- Sounds like there might be a darkhorse in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.  All of a sudden the Kansas City Chiefs sound like a team that could be very interested in the QB if/when Indy decides to cut ties with the future Hall-of-Famer.

- Interesting tidbits out of the Scouting Combine:

- Andrew Luck might be a lot more athletic than we’ve given him credit for.  Luck ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds, the same time Cam Newton ran last year.  His vertical was one inch better than last years number one and his broad jump was only two inches off of Newton’s.

- University of Miami tailback, Lamar Mille,r may have become the leading candidate to be the second back off the board by running the fastest time in the 40 for a running back.  Miller covered the 40 in 4.4 seconds.

- South Carolina Wide Receiver, Alshon Jeffery, helped himself tremendously by weighing in at 216 lbs.

- Michael Floyd, Notre Dame, and Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech, both ran great 40’s.  Floyd ran a 4.47 and excelled in receiving drills, helping the notion he will follow only Justin Blackmon off the board in April.  Hill ran a blazing 4.34 and probably moved himself into the second round range.  Hill is raw but his potential could be worth a risk.

- Kendall Wright was surprisingly slow posting a 4.61.  Don’t fret though; Wright is a classic example of football speed over track speed, this time shouldn’t effect Wright’s draft position much.

- Former Florida Cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, came off as a man who has learned from his mistakes according to reports.  Jenkins has top 10 talent but to this point, undrafted free agent decision making.  Jenkins will be a steal if he’s truly learned his lesson.

- Robert Griffin III had a great couple days.  Measured a legit 6′2″ and ran the fastest time for a quarterback, a blistering 4.41.  Griffin won’t overtake Luck but the Rams could be looking at a bounty for the second selection in this years draft.

- Franchise tags are about to come into play.  Watch the Drew Brees situation in New Orleans, he will get tagged if a long term deal isn’t worked out.  Saints fans have to be hoping that deal gets done so the tag can be saved for Guard Carl Nicks,while every team out there in need of offensive line help (cough, cough… Chicago Bears) is hoping that this drags out and Nicks hits the open market.  Other interesting names out there include Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch, San Diego’s Vincent Jackson,  Baltimore’s Ray Rice, Chicago’s Matt Forte, Houston’s Mario Williams and Arian Foster, Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe, and Green Bay Packer backup QB Matt Flynn.

- The Daytona 500 was rained out today.  Guess I just will have to not watch it tomorrow.

- Johan Santana has been throwing pain free for the Mets.  Santana notched 72 throws without an issue today.  The Mets would be smart to trade him for anything while they can.

- The Washington Nationals locked up one of their young guns, rewarding Ryan Zimmerman with a 6 year $100 million deal.  Seems like a lot for a career .285 hitter, but trust me Zimmerman is worth it.  A plus, plus defender, above average power and average, and a leader in the Nats young clubhouse makes it worth every dollar.

- The NBA All-Star is upon us, hope you all are ready to hear an awful lot ab0ut Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and their future destinations.   The trade deadline approaches!

1) Matt Kalil – OT – USC – 6′7″ 295 lbs.

Kalil has the bloodlines, his father played in the USFL and his brother is an anchor on the Carolina Panthers offensive line.  He is huge, and has the frame to get bigger.  Kalil has great footwork and uses his hands well in space.  His strength is pass blocking where his technique and agility are more important.  Ask Matt Barkley how he feels about Kalil, I’m sure he’ll have nothing but praise for the big man.  Without Kalil’s skill on the blind side Barkley is no where near the player he is today, no question about it.  Kalil is far from a complete prospect at this point as he could use a little work on his run blocking.  Never known as a mauler, Kalil needs to work on getting stronger if he plans on being an elite left tackle at the NFL level.  That being said Kalil has the most potential of anyone in this group and should be a top 5 selection in the upcoming draft.

2) Riley Reiff – OT – Iowa – 6′6″ 300 lbs.

At this stage in his career Reiff may be a more complete player than Kalil.  He is a tremendous asset in both facets of offense and should immediately step in and help a team at the next level.  Agile and athletic, Reiff uses excellent footwork and powerful hands at the point of attack to keep defenders off of his quarterback.  Like Kalil, adding strength will be the number way Reiff can improve his game.  Reiff projects as a solid left tackle at the next level and should come off the board in the top ten but no later than pick 20.

3) David DeCastro – OG – Stanford – 6′5″ 312 lbs.

DeCastro is a force to be reckoned with, the rare guard worth a high to mid first round grade.  Along with Tackle Jonathan Martin, DeCastro helped number one overall prospect Andrew Luck look fantastic during his Stanford career.  DeCastro’s strength is in the running game where he is an absolute mauler.  The behemoth easily moves his competition off the line of scrimmage and loves to make plays down the field.  DeCastro pulls better than most NFL guards and has a tendency to end up downfield with a linebackers carcass somewhere in his wake.  He loves a good collision and isn’t happy until he puts an opposing defender on is butt.  DeCastro is not the strongest pass protector but has steadily improved in that department and has the work ethic and determination to continue to grow at the next level.  Look for DeCastro to come off the board somewhere mid first round.

4) Jonathan Martin – OT – Stanford – 6′6″ 305 lbs

Martin was the other piece on the exceptional left side of Stanford’s o-line.  A solid if not spectacular blind side protector, Martin excels in the run game and is above average with his pass protection.  Martin’s game is more about technique than tenacity, agile feet, football smarts and good hands have led to his success.  Like Kalil and Reiff, getting in the weight room and adding strength will be Martin’s number one priority at the next level.  Martin should come off the board in the mid first round range and most likely will end up starting on someones o-line in his rookie season.

5) Peter Konz – C – Wisconsin – 6′5″ 316 lbs

Konz is humongous for a center but is extremely athletic and agile for his size.  Konz dominated NFL talent throughout his career in the Big 10 and is a huge cog in the dominant rushing attack Wisconsin always seems to bring to the table.  An absolutely tenacious run blocker who is off the ball quickly, Konz will walk into camp and start somewhere for the next decade.  He is a worker and has solid technique, which was evidenced by Russell Wilson’s quick and smooth transition into the Wisconsin offense.  Seldom does a center enter the NFL draft early, and even more seldom does an early entry center receive a first round grade.  Konz should be off the board in the mid to late first.

Next five prospects –  Mike Adams/OT/Ohio St., Cordy Glenn/OG/Georgia, Zerbie Sanders/OT/OG/Florida St., Bobby Massie/OT/Ole Miss, Nate Potter/OT/Boise St.

1) Trent Richardson – Alabama – 5′11″ 224 lbs.

Richardson is by far the top back in this years class.  He is the rare running back that is worth a top ten selection.  Richardson led the national champs with 1679 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground while adding 29 catches for 338 yards and another 3 TD’s through the air.  Richardson is a complete back, a tremendously explosive back who is much faster in pads than he will seem while running his 40 at the combine.  A fantastic blocker both in the passing game as well as in the open field, Richardson will make a prototypical three down back at the next level.  Richardson has much less wear and tear on his legs than most backs entering the draft after their junior season due to his backing up former Heisman Trophy winner and current New Orleans Saint, Mark Ingram.  In my opinion, Richardson will make a much better pro than his former Tide running mate.

2) David Wilson – Virginia Tech – 5′10″ 205 lbs.

Call me a homer if you want, but I see Wilson and Lamar Miller from Miami as a coin toss between two and three on this list.  I give Wilson the edge for his game changing speed and freakish balance.  Wilson is a physical specimen who like Richardson has less wear and tear on his body due to a back up/kick returning role his first two seasons at Tech.  The ACC Player of the year led the Hokies with 1709 yards on 290 carries and picked up 9 touchdowns on the ground.  The junior back also picked up 129 yards on 22 catches and another score through the air.  Wilson’s TD numbers were greatly affected by the presence of Quarterback and goal-line back Logan Thomas this season.  Wilson’s one true fault is ball security.  If the former Hokie can clean up his habit of putting the ball on the ground whichever team selects him could be looking at a Tiki Barber type back at the NFL level.  Wilson is a tad undersized at 205 lbs but has room to add size and has a running style which seems to help him avoid the big hits some backs take with regularity.  Wilson is a fringe first rounder who most likely will follow former teammate Ryan Williams with an entrance to the NFL in the early to mid second round area.

3) Lamar Miller – Miami – 5′11″ – 212 lbs.

Miller is listed as a bigger back than the aforementioned Wilson but is basically the same package size wise.  The former Hurricane is no where near as shifty as Wilson of Richardson but his approach to picking up yards is still very effective.  The redshirt sophomoreled the Hurricanes with 1272 yards on the ground and 9 touchdowns.  He also added 19 catches.  Miller achieved all of this while dealing with extremely inconsistant Quarterback play all year.  Miller does have deceptive football speed and has the potetial of scoring everytime he gets his hands on the ball.  He is a potential three down back once he refines his blocking skills.  Miller is, like Wilson, a fringe first-rounder who should be gone no later than the end of round two.

4) Doug Martin – Boise State – 5′9″ – 215 lbs.

This is the point on the list where the disagreements will begin to take place.  Martin is a compact, well built runner in the Maurice Jones-Drew mold.  The senior back picked up 1299 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground for the Broncos.  Martin missed Boise St.’s only loss of the season versus TCU.  Martin is a staight ahead though the tackles type of runner who plays much bigger than his stature.  Potentially a three down back at the next level, Martin is a good blocker who has very reliable hands.  He seems to be a pre-draft riser as teams are loving his potenital as a kick returner also.  Martin averaged 34 yards a return last season.  Martin could excel early as part of a tandem but with a little refining could eventually move into feature back territory with his plus cutting ability and powerful yet deceptive speed.

5) LaMichael James – Oregon – 5′9″ 185 lbs.

James is slight.  He is tiny.  Can he hold up to the beating of an NFL schedule?  As a full time back I would say no, but as a change of pace back his potenital is limitless.  Think a much more aggressive Leon Washington.  James runs with authority, is extremely shifty and has that “extra gear” the NFL scouts love.  The former Duck ran for 1805 yards and 18 touchdowns is what was his swan song season with Oregon.  James was a super productive college back, racking up over 5000 yards and scoring 53 TD’s.  In my opinion James has no chance of being a everydown back, his build is not conducive to taking the pounding a full time NFL running back has to take.  If a team can pair him with a powerhouse/grinder type back they may have quite a wildcard on their hands.  James may end up returning kicks at the next level due to his explosiveness and rare top end speed.  James is at best a late second rounder but could easily slide in to the fifth round range.

Next five (worth a late look-see) – Chris Polk/Washington, Bernard Pierce/Temple, Cyrus Gray/Texas A&M, Ronny Hillman/San Diego State, Chris Rainey/Florida

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The New York Knicks and friends are getting down on Friday. They host the West’s worst New Orleans Hornets in a contest in which Carmelo Anthony WAS supposed to make his return. But, there’s no reason for him to rush back against the Hornets, especially when Lin makes Carmel0 seem replaceable.

5 TCU players failed a February drug test. Christian University, huh? Should the NCAA forgive them if they say 5 “Hail Mary’s?”

Lebron James told reporters that he would not rule out returning to the Cavaliers. Don’t put any stock into that. He’s just trying not to make more enemies. So, when you see ESPN advertising “LeBron says he could see himself returning to the Cavaliers,” shake your head. The Cavs host the Heat tonight.

Tim Tebow is working out at UCLA on his throwing mechanics. SportScience suggests that it takes 10,000 repetitions to change your muscle memory.

Michael Jordan is on pace to be the worst GM in NBA history. I’m not surprised. He wasn’t that good of a player, either.

Kobe and the Lakers host the Suns tonight on ESPN at 10:30. Kobe still leads the league in PPG and the Lakers boast a 12-2 home record.

The Capitals take on the Panthers in Florida tonight at 7:30. The Capitals are 4 points back from the division leading Panthers and need a victory to tie Toronto for the last spot in the playoffs. Washington has been teetering on the playoff bubble for months.

Tim Wakefield will retire after 19 seasons.

The Virginia Tech Hokies blew a 9 point league with 1:20 left on the clock at Florida State last night.

NC State blew a 9 point lead with 5 minutes left at Duke as well.

The New York Yankees unloaded A.J. Burnett after shopping him around all off-season. The Yankees will get 2 prospects. The Yankees will eat 2/3 of Burnett’s salary. But, money ain’t no thang.

I have had two 9-game win streaks on ESPN’s “Streak for the Cash” this month.

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1) Andrew Luck – Stanford - 6′4″ 235 lbs

Remember when the 2011 college football season was about to begin and Luck was the no-brainer Heisman Trophy winner and eventual number one pick in the upcoming draft?  Well one out of two isn’t bad.  RGIII may have swayed the Heisman voters with his ridiculous, video game style season but Luck is still the top Quarterback and top player in this years selection show.  The only thing the Stanford product did to hurt his chances of being taken at the top was giving NFL exec’s extra time to attempt to find flaws in his game.  In his redshirt Junior season Luck never skipped a beat, throwing for 3517 yards to go with 37 TD’s and 10 interceptions (at least 3 of those picks were a result of a tipped or dropped ball).  Luck is one of the most accurate passers I’ve personally seen at the college level, completing over 70% of his passes for the second consecutive season.  Did I mention that his number one receiver and number one tight end missed significant time this season?  Didn’t seem to matter.  Luck has the intangibles, moxy, smarts, athleticism (he rushed for 200+ yards and a couple scores and even caught a pass) and most importantly command and respect in the huddle.  Luck has learned and excelled in a pro-style offense under the tutelage of current San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.  The only knock on the kid seems to be that he doesn’t have an absolute cannon for an arm.  Trust me, Luck’s arm is excellent, I’m just reaching to find something close to a fault.  He can make every throw.  He’s confident in his ability but humble as a man, the kind of attributes that teammates love.  Luck will walk into Indy, start immediately and most likely continue to do so for the next decade.  He is the closest thing to a can’t miss QB the league has seen since the man he is bound to replace, Peyton Manning, entered the league.

2) Robert Griffin III – Baylor – 6′2″ 220 lbs

Griffin III stormed onto the major player scene this season.  He had always been an exciting athlete but in his redshirt junior season seemed to put all of the pieces together.  Griffin threw for 4293 yards to go with 37 TD’s and 7 INT’s.  The Baylor product completed 72.4% of his passes attempted.  His ability to make plays outside of the pocket is tremendous (699 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns) but what Griffin showed the NFL this season is that he is a QB first, a guy willing to stand in the pocket and make the correct read.  Griffin, like Luck, has incredible intangibles.  His leadership and moxy are undeniable.  His athleticism is second to none and his knowledge of the game and willingness to continually shape his craft have scouts at the next level drooling.  Griffin III started this season as a mid round prospect most likely better served to spend his senior season at Baylor getting better and stronger.  That is why they play the games sports fans.  Griffin is by far the number two guy in the draft and his upside could actually be better than Luck’s.  Don’t expect Griffin to slide past pick number two with teams like Cleveland, Miami, and Washington jockeying for postion to move up and grab the former Bear.

3) Ryan Tannehill – Texas A&M – 6′4″ 222 lbs.

Tannehill is the Jake Locker or Christian Ponder of this years draft.  He’s the kind of guy that should probably be a second or third rounder but will go much higher than anyone initially anticipated, potentially in the top 15.  Tannehill started his Aggie career at Wide Receiver after losing the QB battle to two upperclassmen during his first college preseason.  No worries.  All he did was set single game freshman records with 12 catches and 210 yards receiving.  He finished the season with 844 yards and 11 TD’s.  He was the team leader in receptions the following season with 46.  In 2010 he began to see some action at QB and the rest, as they say, is history.  Tannehill became the Aggies number one guy to start the 2011 season.  He threw for 3744 yards and posted 29 TD’s against 15 picks.  Tannehill is not the most accurate passer, though he did surpass 60% for the season.  His decision making is questionable at best sometimes.  He’s the type of passer who will in one moment make one of the best throws you’ve ever seen only to throw into triple coverage on the next play.  A lot of this can be attributed to a lack of time behind center.  His arm strength is evident but that sometimes leads him down the wrong path, a la Brett Favre.  He needs to learn patience.  The team that selects Tannehill would be better served to let him hold a clipboard for a year or two and work with a quality QB coach on the little things such as footwork and progressions.  Tannehill has plenty of work to do before coming a competant starter at the NFL level but the talent is obvious.  If drafted into the right situation with the right coaching, Tannehill could end up being quite a steal.

4) Brock Osweiler – Arizona State – 6′8″ 240 lbs.

Osweiler is a mountain of a man at 6′8″.  He has plenty of room on that frame to add to his 240 lbs. without looking ridiculous either.  The junior put up good numbers in the Pac-12 throwing for 4036 yards to go with 26 TD’s and 13 picks.  Osweiler may have been better served to stay at ASU for another season to work on the holes in his game but with Matt Barkley of USC and Landry Jones of Oklahoma returning to school Osweiler saw an opportunity to be a mid round guy (perhaps higher if some desperate team falls in love with his arm) and decided to jump.  Accuracy is an issue for the big man as evidenced by his somewhat paltry 63% completion rate over his career.  Osweiler also has a tendency to force things when the game isn’t following the way he would’ve liked.  Osweiler is a project but you can’t teach size and arm strength.  Some team will jump at the chance to select him with the idea that in a year or two he could be the man.  I’m not totally convinced of that summation but in a year where the QB position is not a strong as it could be you never know.

5) Brandon Weeden – Oklahoma State – 6′4″ 218 lbs.

The biggest knock on Weeden is his age.  At 28, the former Cowboy should have a few years of pro experience under his belt, instead he will be a rookie in a league where most don’t have a career long into their 30’s.  Weeden has a good excuse for his late start as he played minor league baseball for a few years after high school.  He is a professional and he has learned the hard lesson of not succeeding at the highest level of sports.  Weeden threw for 4727 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior.  He threw 13 picks but completed nearly 70% of his throws.  Weeden is the type of guy who commands the respect of his huddle.  Teammates want to play for him.  His decision making is sometimes suspect as he allows his arm strength to override common sense but if he takes time to set his feet and make his reads Weeden is capable of making most of the NFL type throws.  If Weeden were 23, he’d be a borderline first rounder.  I see Wheedon as a better Chris Weinke, the kind of guy who could start right away due to his maturity but is probably not the franchise type passer a team can rely on for years to come.

Honorable mention (well worth a late look-see) – Nick Foles – Arizona Wildcats, Kirk Cousins – Michigan State, Kellen Moore – Boise State, Case Keenum – Houston, Ryan Lindley – San Diego State

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Gisele Bundchen was ripped by the media for an e-mail she sent to her friends and family asking them to pray for her husband, Tom Brady, prior to the Superbowl. People pray for God to bless their food and nourish their bodies. The food is going to nourish your body whether you pray to God or not. So, what’s so wrong with her asking friends and family to pray for “Tommy?” She didn’t go to the public to ask for prayer. She asked friends and family.

After the game, Bundchen made headlines for telling the media, “My husband can not fucking throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.” Which…. is about what every person was thinking when Welker, Branch, and Hernandez let catchable balls in crucial situations slip through their fingertips. So, why did everyone get all up-in-arms because Gisele threw a whiny wife tantrum? Because she sounded like a whiny, bitter wife. But, that’s all you can really say about it. Or is it?

Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants’ 2nd string and washed up tailback, took to the airwaves in an attempt to burn Bundchen for taking a shot at New England’s receivers. “She just needs to continue to stay cute and shut up,” Jacobs told reporters. Once you’re done shaking your head in disgust by this subtle act of chauvinism, realize that Jacobs has two 1,000 yard seasons in his career and averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Decades from now, people will remember Tom Brady and his super hot Supermodel girlfriend. But, no one will remember Brandon Jacobs, the second string running back on the Superbowl winning New York Giants, and his 4-at-best wife. You don’t see Eli Manning ripping Gisele. Just saying.

Lack of intelligence shines through when these millionaire players make idiotic remarks in the media. Jacobs – you know who’s going to be rich and famous 10 years from now while you’re broke and waving around your two Superbowl rings? Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. Enjoy your Superbowl and don’t say dumb things. I know it’s hard. Gisele will stay cute. Have fun with your 4.

Manly looking M.I.A flipped the world the bird. Kind of funny when you end the performance with “World Peace.”

Football is over. It’s bittersweet. I’m in the mood for Spring and Baseball. March Madness, Spring Training, Opening Day, and the hope that the Orioles will be above .500 (which lasts for about 30 games) is a lot to look forward to.

The Orioles traded Jeremy Guthrie. It was made official this morning. Maybe they didn’t want to pay 10 million dollars for the losing-est pitcher of 2012. The Orioles received Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom in return – not much. Guthrie was a fan (and Twitter) favorite.

What a great half-time show. Madonna was clearly lip-syncing, but anything is better than Fergie’s awful non-lip-syncing performance of yesteryear. M.I.A. flipped the bird to the camera during her 30 second cameo. One-hit-wonders have no right to “fuck you” the world. But, what did you expect from a hip hopper trying to make a name for herself. M.I.A. appeared to say “I don’t give a fuck” while flicking off the camera. I hope she doesn’t “give a fuck” if I don’t buy her shitty music. Female rappers…. psh….

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is considering eliminating the Pro Bowl. And I STILL won’t watch it.

Duke lost to Miami at home. I don’t know if I’ve said this before, but Duke is overrated this year. (It’s funny, because I’ve said it 1,000 times)

In a year where the Patriots, Packers, and Saints were unstoppable, the Giants won.

The Superbowl Commercials weren’t as good as some years. Can we quit it with the car commercials? People buy Toyota Camry’s because they’re cheap and get good gas mileage, not because they’re fancy.

Elite Eli or Best ever Brady? That question will get answered on Sunday. Will Eli punch his ticket to Canton and go down as one of the best playoff quarterbacks ever? Will Brady win his fourth Super Bowl and move into the Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw conversation?

Vegas has New England favored by three points. If you have listened to anyone on t.v. or radio, you would think New York was the favorite. The Giants bandwagon is starting to get crowded. Since they won the NFC, I have heard that Eli is better than Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers, that Manningham would be the number one receiver if he played for the Patriots, and how dominant their defense has been.

I’m not buying it. Eli is pretty good, but he is not his brother. Peyton turned Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark ,and even Austin Collie, into great receivers. Without him those guys disappeared. Eli has had a better team around him and that is why he has had a better playoff record. You don’t win road playoff games unless your team loses regular season games. If he wins another Super Bowl, I will be more than happy to call him an elite quarterback, but not until then. The Giants  have a great group of receivers with Nicks, Cruz, and Manningham. Without them, I don’t think Eli gets mentioned in the great quarterback debate. However, I would still take the experience of Branch over the speed of Manningham any day. The Giants’ front four are good, but it doesn’t make them a great defense. They have been helped throughout their playoff run with conservative offensive play calling, fumbles, and dropped passes. They haven’t played a quarterback like Brady,during the playoffs. Yes, they played Rodgers, Ryan, and Smith but those guys, combined, don’t have the playoff numbers that Brady has accumulated.

It’s almost scary how little is being said about the Patriots. The biggest story has been the health of Rob Gronkowski. Unlike Eli, Brady makes his receivers stars and not the other way around. Brady turned, a declining, Randy Moss into a record setting receiver; much like he did with Gronkowski this year. Under-sized Wes Welker has become a 4 time pro bowler and 3 time NFL reception leader since joining New England. If you play ppr fantasy football, wait on a receiver and take Welker as your number one. You can thank me later.  Deion Branch wouldn’t be the first receiver to win the Super Bowl MVP award, since Jerry Rice, without Brady. Even if Gronkowski isn’t at full speed, I think Brady will be just fine. The Patriots will use three tight end sets, with plenty of motion and shifts, to both run and throw the ball effectively. Aaron Hernandez will line up at multiple positions. He will cause match-up problems for the Giants, as a receiver, blocker, and even running the ball. I see him catching a shovel pass that slows the Giants pass rush and breaks their spirits.

New England will limit the big plays through the air and play a bend but don’t break defense. I look for them to use a variety of delayed zone blitz schemes. This will allow them to show less before the snap and force Eli to ,consistently, make good decisions. After facing the running games of Denver and Baltimore, the Patriots won’t be intimidated by Bradshaw and Jacobs.

New York will be limited to field goals early, while New England will be scoring touchdowns. A balanced, time consuming, attack will frustrate Manning and the rest of the Giants. Causing them to take more risks, on both side of the ball. Manning will throw the ball up for grabs too many times, resulting in interceptions.

New England 34 – New York 23

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This Peyton Manning vs. Jim Irsay stuff is getting dicey. We all knew it would. What if Andrew Luck is a bust? What if he ends up being another Ryan Leaf? If the guy makes questionable facial hair choices, how are you going to trust him with your franchise? Peyton Manning does things behind center that very few people are capable of. Peyton Manning could very well be the best quarterback OF ALL TIME. Letting him go could send your franchise into a complete tailspin. You’ve got no pass rush, no secondary, and no running game. You’re going to put Andrew Luck behind center with no weapons and ask him to win games with a porous defense. Luck will inherit an offensive line that gave up 35 sacks this year. Luck will be in a position to fail and the Colts will be the next Jacksonville Jaguars while Peyton Manning goes elsewhere and wins playoff games.

Don’t compare the Colts situation to the Brett Favre situation. The Packers had an amazingly talented young team that was taken over by a one-of-a-kind star like Aaron Rodgers, who SAT BEHIND a veteran before taking over a talented team.

The Lakers are now 1-7 on the road after falling to the Bucks last night. Kobe had a decent all-around game with 8 rebounds and 9 assists to go with his 27 points. They travel across the border for a match-up with Minnesota tonight.

Carmelo Anthony got out of Denver like he wanted. The Nuggets sport a 14-5 record while Carmelo’s Knicks are 7-13. Maybe ‘Melo is the problem?

The Washington Wizards have won 2 of 3. Don’t call it a comeback.

The Heat host the Bulls today at 3:30 in a preview of your future Eastern Conference Final. I can’t wait.

Are you more likely to watch the NHL All-Star game today or the NFL’s Pro Bowl? Neither is a completely acceptable answer.

Tiger Woods finished 3rd in the Abu Dhabi Championship. He has now finished in the top 3 of his last 3 stroke play tournaments.

Unranked Iowa State upset #5 Kansas yesterday.

Unranked Pittsburgh defeated #10 Georgetown.

Murray State remains undefeated.

#4 Syracuse narrowly escaped West Virginia 63-61 at home.

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I want you to imagine winning the jackpot on any lottery ticket. It could be a few hundred dollars or several million. Now, I want you to imagine giving it back because they didn’t give you crisp, new bills. Unless you already have a lot of money laying around, that sounds pretty stupid. That is how I feel about any team not willing to take a chance on Peyton Manning’s health. At least any team that hasn’t already hit the jackpot with a Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Aaron Rodgers.

Peyton is due a $28 million dollar bonus in March if he is still with the Colts. Several people believe that he will be cut because of the timing and his health. If that is the case, where would he want to play? Here is my top five if I were Peyton.

5. Tennessee Titans – Manning would get to return to the state where he is still worshiped. Few players are still loved like he is in Tennessee. Even though he never won a national championship, he is arguably the best player to play on “Rocky Top”. The Titans also have a good running back and capable receivers. They also gave up the second fewest sacks last season.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Don’t you think Maurice Jones-Drew deserves someone like Manning? The entire team does, really. Last season they finished 6th in total defense and MJD was the NFL rushing leader. The Jags do have first year quarterback Gabbert, but after finishing 32nd in passing yards last season, he could learn a lot from Manning.

3. New York Jets – New York is probably the only city big enough for two Mannings. Peyton would be in a major market, which I think he would like. He has had a ton of commercials and his Saturday Night Live United Way skit is hilarious. He could be the missing piece for the Jets. Shonn Greene ran for over 1,000 yards. Receivers Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress both finished, tied for 11th in the NFL, with 8 touchdowns. I’m not sure he would want to deal with the current Jets drama but winning would fix everything.

2. Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins struggled early last season, but rallied to win six of their last nine. However, that didn’t save their coach. Joe Philbin was hired as head coach and named Mike Sherman his offensive coordinator. Sherman and Manning would make a great pair. Sherman has plenty of head coaching experience, including his time in Green Bay. In 2003, Brett Favre led the NFL touchdowns passes under Sherman. There, he would have 1,000 yard guys in Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush.

1. Houston Texans – Current quarterback Matt Shaub only has one year left on his contract and is coming off of a foot injury. It would make plenty of sense to trade him and pick up Manning. The Texans could get something for Shaub before he becomes a free agent and Manning would make the Texans a Super Bowl contender. Peyton would give them the right amount of time to decide on Yates or draft a quarterback later. Manning paired with the running game of the Texans and Andre Johnson really doesn’t seem fair. That combination paired with the NFL’s 2nd ranked defense would be tough to beat.

All of the teams except New York are in states that don’t have an income tax. That could be a factor in his decision but I think winning a Super Bowl will be the biggest. Three of the teams are in the AFC South. If I were Peyton I would want every chance to make the Colts regret cutting me. The Texans give him the best chance at beating them twice a year, winning a Super Bowl, and making a little more money.

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