[The Sports Guru] My Super Bowl Pick
I know, I know - the Super Bowl isn't until next week.
But I can't wait that long to make my prediction. I'm doing it now.
Denver Broncos
Everyone knew the Broncos were a legitimate Super Bowl contender at the very beginning of the season. They are an extremely balanced team and they have proved it all season long. Their defense is almost unquestionably the best in the NFL, and that's why they're here. They were able to shut down Tom Brady last week against the Patriots and that's not an easy thing to do. Their pass rush is absolutely ferocious and they have great coverage in the secondary, too.
Offensively, it looks like this is the last game of Peyton Manning's illustrious career. He's been a beast for Indianapolis and Denver in his career, and while this season has been far from his best, he is still an incredible competitor. He's been injured and slightly less effective than usual this year, but you can't count him out. He's going to do his absolute best to inspire Denver's offense and end his career in the best way imaginable.
Carolina Panthers
[Discussion] Clutch, or good?
I mentioned yesterday that I'd host a discussion about this key question in the sports world, and today I'm tackling it head on:
Would you rather have an amazing player who struggles in the clutch, or an average (or less amazing, at least) one who is known to have the ability to come up big in a dramatic moment?
For me, Peyton Manning has to be mentioned in this discussion.
His numbers paint the picture of far and away a top 5 QB of all time. To be honest, it's not difficult to argue that based on the numbers, he is the best quarterback to ever play the game. He leads the NFL in countless categories, both career-long and single-season statistics. He's won a Super Bowl and multiple MVP awards and has been a face of the NFL for years and years.
But there's just one thing. He isn't known for being clutch. While he won 1 Super Bowl, he has lost twice, including getting crushed by the Seahawks in 2014, when Peyton played terribly.
On the other end of this debate sits Tom Brady.
KyleBerkeI prefer consistency. Although it's great to be able to succeed in high pressure situations, truly great teams don't depend on just one player to succeed. The true formula for success starts with consistency at all positions. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are the biggest example of a team that relies too much on their quarterback to save them from early game failures. There's a reason they haven't returned to the super bowl since 2010.
SonTylerI think of a QB is good enough, like a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, he won't have to be good in the clutch because the numbers are so good the big moments are minimal. That being said I'd rather go with a QB who is consistent enough to put up good numbers and keep the team in the game and when those big moments come up he can bring it home.
What's with the Chinese football league?
There's something strange happening in the football world right now.
Even with all the money and appeal that the world's top leagues bring - the EPL, La Liga, Germany's Bundesliga, France's Ligue 1 and Italy's Serie A, some top players have recently departed their clubs and gone to accept enormous contracts in the Chinese Super League.
The latest star to make the move is Chelsea's Ramires, a player at the peak of his career at age 28. I'm stunned.
There is a history of great players making the move to China, but in the past it has been players at the very tail end of their careers moving across the world to make huge amounts of money before they retire. Think Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who in recent years went to Shanghai to play.
And I understand the appeal for an aging player. Someone like Drogba couldn't keep up with the pace of the top European leagues anymore, but could still be a huge star in China, where the league quality is extremely low. They are major marketing moves for the Chinese teams too, who can bring in world superstars to boost their image.
But recently, the players making the move have not been aging stars. They are players in the prime of their careers, like Chelsea's Ramires.
Bio
Obsessive music fan, unable to play a single note. Student; traveler of the world; amateur MacGyver; old soul; reader; walker.