erstwhile senator from New Jersey and 1965 tourney MOP, averaged 33.7 points and 12 boards in nine career games, posting a 91.6 FT percentage (87/95) and bombing Wichita State for 58 in his final career game back in the day when the Final Four featured a “consolation game” for the losers in the semis.
4. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati- 1958-1960
Robertson helped build a dynasty at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to consecutive Final Fours in ’59 and ’60. In ten career games he averaged 32 points, 13 rebounds and 9.4 assists, putting up 56 against Arkansas as a sophomore and posting a mad triple-double (39-17-10) against Louisville in the ’59 Final Four.
3. Christian Laetner, Duke- 1989-1992
In one of the more remarkable feats in sports history, Laetner went to four Final Fours, reaching the championship game in ’90 and then winning titles in ’91 and ’92. In four years of college he played in 23 of a possible 24 NCAA tournament games. Duke’s record in those games: 21-2.
2. Bill Walton, UCLA- 1972-1974
Walton played in an era when freshman were ineligible, limiting him to three Final Fours. He won two titles, posting an 11-1 record, averaging 21/14.7/3 and an all-time best 68.6% from the field. In the ’73 championship game he was near perfect with 44 points on 21 for 22 shooting.
1. Lew Alcindor, UCLA- 1967-1969
Before changing his name to Kareem and becoming an NBA great, Alcindor was the most unstoppable force in college basketball history. Three national titles, three tourney MOP’s, a perfect 12-0 career record, and averages of 25/16.8/2 make Alcindor the best performer the month of March has ever seen.
-Chris Marakovitz
ROCK BOX SPORTS
COMING SOON:
-Ten Great March Madness Monster Dunks
-Players to Watch in 2011 Tourney
-Who is This Year’s George Mason: Breaking Down the Mid Majors
-Bracket Breakdowns
-Analysis and Predictions Throughout the Tourney
Super Bowl XLV: As Usual, Offense Gets the Glory, Defense Makes the Difference
Howard Green made the big play.
Two years ago a brilliant pass by Ben Roethlisberger and even better catch by Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone garnered the headlines, earning Holmes the Super Bowl MVP award and Roethlisberger a reputation for clutch performance.
It was a great play.
But it wasn’t the biggest play of Super Bowl XLIII.
That distinction goes to James Harrison, the game’s real MVP. With 18 seconds left in the half, and the Steelers clinging to a 10-7 lead, Arizona had a first and goal at the Pittsburgh one-yard line. As the Steelers blitzed Kurt Warner from the edge, Harrison duped Warner, stepped in front of his hot read, intercepted the ball and proceeded to rumble and stumble his way 100-yards down the sideline and into the endzone at the opposite end of the field with 0:00 showing on the clock. An epic 14-point swing at the end of the half, turning what might easily have been a 14-10 Arizona lead into a 17-7 deficit. The Steelers went on to win by four.
And here again, in Super Bowl XLV, despite a brilliant offensive performance from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it was a defensive play that made the difference.
Rodgers clearly deserved game MVP award, and he certainly outplayed Roethlisberger. Nevertheless, the Steelers remained in the game to the final minute and had every chance to win their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history.
In fact, for all the focus on Rodgers, let’s not forget that Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense actually put up more points than Rodgers and his offense did. If the game was just about offensive scoring, Pittsburgh wins 25-24.
In a battle between two otherwise evenly matched teams, it was a defensive play by Green Bay, seizing upon Pittsburgh’s one glaring weakness- the offensive line- that made the difference.
With 3:34 remaining in the first quarter, Pittsburgh, trailing 7-0, lined up from its own 7-yard line. As Roethlisberger stepped back to pass, Green Bay defensive linemen Howard Green made a mockery of the Steeler pass protection, bullrushing his way through the soft interior of the line and planting an arm directly into the throwing shoulder of Big Ben. It was more than enough to disrupt the throw- allowing Nick Collins to step in and make the interception as Mike Wallace, the intended receiver, streaked to daylight behind him. Things might have been different if the ball got to Wallace, but it never did. Instead Collins took it back 37 yards for a Packer TD.
Howard Green didn’t get any MVP votes. His name barely garners a mention in the hallowed halls of ESPN. But, in a game that finished with a six point margin of victory, his disruption of the Roethlisberger pass has a decisive feel to it.
So congratulations Aaron Rodgers on your Super Bowl MVP award, you deserve it. But maybe, at the end of the day, it’s true what they say.
Defense wins championships.
