National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. The league's teams are divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then further divided into four divisions consisting of four teams each, labeled East, West, North, and South. During the league's regular season, each team plays sixteen games over a seventeen-week period, generally from September to December. At the end of each regular season, six teams from each conference play in the NFL playoffs, a twelve-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the NFL championship, the Super Bowl. This game is held at a pre-selected site which is usually a city that hosts an NFL team. One week later, selected all-star players from both the AFC and NFC meet in the Pro Bowl, currently held in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (it adopted the name National Football League in 1922). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues of North America.
Teams
There are 32 NFL teams. Each club is allowed 53 players during the regular season. Unlike Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, the league has no teams in Canada largely because of the historical existence of the Canadian Football League.
Most major cities in the United States have an NFL franchise, with the exception of the second-largest city, Los Angeles, which does not have one either in the city or its metropolitan area, and the seventh-largest city, San Antonio, Texas. The NFL is able to utilize the possible relocation of a franchise to Los Angeles as a threat, for example when trying to persuade local governments to contribute to the cost of new stadiums for its other franchises.[1] The Washington Redskins are the most lucrative NFL franchise and is the most lucrative sports team of all U.S. professional sports, valued at approximately $1.4 billion.[2]
Season structure
As of 2006, The NFL season features:
* A 4-game exhibition season (or preseason) running from late July to late August
* A 16-game, 17-week regular season running from September to December or early January
* A 12-team playoff tournament beginning in January culminating in the Super Bowl in early February.
Exhibition season
Main article: National Football League exhibition season
Summers see most NFL teams playing four exhibition games (referred to by the NFL as "preseason games;" the league discourages the use of the term "exhibition game") from early August through early September. Two "featured" preseason games, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and American Bowl, do not count toward the normal allotment of four games, so the four teams playing in those games each end up playing five exhibition games.
The games are useful for new players that are not used to playing in front of very large crowds. Management often uses the games to evaluate newly signed players. Veteran players will generally play only for about a quarter of each game so they can avoid injury.
Playoffs
Main article: NFL playoffs
The season concludes with a 12-team tournament used to determine the teams to play in the Super Bowl. The tournament brackets are made up of six teams from each of the league's two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), following the end of the 16-game regular season
* The four division champions from each conference (the team in each division with the best regular season won-lost-tied record), which are seeded 1 through 4 based on their regular season won-lost-tied record.
* Two wild card qualifiers from each conference (those non-division champions with the conference's best won-lost-tied percentages), which are seeded 5 and 6.
The 3 and the 6 seeded teams, and the 4 and the 5 seeds, face each other during the first round of the playoffs, dubbed the Wild Card Playoffs (the league in recent years has also used the term Wild Card Weekend). The 1 and the 2 seeds from each conference receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatically advance to the second round, the Divisional Playoff games, to face the Wild Card survivors. In any given playoff round, the highest surviving seed always plays the lowest surviving seed. And in any given playoff game, whoever has the higher seed gets the home field advantage (i.e. the game is held at the higher seed's home field).
The two surviving teams from the Divisional Playoff games meet in Conference Championship games, with the winners of those contests going on to face one another in the Super Bowl.
Television schedule
For more details on this topic, see NFL on television.
The television rights to the NFL are the most lucrative and expensive rights not only of any American sport, but of any American entertainment property. With the fragmentation of audiences due to the increased specialization of broadcast and cable TV networks, sports remain one of the few entertainment properties that not only can guarantee a large and diversified audience, but an audience that will watch in real time.
Annually, the Super Bowl often ranks among the most watched shows of the year. Four of Nielsen Media Research's top 10 programs are Super Bowls.[4] Networks have purchased a share of the broadcasting rights to the NFL as a means of raising the entire network's profile.[5]
Under the current television contracts, which began during the 2006 season, regular season games are broadcast on 5 networks: CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, and The NFL Network. Regionally shown games are broadcast on Sundays on CBS and FOX, carrying the AFC and NFC teams respectively (the traveling team deciding the broadcast station in the event of inter-Conference games). These games generally air at 1:00 P.m. ET and 4:00 P.m. or 4:15 P.m. ET. Nationally televised games include Sunday night games (shown on NBC) Monday night games (shown on ESPN), the Thursday night NFL Kickoff Game, the annual Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day games, and now this 2006 season, select Thursday and Saturday games are shown on the NFL network, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Football League.[6][7]
Additionally, satellite broadcast company DirecTV offers NFL Sunday Ticket, a subscription based package, that allows most Sunday daytime regional games to be watched.[8][9] This package is exclusive to DirecTV in the USA. In Canada, NFL Sunday Ticket is available on a per-provider distribution deal on both cable and satellite.
Radio Schedule
Each NFL team has its own radio network and employs its announcers. Nationally, the NFL is heard on the Westwood One Radio Network and on Sports USA Radio. Westwood One carries Sunday and Monday Night Football, all Thursday games, two Sunday afternoon contests and all post-season games, including the Pro Bowl. Sports USA Radio broadcasts two Sunday afternoon games every Sunday during the regular season.[6]
The NFL also has a contract with Sirius Satellite Radio, which provides news, analysis, commentary and game coverage for all games, as well as comprehensive coverage of the draft and offseason on its own channel, Sirius NFL Radio.[6]
Internet radio broadcasts of all NFL games are managed through FieldPass, a subscription service. Radio stations are, by rule, prohibited from streaming the games for free from their Web sites; however, there are numerous stations that break this rule. The NFL on Westwood One and the NFL on Sports USA Radio are not available on FieldPass.
Player contracts and compensation
NFL players are all members of an union called the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). The NFLPA negotiates the general minimum contract for all players in the league. This contract is called the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and it is the central document that governs the negotiation of individual player contracts for all of the league's players. The current CBA has been in place since 1993, and amended in 1998. The NFL has not had any labor-related work stoppages since the 1987 season, which is much longer than Major League Baseball, the NBA or the NHL. The current CBA expires at the end of the 2006 season.[10]
Players are tiered into three different levels with regards to their rights to negotiate for contracts:
* Players that have been drafted (see below), and have not yet played in their first year, may only negotiate with the team that drafted them.[10] If terms cannot be agreed upon, the players only recourse is to refuse to play ("sit out") until terms can be reached. Players often use the threat of sitting out as a means to force the hands of the teams that drafted them. For example, John Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 but refused to play for them. The Colts traded his rights to the Denver Broncos and Elway agreed to play.[11] Bo Jackson sat out an entire year in 1986 rather than play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had drafted him. He reentered the draft the following year, and was drafted and subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Raiders.[12]
* Players that have played between 3–5 full seasons in the league, and whose contract has expired are considered "Restricted Free Agents" (see below). They have limited rights to negotiate with any club.[10]
* Players that have played 5 or more full seasons in the league, and whose contract has expired, are considered "Unrestricted Free Agents"(see below) and have unlimited rights to negotiate with any club. Teams may name a single player in any given year as a "Franchise Player"(see below), which eliminates much of that players negotiation rights. This is a limited right of the team, however, and affects only a small handful of players each year.[10]
Among the items covered in the CBA are:
* The league minimum salary
* The salary cap
* The annual collegiate draft
* Rules regarding "free agency"
* Waiver rules
Salaries
A player's salary, as defined by the CBA, includes any "compensation in money, property, investments, loans or anything else of value to which an NFL player may be awarded" excluding such benefits as insurance and pension. A salary can include an annual pay and a one-time "signing bonus" which is paid in full when the player signs his contract. For the purposes of the salary cap (see below) the signing bonus is prorated over the life of the contract rather than to the year in which the signing bonus is paid.[13]
Player contracts are not guaranteed; teams are only required to pay on the contract as long as the player remains a member of the team. If the player is cut, or quits, for any reason, the balance of the contract is voided and the player receives no further compensation.[14]
Among other things, the CBA establishes a minimum salary for its players,[14] which is stepped-up as a player's years of experience increase. Players and their agents may negotiate with clubs for higher salaries, and frequently do. As of the 2005 NFL season, the highest paid player was Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, whose "cap value" was slightly under $8 million.[15] The overall value of his contract is 10 years at $130 million, averaging $13 million a year, including signing bonuses and annual salary[16]
Salary cap
The salary cap is defined as the maximum amount that a team may spend on player compensation, (see above) for all of its players combined. Unlike other leagues, for example the NBA (which permits certain exemptions) or Major League Baseball (which has a "soft cap" enforced by "luxury taxes"), the NFL has a "hard cap:" an amount no team under any circumstances may exceed.
The NFL salary cap is calculated by a formula. It is defined by the current CBA to be 59.5% of the total projected league revenue for the upcoming year. This number, divided by the number of teams, determines an individual teams maximum salary cap. For 2006, this is approximately $102 million per team. For 2007, it is projected that this will rise to $109 million.[14]
Teams and players often find creative ways to fit salaries under the salary cap. Early in the salary cap era, "signing bonuses" were used to give players a large chunk of money up front, and thus not count in the salary for the bulk of the contract. This led to a rule whereby all signing bonus are pro-rated equally for each year of the contract. Thus a player who receives a $10 million dollar signing bonus for a 5 year contract would count $2 million per year for the life of the contract, even though the full $10 million was paid up front during the first year of the contract. Also, if a team cuts any player, the signing bonus ceases to be pro-rated, and the entire balance of the bonus counts against the cap in the upcoming season. This is not true of a player's salary which terminates when the player is cut.[14]
Player contracts tend to be "back-loaded". This means that the contract is not divided equally among the time period it covers. Instead, the player earns progressively more and more each year. For instance, a player signing a 4-year deal worth $10 million may get paid $1 million the first year, $2 million the second year, $3 million the third year, and $4 million the fourth year. If a team cuts a player after the first year, the final 3 years do not count against the cap. However, the balance of any signing bonus still counts against the team that cut the player, and it counts in full the year after the player is cut.[14]
The NFL draft
For more details on this topic, see NFL Draft.
Every year during April, each NFL franchise seeks to add new players to its roster through a collegiate draft known as "the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", which is more commonly known as the NFL Draft.
Teams are ranked in inverse order based on the previous season's record, with the worst record picking first, and the second worst picking second and so on. The two exceptions to this order are made for teams that appeared in the previous Super Bowl; the Super Bowl champion always picks 32nd, and the Super Bowl loser always picks 31st.[17]
The draft proceeds for 7 rounds. Rounds 1–3 are run on Saturday of draft weekend, rounds 4–7 are run on Sunday. Teams are given a limited amount of time to make their picks.[18] If the pick is not made in the allotted time, subsequent teams in the draft may draft before them. This happened in 2003 to the Minnesota Vikings.[19]
Teams have the option of trading away their picks to other teams for different picks, players, cash, or a combination thereof. While player-for-player trades are rare during the rest of the year (especially in comparison to the other major league sports), trades are far more common on draft day. In 1989, in arguably the most famous draft day trade ever, the Dallas Cowboys traded running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and six draft picks over 3 years. The Cowboys would use these picks to leverage trades for additional draft picks and veteran players. As a direct result of this trade, they would draft many of the stars that would help them win 3 Super Bowls in the 1990s, including Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland and Darren Woodson.[20]
The first pick in the draft is often taken to be the best overall player in the rookie class. This may or may not be true, since teams often select players more based on needs than on overall skill. Plus, comparing players at different positions is difficult to do. Still, it is considered a great honor to be a first-round pick, and a greater honor to be the first overall pick. The very last pick in the draft is known as Mr. Irrelevant, and is the subject of a dinner in his honor in Newport Beach, California.
Drafted players may ONLY negotiate with the team that drafted them (or to another team if their rights were traded away). The drafting team has one year to sign the player. If they do not do so, the player may reenter the draft and can be drafted by another team. Bo Jackson famously sat out a season in this way.[12]
Further information: List of NFL first overall draft choices
Free agency
For more details on this topic, see Free Agent#NFL Usage.
As defined by the CBA, a free agent is any player who is not under contract to any team and thus has fully free rights to negotiate with any other team for new contract terms.[10][21] Free agents are classified into two categories: restricted and unrestricted. Furthermore, a team may "tag" a player as a franchise or transition, which places additional restrictions on that player's ability to negotiate. However, the ability to "tag" is quite limited, and only affects a handful of players each year.
Free agency in the NFL began with a limited free agency system known as "Plan B Free Agency", which was in effect between the 1989 and 1992 seasons. Beginning with the 1993 season, "Plan A Free Agency" went into effect, which is the system which remains in the NFL today.[citation needed]
Restricted free agent
A player who has more than 3 but less than 5 years of experience is eligible for restricted free agency, whereby his current team has the chance to retain rights to this player by matching the highest offer any other NFL franchise might make to that player. The club can either block a signing or, in essence, force a trade by offering a salary over a certain threshold. In 2006, these thresholds were as follows:
* If a club tenders an offer of $685,000 per year for a three year veteran, and $725,000 for a four year veteran, the player's current team has "right of first refusal" over the contract at those terms, and may sign the player at those terms.
* If a club tenders an offer of $712,000 or 110% (whichever is greater) of the previous year's salary, then the current club has both "right of first refusal" and rights to a draft pick from the same round (or better) from the signing club. Essentially, this means that the new club must forfeit the draft pick to the old club if they wish to sign the player under these terms.
* If a club tenders an offer of $1.552 million or 110% (whichever is greater) of the previous year's salary, then the current club has both "right of first refusal"; and rights to the first round draft pick from the signing club.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Bears, Colts Each Aim to End Championship Drought at Super Bowl
Bears, Colts Each Aim to End Championship Drought at Super Bowl by ecobika
Bears, Colts Each Aim to End Championship Drought at Super Bowl
Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Edited by Ecobika sports betting. The Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts will end two weeks of waiting today when they meet in the Super Bowl. It's been longer for their fans.
The teams, who play for the National Football League championship at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, will each be seeking their first title in at least two decades. Chicago (15-3) is in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning 21 years ago, while Indianapolis (15-4) is making its first appearance since the 1970 season, when the franchise was in Baltimore.
``We'll be excited,'' Bears wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said at a news conference last week. ``Guys will be jacked up for this game. This is the game you have been playing for all of your life.''
The matchup, which starts at 6:25 p.m. New York time, matches the first two black coaches to reach the NFL's title game, Indianapolis's Tony Dungy and Chicago's Lovie Smith. The game was set two weeks ago when each won their conference championships.
``It just shows you it doesn't matter the race, creed or color,'' Colts defensive lineman Anthony McFarland said. ``If you're a good football coach, teach the game and do the right things, winning has no stipulations on it.''
The two coaches are also close friends, a relationship that started when Dungy coached Tampa Bay and Smith was an assistant.
``Whenever you play against your brother, you want him to do well, but you want to win,'' Dungy said. ``On this big stage, I wouldn't want anybody else to be there other than Lovie.''
International Audience
Long the most-watched sporting event in the U.S., the Super Bowl has developed internationally in recent years.
According to the NFL, the game will be broadcast in 232 countries and territories in 33 languages with a potential television audience of one billion. A total of 133 international media organizations will cover the game and 340 credentials have been issued to international media.
``I think that every player that plays this game wants to be in this type of situation where the whole world can watch him play and perform,'' Muhammad said.
Chicago dominated the National Football Conference during the regular season. The Bears allowed the fewest points in the conference, and third-fewest in the league. Their offense, however, struggled at times with Rex Grossman at quarterback.
Grossman threw 23 touchdown passes but ranked third in the NFL with 20 interceptions. He's played well in his two playoff games, completing 50 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and just one interception.
``Rex Grossman is a leader,'' Smith said. ``I trust him with our football team as much as anything. He is a good football player. It's as simple as that.''
Manning
Offense is the main strength of the Colts. Led by quarterback Peyton Manning, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, Indianapolis was the second-highest scoring team in the league this season with 427 points.
Indianapolis was able to overcome a New England Patriots team that knocked it from the playoffs two of the past three years to win the AFC title. The Colts trailed the Patriots 21-3, before rallying for 32 second-half points and a 38-34 victory.
``I know how hard it is to get here,'' said Manning, who's passed for a league-high 787 yards in the playoffs while throwing six interceptions and two touchdowns. ``You certainly want to take advantage of the opportunity if you can. It's one that you don't want to take for granted.''
Bet your team click here
Bears, Colts Each Aim to End Championship Drought at Super Bowl
Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Edited by Ecobika sports betting. The Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts will end two weeks of waiting today when they meet in the Super Bowl. It's been longer for their fans.
The teams, who play for the National Football League championship at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, will each be seeking their first title in at least two decades. Chicago (15-3) is in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning 21 years ago, while Indianapolis (15-4) is making its first appearance since the 1970 season, when the franchise was in Baltimore.
``We'll be excited,'' Bears wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said at a news conference last week. ``Guys will be jacked up for this game. This is the game you have been playing for all of your life.''
The matchup, which starts at 6:25 p.m. New York time, matches the first two black coaches to reach the NFL's title game, Indianapolis's Tony Dungy and Chicago's Lovie Smith. The game was set two weeks ago when each won their conference championships.
``It just shows you it doesn't matter the race, creed or color,'' Colts defensive lineman Anthony McFarland said. ``If you're a good football coach, teach the game and do the right things, winning has no stipulations on it.''
The two coaches are also close friends, a relationship that started when Dungy coached Tampa Bay and Smith was an assistant.
``Whenever you play against your brother, you want him to do well, but you want to win,'' Dungy said. ``On this big stage, I wouldn't want anybody else to be there other than Lovie.''
International Audience
Long the most-watched sporting event in the U.S., the Super Bowl has developed internationally in recent years.
According to the NFL, the game will be broadcast in 232 countries and territories in 33 languages with a potential television audience of one billion. A total of 133 international media organizations will cover the game and 340 credentials have been issued to international media.
``I think that every player that plays this game wants to be in this type of situation where the whole world can watch him play and perform,'' Muhammad said.
Chicago dominated the National Football Conference during the regular season. The Bears allowed the fewest points in the conference, and third-fewest in the league. Their offense, however, struggled at times with Rex Grossman at quarterback.
Grossman threw 23 touchdown passes but ranked third in the NFL with 20 interceptions. He's played well in his two playoff games, completing 50 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and just one interception.
``Rex Grossman is a leader,'' Smith said. ``I trust him with our football team as much as anything. He is a good football player. It's as simple as that.''
Manning
Offense is the main strength of the Colts. Led by quarterback Peyton Manning, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, Indianapolis was the second-highest scoring team in the league this season with 427 points.
Indianapolis was able to overcome a New England Patriots team that knocked it from the playoffs two of the past three years to win the AFC title. The Colts trailed the Patriots 21-3, before rallying for 32 second-half points and a 38-34 victory.
``I know how hard it is to get here,'' said Manning, who's passed for a league-high 787 yards in the playoffs while throwing six interceptions and two touchdowns. ``You certainly want to take advantage of the opportunity if you can. It's one that you don't want to take for granted.''
Bet your team click here
Super Bowl Victor's City May Also Win in Market, Goldman Says
Super Bowl Victor's City May Also Win in Market, Goldman Says by ecobika
uper Bowl Victor's City May Also Win in Market, Goldman Says
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) --Edited by Ecobika Gambling Portal. Companies in the same city as the Super Bowl's victor outperform a benchmark stock index for a month after the National Football League championship game is played, according to Goldman Sachs & Co.
Gains in shares of the team's sponsors and improvements in the home city's economy after the victory may explain the phenomenon. Goldman wrote in a note yesterday that shares of such companies have beaten the Standard & Poor's 500 Index by an average of 0.17 percent in the month after the game.
In addition, ``investors from the winning city may buy more stocks following a win because they feel a sense of joy and optimism,'' wrote Goldman analysts, including David J. Kostin. ``These investors are typically more familiar with regional companies or perhaps have a stronger relationship with management because of the close proximity.''
The Indianapolis Colts were favored to beat the Chicago Bears by seven points in the Super Bowl tomorrow in Miami.
Shares of companies based in Chicago have risen about twice as fast as those in Indianapolis during the past 12 months, according to Bloomberg data. The Bloomberg Chicago Index has advanced 16 percent during that period, as the Bloomberg Greater Indianapolis Index added 8.6 percent.
Super Bowl Indicator
FTD Group Inc., which offers flower delivery through a network of florists, had the biggest advance in the Chicago index, doubling since last year.
Accuride Corp., a maker of steel and aluminum wheels, has led the Indianapolis gauge, which also includes WellPoint Inc., the second- biggest U.S. health insurance provider.
Both teams in this year's Super Bowl have roots in the original National Football League.
In 32 of the 40 years the game bas been played, a win by a one of those teams has coincided with a gain for U.S. stocks, according to Robert Stovall, who has tracked the relationship between the championship game and stocks for three decades.
``That gives us a winning percentage of 80 percent, which is better than any gaggle of gurus or nest of Nobel Prize winners I know of,'' said Stovall, who helps manage $1.5 billion at Wood Asset Management in Sarasota, Florida.
Stovall discovered the connection in a newspaper story in the 1970s and published the first study on the topic in 1979. By the 1990s, the theory had proved correct about 90 percent of the time. Its accuracy declined when the New England Patriots, of the American Football Conference, won three of four Super Bowls starting in 2002.
Stovall said he judges market performance by the directions of at least two of three measures: the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and New York Stock Exchange Composite Index.
uper Bowl Victor's City May Also Win in Market, Goldman Says
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) --Edited by Ecobika Gambling Portal. Companies in the same city as the Super Bowl's victor outperform a benchmark stock index for a month after the National Football League championship game is played, according to Goldman Sachs & Co.
Gains in shares of the team's sponsors and improvements in the home city's economy after the victory may explain the phenomenon. Goldman wrote in a note yesterday that shares of such companies have beaten the Standard & Poor's 500 Index by an average of 0.17 percent in the month after the game.
In addition, ``investors from the winning city may buy more stocks following a win because they feel a sense of joy and optimism,'' wrote Goldman analysts, including David J. Kostin. ``These investors are typically more familiar with regional companies or perhaps have a stronger relationship with management because of the close proximity.''
The Indianapolis Colts were favored to beat the Chicago Bears by seven points in the Super Bowl tomorrow in Miami.
Shares of companies based in Chicago have risen about twice as fast as those in Indianapolis during the past 12 months, according to Bloomberg data. The Bloomberg Chicago Index has advanced 16 percent during that period, as the Bloomberg Greater Indianapolis Index added 8.6 percent.
Super Bowl Indicator
FTD Group Inc., which offers flower delivery through a network of florists, had the biggest advance in the Chicago index, doubling since last year.
Accuride Corp., a maker of steel and aluminum wheels, has led the Indianapolis gauge, which also includes WellPoint Inc., the second- biggest U.S. health insurance provider.
Both teams in this year's Super Bowl have roots in the original National Football League.
In 32 of the 40 years the game bas been played, a win by a one of those teams has coincided with a gain for U.S. stocks, according to Robert Stovall, who has tracked the relationship between the championship game and stocks for three decades.
``That gives us a winning percentage of 80 percent, which is better than any gaggle of gurus or nest of Nobel Prize winners I know of,'' said Stovall, who helps manage $1.5 billion at Wood Asset Management in Sarasota, Florida.
Stovall discovered the connection in a newspaper story in the 1970s and published the first study on the topic in 1979. By the 1990s, the theory had proved correct about 90 percent of the time. Its accuracy declined when the New England Patriots, of the American Football Conference, won three of four Super Bowls starting in 2002.
Stovall said he judges market performance by the directions of at least two of three measures: the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and New York Stock Exchange Composite Index.
Money - The Ultimate Team Sport
Money - The Ultimate Team Sport by Chemain Evans
Imagine if you will that you are NASCAR driver. (Now don't overextend this metaphor-just go with the flow!) You start the race and put the pedal to the metal. The crowd is flying by in a whirl of colors. You're exhilarated by the speed. You're starting to pass some of the other drivers. You are feeling pretty confident about this race. "Eat my dust!" you yell to no one in particular. Just when you're at the top of your game, you suddenly realize your fuel is getting low. You pull over to the side, turn off the car, get out, refuel it yourself, get back in and restart the car, and off you go once again, having lost valuable time.
A few laps later and things are looking up. You're starting to cut down some of the lead that the other cars have had on you. Next thing you know you blow a tire, which you had forgotten to check at your refueling pit stop. So once again you exit the race, turn off the car, get out, change the tire, get back in and reenter the race. Now you're only 30 laps behind, but you think, "This baby's got power-no problem!" You hit the gas pedal and try to make up for lost time. After only a few laps, though, you're low in fuel-again! Once more you exit the race and refuel your car yourself. As you watch your competitors flying by, you are beginning to realize that this is a race you cannot win.
You compare yourself to the winner of the race and wonder what the difference is. Is it your car? No, it's the same model as his. Is it his accessories? Wrong again. You've got everything he does. Is it your skills? Who knows? You seem to drive just as well as he does. Then what seems to be lacking? He must have something you don't. You rack your brain and finally conclude that the only thing he has that you don't is a "small" thing called a TEAM. His team takes care of his refueling and tire changing and all those necessary details, allowing him to focus on the task at hand - winning. You, on the other hand, have been trying to do it all yourself.
A team makes all the difference between winning and losing. The losers of this world are those people who take it upon themselves to do everything single-handedly. These are the do-it-yourself-at- all-costs folks. They believe that nobody can do things as well as they can. Winners, however, understand the importance of synergy (1+1 = more than 2). Winners assemble a team.
How do you win the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA Championship, World Cup, or any other athletic event for that matter? With a team consisting of coaches, players, staff, and a whole lot of other supporting people. Nobody wins on his own. A great coach is nothing without great players. A great player gets nowhere without a great coach (and probably a great agent, too!). Great coaches and players can do nothing without facilities and the people to take care of them; without doctors and nutritionists, physical therapists and other sports medicine professionals; without team owners and financial backing from advertisers. The list could go on endlessly.
You see, everything you do is inherently connected to a team: eating your food, reading your newspaper, buying a home, driving to work. Think about all the teams involved in each of these situations. In fact, the world is so dependent on connections that we cannot function without teams. And yet when it comes to money that is exactly what many of us try to do. We think we know everything we need to know about handling our finances, and no way are we going to pay someone to help us, even if it nets us more in the long run.
Like the winners of the world, the wealthy of the world assemble teams to help them build their financial futures and keep them. The wealthy see their team as an investment, an investment to protect their investments, so to speak. Their team consists of (but is not limited to): a good honest attorney, a tax consultant, an accountant, and many others whose job it is to keep them [the wealthy] wealthy.
So, how would you go about building a team whose job it is to lead you on to financial victory? The first place to start is a mentor, who is probably the most important part of your team. A mentor is someone or something that guides you along your path to wealth (and presumably he or she has already walked that road). Mentors don't have to be actual people (although this is extremely useful for feedback and one-on-one support). Mentors can also be books and other information. Experiences can also serve as mentors. You may have many mentors at different points in your life; often they show up just when you seem to need them. Mentors can also be key to introducing you to other potential team members, such as attorneys, planners, consultants, investors, accountants, etc.
Using a team to achieve your goals is really much simpler than doing it yourself. Nobody can know everything about everything, which is why there are different jobs for different people. There is no way you could learn in your lifetime everything you need to know to achieve financial success if you try to learn it all by yourself, one piece of information at a time. Using the collective resources of your team will greatly simplify your life and infinitely expand your returns. Truly, a team is the only way to win. GO, TEAM, GO!
Imagine if you will that you are NASCAR driver. (Now don't overextend this metaphor-just go with the flow!) You start the race and put the pedal to the metal. The crowd is flying by in a whirl of colors. You're exhilarated by the speed. You're starting to pass some of the other drivers. You are feeling pretty confident about this race. "Eat my dust!" you yell to no one in particular. Just when you're at the top of your game, you suddenly realize your fuel is getting low. You pull over to the side, turn off the car, get out, refuel it yourself, get back in and restart the car, and off you go once again, having lost valuable time.
A few laps later and things are looking up. You're starting to cut down some of the lead that the other cars have had on you. Next thing you know you blow a tire, which you had forgotten to check at your refueling pit stop. So once again you exit the race, turn off the car, get out, change the tire, get back in and reenter the race. Now you're only 30 laps behind, but you think, "This baby's got power-no problem!" You hit the gas pedal and try to make up for lost time. After only a few laps, though, you're low in fuel-again! Once more you exit the race and refuel your car yourself. As you watch your competitors flying by, you are beginning to realize that this is a race you cannot win.
You compare yourself to the winner of the race and wonder what the difference is. Is it your car? No, it's the same model as his. Is it his accessories? Wrong again. You've got everything he does. Is it your skills? Who knows? You seem to drive just as well as he does. Then what seems to be lacking? He must have something you don't. You rack your brain and finally conclude that the only thing he has that you don't is a "small" thing called a TEAM. His team takes care of his refueling and tire changing and all those necessary details, allowing him to focus on the task at hand - winning. You, on the other hand, have been trying to do it all yourself.
A team makes all the difference between winning and losing. The losers of this world are those people who take it upon themselves to do everything single-handedly. These are the do-it-yourself-at- all-costs folks. They believe that nobody can do things as well as they can. Winners, however, understand the importance of synergy (1+1 = more than 2). Winners assemble a team.
How do you win the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA Championship, World Cup, or any other athletic event for that matter? With a team consisting of coaches, players, staff, and a whole lot of other supporting people. Nobody wins on his own. A great coach is nothing without great players. A great player gets nowhere without a great coach (and probably a great agent, too!). Great coaches and players can do nothing without facilities and the people to take care of them; without doctors and nutritionists, physical therapists and other sports medicine professionals; without team owners and financial backing from advertisers. The list could go on endlessly.
You see, everything you do is inherently connected to a team: eating your food, reading your newspaper, buying a home, driving to work. Think about all the teams involved in each of these situations. In fact, the world is so dependent on connections that we cannot function without teams. And yet when it comes to money that is exactly what many of us try to do. We think we know everything we need to know about handling our finances, and no way are we going to pay someone to help us, even if it nets us more in the long run.
Like the winners of the world, the wealthy of the world assemble teams to help them build their financial futures and keep them. The wealthy see their team as an investment, an investment to protect their investments, so to speak. Their team consists of (but is not limited to): a good honest attorney, a tax consultant, an accountant, and many others whose job it is to keep them [the wealthy] wealthy.
So, how would you go about building a team whose job it is to lead you on to financial victory? The first place to start is a mentor, who is probably the most important part of your team. A mentor is someone or something that guides you along your path to wealth (and presumably he or she has already walked that road). Mentors don't have to be actual people (although this is extremely useful for feedback and one-on-one support). Mentors can also be books and other information. Experiences can also serve as mentors. You may have many mentors at different points in your life; often they show up just when you seem to need them. Mentors can also be key to introducing you to other potential team members, such as attorneys, planners, consultants, investors, accountants, etc.
Using a team to achieve your goals is really much simpler than doing it yourself. Nobody can know everything about everything, which is why there are different jobs for different people. There is no way you could learn in your lifetime everything you need to know to achieve financial success if you try to learn it all by yourself, one piece of information at a time. Using the collective resources of your team will greatly simplify your life and infinitely expand your returns. Truly, a team is the only way to win. GO, TEAM, GO!
Hot Tips For Obtaining New York Giants Tickets
Hot Tips For Obtaining New York Giants Tickets by Al Terry
The New York Giants, officially known as the New York Football Giants - so as not to confuse it with the professional baseball team by the same name - was instrumental in bringing professional football to New York City. Those days, circa 1925, was the time when professional football was played in places, such as Dayton, Rochester, and Columbus. It was the time when only professional baseball, boxing, and college football was played.
That particular afternoon in October 1925, the New York Giants brought professional football to New York City, and though they lost their inaugural game at home, 14-0 to the Frankford Yellow Jackets, professional football had come to stay at New York.
The New York Giants, as a professional football team, plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football league (NFL). Founded by a businessman, a bookie, and a promoter all rolled into one - Tim Mara - the New York Giants were one of the very first teams of the National Football League (NFL). Of the five professional football teams to join the NFL that year in 1925, the Giants are the only surviving team.
The Giants have a number of nicknames. They are variously known as Big Blue Wrecking Crew, Big Blue, G-Men, The Jints, The New York Football Giants, and Jersey Giants.
The Homes Of The Giants
The New York Giants, today, are based at the Giants Stadium, in the massive Meadowlands Sports Complex in suburban East Rutherford, New Jersey.
From the time they first started playing, the Giants had four different bases, before they finally settled down in their own Stadium. To begin with, they shared the Polo Grounds with their baseball namesake - the New York Baseball Giants. Before the start of the 1956 season, they moved into the Yankee Stadium. With the Yankee Stadium closing down for massive renovations, the Giants, after playing the first two games of the 1973 season, shifted base temporarily to the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut for the rest of the season, as well as the 1974 season. After the 1974 season, they shifted to their fourth home - the Shea Stadium and stayed there until the opening of their own Giants Stadium in 1976.
The New York Giants have six NFL titles under their belt. Four are the pre-merger NFL Championships, which they won in 1927, 1934, 1938, and in 1956. The other two are the Super Bowls they won in 1986 and in 1990.
The Tickets
As is with most of the sports tickets in New York City, the New York Giants tickets are also not easy to come by. If you are unable to procure them from the venues itself, you can arrange to have your New York Giants tickets bought from the licensed ticket brokers of New York City.
The licensed brokers have the sources at their command to arrange the New York Giants tickets for the games you wish to attend. You will have to pay a little over the face value of the tickets to help cover the costs incurred by the brokers.
The New York Giants, officially known as the New York Football Giants - so as not to confuse it with the professional baseball team by the same name - was instrumental in bringing professional football to New York City. Those days, circa 1925, was the time when professional football was played in places, such as Dayton, Rochester, and Columbus. It was the time when only professional baseball, boxing, and college football was played.
That particular afternoon in October 1925, the New York Giants brought professional football to New York City, and though they lost their inaugural game at home, 14-0 to the Frankford Yellow Jackets, professional football had come to stay at New York.
The New York Giants, as a professional football team, plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football league (NFL). Founded by a businessman, a bookie, and a promoter all rolled into one - Tim Mara - the New York Giants were one of the very first teams of the National Football League (NFL). Of the five professional football teams to join the NFL that year in 1925, the Giants are the only surviving team.
The Giants have a number of nicknames. They are variously known as Big Blue Wrecking Crew, Big Blue, G-Men, The Jints, The New York Football Giants, and Jersey Giants.
The Homes Of The Giants
The New York Giants, today, are based at the Giants Stadium, in the massive Meadowlands Sports Complex in suburban East Rutherford, New Jersey.
From the time they first started playing, the Giants had four different bases, before they finally settled down in their own Stadium. To begin with, they shared the Polo Grounds with their baseball namesake - the New York Baseball Giants. Before the start of the 1956 season, they moved into the Yankee Stadium. With the Yankee Stadium closing down for massive renovations, the Giants, after playing the first two games of the 1973 season, shifted base temporarily to the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut for the rest of the season, as well as the 1974 season. After the 1974 season, they shifted to their fourth home - the Shea Stadium and stayed there until the opening of their own Giants Stadium in 1976.
The New York Giants have six NFL titles under their belt. Four are the pre-merger NFL Championships, which they won in 1927, 1934, 1938, and in 1956. The other two are the Super Bowls they won in 1986 and in 1990.
The Tickets
As is with most of the sports tickets in New York City, the New York Giants tickets are also not easy to come by. If you are unable to procure them from the venues itself, you can arrange to have your New York Giants tickets bought from the licensed ticket brokers of New York City.
The licensed brokers have the sources at their command to arrange the New York Giants tickets for the games you wish to attend. You will have to pay a little over the face value of the tickets to help cover the costs incurred by the brokers.
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was the 41st Super Bowl, the annual AFC-NFC championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The American football game was played on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami, following the 2006 regular season. Kickoff was at 6:27 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears, 29-17. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was named the game's most valuable player, completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Nielsen Media Research reported 93 million viewers for Super Bowl XLI, making it the third most-watched U.S. telecast behind only Super Bowl XXX and the M*A*S*H finale.[9]
This game featured two teams ending long Super Bowl appearance droughts. The Colts made their first appearance in a Super Bowl game since winning in Super Bowl V in January 1971 during the team's tenure in Baltimore; the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984. Meanwhile, the Bears made their first appearance since the 1985 season.
Background
Host selection process
Dolphin Stadium won the bid to host Super Bowl XLI on September 17, 2003 after a campaign against Arizona, Tampa Bay, New York City, and Washington D.C. With this game, the Miami Metropolitan Area tied New Orleans, Louisiana as the city to host the most Super Bowls (9).[10]
This was the fourth Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, which has also been known as "Joe Robbie Stadium" and "Pro Player Stadium". The venue previously hosted Super Bowls XXIII (broadcast on NBC), XXIX (on ABC), and XXXIII (on FOX). Super Bowls II, III, V, X, and XIII were also in Miami, but held at the Miami Orange Bowl. Note that CBS is also scheduled to broadcast Super Bowl XLIV - the next Super Bowl that will be held at Dolphin Stadium. In another interesting note, the winning quarterback of each of the eight previous Super Bowls played in Miami is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
* Super Bowl II - Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers)
* Super Bowl III - Joe Namath (New York Jets)
* Super Bowl V - Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts)
* Super Bowl X and XIII - Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers)
* Super Bowl XXIII - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXIX - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXXIII - John Elway (Denver Broncos)
In February 2006, the NFL and the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee unveiled the slogan "one game, one dream" for the game, referring to the entire South Florida region working together to present the event.[11] The Super Bowl XLI logo was also unveiled, featuring the colors orange (to represent the sun) and blue (for the ocean).[11] The "I" in the Roman numeral "XLI" was drawn to resemble a pylon placed at each corner of an end zone because "the goal is to get to the game."[11] This year's logo has the same shade of orange as the logo of the host city's home team, the Miami Dolphins. The "XL" part is similar to that of Super Bowl XL's logo
Teams
Chicago Bears
Main article: 2006 Chicago Bears season
Chicago finished the season with an NFC best 13-3 record and advanced to the second Super Bowl in franchise history. The team excelled at defense, ranking third in fewest points allowed (255) and second in fewest points allowed per drive[12]. They also ranked second in scoring (427 points), although only tenth in points per offensive drive[12] thanks to a league leading 65 points scored on defensive or special teams plays.
The Bears offense was led by quarterback Rex Grossman, the team's first round draft pick in 2003. Over the previous three seasons, Grossman had played in just 8 regular season games due to injuries, but he recovered to start in all 16 games in 2006. By the end of the season, he finished with 3,193 yards and 23 touchdowns, the most by a Bears quarterback since 1995. Grossman had difficulty avoiding turnovers, however, and threw 20 interceptions and lost five fumbles during the year. In the last seven games of the season, he turned the ball over 18 times. Many fans and sports writers expected head coach Lovie Smith to bench him at some point, but Smith insisted that Grossman would be the starter throughout the entire season.
Receivers Muhsin Muhammad (60 receptions, 863 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Bernard Berrian (51 receptions, 775 yards, 7 touchdowns) provided the main deep threat on the team, along with tight end Desmond Clark, who caught 45 passes for 626 yards and 6 touchdowns. Chicago's running game was led by running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Jones rushed for 1,210 yards and caught 36 passes, while Benson rushed for 647 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
Chicago also had the 5th ranked yardage defense, allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground and registering one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL. The line was anchored by Adewale Ogunleye, who had 6.5 sacks, and Pro Bowler Tommie Harris, who recorded 5, along with rookie Mark Anderson, who led the team with 12 sacks. Behind them, two of the three Bears starting linebackers, Lance Briggs, and Brian Urlacher, were selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In the secondary, cornerbacks Ricky Manning Jr. and Charles Tillman each recorded five interceptions.
The loss of Harris to injury after the twelth game of the season coincided with a decline in defensive performance. Before his loss, the Bears allowed only two opponent to score more than twenty points (23 points to the Arizona Cardinals in week six and 31 to the Miami Dolphins in week 9). After his injury, Chicago opponents scored more than 20 points in six of seven games, including the playoffs. Only the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game were held below 21 points.
The Bears special teams unit was considered by many to be the best in the league. This unit sent 3 players to the Pro Bowl, special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, kicker Robbie Gould (who led all NFL kickers with 143 points), and rookie return man Devin Hester, who gained 600 punt return yards with a 12.8 yards per return average, the second highest in the NFL. He also set a league record with 6 touchdowns on special teams.
Indianapolis Colts
Main article: 2006 Indianapolis Colts season
Indianapolis's first trip to the Super Bowl in 36 years was the culmination of a 9 year long building process. In 1998, they drafted quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the team. Over the next four seasons, Manning, along with other stars such as receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James turned the Colts into one of the best offensive teams in the NFL, but the team struggled to find consistency on defense and always ended up with either a losing season or elimination from the playoffs in the first round. In 2002, Indianapolis fired head coach Jim Mora and replaced him with Tony Dungy. Dungy had developed one of the best defenses in the NFL while coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was hoped he could solve the Colts' defensive problems as well.
Over the next four seasons, the Colts won 48 of 64 games, but still could not find much success in the postseason. In 2002, they were blown out 41-0 in the wildcard round by the New York Jets. In 2003, they won their first two playoff games behind impressive offensive performances, and reached the AFC title game. There they lost to the eventual champion New England Patriots 24-14, with Manning throwing four interceptions. In 2004, the Colts had one of the most spectacular offensive seasons in NFL history, scoring 522 points and gaining 6,582 yards, while Manning set NFL records for most touchdown passes and highest passer rating. But again the Patriots defense (and snowy conditions) proved too formidable, as they lost 20-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
In 2005, the Colts defense improved, making the team the clear favorites in the NFL. They won the first 13 games of the season and finished with a 14-2 record, while ranking second in the NFL in points scored and fewest points allowed. But once again they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, this time to the #6 seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18. After another disappointing loss, Manning had developed a reputation of being unable to make it to a championship, a reputation that followed him from college after he was unable to win an NCAA title with the Tennessee Volunteers (who won a title the year after he graduated). The Colts lost some key players after the 2005 season, including James and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's all-time leader in field goal percentage.
Still, the Colts remained one of the AFC's top teams in the 2006 season. Manning made the pro bowl for the 7th time in his career, completing 362 of 555 passes for 4,397 yards and an NFL best 31 touchdowns, with only 9 interceptions. His favorite target was Harrison, who caught 95 passes for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Receiver Reggie Wayne was also a major deep threat with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight ends Ben Utecht and Dallas Clark were also reliable targets, each recording over 30 receptions for over 300 yards. On the ground, rookie running back Joseph Addai led the team with 1,081 yards and 4.8 yards per carry average. He also caught 40 receptions for 325 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. Running back Dominic Rhodes was also a major contributor, rushing for 641 yards and catching 36 passes for 251 yards. The offensive line was led by pro bowlers Jeff Saturday and Tarik Glenn. On special teams, the Colts signed kicker Adam Vinatieri to replace Vanderjagt. While Vinatieri's career field goal percentage was lower, the Colts considered him to be an improvement because of his reputation for making "clutch" kicks when his team needed them, a reputation aided by his game winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Indianapolis' defense ranked second in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (who recorded 9.5 sacks and forced 4 fumbles) were widely considered to be the best in the NFL. Behind them, linebacker Cato June led the team in tackles (92) and interceptions (3). The Colts run defense, however, was a major problem, giving up 2,768 yards on the ground, an average of 173 per game and last in the NFL. Another major issue for the Colts was their coverage teams, as they ranked #30 out of 32 teams in average kickoff return yardage allowed and #31 in average punt return yardage allowed.
Indianapolis started out the season winning their first 9 games, but ended up losing four of their next seven and finished with a 12-4 record, giving them the #3 playoff seed. Thus, they would have to win three games to make it to the Super Bowl.
Playoffs
Main article: NFL playoffs, 2006-07
Although the Colts' rushing defense looked extremely weak during the season, it ended up being a key factor on their road to the Super Bowl. First, Indianapolis defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8, holding Chiefs running back Larry Johnson (who rushed for 1789 yards during the season) to just 32 yards on 13 carries. Then, they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 15-6, winning on a playoff record-tying five field goals by Vinatieri and holding running back Jamal Lewis (who rushed for 1132 yards during season) to just 53 yards.
Then the Colts faced their arch-rival New England Patriots in the AFC title game. New England jumped to an early 21-3 lead, but Indianapolis stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 32-13 with an additional field goal late in the first half. The Colts' final scoring drive did much to help Manning lose his image of always choking in big games. With 2:22 left in the game, the Colts had the ball on their own 20-yard line trailing 34-31. On the first four plays of the drive, Manning completed three passes, moving the ball 69 yards to the Patriots 11-yard line in just 24 seconds. Three plays later, Addai scored a 3-yard touchdown run to put them in the lead, 38-34 with only 60 seconds left in regulation. The Patriots responded with a drive to the Colts 45-yard line, but defensive back Marlin Jackson ended the drive with an interception to give Indianapolis the win.
Meanwhile, the Bears started out their post-season with a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime. One week later, they defeated the New Orleans Saints 39-14. Chicago dominated most of the game, jumping to a 16-0 early lead. Two touchdown passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, cut the score to 16-14, but the Bears responded with 23 unanswered points to propel them to their first Super Bowl since 1985. Thomas Jones finished the game with a franchise postseason record 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
It was the first time since the 1996 postseason that the home team won both of the conference championship games.
Super Bowl pre-game practices and notes
The Indianapolis Colts held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.[13]
The Chicago Bears held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Hurricanes Football Facility, on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson was required to request a judge's order to leave the state of Illinois due to an arrest for unlicensed ownership of six firearms and two assault rifles. On January 23, 2007, the judge granted him permission to travel out of state to play in the Super Bowl.[14]
Broadcasting
United States
The game was televised in the United States by CBS in high-definition with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and color commentator Phil Simms. This was the first Super Bowl announced by Nantz.[15] Nantz became the first person to call a Super Bowl and then present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team in the post-game ceremonies.
Additionally, the game had Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots reporting on the sidelines and Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan in the stands.
This was the first Super Bowl aired on CBS since the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake incident three years earlier, in Super Bowl XXXVIII; and the first since the Viacom/CBS split at the end of 2005. Extensive pre-game coverage, hosted by The NFL Today team of James Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino, whose name graces the address of the game site (2269 Dan Marino Boulevard), began at noon (US EST) with NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl” year in review (narrated by Tom Selleck). This was followed by "The Phil Simms All-Iron Team", and a four-and-a-half hour Super Bowl Today pre-game show followed by game coverage at 6:25 PM.[16] Other contributors to the pre-game show included Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, Randy Cross, who reported from Iraq where U.S. military forces played a touch football game known as "The Baghdad Bowl" and Dick Enberg, who participated in his 12th Super Bowl telecast as a host, play-by-play announcer, or contributor.
Westwood One provided radio coverage of the event, with Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason as announcers.[17]
The American Forces Network (AFN) provided coverage of the Super Bowl for U.S. forces stationed overseas and to all U.S. Navy ships at sea.[18]
The opening title sequence of CBS television coverage featured the composition Lux Aeterna, by artist Clint Mansell, in the background
Ceremonies and entertainment
Before the game, Cirque du Soleil, Romero Britto and Louie Vega performed as the pre-game act,[21] and Billy Joel sang the National Anthem, accompanying himself on piano. He also performed at Super Bowl XXIII.[22]
Marlee Matlin and Jason Hay-Southwell performed the National Anthem in American Sign Language.[23]
Besides participating in the CBS telecast of the pre-game show, Dan Marino also participated in the coin toss along with Norma Hunt, the widow of Lamar Hunt.
Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula presented the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Colts after the game, and Peyton Manning was named MVP.[24]
American singer and musician Prince performed in the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.[25] The setlist for Prince's performance was a short rendition of "We Will Rock You" by Queen, his signature hit "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby, I'm a Star", cover versions of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Proud Mary", the Bob Dylan composition "All Along the Watchtower", and the Foo Fighters song "Best of You", and in light of the conditions, he fittingly finished the performance with another signature song, "Purple Rain" in the downpour. The 12-minute performance featured Prince accompanied by two dancers he calls “the Twins” and the Florida A&M University marching band, the Marching 100.[26] Prince had rehearsed with the drum line for a week before the performance. The performance was on a large, central stage which was formed in the shape Image:prince symbol.svg, Prince's logo and former name, and was outlined with lights. He played before 74,512 fans at Dolphin Stadium (who had been given flashlights to point at the stage during the performance of Purple Rain). The event was carried “to the biggest audience of his life -- 140 million television viewers”.[27] Overall, the show was energetic and quite well-received by the rain-soaked audience surrounding the stage[28]
Music critics have been extremely enthusiastic about his performance, one calling it "arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history",[27] and others saying it was one of the best ever.[29][30]
Following the game, however, controversy emerged about a silhouetted camera shot of Prince, projected against a large sheet by a bright light on the other side of the performer. The controversy centered around his guitar, which detractors claimed seemed phallic, critics stating that it "looked embarrassingly rude, crude and unfortunately placed." Though the guitar has been considered by some an extension of a male player's sexuality (especially highlighted by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and even Prince himself), supporters of Prince say that the show did not, in fact, become any more sexually charged than usual, noting that "a guitar at waist level does look like an enormous phallus."[31]
Game summary
For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was played in the rain, which had a huge impact on the game, contributing to fumbles, bad snaps, and dropped passes.
The rain did not hinder Bears' return man Devin Hester, who ran back the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to give Chicago the earliest lead in Super Bowl history. The Colts avoided kicking to Hester for the rest of the game, allowing him only one punt return, and choosing to squib kick whenever Hester was in the deep kickoff return position.
On Indianapolis' first drive of the game, defensive back Chris Harris intercepted a deep, third-down pass from Peyton Manning and returned it 6 yards to the Bears' 35-yard line. However, Chicago could not gain a first down on their ensuing possession and they were forced to punt. After several short runs and passes, Manning beat the Bears' defense with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, cutting the Bears' lead to 7-6 after punter/holder Hunter Smith fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt. On the ensuing kickoff, Chicago tight end Gabe Reid fumbled Adam Vinatieri's bouncing kickoff while being tackled by Robert Mathis; Colts guard Dylan Gandy recovered the loose ball. However, on the next play, Indianapolis gave the ball back when running back Joseph Addai fumbled the handoff and Bears defensive end Mark Anderson recovered it.
On the first play after the turnover, Thomas Jones' 52-yard run moved the ball to the Colts' 5-yard line. Three plays later, Rex Grossman threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver Muhsin Muhammad, giving the Bears a 14-6 lead. After forcing an Indianapolis punt, Chicago lost another turnover when Cedric Benson's fumble was recovered by Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney on the Bears' 43-yard line. Indianapolis subsequently advanced to the 36-yard line, but decided to punt rather then risk a 53-yard field-goal attempt.
Following a Chicago punt, Indianapolis drove 47 yards and scored with Vinatieri's 29-yard field goal to make the score 14-9. Chicago were forced to punt again on their next drive, and defensive back Terrence Wilkins returned the ball 12 yards to his own 42-yard line. Manning started out the drive with a 22-yard completion to Marvin Harrison. His next pass went to tight end Dallas Clark for 17 yards. Two more completions moved the ball to the Bears' 11-yard line, and then Dominic Rhodes took the ball to the end zone with three consecutive carries, the last one a 1-yard touchdown run to give his team a 16-14 lead with 6:09 left in the second quarter.
After another Chicago punt, the Colts advanced to the Bears' 36-yard line before defensive back Charles Tillman ended the drive by forcing and recovering a fumble from tight end Bryan Fletcher. But on the next play, Grossman fumbled a snap, and Colts defensive back Raheem Brock recovered the ball. Manning then led the Colts to Chicago's 17-yard line. With two seconds left, Vinatieri attempted a 36-yard field goal, but his kick sailed wide left, and the score remained 16-14 at halftime.
Wilkins returned the second half kickoff 26 yards to the 38-yard line. On the ensuing possession, Addai rushed five times for 25 yards and caught four passes for 19 yards as the Colts drove 56 yards in 13 plays and scored with a 29-yard field goal from Vinatieri, increasing their lead to 19-14. On the Bears' next drive, Jones started out with a 14-yard run, and then Muhammad caught a 9-yard pass, bringing up second down and one on the Colts' 45-yard line. But on the next play, Grossman was sacked for an 11-yard loss by Anthony McFarland. Then, on third down, he fumbled the snap. Grossman recovered the fumble himself, but the Bears were forced to punt, and Wilkins returned the ball 12 yards to the Colts' 36-yard line. Rhodes then gained 52 yards on four carries, with a facemask penalty adding another 10. Chicago managed to halt the drive at their own 2-yard line, but Vinatieri kicked his third field goal to make the score 22-14.
Chicago tight end John Gilmore picked up Vinatieri's bouncing kickoff and returned it 9-yards to his own 45-yard line, with an Unnecessary Roughness penalty on Mathis adding another 15 yards and giving the Bears a first down on the Colts' 40-yard line. Chicago could only gain 14 yards on their ensuing possession, but it was enough for Robbie Gould to make a 44-yard field goal, cutting the score to 22-17. After an Indianapolis 7-play drive ended in a punt, Chicago started on their own 20-yard line with 13:38 left in the game. But four plays later, Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden intercepted a pass intended for Muhammad and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.
From that point on, the Colts took over the game. Four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Colts defensive back Bob Sanders intercepted Grossman's pass and returned it 38 yards to the Bears 41-yard line. Chicago's defense eventually forced a punt, but Smith's 32-yard kick pinned the Bears back at their own 8-yard line. The Bears drove to their own 47, but on a fourth down conversion attempt, tight end Desmond Clark dropped a potential first down reception after being leveled by defensive back Matt Giordano. The Colts subsequently called eight consecutive Dominic Rhodes runs before turning the ball over on downs themselves, leaving only 1:42 remaining in regulation. Five plays later, the game was over.
Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown, while also catching an 8-yard reception. Addai rushed for 77 yards and caught 10 passes (a Super Bowl record for running backs)[32] for 66 yards. Wilkins returned four kickoffs for 89 yards and 3 punts for 42 yards. Jones was the Bears' top rusher with 112 yards, while also catching four passes for 18 yards. Desmond Clark was the Bears top receiver with six receptions for 64 yards. Grossman completed 20 of 28 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, leaving him with a QB rating of 73.9 for the game.[33]
Scoring summary
First Quarter
* CHI — Hester 92 kickoff return (Gould kick), 14:46. Bears 7-0.
* IND — Wayne 53 pass from Manning (run failed), 6:50. Drive: Nine plays, 80 yards, 4:30. Bears 7-6.
* CHI — Muhammad 4 pass from Grossman (Gould kick), 4:34. Drive: Four plays, 57 yards, 2:00. Bears 14-6.
Second Quarter
* IND — FG Vinatieri 29, 11:17. Drive: Eight plays, 47 yards, 4:52. Bears 14-9.
* IND — Rhodes 1 run (Vinatieri kick), 6:09. Drive: Seven plays, 58 yards, 3:08. Colts 16-14.
Third Quarter
* IND — FG Vinatieri 24, 7:26. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:34. Colts 19-14.
* IND — FG Vinatieri 20, 3:16. Drive: Six plays, 62 yards, 2:07. Colts 22-14.
* CHI — FG Gould 44, 1:14. Drive: Six plays, 14 yards, 2:02. Colts 22-17.
Fourth Quarter
* IND — Hayden 56 interception return (Vinatieri kick), 11:44. Colt
Super Bowl XLI was the 41st Super Bowl, the annual AFC-NFC championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The American football game was played on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami, following the 2006 regular season. Kickoff was at 6:27 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears, 29-17. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was named the game's most valuable player, completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Nielsen Media Research reported 93 million viewers for Super Bowl XLI, making it the third most-watched U.S. telecast behind only Super Bowl XXX and the M*A*S*H finale.[9]
This game featured two teams ending long Super Bowl appearance droughts. The Colts made their first appearance in a Super Bowl game since winning in Super Bowl V in January 1971 during the team's tenure in Baltimore; the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984. Meanwhile, the Bears made their first appearance since the 1985 season.
Background
Host selection process
Dolphin Stadium won the bid to host Super Bowl XLI on September 17, 2003 after a campaign against Arizona, Tampa Bay, New York City, and Washington D.C. With this game, the Miami Metropolitan Area tied New Orleans, Louisiana as the city to host the most Super Bowls (9).[10]
This was the fourth Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, which has also been known as "Joe Robbie Stadium" and "Pro Player Stadium". The venue previously hosted Super Bowls XXIII (broadcast on NBC), XXIX (on ABC), and XXXIII (on FOX). Super Bowls II, III, V, X, and XIII were also in Miami, but held at the Miami Orange Bowl. Note that CBS is also scheduled to broadcast Super Bowl XLIV - the next Super Bowl that will be held at Dolphin Stadium. In another interesting note, the winning quarterback of each of the eight previous Super Bowls played in Miami is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
* Super Bowl II - Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers)
* Super Bowl III - Joe Namath (New York Jets)
* Super Bowl V - Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts)
* Super Bowl X and XIII - Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers)
* Super Bowl XXIII - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXIX - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXXIII - John Elway (Denver Broncos)
In February 2006, the NFL and the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee unveiled the slogan "one game, one dream" for the game, referring to the entire South Florida region working together to present the event.[11] The Super Bowl XLI logo was also unveiled, featuring the colors orange (to represent the sun) and blue (for the ocean).[11] The "I" in the Roman numeral "XLI" was drawn to resemble a pylon placed at each corner of an end zone because "the goal is to get to the game."[11] This year's logo has the same shade of orange as the logo of the host city's home team, the Miami Dolphins. The "XL" part is similar to that of Super Bowl XL's logo
Teams
Chicago Bears
Main article: 2006 Chicago Bears season
Chicago finished the season with an NFC best 13-3 record and advanced to the second Super Bowl in franchise history. The team excelled at defense, ranking third in fewest points allowed (255) and second in fewest points allowed per drive[12]. They also ranked second in scoring (427 points), although only tenth in points per offensive drive[12] thanks to a league leading 65 points scored on defensive or special teams plays.
The Bears offense was led by quarterback Rex Grossman, the team's first round draft pick in 2003. Over the previous three seasons, Grossman had played in just 8 regular season games due to injuries, but he recovered to start in all 16 games in 2006. By the end of the season, he finished with 3,193 yards and 23 touchdowns, the most by a Bears quarterback since 1995. Grossman had difficulty avoiding turnovers, however, and threw 20 interceptions and lost five fumbles during the year. In the last seven games of the season, he turned the ball over 18 times. Many fans and sports writers expected head coach Lovie Smith to bench him at some point, but Smith insisted that Grossman would be the starter throughout the entire season.
Receivers Muhsin Muhammad (60 receptions, 863 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Bernard Berrian (51 receptions, 775 yards, 7 touchdowns) provided the main deep threat on the team, along with tight end Desmond Clark, who caught 45 passes for 626 yards and 6 touchdowns. Chicago's running game was led by running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Jones rushed for 1,210 yards and caught 36 passes, while Benson rushed for 647 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
Chicago also had the 5th ranked yardage defense, allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground and registering one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL. The line was anchored by Adewale Ogunleye, who had 6.5 sacks, and Pro Bowler Tommie Harris, who recorded 5, along with rookie Mark Anderson, who led the team with 12 sacks. Behind them, two of the three Bears starting linebackers, Lance Briggs, and Brian Urlacher, were selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In the secondary, cornerbacks Ricky Manning Jr. and Charles Tillman each recorded five interceptions.
The loss of Harris to injury after the twelth game of the season coincided with a decline in defensive performance. Before his loss, the Bears allowed only two opponent to score more than twenty points (23 points to the Arizona Cardinals in week six and 31 to the Miami Dolphins in week 9). After his injury, Chicago opponents scored more than 20 points in six of seven games, including the playoffs. Only the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game were held below 21 points.
The Bears special teams unit was considered by many to be the best in the league. This unit sent 3 players to the Pro Bowl, special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, kicker Robbie Gould (who led all NFL kickers with 143 points), and rookie return man Devin Hester, who gained 600 punt return yards with a 12.8 yards per return average, the second highest in the NFL. He also set a league record with 6 touchdowns on special teams.
Indianapolis Colts
Main article: 2006 Indianapolis Colts season
Indianapolis's first trip to the Super Bowl in 36 years was the culmination of a 9 year long building process. In 1998, they drafted quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the team. Over the next four seasons, Manning, along with other stars such as receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James turned the Colts into one of the best offensive teams in the NFL, but the team struggled to find consistency on defense and always ended up with either a losing season or elimination from the playoffs in the first round. In 2002, Indianapolis fired head coach Jim Mora and replaced him with Tony Dungy. Dungy had developed one of the best defenses in the NFL while coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was hoped he could solve the Colts' defensive problems as well.
Over the next four seasons, the Colts won 48 of 64 games, but still could not find much success in the postseason. In 2002, they were blown out 41-0 in the wildcard round by the New York Jets. In 2003, they won their first two playoff games behind impressive offensive performances, and reached the AFC title game. There they lost to the eventual champion New England Patriots 24-14, with Manning throwing four interceptions. In 2004, the Colts had one of the most spectacular offensive seasons in NFL history, scoring 522 points and gaining 6,582 yards, while Manning set NFL records for most touchdown passes and highest passer rating. But again the Patriots defense (and snowy conditions) proved too formidable, as they lost 20-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
In 2005, the Colts defense improved, making the team the clear favorites in the NFL. They won the first 13 games of the season and finished with a 14-2 record, while ranking second in the NFL in points scored and fewest points allowed. But once again they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, this time to the #6 seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18. After another disappointing loss, Manning had developed a reputation of being unable to make it to a championship, a reputation that followed him from college after he was unable to win an NCAA title with the Tennessee Volunteers (who won a title the year after he graduated). The Colts lost some key players after the 2005 season, including James and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's all-time leader in field goal percentage.
Still, the Colts remained one of the AFC's top teams in the 2006 season. Manning made the pro bowl for the 7th time in his career, completing 362 of 555 passes for 4,397 yards and an NFL best 31 touchdowns, with only 9 interceptions. His favorite target was Harrison, who caught 95 passes for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Receiver Reggie Wayne was also a major deep threat with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight ends Ben Utecht and Dallas Clark were also reliable targets, each recording over 30 receptions for over 300 yards. On the ground, rookie running back Joseph Addai led the team with 1,081 yards and 4.8 yards per carry average. He also caught 40 receptions for 325 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. Running back Dominic Rhodes was also a major contributor, rushing for 641 yards and catching 36 passes for 251 yards. The offensive line was led by pro bowlers Jeff Saturday and Tarik Glenn. On special teams, the Colts signed kicker Adam Vinatieri to replace Vanderjagt. While Vinatieri's career field goal percentage was lower, the Colts considered him to be an improvement because of his reputation for making "clutch" kicks when his team needed them, a reputation aided by his game winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Indianapolis' defense ranked second in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (who recorded 9.5 sacks and forced 4 fumbles) were widely considered to be the best in the NFL. Behind them, linebacker Cato June led the team in tackles (92) and interceptions (3). The Colts run defense, however, was a major problem, giving up 2,768 yards on the ground, an average of 173 per game and last in the NFL. Another major issue for the Colts was their coverage teams, as they ranked #30 out of 32 teams in average kickoff return yardage allowed and #31 in average punt return yardage allowed.
Indianapolis started out the season winning their first 9 games, but ended up losing four of their next seven and finished with a 12-4 record, giving them the #3 playoff seed. Thus, they would have to win three games to make it to the Super Bowl.
Playoffs
Main article: NFL playoffs, 2006-07
Although the Colts' rushing defense looked extremely weak during the season, it ended up being a key factor on their road to the Super Bowl. First, Indianapolis defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8, holding Chiefs running back Larry Johnson (who rushed for 1789 yards during the season) to just 32 yards on 13 carries. Then, they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 15-6, winning on a playoff record-tying five field goals by Vinatieri and holding running back Jamal Lewis (who rushed for 1132 yards during season) to just 53 yards.
Then the Colts faced their arch-rival New England Patriots in the AFC title game. New England jumped to an early 21-3 lead, but Indianapolis stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 32-13 with an additional field goal late in the first half. The Colts' final scoring drive did much to help Manning lose his image of always choking in big games. With 2:22 left in the game, the Colts had the ball on their own 20-yard line trailing 34-31. On the first four plays of the drive, Manning completed three passes, moving the ball 69 yards to the Patriots 11-yard line in just 24 seconds. Three plays later, Addai scored a 3-yard touchdown run to put them in the lead, 38-34 with only 60 seconds left in regulation. The Patriots responded with a drive to the Colts 45-yard line, but defensive back Marlin Jackson ended the drive with an interception to give Indianapolis the win.
Meanwhile, the Bears started out their post-season with a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime. One week later, they defeated the New Orleans Saints 39-14. Chicago dominated most of the game, jumping to a 16-0 early lead. Two touchdown passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, cut the score to 16-14, but the Bears responded with 23 unanswered points to propel them to their first Super Bowl since 1985. Thomas Jones finished the game with a franchise postseason record 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
It was the first time since the 1996 postseason that the home team won both of the conference championship games.
Super Bowl pre-game practices and notes
The Indianapolis Colts held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.[13]
The Chicago Bears held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Hurricanes Football Facility, on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson was required to request a judge's order to leave the state of Illinois due to an arrest for unlicensed ownership of six firearms and two assault rifles. On January 23, 2007, the judge granted him permission to travel out of state to play in the Super Bowl.[14]
Broadcasting
United States
The game was televised in the United States by CBS in high-definition with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and color commentator Phil Simms. This was the first Super Bowl announced by Nantz.[15] Nantz became the first person to call a Super Bowl and then present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team in the post-game ceremonies.
Additionally, the game had Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots reporting on the sidelines and Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan in the stands.
This was the first Super Bowl aired on CBS since the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake incident three years earlier, in Super Bowl XXXVIII; and the first since the Viacom/CBS split at the end of 2005. Extensive pre-game coverage, hosted by The NFL Today team of James Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino, whose name graces the address of the game site (2269 Dan Marino Boulevard), began at noon (US EST) with NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl” year in review (narrated by Tom Selleck). This was followed by "The Phil Simms All-Iron Team", and a four-and-a-half hour Super Bowl Today pre-game show followed by game coverage at 6:25 PM.[16] Other contributors to the pre-game show included Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, Randy Cross, who reported from Iraq where U.S. military forces played a touch football game known as "The Baghdad Bowl" and Dick Enberg, who participated in his 12th Super Bowl telecast as a host, play-by-play announcer, or contributor.
Westwood One provided radio coverage of the event, with Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason as announcers.[17]
The American Forces Network (AFN) provided coverage of the Super Bowl for U.S. forces stationed overseas and to all U.S. Navy ships at sea.[18]
The opening title sequence of CBS television coverage featured the composition Lux Aeterna, by artist Clint Mansell, in the background
Ceremonies and entertainment
Before the game, Cirque du Soleil, Romero Britto and Louie Vega performed as the pre-game act,[21] and Billy Joel sang the National Anthem, accompanying himself on piano. He also performed at Super Bowl XXIII.[22]
Marlee Matlin and Jason Hay-Southwell performed the National Anthem in American Sign Language.[23]
Besides participating in the CBS telecast of the pre-game show, Dan Marino also participated in the coin toss along with Norma Hunt, the widow of Lamar Hunt.
Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula presented the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Colts after the game, and Peyton Manning was named MVP.[24]
American singer and musician Prince performed in the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.[25] The setlist for Prince's performance was a short rendition of "We Will Rock You" by Queen, his signature hit "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby, I'm a Star", cover versions of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Proud Mary", the Bob Dylan composition "All Along the Watchtower", and the Foo Fighters song "Best of You", and in light of the conditions, he fittingly finished the performance with another signature song, "Purple Rain" in the downpour. The 12-minute performance featured Prince accompanied by two dancers he calls “the Twins” and the Florida A&M University marching band, the Marching 100.[26] Prince had rehearsed with the drum line for a week before the performance. The performance was on a large, central stage which was formed in the shape Image:prince symbol.svg, Prince's logo and former name, and was outlined with lights. He played before 74,512 fans at Dolphin Stadium (who had been given flashlights to point at the stage during the performance of Purple Rain). The event was carried “to the biggest audience of his life -- 140 million television viewers”.[27] Overall, the show was energetic and quite well-received by the rain-soaked audience surrounding the stage[28]
Music critics have been extremely enthusiastic about his performance, one calling it "arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history",[27] and others saying it was one of the best ever.[29][30]
Following the game, however, controversy emerged about a silhouetted camera shot of Prince, projected against a large sheet by a bright light on the other side of the performer. The controversy centered around his guitar, which detractors claimed seemed phallic, critics stating that it "looked embarrassingly rude, crude and unfortunately placed." Though the guitar has been considered by some an extension of a male player's sexuality (especially highlighted by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and even Prince himself), supporters of Prince say that the show did not, in fact, become any more sexually charged than usual, noting that "a guitar at waist level does look like an enormous phallus."[31]
Game summary
For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was played in the rain, which had a huge impact on the game, contributing to fumbles, bad snaps, and dropped passes.
The rain did not hinder Bears' return man Devin Hester, who ran back the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to give Chicago the earliest lead in Super Bowl history. The Colts avoided kicking to Hester for the rest of the game, allowing him only one punt return, and choosing to squib kick whenever Hester was in the deep kickoff return position.
On Indianapolis' first drive of the game, defensive back Chris Harris intercepted a deep, third-down pass from Peyton Manning and returned it 6 yards to the Bears' 35-yard line. However, Chicago could not gain a first down on their ensuing possession and they were forced to punt. After several short runs and passes, Manning beat the Bears' defense with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, cutting the Bears' lead to 7-6 after punter/holder Hunter Smith fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt. On the ensuing kickoff, Chicago tight end Gabe Reid fumbled Adam Vinatieri's bouncing kickoff while being tackled by Robert Mathis; Colts guard Dylan Gandy recovered the loose ball. However, on the next play, Indianapolis gave the ball back when running back Joseph Addai fumbled the handoff and Bears defensive end Mark Anderson recovered it.
On the first play after the turnover, Thomas Jones' 52-yard run moved the ball to the Colts' 5-yard line. Three plays later, Rex Grossman threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver Muhsin Muhammad, giving the Bears a 14-6 lead. After forcing an Indianapolis punt, Chicago lost another turnover when Cedric Benson's fumble was recovered by Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney on the Bears' 43-yard line. Indianapolis subsequently advanced to the 36-yard line, but decided to punt rather then risk a 53-yard field-goal attempt.
Following a Chicago punt, Indianapolis drove 47 yards and scored with Vinatieri's 29-yard field goal to make the score 14-9. Chicago were forced to punt again on their next drive, and defensive back Terrence Wilkins returned the ball 12 yards to his own 42-yard line. Manning started out the drive with a 22-yard completion to Marvin Harrison. His next pass went to tight end Dallas Clark for 17 yards. Two more completions moved the ball to the Bears' 11-yard line, and then Dominic Rhodes took the ball to the end zone with three consecutive carries, the last one a 1-yard touchdown run to give his team a 16-14 lead with 6:09 left in the second quarter.
After another Chicago punt, the Colts advanced to the Bears' 36-yard line before defensive back Charles Tillman ended the drive by forcing and recovering a fumble from tight end Bryan Fletcher. But on the next play, Grossman fumbled a snap, and Colts defensive back Raheem Brock recovered the ball. Manning then led the Colts to Chicago's 17-yard line. With two seconds left, Vinatieri attempted a 36-yard field goal, but his kick sailed wide left, and the score remained 16-14 at halftime.
Wilkins returned the second half kickoff 26 yards to the 38-yard line. On the ensuing possession, Addai rushed five times for 25 yards and caught four passes for 19 yards as the Colts drove 56 yards in 13 plays and scored with a 29-yard field goal from Vinatieri, increasing their lead to 19-14. On the Bears' next drive, Jones started out with a 14-yard run, and then Muhammad caught a 9-yard pass, bringing up second down and one on the Colts' 45-yard line. But on the next play, Grossman was sacked for an 11-yard loss by Anthony McFarland. Then, on third down, he fumbled the snap. Grossman recovered the fumble himself, but the Bears were forced to punt, and Wilkins returned the ball 12 yards to the Colts' 36-yard line. Rhodes then gained 52 yards on four carries, with a facemask penalty adding another 10. Chicago managed to halt the drive at their own 2-yard line, but Vinatieri kicked his third field goal to make the score 22-14.
Chicago tight end John Gilmore picked up Vinatieri's bouncing kickoff and returned it 9-yards to his own 45-yard line, with an Unnecessary Roughness penalty on Mathis adding another 15 yards and giving the Bears a first down on the Colts' 40-yard line. Chicago could only gain 14 yards on their ensuing possession, but it was enough for Robbie Gould to make a 44-yard field goal, cutting the score to 22-17. After an Indianapolis 7-play drive ended in a punt, Chicago started on their own 20-yard line with 13:38 left in the game. But four plays later, Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden intercepted a pass intended for Muhammad and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.
From that point on, the Colts took over the game. Four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Colts defensive back Bob Sanders intercepted Grossman's pass and returned it 38 yards to the Bears 41-yard line. Chicago's defense eventually forced a punt, but Smith's 32-yard kick pinned the Bears back at their own 8-yard line. The Bears drove to their own 47, but on a fourth down conversion attempt, tight end Desmond Clark dropped a potential first down reception after being leveled by defensive back Matt Giordano. The Colts subsequently called eight consecutive Dominic Rhodes runs before turning the ball over on downs themselves, leaving only 1:42 remaining in regulation. Five plays later, the game was over.
Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown, while also catching an 8-yard reception. Addai rushed for 77 yards and caught 10 passes (a Super Bowl record for running backs)[32] for 66 yards. Wilkins returned four kickoffs for 89 yards and 3 punts for 42 yards. Jones was the Bears' top rusher with 112 yards, while also catching four passes for 18 yards. Desmond Clark was the Bears top receiver with six receptions for 64 yards. Grossman completed 20 of 28 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, leaving him with a QB rating of 73.9 for the game.[33]
Scoring summary
First Quarter
* CHI — Hester 92 kickoff return (Gould kick), 14:46. Bears 7-0.
* IND — Wayne 53 pass from Manning (run failed), 6:50. Drive: Nine plays, 80 yards, 4:30. Bears 7-6.
* CHI — Muhammad 4 pass from Grossman (Gould kick), 4:34. Drive: Four plays, 57 yards, 2:00. Bears 14-6.
Second Quarter
* IND — FG Vinatieri 29, 11:17. Drive: Eight plays, 47 yards, 4:52. Bears 14-9.
* IND — Rhodes 1 run (Vinatieri kick), 6:09. Drive: Seven plays, 58 yards, 3:08. Colts 16-14.
Third Quarter
* IND — FG Vinatieri 24, 7:26. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:34. Colts 19-14.
* IND — FG Vinatieri 20, 3:16. Drive: Six plays, 62 yards, 2:07. Colts 22-14.
* CHI — FG Gould 44, 1:14. Drive: Six plays, 14 yards, 2:02. Colts 22-17.
Fourth Quarter
* IND — Hayden 56 interception return (Vinatieri kick), 11:44. Colt
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Top Ten Superbowl Snack Foods
Top Ten Superbowl Snack Foods by Chris McCarthy
Even if you don't really follow football closely or at all - everyone celebrates the Superbowl. There is fun for everyone, like new and funny commercials, over the top pre-game and half time shows, and an excuse to have a party, eat and drink too much.
The foods that are most famously associated with this event are admittedly geared more towards men and carnivorous choices but, you can find a vegetable or legume on the list too. Some items on the list can be made as unhealthily or healthful as you like by the ingredients you use.
Most would agree that the Superbowl is all about food, friends and fun!
Okay, Here is my list of the top ten Superbowl foods:
10. Chips, Dips, Salsa and Nuts
This is a big umbrella of general "snack food" or " junk food". Beer nuts or any kind of nuts are almost a pre-requisite for a Football party anyway. There are some really great appetizers that are now almost synonymous with Football. For example: Nachos - whether you just pour some melted cheese on them or go all out with salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, black olives, refried beans and spiced ground meat - these are always a crowd pleaser. There's also the "old fashioned" Chex mix that is really quite a nice retro snack. Purchase, various Chex cereal flavors, add mini pretzels, some peanuts, melt some butter and honey with some kicked up seasonings - mix them all together and spread them out on a cookie sheet in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes. Great stuff.
9. BBQ Baked Beans
The classic baked bean recipe can take over 24 hours to prepare and serve. It involves soaking the dry beans which takes up most of the time, and marinating and baking the beans in a combination of Molasses, brown sugar and BBQ sauce. It normally has Pork in it too and that adds a really great flavor but, if that's not your bag you can substitute ground turkey or have no meat at all.
8. Steak Tips
There are also Turkey, Swordfish and Chicken tips out there too now a days. Whichever you choose, marinating them in a good marinade first is a must. Steak will need the longest in a marinade but, all of them will be great once they are grilled on a nice hot grill. Pair tips with Salad and a mixed rice and you are all set!
7. Sandwiches
I prefer the foot long Italian hoagie from the local deli cut up into 2 or 3 inch size sandwiches. Hot peppers are a necessity but should probably be "on the side" for the less inclined. Any kind of sandwiches will work really and Calzones which are not really considered sandwiches are a great choice because they are easy to eat while not sitting down and come in all kinds of yummy flavors.
6. Pizza
Well, I had to put it on the list. It is really popular as a football food. It's not truly my choice but, considering that watching football is a male oriented past time and most men are not into cooking, it makes sense that something you can pick up the phone and have delivered within 30 minutes (men are not normally planners either) would be on the list. PS: Anything that can be ordered, created and delivered within 30 minutes is not something I would recommend for adults - Children...okay.
5. BBQ Pork with all the fix'ins
This choice is really for a dedicated BBQ'er and will take some time to do right but, boy. It is well worth it. You really have to start this menu item the day before you want to enjoy it. It takes a smoker and a pork butt, some good dry rub, a mop sauce (this is important as far as I am concerned) and some good BBQ sauce along with a dedication to the low and slow way of cooking. In addition to the pulled pork, lay out some hamburger buns, home made cold slaw, and some chips and you have the perfect football party meal. 4. Chili
This is one of the most versatile and easy one-pan dishes you can make. You can prepare it for a whole crowd using a crockpot and it has so many variations there is bound to be one that's to your liking. Just type in "Chili Recipes" in Google or your favorite browser and see all of the hits you get. Yep, you can't go wrong with a good chili. Make sure to have extra hot sauce for the diehards that insist on kicking it up a notch!
3. Ribs
Short ribs, Long ribs, Dry ribs, Wet ribs....There is a whole big debate about the best type of meat to use and the best way to cook ribs that is almost as hotly debated as who is going to win the big game. Two things I can tell you about ribs: 1. They are difficult to cook just right and, 2. When they are cooked correctly they are delicious! My suggestion to you is to purchase some ribs at your best local BBQ restaurant or grocery market and pop them in your oven before your friends arrive, set out your favorite BBQ sauce and pass them off as your own creation. See if anyone figures it out.
2. Sausages, Hot Dogs
These may not appeal to those of you that are on a health food kick but, really there have been vast improvements in the hot dog and sausage varieties and quite a few are now more healthy options than other choices. And really, what's better than a sweet Italian Sausage smothered in sauted peppers and onions with gobs of mustard all wrapped up in a bun - mummm mummm. You can take a walk at half time to make up for it.
1. Chicken Wings
Okay, No surprise here. I don't know exactly how Chicken Wings became the unofficial Football food but, I am cool with it. I have no complaints. Wings are pretty easy to make and you can make small batches at a time which is great if you are not sure how many people will be showing up demanding to be feed on the big day. The secret to great wings is the Wing sauce. There are almost as many brands of Wing sauce these days as BBQ sauce and mustard! That tells a little something about how popular these babies are.
Even if you don't really follow football closely or at all - everyone celebrates the Superbowl. There is fun for everyone, like new and funny commercials, over the top pre-game and half time shows, and an excuse to have a party, eat and drink too much.
The foods that are most famously associated with this event are admittedly geared more towards men and carnivorous choices but, you can find a vegetable or legume on the list too. Some items on the list can be made as unhealthily or healthful as you like by the ingredients you use.
Most would agree that the Superbowl is all about food, friends and fun!
Okay, Here is my list of the top ten Superbowl foods:
10. Chips, Dips, Salsa and Nuts
This is a big umbrella of general "snack food" or " junk food". Beer nuts or any kind of nuts are almost a pre-requisite for a Football party anyway. There are some really great appetizers that are now almost synonymous with Football. For example: Nachos - whether you just pour some melted cheese on them or go all out with salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, black olives, refried beans and spiced ground meat - these are always a crowd pleaser. There's also the "old fashioned" Chex mix that is really quite a nice retro snack. Purchase, various Chex cereal flavors, add mini pretzels, some peanuts, melt some butter and honey with some kicked up seasonings - mix them all together and spread them out on a cookie sheet in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes. Great stuff.
9. BBQ Baked Beans
The classic baked bean recipe can take over 24 hours to prepare and serve. It involves soaking the dry beans which takes up most of the time, and marinating and baking the beans in a combination of Molasses, brown sugar and BBQ sauce. It normally has Pork in it too and that adds a really great flavor but, if that's not your bag you can substitute ground turkey or have no meat at all.
8. Steak Tips
There are also Turkey, Swordfish and Chicken tips out there too now a days. Whichever you choose, marinating them in a good marinade first is a must. Steak will need the longest in a marinade but, all of them will be great once they are grilled on a nice hot grill. Pair tips with Salad and a mixed rice and you are all set!
7. Sandwiches
I prefer the foot long Italian hoagie from the local deli cut up into 2 or 3 inch size sandwiches. Hot peppers are a necessity but should probably be "on the side" for the less inclined. Any kind of sandwiches will work really and Calzones which are not really considered sandwiches are a great choice because they are easy to eat while not sitting down and come in all kinds of yummy flavors.
6. Pizza
Well, I had to put it on the list. It is really popular as a football food. It's not truly my choice but, considering that watching football is a male oriented past time and most men are not into cooking, it makes sense that something you can pick up the phone and have delivered within 30 minutes (men are not normally planners either) would be on the list. PS: Anything that can be ordered, created and delivered within 30 minutes is not something I would recommend for adults - Children...okay.
5. BBQ Pork with all the fix'ins
This choice is really for a dedicated BBQ'er and will take some time to do right but, boy. It is well worth it. You really have to start this menu item the day before you want to enjoy it. It takes a smoker and a pork butt, some good dry rub, a mop sauce (this is important as far as I am concerned) and some good BBQ sauce along with a dedication to the low and slow way of cooking. In addition to the pulled pork, lay out some hamburger buns, home made cold slaw, and some chips and you have the perfect football party meal. 4. Chili
This is one of the most versatile and easy one-pan dishes you can make. You can prepare it for a whole crowd using a crockpot and it has so many variations there is bound to be one that's to your liking. Just type in "Chili Recipes" in Google or your favorite browser and see all of the hits you get. Yep, you can't go wrong with a good chili. Make sure to have extra hot sauce for the diehards that insist on kicking it up a notch!
3. Ribs
Short ribs, Long ribs, Dry ribs, Wet ribs....There is a whole big debate about the best type of meat to use and the best way to cook ribs that is almost as hotly debated as who is going to win the big game. Two things I can tell you about ribs: 1. They are difficult to cook just right and, 2. When they are cooked correctly they are delicious! My suggestion to you is to purchase some ribs at your best local BBQ restaurant or grocery market and pop them in your oven before your friends arrive, set out your favorite BBQ sauce and pass them off as your own creation. See if anyone figures it out.
2. Sausages, Hot Dogs
These may not appeal to those of you that are on a health food kick but, really there have been vast improvements in the hot dog and sausage varieties and quite a few are now more healthy options than other choices. And really, what's better than a sweet Italian Sausage smothered in sauted peppers and onions with gobs of mustard all wrapped up in a bun - mummm mummm. You can take a walk at half time to make up for it.
1. Chicken Wings
Okay, No surprise here. I don't know exactly how Chicken Wings became the unofficial Football food but, I am cool with it. I have no complaints. Wings are pretty easy to make and you can make small batches at a time which is great if you are not sure how many people will be showing up demanding to be feed on the big day. The secret to great wings is the Wing sauce. There are almost as many brands of Wing sauce these days as BBQ sauce and mustard! That tells a little something about how popular these babies are.
The NFL SuperBowl by Ecobika free NFL picks
The NFL SuperBowl by Ecobika free NFL picks by ecobika
SuperBowl Free NFL Pick . The NFL SuperBowl by Ecobika free NFL picks mathematical football prediction formula give you the chance to win without reading injury reports, headline buzz, or any other interference. Inside the lines NFL Super Bowl with Ecobika. Certainly no any guarantee that these picks are sure winners. The NFL prediction are made purely by the statistical evidences of this regular season data, not influenced by the odds neither. Here you are, Ecobika mathematical forecasts - made on Monday, 22 January 2007. NFL Super Bowl handicappings tips. New Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears -7/+7 O/U 48.5
Extreme NFL cappers value on:
Chicago +7 bet it here.
Forget the totals. But if you want to win big:
TAKE THE CHICAGO BEARS TO WIN STRAIGHT ON MONEYLINE clicking here. Why? Simple: the maths of the season indicate Bears.
Copyright Ecobika sportsbetting picks.
41 is the magic number - Ecobika Free Picks Handicapping recommends. To celebrate the 41st Super Bowl, Gamebookers are offering a 100% matched bonus to all users, both new and old, up to a value of €41. Simply place a bet on any of the 3 main Super Bowl markets (Line, Handicap and Under / Over) between Monday January 22 at 12:00 CET and Sunday February 4 at 24:00 CET at www.gamebookers.com and we will then automatically match your first bet stake with a betting bonus up to a maximum of €41 to bet on what ever you like.
1.40 IND Colts v CHI Bears 3.10
How to access your account? Your username: ecobika Simply, go to gamebookers and login with this username and your password.
Super Bowl Propositions - The Achilles' Heel of Square Books - The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by edited by Ecobika Sport betting
Super Bowl Propositions - The Achilles' Heel of Square Books
According to USA Today, half of all Americans will wager on the Super Bowl, as a result, 90% of bets on the game are made by novice gamblers. Aware of the opportunity to attract new customers, sportsbooks understandably focus an enormous amount of energy on the biggest game on the sports schedule. The most successful approach to excite these armchair bettors is to offer propositions that promise potentially big returns for a very modest outlay, and those that focus on seemingly random or humorous events.
The problem that books face with this approach is that often just one odds maker is pricing the lines based on variables that he has far less reliable data on than he is used to. These propositions can be the easiest for an educated player to beat and sportsbooks routinely lose money on them. Propositions are a loss-leader for the betting world to tempt new bettors who will end up losing money on one of the more lucrative areas for the bookie. To protect themselves in this unusually vulnerable situation, sportsbooks build in inordinately large margins - typically using a 30 or 40-cent line with low wagering limits - yet will often consider a break-even result a success.
When you wager on a proposition, it's typically your opinion versus one odds maker. If you know more than that one odds maker, you are going to get the best of it. For Super Bowl XLI, Pinnacle Sportsbook is offering over 200 props with many priced to world beating 15-cent margins, a significant savings versus the 30 to 40-cent lines at other online books.
With this many wagering options and the public betting like mad, it's not uncommon to see prop lines move on public money alone. At Pinnacle Sportsbetting, there are several professional prop players that will take a contrarian view on our props and bet almost any one that moves more than 20 cents (betting towards the original price). Therefore, the 'Pinnacle Lean' is useful for measuring market prices on props as well as on sides and totals. For example, PinnacleSports.com is offering the following prop: 'Who will score the first TD?' at Colts -145/Bears +130. This suggests that the no-vig price based on our 15-cent line is -137.5/+137.5. Therefore, you can 'play the lean' if you find another book with the Yes at -136.5, or the No at +138.5.
The biggest mistake that players and odds makers make when evaluating props is in not understanding the difference between the median and the mean (average). Most players would assume that the average (total/frequency) is an accurate measure, but the correct way to analyze many of these types of props is to use the median. Looking at a list of theoretical score lengths in ascending order, the median is the middle number:
1
1
17
20 (median)
39
47
59
If you assumed before Sunday's game that these seven scores would occur, and assessed the prop 'Will the first score be more than 24.5 yards?' you'd price the 'No' knowing the under would hit four out of seven times, making the no-vig price on the 'No' -133 or (-4/3*100). Whereas if you took the average it would give you another answer (26.3), and lead you to the very different and misleading conclusion that the over is more likely.
Although this concept is simple and rather obvious, it will pay dividends to anyone who is prepared to spend time calculating the median. The median is useful on all types of props - from 'length of first rush' to the 'longest/shortest' props (where you use the median result from games for the whole season). In fact, there are two straightforward ways to accurately price these types of props.
First, you'll want to use as much data as possible. Since the Colts have played 19 games and Chicago has played 18 games, this gives you a much better estimate of a fair mid-point. Secondly, you should also consider adjusting your data for the opponent, perhaps ignoring some data for games that aren't similar to their Super Bowl opponent. Sharp bettors might only use data where both teams were playing under similar spread scenarios (though this might produce a small sample for the Bears).
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports Book?
Chicago +6.5 +103 vs. Indianapolis. It appears like their opening line of Indianapolis -6.5 is solid, as we haven't had to move off the number just yet. In the nearly two weeks since the Conference Championships, the Super Bowl line has only moved four cents from -115 to -111. Public opinion of the AFC being the stronger conference has been evident throughout, while the larger volume bets have come in on the Bears. While the line is standing at 6.5 (-111), it could easily move to the 7 on Sunday when we expect a flurry of bets before kickoff.
Chicago vs. Indianapolis Under 48 points -115 The Super Bowl total opened at 48.5 with two-way betting to start although the heavier volume came in on the under pushing the line down a few cents. This was followed by many small wagers on the over, mixed in with plays on the under. The line was pushed down to 48 after several large plays on the under from our sharper players. Although we've received three times as many plays on the over, the larger volume on the under has the line standing at -115 on the under, which could move another half point by kickoff on Sunday to 47.5.
Chicago +3.5 -102 vs. Indianapolis 1st Half. Indianapolis opened as 4-point favorites in the first half at -111. All of the early betting for the Super Bowl first half line was on Chicago, dropping the line to 3.5 before we saw any buyback on the Colts. The line has since settled at 3.5 where we are seeing more balanced action.
Chicago vs. Indianapolis 1st Half Under 24.5 -132 We opened the first half total at 24.5 with the under a -125 favorite. Early betting clearly favored the over with some mixed buyback on the under. The line has been lowered seven cents due to the game total being lowered even though we've received five times more plays on the first half over.
Pinnacle Sports Book & Online Betting is an online betting company providing the best odds on sportsbook gambling, online horseracing and online casino gaming. With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting requirements and game wagering needs. The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting so sign-up now with Pinnacle Sportsbook Betting and get wagering today!
SuperBowl Free NFL Pick . The NFL SuperBowl by Ecobika free NFL picks mathematical football prediction formula give you the chance to win without reading injury reports, headline buzz, or any other interference. Inside the lines NFL Super Bowl with Ecobika. Certainly no any guarantee that these picks are sure winners. The NFL prediction are made purely by the statistical evidences of this regular season data, not influenced by the odds neither. Here you are, Ecobika mathematical forecasts - made on Monday, 22 January 2007. NFL Super Bowl handicappings tips. New Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears -7/+7 O/U 48.5
Extreme NFL cappers value on:
Chicago +7 bet it here.
Forget the totals. But if you want to win big:
TAKE THE CHICAGO BEARS TO WIN STRAIGHT ON MONEYLINE clicking here. Why? Simple: the maths of the season indicate Bears.
Copyright Ecobika sportsbetting picks.
41 is the magic number - Ecobika Free Picks Handicapping recommends. To celebrate the 41st Super Bowl, Gamebookers are offering a 100% matched bonus to all users, both new and old, up to a value of €41. Simply place a bet on any of the 3 main Super Bowl markets (Line, Handicap and Under / Over) between Monday January 22 at 12:00 CET and Sunday February 4 at 24:00 CET at www.gamebookers.com and we will then automatically match your first bet stake with a betting bonus up to a maximum of €41 to bet on what ever you like.
1.40 IND Colts v CHI Bears 3.10
How to access your account? Your username: ecobika Simply, go to gamebookers and login with this username and your password.
Super Bowl Propositions - The Achilles' Heel of Square Books - The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book by edited by Ecobika Sport betting
Super Bowl Propositions - The Achilles' Heel of Square Books
According to USA Today, half of all Americans will wager on the Super Bowl, as a result, 90% of bets on the game are made by novice gamblers. Aware of the opportunity to attract new customers, sportsbooks understandably focus an enormous amount of energy on the biggest game on the sports schedule. The most successful approach to excite these armchair bettors is to offer propositions that promise potentially big returns for a very modest outlay, and those that focus on seemingly random or humorous events.
The problem that books face with this approach is that often just one odds maker is pricing the lines based on variables that he has far less reliable data on than he is used to. These propositions can be the easiest for an educated player to beat and sportsbooks routinely lose money on them. Propositions are a loss-leader for the betting world to tempt new bettors who will end up losing money on one of the more lucrative areas for the bookie. To protect themselves in this unusually vulnerable situation, sportsbooks build in inordinately large margins - typically using a 30 or 40-cent line with low wagering limits - yet will often consider a break-even result a success.
When you wager on a proposition, it's typically your opinion versus one odds maker. If you know more than that one odds maker, you are going to get the best of it. For Super Bowl XLI, Pinnacle Sportsbook is offering over 200 props with many priced to world beating 15-cent margins, a significant savings versus the 30 to 40-cent lines at other online books.
With this many wagering options and the public betting like mad, it's not uncommon to see prop lines move on public money alone. At Pinnacle Sportsbetting, there are several professional prop players that will take a contrarian view on our props and bet almost any one that moves more than 20 cents (betting towards the original price). Therefore, the 'Pinnacle Lean' is useful for measuring market prices on props as well as on sides and totals. For example, PinnacleSports.com is offering the following prop: 'Who will score the first TD?' at Colts -145/Bears +130. This suggests that the no-vig price based on our 15-cent line is -137.5/+137.5. Therefore, you can 'play the lean' if you find another book with the Yes at -136.5, or the No at +138.5.
The biggest mistake that players and odds makers make when evaluating props is in not understanding the difference between the median and the mean (average). Most players would assume that the average (total/frequency) is an accurate measure, but the correct way to analyze many of these types of props is to use the median. Looking at a list of theoretical score lengths in ascending order, the median is the middle number:
1
1
17
20 (median)
39
47
59
If you assumed before Sunday's game that these seven scores would occur, and assessed the prop 'Will the first score be more than 24.5 yards?' you'd price the 'No' knowing the under would hit four out of seven times, making the no-vig price on the 'No' -133 or (-4/3*100). Whereas if you took the average it would give you another answer (26.3), and lead you to the very different and misleading conclusion that the over is more likely.
Although this concept is simple and rather obvious, it will pay dividends to anyone who is prepared to spend time calculating the median. The median is useful on all types of props - from 'length of first rush' to the 'longest/shortest' props (where you use the median result from games for the whole season). In fact, there are two straightforward ways to accurately price these types of props.
First, you'll want to use as much data as possible. Since the Colts have played 19 games and Chicago has played 18 games, this gives you a much better estimate of a fair mid-point. Secondly, you should also consider adjusting your data for the opponent, perhaps ignoring some data for games that aren't similar to their Super Bowl opponent. Sharp bettors might only use data where both teams were playing under similar spread scenarios (though this might produce a small sample for the Bears).
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports Book?
Chicago +6.5 +103 vs. Indianapolis. It appears like their opening line of Indianapolis -6.5 is solid, as we haven't had to move off the number just yet. In the nearly two weeks since the Conference Championships, the Super Bowl line has only moved four cents from -115 to -111. Public opinion of the AFC being the stronger conference has been evident throughout, while the larger volume bets have come in on the Bears. While the line is standing at 6.5 (-111), it could easily move to the 7 on Sunday when we expect a flurry of bets before kickoff.
Chicago vs. Indianapolis Under 48 points -115 The Super Bowl total opened at 48.5 with two-way betting to start although the heavier volume came in on the under pushing the line down a few cents. This was followed by many small wagers on the over, mixed in with plays on the under. The line was pushed down to 48 after several large plays on the under from our sharper players. Although we've received three times as many plays on the over, the larger volume on the under has the line standing at -115 on the under, which could move another half point by kickoff on Sunday to 47.5.
Chicago +3.5 -102 vs. Indianapolis 1st Half. Indianapolis opened as 4-point favorites in the first half at -111. All of the early betting for the Super Bowl first half line was on Chicago, dropping the line to 3.5 before we saw any buyback on the Colts. The line has since settled at 3.5 where we are seeing more balanced action.
Chicago vs. Indianapolis 1st Half Under 24.5 -132 We opened the first half total at 24.5 with the under a -125 favorite. Early betting clearly favored the over with some mixed buyback on the under. The line has been lowered seven cents due to the game total being lowered even though we've received five times more plays on the first half over.
Pinnacle Sports Book & Online Betting is an online betting company providing the best odds on sportsbook gambling, online horseracing and online casino gaming. With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting requirements and game wagering needs. The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting so sign-up now with Pinnacle Sportsbook Betting and get wagering today!
Saturday, February 3, 2007
How to Please Your Man on Super Bowl Sunday by Py Kim Conant
How to Please Your Man on Super Bowl Sunday by Py Kim Conant
Married women complain that on Super Bowl Sunday they feel abandoned or left out of the events of the day. However, remember that Super Bowl Sunday is actually the best day for you to please your man. It is the best day to show that you are a perfect woman to him. 1. Leave. Let him and his buddies take over your place. Instead of trying to learn the rules of football game while sitting next to your man, show him that you have a life with your girlfriends or your outside hobbies and interests. 2. Have him tell you all the food and drink he would like to have at his Super Bowl party. Stock the kitchen with those goodies. On Super Bowl Sunday, either go out and leave him with a fully-stocked order, or stay around and help to keep the food and drink flowing into the TV room. 3. If you go out, consider staying around until his friends arrive, greeting them enthusiastically, getting everyone his first drink and some food, then leaving with a heart-felt, "Have fun." He'll bask in the appreciation his friends express for what a great attitude his woman has. 4. If he's watching the game alone at home, try some of these things: * At half-time, come into the room, mute the TV, and give him an erotic cheerleader striptease routine, ending with a little oral sex and the promise of more complete sex after the game. Then, give him fantastic, celebratory, whore-in-bedroom sex. * Just before kick off, pretend him with the ballcap or t-shirt of the team he's rooting for. * Tell him to come and get you to see any particularly dramatic moments during TV game. Then, watch enthusiastically for few minutes. Agree with him how fantastic and exciting these moments are * Tell him you knew how singular and important the Super Bowl is, and that you totally support him having a great Super Bowl Sunday.
Married women complain that on Super Bowl Sunday they feel abandoned or left out of the events of the day. However, remember that Super Bowl Sunday is actually the best day for you to please your man. It is the best day to show that you are a perfect woman to him. 1. Leave. Let him and his buddies take over your place. Instead of trying to learn the rules of football game while sitting next to your man, show him that you have a life with your girlfriends or your outside hobbies and interests. 2. Have him tell you all the food and drink he would like to have at his Super Bowl party. Stock the kitchen with those goodies. On Super Bowl Sunday, either go out and leave him with a fully-stocked order, or stay around and help to keep the food and drink flowing into the TV room. 3. If you go out, consider staying around until his friends arrive, greeting them enthusiastically, getting everyone his first drink and some food, then leaving with a heart-felt, "Have fun." He'll bask in the appreciation his friends express for what a great attitude his woman has. 4. If he's watching the game alone at home, try some of these things: * At half-time, come into the room, mute the TV, and give him an erotic cheerleader striptease routine, ending with a little oral sex and the promise of more complete sex after the game. Then, give him fantastic, celebratory, whore-in-bedroom sex. * Just before kick off, pretend him with the ballcap or t-shirt of the team he's rooting for. * Tell him to come and get you to see any particularly dramatic moments during TV game. Then, watch enthusiastically for few minutes. Agree with him how fantastic and exciting these moments are * Tell him you knew how singular and important the Super Bowl is, and that you totally support him having a great Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl MVP, or Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, is an award given at the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game, to the player deemed to have made the most significant positive impact on the outcome of the game. Currently, the winner is chosen by a panel of members of the media, and the fans. The media panel's ballots count for 80 percent of the votes while the fans' ballots count for 20 percent. The fans may vote online at the official web site SuperBowl.com during the game. Prior to Super Bowl XXXV, only the media panel selected the MVP.
Unsurprisingly, the MVP has traditionally come from the winning team. Chuck Howley (Super Bowl V) is the only MVP from the losing team. Most MVPs are on offense, which is seen as more glamorous, playing at positions that score touchdowns: quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Of the 40 Super Bowls, only 8 defensive players (2 of them co-MVPs) have won the recognition. Only once has a special teams player (kick returner Desmond Howard) won the honor. Joe Montana holds the record for earning this honor the most times, three.
Since Super Bowl XXV, the Super Bowl MVP is awarded the Pete Rozelle Trophy, named after the former commissioner of the NFL who served from 1960 to 1989. Before the Super Bowl MVP was awarded a watch.
Position distribution
* 20 times a quarterback was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 7 times a running back was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 5 times a wide receiver was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 2 times a defensive end was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 2 times a linebacker was named Super Bowl MVP
* 2 times a safety was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a cornerback was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a defensive tackle was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a kick returner/punt returner was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time there were co-MVPs.
* 1 time a player from the losing team was named MVP.
Hall of Fame
Fourteen Super Bowl MVPs, currently retired, have not yet been inducted to the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
* Chuck Howley (Super Bowl V MVP)
* Jake Scott (Super Bowl VII MVP)
* Harvey Martin (Super Bowl XII co-MVP)
* Jim Plunkett (Super Bowl XV MVP)
* Richard Dent (Super Bowl XX MVP)
* Phil Simms (Super Bowl XXI MVP)
* Doug Williams (Super Bowl XXII MVP)
* Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII MVP)
* Ottis Anderson (Super Bowl XXV MVP)
* Mark Rypien (Super Bowl XXVI MVP)
* Emmitt Smith (Super Bowl XXVIII MVP)
* Larry Brown (Super Bowl XXX MVP)
* Desmond Howard (Super Bowl XXXI MVP)
* Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII MVP)
The Super Bowl MVP, or Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, is an award given at the conclusion of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game, to the player deemed to have made the most significant positive impact on the outcome of the game. Currently, the winner is chosen by a panel of members of the media, and the fans. The media panel's ballots count for 80 percent of the votes while the fans' ballots count for 20 percent. The fans may vote online at the official web site SuperBowl.com during the game. Prior to Super Bowl XXXV, only the media panel selected the MVP.
Unsurprisingly, the MVP has traditionally come from the winning team. Chuck Howley (Super Bowl V) is the only MVP from the losing team. Most MVPs are on offense, which is seen as more glamorous, playing at positions that score touchdowns: quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Of the 40 Super Bowls, only 8 defensive players (2 of them co-MVPs) have won the recognition. Only once has a special teams player (kick returner Desmond Howard) won the honor. Joe Montana holds the record for earning this honor the most times, three.
Since Super Bowl XXV, the Super Bowl MVP is awarded the Pete Rozelle Trophy, named after the former commissioner of the NFL who served from 1960 to 1989. Before the Super Bowl MVP was awarded a watch.
Position distribution
* 20 times a quarterback was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 7 times a running back was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 5 times a wide receiver was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 2 times a defensive end was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 2 times a linebacker was named Super Bowl MVP
* 2 times a safety was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a cornerback was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a defensive tackle was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time a kick returner/punt returner was named Super Bowl MVP.
* 1 time there were co-MVPs.
* 1 time a player from the losing team was named MVP.
Hall of Fame
Fourteen Super Bowl MVPs, currently retired, have not yet been inducted to the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
* Chuck Howley (Super Bowl V MVP)
* Jake Scott (Super Bowl VII MVP)
* Harvey Martin (Super Bowl XII co-MVP)
* Jim Plunkett (Super Bowl XV MVP)
* Richard Dent (Super Bowl XX MVP)
* Phil Simms (Super Bowl XXI MVP)
* Doug Williams (Super Bowl XXII MVP)
* Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII MVP)
* Ottis Anderson (Super Bowl XXV MVP)
* Mark Rypien (Super Bowl XXVI MVP)
* Emmitt Smith (Super Bowl XXVIII MVP)
* Larry Brown (Super Bowl XXX MVP)
* Desmond Howard (Super Bowl XXXI MVP)
* Terrell Davis (Super Bowl XXXII MVP)
For the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, the long and grueling road ends here, in Miami. The Super Bowl is their one chance to step into gridiron greatness, their one chance to be crowned World Champions. Can Peyton Manning & the Colts continue their clutch heroics against Chicago — or will the Bears' blistering defense shut down Indy’s explosive scoring attack? Be there at Dolphin Stadium to see which team takes home the coveted Lombardi Trophy! Don't get stuck watching the Super Bowl on the couc
Super Bowl History
When the first AFL-NFL Championship Game was played in 1967, few people in either league could predict that the game would snowball into one of the days on the calendar that an entire nation would look forward to – the Super Bowl.
That first Super Bowl game was played at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and featured the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, at the height of their dominant period in the 1960s, and the Kansas City Chiefs, who were owned by one of the AFL’s co-founders, Lamar Hunt. The Packers would take the game by a 35-10 count. Green Bay would return for the second game in 1968, knocking off the AFL representative Oakland Raiders 33-14 at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami.
It wasn’t until 1969 and the third game that the Super Bowl name was adopted, and the first two games were retroactively referred to as Super Bowls I and II. Super Bowl III featured another traditional NFL power, the Baltimore Colts, facing off against the AFL upstart New York Jets. Even though the Colts were heavily favored, having lost only once through the regular season and NFL playoffs, Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed a win at a pregame event in Miami – and then followed through, bringing the AFL its only Super Bowl crown before becoming the merged American Football Conference (AFC).
First the AFC, then the NFC… Through the 1970s, the AFC would flex its collective muscles, as the Pittsburgh Steelers would rise to prominence while winning three Super Bowls in five years. The Chiefs, Colts (having switched to the AFC as part of the AFL-NFL merger), Miami Dolphins, and Raiders would also win glory for the AFC, while the Dallas Cowboys would be the only NFC team to break through during the decade.
The Steelers would claim their fourth Super Bowl to open the 1980s, while the Raiders would win twice more in the early part of the decade as well, but then the NFC would stake their claim as the power conference through the rest of the decade and well into the 1990s. The Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and the Cowboys would establish a chokehold with multiple Super Bowl wins through the 1980s and 1990s, along with the Chicago Bears and their “Super Bowl Shuffle” team of 1986 and another Packers title in 1997.
More recent times have seen the New England Patriots claim three Super Bowls in four years, while newer teams such as the St. Louis Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached the Super Bowl pinnacle as well.
Super Bowl & Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium has been known as JRS, Joe Robbie Stadium, The Stadium Formerly Known as Joe Robbie, Pro Player Stadium and Dolphins Stadium. Since the inception of Dolphin Stadium, Super Bowl XXIII, XXIX and XXXIII have been played at the stadium. Super Bowl XLI to be held at Dolphin Stadium in 2007, the Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears will be the 9th Super Bowl hosted by South Florida. Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 will also be played at Dolphin Stadium giving South Florida a record 10th time the city will play host to the Championship Game. The city previously hosted Super Bowl II, III, V, X and XIII
Seven Tips for the 2007 Miami Super Bowl: Hotel Rooms, Attire, Security, Transportation, and FUN
Seven Tips for the 2007 Miami Super Bowl: Hotel Rooms, Attire, Security, Transportation, and FUN by Carlos Giraldo
Seven Tips for the 2007 Miami Super Bowl: Hotel Rooms, Attire, Security, Transportation, and FUN By Carlos Giraldo, CRSHotels.com
There's no event quite like a Super Bowl. Hotels will be packed up and down the Florida east coast and even on the Florida southwest coast for the 2007 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. If you are planning to root for your team at the Miami Super Bowl, here are some tips to make your Miami Super Bowl experience unforgettable.
1-Super Bowl XLI (41) will be played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, just north of downtown Miami. Super Bowl hotels will book fast, beginning with the popular Art Deco hotels on South Beach/Miami Beach. North Miami and Fort Lauderdale hotel rooms for the Super Bowl are also popular, as are Coconut Grove and Coral Gables hotels. Many 2007 Super Bowl hotels in the Miami area will require deposits, multiple-day stays, and will not allow for cancellations. Check out http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/ for great hotel deals for Super Bowl XLI 2007.
2-The weather for Super Bowl 41 in Miami could be warm and balmy or cold and blustery. If you are traveling to Miami to stay at a hotel for Super Bowl XLI, be sure to bring sunscreen, shorts and a short-sleeve shirt, as well as a warm coat and gloves. If it's warm and balmy, you can leave your warm coat in your hotel room for the Super Bowl. If usually-balmy Miami has a January cold snap during Super Bowl Week, you'll be happy for your warm coat and gloves as you enjoy the evening game at Dolphin Stadium.
3-Security at Dolphin Stadium will be strict, so it is best to leave your backpacks, coolers, thermoses and umbrellas in your Super Bowl hotel room. Cans, glass bottles, frozen water or soda, alcoholic beverages and any plastic liquid container with the seal broken will be confiscated. You will also want to leave your valuables in the safe in your hotel room. Super Bowl Week draws pickpockets as well as sports fans. Get more security information at http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/
4-Transportation to Dolphin Stadium from hotels for Super Bowl XLI will be plentiful, but parking will be restricted. Dolphin Stadium is located in the city of Miami Gardens: 16 miles northwest of Downtown Miami; 18 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale; 1 mile south of Miami-Dade/Broward County line. No parking is available for recreational vehicles in NFL controlled lots surrounding Dolphin Stadium. Game ticketed individuals parking at Dolphin Stadium must purchase parking permits. All clients on buses, limousines or private cars must ride in their vehicle to their designated parking space and return to that location to depart after the Super Bowl XLI game. Many Miami Super Bowl hotels will offer access to busses or shuttles to the big game.
5-During Miami Super Bowl Week, there will be plenty of special events to enjoy, as well as Miami's many sports attractions. Within a few minutes of your Super Bowl hotel room, you can take a fishing charter or rent a sailboat at one of Miami's many marinas. Take an exciting airboat ride through the Florida Everglades. Or enjoy one of the numerous beautiful golf courses. The concierge at your Super Bowl hotel will be happy to make recommendations, give you directions, and assist with arrangements.
6-While you are in town, your Miami Super Bowl hotel room is just minutes away from one of Miami's sports bars, like Mr. Moe's Restaurant and Bar in Coconut Grove, Shula's Steak 2 Don Shula's Hotel in Miami Lakes or the aptly named Hooligan's Pub & Oyster Bar on Dixie Highway.
7-You cannot leave your Miami Super Bowl hotel without a trip to one of Miami's famous beaches. If you are lucky enough to get a hotel room for the Super Bowl on South Beach, you can enjoy miles of picturesque beaches, the famous boardwalk, and plenty of people watching. Even if your Super Bowl hotel is in South Miami or Fort Lauderdale, you can still enjoy a world-famous beach, just minutes from your hotel room. Super Bowl Week or not, the beaches in the Miami area are not to be missed.
No matter where your Miami Super Bowl hotel room, you can enjoy plenty of beaches, sun and fun, on top of a great matchup for Super Bowl XLI. Check out http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/ for great hotel deals for Super Bowl XLI 2007.
Seven Tips for the 2007 Miami Super Bowl: Hotel Rooms, Attire, Security, Transportation, and FUN By Carlos Giraldo, CRSHotels.com
There's no event quite like a Super Bowl. Hotels will be packed up and down the Florida east coast and even on the Florida southwest coast for the 2007 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. If you are planning to root for your team at the Miami Super Bowl, here are some tips to make your Miami Super Bowl experience unforgettable.
1-Super Bowl XLI (41) will be played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, just north of downtown Miami. Super Bowl hotels will book fast, beginning with the popular Art Deco hotels on South Beach/Miami Beach. North Miami and Fort Lauderdale hotel rooms for the Super Bowl are also popular, as are Coconut Grove and Coral Gables hotels. Many 2007 Super Bowl hotels in the Miami area will require deposits, multiple-day stays, and will not allow for cancellations. Check out http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/ for great hotel deals for Super Bowl XLI 2007.
2-The weather for Super Bowl 41 in Miami could be warm and balmy or cold and blustery. If you are traveling to Miami to stay at a hotel for Super Bowl XLI, be sure to bring sunscreen, shorts and a short-sleeve shirt, as well as a warm coat and gloves. If it's warm and balmy, you can leave your warm coat in your hotel room for the Super Bowl. If usually-balmy Miami has a January cold snap during Super Bowl Week, you'll be happy for your warm coat and gloves as you enjoy the evening game at Dolphin Stadium.
3-Security at Dolphin Stadium will be strict, so it is best to leave your backpacks, coolers, thermoses and umbrellas in your Super Bowl hotel room. Cans, glass bottles, frozen water or soda, alcoholic beverages and any plastic liquid container with the seal broken will be confiscated. You will also want to leave your valuables in the safe in your hotel room. Super Bowl Week draws pickpockets as well as sports fans. Get more security information at http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/
4-Transportation to Dolphin Stadium from hotels for Super Bowl XLI will be plentiful, but parking will be restricted. Dolphin Stadium is located in the city of Miami Gardens: 16 miles northwest of Downtown Miami; 18 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale; 1 mile south of Miami-Dade/Broward County line. No parking is available for recreational vehicles in NFL controlled lots surrounding Dolphin Stadium. Game ticketed individuals parking at Dolphin Stadium must purchase parking permits. All clients on buses, limousines or private cars must ride in their vehicle to their designated parking space and return to that location to depart after the Super Bowl XLI game. Many Miami Super Bowl hotels will offer access to busses or shuttles to the big game.
5-During Miami Super Bowl Week, there will be plenty of special events to enjoy, as well as Miami's many sports attractions. Within a few minutes of your Super Bowl hotel room, you can take a fishing charter or rent a sailboat at one of Miami's many marinas. Take an exciting airboat ride through the Florida Everglades. Or enjoy one of the numerous beautiful golf courses. The concierge at your Super Bowl hotel will be happy to make recommendations, give you directions, and assist with arrangements.
6-While you are in town, your Miami Super Bowl hotel room is just minutes away from one of Miami's sports bars, like Mr. Moe's Restaurant and Bar in Coconut Grove, Shula's Steak 2 Don Shula's Hotel in Miami Lakes or the aptly named Hooligan's Pub & Oyster Bar on Dixie Highway.
7-You cannot leave your Miami Super Bowl hotel without a trip to one of Miami's famous beaches. If you are lucky enough to get a hotel room for the Super Bowl on South Beach, you can enjoy miles of picturesque beaches, the famous boardwalk, and plenty of people watching. Even if your Super Bowl hotel is in South Miami or Fort Lauderdale, you can still enjoy a world-famous beach, just minutes from your hotel room. Super Bowl Week or not, the beaches in the Miami area are not to be missed.
No matter where your Miami Super Bowl hotel room, you can enjoy plenty of beaches, sun and fun, on top of a great matchup for Super Bowl XLI. Check out http://www.super-bowl-hotel-rooms.com/ for great hotel deals for Super Bowl XLI 2007.
Super Bowl XLI The Inside Wagering Line
Super Bowl XLI The Inside Wagering Line by ecobika
Super Bowl XLI The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book edited by Ecobika Online Sports Betting
The Gospel
With Super Bowl XLI around the corner, the biggest event in the sports calendar is now so much more than just a game. It's easy to be distracted by the razzamatazz that surrounds it; however, no matter how many wardrobe malfunctions may occur, for betting purposes, the last game of the season should be treated in the same way as any other game. Whether you are betting the Super Bowl, handball, yachting or any other event that Pinnacle Sportsbook posts odds on, you should try to use the kind of applied strategies that The Pinnacle Pulse has introduced over the 67 previous issues.
Plenty of other sportsbooks devote column inches to seemingly incontrovertible ATS trends, sharing nuggets of juicy information, that only you and every other person with a modem are privy too, and which those same Sportsbooks have already factored into their odds. The Pinnacle Pulse has always been different, and tried to provide readers with the tools for applied betting strategies that don't promise an instant passport to profit, but instead the possibility of modest, but achievable, long-term success.
So in the style of this retrospective, it seems fitting to reiterate the fundamentals of the Gospel According to Pinnacle Sports Betting:
Do Your Homework! Just as there is no fountain of youth, there is no betting kabala. Success in gambling is directly related to study and the worn patch of rug under the desk of legendary handicapper, Bob Stoll, is testament to that. If you're unwilling to commit to excessive hours of study, become a student of the markets and take advantage of what happens, even if you don't know why it's happening. The Pinnacle Lean will often tell which side of a game sharp players are on, as reported in this column in line moves that have a 47-31-2 record since they were listed last year.
Learn conversions, this not only helps you find the best bets, but aids in analyzing props and other markets such as teasers. Many players are long-term winners despite displaying absolutely no handicapping skills and instead simply unearth opportunities by meticulously studying conversions.
Always get the best price!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, ALWAYS OBTAIN THE BEST AVAILABLE PRICE. For those of you outside the US, PinnacleSports still offers -104 lines on NFL sides (and the same market-leading pricing model applies for European soccer) saving players up to 60% of the juice other books charge. Put simply, you have to win close to c. 53% of bets to break even with traditional -110 pricing, while at Pinnacle Sportsbetting you only need to win c. 51% of your plays to break even.
Pinnacle Sportbetting's recent decision to voluntarily exit the American market brings the importance of this maxim sharply into focus for US residents. The vacuum that Pinnacle Sports leaves is a hard one for any book to fill and the wake that has been felt across betting forums is a reflection of this.
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports Book?
Chicago +6.5 -109í/a> vs. Indianapolis. They opened the line on the Super Bowl immediately following the Colts remarkable comeback over the Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. Indianapolis was opened as a 6.5-point favorite at -115 and the public opinion of the AFC being the stronger conference was evident as the early action immediately fell on Indy. We quickly received buyback on the Bears, which was followed by balanced two-way action. Players continued to back Chicago as some larger volume bets came in mixed with a slew of smaller Bears plays that have pushed the line down slightly to -109.
Money Line Indianapolis -250 vs. Chicago +230. The money line on Super Bowl XLI opened lower than it normally would due to expected betting on the underdog. In previous Super Bowls whenever there is a large favorite of 6+ points, we've found players like to bet the underdog. So instead of opening the Colts in the -280 to -300 range as 6.5 or 7 point favorites are normally listed on the money line, we opened Indy much lower. Our theory has proven true to date as we've received nine bets on the Bears for every two on the Colts although the larger plays have been on Indy so far.
Pinnacle Sports Book & Online Betting is an online betting company providing the best odds on sportsbook gambling, online horseracing, online casino gaming, and online poker.
With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting requirements and game wagering needs.
The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting lines and rebates of up to 7% on its sportsbook wagering so sign-up now with Pinnacle SportsBook Betting and get wagering today!
Super Bowl XLI The Inside Wagering Line from Pinnacle Sports Book edited by Ecobika Online Sports Betting
The Gospel
With Super Bowl XLI around the corner, the biggest event in the sports calendar is now so much more than just a game. It's easy to be distracted by the razzamatazz that surrounds it; however, no matter how many wardrobe malfunctions may occur, for betting purposes, the last game of the season should be treated in the same way as any other game. Whether you are betting the Super Bowl, handball, yachting or any other event that Pinnacle Sportsbook posts odds on, you should try to use the kind of applied strategies that The Pinnacle Pulse has introduced over the 67 previous issues.
Plenty of other sportsbooks devote column inches to seemingly incontrovertible ATS trends, sharing nuggets of juicy information, that only you and every other person with a modem are privy too, and which those same Sportsbooks have already factored into their odds. The Pinnacle Pulse has always been different, and tried to provide readers with the tools for applied betting strategies that don't promise an instant passport to profit, but instead the possibility of modest, but achievable, long-term success.
So in the style of this retrospective, it seems fitting to reiterate the fundamentals of the Gospel According to Pinnacle Sports Betting:
Do Your Homework! Just as there is no fountain of youth, there is no betting kabala. Success in gambling is directly related to study and the worn patch of rug under the desk of legendary handicapper, Bob Stoll, is testament to that. If you're unwilling to commit to excessive hours of study, become a student of the markets and take advantage of what happens, even if you don't know why it's happening. The Pinnacle Lean will often tell which side of a game sharp players are on, as reported in this column in line moves that have a 47-31-2 record since they were listed last year.
Learn conversions, this not only helps you find the best bets, but aids in analyzing props and other markets such as teasers. Many players are long-term winners despite displaying absolutely no handicapping skills and instead simply unearth opportunities by meticulously studying conversions.
Always get the best price!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, ALWAYS OBTAIN THE BEST AVAILABLE PRICE. For those of you outside the US, PinnacleSports still offers -104 lines on NFL sides (and the same market-leading pricing model applies for European soccer) saving players up to 60% of the juice other books charge. Put simply, you have to win close to c. 53% of bets to break even with traditional -110 pricing, while at Pinnacle Sportsbetting you only need to win c. 51% of your plays to break even.
Pinnacle Sportbetting's recent decision to voluntarily exit the American market brings the importance of this maxim sharply into focus for US residents. The vacuum that Pinnacle Sports leaves is a hard one for any book to fill and the wake that has been felt across betting forums is a reflection of this.
What are players betting at Pinnacle Sports Book?
Chicago +6.5 -109í/a> vs. Indianapolis. They opened the line on the Super Bowl immediately following the Colts remarkable comeback over the Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. Indianapolis was opened as a 6.5-point favorite at -115 and the public opinion of the AFC being the stronger conference was evident as the early action immediately fell on Indy. We quickly received buyback on the Bears, which was followed by balanced two-way action. Players continued to back Chicago as some larger volume bets came in mixed with a slew of smaller Bears plays that have pushed the line down slightly to -109.
Money Line Indianapolis -250 vs. Chicago +230. The money line on Super Bowl XLI opened lower than it normally would due to expected betting on the underdog. In previous Super Bowls whenever there is a large favorite of 6+ points, we've found players like to bet the underdog. So instead of opening the Colts in the -280 to -300 range as 6.5 or 7 point favorites are normally listed on the money line, we opened Indy much lower. Our theory has proven true to date as we've received nine bets on the Bears for every two on the Colts although the larger plays have been on Indy so far.
Pinnacle Sports Book & Online Betting is an online betting company providing the best odds on sportsbook gambling, online horseracing, online casino gaming, and online poker.
With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting requirements and game wagering needs.
The Pinnacle Sports Book also offers reduced juice betting lines and rebates of up to 7% on its sportsbook wagering so sign-up now with Pinnacle SportsBook Betting and get wagering today!
Understating the Super Bowl Point Spread
Understating the Super Bowl Point Spread by Robert Ferringo
Over the weekend I was cruising around Buckhead having a few drinks with an old friend when the topic of the Super Bowl came up. He mentioned that he had asked "a guy" that he places wagers through to throw down $2,000 on Chicago for him next Sunday. But when I asked my friend what number he got the line at he looked at me like I just asked him to recite the state capitols in reverse alphabetical order.
It would seem simple enough that the No. 1 fundamental of betting the Super Bowl involves understanding the spread. However, there are still so many square bettors out there that toss out their hard-earned loot without a full appreciation or knowledge about the line that they're playing.
Now, it's possible that my friend was just trying to impress me. But if he really wanted to accomplish that feat he could have done so by knowing that in Super Bowl history teams favored by exactly a touchdown are just 1-4-1 ATS or that the underdog has covered in four of the last five years. That type of analysis could justify two dimes on the Bears. Nostalgia from the time you stole a hand job from a toothless tranny in the parking garage of O'Hare Airport couldn't.
If you are going to bet on Super Bowl XLI, which will kickoff at approximately 6:20 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 4 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, you should at least have a working knowledge of what the spread is, and what it is trying to tell you.
The Indianapolis-Chicago line opened with the Colts instilled as a 7.5-point favorite. That number was quickly bet down to an even touchdown. That tells me that the sharp bettors and Windy City wise guys saw the obvious value in getting the team with the better defense above a key number and the early action was on the Bears.
(When I say "key number" I mean that seven is a statistically significant difference in the outcome of NFL games. In fact, the final score is decided by exactly seven points in approximately 7.1 percent of all games. Further, if you have Chicago at +7.5 you would have them through three "key numbers" - 3, 4, and 7 - and across differences that combine to make up approximately 43 percent of all NFL outcomes. That's value.)
Now, it's not surprising that the Colts are the favorite and I believe that the number is fair, though beatable from either side. The touchdown represents the fact that the AFC has clearly been the superior conference both in this season and in recent years. The AFC has won seven of the past nine Super Bowls straight up (5-3-1 against the spread) and has won 61.5 percent (118-74) of all interconference games since the start of the 2004 season.
Besides the recent conference totalitarianism, the Colts get the nod because they fit the profile of the team that the public is most likely to back. They have the more potent, fan-friendly offense. They have a recent history of success with five consecutive trips to the postseason. Additionally, the last impression that fans and gamblers have of Indianapolis was its dramatic comeback victory over New England in the AFC Title Game.
Finally, the Colts are the favorite because they hold the key to the most hyped storyline of the week: Peyton Manning. Indy becomes the sentimental favorite for the general betting public because the question of whether or not Manning will get a Super Bowl ring has been overblown to the point that its more important than our failing education system or the hypocrisy of our current Republican administration. People want to believe that this is Peyton's time, and they'll line up to throw their money on him in the hopes that he can vanquish over a decade's worth of choke jobs.
Now, I'm not here to say that the Colts are the favorite in this game simply as a result of some public relations machinations. No, no. They are a veteran crew with some devastating skill players. They can score points in bunches and have some momentum, so if they do win there's a fair chance that it will be by a double-digit margin. But what you have to keep in mind is that the Super Bowl line isn't set according to who the books think will win the game, it's based on who the books believe the public will play.
Which brings us to our next point. Since its initial settling, the line has held firm at -7 at most online sportsbooks. However, at two of the more prominent books (Pinnacle and BetCris) that spread has at least flirted with a stay at -6.5 due to heavy Bears action. In fact, Pinnacle and 5Dimes currently have the Colts available at -6.5. I'm not surprised to see this type of manipulation by the books and suspect it will increase as we get nearer to kickoff in order to balance the action.
Again, that's the goal: balance the action. Traditionally, the public overwhelmingly backs the favorites in the Super Bowl. This puts the books in a kamikaze position of needing the dog to cover to avoid a massive loss. But this year may be a bit different. Because Chicago is from a major market, with a marquee defense and a strong tradition, the books may have a chance to avoid such an all-or-nothing scenario.
However, there's also another underlying plot that should influence the line.
"It will take a lot of action for us to (move off 7), considering we'd be doing more than just moving off a key number," a bookmaker at Bodog said in published reports. "We would also be opening ourselves to be sided by the players if we were to move off -7. If the sharps keep playing the Bears and the recreational players play them as opposed to the Colts, we may move."
We've already established that seven is an important number. If the books were to lower the line to -6.5 then they would be opening themselves up to get middled. Bettors would get the Bears +7.5 and the Colts -6.5, and if Indianapolis won by exactly a touchdown the books would get hammered by having to pay out on both tickets. Therefore, if a majority of books were to move to 6.5 you would instantly be tipped off that a LOT of money was heading on the dog.
That scenario isn't likely, but it certainly is possible. According to Wagerline.com's calculations nearly 58 percent of all Super Bowl bets up to this point have been placed on the underdog Bears.
Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com
Over the weekend I was cruising around Buckhead having a few drinks with an old friend when the topic of the Super Bowl came up. He mentioned that he had asked "a guy" that he places wagers through to throw down $2,000 on Chicago for him next Sunday. But when I asked my friend what number he got the line at he looked at me like I just asked him to recite the state capitols in reverse alphabetical order.
It would seem simple enough that the No. 1 fundamental of betting the Super Bowl involves understanding the spread. However, there are still so many square bettors out there that toss out their hard-earned loot without a full appreciation or knowledge about the line that they're playing.
Now, it's possible that my friend was just trying to impress me. But if he really wanted to accomplish that feat he could have done so by knowing that in Super Bowl history teams favored by exactly a touchdown are just 1-4-1 ATS or that the underdog has covered in four of the last five years. That type of analysis could justify two dimes on the Bears. Nostalgia from the time you stole a hand job from a toothless tranny in the parking garage of O'Hare Airport couldn't.
If you are going to bet on Super Bowl XLI, which will kickoff at approximately 6:20 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 4 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, you should at least have a working knowledge of what the spread is, and what it is trying to tell you.
The Indianapolis-Chicago line opened with the Colts instilled as a 7.5-point favorite. That number was quickly bet down to an even touchdown. That tells me that the sharp bettors and Windy City wise guys saw the obvious value in getting the team with the better defense above a key number and the early action was on the Bears.
(When I say "key number" I mean that seven is a statistically significant difference in the outcome of NFL games. In fact, the final score is decided by exactly seven points in approximately 7.1 percent of all games. Further, if you have Chicago at +7.5 you would have them through three "key numbers" - 3, 4, and 7 - and across differences that combine to make up approximately 43 percent of all NFL outcomes. That's value.)
Now, it's not surprising that the Colts are the favorite and I believe that the number is fair, though beatable from either side. The touchdown represents the fact that the AFC has clearly been the superior conference both in this season and in recent years. The AFC has won seven of the past nine Super Bowls straight up (5-3-1 against the spread) and has won 61.5 percent (118-74) of all interconference games since the start of the 2004 season.
Besides the recent conference totalitarianism, the Colts get the nod because they fit the profile of the team that the public is most likely to back. They have the more potent, fan-friendly offense. They have a recent history of success with five consecutive trips to the postseason. Additionally, the last impression that fans and gamblers have of Indianapolis was its dramatic comeback victory over New England in the AFC Title Game.
Finally, the Colts are the favorite because they hold the key to the most hyped storyline of the week: Peyton Manning. Indy becomes the sentimental favorite for the general betting public because the question of whether or not Manning will get a Super Bowl ring has been overblown to the point that its more important than our failing education system or the hypocrisy of our current Republican administration. People want to believe that this is Peyton's time, and they'll line up to throw their money on him in the hopes that he can vanquish over a decade's worth of choke jobs.
Now, I'm not here to say that the Colts are the favorite in this game simply as a result of some public relations machinations. No, no. They are a veteran crew with some devastating skill players. They can score points in bunches and have some momentum, so if they do win there's a fair chance that it will be by a double-digit margin. But what you have to keep in mind is that the Super Bowl line isn't set according to who the books think will win the game, it's based on who the books believe the public will play.
Which brings us to our next point. Since its initial settling, the line has held firm at -7 at most online sportsbooks. However, at two of the more prominent books (Pinnacle and BetCris) that spread has at least flirted with a stay at -6.5 due to heavy Bears action. In fact, Pinnacle and 5Dimes currently have the Colts available at -6.5. I'm not surprised to see this type of manipulation by the books and suspect it will increase as we get nearer to kickoff in order to balance the action.
Again, that's the goal: balance the action. Traditionally, the public overwhelmingly backs the favorites in the Super Bowl. This puts the books in a kamikaze position of needing the dog to cover to avoid a massive loss. But this year may be a bit different. Because Chicago is from a major market, with a marquee defense and a strong tradition, the books may have a chance to avoid such an all-or-nothing scenario.
However, there's also another underlying plot that should influence the line.
"It will take a lot of action for us to (move off 7), considering we'd be doing more than just moving off a key number," a bookmaker at Bodog said in published reports. "We would also be opening ourselves to be sided by the players if we were to move off -7. If the sharps keep playing the Bears and the recreational players play them as opposed to the Colts, we may move."
We've already established that seven is an important number. If the books were to lower the line to -6.5 then they would be opening themselves up to get middled. Bettors would get the Bears +7.5 and the Colts -6.5, and if Indianapolis won by exactly a touchdown the books would get hammered by having to pay out on both tickets. Therefore, if a majority of books were to move to 6.5 you would instantly be tipped off that a LOT of money was heading on the dog.
That scenario isn't likely, but it certainly is possible. According to Wagerline.com's calculations nearly 58 percent of all Super Bowl bets up to this point have been placed on the underdog Bears.
Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com
Super Bowl XLI Trivia: Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLI Trivia: Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts by Ryan Wiseman
Below are some fascinating facts about Super Bowl XLI, the greatest spectacle in American sports, which will take place at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, February 4, 2007, and feature the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears vs. the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts.
* Super Bowl XLI will be the ninth Super Bowl hosted in Miami since 1968 and the fourth Super Bowl to be played at 75,000-seat Dolphin Stadium.
* The Colts will make their first appearance in the Super Bowl since defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 (as the Baltimore Colts) in Super Bowl V, which took place on January 17, 1971.
* The Bears return to the Super Bowl for the first time since crushing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX, which took place on January 26, 1986.
* Before Super Bowl XLI, no African American coach had ever taken a team to the Super Bowl. Both Tony Dungy, the head coach of the Colts, and Lovie Smith, the head coach of the Bears, are African American. * The official slogan for Super Bowl XLI is "One Game, One Dream."
* The world-famous Cirque du Soleil circus troupe will provide pre-game entertainment at Super Bowl XLI.
* The "Piano Man" himself, Billy Joel, will sing the National Anthem for Super Bowl XLI.
* Legendary Miami Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino will participate in the coin toss at the beginning of Super Bowl XLI.
* Prince is set to perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show, where he will be accompanied by Florida A&M University's "Marching 100" Band.
* Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula will present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team at the conclusion of the game.
* An estimated 141 million TV viewers in the United States are expected to watch Super Bowl XLI, which also will be broadcast live in more than 230 countries and territories.
* Tiffany & Co. of New York has been commissioned to make the Vince Lombardi Trophy at a cost of $25,000 (while Super Bowl rings cost $5,000).
* Each player on the winning Super Bowl team will take home $73,000, while each player of the losing team will take home $38,000.
* Future Super Bowl sites include Arizona (2008), Tampa (2009) and Miami (2010).
Below are some fascinating facts about Super Bowl XLI, the greatest spectacle in American sports, which will take place at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, February 4, 2007, and feature the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears vs. the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts.
* Super Bowl XLI will be the ninth Super Bowl hosted in Miami since 1968 and the fourth Super Bowl to be played at 75,000-seat Dolphin Stadium.
* The Colts will make their first appearance in the Super Bowl since defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 (as the Baltimore Colts) in Super Bowl V, which took place on January 17, 1971.
* The Bears return to the Super Bowl for the first time since crushing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX, which took place on January 26, 1986.
* Before Super Bowl XLI, no African American coach had ever taken a team to the Super Bowl. Both Tony Dungy, the head coach of the Colts, and Lovie Smith, the head coach of the Bears, are African American. * The official slogan for Super Bowl XLI is "One Game, One Dream."
* The world-famous Cirque du Soleil circus troupe will provide pre-game entertainment at Super Bowl XLI.
* The "Piano Man" himself, Billy Joel, will sing the National Anthem for Super Bowl XLI.
* Legendary Miami Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino will participate in the coin toss at the beginning of Super Bowl XLI.
* Prince is set to perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show, where he will be accompanied by Florida A&M University's "Marching 100" Band.
* Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula will present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team at the conclusion of the game.
* An estimated 141 million TV viewers in the United States are expected to watch Super Bowl XLI, which also will be broadcast live in more than 230 countries and territories.
* Tiffany & Co. of New York has been commissioned to make the Vince Lombardi Trophy at a cost of $25,000 (while Super Bowl rings cost $5,000).
* Each player on the winning Super Bowl team will take home $73,000, while each player of the losing team will take home $38,000.
* Future Super Bowl sites include Arizona (2008), Tampa (2009) and Miami (2010).
Super Bowl XLI 2007
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI will be the 41st Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game will be played on February 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami, Florida, following the 2006 regular season.
This Super Bowl features two participants ending long droughts. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts will make their first appearance in a Super Bowl game since winning Super Bowl V in January 1971 during the team's tenure in Baltimore, and their first appearance since they moved to Indianapolis in 1984. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears will make their first appearance since their storied 1985 season in which they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
Super Bowl XLI will also see a number of firsts. It will be the first Super Bowl to feature an African-American head coach. In fact, since both Colts head coach Tony Dungy and Bears head coach Lovie Smith are African-American, it will also be the first Super Bowl won by an African-American head coach. Also, it will be the first Super Bowl presided over by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who succeeded Paul Tagliabue in September 2006.
Background
Host selection process
Dolphin Stadium won the bid to host Super Bowl XLI on September 17, 2003 after a campaign against Arizona, Tampa Bay, New York City, and Washington D.C.. With this game, the Miami, Florida Metropolitan Area will tie New Orleans, Louisiana as the city to host the most Super Bowls (9).[4]
This will also be the fourth Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, which has also been previously known as "Joe Robbie Stadium" and "Pro Player Stadium". The venue has previous hosted Super Bowls XXIII, XXIX, and XXXIII. Super Bowls II, III, V, X, and XIII were held at the Miami Orange Bowl.
In February 2006, the NFL and the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee unveiled the slogan "one game, one dream" for the game, referring to the entire South Florida region working together to present the event.[5] The Super Bowl XLI logo was also unveiled, featuring the colors orange to represent the sun and blue for the ocean.[5] The "I" in the Roman numeral "XLI" was drawn to resemble a pylon placed at each corner of an end zone because "the goal is to get to the game."[5] This year's logo has the same shade of orange as the logo of the host city's home team, the Miami Dolphins.
Teams
Chicago Bears
Main article: 2006 Chicago Bears season
Chicago finished the season with an NFC best 13-3 record and advanced to the second Super Bowl in franchise history. The team excelled at offense and defense, ranking second in scoring (427 points) and third in fewest points allowed (255)
The Bears were led by quarterback Rex Grossman, the team's first round draft pick in 2003. Over the last three seasons, Grossman had played in just 8 regular season games due to injuries, but he recovered to start in all 16 games in 2006. By the end of the season, he finished with 3,193 yards and 23 touchdowns, the most by a Bears quarterback since 1995. However, he had a big problem with turnovers. Grossman threw 20 interceptions and lost five fumbles during the year, and in the last seven games of the season, he turned the ball over 18 times. Many fans and sports writers expected coach Lovie Smith to bench him at some point, but Smith insisted that Grossman would be the starter throughout the entire season.
Receivers Muhsin Muhammad (60 receptions, 863 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Bernard Berrian (51 receptions, 775 yards, 7 touchdowns) provided the main deep threat on the team, along with tight end Desmond Clark, who caught 45 passes for 626 yards and 6 touchdowns. Chicago's running game was led by running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Jones rushed for 1,210 yards and caught 36 passes, while Benson rushed for 647 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
Chicago also had the 5th ranked defense, allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground and registering one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL. The line was anchored by Adewale Ogunleye, who had 6.5 sacks, and Pro Bowler Tommie Harris, who recorded 5, along with rookie Mark Anderson, who led the team with 12 sacks. Behind them, two of the three Bears starting linebackers, Lance Briggs, and Brian Urlacher, were selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In the secondary, cornerbacks Ricky Manning Jr. and Charles Tillman each recorded five interceptions.
The Bears special teams unit was considered by many to be the best in the league. This unit sent 3 players to the Pro Bowl, special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, kicker Robbie Gould (who led all NFL kickers with 143 points), and rookie return man Devin Hester, who gained 600 punt return yards with a 12.8 yards per return average, the second highest in the NFL. He also set a league record with 6 touchdowns on special teams.
Indianapolis Colts
Main article: 2006 Indianapolis Colts season
Indianapolis finished the season with a 12-4 record and advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1970 season. It had been a long, hard journey for the Colts. In 1998, they drafted quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the team. Over the next four seasons, Manning, along with other stars such as receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James turned the Colts into one of the best offensive teams in the NFL, but the team was never able to put together a solid defense and always ended up with either a losing season or elimination from the playoffs in the first round. In 2002, Indianapolis fired head coach Jim Mora and replaced him with Tony Dungy. Dungy had developed one of the best defenses in the NFL while coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was hoped he could solve the Colts' defensive problems as well.
Over the next four seasons, the Colts won 48 of 64 games, but still could not find much success in the postseason. In 2002, they were blown out 41-0 in the wildcard round. In 2003, they made it all the way to the AFC title game, but lost to the New England Patriots 24-14, with Manning throwing four interceptions. Then in 2004, they had one of the most spectacular offensive seasons in NFL history, scoring 522 points and gaining 6,582 yards, with Manning setting NFL records for most touchdown passes and highest passer rating. But they could only score a single field goal in a 20-3 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.
In 2005, the Colts seemed certain to reach the Super Bowl. They won the first 13 games of the season and finished with a 14-2 record, while ranking second in the NFL in points scored and fewest points allowed. But once again they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, falling to the #6 seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18. By this time, critics were wondering if the Colts would ever reach the Super Bowl. Manning had developed a reputation of being unable to make it to a championship, not only during his NFL career, but also in college when he was unable to win an NCAA title with the Tennessee Volunteers. The Colts also lost some key players after the 2005 season, including James and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's all-time leader in field goal percentage.
Still, the Colts remained one of the AFC's top teams in the 2006 season. Manning made the pro bowl for the 7th time in his career, completing 362 of 555 passes for 4,397 yards and an NFL best 31 touchdowns, with only 9 interceptions. His favorite target was Harrison, who caught 95 passes for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Receiver Reggie Wayne was also a major deep threat with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight ends Ben Utecht and Dallas Clark were also reliable targets, each recording over 30 receptions for over 300 yards. On the ground, rookie running back Joseph Addai led the team with 1,081 yards and 4.8 yards per carry average. He also caught 40 receptions for 325 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. Running back Dominic Rhodes was also a major contributor, rushing for 641 yards and catching 36 passes for 251 yards. The offensive line was led by pro bowlers Jeff Saturday and Tarik Glenn. On special teams, the Colts signed kicker Adam Vinatieri to replace Vanderjagt. While Vinateiri's career field goal percentage was lower, the Colts considered him to be an improvement because of his reputation for making "clutch" kicks when his team needed them, a reputation aided by his game winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Indianapolis' defense ranked second in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (who recorded 9.5 sacks and forced 4 fumbles) were widely considered to be the best in the NFL. Behind them, linebacker Cato June led the team in tackles (92) and interceptions (3).
Indianapolis started out the season winning their first 9 games, but ended up losing four of their next seven and finished with a 12-4 record, giving them the #3 playoff seed. Thus, they would have to win three games to make it to the Super Bowl. Furthermore, the Colts run defense was a major problem, giving up 2,768 yards on the ground, an average of 173 per game and last in the NFL.
Playoffs
Main article: NFL playoffs, 2006-07
Although the Colts run defense looked extremely weak during the season, it ended up being a key factor on their road to the Super Bowl. First Indianapolis defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8, holding Chiefs running back Larry Johnson (who rushed for 1,789 yards during the season) to just 32 yards on 13 carries. Then they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 15-6, winning on a playoff record-tying five field goals by Vinatieri and holding running back Jamal Lewis (who rushed for 1,132 yards during season) to just 53 yards.
Then the Colts faced their arch-rival New England Patriots in the AFC title game. New England jumped to an early 21-3 lead, but Indianapolis stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 32-13. The Colts' final scoring drive did much to help Manning lose his image of always "choking" in big games. With 2:22 left in the game, The Colts had the ball on their own 21-yard line trailing 34-31. On the first three plays of the drive, Manning completed 3 passes, moving the ball 70 yards to the Patriots 11-yard line in just 17 seconds. Three plays later, Addai scored a 6-yard touchdown run to put them in the lead, 38-34 with only 60 seconds left in regulation. The Patriots responded with a drive to the Colts 45-yard line, but defensive back Marlin Jackson ended the drive with an interception to give Indianapolis the win.
Meanwhile, the Bears started out their post-season with a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime. One week later, they defeated the New Orleans Saints 39-14. Chicago dominated most of the game, jumping to a 16-0 early lead. Two touchdown passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, cut the score to 16-14, but the Bears responded with 23 unanswered points to propel them to their first Super Bowl since 1985. Thomas Jones finished the game with a franchise postseason record 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Super Bowl pregame news
The NFL upset many fans by banning the traditional practice of tailgating at Super Bowl XLI. Originally, spokesmen for Dolphin Stadium announced that tailgating would be permitted as usual, however the NFL quickly contradicted this statement announcing an NFL owner imposed ban on all tailgating and non-ticketed fans are forbidden within a two block radius of the stadium.[6]
A lot of the pregame hype revolved around Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson who was required to request a judges order to leave the state of Illinois due to an arrest for owning six firearms and two assault rifles.
[edit] Broadcasting
United States
The game is scheduled to be televised in the United States by CBS with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and color commentator Phil Simms. This will be the first Super Bowl announced by Nantz.[7] Additionally, the game will have Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots reporting on the sidelines and Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan in the stands.
This will be the first Super Bowl aired on CBS since the Janet Jackson incident three years earlier, in Super Bowl XXXVIII; and the first since the Viacom/CBS split at the end of 2005. Extensive pre-game coverage, to be hosted by The NFL Today team of James Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino, whose name graces the address of the game site (2269 Dan Marino Boulevard), will begin at 12 noon (US EST) with NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl” year in review. This will be followed by "The Phil Simms All-Iron Team", and a four-and-a-half hour Super Bowl Today pre-game show followed by game coverage at 6:25 PM.[8]Also confirmed by CBS as contributors to the pre-game show will be Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, Randy Cross, who will be reporting from Iraq where U.S. military forces will play a touch football game known as "The Baghdad Bowl" and Dick Enberg, who will participate in his 12th Super Bowl telecast as a host, play-by-play annnouncer, or contributor.
International
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
The Super Bowl will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on ITV1 and Sky Sports 1 with both taking the main CBS commentary. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast in Spanish from Televisa and TV Azteca for TV viewers in Mexico. SBS will broadcast the game live to Australia
Ceremonies and entertainment
Prior to the game, Cirque du Soleil will perform as the pre-game act,[9] and Billy Joel will sing the National Anthem.[10] Marlee Matlin will perform the National Anthem in American Sign Language.[11] Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino will participate in the coin toss, while Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula will present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team after the game.[12]
American singer and musician Prince is scheduled to perform in the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.[13] The Florida A&M University marching band, the Marching 100, will accompany Prince during the show and Prince's special guest will be Beyoncé Knowles, where they performed together at the Grammy Awards three years earlier, ironically, one week after the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake incident.[14]
Officials
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* Umpire: Carl Paganelli
* Head Linesman: George Hayward
* Line Judge: Ron Marinucci
* Field Judge: Jim Saracino
* Side Judge: John Parry
* Back Judge: Perry Paganelli
* Alternate Referee: Jeff Triplette
* Alternate Umpire: Butch Hannah
* Alternate Line Judge: Carl Johnson
* Alternate Field Judge: Buddy Horton
* Alternate Back Judge: Richard Reels
* Carl and Perry Paganelli are the first brothers to work together in a Super Bowl.
* John Parry's father, Dave Parry, was the side judge for Super Bowl XVII. Dave and John Parry are the second father-son team to officiate in the Super Bowl, joining Jerry and Jeff Bergman.
Commercials
Advertising rates were reported as being slightly higher than in the year before, with CBS confirming a price of $2.6 million for some 30-second spots, compared with $2.5 million during Super Bowl XL. However, CNN reported that after discounts, the average price could be closer to $1.8 to $2 million. Familiar advertisers in recent years such as Anheuser-Busch, CareerBuilder, General Motors and Pepsi bought multiple advertising spots, and other popular advertisers like Go Daddy and Emerald Nuts will have commercials this year.[15] The American public will be introduced to English superstar athlete David Beckham when a TV interview with the star is screened during the Superbowl final as well.
The only major hype related to commercials in the months leading up to Super Bowl XLI involved various campaigns to allow consumers to be involved in the creation of Super Bowl ads, inspired by consumer-generated content sites like YouTube. Frito-Lay announced a campaign in September 2006 to allow the public to submit ads for their Doritos brand and vote on the best one, which will be aired in the Super Bowl. Five finalists also received $10,000 each in this contest. General Motors announced a similar contest, open only to college students, for their Chevrolet brand; however, the ad would be produced professionally based on ideas suggested by the public. The NFL itself advertised a similar contest to generate suggestions for a commercial promoting the league.[16]
Trivia
To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article's trivia section requires cleanup.
Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
* The game will be the fourth Super Bowl played at Dolphin Stadium as well as the fourth different network to broadcast a Super Bowl played there.
* Super Bowl XXIII was shown on NBC
* Super Bowl XXIX was shown on ABC
* Super Bowl XXXIII was shown on FOX
* Super Bowl XLI will be shown on CBS
* The winning quarterback of each of the eight previous Super Bowls played in Miami is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
* Super Bowl II - Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers)
* Super Bowl III - Joe Namath (New York Jets)
* Super Bowl V - Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts)
* Super Bowl X and XIII - Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers)
* Super Bowl XXIII - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXIX - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXXIII - John Elway (Denver Broncos)
* This is the first time since Super Bowl XXXI that both participants won two playoff games at home. However, the Colts also had to win a third playoff game on the road (AFC divisional playoff at Baltimore).
* At 164 miles apart, Chicago and Indianapolis are the geographically closest ever Super Bowl cities, narrowly edging out the 170 miles between Super Bowl XXXV participants Baltimore and New York Giants (who actually play in East Rutherford, New Jersey).
* The Indianapolis Colts held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.[17]
* The Chicago Bears had a curfew of midnight the week before Super Bowl XLI [18]
Super Bowl XLI will be the 41st Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game will be played on February 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami, Florida, following the 2006 regular season.
This Super Bowl features two participants ending long droughts. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts will make their first appearance in a Super Bowl game since winning Super Bowl V in January 1971 during the team's tenure in Baltimore, and their first appearance since they moved to Indianapolis in 1984. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears will make their first appearance since their storied 1985 season in which they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
Super Bowl XLI will also see a number of firsts. It will be the first Super Bowl to feature an African-American head coach. In fact, since both Colts head coach Tony Dungy and Bears head coach Lovie Smith are African-American, it will also be the first Super Bowl won by an African-American head coach. Also, it will be the first Super Bowl presided over by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who succeeded Paul Tagliabue in September 2006.
Background
Host selection process
Dolphin Stadium won the bid to host Super Bowl XLI on September 17, 2003 after a campaign against Arizona, Tampa Bay, New York City, and Washington D.C.. With this game, the Miami, Florida Metropolitan Area will tie New Orleans, Louisiana as the city to host the most Super Bowls (9).[4]
This will also be the fourth Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, which has also been previously known as "Joe Robbie Stadium" and "Pro Player Stadium". The venue has previous hosted Super Bowls XXIII, XXIX, and XXXIII. Super Bowls II, III, V, X, and XIII were held at the Miami Orange Bowl.
In February 2006, the NFL and the South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee unveiled the slogan "one game, one dream" for the game, referring to the entire South Florida region working together to present the event.[5] The Super Bowl XLI logo was also unveiled, featuring the colors orange to represent the sun and blue for the ocean.[5] The "I" in the Roman numeral "XLI" was drawn to resemble a pylon placed at each corner of an end zone because "the goal is to get to the game."[5] This year's logo has the same shade of orange as the logo of the host city's home team, the Miami Dolphins.
Teams
Chicago Bears
Main article: 2006 Chicago Bears season
Chicago finished the season with an NFC best 13-3 record and advanced to the second Super Bowl in franchise history. The team excelled at offense and defense, ranking second in scoring (427 points) and third in fewest points allowed (255)
The Bears were led by quarterback Rex Grossman, the team's first round draft pick in 2003. Over the last three seasons, Grossman had played in just 8 regular season games due to injuries, but he recovered to start in all 16 games in 2006. By the end of the season, he finished with 3,193 yards and 23 touchdowns, the most by a Bears quarterback since 1995. However, he had a big problem with turnovers. Grossman threw 20 interceptions and lost five fumbles during the year, and in the last seven games of the season, he turned the ball over 18 times. Many fans and sports writers expected coach Lovie Smith to bench him at some point, but Smith insisted that Grossman would be the starter throughout the entire season.
Receivers Muhsin Muhammad (60 receptions, 863 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Bernard Berrian (51 receptions, 775 yards, 7 touchdowns) provided the main deep threat on the team, along with tight end Desmond Clark, who caught 45 passes for 626 yards and 6 touchdowns. Chicago's running game was led by running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Jones rushed for 1,210 yards and caught 36 passes, while Benson rushed for 647 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
Chicago also had the 5th ranked defense, allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground and registering one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL. The line was anchored by Adewale Ogunleye, who had 6.5 sacks, and Pro Bowler Tommie Harris, who recorded 5, along with rookie Mark Anderson, who led the team with 12 sacks. Behind them, two of the three Bears starting linebackers, Lance Briggs, and Brian Urlacher, were selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In the secondary, cornerbacks Ricky Manning Jr. and Charles Tillman each recorded five interceptions.
The Bears special teams unit was considered by many to be the best in the league. This unit sent 3 players to the Pro Bowl, special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, kicker Robbie Gould (who led all NFL kickers with 143 points), and rookie return man Devin Hester, who gained 600 punt return yards with a 12.8 yards per return average, the second highest in the NFL. He also set a league record with 6 touchdowns on special teams.
Indianapolis Colts
Main article: 2006 Indianapolis Colts season
Indianapolis finished the season with a 12-4 record and advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1970 season. It had been a long, hard journey for the Colts. In 1998, they drafted quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the team. Over the next four seasons, Manning, along with other stars such as receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James turned the Colts into one of the best offensive teams in the NFL, but the team was never able to put together a solid defense and always ended up with either a losing season or elimination from the playoffs in the first round. In 2002, Indianapolis fired head coach Jim Mora and replaced him with Tony Dungy. Dungy had developed one of the best defenses in the NFL while coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was hoped he could solve the Colts' defensive problems as well.
Over the next four seasons, the Colts won 48 of 64 games, but still could not find much success in the postseason. In 2002, they were blown out 41-0 in the wildcard round. In 2003, they made it all the way to the AFC title game, but lost to the New England Patriots 24-14, with Manning throwing four interceptions. Then in 2004, they had one of the most spectacular offensive seasons in NFL history, scoring 522 points and gaining 6,582 yards, with Manning setting NFL records for most touchdown passes and highest passer rating. But they could only score a single field goal in a 20-3 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.
In 2005, the Colts seemed certain to reach the Super Bowl. They won the first 13 games of the season and finished with a 14-2 record, while ranking second in the NFL in points scored and fewest points allowed. But once again they lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, falling to the #6 seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18. By this time, critics were wondering if the Colts would ever reach the Super Bowl. Manning had developed a reputation of being unable to make it to a championship, not only during his NFL career, but also in college when he was unable to win an NCAA title with the Tennessee Volunteers. The Colts also lost some key players after the 2005 season, including James and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the NFL's all-time leader in field goal percentage.
Still, the Colts remained one of the AFC's top teams in the 2006 season. Manning made the pro bowl for the 7th time in his career, completing 362 of 555 passes for 4,397 yards and an NFL best 31 touchdowns, with only 9 interceptions. His favorite target was Harrison, who caught 95 passes for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Receiver Reggie Wayne was also a major deep threat with 86 receptions for 1,310 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight ends Ben Utecht and Dallas Clark were also reliable targets, each recording over 30 receptions for over 300 yards. On the ground, rookie running back Joseph Addai led the team with 1,081 yards and 4.8 yards per carry average. He also caught 40 receptions for 325 yards and scored 8 touchdowns. Running back Dominic Rhodes was also a major contributor, rushing for 641 yards and catching 36 passes for 251 yards. The offensive line was led by pro bowlers Jeff Saturday and Tarik Glenn. On special teams, the Colts signed kicker Adam Vinatieri to replace Vanderjagt. While Vinateiri's career field goal percentage was lower, the Colts considered him to be an improvement because of his reputation for making "clutch" kicks when his team needed them, a reputation aided by his game winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Indianapolis' defense ranked second in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (who recorded 9.5 sacks and forced 4 fumbles) were widely considered to be the best in the NFL. Behind them, linebacker Cato June led the team in tackles (92) and interceptions (3).
Indianapolis started out the season winning their first 9 games, but ended up losing four of their next seven and finished with a 12-4 record, giving them the #3 playoff seed. Thus, they would have to win three games to make it to the Super Bowl. Furthermore, the Colts run defense was a major problem, giving up 2,768 yards on the ground, an average of 173 per game and last in the NFL.
Playoffs
Main article: NFL playoffs, 2006-07
Although the Colts run defense looked extremely weak during the season, it ended up being a key factor on their road to the Super Bowl. First Indianapolis defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8, holding Chiefs running back Larry Johnson (who rushed for 1,789 yards during the season) to just 32 yards on 13 carries. Then they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 15-6, winning on a playoff record-tying five field goals by Vinatieri and holding running back Jamal Lewis (who rushed for 1,132 yards during season) to just 53 yards.
Then the Colts faced their arch-rival New England Patriots in the AFC title game. New England jumped to an early 21-3 lead, but Indianapolis stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Patriots 32-13. The Colts' final scoring drive did much to help Manning lose his image of always "choking" in big games. With 2:22 left in the game, The Colts had the ball on their own 21-yard line trailing 34-31. On the first three plays of the drive, Manning completed 3 passes, moving the ball 70 yards to the Patriots 11-yard line in just 17 seconds. Three plays later, Addai scored a 6-yard touchdown run to put them in the lead, 38-34 with only 60 seconds left in regulation. The Patriots responded with a drive to the Colts 45-yard line, but defensive back Marlin Jackson ended the drive with an interception to give Indianapolis the win.
Meanwhile, the Bears started out their post-season with a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime. One week later, they defeated the New Orleans Saints 39-14. Chicago dominated most of the game, jumping to a 16-0 early lead. Two touchdown passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, cut the score to 16-14, but the Bears responded with 23 unanswered points to propel them to their first Super Bowl since 1985. Thomas Jones finished the game with a franchise postseason record 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Super Bowl pregame news
The NFL upset many fans by banning the traditional practice of tailgating at Super Bowl XLI. Originally, spokesmen for Dolphin Stadium announced that tailgating would be permitted as usual, however the NFL quickly contradicted this statement announcing an NFL owner imposed ban on all tailgating and non-ticketed fans are forbidden within a two block radius of the stadium.[6]
A lot of the pregame hype revolved around Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson who was required to request a judges order to leave the state of Illinois due to an arrest for owning six firearms and two assault rifles.
[edit] Broadcasting
United States
The game is scheduled to be televised in the United States by CBS with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and color commentator Phil Simms. This will be the first Super Bowl announced by Nantz.[7] Additionally, the game will have Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots reporting on the sidelines and Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan in the stands.
This will be the first Super Bowl aired on CBS since the Janet Jackson incident three years earlier, in Super Bowl XXXVIII; and the first since the Viacom/CBS split at the end of 2005. Extensive pre-game coverage, to be hosted by The NFL Today team of James Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino, whose name graces the address of the game site (2269 Dan Marino Boulevard), will begin at 12 noon (US EST) with NFL Films’ “Road to the Super Bowl” year in review. This will be followed by "The Phil Simms All-Iron Team", and a four-and-a-half hour Super Bowl Today pre-game show followed by game coverage at 6:25 PM.[8]Also confirmed by CBS as contributors to the pre-game show will be Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, Randy Cross, who will be reporting from Iraq where U.S. military forces will play a touch football game known as "The Baghdad Bowl" and Dick Enberg, who will participate in his 12th Super Bowl telecast as a host, play-by-play annnouncer, or contributor.
International
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
The Super Bowl will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on ITV1 and Sky Sports 1 with both taking the main CBS commentary. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast in Spanish from Televisa and TV Azteca for TV viewers in Mexico. SBS will broadcast the game live to Australia
Ceremonies and entertainment
Prior to the game, Cirque du Soleil will perform as the pre-game act,[9] and Billy Joel will sing the National Anthem.[10] Marlee Matlin will perform the National Anthem in American Sign Language.[11] Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino will participate in the coin toss, while Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula will present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winning team after the game.[12]
American singer and musician Prince is scheduled to perform in the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.[13] The Florida A&M University marching band, the Marching 100, will accompany Prince during the show and Prince's special guest will be Beyoncé Knowles, where they performed together at the Grammy Awards three years earlier, ironically, one week after the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake incident.[14]
Officials
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* Umpire: Carl Paganelli
* Head Linesman: George Hayward
* Line Judge: Ron Marinucci
* Field Judge: Jim Saracino
* Side Judge: John Parry
* Back Judge: Perry Paganelli
* Alternate Referee: Jeff Triplette
* Alternate Umpire: Butch Hannah
* Alternate Line Judge: Carl Johnson
* Alternate Field Judge: Buddy Horton
* Alternate Back Judge: Richard Reels
* Carl and Perry Paganelli are the first brothers to work together in a Super Bowl.
* John Parry's father, Dave Parry, was the side judge for Super Bowl XVII. Dave and John Parry are the second father-son team to officiate in the Super Bowl, joining Jerry and Jeff Bergman.
Commercials
Advertising rates were reported as being slightly higher than in the year before, with CBS confirming a price of $2.6 million for some 30-second spots, compared with $2.5 million during Super Bowl XL. However, CNN reported that after discounts, the average price could be closer to $1.8 to $2 million. Familiar advertisers in recent years such as Anheuser-Busch, CareerBuilder, General Motors and Pepsi bought multiple advertising spots, and other popular advertisers like Go Daddy and Emerald Nuts will have commercials this year.[15] The American public will be introduced to English superstar athlete David Beckham when a TV interview with the star is screened during the Superbowl final as well.
The only major hype related to commercials in the months leading up to Super Bowl XLI involved various campaigns to allow consumers to be involved in the creation of Super Bowl ads, inspired by consumer-generated content sites like YouTube. Frito-Lay announced a campaign in September 2006 to allow the public to submit ads for their Doritos brand and vote on the best one, which will be aired in the Super Bowl. Five finalists also received $10,000 each in this contest. General Motors announced a similar contest, open only to college students, for their Chevrolet brand; however, the ad would be produced professionally based on ideas suggested by the public. The NFL itself advertised a similar contest to generate suggestions for a commercial promoting the league.[16]
Trivia
To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article's trivia section requires cleanup.
Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
* The game will be the fourth Super Bowl played at Dolphin Stadium as well as the fourth different network to broadcast a Super Bowl played there.
* Super Bowl XXIII was shown on NBC
* Super Bowl XXIX was shown on ABC
* Super Bowl XXXIII was shown on FOX
* Super Bowl XLI will be shown on CBS
* The winning quarterback of each of the eight previous Super Bowls played in Miami is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
* Super Bowl II - Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers)
* Super Bowl III - Joe Namath (New York Jets)
* Super Bowl V - Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts)
* Super Bowl X and XIII - Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh Steelers)
* Super Bowl XXIII - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXIX - Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)
* Super Bowl XXXIII - John Elway (Denver Broncos)
* This is the first time since Super Bowl XXXI that both participants won two playoff games at home. However, the Colts also had to win a third playoff game on the road (AFC divisional playoff at Baltimore).
* At 164 miles apart, Chicago and Indianapolis are the geographically closest ever Super Bowl cities, narrowly edging out the 170 miles between Super Bowl XXXV participants Baltimore and New York Giants (who actually play in East Rutherford, New Jersey).
* The Indianapolis Colts held pre-game practices for Super Bowl XLI at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida.[17]
* The Chicago Bears had a curfew of midnight the week before Super Bowl XLI [18]
Friday, February 2, 2007
Vince Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. It is considered to be the NFL's most prestigious award. The trophy was originally called the "World Championship Game Trophy" when the Super Bowl was originally named the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. It was renamed in 1970 in honor of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.
Since Super Bowl XXX, it is presented to the winning team's owner on the field following the game. Previously, the trophy was presented inside the winning team's locker room. At every Super Bowl, two Lombardi trophies are present in the unfortunate event that one is accidentally destroyed in celebration.
Unlike trophies such as the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is made every year and the winning team maintains permanent possession of that trophy.
Each trophy is handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. master artisans at their workshop in Parsippany, New Jersey and is valued at $12,500.[1] The trophy depicts a regulation-size football in kicking position that is made entirely of sterling silver. It stands 22 inches (55 cm) tall, weighs seven pounds (3 kg), and takes approximately four months and 72 man-hours to create. The words "Vince Lombardi Trophy" and the NFL logo are engraved on the base. After the trophy is awarded, it is sent back to Tiffany & Co. to be engraved with the winning team's name and the date and score of the Super Bowl.Insert non-formatted text here
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. It is considered to be the NFL's most prestigious award. The trophy was originally called the "World Championship Game Trophy" when the Super Bowl was originally named the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. It was renamed in 1970 in honor of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.
Since Super Bowl XXX, it is presented to the winning team's owner on the field following the game. Previously, the trophy was presented inside the winning team's locker room. At every Super Bowl, two Lombardi trophies are present in the unfortunate event that one is accidentally destroyed in celebration.
Unlike trophies such as the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is made every year and the winning team maintains permanent possession of that trophy.
Each trophy is handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. master artisans at their workshop in Parsippany, New Jersey and is valued at $12,500.[1] The trophy depicts a regulation-size football in kicking position that is made entirely of sterling silver. It stands 22 inches (55 cm) tall, weighs seven pounds (3 kg), and takes approximately four months and 72 man-hours to create. The words "Vince Lombardi Trophy" and the NFL logo are engraved on the base. After the trophy is awarded, it is sent back to Tiffany & Co. to be engraved with the winning team's name and the date and score of the Super Bowl.Insert non-formatted text here
Super Bowl
The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Super Bowl
From Wikipedia,
(Redirected from Super Bowls)
n professional American football, the Super Bowl is the name of the championship game of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. The game and its ancillary festivities constitute Super Bowl Sunday which over the years has become a de facto U.S. national holiday.
The Super Bowl was first played on January 15, 1967 as part of an agreement between the NFL and its younger rival, the American Football League (AFL) in which each league's championship team would play each other in an "AFL-NFL World Championship Game". After both leagues merged in 1970, the Super Bowl became the NFL's championship game. Since then, the game has been played annually on a Sunday following the playoffs, originally early to mid-January, then late January, and in recent years, the first Sunday in February.
The Super Bowl is usually the most-watched U.S. television broadcast of the year, attracting many companies to spend millions of dollars on commercials. This has caused the starting time of the game to be pushed back later and later, to ensure the Sunday night prime time audience on the East Coast. The last true day game (which ended before local sunset) of the series was Super Bowl XI in January 1977.
In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the Super Bowl's pre-game and halftime ceremonies. This is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving.[1]
The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year it was held. The NFL season spreads over two calendar years, so identifying the games by the year of the Super Bowl could cause some confusion. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of Super Bowl XL are the champions of the 2005 season, even though the championship game was played in February 2006.
Origins
The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and its rival, the American Football League (AFL). After its inception in 1920, the NFL fended off several rival leagues before the AFL began play in 1960. The intense competitive war for players and fans led to serious merger talks between the two leagues in 1966, culminating in a merger announcement on June 8, 1966.
One of the conditions of the AFL-NFL Merger was that the winners of each league's championship game would meet in a contest to determine the "world champion of football". According to NFL Films President Steve Sabol, then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to call the game "The Big One". [citation needed] During the discussions to iron out the details, AFL founder and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt had jokingly referred to the proposed interleague championship as the "Super Bowl." Hunt thought of the name after seeing his kids playing with a toy called a Super Ball.[2] The ball is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The name was consistent with postseason college football games which had long been known as "bowl games" (the term originates from the Rose Bowl Game, which was in turn named for the bowl-shaped stadium in which it is played). Hunt only meant his suggested name to be a stopgap until a better one could be found.
After the NFL's Green Bay Packers convincingly won the first two Super Bowls, some team owners feared for the future of the merger, since many doubted that AFL teams could compete with their NFL counterparts. That all changed with one of the biggest upsets in American sports history, the AFL's New York Jets defeat of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in Miami. One year later, the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL Minnesota Vikings 23-7 and won Super Bowl IV in New Orleans, the last World Championship game played between the champions of the two leagues.
When the NFL and AFL merged into one combined league for the 1970 season, three NFL teams joined the 10 AFL teams to form the American Football Conference (AFC), and the other 13 teams became the National Football Conference (NFC). Since then, the Super Bowl has featured the champions of the AFC and NFC, which are determined each season by the league's playoff tournament. As of Super Bowl XL, former AFL teams have won 12 Super Bowls, pre-1970 NFL teams have won 26 games, and two games have been won by teams created after 1970.
The NFL commissioner at that time, Pete Rozelle, is often considered the mastermind of both the merger and the Super Bowl. His leadership guided them into the merger agreement and cemented the preeminence of the Super Bowl. The game remains his crowning achievement and was an important factor in him being selected by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
The winning team gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games. Following his death in September 1970, the trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy, first awarded at Super Bowl V in Miami.
Television coverage
By any measure, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television programs of the year. The game tends to have high Nielsen television ratings which usually come in around a 40 rating and 60 share (i.e., on average, 40 percent of all U.S. households, and 60 percent of all homes tuned into television during the game). This means that on average, 80 to 90 million Americans are tuned into the Super Bowl at any given moment. It is also estimated that 130-140 million tune into some part of the game. [3]. NFL press releases have stated that recent Super Bowls have been available to potential audiences of approximately one billion worldwide, although independent studies suggest that, on average, the global viewership at any given moment is just under 100 million – the vast majority of whom are U.S. viewers. [4]
Given the immense popularity of the Super Bowl, it may be surprising to discover that videotapes of the telecasts of the first two Super Bowls are said not to exist. This is especially shocking for Super Bowl I, which was covered by both NBC and CBS. According to Sports Illustrated, the only footage of the first telecast known to exist is a two minute clip of the first game.[citation needed] From the early days of television into the 1960s, copies of TV broadcasts were routinely erased, mainly because nobody thought anyone would want to watch the same show they had just seen. (See wiping). Another reason was that videotape in those days was prohibitively expensive. (Merv Griffin once said that a ninety-minute blank tape cost $750. [citation needed]) According to Steve Sabol, both networks taped soap operas over the game tapes, which are presumably lost forever. [citation needed] But the NFL has put out a $1,000,000 bounty on either one of the tapes, and experts say that there is still a chance that one of the network affiliates taped the game off the live feed and saved it. [citation needed] According to NFL Films...these are the ultimate Lost Treasures. [citation needed]
The highest rated game according to Nielsen was Super Bowl XVI in 1982 which was watched in 49.1% of households (73 share) or 40,020,000 households at the time. Super Bowl XVI is #4 on Nielsen's list of top-rated programs of all time, and 3 other Super Bowls (XII, XVII, XX) made the top 10.[5] Although the proliferation of cable and satellite television has undercut broadcast ratings somewhat in recent years, the game is still so popular that a number of networks actually schedule original programming, such as independently produced halftime entertainment, during the game, simply to take advantage of a large audience already in front of the television.
Following Apple Computer's 1984 commercial introducing the Apple Macintosh computer, directed by Ridley Scott, the broadcast of the Super Bowl became the premier showcase for high concept or simply extravagantly expensive commercials. Famous commercial campaigns include the Budweiser "Bud Bowl" campaign, and the 1999 and 2000 dot-com ads. Prices have increased each year, with reports citing a record $2.5 million (US) for a 30 second spot during Super Bowl XL in 2006. Many people tune in to the Super Bowl solely to watch the very creative commercials.
In recent years, the NFL has denied the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority the opportunity to run Super Bowl ads for the city as a tourist destination. The ban includes the game, as well as the pre-game and post-game shows. Many groups are denied the chance to run Super Bowl ads on various grounds, but Las Vegas is the only city to be denied in such a fashion; the NFL has stated that it does not want the Super Bowl to be associated with the perception of Las Vegas as a gambling mecca. If the television show Las Vegas stays on the air when NBC gets their next Super Bowl Broadcast (which will be Super Bowl XLIII in 2009), they might not be allowed to promote the series during the entire block of programming. [6]
Entertainment
Earlier Super Bowls/NFL Championships featured halftime show consisting of marching bands from local colleges or high schools. But as the popularity of the game increased, so did the potential of exposure. This has led to trend where a number of popular singers an
d musicians have performed during its pregame ceremonies, the halftime show, or even just singing the national anthem of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner". Super Bowl XL in 2006 featured Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone, and John Legend during the pregame ceremonies; Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin, and Dr. John performed the national anthem; and The Rolling Stones played during the halftime show.
During halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Janet Jackson's top, exposing her right breast with a star-shaped ring around the nipple. Timberlake and Jackson have maintained that the incident was accidental, calling it a "wardrobe malfunction." To make matters worse, the game was airing on CBS, and MTV (at the time, CBS's corporate sister company within Viacom), produced the halftime show. Immediately after that live (not tape-delayed) moment, the producer cut to a very wide-angle shot and the announcer said, "Thank you for watching the Super Bowl halftime show!" followed immediately by a commercial break. However, viewers with TiVo captured the moment in detail, and video captures circulated quickly on the Internet.
The NFL, embarrassed from the incident, permanently banned MTV from doing another halftime show in any capacity. This also led to the FCC tightening controls on indecency and fining CBS $225,000 for the incident, as well as fining each of CBS's then twenty owned and operated stations. The following year, Paul McCartney gave an uncontroversial halftime performance for Super Bowl XXXIX.
Further information: Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
There also exists the conspiracy theory of the "Super Bowl Halftime Jinx" or the "Carol Channing Curse" to explain the series of unforunate events that follows some of the careers and personal lives of artists after they perform in the halftime show. Other examples besides Jackson's fall from grace include Channing, Janet's brother Michael, New Kids on the Block, and Diana Ross. [7]
Venue
The location of the Super Bowl is chosen by the NFL well in advance, usually 3 to 5 years before the game. Cities compete to host the game in a selection bidding process.
Over half of the Super Bowls have been played in one of the following three cities: New Orleans, Louisiana (nine times, six times at the Louisiana Superdome and three times at now-demolished Tulane Stadium), the Greater Miami Area (nine total, five times at Miami's Orange Bowl and three times at Miami Gardens' Dolphin Stadium) and the Greater Los Angeles Area (seven total, five times at Pasadena's Rose Bowl stadium and twice at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum). Miami Gardens has been selected to host Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. Although Hurricane Katrina damaged the Louisiana Superdome and the city of New Orleans, it was renovated, and some city officials have stated that they would like to put in another bid sometime in the future. The last time the Los Angeles area hosted the game was Super Bowl XXVII in 1993; the area is currently not considered a possible venue after the league's two teams vacated the city in 1995: the Raiders moved back to Oakland, California, and the Rams moved to St. Louis, Missouri.
Coincidentally, no NFL team has ever played the Super Bowl on its own home turf. However, Super Bowl XIV (which involved the then-Los Angeles Rams) was played at nearby Pasadena's Rose Bowl stadium; and Super Bowl XIX (which involved the San Francisco 49ers) was played at the nearby Stanford Stadium on the Stanford University campus near Palo Alto. Neither of these stadiums (both neutral sites) has ever been a home to an NFL team (though the 49ers played a home game at Stanford Stadium vs. the New England Patriots after the Loma Prieta earthquake postponed the World Series a week and forced the 49ers from Candlestick Park.)
A potential venue currently must meet these qualifications in order to be a Super Bowl host: [citation needed]
* Average high temperature of at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit in February, unless the game is being played in an indoor arena
* Stadium with 65,000 seats or more
* Space for 10 photo trailers and 40 television trucks
* 600,000 square feet of exhibit space for fan events
* Large, high-end hotel for teams and NFL
* 50,000 square feet of space for news media ("Radio Row")
* Enough "quality" hotel rooms within a one-hour drive for 35% of the stadium's capacity
* Separate practice facilities for each team.
Exceptions are at the discretion of the NFL. For instance, cruise ships made up the discrepancy in hotel rooms for Jacksonville in Super Bowl XXXIX and cities with cold weather such as Minneapolis and Detroit have been awarded Super Bowls because the cities' stadiums had a roof.
On March 5, 2006, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, a 'cold weather' city, was awarded the rights to host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. However, the game was contingent on the successful passage of two sales taxes in Jackson County, Missouri on April 4, 2006. The first tax would have funded improvements to Arrowhead, home of the Chiefs and the Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer team, and neighboring Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball team. The second tax would have allowed the construction of a "rolling roof" between the two stadiums. [8] However, the second tax failed to pass. With increased opposition by local business leaders and politicians, Kansas City eventually withdrew its request to host the game by May 25, 2006.[9]
The Indianapolis Colts will likely bid to host Super Bowl games starting with Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season. The Colts will move from the RCA Dome (whose capacity of 61,000 is currently too small to host a Super Bowl) to Lucas Oil Stadium, a retractable-roof stadium which will meet the minimum seating capacity requirements. The Dallas Cowboys will also bid for future Super Bowls, since the New Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will seat in excess of 80,000 and have a retractable roof. Texas Stadium, the Cowboys' current home, protects fans from precipiation with its partial roof, but since the stadium is not climate-controlled, February temperatures in north Texas are too cold to host the game outdoors.
The designated "home team" alternates between the NFC team in odd-numbered years (the Chicago Bears in 2007), and the AFC team in even-numbered years (the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006). The home team is given the choice of either wearing their colored jerseys or their white ones; this started with Super Bowl XIII. It so happened that this was just in time for the Dallas Cowboys to wear their white jerseys as the designated home team. Prior to that, the home team always wore the dark jerseys. The Cowboys wore their rarely used blue uniform tops in Super Bowl V, and lost to the then-Baltimore Colts, which has led to the widely held belief that the Cowboys do not play well in their blue shirts. While most home teams in the Super Bowl choose to wear their colored jerseys, only the Cowboys in XIII and XXVII, the Washington Redskins in XVII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL have worn white as the home team. The Cowboys (since 1965) and Redskins (since the arrival of coach Joe Gibbs in 1981) have traditionally wore white at home. Meanwhile, the Steelers, who have always worn their black jerseys at home since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, opted for the white jerseys after winning three consecutive playoff games on the road wearing white. The Steelers' decision was a mirror opposite of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The Patriots traditonally wore white jerseys at home during the 1985 season, but after winning playoff games on the road against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins wearing their red jerseys, New England opted to wear red for the Super Bowl as the designated home team vs. the Chicago Bears.
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