NFL: It begins again

The least predictable league in the sporting world returned on Thursday night, as the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos kicked off the new NFL season. Eight months after the Ravens stunned the home favourite Broncos with a double overtime victory in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Denver secured their revenge against a very different Baltimore team to the one that lifted the Lombardi Trophy in February.

Gone are their talismen Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, along with a host of other names, and although the Ravens have rebuilt their defense with the likes of former Bronco Elvis Dumervil, them seemed slow and off the pace in Denver. The y remain a threat, but repeating their title is likely to be a bridge too far. The loss of Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta leaves the offense over-reliant on Ray Rice on the ground and Torrey Smith through the air, and probably asks too much of Joe Flacco, despite his maturity in last year's playoff run. The demands of being reigning champions, having the shortest offseason, seeing your talent plucked by other teams and living with a target on your back, make repeating hard, and although they stand a good chance in their division, a playoff run seems beyond them on Thursday's showing.

Where then, are the contenders? The NFC is again the stronger of the conferences. The San Francisco 49ers look well-equipped to overcome the curse of the Super Bowl losers, despite their receiving corps suffering serious injuries to Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham. Colin Kaepernick will have had his first full preseason as a starter and should continue to develop, whilst the defense and running game should pick up where they left off. Division rival Seattle Seahawks are in a similar situation. They retained their talent from a year ago, but will be without their blockbuster trade signing from Minnesota, wide receiver Percy Harvin, for much of the season, due to injury.

The danger for both teams is that there is no longer any element of surprise, opponents will be expecting Kaepernick and Russell Wilson's running threat. There are unlikely to be many repeats of the 49ers' playoff win over Green Bay when the Packers were woefully unable to cope with the read-option plays from the quarterback position. Both men will need to throw more accurately and show development in their game management skills. The ability of defences to respond to the read-option after it was successfully adopted by several teams last year, will play a critical role in shaping the year's results.

There are echoes of wildcat formation that became fashionable in 2008 and 2009 and was very effective at first when only the Miami Dolphins used it, but soon faded once it was adopted widely and the surprise element was gone. There is no substitute for good quarterbacking, and though the read-option may not be a gimmick like the wildcat, this generation of running quarterbacks are going to find themselves at physical risk of taking hits when they set off running, and that if they cannot move the ball by passing, their shelf-life is going to be very limited. One need only look at TimTebow.

Similarly of concern for both teams and any other sides that have heavy run-first offenses, will be the effects of new rules banning running backs from lowering their heads as they run at defenders. Powerful running backs like Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch will see their effectiveness reduced if the rules make them easier to tackle.

Of the other NFC contenders, Atlanta have to show that there is life after John Abraham's pass-rush and Michael Turner's running. There has been a lot of criticism for the Falcons' inability to put together a playoff run, but for a franchise that had never had consecutive winning seasons before their arrival, five straight trips to the playoffs under Mike Smith and Matt Ryan are not to be sniffed at. Ryan has developed into a genuine threat as the running game has deteriorated, but much like Peyton Manning a decade ago, he has to prove he can be more than a master of the regular season and start winning playoff games. Their southern rivals, the Panthers and Buccaneers look capable of securing a playoff berth, but lack the depth for anything more than that.

In the NFC East, you can never write off the New York Giants, but they were mediocre last year and probably need another season to rebuild their offense. Dallas look like the front runners in the division, but the question is whether the change to a 4-3 Tampa 2 defensive system under veteran co-ordinator Monte Kiffin is going to work. It is a big gamble, the team has been playing a 3-4 for years and has drafted personnel to suit it. Offensively they have plenty of weapons and they are always a talented team, but only one playoff win since 1995's Championship is indicative of the Cowboys' repeated failures to win when it matters. Tony Romo is a good quarterback, but carries huge weight of expectation and is often criticised for their lack of success, unfairly so. Nonetheless, the team has tended to fail when it matters. With minimal playoff experience, it has become hard to see them going on a run in the postseason.

For Washington, a playoff challenge is realistic, but nothing beyond that. Their defense needs to improve, and should improve with the return from injury of pass-rusher Brian Orakpo, but even if Robert Griffin III is fully fit, they are still probably a year or two away from being real contenders.

In the North, Green Bay are in much the same situation as New Orleans in the South. They should be an offensive powerhouse as usual, but if they have not fixed their defensive woes, they will not go beyond the first round of the playoffs. It's not a coincidence that both teams have been very consistent on offense for several years, but that the only time each team won a title was the single year when they had a good defense.

The other NFC North teams will fancy themselves, but given the recent records of Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago, and the strength of their division, a trip to the postseason and a playoff win would be a huge achievement. Anything more is unlikely for teams with little winning pedigree in their current regimes.

In the AFC, Houston have retained the core of their team, Brian Cushing returns from injury to beef up their defense, and if Ed Reed, arrived from Baltimore, has anything left, he could provide crucial playoff experience. If Andre Johnson can stay fit and give Matt Schaub a real receiving threat, then combined with their strong running game, the Texans should win their division, and could finally have the playoff run that has eluded them for so long. The Colts came a long way last year, but overachieved and are probably a couple of years away from being a serious threat, but a wild card is not out of the question.

The Patriots will always be precise and well-coached, and with Tom Brady at quarterback, anything is possible. In a weak AFC East, they should still be favourites, but this otherwise looks like a transitional year for them, with their well-documented problems this summer leaving them with a distinct lack of receiving weapons other than the injured Rob Gronkowski and the injury-prone Danny Amendola. Expect them to run the ball more than ever this year, through their stable of underrated running backs, but not to go anywhere in the postseason. The Dolphins will fancy themselves to upset the Patriots and a positive first year under head coach Joe Philbin sets them up nicely, but they are a couple of years away from being a contender, they lack depth and despite the addition of receiver Mike Wallace, offensive weapons.

Elsewhere in the AFC, Andy Reid's superb record with playoff qualification and an unusually strong roster in what was a bad Kansas City team last year, makes it very possible that the Chiefs will sneak a playoff spot this year behind the Broncos, but nothing more than that. The remaining contenders will come instead from the North. Cincinnati have built surprisingly well over the past two years, for a franchise that is known for being dysfunctional. Their challenge will be remaining consistent, a quality that has often eluded them, and if they get to the playoffs, securing a win, something that has been even more elusive. They have a strong defence and some exciting offensive weapons, especially AJ Green, but Andy Dalton needs to step up a level and become a real leading quarterback if they are to proceed.

Finally, the Steelers are theoretically still rebuilding, after shedding many veterans, especially on their defense, over the past two years. But they seem more settled this year, Todd Haley is in his second year as offensive co-ordinator, they have some talented young receivers, and enough veteran players still around that they are more of a threat than many are giving them credit for. They could easily sneak past their rivals in the north, and once into the playoffs, anything could happen.

Looking over the contenders, it seems like there are less teams than usual in a strong, championship-ready position. This does not make the NFL any less open than in other years though. Genuine contenders like the Broncos, 49ers and Seahawks have a habit of coming unstuck, especially in the playoffs, and any one of the teams who could be expected to sneak into the playoffs, but not do much else, could go on a run and win it all, just like the Giants did in 2007 and 2011.

Prediction: The Broncos will make the early running and tie up the number one seed, but will run out of steam in the postseason and Peyton Manning's playoff gremlins will return. The 49ers will find life harder going for Colin Kaepernick without the element of surprise some offensive weapons, whilst the Falcons will be the Broncos of the AFC. The Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks to contest the Super Bowl, meaning a new winner for the Lombardi trophy.

NFL: Ravens flourish in the Super Bowl's golden era

Super Bowl 47 was the sixth modern classic in a row, in a century that has been a golden era for the NFL championship game, largely free from the one-sided encounters of the eighties and nineties. Super Bowl 41, arguably the last not to be a classic, was nonetheless a close game, staying within one score until the Indianapolis Colts pulled away from the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter.

This incredible run is partly luck, but also owes a great deal to the league's parity measures, which make building a truly dominant team difficult. A gruelling postseason ensures that only battle-hardened teams make it to the big one, and the rules have been engineered to encourage fast passing offenses that rack up quick scores and are capable of big comebacks.

It is no coincidence that the second coming of the NFL's popularity in the UK and around the world has taken place during this period, neither is it coincidence that football is currently America's favourite sport. Whether the developing crisis over head injuries begins to undo all that work, remains to be seen, but for now, there have been few sporting events that have been more consistently dramatic since the turn of the century.

Even if it had not been an exciting game, it would have been memorable for other reasons. Opposing head coaches Jim and John Harbaugh were the first brothers to face each other in the Super Bowl as head coaches, and it was the first in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, yet much of the pre-match build up had focused on the alleged involvement of Baltimore's talisman, Ray Lewis, in a doping scandal.

Once the game kicked off though, those storylines became back story for an engrossing encounter. The events of the third quarter alone, were dramatic enough to steal the headlines, beginning with Jacoby Jones' record 108 yard kickoff return, which seemed to put the Ravens out of reach. Then came the 34 minute power cut inside the stadium, during which players milled around, Baltimore's John Harbaugh screamed at officials, and commentators waffled. When power was restored, the Ravens appeared to still be blacked out, losing their confidence and rhythm as the 49ers roared back with 17 unanswered points.

However, the Ravens awoke from their slumber, resumed putting together drives, applied pressure with their defense, and picked up a couple of field goals that ended up being the difference. In the end, it came down to a desperate final drive from the 49ers, but Baltimore held their nerve and held on.

This game added credence to the belief that fortune favours the brave. The Ravens' fake field goal in the first half may have failed, but showed intent, and was reminiscent of the Saints' first half fourth down attempt against the Colts in Super Bowl 44. The attempt failed, but showed their willingness to take risks, and won the title. Likewise, the Ravens' attempt failed, but left the 49ers with bad field position, which turned into great field position for Baltimore, leading to a touchdown. It would be unfair to describe the 49ers as quite so conservative as the Colts were, but Jim Harbaugh and Kaepernick had uncharacteristic problems with game and clock management, and eschewed opportunities to make a bold statement, kicking a field goal instead of going for it on fourth and two, after a penalty brought them five yards closer to the marker, and not opting for a two point conversion on the first touchdown of their comeback, which would have given them more options later on. Harsh criticism perhaps, but somewhere along the way, they needed to find more ways to seize the initiative.

This was in contrast to John Harbaugh, who made smarter decisions than his younger brother, typified by the intentional safety Baltimore took at the end of the game, conceding points, but burning valuable seconds off the clock, making San Francisco's slim chances even slimmer.

The 49ers have been vocal about the officiating, but their own game management problems should concern them more than the refusal of the officials to award them a penalty for defensive holding in the end zone on their final drive. It looked like a hold, but some have argued that Michael Crabtree, their receiver, initiated the contact. More to the point, San Francisco benefited from bad decisions earlier in the day, such as a phantom penalty for running into the kicker on a missed field goal, giving David Akers a mulligan that he converted, or Isaac Sopoaga escaping punishment for his obvious illegal hit on Joe Flacco. To say that the officiating favoured Baltimore is wrong, but the bad decisions did not show the league in the best light, especially after pre-match claims that the referee was under-qualified.

Instead the 49ers should focus on the positives, and on the small improvements they need to make for next year. They are a young side, with many of their star names locked up in long term contracts. The biggest worry for Jim Harbaugh is how one of the best defences in the league became relatively toothless once defensive end Justin Smith picked up his triceps injury late in the year. Not only was he less effective, but star pass rusher Aldon Smith, so dominant throughout most of the season, was completely neutralised. Smith picked up 19.5 sacks during the first 13 games, only two short of Michael Strahan's single-season record, yet he picked up none after that, a barren run that coincides with his namesake's injury, because offenses were able to double team him. With Justin Smith in his 30s, the 49ers would be well advised to find themselves alternative options, should his health or performances start to decline.

As for Kaepernick, he was a revelation after coming into the line-up midway through the season. Many had predicted that he would take over at some point during the year, as Harbaugh had drafted him. However, the timing was surprising, given Alex Smith's good form. The assured manner in which he led his team to the Super Bowl was reminiscent of another second year quarterback, Tom Brady, in the 2001 season. He is a very different player to Brady, and ultimately did not emulate the New England quarterback's victory, but it was a similarly meteoric rise. Nonetheless, his lack of experience showed at key moments against Baltimore. He failed to connect on any throws into the end zone, and he will have to learn clock management. However, few quarterbacks master those areas of the game in their second year.

As for the Ravens, they have had incredible success since their 1996 foundation. A league best 14-7 playoff record, two Super Bowls and regular trips to the postseason make them a model franchise. The development of Joe Flacco in the playoffs is a significant step towards continuing that success. He shrugged off his regular season inconsistency to produce 11 touchdowns and no interceptions during the postseason, a feat only equalled by Joe Montana. His challenge is to become more consistent, but his success is reminiscent of Eli Manning, whose first title led to a growth in confidence and consistency in subsequent seasons. Flacco is also similar to Ben Roethlisberger, another tall quarterback with a strong arm who is surprisingly mobile, and sometimes produces indifferent regular season performances, but comes alive when the games matter most. Like the Pittsburgh quarterback, Flacco's initial success came thanks to a dominant defense and a powerful running game, which has now given way to a more expanded offense and more responsibility on his shoulders.

Flacco is clearly the Ravens' quarterback for several years to come, but otherwise they are entering a transitional phase. Ray Lewis, whose personality has been stamped all over this franchise since he was their first ever draft choice, is retiring. The Ravens have never experienced life without Lewis' leadership, and, it will be interesting to see how the personalities in the locker room hold together in his absence. He is retiring at the right time, he was poor against the 49ers, and although there were some good performances in his final season, the consistency was no longer there, his legendary preparation work and ability to read the game only went so far in making up for the decline in his physical abilities. The Ravens managed well without him on the field towards the end of the regular season, but Lewis was still present as a leader. The franchise has taken risks on troubled personalities such as Jimmy Smith in recent years, in the knowledge that Lewis would keep them in line, but new leaders must now emerge. In the meantime, they have a number of veteran free agents on defense, and it seems unlikely that they will be able to re-sign them all, so it may be a new, younger team that we see defending the title next season. They must also decide on the future of the offense, which seemed simplistic and uninspired under former coordinator Cam Cameron. After his replacement with Jim Caldwell two thirds of the way through the season, there was a clear improvement, but whether the former Indianapolis head coach can provide greater variety and incisiveness across the course of a season remains unproven. Nonetheless, the franchise will be rebuilding on strong foundations. In their first five years, Harbaugh and Flacco have had five trips to the playoffs and one title.

The Ravens may have ridden their luck, especially with Denver's implosion in the dying moments of regulation time in their divisional round playoff game, but so do all Super Bowl teams, and like recent New York Giants and Green Bay Packers teams, they did it the hard way, going on the road to win the championship.

For fans of the NFL, it is now be a long wait until the 2013 season, although free agency and the draft will provide some relief as a source of intrigue and speculation. For real action though, the seven month wait begins.

Junior Seau and life after sport

There's an excellent and heartbreaking article by Jill Lieber Steeg in the San Diego Union-Tribune about Junior Seau, the former NFL star who committed suicide earlier this year (part one and part two). What makes it stand out, amongst so much that was written after Seau's death, is that it is a carefully researched, fact-based piece, rather than conjecture.



Whether or not you are interested in the NFL, Seau's story is a poignant one, because it exposes the problems that retired sportsmen face, the things they lose when they retire: the structure to their days, the support network, the thrill of competition, the sense of purpose, the ability to earn money, the self-confidence. Then there's the need to live up to their public image, which seems to have weighed particularly heavily on Seau, and prevented him from asking for help, as well as the realisation that he had sacrificed family life for his career, and had no understanding of how to make amends for that that.

In May, the BBC aired Michael Vaughan's documentary, Sporting Heroes: After the Final Whistle, which attempted to deal with the same issues from a British perspective, but it was ultimately disappointing because rather than investigation and analysis, it offered a fairly soft series of anecdotal interviews with star names.

Lieber Steeg's article is far more incisive, and also raises the issue of the long term effects of head injuries, a pressing topic in the NFL and across American sports at the moment. It will be interesting to see whether or not Seau was suffering from years of undiagnosed concussions, but it would only be another in the long line of problems that faced a man who was perceived as not only one of the best players in the NFL, but one of the best people.

NFL: Steve Sabol and NFL Films

The death of Steve Sabol, President and co-founder, with his father Ed, of NFL Films, provides an apt moment to consider the one of the most successful marriages between sport and media. No league documents and mythologises itself like the NFL does. If Ed Sabol was a genius for the idea, Steve was the artistic genius who drove that idea forwards for 50 years.

Seeing the league's history in incredible detail has led to not only a greater understanding of the game, but it has immersed fans in the world of the NFL, and has undoubtedly helped the league's appeal. Imagine being able to hear what Alf Ramsey shouted to his players from the touchline, or what Bill Shankly said in his team talks. Those memories are only available to the few who were present, but in the NFL, documentaries like America's Game allow anyone to see Vince Lombardi or Bill Walsh run training sessions or shout in-game instructions.

In an era when many live sports broadcasts were not recorded for posterity, NFL Films created a perfect record of the league's modern era, in contrast with other competitions around the world. Footage of the greatest individual performance in the history of the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game in 1962, does not exist, but every significant moment in NFL history since that same year that has been captured.

This remarkable archive allowed Steve Sabol and his colleagues to consistently produce revealing and insightful programming in quantities that other sports could not match. The detailed in-game footage has allowed pundits (for example on NFL Playbook) to provide in-depth technical analysis, that has led to an informed fanbase.

However, the output of NFL Films is not simply a record. Technical achievements aside, its biggest legacy is the creation of league's legend. Creative use of music, narration, and camera angles help not just replay matches, but tell stories. These techniques are standard today, but began with NFL Films. The use of film, rather than videotape, gives the action a cinematic quality, and the all-round effect is to make the NFL iconic.

If all this sounds self-important and overblown, that is also sometimes true, as it is of most sports broadcasting, but Sabol's work was not without a sense of humour.

What is most surprising about NFL Films is that more have not copied them. Today there are a few similar ventures, but none with the level of access, depth of archive footage, or artistic outlook. Few sports have the understanding of their own history that the NFL does. The lack of a quality record, and the lack of quality storytelling across other sports is part of the problem, and shows just how revolutionary and comprehensive Steve Sabol's achievements were.

NFL: New season but no easy answers

Seven months after Super Bowl XLVI, the NFL returns, as the New York Giants, dramatic winners that night in Indianapolis, kick the season off tonight against divisional rivals the Dallas Cowboys.

As ever, the NFL is difficult to predict, as parity measures mean that talent is spread around, and the playoff system ensures that the end of season is always surprising. Twelve of the 32 teams have a realistic shot at the title, and six more will feel that they are genuine contenders, albeit that they are probably outside shots at this stage.

Contenders: New England Patriots, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers.

Outsiders: New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos.

If 2011 was hard to predict because of the lockout that deprived teams of valuable offseason time to install systems and work with rookies, this year it feels like there are even more unknown factors, not least the number of new faces. There are ten first or second year quarterbacks starting in 2012, of whom only two (Carolina's Cam Newton and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton) have significant playing time under their belts. Seven teams have new head coaches. Most are unlikely to make the playoffs, though Romeo Crennell's Kansas City Chiefs could win a mediocre division if he continues where he left off as interim coach last year, and Greg Schiano's Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be a surprise wild card if his disciplinarian approach galvanises a talented roster in the manner of Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco.

Even the established teams have question marks. Thanks to the bounty scandal, the New Orleans Saints are without head coach Sean Payton for the season and interim head coach Joe Vitt for half. The New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers dominated the 2011 regular season by virtue of their high-powered offenses, but ranked 31^st and 32^nd respectively on defense. Both have new players on that side of the ball, and if they produce right away, it might be enough to take them to the Super Bowl. The reigning champions will start strong, but it is easy to forget that the Giants were only 9-7 last year, and have less weapons, whilst the problems on the offensive line and in the secondary remain unresolved. Expect them to struggle to beat the Eagles for a place in the playoffs.

The Houston Texans were one of 2011's best teams after years of false dawns. Had quarterback Matt Schaub not been injured, they might have progressed to the Super Bowl. With Schaub fit again, they are a fashionable pick to get to there this year. However, they have had a difficult offseason, losing the right side of their offensive line, pass-rusher Mario Williams, receiver Jacoby Jones, and tight end Joel Dreessen. This will make it harder for them in 2012, especially without the element of surprise, but being in a weak AFC South makes them a probable playoff team, and once there, anything can happen.

In the NFC, the 49ers are a similarly fashionable pick after their run to the championship game last year. One of the NFL's best defences has managed to retain all 11 starters, whilst on offense they have added Randy Moss, Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs. Despite this, they too may struggle to repeat their feats from a year ago. No-one is going to be caught by surprise this year, and well as Alex Smith played in 2011, questions remain about his ability to get the ball to his receivers. If he cannot capitalise on the presence of his new deep threats, difficult characters like Moss and Jacobs may begin to agitate, the fans will get on Smith's back, and Jim Harbaugh will face difficult choices.

Then there is the perennial impact of injuries. Michael Vick and Matthew Stafford both have poor track records with fitness, and injury to either would derail their teams. The Bears looked like contenders last year until Jay Cutler and Matt Forte went down, whilst the Ravens start the season without defensive star Terrell Suggs, and the Steelers have problems on the offensive line.

Who then, will cast these questions aside and win in New Orleans in February? Unsurprisingly, the two most complete outfits appear to be Green Bay and New England, as they were the two best teams in the 2011 regular season, and the Patriots went to the Super Bowl. If they can make stops on defense, it is hard to bet against either, although it is rare for both top seeds to make it through. Nonetheless, the AFC is weak this year, whilst the Packers have a point to prove after last year's playoff failure, so Corinthian Spirit's pick for the Super Bowl is for the Packers to beat the Patriots in another thriller (there are no straightforward Super Bowl victories these days).

At the other end of the scale, the race for next year's number one overall draft pick is probably between the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts and Raiders have two of the weakest rosters in the league, whilst the Cardinals have confusion at quarterback, and the Jaguars' Blaine Gabbert looked like a rabbit in the headlights last year. It probably comes down to the Raiders and Colts, with a very real possibility that Indianapolis could be picking at number one for the second year in a row.

Regardless of these predictions, there are no dull moments in the NFL, and there are plenty of other storylines to keep the fans entertained between now and February. Will Peyton Manning be back to his best? How much of Tim Tebow will we see? Which teams will be inexplicably bad, or surprisingly good? The answers are only hours away.

NFL: Myron Rolle - Scholar, Sportsman, Chosen One?

With attention turning to the 2010 NFL draft, college footballer Myron Rolle has been getting increasing attention in the American sports media, and he is profiled in this fascinating article courtesy of ESPN.

The draft, where the teams take their pick of the best young talent from the college game, is the culmination of a ruthless process which leaves no stone unturned in the assessment of the student athletes pursuing their NFL dreams. Through the NFL Combine, where the top prospects are worked out and interviewed for the scouts; the pro days held by the major colleges, offering largely the same process; the video analysis; personal visits with interested teams; and endless media speculation, the hopefuls will have their lives dissected by franchises who want to be absolutely sure they are choosing the right candidate for the multi-million dollar contracts on offer.


Rolle (left) intercepting a pass for Florida State

Rolle will attend this year's combine, and the scouts will have video footage of three seasons of football at Florida State, one of the biggest and best college football programmes in the country. They won't have much footage of his fourth season though, apart from an appearance in the Senior Bowl, an end of season all star game, but they will have plenty to discuss in his interviews, because Rolle gave up his 2009 season at Florida State to study at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. This was no small decision, the defensive back was already a college star being tipped as a high draft choice, and putting those ambitions on hold for a year was a gamble, as there was the risk of losing his status to the next wave of players, all of whom would have recent playing time and no rustiness.



Professional football is only one of Rolle's ambitions though, alongside a medical degree and an eventual career as a neurosurgeon. As the ESPN article shows, everyone he comes into contact with seems to invest a new set of hopes in him, whether in the fields of medicine, science, politics or something else. For him it seems, football is not the be all and end all, although that is not to say that he does not take it seriously, as the preparation work he has put in shows. There is also scope for crossover, with concussion being a hotly debated topic in the game at the moment, he has co-designed a helmet that reduces the risk of head injuries.

Rolle appears to have the potential to be a genuinely successful polymath, and takes his status as a role model very seriously, but with such great expectation comes the pressure to live up to it. One hopes that he can successfully balance all his commitments, and find a way to achieve his goals, rather than those other people have in mind for him. First among those goals is being drafted and establishing himself as an NFL player. After that, anything seems possible.

NFL: High Five Super Bowl

A little out of date now, with Super Bowl media day long gone, but with the game fresh in the memory, even a week later, this video made me laugh. If nothing else it's fun trying to identify all the NFL-related people who feature.

HIGH-FIVE SUPER BOWL! - watch more funny videos

NFL: Peyton Manning

Before last Sunday's Super Bowl, there was speculation that a win would secure Peyton Manning's place as the greatest quarterback of all time. A second title would put the 2006 Super Bowl MVP in an elite group with other winners of multiple titles, and combined with his unprecedented four MVP awards, and numerous records, this was enough for many experienced watchers of the game to crown him.

The knock on Manning was his record in the playoffs. Many feel that despite that Super Bowl three years ago, his dominance of the regular season, his talent, and Indianapolis' eighth season in a row with with ten or more wins, he should already have more than one title to his name, or at least a more competitive playoff record than 9-8 before Sunday's game.

Following on from defeat by a smart and adventurous New Orleans side, the media has rounded on Manning, labelling him a choker, the tag that followed him around during the early part of his career.

It is ridiculous to swing from one extreme to the other on the basis of one game, or even one pass, intercepted by Tracy Porter and returned for a fourth quarter touchdown. Manning did not play a bad Super Bowl, passing for over 300 yards, more than Drew Brees. He was not helped by his receivers, with Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne both dropping the ball at key moments, and he was the victim of a smart play by Porter, who successfully gambled and jumped Wayne's route for the interception.


Manning lies on the ground as Porter returns his interception for the game-winning touchdown, sparking Saints celebrations

Manning is one of the greats, and needs to be in any conversation about the greatest of all time, his achievements leave that in no doubt. That does not mean that he is the greatest, but you would have to at least discuss his credentials before moving on to other candidates. There is plenty of evidence that Manning is not a choker, with numerous big game wins, many of them in the fourth quarter or inside the two minute warning. This season's nail-biting win over New England or the comeback against the Jets in the AFC Championship game bear witness to that.

There have been those playoff failures, it is a serious issue when considering his career, and the Super Bowl defeat is a setback, but there is a difference between underperforming and choking, and between losing and choking. Some days a player underperforms, sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they don't. Some days the opponent plays a good game and there's little to be done about it. Playoff games and Super Bowls in particular, are especially unforgiving in their nature. The Saints played a smart and bold game, and they won the game, rather than Manning losing it.


Manning will forever be compared to Brady, his contemporary and rival, who has three titles to his name

Even Tom Brady's 14-4 postseason record does not reflect the fact that of his eight trips to the post-season, Brady has eventually failed in five of them. In the NFL there can be only one winner, so to tag any player as a loser for failing to be the one out of 32 who wins every time, is an unrealistic assessment of the player's worth. Of course, winning is the most important thing in professional sport, but failing to win the only prize on offer does not invalidate a player's other achievements.

What Manning has done on the field, calling his own plays, from a no-huddle offense, is unique in the modern game, and even in the old days when quarterbacks did call plays, the league was dominated by running, and the passing game was less complex. Manning is performing the most remarkable feats on the field week after week, and deserves credit for it. As a result, he is the victim of his own high standards. Many believe that Kurt Warner will one day end up in the Hall of Fame, but last year he too threw a costly interception in the Super Bowl. Because it happened early in the match, and Warner had an up and down career, he was not hauled over the coals for it. No-one expected super human feats from him as an underdog, like they do from Manning. Fans have been spoiled by his achievements, and mistakes that would be tolerated from others, are not from him.

Up to a point, the change in the media is because those who support him were the loudest voices before the game, whilst the critics had nothing to discuss. Now theirs are the loud voices, whilst those who believe he is the greatest quarterback of them all have kept quiet. It has been good to see however, that some have stepped forward to defend him, and inject some reality into proceedings, notably John Clayton and Tim Keown on ESPN.com.


Elway did not win his first Super Bowl until he was 37

Whether or not Manning is the greatest can never truly be objectively measured, and one might ask why it even needs to be discussed, rather than just appreciating the individual merits of all the greats, instead of ranking them. Regardless, it is a debate best left for after his retirement. After all, many consider John Elway the greatest quarterback, yet he lost three Super Bowls before his first win, which came when he was signifcantly older than Manning is now. Sean Payton, Drew Brees and co. played a great game last Sunday, give them credit for their win, rather than apportioning blame for the Colts' loss.

NFL: Sights and Sounds of the Super Bowl

There has been, of course, so much coverage of New Orleans' Super Bowl win this week. In lieu of going through the issues (sadly other commitments are restricting blogging at the moment), NFL Network have produced this video reliving the sights and sounds of Sunday's big game. Listening on headphones, as they recommend, does enhance it. Meanwhile, Mike Mayock breaks down the play that sealed the win.

The understandably raucous celebrations in New Orleans have also been getting plenty of attention, and rightly so.

The Saints have always felt slightly marginalised by the national sports media, but this win has propelled them to another level, as evidenced by Drew Brees appearing on Letterman this week.

NFL: The Morning After The Night Before

If nothing else, last night's remarkable Super Bowl win for the Saints proved that all predictions are just speculation, and this blog's own preview was at best, only accurate in parts. Whilst the Saints were given a reasonable chance by most pundits, they were not the favourites, but it proved to be a topsy-turvy game in many respects, not just result-wise.


Drew Brees soaks up the atmosphere following his side's triumph

Having observed that the Colts had the edge when it came to kickers, their veteran, Matt Stover, provided the only miss of the night, whilst second year Saint Garrett Hartley proved that his game-winner a fortnight ago was no fluke, becoming the first kicker to succeed with three field goals from 40 or more yards in a Super Bowl. So much for youthful inexperience.

On offense, the Colts passed a great deal as usual, but they had success with the running game too, with Joseph Addai picking up 77 yards and a touchdown, as well as several critical runs. Yesterday this blog explored the importance of the run for Indianapolis, but no-one expected it to be the factor that it was in their offense.

Meanwhile, on the New Orleans side, the defense defied convention by blitzing Manning early in the game, then again late on, when pressure aided the fatal interception.




Porter runs in his interception to seal victory

One prediction that did come true is that a big play from the Saints' secondary could prove decisive, and so it was, with the hero of the NFC Championship game, Tracy Porter, providing the game's signature moment again.

Amongst all the failed predictions it is worth pointing out that Corinthian Spirit picked the Saints to make the Super Bowl back in September, but as runners up. Not bad. The rest of the predictions in that article are best glossed over however

Dwight Freeney's ankle, the subject of so much speculation before the game, turned out to be up to the action in the first half, with the defensive end producing the game's only sack. However, he faded as the game went on, and by the end he was unable to put pressure on Drew Brees. The New Orleans offensive line, so good all season, did its job again, justifying their crowning by John Madden as the league's best line.

Another prediction was that red zone failures would prove extra costly in this game. Whilst the Saints had their failure early in the game, they kept chipping away at the Colts, and it was Indianapolis' turn late in the fourth quarter, when they failed on fourth and goal. It was marvellously disciplined defense from the Saints that rendered their opponents unusually impotent at a key moment, although in the end it was a simple drop from Reggie Wayne that cost them the scoring chance.

Just like in the NFC Championship game, Reggie Bush was not a major factor, although he was a useful target in the short passing game. Instead it was Pierre Thomas entrusted with the key running downs. On special teams, where Bush had the chance to be a difference-maker, he was well covered by the Colts.

Match officials dig through a pile of bodies to determine which team has recovered the ball following the Saints' onside kick - the New Orleans side would come up with possession and go on to score their first touchdown

If there is one big lesson to learn from this Super Bowl, it is that you make your own luck. Sean Payton made the bold call to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter, but backed it up with some unusually conservative play calling and the gamble failed. His decision to try an onside kick at the start of the second half paid off spectacularly however, as the resulting possession allowed Brees to drive the Saints downfield and put them ahead. The fact that there was a large stroke of luck involved, as the ball rebounded off a Colts player before being recovered by the Saints, merely enhanced the impression that fortune favours the brave. After a second quarter which New Orleans had dominated, but in which they had only scored two field goals, Payton made a bold call, seized the initiative, and never looked back. Soon afterwards, his decisions to go for a two point conversion following Jeremy Shockey's touchdown, and then to risk losing a valuable time out in order to challenge the decision not to award it, both paid off, and forced the Colts to be aggressive in their next drive, which in turn helped the Saints' defense put pressure on Manning and seal the win.

NFL: Keys to the Super Bowl

With Super Bowl XLIV only hours away, everyone knows the game plan for both the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints will focus on their expansive passing offenses. Assuming the two cancel each other out, here’s a look at some other factors that might separate the teams. Whilst the Colts are rightly considered to be favourites due to the assured way they have negotiated the entire season (even their defeats were almost part of the plan), and their experience, it promises to be an evenly-matched encounter.

Indianapolis Colts:

Indy have the lowest ranked running game in the league. Not because they are incapable of running, but because they choose not to, preferring to keep the ball in the hands of Peyton Manning. Against the Saints, establishing some semblance of a running game would force the New Orleans defense not to focus on pass coverage. However, the Colts are unlikely to use more than the odd burst from Joseph Addai to keep the defense honest.

Addai could be a difference-maker for the Colts

While the Saints’ Garrett Hartley showed great poise to kick the game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship game, as a second year player, he is still an unknown quantity. The Colts meanwhile have Matt Stover, a 42 year-old with 20 years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl ring. If it comes down to a late kick to win it, you would favour Stover over Hartley, although should the latter repeat his trick from the last game, he will get a reputation of his own.

Will the officials allow the Saints to hit Peyton Manning like they hit Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game? They were lucky not to be flagged in the late stages against the Vikings, and had those calls gone the other way, they might have lost. Defensive Co-ordinator Gregg Willams has made it clear that he will pursue the same tactics, but after two weeks of media scrutiny, it is unlikely that the officials will let them get away with it in the biggest game of the year, against the most high-profile quarterback in the game. Even if they are allowed to get to him, Manning rarely gets shaken, and indeed often chooses to duck out of the big hits, in favour of living to fight another day.



Manning is unlikely to punished as Brett Favre was two weeks ago

Big game experience. Only one Saints starter has been to a Super Bowl before, and that appearance by Darren Sharper was a defeat 12 years ago. Meanwhile 19 members of the Colts’ roster were present at Super Bowl XLI, including many of their starters. The Saints froze up at times in the NFC Championship game, even Drew Brees struggled to get going in the second half, and there is a chance that they will be overawed by the occasion.

New Orleans Saints:

It is widely held that the way to beat Peyton Manning is not to blitz him, since his release is so quick that he rarely gets sacked or hurried, but to confuse him. That is not to say that he is easily confused, there is no smarter quarterback in the league, but much like bodyline bowling made Don Bradman merely a very good cricketer instead of a legendary one, it is the only way to cause his production to drop to more manageable standards. Manning adjusts faster than any quarterback in the league, so it is critical that if the Saints manage to confuse him, they capitalise and put points on the board. Manning will soon adjust, and the chance will be lost.

Because of his productivity against the blitz, and the fact that the strength of the Saints’ defense lies in their secondary, what pressure they do get on Manning must come from their defensive line only. They cannot afford to bring extra men, for fear of exposing their defensive backs and compromising their best defensive weapon.

That secondary has made big plays all season, and led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns. No-one is more important here than the veteran Darren Sharper. If Sharper can come up with a big play against Manning, it may turn the game and get under his skin. For all his success, Manning does not have the record in the postseason that he should have. If Sharper can cause him uncertainty, it might give his side an opportunity.

Dwight Freeney’s ankle has, for the last week, been scrutinised like Beckham’s metatarsal in 2002. If the Colts’ premier pass-rusher cannot play, or can only in a limited capacity, it means less need to provide extra blockers, giving Drew Brees more targets and more time to throw.



Freeney's ankle has been subject to constant speculation this week

It would help the Saints to establish the run early. Not only will it set up the passing game, but if Reggie Bush in particular, can run with real power, as he did in the divisional playoff against Arizona, there is a chance of wearing the lightweight but speedy Colts defense down and keeping Manning off the field. Neither side is known for its running game, but the Saints have more ability than Indianapolis, and need to capitalise.

Bush could be the deciding factor. The Colts are unspectacular on special teams, and kick and punt coverage has never been a strength. This is one area where New Orleans have an advantage. If Bush can produce one or two big punt returns, it could make the difference. If he can return one for a touchdown, it might just win the Super Bowl.

A remarkable part of Indianapolis’ success has been the ease with which their rookie cornerbacks have slotted into their team this season, but they are still rookies nonetheless, and even the relatively unproductive Jets passing game burned them a couple of times in the AFC Championship game. If Brees can isolate them, Marques Colston and co. will have a big game.

Brees and Payton will attack the inexperienced Colts secondary

Both teams:

In what is expected to be an end-to-end encounter, with two high octane offenses, it is critical that neither side has any red zone failures. Should the Colts fail to score on a visit to the Saints’ red zone, Brees might well march the Saints up the other end and establish a lead. Meanwhile, should the Saints fail, Manning will do the same. With both sides expecting to score on every drive, whoever fails first will be at a huge disadvantage, much like with a break of serve in tennis.

These are just some of the interesting match-ups that await us in tonight’s game, and this is why the NFL is so fascinating – the way that both sides will scheme and attempt to create mismatches in their favour. Super Bowl XLIV features the league’s best offensive game planner in Sean Payton, against its quickest mind in Peyton Manning. Whoever wins, there will be plenty of points on the board come full time.

NFL: 'The Best Play of All Time'

More on the Super Bowl next week, but in the meantime, here's an interactive piece from the ESPN website looking at the critical moment of last year's big game, James Harrison's 100 yard interception return for a touchdown. It was the longest play in Super Bowl history, and taking views from those who were involved or who witnessed it, ESPN have dubbed it 'the best play of all time'. That's a bold claim, but there is no doubt that it was one of the most memorable sporting moments of last year, and if this year's Super Bowl features anything nearly as spectacular, fans are in for a treat.



Harrison bearing down on the end zone for his record-breaking score

Highlights of 2009: Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII was a clash of the haves and have-nots of the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers are NFL royalty, with five previous titles illuminating a proud history as one of the most popular and best-run franchises in the sport. The Arizona Cardinals’ peripatetic history had seen them based in three different cities, and fail to win to much as a division title since 1975, testament to mismanagement on and off the field. However, the 2008 Cardinals were a different beast, and entering January 2009 and the postseason, they surprised their opponents at every turn, marching through the playoffs at the expense of more fancied opponents.

The Super Bowl itself was a classic (click here for highlights). The Steelers took a commanding first half 17-7 lead thanks in part to the longest play in Super Bowl history: a breathless, lung-bursting 100 yard interception return by the league’s defensive MVP, James Harrison, who spent much of the next half hour breathing from an oxygen mask to recover. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was also playing with assurance, his performance a long way removed from the nervy second-year player whose team won a title in spite of him three years prior.

An exhuasted James Harrison lies prostrate after his record-breaking 100 yard touchdown

The Cardinals did not look like a team who were outclassed however, and following a cagey third quarter, they came roaring back with a stunning fourth quarter fightback. Quarterback Kurt Warner, playing out another chapter in a fairytale career that took him from stocking shelves in a supermarket, to winning a Super Bowl for the St Louis Rams, then on to being an unwanted injury-prone backup, and now finally back to another Super Bowl, found Larry Fitzgerald, the breakout star of the year, who showed both sides to his scoring threat. First, Warner hit Fitzgerald for a leaping touchdown catch over the coverage, bringing the score back to 20-14.

Then, following a 2-point safety thanks to strong defense from the Cardinals, Warner picked out Fitzgerald in midfield, who showed the other side to his play, scorching away from defenders to complete a 63-yard touchdown and give his side the lead with less than three minutes remaining. Arizona were on the verge of history.

Fitzgerald celebrates his second touchdown

Pittsburgh got the ball back on their own 22-yard line with 2:37 and two timeouts left in the game. Despite at one stage facing 1st and 20, Roethlisberger did what he does best, especially behind a weak offensive line, rolling out of the pocket, extending the play, and waiting for his receivers to get open. Four times he found Santonio Holmes, as the Steelers marched downfield. With 43 seconds remaining, Roethlisberger looked to his right and fired a pinpoint pass over three defenders to a point where only Holmes could possibly reach it. Holmes leapt at full stretch, and grabbed the ball whilst managing to get his feet down and inside the end zone for the touchdown. The scoring drive had covered 78 yards in eight plays, with Holmes, the game's MVP, responsible for four of them, totalling 73 yards.

Holmes plucks Roethlisberger's pass from the air for the winning score

The Cardinals now had only 35 seconds left to find a winning score, but with eight seconds remaining, Pittsburgh’s league-leading defense came to the fore, with Lamarr Woodley sacking Warner, and team-mate Brett Keisel recovering the fumble to secure the 27-23 win for the Steelers.

In a decade that has seen some fantastic Super Bowls, this was one of the best. Momentum swung one way and then the other, and right up until the final seconds, no-one could be sure who would win. There were spectacular scores, fantastic defense, and great stories all over the pitch. Whilst it was sad for the Cardinals, who had instilled pride in a franchise that had been a joke for years, and for Kurt Warner, whose 377 passing yards was the second most of all time, behind his own record of 414, and ahead of himself again in third place, the Steelers fully deserved their own piece of history, becoming the first side to win six Super Bowls, and reminding fans why they are one of America’s best loved sports teams.

(For extended stylised highlights, click here, well worth 20 minutes of your time)

Highlights of the Decade: Best of the Press

A round up of various end of the decade lists:

Deadspin's best pieces of American sports writing of the decade.

The Guardian picks its six best moments, six best footballers, six best goals and top ten rugby matches. The paper also takes a fascinating and damning look at the state of English football's finances over the last ten years.

Comedian and Cricinfo blogger, Andy Zaltzman gives part one of his cricketing highlights.

NFL Network runs down the top ten performances of the decade.

NFL: Highlights of the Decade

NFL Total Access have been unveiling some end of the decade lists. Here are their best games and moments.

The list of games seems reasonable, but there are some oddities on the moments list, notably the Matt Stafford touchdown and the Patriots fourth down failure, but both happened this year, so benefitted from the usual prejudice towards more recent events. No question that the Favre moment at number two deserves to be there though. See what you think.

Great Sporting Nicknames: Crazylegs Hirsch

The first subject in a possible series of posts on great sporting nicknames, Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch was a Hall of Fame NFL star of the 1940s and 50s. So named because of his unique running style (you can see a couple of short clips of him here), which first garnered attention whilst he was a star of the equally fantastically named Wisconsin Badgers, Hirsch has recently been back in the news thanks to current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who has tied his record for eight scoring catches of 50-plus yards in a season.

DeSean Jackson

I can't think of too many nicknames that are going to be better than 'Crazylegs'. Five's NFL pundit, Mike Carlson, never misses a chance to bring him up in conversation, and you can understand why.

The Worst Sports Kits in History

This week, Edinburgh Rugby unveiled a spectacular new kit to be worn in their Magners League and 1872 Cup match-ups against Glasgow, and it got me thinking about some of the worst sports kits of all time.

There are ten here, but dozens that I could have included. Whilst there’s no accounting for taste, there appear to be some universal rules about what makes a kit truly terrible: attempts to make kit that fans can wear as casual gear (they’re going to wear it anyway, what difference does it make?), luminous colours, brown, grey, all goalkeepers’ kits since 1990, colours that sports teams don’t usually wear (there’s a reason everyone opts for blue, red, black etc…), anything from the ‘70s, anything ‘modern’ or for the ‘youth’ market (or a marketing man’s idea of what that is).

Take a look at this list and suggest some shockers of your own.

Denver Broncos: 1960-62 (1962-96)

As a part of this year’s celebrations of 50 seasons since the American Football League began (originally a rival, it merged with the NFL in 1970), the original eight AFL teams have been wearing throwback uniforms in selected matches. Unfortunately, this has meant a renaissance for the hideous brown and mustard yellow Denver Broncos kit, which was so unloved that when it was ditched after two seasons, it was burned at a public bonfire.

The Broncos then changed to their ‘classic’ bright orange jerseys with powder blue helmets. Not a great look either, but at least it wasn’t brown. Is it coincidence that the Broncos only broke their Super Bowl duck in 1997 when they changed to navy blue? Probably. Still a wise move though.

Scotland rugby team: 1998-2000

In 1998 some bright spark decided to replace Scotland’s traditional white change strip with a bright orange one. Thankfully it didn’t last. This kit was so terrible, that hardly any pictures of it can be found on the internet. But try as they might, the Scottish RFU can't pretend it didn't happen.

Stade Francais: 2005-present

Stade President Max Guazzini has, to his credit, turned a lower league side into one of Europe’s biggest rugby clubs. However, he is also a shameless publicist. Since 2005, he has committed he club to a new shirt every year, often the work of fashion designers, and incorporating the brightest colours possible. It has worked, Stade’s kit regularly gets headlines around the rugby world, but it is a shame that their old jersey, navy blue with red lightning bolts, has been forgotten.

Manchester United: 1995-96

This infamous grey kit took the blame when United lost 3-1 to Southampton in 1995. The players claimed that they could not pick each other out from the crowd, resulting in a 3-0 deficit at half-time, when they changed to their third strip and pulled a goal back, but it was too little, too late. The fact that they usually play in front of thousands of fans all wearing replica kits, presumably making their red shirts hard to pick out, was never raised.

(Picture: Umbro/Flickr)








England football team: 1996

What is it with Umbro and grey kits? After the Manchester United debacle, they decided that what England fans wanted was a kit that would go well with jeans. Nevermind that England’s traditional red away kit was worn in the 1966 World Cup final. One semi-final defeat to Germany in Euro ’96 later, and red was reinstated.

(Picture: Umbro/Flickr)










New Zealand cricket team: 1980s

The 1980s, the early years of coloured kits in cricket. Each side needed a colour and an identity. New Zealand’s idea of an identity? Beige.

To be fair, it has enjoyed a renaissance as an ironic look for the Kiwi answer to the Barmy Army, the Beige Brigade, and the national side seemed to enjoy wearing beige as a one-off for a Twenty20 match in 2005, but for all concerned, I think it’s best left to the fans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1976-1996

The now legendary ‘creamsicle’ uniforms were worn by the Buccaneers for the first twenty years of their existence. This period saw them produce the first winless season of the Super Bowl era, and it took them 26 games over two years before they won a game. Even the picture of a Buccaneer on the helmet looked more like a camp cavalier. This ignominious history earned them the nickname, ‘the Yuks’, which was not helped by their horrific uniforms. Like the Broncos, they changed their colours, and within a few years, won a Super Bowl.

What’s even more mystifying is that they brought the colours back this year for a game against Green Bay. Unlike the former AFL teams, who had a reason to be wearing throwback jerseys, the Buccaneers had none. That said, it did bring their first win of the season, maybe unsurprising, given that their opponents were presumably playing with their eyes closed.

Cameroon football team: 2004

First they tried sleeveless shirts in 2002, but FIFA banned them. Undeterred, Puma decided to push their luck and produced an all-in one kit for Cameroon’s 2004 African Cup of Nations campaign. FIFA, realising that this heinous crime against football was the most important issue that they had to face, and more threatening to the fabric of the game than controversies over drugs, club debt, the trafficking of young players or video technology, banned it again, and deducted points from Cameroon’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Although the points were later returned, never let it be said that FIFA don’t clamp down on the big problems in the modern game. Aesthetically, this kit is fine, but one that costs its side six points is not worth the trouble.

Goalkeepers: since 1990

Goalkeepers have a rough deal. Whilst the outfield players grab all the glory, they are pilloried for making one mistake. Meanwhile, those pesky outfielders also went and reserved all the good colours, leaving some shockers for their colleagues between the posts. England ‘keepers of the '90s fared especially badly, though Mexican goalie Jorge Campos is right up there with them.

Denver Nuggets: 1980s

US sports teams produced some shockers in the '70s and '80s, but this ticks my box for anything attempting to look ‘modern’.

NFL: Stat of the Day

As a brief follow up to my post from 16 October regarding a win for the Cleveland Browns despite the terrible performance of their quarterback, Derek Anderson, I bring you a statistic courtesy of ESPN:

"If every pass a quarterback attempts falls to the ground incomplete, his QB rating is 39.6. Derek Anderson's quarterback rating is 36.2."

Basically, I could get a better quarterback rating than Derek Anderson at the moment, simply by throwing the ball away the moment I took the snap, and this is a former Pro Bowler we're talking about (Anderson, not me).

The suspicion that backup and former starter Brady Quinn has either rubbed coach Eric Mangini up the wrong way, or that the Browns don't want to pay him whatever bonus he gets for playing a certain number of minutes this season grows and grows. Either that or Derek Anderson's got incriminating photos of members of the coaching staff.

Quinn saw some game time at the end of the recent defeat at Chicago, but speculation about whether or not he will start has fallen by the wayside in light of off-field upheavals in Cleveland this week.

NFL: London Expansion

With this year’s NFL International Series game now gone, there has been plenty of speculation, fuelled by fairly vague comments from administrators, that the UK will in time, see either an increased number of regular season games played here; or that London might host a Super Bowl; or even a franchise. As NFLUK journalist Keith Webster notes, the league must have a roadmap of where it is going with these games, as otherwise the venture risks petering out with little long-term legacy, as previous efforts did in the past.

A second annual game is widely expected, and seems realistic, especially given the high levels of interest in the games so far. Any of the other proposals however, would be much more drastic. Loaning the outside world one game a year is one thing, but a Super Bowl is America’s biggest sporting event, whilst a London team would mean weekly transatlantic trips and would need a guaranteed week-in, week-out fanbase.

With that in mind then, a Super Bowl seems more likely than a franchise, but still not likely. The NFL has a strong preference for warm weather or indoor locations, and London in February will have neither. Most important is the likelihood of rain, which can have a marked effect on the quality of entertainment, as we saw with the first game at Wembley in 2007, when the Giants v Dolphins clash was turned into a mudbath. On the plus side, it would avoid the league taking away a home game from either of the teams involved, and it is a game that fans are used to travelling for. However those same fans would be outraged at the showpiece event for “America’s game” being taken overseas, especially given the huge boost that the game brings to the local economy of the host city.

As for a London-based franchise, there are three key issues. The first is that of logistics. Could teams reasonably travel across the Atlantic every week, and would players be willing to relocate to another country? The second question relates to the fans. Although Wembley has been sold out three years in a row thanks to a combination of hardcore supporters and curious sports fans looking for something different and a spectacle, would they attend eight games a year, and support a London franchise? Casual observers might be good for a game or two per season, and whilst the hardcore would attend more regularly, financial would come into play, as would the fact that many who have attended the London games have come from around the UK and Europe. They presumably would not do so every week. Meanwhile most UK fans already support NFL teams, and would be reluctant to change their allegiance to a side whose American players would have as much in common with Britain as those in Denver, Houston or Chicago.

Finally, it would require a big change in culture. Farming out individual games, even the biggest game of all, to another country is simply promoting an American product abroad. Handing entry to the NFL to a foreign team would mean that this is no longer America’s game. It would, if successful (admittedly a big if), mean giving the outside world a say in the running of the sport. Britain gave up ownership of sports like football, cricket and rugby many years ago, but retained its own leagues and identity, and despite the increase in foreign players and cross border competitions, that integrity remains. This would be a long way from the defunct NFL Europa. Up until now, Americans who disagree with international expansion have been largely able to ignore such efforts, which have had little impact on them, and barely registered on their consciousness.

Despite the hopes of Webster and Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director of NFLUK, veteran journalist Mike Carlson probably identified the most realistic plan on Five last Sunday night. He has observed that the most likely outcome is the addition of a 17th regular season game to the league schedule (which has already been discussed), and for each team to play their extra game at a neutral venue, whether abroad, or at locations in the United States that do not currently host NFL games, such as Los Angeles. This seems more pragmatic and could lead to London and other British and European locations hosting multiple games annually. League expansion would only follow if this move succeeded.

Ultimately, as a fan who has attended all three Wembley games, and hopes to attend more in the future, I hope that the league does not add a London team. A 17th game which allows further matches in the UK would be great, but not a Super Bowl or franchise. Part of the NFL’s charm, amongst many other things, is its American-ness. It has a different culture and character to European and Commonwealth sports, and conjures up scenes from an array of locations across the length and breadth of the United States. As Paul Hayward recently observed in The Guardian, sporting events have a sense of belonging to a place. To buy into a sport is to buy into its surroundings and history. Sporting events are a part of the fabric of their location, and their location is a part of their fabric.

There is still room for international expansion in sport, taking the PGA or LTA tours, or the Formula 1 circuit to new countries is a logical reflection of those sports’ growing appeal. The Premier League’s derided game 39 plan misjudged this balance, but there may be other ways of bringing English football to overseas fans.

As for the NFL, in the cold light of day, a London franchise or a Super Bowl seem unlikely, whatever league Commissioner Roger Goodell says. Men like Goodell and Kirkwood, with vested interests in keeping fans as interested as possible are never going to rule anything out, and the intrigue keeps people talking, so putting too much faith in their statements is unwise. Instead, British fans should make the most of whatever games come our way, and revel in the excitement of something that is truly American, in the best possible way.