- The Patriots will get redemption for Super Bowl XLII on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI.
- Irish eyes were smiling at the 2012 Royal Rumble while wrestling fans’ eyes were heavy from boredom.
- The passing of Joe Paterno was painfully awkward for more than just CBS Sports’ premature announcement.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on these topics and so much more (including the awesomeness that is Chael Sonnen)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**We are only days away from the biggest game of the year as Super Bowl XLVI emanates from Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday with the rematch of the century as the New York Giants play the New England Patriots. Four years ago, the Giants crushed New England’s attempt at perfection and won Super Bowl XLII, 17-14. So, this game is all about Tom Brady and New England’s revenge, right. If you listen to certain members of the media, you would believe that to be true. However, I think that revenge is the last thing on this New England Patriots team’s mind heading into this game. There are only a handful of players left on either team from that game in 2008. This game is about winning in the here and now.
The New England Patriots have the talent. Tom Brady, love him or hate him, is the best quarterback in the league today. He is healthy, talented, does more with less than anybody else in the league does, and plays best with a chip on his shoulder. Bill Belicheck is football’s evil genius. His mind for game planning and desire for inflicting humiliating punishment on foes is second to none. The talk over the last four years of the New England dynasty being over have created a monster in New England that will only be satisfied when holding the Lombardi Trophy again. The New York Giants have the heart. Eli Manning is on the verge of his second Super Bowl ring while trying to emerge from the shadow of his superstar brother. They are loaded on both sides of the ball with role players who lack name recognition but have immense talent. Also, New York is rolling into Indianapolis with momentum on their side in a laundry list of improbable victories.
I want the New York Giants to win the Super Bowl. I am not a fan of the Giants. Being a Dallas Cowboys fan, I get physically ill when watching the New York Giants succeed. However, I am that much more ill and nauseous thinking of Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck winning a fourth Super Bowl ring. I hate the New England Patriots. The aura of smugness that comes from New England and the majority of their fans is enough to turn off anybody with a sense of self-worth. Yet, I am predicting the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI. Tom Brady has been a man on a mission in the 2011 season. He has the two best weapons in the game today in tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob “The Gronk” Gronkowski at his disposal. Plus, Bill Belicheck will bring the level of evil in his game plan up another level for this game. As much as I believe revenge is not a factor for the players in this game, revenge is the sole motive for Belicheck. On Sunday, payback will be a… Belicheck.
Sorry Michelle. I believe in the movement. However, it will be New England holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the night. Patriots 31-Giants 17. I hope I am wrong. #PeopleAgainstThePats.
**One thing that I know is certain regarding Super Bowl XLVI is that the halftime show will suck on epic levels. For some reason, NFL officials believe that Madonna is a relevant halftime show in 2012. Either that or Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, and thousands of other acts were booked for the weekend. At least the National Anthem and pre-game music will be relevant and enjoyable as Kelly Clarkson will sing the “Star Spangled Banner” while the new power couple of country music, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, will perform “America the Beautiful.”
Meanwhile, I will be looking forward to commercial breaks more than usual during the big game. Michelle Beadle is part of a huge ad campaign for Bridgestone Tires. If Beadle is involved, I am totally there.
**Thanks to my hiatus from The Highlight Reel, I was unable to cover any of the NFL Playoffs. The 2012 NFL Playoffs were certainly a memorable postseason filled with unforgettable moments.
The magical run of the San Francisco 49ers ended in the NFC Championship Game with a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants, thanks in part to the butterfingers and ineptitude of WR/KR Kyle Williams. However, San Francisco’s magical run included a 36-32 victory in the Divisional round over the New Orleans Saints in a game many are calling one of the greatest games in NFL history. Personally, I am one of those saying that too as the final five minutes of the game were among the most exciting in football history.
The Green Bay Packers showed, once again, why it is not wise to rest your starts for weeks heading into the postseason as the Packers were thoroughly dominated by the New York Giants in their Divisional round match-up. The 15-1 Packers, coming off a bye week and having not played their starters in Week 17 either, were crushed 37-20 by the Super Bowl-bound Giants. After seeing this with the Indianapolis Colts for years, you would think teams would realize you have to continue playing to stay fresh and mentally tough going into the playoffs. Sadly, the Packers now are another exhibit in the case for why you continue playing even after clinching everything.
The Baltimore Ravens almost stopped New England from returning to the Super Bowl. However, coach John Harbaugh forgot what time outs were for and kicker Billy Cundiff choked under the pressure as a rushed and botched game-tying field goal gave the Patriots a 23-20 victory in the AFC Championship. Surely a sign of black magic on the Patriots’ side, New England also had the devil in their back pocket when they destroyed the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round with a 45-10 victory. Despite the crushing defeat, Tebowmania reached a new pinnacle in the Wild Card round with a 29-23 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Tebow to Demaryius Thomas 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime caused many social media sites to crash as Tebowmania reached a new level of success.
While Super Bowl XLVI features two teams that most fans could care less about seeing, the road to the Super Bowl was paved with great games and legendary moments that will echo in the minds of football fans for years to come.
**One of the biggest stories in the National Football League currently does not even feature a man playing in the big game. The saga of Peyton Manning has taken center stage in Indianapolis as the Colts have imploded after their 2-14 season. Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano replaced former head coach Jim Caldwell. Vice chairman Bill Polian and general manager Chris Polian were wished well on their future endeavors. The Colts are primed to draft Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the top pick in the NFL Draft. The writing is on the wall: Peyton Manning is not going to be the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts anymore. Peyton Manning is not taking this lightly. In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, Manning called the situation “depressing.” Colts owner Jim Irsay took to Twitter with comments that turned this into a spectacle.
Personally, I think Indianapolis is dumb for even considering the notion of letting Peyton Manning go to another club and starting fresh with rookie Andrew Luck. Luck, as gifted as he may be, is inheriting a dumpster fire in Indianapolis. There is nothing wrong with letting the young man learn from the sidelines for a couple of seasons while Peyton Manning, still one of the most talented quarterbacks in the game, finishes his legendary career. This idea appears to be foreign to the Colts though. Rumor flourish as to where Manning will play next as most of the league has interest in signing the first ballot Hall of Famer. I would love to see Peyton head to the New York Jets or the Dallas Cowboys but that is just the fan in me wanting improved situations for both of those teams. Wherever Peyton Manning goes though, I believe wholeheartedly that Manning will be better than the Colts.
**For the first time since 2008, I watched the Royal Rumble live when the 24th annual Royal Rumble (known in some circles as the 25th Anniversary) went down in St. Louis, Missouri on January 29th. I was entertained. It was not the greatest Royal Rumble card of all-time or the greatest Royal Rumble match of all-time. However, for the price I paid to see the show, I feel satisfied.
Sheamus won the 2012 Royal Rumble match and earned a World title match at WrestleMania XXVIII. Built up over the past month, it was easy to expect Sheamus to have a great showing in the Rumble match. However, there were only a handful of logical choices before the match to choose as potential winners. Sheamus was not one of them. The returning Chris Jericho seemed to be the odds-on favorite while hometown boy Randy Orton also looked like a lock for victory. In the end, Sheamus outlasted Jericho in an impressive duel reminiscent of Undertaker-Michaels in 2007 to win the Rumble.
While the Rumble match was infinitely better than the last two years, the Rumble match also spotlighted everything wrong with today’s current WWE product. First off, there was too much comedy in the Royal Rumble match. Plenty of great Rumble matches have featured a comedy spot as well as the nitty gritty action we love. This year, the Rumble match saw Ricardo Rodriquez go from Alberto Del Rio’s ring announcer to a parody of his employer in a genuinely awesome segment. Santino Marella did his thing to less than stellar results. Jerry Lawler, Booker T, and Michael Cole all left the announce position at various times as they were entrants in the match. In addition, the return of Kharma occurred to comedic effects. There was simply too much comedy in the Rumble match. Of course, the comedy occurred because the current WWE roster is so weak. Sheamus, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, The Miz, Wade Barrett, and Cody Rhodes were outstanding talents featured in the Rumble match (some better than others). Christian, Ted DiBiase, and Del Rio were noticeable absent because of injury. But, is the roster so weak that we needed Ricardo, Cole, Lawler, Booker, Jim Duggan, Mick Foley, Road Dogg, Kharma, and double duty performances from Dolph Ziggler and Big Show? Apparently so. Considering the way the WWE is booking WrestleMania and their creative mindset over the last two years, we should expect that the WWE will not correct this flaw anytime in the near future either.
As for the undercard, CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler stole the show. For 15 minutes, their battle for the WWE Championship captivated audiences worldwide as these two men put on a wrestling match. The added aspect of RAW GM John Laurinatis did not take away from the match as Punk and Ziggler clicked wonderfully. Daniel Bryan retained the World Heavyweight Championship over Big Show and Mark Henry inside a steel cage. Beth Phoenix looked dominant in an eight-Diva Tag Team match where Phoenix, Natalya, and the Bella Twins defeated Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, Tamina, and Eve Torres. Brodus Clay squashed Drew McIntyre in another match lacking substance to help establish Clay while also kicking more dirt on the burial of McIntyre. Plus, John Cena and Kane battled to a double count-out in a brawl that was tediously boring with both men merely going through the motions.
The 2012 Royal Rumble was a fun card to watch for free. I feel bad for anybody who paid good money for the show. It was a disappointment in terms of delivering lasting and meaningful action.
**Recently, I have hated watching the WWE bury three Superstars who should be main event talents for the company. I expected the burials. I knew that their respective pushes would never last. Yet, watching the burials take place absolutely sucks.
Dolph Ziggler should be a world champion. He has the look, athletic ability, verbal skills, and all-around marketability to be a lasting fixture in the main event picture. Over two days, Ziggler went from legit main event star bumping the glass ceiling to jobber to the stars suffering from a broken neck after hitting the glass ceiling too hard. Despite a great match with WWE Champion CM punk, Punk hit Ziggler with his finishers and beat Ziggler four times in the title match at the Royal Rumble. Ziggler entered the Rumble match later and the returning Kharma manhandled him. A woman who gave birth a month earlier manhandled him. Then, the next night on RAW, Ziggler was promptly fed to Randy Orton in a one-on-one match. Frankly, Ziggler deserves better treatment than this. He may remain in the title picture but, after the events of those two days, he does not have a chance of being a champion anytime soon.
Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler at TLC in December 2011 for the United States Championship. It appeared as though Ryder’s cult-like following was finally paying off as Ryder was getting a push in the WWE. Then, the wheels came off the Ryder train. Ryder lost the US title to Jack Swagger. Then, Kane crushed Ryder repeatedly. Ryder was eventually written off the program with a severe back and neck injury suffered after becoming a pawn in the John Cena-Kane feud. So much for a lengthy US title reign and a 2012 full of success for Long Island Iced Z.
However, the worst burial of them all is World Wrestling Entertainment kicked dirt on an already-covered grave as they bury Drew McIntyre on a weekly basis now. Spending the majority of 2011 on online-exclusive programming, McIntyre has now appeared on SmackDown for a month in jobber duties. Then, at the Royal Rumble, Brodus Clay crushed McIntyre in 65 seconds. McIntyre, a former Intercontinental Champion and Vince McMahon’s “Chosen One,” is now a sad example of everything wrong with WWE booking. He has all the attributes necessary to be a wrestling star minus the ability to politic his way into a major spot. The day Drew is “wished well in his future endeavors” is a day I will celebrate because Drew McIntyre deserves his freedom.
**Joe Paterno, the winningiest coach in NCAA college football history, passed away at the age of 85 on January 22nd after complications from lung cancer. Paterno, the head coach at Penn State University from 1966 through November 2011, was the figurehead of the Nittany Lion program and one of the most recognizable figures in all of college athletics. As we all know, Paterno lost his job at Penn State in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal that rocked college sports in November 2011. The Sandusky sex scandal tarnished Paterno’s legacy and led to his untimely removal from the head coaching position at Penn State. Also, this scandal made reactions to Paterno’s death a touchy and uncomfortable subject. Yes, Paterno did do wrong but he was not the primary wrongdoer. Joe Pa took the brunt of the animosity when he simply did not do enough in reporting the crimes. Outside of his failure to go the extra mile, Paterno seemed like a great man.
He is at peace now though and that is all that matters. Joe Paterno’s legacy was tarnished because of scandal. However, he is still one of the most successful coaches of all-time. Love him or hate him, that is a fact that is not debatable. That is how I am going to remember Joe Pa: leading the Nittany Lions from the sidelines in Happy Valley. RIP Joe Pa.
**Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards have been announced and I can safely say that I have not watched, nor have interest in seeing, the majority of the nominated films. Martin Scorsese’s family adventure/drama Hugo led all films with 11 nominations while the silent French comedy/drama The Artist trailed with 10. Moneyball and War Horse scored six nominations, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Descendents earned five nominations, and The Help and Midnight in Paris had four nominations.
This year’s race for Best Picture is between nine films: The Artist, The Descendents, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse. Among these films, I have only watched The Help. I thoroughly believe that it was the best film of 2011. However, if I had to put money on which film will leave with the Best Picture Oscar on February 26th, I would place my bet on The Artist. It won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy/Musical and is the critical darling heading into the biggest awards show of the season.
I was disappointed in seeing Bridesmaids only receive two nominations, none of which was for Best Picture. Crazy, Stupid, Love also deserved a nomination or two in my opinion. The works of Ryan Gosling went unrecognized by the Oscar voters as his performances in Drive, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and The Ides of March did not receive a single nomination. This year’s Academy Awards is a ceremony that I will pay little attention to because the majority of the films honored lost my interest in the previews.
**On the other hand, I am extremely excited for the 47th edition of the Academy of Country Music Awards. Emanating from Las Vegas on April 1st, the country music world will be rocking Vegas like only America’s music can. Kenny Chesney led all nominees with nine nominations. Jason Aldean followed closely behind with six nominations, Lady Antebellum with five, Brad Paisley landed four, and Toby Keith, Eli Young Band, Grace Potter, and Taylor Swift all coming in with three nominations each.
Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift are up for Entertainer of the Year. While I like all five nominees and believe all are worthy of their nomination, I believe the omitting of Lady Antebellum from this award is just a huge mistake by the Academy of Country Music. For that matter, I can say the same for the omitting of Miranda Lambert from the award too. It is a huge statement though as to the current talent in country music when artists do not get a nomination and yet nobody nominated is there undeservedly. My vote, if I had one, goes to Taylor Swift. However, I believe the award will go to Kenny Chesney because his 2011 was outstanding.
It will be an outstanding show though. The best music in the world showcased on one of the biggest stages in entertainment. While WrestleMania XXVIII is destined to disappoint, the ACMs will bring it on April 1st.
**The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the LSU Tigers, 21-0, in the BCS Championship Game on January 9th in New Orleans, Louisiana. That is all. It was a garbage game and the worst possible National Championship match that could have happened. I still believe that Oklahoma State should have played for the National Championship and would have beaten either one of these schools.
**On January 7th, one of my dream girls officially went off the market as Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott wed Lady Antebellum drummer Chris Tyrrell in a small ceremony in upstate New York. Congrats to Hillary and Chris on their nuptials. I hope that boy knows how lucky he is…
… how very, very lucky he is.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Chael Sonnen
On January 28th, the second edition of UFC on FOX took place in Chicago, Illinois. On the three-fight telecast, Chael Sonnen stole the show when he got on the microphone for his post-fight interview. Going the full three rounds against Michael Bisping, I thought Bisping actually deserved the victory but Sonnen won by judges’ decision and earned a future Middleweight Championship fight with Anderson “Spider” Silva. While the decision of the fight was questionable, Sonnen’s dominance on the microphone was not. Channeling Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and more recently CM Punk, Chael Sonnen cut a promo on his competitors and set the sport on fire in the process. Sonnen did more for the UFC on the microphone in sixty seconds than three fights going the distance did on Saturday night. Sonnen was awesome from the first word to the last. I’m a fan of this guy and will be watching what he does next inside the octagon.
Jerk of the Week: Francesco Schettino
On January 13th, the Costa Concordia partially sank after hitting a reef off the Italian coast and running aground at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany. Requiring the evacuation of the people on board, at least 17 people died, including 15 passengers and two crew members. Sixty-four others were injured (three seriously) and 16 remain missing today. In the moments following the collision with the reef, ship captain Francesco Schettino refused to assist passengers. He was restrained as he tried to escape the ship.
While Schettino is a jerk for showing such cowardice in the initial moments of the disaster, he earned the jerk title even more as this disaster is 100% Schettino’s fault. Liking to show off for his passengers, Schettino deviated from the ship’s computer-programmed route to treat people on Giglio Island to the spectacle of a close sail-past. His recklessness resulted in deaths, injuries, and damage to the cruise business in his country for years to come. Arrested on preliminary charges of multiple manslaughter, failure to assist passengers in need, and abandonment of ship, I hope that Schettino never sees the controls of a ship again. In all honesty, he never deserves to see a day of freedom again. Mistakes happen. However, abandoning your post and refusing to help those dying because of your mistake make you a world-class jerk worthy of freedom no more.
POWER RANKINGS - Most Highly-Anticipated Movies of 2012
5. The Avengers - opens May 4th
4. The Gangster Squad - opens October 19th
3. The Hunger Games - opens March 23rd
2. Django Unchained - opens December 25th
1. The Dark Knight Rises - opens July 20th
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
Once Upon A Time - airs Sundays at 8PM on ABC
When I first heard the concept of Once Upon A Time, I smelled a colossal flop. Then, I watched the show. For a show revolving around fairy tale characters in a modern day setting, Once Upon A Time is anything but childish nonsense. The premise of the show is that Storybrooke, Maine is home to the cursed fairy tale characters of the Enchanted Forest. In Storybrooke, the mayor’s adopted son Henry holds a storybook revealing everyone’s true identities. With help from his biological mother, Emma Swan, the two attempt to stop the mayor / Evil Queen and restore everyone’s memories while breaking the curse.
Jennifer Morrison is terrific as Emma Swan, Henry’s biological mother and currently the town’s sheriff. She is the perfect foe to the Evil Queen / Mayor Regina Mills, played by Lana Parrilla. Ginnifer Goodwin is the other major foe of the Evil Queen as she plays Snow White / schoolteacher Mary Margaret Blanchard. The performance that hooked me on the show though is that of Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin / pawnshop owner Mr. Gold. Every scene he appears in is captivating.
Once Upon A Time has the potential to be a show with the charm of a fairy tale and the mystery of a Lost without the utter disappointment that came when Lost turned to a pile of nonsense. I recommend this show to anybody not already indulging in the weekly happenings from Storybrooke.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
Friends are a wonderful thing to have. I like to think that I have many friends. It is a blessing. Recently though, a discussion occurred online where some of the guys I regularly speak with on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter tried to label what exactly we were. I mean, everybody considers their friends to be the people they are close with; people they see and hang out with regularly. However, what do you call those people who know through mutual interests that you happen to speak with only on social media? Are they friends? Acquaintances? “Online” friends that always need that qualifier? Or, some other term I do not know yet?
I believe that my “online” friends, who I have never met personally and only correspond with through Facebook and Twitter, are friends in the same vein as the people I have known over a decade. When they feel joy and share it with the world, I am happy for them. I feel their pain when they have lost a loved one or encounter difficulties in their lives. Even though we are all thousands of miles away, the internet allowed us to become friends through mutual appreciations. As much as I complain about technology and the dependence upon it we have created, I am thankful for technology allowing me to meet like-minded people to share thoughts, debates, and jokes with on a regular basis. Life is better with friends. Whether they are online or in person, I consider them all one thing: my friends.
Until next time, be good to yourselves and each other…
- Aaron Goins
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