THIS WEEK’S RECAP…
Superstar of the Week: The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers
Last year, then-Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff missed a chip-shot field goal late to seal the deal for the New England Patriots. Last year, San Francisco wide receiver Kyle Williams fumbled two kick returns to gift-wrap a victory for the New York Giants. Thankfully, this is another year. With Cundiff gone and Williams injured, neither played a role (or a hindrance) in Baltimore and San Francisco’s efforts. The 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 28-24, in a come-from-behind victory in Atlanta. Then, the Ravens defeated the Patriots, 28-13, in a rematch from a year earlier in Foxboro. Super Bowl XLVII is set. On February 3rd in New Orleans, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will clash in a game that is more than merely the Super Bowl. It is the HarBowl.
For the first time in Super Bowl history, two brothers will be on opposing sidelines as head coaches. John Harbaugh, in his fifth season as Ravens coach, will face younger brother Jim Harbaugh, in his second season as 49ers coach. This story alone makes Super Bowl XLVII special. However, that is not the only major storyline coming from this match-up. The retirement of Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, the emergence of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Baltimore QB Joe Flacco’s battle for respect, and the return to glory of the once-proud 49ers franchise are all just a few of the many storylines that sports fan will talk about between now and kickoff on the biggest sporting event of the year.
I have nothing but respect for both teams. My anticipation for this match-up is already at a fever pitch and there are still almost two weeks to go. Super Bowl XLVII is going to be a classic. Ravens vs. 49ers. John vs. Jim. The HarBowl. This is what the world will be watching.
Jerk of the Week: Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o
It is a banner week for the Jerk of the Week honor as two men have earned the distinction of Jerk of the Week for very different means.
As if anybody did not already know it, Lance Armstrong finally confessed to his sins in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired last week on television. Since we knew Armstrong cheated and now have a confession from him, why does he deserve Jerk of the Week again? Why can’t we just leave this story alone? I feel he deserves this honor because there are too many people still willing to call Armstrong a hero. Too many people believe Armstrong is a good man because of what he did regarding cancer research fundraising efforts and the Livestrong Foundation. These people need to separate Armstrong’s work with cancer research from Armstrong’s 15 years of lying, bullying, and heinous actions. Lance Armstrong drove opponents into bankruptcy through lawsuits. He slandered the good names of honest people who attempted to reveal Armstrong doped during his seven Tour de France victories. Lance Armstrong carried on the façade of an honest man accused of cheating for 15 years in the name of creating an iconic American hero and a spokesman for cancer research.
Machiavelli said, “The ends justify the means.” In this case, I do not agree with that at all. Lance Armstrong riding again period would help raise money for cancer research. Armstrong, as a cancer survivor riding in the most grueling endurance event in cycling, would be an American hero and a symbol necessary for Livestrong to be successful in raising funds for cancer research. The cheating was not necessary. The lying was not necessary. The destruction of lives left in Armstrong’s wake was not necessary. The fact that many are still too blind to recognize the evils perpetrated by Lance Armstrong are why it is important to continue dragging his name through the mud for a change.
Thankfully for Armstrong, he received a reprieve from the public’s scorn on Thursday when a new story shook the sporting world: the story of Manti Te’o’s girlfriend. Like something out of a Lifetime Movie of the Week, the story of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o has reached mythical levels of stupidity, bewilderment, and pure absurdity.
At the beginning of the 2012 college football season, it became public knowledge that Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o played with a heavy heart as his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, battled leukemia. On September 11th, Te’o announced the death of both his grandmother and girlfriend within a six-hour span just before Notre Dame played Michigan State. Instead of attending his girlfriend’s funeral, Te’o played in the game and every game throughout the Irish’s magical season. Te’o played like a champion, finishing runner-up to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel for the 2012 Heisman Trophy. As he played to such a high level while overcoming the grief from losing both his grandmother and girlfriend, the legend of Te’o reached mythological status alongside the Gipper and the other legends of Notre Dame Football. Then, the wheels came off.
Oh January 16th, Deadspin reported that Lennay Kekua, the late girlfriend of Manti Te’o, never existed. A day later, Te’o finally admitted that Kekua, his girlfriend of three years, was not real in an interview with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap. Te’o revealed that he was the victim of an online phenomenon known as “catfishing” - where a person is duped into a relationship with another person online only to later find out the person online was never real. A family friend or acquaintance, the relationship is yet to be fully determined, of Te’o named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo portrayed Lennay Kekua throughout the three-year relationship of Te’o and Kekua.
The truth regarding Te’o’s involvement in this situation is still up for debate. Manti Te’o is either a manipulative genius who played on the sympathy of the media and Heisman voters with the story of a fake dead girlfriend and a real dead grandmother or Te’o is a complete moron who believed that a figure he chatted with online and over the phone for three years was his girlfriend. In either case, I believe that Manti Te’o is a jerk in this story. If Te’o was a part of this ruse alongside Tuiasosopo to play on the sympathy of the media, he is an evil jerk. If he simply was the clown fooled by a catfish situation, Te’o is a naïve jerk who honestly deserves all of the shame and mockery he will get from this story.
Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o - two men worthy of Jerk of the Week and frontrunners for 2013 Jerk of the Year. The element of truth is missing in both men’s lives. They manipulated people and played on the emotions of others for their own gain - either callously or through youthful ignorance and naivety. That is the definition of a jerk move in my book.
Babe of the Week: Jessica Chastain
A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Stan Musial, 92 - American Hall of Fame baseball player and St. Louis Cardinals legend (January 19th)
- Earl Weaver, 82 - American Hall of Fame manager and Baltimore Orioles legend (January 19th)
- Pauline Phillips, 94 - American columnist and voice of “Dear Abby” (January 16th)
- Conrad Bain, 89 - Canadian-born actor best known as Mr. Drummond on Diff’rent Strokes (January 14th)
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