Monday Morning Sports Recap

Blogger is updating its website and the one thing I've noticed is that pictures seem to play an important part of this update.  So I've decided I must have at least one photo with every entry which means I must take more photos.  Thank goodness I went to Pittsburgh this year and took plenty of photos for my Monday sports recap blog!

Steelers:

1. Cris Collinsworth - How good is this guy as a football analyst?  I think he is the best in the business hands down.  I would take him over all the rest, past and future.  His call at the end of the first half was epic, with Al Michaels disagreeing with him on whether or not the Raven's Boldin had caught the ball to set them up for a field goal attempt.  Collinsworth insisted he was right and it turned out he was.  Never heard Michaels bow down to him, but he should because he makes Michaels better.
2. Troy Polamalu - Was everywhere in the first half stopping play after play.  He jumped.  He cut corners.  He leaped over men taller then him.  He is so close to intercepting that ball and running into the end zone.  I just know it.
3. Helmet to helmet hits - Once again we get called, but the other team doesn't.  Even after reviewing a play where Ray Lewis hit Hines Ward as he was clearly defenseless, Lewis hitting him from the side, nothing was called.  AAAAHHHH!  Lewis knocked Ward out of the game with what they called a "stinger".  Tells me something ain't right.  He had so better get fined.
4. Run, Ben, run - Nice to see him run a bit, but seriously he has got to finish his run...like into the end zone...and without losing the ball.  The man is clearly bigger than half the football team so run over them for heaven's sake!
5. Losing - I hate it...especially to those guys and that coach.  Not nice folks.

Other:

1. Penn State - Allegations of sexual abuse from a former defensive coordinator have resulted in several arrests after years of investigative work by the Pennsylvania state attorney's office.  Apparently it all stems from someone witnessing a shower abuse incident with an underage male and  Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky back in 2002.  Others arrested for this incident include Penn State officials who knew about the incident but failed to present it to the proper authorities.  Seriously?  In this day and age?  I understand that there are a lot of false accusations and charges out there (hello Justin Bieber??), but if someone makes it school officials have got to act on it whether it is done in house or out.  And out seems a better solution to me as it helps cover the school's butt in the end, doesn't it?
2. Records - Is this the year that the zero win record held by the 2008 Detroit Lions will be broken?  Or how about winning all 16 games?  The Colts and the Packers look ready to do just so after the first half of the NFL season ended.  The Colts lost their 8th straight against the Falcons and the Packers.....
3. Andrew Luck - I hadn't a clue who this quarterback was and I had to look him up with all the hype surrounding him being the answer to the Indianapolis Colts next year.  He is the quarterback for Stanford University and supposedly the one who will be taken first in the draft by whichever team sucks the most by years end.  The article I read about him had Phil Simmons commenting about how great Luck wasn't and that he wouldn't be a huge NFL player.  Uh huh heard that one before...
4. Tim Tebow - about this young lad who yesterday led his team to a huge comeback that led to an interception that led to the Broncos with a win.  Then my favorite thing of all was Jimmy Johnson giving Tebow kudos at the end of the Fox NFL OT like he never was a part of that negative talk way back when.
5. Exciting Endings - Whoa!  How exciting was Eli Manning's comeback for the New York Giants against Tom Brady's New England Patriots?  I watched Brady put it in the end zone for the go ahead score and wasn't so sure Manning would or could do the same by the Giants 3rd down and the clock dwindling down.  I was wrong.  Manning proved once again why he considers himself one of the elites.  And then the San Diego Chargers/Green Bay Packers game came down to the wire with Phillip Rivers leading his Chargers down the field to make up ground.  Unfortunately, his three interceptions of the night set a record and the last one proved to be the Chargers last hope.  That's three in a row in the L column for them, but luckily for them they're in a conference that doesn't have much.
6. Jake Ballard - The Giants wide receiver was the main reason for their win in my opinion.  His catch on third down was incredible!  Then he caught the winning catch in the end zone to call it a game.  Awesome.
7. Tony Stewart - Giving Hoosiers a reason to smile in sports with his latest win in the NASCAR Chase.  Whew!
8. Loyalty - Loved when Fox's NFL OT show ran the tape of Michael Strahan watching his former team put the beat down on the Patriots.  The former Giants defensive end jumped out of his chair, pumped his fist into the air, and then stomped a couple of times on the floor for good measure.  He seemed a tad embarrassed when they played that tape, but I loved it because it showed loyalty and love for a team and fans that got him where he is today.