The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Going into the season, who would have honestly predicted this match-up? Denver, led by an aging and oft-injured quarterback (in recent seasons) - Peyton Manning - fell to Indianapolis early in the playoffs last year and appeared to be headed for similar fortunes this year. This was especially the case considering that Manning got banged up, was replaced by Brock Osweiler, and regardless of who was behind center, the offense failed to click throughout a large majority of the season. Manning took over the starting spot to lead his Broncos to a come-from-behind win over San Diego late in the regular season, which aided Denver to clinching home-field advantage throughout the (AFC) playoffs. On the year, Manning threw 9 touchdown passes, while tossing 17 interceptions. The ground game was inconsistent as well. So how did the team garner the 1-seed in the AFC and reach the Super Bowl? Their defense. Even when the offense was off its game and turning the ball over, the defense found ways to k...

Following the game last night between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, which ended in a controversial fashion, where a referee threw an apparent flag for pass interference on a Panthers defensive back in the end zone, but got that call overruled, referee Clete Blakeman had this explanation for reporters: "So it was determined at that point in time that when the primary contact occurred on the tight end that the ball, in essence, was coming in underthrown and in essence it was [immediately] at that point intercepted at the front end of the end zone. So there was a determination that, in essence, uncatchability, that the ball was intercepted at or about the same time the primary contact against the receiver occurred." While I personally think the refs should have compromised on the matter, called defensive holding, and given the Patriots one more chance from the 13-yard line after the five-yard penalty, I love Blakeman's response. I wonder if he broke...