Sunday was nearly a great day for American sports. The NFL season is over. March Madness is still a couple weeks away. All eyes were on one event: Olympic hockey.
In perhaps the most anticipated event of these Winter Games, the gold medal game featured host country Canada against the U.S. Just one week ago, the Americans stunned the Canadians with a 5-3 victory and hoped to repeat that effort Sunday.
Canada had different plans.
They took a 2-0 lead in the second period, which made me think an American victory was highly unlikely.
That mindset allowed me to fist pump when Zach Parise tied it at 2 with under 30 seconds left in regulation.
The U.S. had all the momentum going into the sudden death overtime period, but one small defensive letdown was all it took for Sidney Crosby to further cement his status as a Canadian national hero.
A silver medal is still a great result, though, by a team picked to finish eighth in this tournament, with G Ryan Miller named the MVP.
So while gold would've been much sweeter, at least we can blame Canada for making our Sunday slightly less rewarding.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Super Bowl Preview
No in-depth preview here--the past two weeks and four hours today have already done that. Just a couple quick thoughts for today's game.
Who's Under Pressure?
Indianapolis: This one is obvious. The pressure is on Peyton Manning to deliver his 2nd Super Bowl win. He will own all the QB records, but if he doesn't come away with another title, other like Montana, Brady, and Elway will have a big leg up on him. He's the best player I've ever seen, and he has to prove that once again. The Saints defense is much improved but still allows a lot of yards and points. If he can't capitalize on that, his legacy will be diminished. Defeats in big games usually fall upon the team, but if the Colts don't win today you can bet at least 90% of the blame will be placed on one player: Peyton Manning.
New Orleans: The pressure is on Reggie Bush. Why not Drew Brees? Because no one outside Louisiana expects him to outplay Peyton. He cements his reputation as an elite QB with a win, but it's not necessary to keep him on that level. People were stunned when Bush was not the No. 1 pick. He was a two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy winner at USC but has been mediocre four years into his NFL career. The expectations had seemingly gone away, and everything he did was just a bonus for the most potent offense in the League. That changed three weeks ago in their Divisional Round win over the Cardinals. He blew up and owned that game, accounting for two long touchdowns. Bush has the most to gain for the Saints in this game. If he is the dynamic game-changer today, it will prove once and for all that he is not a bust--and that's a lot of pressure on a guy who was the team's third-string running back.
Prediction: I always choose the Colts. I have for at least the past seven years--no need to change now. They have won every game this season when trying, and they're better.
Colts 34, Saints 27
Enjoy.
Who's Under Pressure?
Indianapolis: This one is obvious. The pressure is on Peyton Manning to deliver his 2nd Super Bowl win. He will own all the QB records, but if he doesn't come away with another title, other like Montana, Brady, and Elway will have a big leg up on him. He's the best player I've ever seen, and he has to prove that once again. The Saints defense is much improved but still allows a lot of yards and points. If he can't capitalize on that, his legacy will be diminished. Defeats in big games usually fall upon the team, but if the Colts don't win today you can bet at least 90% of the blame will be placed on one player: Peyton Manning.
New Orleans: The pressure is on Reggie Bush. Why not Drew Brees? Because no one outside Louisiana expects him to outplay Peyton. He cements his reputation as an elite QB with a win, but it's not necessary to keep him on that level. People were stunned when Bush was not the No. 1 pick. He was a two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy winner at USC but has been mediocre four years into his NFL career. The expectations had seemingly gone away, and everything he did was just a bonus for the most potent offense in the League. That changed three weeks ago in their Divisional Round win over the Cardinals. He blew up and owned that game, accounting for two long touchdowns. Bush has the most to gain for the Saints in this game. If he is the dynamic game-changer today, it will prove once and for all that he is not a bust--and that's a lot of pressure on a guy who was the team's third-string running back.
Prediction: I always choose the Colts. I have for at least the past seven years--no need to change now. They have won every game this season when trying, and they're better.
Colts 34, Saints 27
Enjoy.
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