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(I know that I can’t replace TB, but I can only hope to be exponentially better. Here’s what I hope is a comparable replacement for the normal NFL wrapup)

– The onside kick call is named “Ambush.” Who’s going to be the first person to say “don’t feel sorry for Hank Baskett, he’s married to a Playboy Playmate.”?

–I was kind of surprised that the Super Bowl record for completions was only 32. And of course, I thought for sure that Brees was going to break it, not tie it.

–We are on one hell of a run of Super Bowls lately, and of course, all good things must come to an end. Hopefully not, but it’s there.

–Oh, Tracy Porter was a ZERO star recruit coming out of high school.

–Peyton Manning now has a 9-9 record in the playoffs. I would have given someone 6-1 odds that we would have seen the Manning face last night.

–Even if Sean Payton really is as much of a dick as Mike Freeman of CBS Sports says he is, you have to love his willingness to not always make the traditional football decision when he thinks the odds are in his favor.

–Alright McLovin, I love you on Dan Patrick, but I gotta rip this one apart:

1. No, the Super Bowl did not need a certain quarterback not participating in the game. If the eight yard pass is too easy, then defenses need to commit to stopping the eight yard pass. Guess what? The long passes would be back with a vengeance when that happened. NFL defenses are conditioned to not give up the big play. That’s the whole basis of the Cover 2 scheme that Indy runs.

2. I really don’t know what the onside kick has to do with the Saints having the NFL’s best offense. It impacts the defense much much more, because you’re giving the one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history only 40 yards to score.

3. I can agree with this post much more than the previous two, but that Saints line isn’t shabby. Plus, as you mentioned earlier, Dwight Freeney was hurt.

4. The Saints need Reggie Bush and Reggie Bush needs the Saints. Pierre Thomas is a very good running back for New Orleans’ system, but Bush can break it every time he touches the football. He’s not going to make as much as he did with his rookie contract, so the Saints should re-sign him.

6. Mike Leach.

–Tom Morestead was “terrified.”

And if you needed another sign that talks for the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement aren’t going well, Sports Business Journal reporter Daniel Kaplan was ejected from the meetings this morning.

No, not because he was in the room, but because he was in the hallway, waiting to get reaction from the key figures in attendance as they left the meeting.

Ouch.

The NFL can shine up this turd all they want, but the fans who are paying attention can read between the lines and realize that this is quickly spiraling past the point of no return.

Can be found here

The site hasn’t revealed the receivers and quarterbacks, but the print edition of Sports Weekly has and the receivers are Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Hines Ward while the quarterbacks are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Bert Farv, Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees.

Ten members of the USA Today staff voted five players at each position on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale and sometimes it seems like they weighed longevity over excellence, and I couldn’t figure out how heavily they weighed recency.

Quarterbacks: I’ve got no arguments with the QBs, and it’s important to note that Brady beat Manning by only one point. Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner were the only other quarterbacks to receive votes, and Drew Brees was a very distant fifth which is a bit surprising given his last three years.

Running Backs: LT at the top is a no brainer, and there’s a long way to Shaun Alexander in second. But when healthy, was Priest Holmes really only the fifth best back of the decade? Had he not had the neck and hip injuries, the argument can be made that he’s second. Interesting to note that Lorenzo Neal received a vote.

Wide Receivers: Only seven receivers got a vote here with Larry Fitzgerald and Derrick Mason in the others category. Where the heck is Reggie Wayne? Hines Ward was fifth with only seven points, and the argument can be made that Wayne and Fitzgerald deserve to be above Ward.

Tight End: Like LT, Tony Gonzalez got all the first place votes and Antonio Gates swept second place. Jason Witten got eight of the 10 third place votes. But why did Alge Crumpler get more points (6) than Dallas Clark (3)?

Tackle: Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones are the top two, with Orlando Pace third. Willie Roaf was a distant fifth. Given how dominant Roaf was in the early half of the decade, he should be higher.

Guard-Center: Alan Faneca wins yet another career achievement award and Steve Hutchinson is second. I’d put Will Shields first, but I’m biased towards Chiefs players. Kevin Mawae probably deserves to be higher than fourth as well, but the combo category hurts.

Defensive End: Jason Taylor and Michael Strahan are the leaders while Jared Allen gets only two points. However, with Freeney, Peppers, Abraham and Seymour ahead of him, there’s really no room.

Defensive Tackle: Was La’Roi Glover really the third best defensive tackle of the decade?

Outside Linebacker: I’m surprised Joey Porter hasn’t already complained that he lost out to Derrick Brooks. However, Brooks only beat him by four points, a total that’s probably suppressed by his low sack total.

Inside Linebacker: God’s Linebacker swept this category, with Urlacher second. Remember Al Wilson? He was fifth.

Cornerback: Champ Bailey got all but one first place vote while Ronde Barber’s career longevity probably is the reason why he beat out Ty Law for second. Surprisingly, Darrelle Revis didn’t get a single vote.

Safety: Troy Polamalu is third to Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins. Can’t really argue with this one.

Kick Returner: I’d still take the 2002-2004 version of Dante Hall over Devin Hester, but I already told you that I was biased. Remember Az Hakim? He got a vote.

Kicker: Not surprisingly, Vinatieri wins. The always consistent Matt Stover is a deserving second, and I’m surprised that Jason Hanson didn’t crack the top five.

Punter: Lechler sweeps.

Coach: Many Philly fans will disagree with Andy Reid tying Bill Cowher for third.

Think that I’m wrong about these completely irrelevant awards? Stop by and let us know in the Swamp.

It’s doubtful that more than 2% of you know who former professional golfer Ken Green is, but you can’t help but feel for him.

Green was involved in an ATV accident in June that killed his brother and girlfriend. Green ended up losing part of his right leg.

And Friday, Green’s 21 year old son was found dead in his dorm room at SMU.

Terrible.

In other, not so terrible news:

–A certain quarterback isn’t going to be given a certain retirement deadline by a certain coach.

–The Cowboys may essentially split the carries in thirds next year between Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. As TB would say, adjust your (2010) draft boards accordingly.

–Ben Sheets and Jim Thome found teams today, but you already knew that.

–Would you pay Albert Pujols $30 million per?

–Matt Stairs also signed with the Padres today. He may be their third or fourth best hitter.

–And if you couldn’t get enough of Danica Patrick, Speed will offer in car and roof camera feeds for free on their website during next Saturday’s ARCA race.

Courtesy of Joy Behar

“The only argument against any of it is, that, you know, he could just as easily become some kind of a rapist pedophile. I mean, you don’t know what someone’s going to be,” Behar answered, adding:

In this case, he turned out to be great, but it’s not an argument about abortion or not abortion [sic], it’s just, this particular case, this particular woman decided not to do it, and this is the wonderful result. There are others who decide to do it [commit abortion], and they’re glad that they did it. You know, I mean, it’s a very individual choice.”

If Gary Danielson would have been watching, he might have passed out because of rage.

Ravens QB Coach Hue Jackson is the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator.

Jackson interviewed with the team for an unspecified capacity last week, which apparently was the offensive coordinator position. He also interviewed with the Bears for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

The Bears are still looking for an OC, and can’t seem to find one through the numerous interviews they’ve had. Jackson presumably turned down the Bears for the Raiders, and unless Al Davis was promising him a ton of money, this doesn’t make much sense on the surface.

Would you rather work with Jay Cutler or JaMarcus Russell? Better yet, don’t answer that.

The replacement quarterbacks for Drew Brees and Brett Favre? Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb.

The replacement quarterback for Peyton Manning? David Garrard.

Sure, the AFC already had Tom Brady and Philip Rivers back out, but you know it’s a down year when Vince Young and David Garrard are the best of the rest. Heck, if Alex Smith played in the AFC he might have a legitimate gripe to play in the most hyped game that no one cares about.

–Brett Favre has now ended his tenures–this of course assumes that he’s retiring or not playing for the Vikings next year–with the last three of his teams with interceptions.

–Favre was wearing jeans in his postgame presser while Sidney Rice came to the podium after Favre in a suit. I hope those were Wranglers Brett had on.

–On the Reggie Bush touchdown that was originally not ruled a touchdown, that wasn’t the first interesting playoff call for the head linesman who was right on top of the play. He’s the man who in the Seahawks-Steelers Super Bowl originally ran in to stop play after Ben Roethlisberger’s ever so close dive to the end zone, and then on the way to mark the ball, signaled touchdown. And most importantly, I see him at the gym a few times a week. I’ll have to ask about what he originally saw on the Bush play sometime…

–Can there be any argument that we’re not seeing the two best quarterbacks in football in the Super Bowl?

–In a NFL note unrelated to the conference championships, the NFL is looking into the possibility of mandatory heart scans. My first reaction is that all of the NFL’s medical attention should be devoted to head injuries, but if this may prevent a few players from dying too early, then it’s worth a shot if it can be worked out.

–This will be the first time in NFL history that two domed teams will meet in the Super Bowl.

–If the New York Jets can pick up another corner through the draft or free agency to complement Darrelle Revis, they’re going to be one of the favorites in the AFC next year. Peyton Manning and Tom Moore had a field day staying away from Revis’s side of the field. Of course that also assumes that the Thomas Jones will be able to sustain his current level of production or the Jets find a comparable replacement unless Leon Washington has no better offers and comes back to New York on a discount. Yes, Shonn Greene is obviously the Jets’ #1 back of the future, but given the current state of running the ball in the NFL and the Jets’ offense, they’re going to need a capable #2 back just as much as that #2 corner.

When he wrote this article.

So is this why Sean Payton has such a nice rep? Because people are scared?

Brett Favre retires in the middle of the game, leaving Tarvaris Jackson to save the day.

Saints 31, Vikings 20