Another busy Monday for me, especially since I convinced myself that watching ESPN's 12 hours of post-Super Bowl coverage was more productive than doing the work I need to finish. Anyway, not much going on in the sports world (outside of New Orleans at least), so we'll spice things up today. More highlights, and some of my favorite commercials from last night's marketing extravaganza.
Mardi Gras starts early this year. The New Orleans Saints played a hell of a football game last night and beat the Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV. Drew Brees took a machete to the Colts defense after the first quarter, completing a ridiculous 82% of his passes to finish with 288 yards and 2 TDs. I'd say something about The Who here, but my girlfriend was too interested in the Puppy Bowl Halftime Show to change the channel. Warning: Dr. Mantis Toboggan advises to NOT watch this video while high.
Rob's Favorite Super Bowl Commercials
OHMYGODTIMTEBOWISMAKINGANANTI-ABORTIONCOMM.. Hold on, folks. Deadspin has video of Timmah's commercial, and it was nowhere near the controversy people made it out to be. However, did anyone else see the commercial where Mrs. T gets rocked by her son, then gets up like it's nothing? Curious.
As Bob said yesterday, Doritos was far and away the commercial winner from last night. My favorite one is below, though I thought all of their ads were good.
More commercials and a sweet highlight after the jump...
Overall I'd give the commercials a B-, but here are some of my favorites (in order):
Coke and The Simpsons. They've both been around for a while, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for not being funny here. Not all grandparents havve the greatest sense of humor.
Commercial kind of sucked, but I admire the architecture:
Brett Favre earns a couple more points for poking fun at his tendency to waver on retirement.
And here's a five minute version of that MVP interview:
Golden Girl Betty White & Snickers? I admit, a nice combination.
I think Doritos came out of the Super Bowl the real winners. Not only are their chips delicious, but their commercials were the best -- I think they hit .750 on the night and that's Fame worthy in terms of Super Bowl commercials -- a lot better than the 1-9 Bud Light/Budweiser hit.
The best one of the night: Keep yo hands off my momma, keep yo hands off my doritos.
What is there to do (every year) when the Lions aren't in the Super Bowl? Easy. Hold Super Bowl parties, get liquored up, and gamble -- a lot.
If there's one time a year that you trust D4L for anything, it's football betting on the Super Bowl. I've done nothing in the past two weeks, but try to determine where I would put all of my life savings. You should follow suit -- hop on a sportbook now.
Who will win the coin toss is lame. Who will receive the ball first? Colts
Which player will get the first 1st down? Dallas Clark
When will I have to take my first leak? Who cares? I have a urinary catheter for big sporting events.
Which player scores the first touchdown? Dallas Clark
Who will be the first famous person (aside from players or coaches, past or present) flashed across the screen? Kim Kardashian
For how many yards will Drew Brees first completion be?6 yards.
What will be the first screenshot worthy moment? Archie Manning picking his nose (and potentially eating it).
If people decide to channel surf, what will be the most likely choice? Puppy Bowl VI... or Erin Brockovich.
Which kicker will miss a field goal first (and yes both will miss one)? Hartley
When will the first Lions reference occur? almost immediately, but to be safe, in the first quarter
Who will score the first Saints touchdown?Pierre Thomas
When will Tim Tebow's ad appear? Who cares?
Seriously, what will be the best commercial? "The Situation" & Peyton Manning team up to advertise, I don't know what, abs and foreheads?
Which announcer will make the first bonehead comment? Jim Nantz -- probably comparing Dwight Freeney overcoming his ankle injury to the Saints overcoming Katrina. But seriously, I usually like Nantz.
How many total points in tonight's game? 51.
Who wins the MVP? Pierre Thomas
Final Score? Saints 27, Colts 24
And who says they'll go to Disney World first? Peyton Manning ... he really wants to go there no matter what.
Heads up from the editor: Ryan wrote this before today's game.
Not the kind of senior season DeShawn was looking for
It's sort of refreshing to be a Michigan basketball fan right now. And no, there's no subtle sarcasm or cynicism in that statement.
Let me explain.
No more MUST WIN games for Michigan any more. You see, UConn (Jan.17) at home was a MUST WIN. Test passed. Morale on the upswing again.
Wisconsin (Jan.20) on the road almost a must win just based on the fact Badgers didn't have Jon Leuer and Michiga needed another quality win. Test failed, miserably.
Manny Harris suspended prior to Purdue (Jan.23) game made it a lost cause even before tip off. Sad fail.
Manny Harris reinstated prior to home game against MSU (Jan. 26), making the game a MUST WIN. Test failed, though just barely.
Next on the slate was home against Iowa, and it may of well been against Novi High School because quite simply Iowa is no good. They basically hoist threes all game long, have very little size or athleticism, and the coaching is suspect. Very similar traits to the Wolvies, only that Iowa doesn't have a Manny Harris or DeShawn Sims type player to bail them out from time to time. So anywhoodles, Michigan did take care of business like they needed to against Iowa. The W put Michigan at 4-5 in the conference with an away game versus Northwestern (Feb.2) as a sort of last ditch effort at turning the season around and making a run to the NCAA tourney.
The game, and you guessed it, was a MUST WIN.
Michigan came up predictably short, thus ending any more talk about must wins for the rest of the regular season.
Very refreshing.
Sure the MUST WIN psycho drama will crawl back onto the stage once the Big Ten tourney begins in March, but till then the Wolvies have little pressure to do anything really. Sure the NIT is still up for grabs, but as I said a few weeks ago, “It's so Tommy Amaker.”
Though on second thought, maybe a berth into the Not Invited Tournament wouldn't be all bad since it might not be around too much longer considering the rumor going around that the NCAA could expand the NCAA tournament field to 96 God Blessed teams.
Well I got news for ya.
The way Michigan is going right now a NIT berth ain't even looking too good. As of February 3rd Rush the Court did not have Michigan in its hypothetical 96 team field, basically meaning that Michigan isn't even in line for a NIT spot right now (because essentially the NIT teams would be the next 31 into the NCAA field if it does indeed expand).
My point is, all of the NCAA tourney aspirations this team had can finally be put to rest for at least a month. Just go out there and play basketball to improve, not only as a team but as individuals. And have some fun too. Maybe that's just what the Wolvies need--no expectations, no pressures.
Come Big Ten tourney time you can start to think about winning the tourney and punching your ticket into maybe what will be the last 65 team NCAA tournament ever. Heck, maybe by conference tournament time it won't matter if the pressure is too intense or the expectations too high. Maybe the team will have grown and improved to the point where they are capable of finally breaking through and going on that impressive run all the fans have been waiting for. However, that's only possible if the Michigan players and the coaches think it's possible. I guarantee you that's all that matters. Just ask the 2008 Georgia Bulldogs.
Not too many things more beautiful than the bracket
I'll say one thing about the NCAA tournament that I really enjoy... how hard it is to make it in the NCAA tournament field. It's a pretty stellar accomplishment and I compare it a little to making the MLB playoffs. You know you're getting the best of the best to do battle with each other, and I think that's neat. Sure there's maybe a dozen teams or so from small conferences that don't have a lick of a chance at winning even one game (or even coming within 30 points--I'm looking at you SWAC conference), but even they had to persevere and win three or four games straight in their conference tourneys just to make the field. They earned it just like big conference teams did by winning enough games throughout the season to impress the selection committee. Really, with the exception of maybe 15 to 20 in the nation the margin of error to make it to the Big Dance is very small. Just like the baseball playoffs, you really have to earn your spot in the field.
Dr. Mantis Toboggan will be joining us every week to answer questions submitted by you, the readers! In the future, you can send any questions, about anything at all, to
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.
Kyla (Harpor Woods): Do you think the Red Wings will make the playoffs this year?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: When I first read this question, I thought it was a joke. The last time the Red Wings didn't make the playoffs, The Simpsons aired for the first time, you could buy gas for a buck and a quarter, and astronomy was revolutionized with the hubble telescope being placed in orbit. Damn, now that I think about it, a lot of good shit happens when they don't make the playoffs, so I wouldn't mind if they didn't. BUT I think they'll sneak in like the socks guy in Mr. Deeds.
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Travis (Long Island): How do you feel about Justin Verlander's extension?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: How do you feel once you've waited six hours to use the bathroom after a long night of drinking and had a meal of string cheese sticks? Yeah, it feels REFRESHINGLY AWESOME.
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Kevin (Windsor): What the fuck is up with the Pistons?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: What the fuck is up with the Pistons is right. No really, what? I haven't been watching that much. Didn't they get moved to Tulsa?
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Corey (Norwalk): Why aren't you at all the Super Bowl festivities in Miami?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: I was invited to go to a couple parties, but Sharpie and Kleenex sponsored parties didn't appeal to me. I assumed that the most famous people at those parties would have been the Savage brothers anyway. I have no problem sitting at home, trippin' balls on acid, and watching the Super Bowl from my couch. Thanks.
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Trista (Midland): What's your favorite TV show?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: Anything I can play drinking games to. Drink every time you see Neil Patrick Harris. Drink every time Snooki gets punched or you want to punch her. Stuff like that.
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Stu (Hollywood): I have a really disgusting rash on my bum, what do you suggest I do?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: Move to Cleveland.
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Cal (in fornia): My fiance watches this show called "Snapped," which is about all these wives that lose their shit and wind up murdering their husbands. Should I be worried?
Dr. Mantis Toboggan: Woo boy. I'd be very, very worried if she watches while sharpening the kitchen knife, or lets out a sadistic giggle every time the husband is murdered. Other than that, I'd say it's totally fucked up, but you should be safe.
Super Bowl Weekend: it's finally here. Enjoy it while it lasts, because when the bill for that new HDTV comes you're gonna be broke.
The Demar Dorsey saga continues in Ann Arbor, and Mgoblog has it's take on the matter. I'd like to see what people have to say to Rich Rod if this kid becomes a star, because they're sure piling on the dude right now. The last line of Mgoblog's article sums up my sentiments perfectly.
When did Demar Dorsey become Kwame Kilpatrick in the eyes of the Detroit Free Press?
Over at Motown Wings, Chris looks at what happens when the Wings get healthy over the course of the next week or two. Specifically, he makes his predictions on who stays and who's looking for a new job. I like his reasoning, but I still think Meech goes before Lebda, and I don't know if Holland is ready to give up on Ville Leino.
Jason Beck takes a look at what would be an interesting development for the Tigers' training camp. Former slugger Andres "The Big Cat" Galarraga may be coming to Lakeland to mentor Miguel Cabrera. Galarraga, a career .288 hitter with 399 HR and 1425 RBI, is probably the best person the Tigers could have reached out to for this position. Hopefully this can put Miggy Smalls among Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez as one of the very best hitters in the game, because he absolutely has the talent to do so. [stats via Baseball-Reference.com]
Congratulations Spartans fan across the world, you made your voice heard. It has been reported from the Michigan State Athletics Website that they are going to stick with the old Spartan logo for next season. Since the logo was "accidentally" leaked out to the public, there has been strong backlash from Spartan fans across the globe through the media and social networks. I joined at least two anti-new logo groups on Facebook. Here are some of my favorite wall posts from the group Say NO to the new Spartan logo:
Whoever said out with the old in with the new is a douchebag
I'm a UofM fan and I feel bad for you guys...that takes a lot...
It looks like poop
We fear change! Sparty on Garth
UM must have been behind this terrible creation...
You get the point. In my mind, this "leaking" of the new logo was premeditated. I think Michigan State wanted to gauge fan reaction before they dropped this bombshell at the unveiling in April. Imagine if it was never leaked, and you woke up one sunny spring day to find that your new team logo was a hybrid of Jay Leno and an alien from District 9. PR nightmare for the athletic department.
I just think it's really cool to see the power that people with a common interest can have. Give yourself a pat on the back Sparty fans. You voiced your opinions, and they were heard. You didn't care how many annoying Facebook groups you had to made, or how many threatening tweets to the athletic department you sent, you were not going to sit in silence while this egregious act be committed to your beloved logo.
It's the Friday before Super Sunday, so naturally your day is going to feel about 5 times longer than normal. Relax for a bit and check out our links. Just don't let your boss catch you having more fun than he is.
Speaking of new recruits, Maize 'n' Brew has a comprehensive list of all of the new Wolverines, plus a very optimistic overview on each one. Not really seeing the same sort of thing on MSU's side, but The Only Colors can point you in the right direction.
Some upsetting news for Wings fans with the utmost faith in Ken Holland: Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils yesterday for some guys whose names I can't pronounce. There were mutterings about possibly working out something for Kovalchuk in the offseason. It's still possible, but the Lions have a better chance at winning the Super Bowl next season. At least he's still in the Eastern conference.
I feel like we've been very Michigan-centric lately, but a lot of news has come out of Ann Arbor over the past week or so. Manny Harris said earlier this week that he will return to Michigan for his senior season. As UM Hoops points out, it's still early so this isn't set in stone. I'd like to see Harris come back, especially because he hasn't improved to the extent that other players around the country have, and probably isn't a lock for a first round pick (and guaranteed contract).
Ready for your Super Bowl party yet? Check out The Bachelor Guy for a few drink ideas to impress the ladies get really hammered with that guy from 4C during the big game. [via Sharapova's Thigh]
Clippers GM Mike Dunleavy has fired... himself. Apparently he had a conversation with himself about his poor performance and promised that "it wouldn't happen again," but he was caught late by the boss just one too many times to keep his job.
It looks like Bill Simmons is already embarrassed for the awful column he wrote, because the link is broken. (Just in case...) However, before Simmons got all self-conscious, Patrick Hayes of It's Just Sports pointed out the flawed reasoning sheer stupidity in his argument that the Lions' fanbase doesn't suffer enough.
Not enough Super Bowl coverage on ESPN for you? Kissing Suzy Kolber has some of the best photos from Media Day earlier this week.
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The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 
