The NFL vs The WWE- Part II- AFC North

On to Part II- The AFC North:

- Pittsburgh Steelers- Edge. Established champions on every level and for a long time. Talk a lot, have a ton of fire and passion, and back it up. Is just as happy if you boo or cheer. A perfect fit for the Steelers. They are just as confident, cocky, decorated and dangerous as the current World Champion. Sure, Clay Matthews helped Edge out on TV. His personality is still more like Pittsburgh. Oh, and let's not forget his nickname- "The Rated- R Superstar". Sounds like something that could apply to Big Ben also?

- Baltimore Ravens- Randy Orton. Again, a proven champion, and always a consistent and real threat. The only problem is that sometimes winning takes a back seat for a second. Instead, they are concerned with retribution and hurting people. Randy Orton is always looking for a chance to punt someone in the head or deliver his RKO finisher. The Ravens hit harder than any team, even if it means drawing penalties.

- Cleveland Browns- Hornswoggle. Yes, I think the Browns are the most like a leprechaun. Why not? They are lovable jobbers that pull out an occasional upset. Sounds just like the little guy to me. Not competing on the same level as the Ravens or Steelers at this point, but somehow finds a way to win some games and endear themselves to the fans. Cleveland loves the Browns no matter what. The WWE Universe loves Hornswoggle.



- Cincinnati Bengals- Doink the Clown. Pretty self-explanatory. They are jokes. Clowns. We talk about them more for their crazy off the field issues and antics than we do about their football. Ochocinco and TO were just as fun as Doink and his sidekick Dink. They played just as well too, and the Bungles had another terrible season.

The NFL vs the WWE- Part I - AFC East

So, after the Super Bowl, some NFL players found their way onto televised professional wrestling. First, it was champion linebacker Clay Matthews on WWE Smackdown. Now, it is Bart Scott on TNA Impact. Well, being a fan of both football and wrestling (a guilty pleasure, deal with it), I decided to combine the two. Here now is Part I of my NFL/WWE comparison. Each team gets a wrestle, stable or organization that best suits their personality, character or history. We will start with the AFC:

AFC EAST

- New England Patriots: HHH. The Game. The Cerebral Assassin. One of the best at what he does. This is a perfect fit for the Pats. If any coach could be called the Cerebral Assassin, it would have to be Bill Belichick. Tom Brady has won rings just like HHH was won titles. Both have been gone recently- New England not making it back to the Super Bowl after losing to the Giants, and HHH out with injuries, filming a movie, raising a family and becoming more involved back stage. But they are always a threat for a comeback, because they are some of the best ever.

- New York Jets: TNA Wrestling. It is good when there is competition. It makes the entire business better. So it is good for the WWE that TNA Wrestling exists. It is good for the NFL when the Jets are good. The same things can be said of TNA and the Jets- They try to put on a competitive product. They can have exciting moments combining young up-and-comers with some stars from the past that other organizations would call washed up. They can talk with the best of them and promise victory over their rivals and ultimate glory. There is just one problem: In the end, they can't back up the talk. They trip up. They place the bar too high. They try to play the same game as the big boys, and just can't do it. The Jets talk a ton, but have won nothing. TNA openly bashes WWE, and gets smoked in the ratings and PPV buy-rates. It is only a matter of time before they flame out or fold.

- Miami Dolphins: Mr. Perfect/Michael McGillicutty. Mr. Perfect was a great wrestler and claimed to be perfect at everything. The Dolphins had a perfect season. They have a great past and legacy. Even if they weren't winning a ton of championships, they were always competitive. However, eventually Dan Marino retired, leaving a struggling Dolphins organization that has yet to recover, though they show some young promise. Likewise, Mr. Perfect (real name Curt Henning) passed away, leaving his son to carry on his tradition. I have no idea why he doesn't wrestle under his own name and adopted McGillicutty, but much like the Dolphins he is struggling to find his identity and place in the business.

- Buffalo Bills: Santino Marella. The Bills had a great run at one point. 4 straight AFC championships, which is like winning the Intercontinental Title belt. Santino has had some success also, winning the IC Title a few times, as well as the Tag Team title. However, in reality, they are laughingstocks. Not in a mean way. We feel bad for them and wish that they found their old success, but we can't help but smile at their zany antics. Speak with a funny Italian accent and mime playing a trombone when you win? Wonderful. Passing on Brian Orakpo, Clay Matthews and Michael Oher to take Aaron Maybin in the draft, and refusing to spend high picks on an offensive line? Hilarious. We hope that they can turn the corner. We sincerely do. But till then, we have to keep chuckling at their misfortune.

COMBINE

Is there a better way to spend the weekend than watching the NFL Combine? Probably, but it is still pretty good. It is football, football is always good. It is combining college and the pros, which is great for someone like me who loves both. It gives you a chance to watch your favorite players from your school compete against others at their position. Just today, I have gotten to see Syracuse running back Delone Carter lift, run and catch in front of NFL Scouts. He has done pretty well, and should be picked in the 3rd or 4th round.

We also get to see the linemen shine for once. Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew did so well a the combine that they are saying he could be taken in the 2nd round (possibly to the team that needs a center and loves workout warriors- The Oakland Raiders). Monster offensive tackle Nate Solder (6'8, 319) of Colorado also helped out his stock, possibly moving into the Top 10. He had the fastest 40-yard time for tackles, and more importantly had the fasted 10-yard split and longest broad jump, demonstrating the explosiveness needed to get off the line and block a guy like Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers or Justin Tuck.

There are, of course, the QBs and WRs to talk about as well. Julio Jones of Alabama wowed every scout with his impressive catching, speed and jumping today. Everyone still has AJ Green as their #1 wideout and possibly a top 5 pick, but Julio Jones might get into the top 10 himself. If not, you can bet he won't get beyond #14 and the St. Louis Rams, who would love to pair him with their rookie of the year Sam Bradford.

Cam Newton put up great measurable numbers in Indianapolis, but some say his throwing was a bit questionable. He overthrew a bunch, and only completed 11 or 21 throws. We will be able to tell more about him at his pro day in March. More experienced QBs, such as Jake Locker and Ryan Mallet, dazzled scouts with thier accuracy and completion percentages. Nevada's Colin Kaepernick put up an impressive 40 time, and has probably solidified his stock as a top 50 pick.

One final note- Stephen Paea, a defensive tackle from Oregon State, beat the bench press record. By 4. It was amazing. In under a minute, he lifted 225 pounds 49 times. For those that did the math, that is just over 5 tons in a minute. Absurd. He is also a solid player as well. I wouldn't mind seeing him line up at the nose tackle for the Burgundy and Gold.

An End to the Melo-Drama?

So it finally happened. Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks for a bunch of pieces that won't help the Nuggets at all. So congrats to him and the Knicks fans (and to his wife LaLa, especially) for getting what you wanted. Now, here is why the Knicks made a mistake- They can't afford that 3rd superstar. Not happening. Not without a major discount from Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard. Don't believe me? ESPN Columnist Chad Ford wrote a great article about it. I present it to you now:

Can Knicks add a third star in 2012?

---

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com


The New York Knicks gutted their roster on Monday evening to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. ESPN.com is reporting that, according to sources, the Knicks will send Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks' first-round draft pick in 2014 or later, the Warriors' 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors' 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash to Denver for Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman. The Knicks will also send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to the Timberwolves in exchange for Corey Brewer as part of the deal.

Knicks fans are understandably excited. New York has been desperate for a star player for years and now, after being rejected by LeBron James this summer, it has two legit All-Stars in Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

But will the duo be enough to make the Knicks a contender in the East?

One Eastern Conference GM is skeptical. "They have two very good scorers. Billups will help them as well. But after those three, the Knicks are very, very thin, especially up front," he said. "They won't match up well with the Celtics, Magic, Bulls or Hawks. The Heat don't have much of a frontcourt either, but their big three is better than the Knicks'.

"I'm not sure this move puts [New York] much higher than a fifth or sixth seed in the East this season or the next. After next season, I don't think the Knicks have enough cap room or assets to add another major player. I think they're stuck."

Given the Knicks' woes over the past few seasons, a playoff appearance -- any playoff appearance -- will be a cause for celebration. But after the excitement wears off, the bigger question is, can the Knicks add another piece to make them serious title contenders?

The common theory has the Knicks making a play for Chris Paul, Deron Williams or even Dwight Howard in the summer of 2012. It's a nice dream. And if you believe the rumors, it sounds like Paul and Williams would both like to join Melo and Stoudemire in Gotham.

But there's one problem: Under every scenario I could come up with, the Knicks are unlikely to have the money to make a competitive offer to a major free agent next summer or possess the assets to trade for him beforehand.

First, we have to assume that, until we hear otherwise, Anthony will sign a max extension with New York. (If Knicks general manger Donnie Walsh can talk him into taking considerably less, then this picture begins to change.)

The Knicks are expected to have four players -- Anthony (at a little more than $20 million), Stoudemire (at a little less than $20 million), Balkman ($1.7 million) and Toney Douglas ($2 million) -- under contract in the 2012 offseason, adding up to about $44 million in payroll. And that does not include Landry Fields, who will be a restricted free agent that summer, or the Knicks' 2011 first-round draft pick. If the Knicks keep and commit to both, the payroll will be several million higher. If not, the Knicks will also have to account for another eight minimum cap holds (assuming that the new salary cap rules require cap holds, which is likely) to reach the required 12-man roster. That would raise their projected cap another $2.5 million, putting them around $46.5 million.

Assuming the salary cap in 2012 is the same that it is this season ($58 million), the Knicks would be looking at $11.5 million in cap space in 2012. However, no one thinks the cap will stay the same. With the owners asking for major concessions from the players in the new collective bargaining session, the cap will most likely be considerably lower.

Even if the NBA lowers the maximum salary that players like Paul, Williams or Howard can make in 2012 or if it rolls back salaries on existing contracts, it's highly unlikely the Knicks will have the cap space to pay them anything close to the max. Virtually any lowering of salaries is likely to be proportional to the drop in the cap. So, at best, the Knicks will have $11.5 million in cap space. At worst, it could be considerably less.

That's a pretty big obstacle, but not an impossible one to overcome. There are other ways of acquiring elite talent.

The Knicks could also try to do what they did with Anthony and make a trade at next season's trade deadline for one of the elite free agents. But the problem with that idea is that they have even less to work with than they did this season. New York won't have a first-round pick they can offer until, at best, 2016 (league rules prohibit teams from trading picks in consecutive years). So what could the Knicks offer a team like the Hornets, Jazz or Magic?

Billups' expiring contract would be a possible lure. So would be Fields', if he continues to develop. But after that, the Knicks' cupboard is pretty bare now that they've used their best assets to acquire Anthony. Some have suggested that the Knicks could start stockpiling draft picks by essentially buying them from teams who need to save money. But typically those picks are in the late first round and aren't especially attractive to other teams.

So while fans may be celebrating the arrival of another star to the Big Apple, luring one more and building a contender will be much tougher. In the short term, the team has achieved respectability, added two All-Star talents and even created some sizzle. But in the long term, the team still lacks the critical assets to be a true title contender.

If Knicks fans are happy with 45-to-50 wins per season and a likely first-round exit from the playoffs, then this was a winning move. But for all the Knicks fans who say that nothing but a title contender will make them happy, this deal may have actually put their team further from their goal than they think.

Hmm... Football Is Over...

This is a weird time in the lives of a sports fan. Football has officially ended for the season (and the foreseeable future with a pending lockout), and other than the draft one cannot get their pigskin fix. The Packers are World Champions (like I said before the season. Point for me), but no free agents can be signed or trades made until there is a new CBA. So we are stuck without football news. Here are a few ways to pass the time-

1. NCAA Basketball: The regular season is winding down, which means it is almost conference tournament time. The glory of the Big East Tournament from Madison Square Garden. The one-bid conferences fighting for that automatic spot. The sleeper in the Big XII or SEC trying to make one last effort to impress the tournament. It is great. Plus, the NCAAs come right after. (Note, due to lack of competitive nature, the ACC will now officially change its name to the All Carolina Conference during basketball season.) It is the Big East tournament, btw, that brought us the greatest basketball game of all time-



2. Spring Training: Hope springs eternal... unless you are a Pirates fan, but hey, for the next month they aren't in last place. Tune into MLB Network and ESPN2 during the day and catch some great games from the Cactus and Grapefruit league. See how your new favorite player looks in your team's uniform (Werth and LaRoche, this means you). See if your team's rotation is all it is cracked up to be (Note: ignore comment if you are a Phillies fan. 4 #1 starters is not fair). And just keep your eye on the calender, because March 31st and Opening Day are rapidly approaching. Just see at how beautiful Space Coast Stadium looks.





3. The NHL: Hockey is like football, only faster, with sticks, on ice... but there is just as much violence! Maybe even more if you catch an Islanders-Penguins game. They don't even throw you out for punching a guy. How amazing is that? Even if your team isn't as good as you thought they should be (sigh...), it is still a face-paced thrill ride of a game.



4. See a movie: Ok, so, not sports-related. But there are a bunch of good films out. I have seen 4 of the 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture, and they are all amazing. Into visual effects? See Inception. Need a thriller? Black Swan. Maybe a western? True Grit. What about a movie with some amazing dialogue relevant to today's society? Sounds like The Social Network to me. I hear The Kings Speech is excellent, Toy Story 3 will make you weep, and Christian Bale is a shoe-in for the Oscar thanks to The Fighter. Go! See a film!

5. The NFL Draft Preps: Still got pigskin on the mind, huh? Well, not to worry. If your cable provider has the NFL Network, you can watch the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February. See the stars of tomorrow work out without pads on, all while being poked, prodded and questioned by scouts. Who will impress the most? Who will see their stock rise or fall? Who will run a 4.2 40-yard dash? All these questions will be answered in Indianapolis.

Happy (Bobby) Valentine's Day

SUPER BOWL PICK!!!

First, congrats to the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class- Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter, Ed Sabol, Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe. All very deserving.

Now, my pick for Super Bowl XLV:

Drumroll please....


The Green Bay Packers!






This kind of goes against my better judgment. There is no reason to pick against the Steelers. Big Ben is one of the most clutch qbs in the league. Mike Tomlin is a great coach. They have an amazing D and playmakers on offense. So, why am I picking the Pack to win?

Well, let's first discuss the (somewhat silly) reasons not to like Pittsburgh, both in this game and in general:

1. Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers' All-Pro center, is not playing. There could be at least one messed up snap, resulting in a turnover. It also means BJ Raji is going up against a backup, which isn't good for Big Ben.

2. Aaron Rodgers, over the past 3 seasons, is the best QB in games played inside. The roof will be closed in Dallas. Beware.

3. Sidney Crosby. Yes, I hate him and the Penguins so much that their existence carries over to a dislike for the Steelers (or at least the city of Pittsburgh).

4. "Black and Yellow". It is a terrible, terrible rap song, and is an ode to Pittsburgh, whose teams are all Black and Yellow. I want them to lose just so I don't have to hear that song any more.

5. Snoop Dogg. He was born in California. Raised in California. Became famous in California. Reps the West Coast. Used to wear Raider gear in videos... And then the Steelers get good and he claims he has always been a Steelers fan. I call BS. He also raps on the remix of Black and Yellow, which makes me hate him more.

6. The Steelers beat the Ravens, my AFC Champion pick.


And of course, there are silly reasons to pick the Packers as well:

1. I picked the Packers to go to the Super Bowl before the season. I need to stick with them to win it.

2. Wouldn't it be great if Aaron Rodgers won a Super Bowl and erased his most famous football moment, waiting in the green room of the NFL Draft as over 20 teams passed on him? I think it would be very special.

3. Charles Woodson and Donald Driver. Vets who I have always enjoyed watching. I would love it if they got rings.

4. Brett Favre. I want to rub it in his face that the team doesn't need him. I would love it if the Packers won with Rodgers so that he would match the number of rings Favre has. I would then root for him to win another, so that Favre is 3rd on the list of Packers QBs with Super Bowl victories. Had he walked away when he should have, we wouldn't resent him like this. But he didn't, so we do.

5. Hawk n' Dove. The bar I go to every Friday happens to be a Packers bar. My dear friend Colin is bar-tending there today. I am afraid that if the Packers lose, the fans might kill him. If they win, they will give him a very big tip. Side note- Hawk n Dove is two doors down from The Pour House, the biggest Steelers bar in DC. Very good chance there is a fight on Pennsylvania Avenue after. Glad I won't be there.


So, there you have it. The Green Bay Packers are my pick to win the Super Bowl. I think that Aaron Rodgers will be the MVP, and that the Packers will win 24-21.


Then again, I could be wrong.