Saturday morning I woke up around 9 am to a missed text from Kerry at 8:30 asking if I wanted to go to all-you-can-drink bloody Mary breakfast at Daisy Dukes in the French quarter. We’d been saying all week that we wanted to get down to the French quarter during the day and it seemed like as good a day as any.
I grabbed a hat and a sweatshirt and ran down to the lobby and met Kerry. We cab’d it down to Chartres St. and went into the culinary Parthenon known as Daisy Duke’s. We abandoned pretense and ordered the bloody Mary’s and breakfast. The drinks came out, adorned in celery, lemon, lime, olives and a boiled crawfish.
The cocktail was spicy and I found I had to wash it down with my breakfast instead of the other way around.
We finished breakfast and hit up Bourbon St. We went into the Bourbon St. Blues bar and there was a phenomenal 3 piece rock band playing. We order up some shots and some beers and settle in.
The band is terrific. The DJ for the day shows up and wants to buy shots for Kerry and me. We have no choice but to accept. Just to show I’m as serious as the DJ, I have an additional shot.
We spend about two hours at the bar drinking fairly seriously. I’ve got a strong buzz on when we notice on facebook that Nick and Jay are at Coyote Ugly. We immediately call them and tell them to stay there.
We passed Coyote Ugly the night before on our walk for a cab, but I’m not joking when I tell you that everything we’ve done outside the confines of the Hilton Garden hotel has been in a borderline blackout haze and we can’t remember where we were when we walked by it.
We find it again and Nick and Jay are inside living it up. We join them and it’s barroom magic. The four of us are the only ones in the bar and we take over. We were playing all the songs on the jukebox, laughing with the bartenders and each other and generally rocking the house.
We stayed there for an hour and change before Kerry took off to get some work done. I had work to do also, but I couldn’t leave the party (a recurrent life theme for yours truly) and I stayed with Jay and Nick.
The three of us returned to the Bourbon Street Blues Club where Kerry and I were earlier and there was a new and equally awesome band playing. The place was jammed at this point. I take center stage on the dance floor and show off my razor sharp moves. Ladies were Impressed and I had several dance partners. You’re welcome, Ladies.
After a few hours, we had to hit the road to get ready for our night plans, the Taste Of The NFL. We walked back to the hotel and parted ways.
I went up to the room completely hammered. Billy was in the room. I needed to steam my shirt so I put that on a hanger and fired up the shower, closed the bathroom door and proceeded to collapse on the bed.
Kerry came in minutes later and it was time to get going. I sprinted through the shower and got dressed. I was still banged up.
We met with Butch, Nick, and Jay in the lobby and the six of us headed to the Taste of the NFL fundraiser. It’s the second toughest ticket in town behind the Super Bowl itself.
It’s being held in the convention center right around the corner from our hotel. We get inside and go right over to see our friends in the Davio’s booth. Steve Grogan is there to meet with folks and autograph stuff. I can’t even make eye contact, because Steve Grogan is my boyhood hero.
We continue to make our way around this enormous room and sample all the plates of the various chefs from each NFL city. I’m still so banged up. I find a place in the back of the room to chill out. I mixed my night with some resting, and some moving around the room to eat.
Around 10 p.m., Kerry found me and we hung out for awhile when I just had to call it. I was out of gas completely. So, I said my goodbyes and hit the road to the hotel. Before I go, I have to walk out of the exit of the building and the volunteers were set up there to clap for everyone that left. I took the opportunity to high five my way up one side of the exit and back up the other and then I did a psuedo moonwalk while shooting air guns at the floor. The assembled volunteers seemed to love this.
I finally got the daytime feel of Bourbon St. and the French quarter. I had a great day and had no regrets about turning in early. Sunday is the big game and I’ll get in touch soon to tell you all about it from my point of view.
Friday morning, Kerry and I grabbed breakfast down in the hotel lobby and Nick and Jay showed up. We exchanged war stories from the night before. Those guys are awesome. We finish up breakfast and head back to the room to finish some stuff up.
The first Football Nation official Super Bowl party gets under way at 2pm. We have to get ourselves to Barcadia on 601 Tchoupitoulas St. by 12:30ish to set up.
We head to Barcadia and connect with the guys from Bent RV as the showcase of our tailgate. It's parked right outside and the the Davio’s folks are there. The Pulse network guys already have a little area set up where Kerry and Butch are going to have be doing a live show that is going to be available online (already aired, obviously).
The RV is an incredibly sweet ride: 42-feet long and nicer than most people's homes. Seriously. The owner, Brian Bent, give us and Miss USA a tour of the ride. It's pretty amazing. This is the way to travel, folks: bed, bathroom, wheels, home and office all in one package.
It was still early and I wasn’t sure how to behave drinking wise. Just to be on the safe side, I grab a beer and a shot.
A guy Kerry and I grew up with from our neighborhood, Jim Dennett, and his wife Kristen show up and we all get reacquainted over some beers. Jim’s been in the army for the last 20 years and the family is living somewhere just outside the city.
Barcadia is a sweet little spot. They’ve got garage doors for windows and it’s a beautiful day so they pop those open so it feels like you’re outside. They have an assortment of vintage video games there too, if you’re into that. I have vivid memories of getting my ass kicked at Donkey Kong in the arcade of the Quincy Youth Hockey rink. I doubt that the twenty seven years I’ve spent not playing are going to make me suddenly good at it.
The party gets underway and we have a great crowd including Miss USA Nana Meriwether. ![]()
Butch and Kerry interview her for the broadcast while I drink. Newsflash! Nana Meriwether is stunningly beautiful. She’s spectacular. Honestly though, I wasn’t attracted to her. I felt like I was looking at a lion or some other exotic animal. Weird, right? It might have been the beer thinking.
The highlight of her interview was Butch wearing the Miss USA sash. So Nana departs and I spend my time buzzing around the party. There’s a jenga game made of shortened 2 x 4 planks that I’m fascinated with watching.
Retired Patriot left tackle Matt Light arrives and does an interview on our little set. I’m thrilled to meet him. I turn into a 14 year old when I meet patriots. Or anyone, I suppose. Nevermind.
Butch and Kerry also interview Steve from Davio’s and the owner of Barcadia. I was even called up to talk to Butch towards the end of the show. God knows I love camera time.
I thought the party went terrifically. By the time we shut it down, I had a terrific buzz cooking too. It was decided that we would go back to Cochon with Jim, Kristen and Jay Hajj. So we walked to the restaurant (it was just up the street). I noticed actor David Arquette sitting at one of the tables outside.
We were seated a couple tables away and we order just about everything on the menu. People were raving about the alligator, but again, I’m not sure it’s my thing. A little too rubbery, maybe?
Following dinner, Kerry and I were up in the hotel room, and I was whisker away from calling it a night. It was around 8pm. I’m so run down from all this partying. I swear it takes a toll. But, we’re in New Orleans and I haven’t been here in twelve years. I decide to rally.
Down in the lobby we see Butch and Nick. They’re going to go get dinner. We’re supposed to meet up with them later.
We grab a taxi down to the French Quarter. We strolled down Bourbon and stopped in a few places. There was a cool bar with a mechanical bull where we enjoyed watching a few ladies get thrown off. I was tempted to give it a try, but I don’t think the point is to have middle aged, fat guys bouncing all over the place.
After a couple hours we made our way to the riverfront and had a crawfish and shrimp dinner. I know I had to be eating crawfish the wrong way. If the only meat on that thing is in the tail, then it seems like a lot of work without a lot of payoff. They might as well boil up some of those Sea Monkeys that they used to sell in the backs of comic books when I was a kid.
Billy meets up with us at the restau
rant. We have a beer with him. Kerry’s calling it a night and I’m not inclined to disagree. I’m wiped out. Meeting up with the pulse network guys will have to wait. Billy decides to return to Bourbon St. and melts into the night. Kerry and I start up the street to somewhere we can catch a cab. The French quarter is gridlocked. I can’t imagine why anyone would even try to drive down there.
Somewhere around Canal St., it’s becoming obvious we’re not going to be able to catch a cab. So, we decide to go to plan B. There’s a cute young girl in a pedicab (it’s a bicycle rickshaw) and she’s willing to drag 500 lbs of Kerry and me to our hotel. We hop in. Bella is the girls name. She’s an aspiring actress and a real sweetheart. She huffed and puffed and got us to the hotel unharmed.
The poor thing had to get off the bike and stretch when we got back to the hotel. I’m serious. When we shook hands after paying her she was soaking wet from sweat. We did give her a great tip, so hopefully it was worth the effort.
That’s Friday in a nutshell, Fans. I’ll be cranking out the retelling of Saturday shortly.
By Adam Dobrowolski (@tabsports)
Cold, Hard Football Facts Super-Powered Mathlete
Already two parts into our look back at the epic Super Study conducted earlier this month, and it's already become apparent that some of the "red flag" factors were misleading in determining the Baltimore Ravens' run to Super Bowl XLVII. As explained yesterday, the decision by Ray Lewis to retire after this postseason completely washed away any negative momentum from 1-4 finish to the regular season. Actually, this storyline arguably put the Ravens in better position to make the run to the Super Bowl than the San Francisco 49ers.
Of course, we here at Cold, Hard Football Facts like to think that there's more than a retirement storyline that'll determine if the Ravens, the fifth team with a 9-7 or 10-6 record in the last six years making the Super Bowl, can pull off the upset against the 49ers.
Remember, the epic Super Study showed the 2012 49ers had only two red flags, making them a decent candidate to win Super Bowl XLVII. Meanwhile, the 2012 Ravens had six red flags, proving this run was an unlikely and special one. In the last seven Super Bowls, the team with more red flags won six times.
Today's part of the study looks at how blowout losses and point differential will impact Super Bowl XLVII.
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First, let's look at the blowout losses for each team this season. During the Super Study, we classified "blowout losses" as losses by more than two possessions. For teams that lost multiple games by at least 17 points, it shows potential significant shortcomings in the overall quality of a team. Elite teams should not be blown out.
The chart below looks at each Super Bowl team's number of blowout losses. Note that we provided different standards for the winners and losers during the Super Study, something which we will probably have to review in the future.
Winners | Losers | ||||||
SB | Team | Count |
| SB | Team | Count | |
| I | 66 Packers | 0 | I | 66 Chiefs | 1 | ||
| II | 67 Packers | 0 | II | 67 Raiders | 0 | ||
| III | 68 Jets | 0 | III | 68 Colts | 0 | ||
| IV | 69 Chiefs | 0 | IV | 69 Vikings | 0 | ||
| V | 70 Colts | 2 | V | 70 Cowboys | 2 | ||
| VI | 71 Cowboys | 0 | VI | 71 Dolphins | 1 | ||
| VII | 72 Dolphins | 0 | VII | 72 Redskins | 0 | ||
| VIII | 73 Dolphins | 0 | VIII | 73 Vikings | 1 | ||
| IX | 74 Steelers | 1 | IX | 74 Vikings | 0 | ||
| X | 75 Steelers | 0 | X | 75 Cowboys | 0 | ||
| XI | 76 Raiders | 1 | XI | 76 Vikings | 0 | ||
| XII | 77 Cowboys | 1 | XII | 77 Broncos | 0 | ||
| XIII | 78 Steelers | 0 | XIII | 78 Cowboys | 0 | ||
| XIV | 79 Steelers | 2 | XIV | 79 Rams | 4 | ||
| XV | 80 Raiders | 1 | XV | 80 Eagles | 0 | ||
| XVI | 81 49ers | 1 | XVI | 81 Bengals | 1 | ||
| XVII | 82 Redskins | 0 | XVII | 82 Dolphins | 0 | ||
| XVIII | 83 Raiders | 0 | XVIII | 83 Redskins | 0 | ||
| XIX | 84 49ers | 0 | XIX | 84 Dolphins | 0 | ||
| XX | 85 Bears | 0 | XX | 85 Patriots | 1 | ||
| XXI | 86 Giants | 0 | XXI | 86 Broncos | 2 | ||
| XXII | 87 Redskins | 0 | XXII | 87 Broncos | 1 | ||
| XXIII | 88 49ers | 2 | XXIII | 88 Bengals | 1 | ||
| XXIV | 89 49ers | 0 | XXIV | 89 Broncos | 0 | ||
| XXV | 90 Giants | 1 | XXV | 90 Bills | 2 | ||
| XXVI | 91 Redskins | 0 | XXVI | 91 Bills | 1 | ||
| XXVII | 92 Cowboys | 1 | XXVII | 92 Bills | 3 | ||
| XXVIII | 93 Cowboys | 1 | XXVIII | 93 Bills | 2 | ||
| XXIX | 94 49ers | 1 | XXIX | 94 Chargers | 1 | ||
| XXX | 95 Cowboys | 1 | XXX | 95 Steelers | 2 | ||
| XXXI | 96 Packers | 0 | XXXI | 96 Patriots | 1 | ||
| XXXII | 97 Broncos | 1 | XXXII | 97 Packers | 0 | ||
| XXXIII | 98 Broncos | 0 | XXXIII | 98 Falcons | 1 | ||
| XXXIV | 99 Rams | 0 | XXXIV | 99 Titans | 2 | ||
| XXXV | 00 Ravens | 0 | XXXV | 00 Giants | 0 | ||
| XXXVI | 01 Patriots | 1 | XXXVI | 01 Rams | 0 | ||
| XXXVII | 02 Bucs | 0 | XXXVII | 02 Raiders | 0 | ||
| XXXVIII | 03 Patriots | 1 | XXXVIII | 03 Panthers | 1 | ||
| XXXIX | 04 Patriots | 0 | XXXIX | 04 Eagles | 2 | ||
| XL | 05 Steelers | 1 | XL | 05 Seahawks | 0 | ||
| XLI | 06 Colts | 1 | XLI | 06 Bears | 2 | ||
| XLII | 07 Giants | 2 | XLII | 07 Patriots | 0 | ||
| XLIII | 08 Steelers | 1 | XLIII | 08 Cardinals | 4 | ||
| XLIV | 09 Saints | 0 | XLIV | 09 Colts | 1 | ||
| XLV | 10 Packers | 0 | XLV | 10 Steelers | 0 | ||
| XLVI | 11 Giants | 1 | XLVI | 11 Patriots | 0 | ||
If we held the same standards for winners and losers, there would be 11 red flags for the Super Bowl losers. Of all the factors from the Super Study, this proved to be very telling throughout all the eras. Of the underdog conference champions, only the 2007 Giants and 2008 Cardinals suffered multiple blowout losses. Meanwhile, only two teams (1988 49ers and 2007 Giants) with multiple blowout losses defeated teams with less than two blowout losses.
Regardless the outcome of Super Bowl XLVII, the winner will become the third team with multiple blowout losses to defeat another team with multiple blowout losses, as you'll see below.
- Baltimore Ravens: 2 blowout losses (43-13 at Texans, 34-17 v. Broncos)
- San Francisco 49ers: 2 blowout losses (26-3 v. Giants, 42-13 at Seahawks)
For each team, the blowout losses seem to be as much a product of the competition as any shortcomings for those teams. The Seahawks and Broncos finished first and second respectively in the Quality Stats Power Rankings. Meanwhile, the Texans and Giants were both top five teams in the first half of the season, when those two games occurred.
In an attempt to split hairs to determine who has the advantage, we go back to a claim made in yesterday's part of the study. The claim stated:
"Believe it or not, though, the blowout loss against Denver helped in the long run. The Ravens saw what the Broncos did well on both sides of the ball, and they made the necessary adjustments in the Divisional Round. Without that first time battling the Broncos, perhaps the Ravens would be eliminated at this point."
While it's not good for playoff teams to suffer multiple blowout losses, it's important to note how tough it is for a playoff-quality team to be blown out twice by the same team. The Ravens were good enough to make the most of their second encounter of the Broncos, giving them the advantage among two teams with a red flag. Advantage: Ravens
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For the second part of today's analysis, we look at scoring margin. The "blowout losses" red flag can be misleading, as the losses could be an outlier for some teams. Point differential helps to indicate if those losses are outliers. The 49ers lost the two aforementioned games by a combined 52 points. If they finish with a strong overall scoring margin, it would suggest that the losses were out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, if the scoring margin is rather weak, it illustrates how the losses with a sign of some shortcomings. We investigate scoring margin for each Super Bowl team in the chart below.
Winners | Losers | ||||||
SB | Team | Margin |
| SB | Team | Margin | |
| I | 66 Packers | +172 | I | 66 Chiefs | +172 | ||
| II | 67 Packers | +123 | II | 67 Raiders | +235 | ||
| III | 68 Jets | +139 | III | 68 Colts | +258 | ||
| IV | 69 Chiefs | +182 | IV | 69 Vikings | +246 | ||
| V | 70 Colts | +87 | V | 70 Cowboys | +78 | ||
| VI | 71 Cowboys | +184 | VI | 71 Dolphins | +141 | ||
| VII | 72 Dolphins | +214 | VII | 72 Redskins | +118 | ||
| VIII | 73 Dolphins | +193 | VIII | 73 Vikings | +128 | ||
| IX | 74 Steelers | +116 | IX | 74 Vikings | +115 | ||
| X | 75 Steelers | +211 | X | 75 Cowboys | +82 | ||
| XI | 76 Raiders | +113 | XI | 76 Vikings | +129 | ||
| XII | 77 Cowboys | +133 | XII | 77 Broncos | +126 | ||
| XIII | 78 Steelers | +161 | XIII | 78 Cowboys | +176 | ||
| XIV | 79 Steelers | +154 | XIV | 79 Rams | +14 | ||
| XV | 80 Raiders | +58 | XV | 80 Eagles | +162 | ||
| XVI | 81 49ers | +107 | XVI | 81 Bengals | +117 | ||
| XVII | 82 Redskins | +62 | XVII | 82 Dolphins | +67 | ||
| XVIII | 83 Raiders | +104 | XVIII | 83 Redskins | +209 | ||
| XIX | 84 49ers | +248 | XIX | 84 Dolphins | +215 | ||
| XX | 85 Bears | +258 | XX | 85 Patriots | +72 | ||
| XXI | 86 Giants | +135 | XXI | 86 Broncos | +51 | ||
| XXII | 87 Redskins | +94 | XXII | 87 Broncos | +91 | ||
| XXIII | 88 49ers | +75 | XXIII | 88 Bengals | +119 | ||
| XXIV | 89 49ers | +189 | XXIV | 89 Broncos | +136 | ||
| XXV | 90 Giants | +124 | XXV | 90 Bills | +165 | ||
| XXVI | 91 Redskins | +261 | XXVI | 91 Bills | +140 | ||
| XXVII | 92 Cowboys | +166 | XXVII | 92 Bills | +98 | ||
| XXVIII | 93 Cowboys | +147 | XXVIII | 93 Bills | +87 | ||
| XXIX | 94 49ers | +209 | XXIX | 94 Chargers | +75 | ||
| XXX | 95 Cowboys | +144 | XXX | 95 Steelers | +80 | ||
| XXXI | 96 Packers | +246 | XXXI | 96 Patriots | +105 | ||
| XXXII | 97 Broncos | +185 | XXXII | 97 Packers | +140 | ||
| XXXIII | 98 Broncos | +192 | XXXIII | 98 Falcons | +153 | ||
| XXXIV | 99 Rams | +284 | XXXIV | 99 Titans | +68 | ||
| XXXV | 00 Ravens | +168 | XXXV | 00 Giants | +82 | ||
| XXXVI | 01 Patriots | +99 | XXXVI | 01 Rams | +230 | ||
| XXXVII | 02 Bucs | +150 | XXXVII | 02 Raiders | +146 | ||
| XXXVIII | 03 Patriots | +110 | XXXVIII | 03 Panthers | +21 | ||
| XXXIX | 04 Patriots | +177 | XXXIX | 04 Eagles | +126 | ||
| XL | 05 Steelers | +131 | XL | 05 Seahawks | +181 | ||
| XLI | 06 Colts | +67 | XLI | 06 Bears | +172 | ||
| XLII | 07 Giants | +22 | XLII | 07 Patriots | +315 | ||
| XLIII | 08 Steelers | +124 | XLIII | 08 Cardinals | +1 | ||
| XLIV | 09 Saints | +169 | XLIV | 09 Colts | +109 | ||
| XLV | 10 Packers | +148 | XLV | 10 Steelers | +143 | ||
| XLVI | 11 Giants | -6 | XLVI | 11 Patriots | +171 | ||
The threshold for the outlier in this part of study is an average scoring margin less than +5.0 points per game. This stat suggests that the 2005 Steelers and 2010 Packers were much better than their six seed indicated. However, other underdogs (like the two Giants teams) were certainly as mediocre as their regular season record suggested. We can now see one of the reasons why not all underdogs are alike, and that's why the Super Study has an important role in future postseason historical analysis. As for this Ravens squad, where do they stand?
- Baltimore Ravens: +54 points (11th in the league)
- San Francisco 49ers: +124 points (fourth in the league)
Remember back in the first part of the study, when we discussed how the Ravens had five one-possession wins against non-quality opponents, as opposed to the 49ers having only one. That plays a big factor in separating these two in point differential. San Francisco certainly took advantage of weak opposing offenses (Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals, Rams), but their schedule honestly wasn't easier than Baltimore's. The Ravens played the AFC West and NFC East. San Francisco more than doubled Baltimore's point differential against arguably a tougher schedule. The advantage is quite clear, and this might be the biggest advantage for the 49ers. Advantage: 49ers
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In the next installment, Adam Dobrowolski concludes this series with a look at the starting quarterbacks and their postseason experience. What does Super Bowl history say about Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick?
Wednesday night was an absolute train crash of a night and I woke up Thursday morning around 9 a.m. I felt dehydrated and sluggish, but thankfully I managed to escape a pounding headache.
I wanted to go get some coffee and blog about the night. I got dressed and found my room key and the cash from my pocket the night before but I can’t find my wallet anywhere.
BOOM! There’s the headache! My stomach is in knots and my head is now pounding. My wallet is gone. I’d like to tell you that a bunch of nightmare scenarios ran through my mind but I can’t. My mind is mush. I’m catatonic. I’m paralyzed with shock and anger at myself.
I run down to the lobby and get a cup of coffee. I see Kerry when I get down there. Our conversation goes like this.
Me: My wallet is gone.
Kerry: Huh?
Me: I can’t find my wallet.
Kerry: That sucks.
Me: Yeah.
That’s Kerry, a source of boundless emotional support. I get my coffee and return to the room. I figure, before I call and kill my cards I should retrace my steps and see if I can locate it. The issue is that my steps were pretty much all over the city.
Like the ancient Asian wisdom says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I strongly doubt whoever said that competed in a hurricane chugging contest the night before. Be that as it may, I get a sweatshirt and some jeans on and prepare to walk back down to the French quarter to see if my wallet is at the Hustler club.
I know that I had it there, because they made me show my license to get in. I get out into the sunlight and I feel like a vampire. It’s surface-of-the-sun bright. All I want to do is find a hole to crawl into.
It’s probably a half mile to the French quarter from the hotel, if feels like light years. I make my way down Royal Street and see two fairly attractive young ladies stumble out from a bar, knock over a trash can and then snap pictures of them hugging each other on the corner. It’s 10 am. I cross over a connecting street to Bourbon and head over to the Hustler club.
As I approach the door it occurs to me that they might not be open yet. I relax a bit when I see the door open a crack.
I reach the door and open it a bit more when out of the darkness inside the club a guy emerges to block my entry.
I explained to the man that I’d lost my wallet and my license and all my access to any money and how nervous that made me about the flight home and the rest of my trip and if I could just take a look around I could hopefully find it and…
He slammed the door in my face and muttered, “We open at twelve.”
I weighed the pros and cons of returning to the hotel vs. staying on Bourbon St. and I was just too lazy to walk all the way back to the hotel and with my new “No Money” vacation, I wasn’t spending 10 bucks each way to take a cab. I head to the jazz park and get a coffee and muffin for breakfast.
Another really cool thing about Bourbon St. is that even at 10am. You can find live music being played. I get a spot far enough from the stage that I won’t feel too much like a scumbag for not tipping the musicians. I know they’ll never read this, but hey I really wanted to tip you. You two were great.
Twelve o’clock finally rolls around and I walk back to the club. The door isn’t open yet. I lean on a post across the street and wait. And wait. And wait.
At twelve thirty the doors of the Hustler club open and I’m finally allowed in where I tell my story to a young girl who doesn’t appear to be the sympathetic type.
The young lady says she’s going to look in the office for me as soon as the door man gets there to watch the door. Ten minutes later the door man shows up and the young lady takes off.
I waited for an hour. She never came back. Some days are better than others. This day was one of the others. The door man took my phone # and promised to call if the wallet turned up.
It was almost 2:30 pm when I returned from my total waste of time and I found Kerry and Bill are out at the convention center. I have the hotel room to myself. I have to call and cancel all my cards. My head has been pounding for almost six hours at this time.
I get all my calls taken care of and I take some ibuprofen and Excedrine and lie down. Kerry comes in ten minutes later and starts to work. I have work of my own to finish up, so I get up again.
It’s about 4 pm and I still haven’t eaten since I ate that muffin down on Bourbon St. Kerry and I shoot down the street to Butcher which is a butcher shop and deli. They make a hell of a sandwich there.
I’m feeling much better at this point. It is what it is, about the wallet. We’ll get through it. Besides, there’s great news. The Davio’s folks have hit town and we’re going to have dinner with them at Shula’s steak house owned by great Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula.
We have a couple hours to kill so I finish working on the blog and get a little rest. 7 pm comes and we start to pull it together for the night. We meet up in the lobby Butch Stearns, Nick Saber and Jay Hajj.
We all grab a cab downtown and hook up with the Davio’s crew at the JW Marriot hotel. We have an 8 o’clock reservation. We sit down and we’re all having fun laughing and joking. It got so boisterous at some points that we got admonished by the wait staff to keep it down.
My meal was great but unluckily they did screw up a couple of the steaks. So, not everyone was as satisfied with the meal as I was, but I think the company made up for the poor performance of the restaurant. I had two vodka cocktails and two glasses of wine with dinner.
After dinner we hit Bourbon Street again. It was a lot wilder than it had been on Tuesday or Wednesday. The Super Bowl fever has begun! Or, it might just be another Thursday in New Orleans. I’m leaning toward the latter.
The whole group of us are walking and in some cases dancing down the street having a blast. We wind up back at Pat O’Brien’s. We have been launching out of there every night so far. Those hurricanes are insane.
I decide to follow protocol and order a hurricane just like the previous two nights. The hurricane arrives and I take a sip. It’s not awesome. In fact, I think I’m officially hurricane’d out. I try to power through. We’re all still having a blast.
We weave our way through O’Brien’s and find a spot inside opposite the piano bar room. Traci from Wednesday night is there and our party is even bigger now. Bad news for me, my stomach is on fire. I can’t drink any more of this God awful hurricane and the room we’re in seems uncomfortably hot.
I decided right there I was calling it a night. Thursday had its downs but finished on a relatively high note. I wanted to get out while the getting was good. I hailed a cab back to the hotel and got into bed.
Big day on Friday. The FootballNation.com party at Barcadia at 601 Tchoupitoulas St. in the Warehouse district. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by!
Wednesday morning Kerry and Bill were working in the hotel room so I took the opportunity to walk around and enjoy the warmth and humidity.
I walked down to the French quarter got a coffee and window shopped. There are some really cool antique stores and art galleries on Royal St.
I’d been walking for about an hour when I came to a corner and suddenly the wind shifted, the temperature dropped 20 degrees and the sky opened up. I hustled a couple blocks to the Hotel Monteleone and went inside to dry off and have breakfast.
Our buddy Wally’s dad once famously said, “Always buy breakfast, it’s the cheapest meal of the day.” I’m pretty sure Wally’s dad never ate breakfast at the Hotel Monteleone.
After catching a cab back to the hotel, Kerry and Bill were still working. I did what I do best and took a nap.
When I got up, the three of us headed over to Cochon, a Cajun restaurant around the corner from the hotel. The food was phenomenal. We had fried alligator, crawfish pie, wood roasted oysters, black eyed pea gumbo and for dessert, a chocolate and peanut butter pie. The alligator wasn’t my cup of tea but everything else was out of this world.
We basically rolled out of the restaurant and decided to burn some of the food off by walking over to the convention center and checking out radio row. It’s awesome. The room is electric. There are dozens of shows being cranked out. We hang around a bit and then take off back to the hotel.
Later on, Kerry’s got a friend to meet with in the hotel bar. So, Bill and I hang around and down a couple beers. Jeremiah is a guy Kerry and I met the night before at the bar and he’s going to join us for a night on the town. We have a shot to celebrate.
Word comes in that Butch Stearns is going to be joining us when he gets into the hotel. He and the pulse network are working with us this week so we’re going to hit the town. We have a shot to celebrate.
So, Butch arrives and we all grab a cab to the French quarter. We have to meet up at one of the restaurants with another person we’re working with, Traci Coulter. Inside the bar we find Traci eating a po’boy that she swears she can’t finish. Kerry and I free her of that burden.
Next to Traci is a guy that we wind up striking up a conversation with. It turns out he’s in the whiskey business and he and Kerry have friends in common. We all have a shot to celebrate.
So after collecting Traci, we have to get Butch and Nick some food. They still haven’t had a chance to eat since rolling into town. It’s decided that we’re going to Oceana, which is supposed to have the best seafood in town.
Honestly the restaurant didn’t impress me. We had some raw oysters, but they just weren’t anywhere near as good as the oysters we get back home. I could only eat one of them.
The highlight of the dinner was the conversation. Butch had us commenting on what the best sporting event you’d ever attended in person was. Butch is a charismatic dude. Everyone was getting along great and having a blast.
After dinner we went back to Pat O’Brien’s and filmed the 3rd event in our Epic Mancathalon, the Hurricane Chug. The video will be posted soon, but the results are here for your enjoyment. In first place and finally making an appearance on the leader board is the Potentate of Pigskin, Mr. Kerry Byrne. Second place goes to Billy Enright and limping across the finish line is Frankie C.
I didn’t have a good showing in the event but the hurricane has kicked my buzz into extra overdrive. Our crew works its way around the bar to the dueling piano room. The room is packed but we wind up getting a table. Steve Levy from ESPN joins us. Everyone is laughing and singing along with the pianos.
Right about that time, two things occur to me. I am very banged up, and I want to go to the nudie bar. So, I sneak out of the room and into the night. I find the Hustler club on Bourbon Street and go in. Inside I find a seat and order a drink. There’s a girl who climbs up a pole and literally starts doing pull-ups from the ceiling of the club.
Suddenly I’m mobbed by the strippers. One after the next comes up to give me the hard sell on a lap dance. I feel like I’m suffocating. I have to get out of there.
So, I stumble back out to the street and I don’t know which direction I came from so I walk two blocks the wrong way and then course correct back to Canal St. where I catch a cab back to the hotel.
I can barely keep my eyes open in the cab. I’m a certified mess. Finally back in the hotel room, I take a cocktail of three Excedrine Migraine, three ibuprofen and a cup of water and baking soda. From there I climb into bed and pass out cold.
I wake up on Thursday and get dressed to go get some coffee. I find my clothes and my hotel room key and what was in my pockets the night before. Well, everything except my wallet.
Okay, so after my triumphant media day coup interviewing Katherine Webb, we decided to celebrate and hit the French quarter. We grab a cab down there and meet back up with Mikey who had been hanging with the RV since he dropped us off.
It’s great to be back on Bourbon St. I haven’t been here in 11 years and it hasn’t changed a bit. It’s so exhilarating. It’s probably a lot like Charlie Bucket felt in the Chocolate factory. It’s just sensory overload and it happens as soon as you turn the corner down that street. There’s a Magic Kingdom feel to it, except with no cartoons and round-the-clock happy hour. There are lights and music as far as you can see.
It’s actually a quiet night. The streets are deserted outside of the barkers yelling at us to try their bar or strip club. I know this place is going to be bananas as we get closer to the weekend so it’s no disappointment. We’ve got all week.
Our first stop is Pat O’Brien’s for one of their signature Hurricanes. There we had some laughs with Maria the bartender. The laughs were great but the hurricane was more like a tropical storm. I remembered those drinks being ass-kickers the last time I drank them. I don’t think the drink has changed but apparently 11 years has made a slight difference in my booze tolerance.
We continued on down the road to a bar called 7/11 Heat. This is the bar that Kerry and I were at when the Patriots beat the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. I had hoped that the Patriots would be here in New Orleans this year. If they had, I intended to find my way back to that bar and into the general area of where I sat so that I could bring them so good superstitious Juju. I guess I’ll have to save that move for the next New Orleans Super Bowl. I’ll just have to pray the Pats are still contenders.
So I go inside the bar to relive the glory anyway. Inside I ordered a Bud bottle and before I can even argue the girl opens and hands me three of them. I drink one standing there and put the other two in a giant plastic cup to leave the bar and take on the street with me, which in New Orleans is perfectly legal. Have I mentioned how great it is to be back in town?
Back outside, we cut off Bourbon St and head down to the Riverfront for dinner. Along the way I’m still working on my giant beer.
We get down to the restaurant Kerry wants to go to, but it’s closed for the night. We opt for plan B and strike out for K Paul’s, which is a Paul Prudhomme restaurant. We enjoyed a terrific meal served to us by a waiter named Conner who has a handlebar mustache. In case you were wondering, Conner confirmed that the man doesn’t choose the mustache, the mustache chooses the man.
We finish dinner and since the Quarter is dead anyway, we decide to trek back to the hotel and call it a night. We’ll be back at it in the morning.
The following odds and information come from Bovada.lv.
“Bets have steadily been coming in on the Super Bowl props, but two really stand out right now," said Bovada.lv sports book manager Kevin Bradley. "The National Anthem length has been far more difficult to handicap this year than previous years with Alicia Keys saying she is singing her own version.
"Therefore, we went a little high at 2:15, but with two thirds of the money on the under I dropped it to 2:10 and now we're seeing money on both sides. The MVP odds are always really popular, Patrick Willis has seen a lot of interest dropping him from 66-1 to 40-1, even Alex Smith at 100-1 took so much action I had to drop him to 75-1. From a volume perspective, both quarterback are leading the way in bets.”
Entertainment Odds and Ends
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How long will it take Alicia Keys to sing the US National Anthem?
Over/Under 2 minutes 15seconds (2 minutes 10 seconds)
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Alicia Keys be booed during or after her rendition of the US National Anthem?
Yes 5/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Alicia Keys forget or omit at least 1 word of the official US National Anthem?
Yes +150 (3/2) +200
No -200 (1/2) -300
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Alicia Keys add at least 1 word of the official US National Anthem?
Yes +200 (2/1)
No -300 (1/3)
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Beyonce be joined by Jay Z on Stage during the Super Bowl Half Time Show?
Yes +110 (11/10) +100
No -150 (2/3) -140
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Beyonce's hair be Curly/Crimped OR Straight at the beginning of the Super Bowl Halftime show?
Straight -140 (5/7) -200
Curly/Crimped EVEN (1/1) +150
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - What predominant color will Beyonce's top be at the beginning of the Super Bowl Halftime show?
Black 9/4
Gold (Yellow) 11/4 5/2
Silver (Grey) 7/2 4/1
White 5/1
Red 13/2
Pink 15/2
Orange 12/1
Blue 15/1
Green 15/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will either Jack or Jackie Harbaugh be shown on TV wearing any clothing that has either a SF or BAL logo on it during the game?
Yes +200 (2/1)
No -300 (1/3)
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How many times will Jack Harbaugh be shown on TV during the game?
Over 1.5 (-140) (5/7) 2.5 +100
Under 1.5 (EVEN) (1/1) 2.5 -140
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How many times will the game be referred to as theHarbaugh Bowl or Har Bowl or Super Baugh during the game?
Over/Under 2 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Who will be shown first during the game?
Jim Harbaugh 1/1
John Harbaugh 1/1
Split screen shot of both 4/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How long will the post game handshake/hug last between Jim & John Harbaugh?
Over/Under 7.5 seconds 7 seconds
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Who will be mentioned more by full name during the game?
Jim Harbaugh -120
John Harbaugh -120
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How many times will Harbaugh be said during the game?
Over/Under 20 ½ 21 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How many times will Jay-Z be shown on TV during the game?
Over/Under ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will any Baltimore of San Francisco Player on active roster be arrested before Super Bowl XLVII?
Yes 5/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Who will Barack Obama pick to win the game?
Baltimore Ravens -200 (1/2) -175
San Francisco 49ers +150 (3/2) +135
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - What Color will the Gatorade (or liquid) be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?
Clear/Water 7/4 19/10
Orange 5/2 3/1
Yellow 5/2 2/1
Green 13/2 7/1
Red 13/2 13/2
Blue 13/2 7/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?
Teammates 5/4 8/5
God 5/2
Coach 12/1
Family 12/1 15/1
Owner 15/1 20/1
Does Not Thank Anyone 9/4 3/2
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - If Ray Lewis is interviewed on TV after the game on the field or in the locker room how many times will he mention "God/Lord"
Over/Under 3
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - What will the TV Rating be for the Super Bowl?
Over/Under 46
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - How many average viewers will the game have?
Over/Under 111 million viewers
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Which region will have the higher local TV Rating?
Baltimore -150 (2/3) -200
San Francisco +110 (11/10) +150
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - What will happen with the Dow Jones the day after the Super Bowl?
Market Up -140 (5/7)
Market Down EVEN (1/1)
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - What will be the highest tweet per second during the Super Bowl?
Over/Under 15,000
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will any player get a penalty for excessive celebration in the game?
Yes +225 (9/4)
No -350 (2/7)
SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS - Will Randy Moss Retire before Game 1 of the 2014 Regular Season?
Yes -300 (1/3)
No +200 (2/1)
MVP and First to Score a Touchdown Odds
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Odds to Win MVP?
Colin Kaepernick (SF) QB 7/4
Joe Flacco (BAL) QB 11/4
Frank Gore (SF) RB 7/1
Ray Lewis (BAL) LB 7/1
Ray Rice (BAL) RB 10/1
Michael Crabtree (SF) WR 14/1
Anquan Boldin (BAL) WR 16/1
Vernon Davis (SF) TE 18/1
Torrey Smith (BAL) WR 20/1
Ed Reed (BAL) FS 33/1
Aldon Smith (SF) LB 40/1
Dennis Pitta (BAL) TE 40/1
Randy Moss (SF) WR 40/1
Patrick Willis (SF) LB 50/1
Terrell Suggs (BAL) LB 50/1
Dashon Goldson (SF) FS 66/1
David Akers (SF) K 66/1
LaMichael James (SF) RB 66/1
NaVorro Bowman (SF) LB 66/1
Bernard Pierce (BAL) RB 75/1
Justin Tucker (BAL) K 75/1
Ted Ginn Jr. (SF) WR 75/1
Alex Smith (SF) QB 100/1
Delanie Walker (SF) TE 100/1
Field 22/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Odds to Win MVP?
Colin Kaepernick (SF) QB 8/5
Joe Flacco (BAL) QB 11/4
Ray Lewis (BAL) LB 7/1
Frank Gore (SF) RB 7/1
Ray Rice (BAL) RB 12/1
Michael Crabtree (SF) WR 14/1
Anquan Boldin (BAL) WR 16/1
Vernon Davis (SF) TE 18/1
Torrey Smith (BAL) WR 20/1
Ed Reed (BAL) FS 33/1
Patrick Willis (SF) LB 40/1
Dennis Pitta (BAL) TE 50/1
Terrell Suggs (BAL) LB 50/1
Randy Moss (SF) WR 50/1
Aldon Smith (SF) LB 50/1
NaVorro Bowman (SF) LB 66/1
Dashon Goldson (SF) FS 66/1
David Akers (SF) K 66/1
LaMichael James (SF) RB 66/1
Bernard Pierce (BAL) RB 75/1
Justin Tucker (BAL) K 75/1
Ted Ginn Jr. (SF) WR 75/1
Alex Smith (SF) QB 75/1
Bernard Pollard (BAL) S 75/1
Delanie Walker (SF) TE 100/1
Field 25/1
Player to score the first TD in the game?
Frank Gore (SF) RB 13/2
Ray Rice (BAL) RB 15/2
Michael Crabtree (SF) WR 15/2
Anquan Boldin (BAL) WR 8/1
Colin Kaepernick (SF) QB 8/1
Vernon Davis (SF) TE 9/1
Torrey Smith (BAL) WR 10/1
Dennis Pitta (BAL) TE 12/1
Randy Moss (SF) WR 12/1
Delanie Walker (SF) TE 18/1
Bernard Pierce (BAL) RB 20/1
Ed Dickson (BAL) TE 25/1
Jacoby Jones (BAL) WR 25/1
Joe Flacco (BAL) QB 30/1
Vonta Leach (BAL) FB 33/1
Ed Reed (BAL) FS 33/1
Anthony Dixon (SF) RB 33/1
Ted Ginn Jr. (SF) WR 33/1
Ray Lewis (BAL) LB 50/1
Field 17/2
No TD scored in the game 75/1
Team Props
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will the team that wins the coin toss win the game?
Yes -115
No -115
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Team to Score First Wins Game?
Yes (Score First wins game) -180 (5/9)
No (Score First wins game) +150 (3/2)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will Either team score 3 unanswered times in the game?
Yes (3 Unanswered Scores) -180 (5/9)
No (3 Unanswered Scores) +150 (3/2)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will there be a score in the final 2 minutes of the 1st half?
Yes (Score in Final 2 Minutes of 1st Half) -280 (5/14)
No (Score in Final 2 Minutes of 1st Half) +220 (12/5)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Which Will be the Highest Scoring Quarter?
1st Quarter 4/1
2nd Quarter 8/5
3rd Quarter 3/1
4th Quarter 2/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will there be a scoreless quarter in the game?
Yes (Scoreless Quarter) +300 (3/1)
No (Scoreless Quarter) -400 (1/4)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Margin of Victory
Baltimore Ravens 1 to 6 points 4/1
Baltimore Ravens 7 to 12 points 6/1
Baltimore Ravens 13 to 18 points 10/1
Baltimore Ravens 19 to 24 points 20/1
Baltimore Ravens 25 to 30 points 40/1
Baltimore Ravens 31 to 36 points 80/1
Baltimore Ravens 37 or more points 80/1
San Francisco 49ers 1 to 6 points 3/1
San Francisco 49ers 7 to 12 points 4/1
San Francisco 49ers 13 to 18 points 6/1
San Francisco 49ers 19 to 24 points 10/1
San Francisco 49ers 25 to 30 points 16/1
San Francisco 49ers 31 to 36 points 25/1
San Francisco 49ers 37 or more points 25/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Half Time / Full Time
Baltimore Ravens / Baltimore Ravens 13/4
San Francisco 49ers / Baltimore Ravens 13/2
Tie / Baltimore Ravens 15/1
Tie / San Francisco 49ers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens / San Francisco 49ers 5/1
San Francisco 49ers / San Francisco 49ers 1/1
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Team to score first and final result
Baltimore Ravens Score First and Win Game 3/1
Baltimore Ravens Score First and Lose Game 3/1
San Francisco 49ers Score First and Win Game 1/2
San Francisco 49ers Score First and Lose Game 17/4
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will the game go to overtime?
Yes (Overtime) +600 (6/1)
No (Overtime) -1000 (1/10)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - The largest points lead of the game by either team will be
Over/Under 13
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will there be a Lead Change in the Second Half?
Yes (Lead Change in 2nd Half) +150 (3/2)
No (Lead Change in 2nd Half) -180 (5/9)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Longest Touchdown Scored in the Game (Yardage)
Over/Under 46 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Shortest Touchdown Scored in the Game (Yardage)
Over/Under 1 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Total Touchdowns in the game
Over/Under 5 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will there be a Special Teams or Defensive Touchdown scored in the game?
Yes (Defensive or Special Teams TD) +160 (8/5)
No (Defensive or Special Teams TD) -200 (1/2)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - How many successful 3 point Field Goals will be kicked in the game?
Over FGs O 3½ (+120) (6/5)
Under FGs U 3½ (-150) (2/3)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Longest Successful Field Goal in the Game
Over/Under 44 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Total QB Sacks in the game
Over/Under 4 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Total First Downs Made by Both Teams
Over/Under 40 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will either team successfully convert a 4th down attempt?
Yes (4th Down Converted) -250 (2/5)
No (4th Down Converted) +200 (2/1)
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Total Number of Penalties Made in the Game by Both Teams
Over/Under 13 ½
SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will there be a Successful 2 point Conversion Attempt in the Game?
Yes (Successful 2pt Conversion Attempt) +350 (7/2)
No (Successful 2pt Conversion Attempt) -500 (1/5)
PLAYER PROPS
Total Passing Yards - Joe Flacco (BAL)
Over/Under 250
Total TD Passes - Joe Flacco (BAL)
0 3/1
1 7/4
2 5/2
3 9/2
4 or more 7/2
Longest Completion - Joe Flacco (BAL)
Over/Under 40 ½
Total Rushing Yards - Ray Rice (BAL)
Over/Under 69 ½
Longest Rush - Ray Rice (BAL)
Over/Under 17 ½
Total Receiving Yards - Anquan Boldin (BAL)
Over/Under 67 ½
Longest Reception - Anquan Boldin (BAL)
Over/Under 27 ½
Total Receiving Yards - Torrey Smith (BAL)
Over/Under 65 ½
Longest Reception - Torrey Smith (BAL)
Over/Under 29 ½
Total Tackles & Assists - Ray Lewis (BAL)
Over/Under 11 ½
Will Ed Reed (BAL) Intercept a Pass
Yes +300 (3/1)
No -500 (1/5)
Total Passing Yards - Colin Kaepernick (SF)
Over/Under 232 ½
Total TD Passes - Colin Kaepernick (SF)
0 2/1
1 9/5
2 11/4
3 6/1
4 or more 10/1
Longest Completion - Colin Kaepernick (SF)
Over/Under 37 ½
Total Rushing Yards - Colin Kaepernick (SF)
Over/Under 50 ½
Longest Rush - Colin Kaepernick (SF)
Over/Under 19 ½
Will Colin Kaepernick (SF) score a Rushing TD in the game?
Yes +110 (11/10)
No -140 (5/7)
Total Rushing Yards - Frank Gore (SF)
Over/Under 82 ½
Longest Rush - Frank Gore (SF)
Over/Under 17 ½
Total Receiving Yards - Michael Crabtree (SF)
Over/Under 77 ½
Longest Reception - Michael Crabtree (SF)
Over/Under 29 ½
Total Receiving Yards - Vernon Davis (SF)
Over/Under 50 ½
Longest Reception - Vernon Davis (SF)
Over/Under 20 ½
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS - Who will have more Tackles & Assists in the game?
Ray Lewis Tackles & Assists Super Bowl XXXV (5) +5½
Ray Lewis Tackles & Assists Super Bowl XLVII -5½
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS - Who will have more Passing Yards in the game?
Steve Young Super Bowl XXIX (325 Yards) -89½
Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl XLVII +89½
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS - Who will have more Rushing Yards in the game?
Steve Young Super Bowl XXIX (49 Yards) Pick
Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl XLVII Pick
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS - Who will have the longest Rush in the game?
Steve Young Super Bowl XXIX (21 Yards) Pick (-130)
Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl XLVII Pick (EVEN)
HISTORICAL MATCHUPS - Who will have more Rushing Yards in the game?
Jamal Lewis Super Bowl XXXV (102 Yards) -30½
Ray Rice Super Bowl XLVII +30½
Thanks for taking the time to read these. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Sidney Crosby Shots on Goal Feb 3rd vs. Montreal Pick
Torrey Smith Receptions Super Bowl XLVII Pick
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Alex Ovechkin minutes played Feb 3rd vs. Pittsburgh Pick
Shortest Field Goal made in the game Super Bowl XLVII Pick
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Peyton Siva Assists Feb 3rd vs. Marquette Pick
Michael Crabtree Receptions Super Bowl XLVII Pick
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
LeBron James Rebounds & Assists Feb 3rd vs. Toronto -3½
Ray Lewis Tackles & Assists Super Bowl XLVII +3½
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Chris Paul Total Points Feb 3rd vs. Boston Pick
Colin Kaepernick Completions Super Bowl XLVII Pick
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Blake Griffin Points & Rebounds Feb 3rd vs. Boston Pick
Ray Rice Receiving Yards Super Bowl XLVII Pick
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Kobe Bryant Points Feb 3rd vs. Detroit +5½
Randy Moss Receiving Yards Super Bowl XLVII -5½
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Dwight Howard Blocks Feb 3rd vs. Detroit -1
Joe Flacco TD Passes Super Bowl XLVII +1
CROSS SPORT MATCHUPS - What will be higher?
Totals Goals in Manchester City vs. Liverpool Feb 3rd Pick
Randy Moss Receptions Super Bowl XLVII Pick
It was a long road, but we’ve arrived at the Big Easy! We travelled over 1600 miles in roughly 3 days and we pulled into our hotel this morning around 9 a.m. Media Day started at 10 a.m. so we had just enough time to run through the shower and get prettied up for the big session.
Those that know me know I’m never one to pat myself on the back, but I’m looking pretty handsome.
Kerry’s got some stuff to catch up on so it’s me and Billy taking on the madness at the Super Dome. We get there and start to do our thing. We’ve split up the duties like this. Bill gets video of the interviews while I grab still photos of the players and coaches in the booths. Bill gives me a little camera and we part ways.
I look around and realize, I’m on the field that the Super Bowl will be played on in 5 days. I repeat, I’m ON THE FIELD. I am so damned lucky.
The 49ers session is first. I get to work. About 20 pictures deep, the camera stops taking pics. It turns out the memory card is full. I start to panic and call Bill over and over. He’s not picking up though, because he’s busy getting video. Inspiration strikes and I get the rest with my phone. I’m already feeling like I’m failing at the journalist thing, again.
Most of what I picked up while taking my photos is the same generic stuff you hear in every press conference.
Thank God for Randy Moss. Randy was discussing his place in history as a wide receiver and didn’t shy away from saying, numbers aside, he was the best. I’ve got news for you, Randy. Numbers INSIDE, you’re the best I’ve ever seen do it.
The 49er session ends and I find Bill down in the end zone. We head up and get some lunch from the area they’ve set up to feed the media. While in the cafeteria area, I’m seated so I’m looking at a gorgeous woman who looks like the grown-up version of Winny Cooper from The Wonder Years. I’m in love again.
The Ravens media day session is about to start so I peel myself off the floor next to Winny’s chair and head back in. This time, Bill gives me a portable video camera so I can film more “Hot Chicks Super Bowl Picks” spots.
First, though, I have to grab more still shots of the Raven players. So, I make my way around the field snapping photos of the Raven players with their own booth.
I finish the still shots and now I’m free to walk around filming the predictions of the hotties in the room. I’m psyched. I roll up to my first subject, a gorgeous ESPN deportes reporter who speaks very little English, which is fine with me because she’s so smoking hot, she could rattle off a recipe for arcenic meatballs in her native tongue and I won’t care in the least.
I’m nervous when I approach her, because I feel like I’m faking the journalism thing, but she could not have been any sweeter. I hit the power button and the camera comes to life. I film her introducing herself, ask her a prediction for the game and she tells me what she likes about the Super Bowl. No matter, I’m in love again.
So, with our interview complete I thank the young lady for her time and tell her to enjoy the game.
I look down to reset the camera for the next interview and that’s when I see that the battery for the camera is dead. I’m not sure if the girl I spoke to could tell but she’d been on camera all day and my subconscious is convinced she knew. It’s another massive failure for your faithful Frankie C.
At this point there’s about 10 minutes left in the media session. I try to call Bill again, to see if he can help me. There’s no answer again. Twice we’ve parted ways and twice I haven’t been able to do the job due to some defect in the equipment. I wind up finding a place to chill out for the remainder of the session.
Bill calls me back at the end, and finally with some working equipment we manage to get some really cool shots with some extremely pretty girls.
We finish up inside and head out to the shuttle buses only to find new American “It” girl, Katherine Webb. She turns out to be a real sweetheart and let’s us do a brief interview before she’s whisked away by her publicist. We’ll be posting these videos and many more in the coming days. Stay tuned!!!
My fellow Mancatheletes and I are still making our way south to New Orleans. As of this writing, we’ve just crossed into Alabama.
This morning, we woke up in Salem, Virginia and had to pick up some supplies at Walmart before we could get back on the road and chew up some miles. ![]()
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It was at this Walmart that Bill had a conversation with a woman that quite enthusiastically volunteered a story of how in her younger days she saw two aliens in their spacecrafts playing tag and could hear the creatures giggling to each other. Then she lamented the death of Senator Robert Byrd. ![]()
I was going to say that this comment was from out of left field but after you lead with aliens, everything’s on the table.
She kept on talking to Bill, but as soon she broke eye contact with me I began to slink away from her, leaving Bill to endure her rantings without a shred of guilt. Better Bill than me.
So, we restocked the RV and hit the road. This was our travel day so, outside of Kerry doing a slew of telephone interviews we didn’t have a lot to report on.
One thing that did happen was around lunch time, Mikey says he wants to go a place called O’Charlie’s. He was possessed about it. Apparently it’s a chain restaurant along the lines of Applebee’s or Shenanigans from the movie Waiting. Mike’s going on and on about this Louisiana Steak entree they have there. He finds it on the GPS and actually calls ahead to make sure they’d be open when we got there and everything.
We get off the interstate and head down a smaller highway in Morristown, Tennessee and begin to look for the place. Mikey’s fit for a straightjacket in anticipation of this steak and I’m thinking you can’t be serious, Dude.
You’re taking us off the fastest route to our destination to chase down the equivalent of Riblets or something? So we wind up thinking we missed the place and trying to double back only to find out we hadn’t missed it and turned around again and by the time we get there I’m starving and all bitchy frustrated.
But, believe it or not, that Goddamned steak was one of the best I ever had. Score one for Mikey. The guy came through huge just when I’d begun to lose faith. That’s what a champion does.
It also didn’t hurt a bit that O’Charlie’s had O’Jack Daniels and I walked out of there with a decent O’Buzz.
We got back on the road and we’ve been cruising ever since. Talk to you guys tomorrow from N’Awlins!
by Patrick Imig (@patrickimig)
Cold Hard Football Facts Buffalo Wing Beat Writer
DeWayne and Renaldo worked at Nordic Cold Storage in Georgia. There they had access to thousands of pounds of frozen chicken wings.
Their failed heist is the frozen poultry version of a tandem of bank teller's trying to steal money from the company vault.
From the Altanta Journal Constitution:
On Jan. 12 around midday, the two men allegedly backed up an Enterprise rental truck to a bay door at the business, and loaded the truck with 10 pallets of Tyson frozen chicken wings, according to the report.
Managers at the business told police that Jackson used a forklift to load the wings while Patterson served as lookout.
It's interesting to note that the two men were arrested on a felony count and posted bond.
There is no word on the whereabouts of the wings.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CHICKEN WINGS
Chicken wings are an important part of a good life's diet. If you see any of these wings, please collect them or return them to a rightful wing-chomper.

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