Lombardi Trophy Visits the Kohl Center

The Lombardi Trophy was at the Kohl Center prior to the Badger men's hoops game versus Penn State. Packers President Mark Murphy brought the trophy to center court about midway in the first half. He was joined there by a fleet, tough wide receiver - Al Toon (was it just me or was that a bit of an odd choice? Whatever.)

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Toon was one of the earliest recognized casualty of football-induced concussions. Read this 1992 article by Dave Anderson in the NYT about Toon's concussions.

Super Papers

Here are a some of today's front pages from around the world. You can see them all on the Newseum's website.

We Win!

In case you missed the news, we won Super Bowl #45. It was in the paper.

[And when I say "we", I mean the Packers. In the time-honored tradition of sports fans everywhere, when the team we cheer wins, then "they" join "us" to become "we". When they lose, then they stay "they".] 

The Super Bowl outcome garners somewhat more subdued coverage in Pittsburgh. "Game? What game? Did the Steelers play??" The Post-Gazette, however, features proper amounts of despair.

It may seem harsh to pick on Steeler fans now, but this is hilarious. And it turns out that Stiller fans talk funnier than Packers fans. Pittsburghese is so messed up it has become a subject of academia.

Yinz guys give dem Stillers fans a hard time but it's all a bunch of jumbo. We're jest like any other football fans.


"Jumbo" is what "Stillers" fans call bologna, and it's a staple food in Pittsburgh, served on white bread purchased from the Giant Iggle, maybe with mayonnaise if they're feeling fancy. They love that shit -- and it's why they're not like other football fans.

Survey Says: Really Close Call

The same computers that were shouting "The Packers will beat the Bears" suddenly have mouths full of oatmeal. The computers give the Packers a very slight edge.

The Sagarin Ratings on USA Today give the Steelers a 0.15 point edge. But, using PURE POINTS (also known as PREDICTOR, BALLANTINE, RHEINGOLD, WHITE OWL) and which Sagarin says "is the best single PREDICTOR of future games", the Packers get a 1.8 point edge.

Accuscore on ESPN cranked through over 10,000 simulations. The Packers win 50%, the Steelers win 49%, and apparently the roof caves in from snow and ice the rest of the time. 

The Octo that called the World Cup expired in extra time.

The wise guys in Vegas require the giving of 3-points if you want to endorse the Packers with money.

Watch the game, try to enjoy it by remembering that it is, in fact, a game (not, however, just a game - let's not get carried away with perspective), and it's a game that you are not playing in nor will anything you do change the outcome of the game.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezee123/1025724498/
By Anoop Negi

You could ask this Red Oracle, but she's probably not that up on the NFL.

Is the Oracle of Delphi free? What? Its spiritual fire was extinguished when Apollo worship went the way of the 5 and Dime? That's just swell.

Canadians Trying to Horn in on Super Bowl

So now Canadians, who typically distance themselves from anything having to do with the US, are trying to glom onto the Super Bowl. Just shows how big the Super Bowl is, eh?

Read the list of Canadian connections to this year's Super Bowl. It includes this amazing factoid:

• The Black Eyed Peas will perform at half-time of Sunday’s Super Bowl game in Dallas. The group also performed at halftime of the 2005 Grey Cup in Vancouver

So a band that once played in Canada is playing at the Super Bowl? That's it? They're not even from Canada?

Another highlight:

• The Packers equipment manager Gordon (Red) Batty is from Canada.

An item not on the list: Brett Kiesel's beard qualifies him for Canadian citizenship. The beard will be subject to a thorough search at the border. It is also rumored he hides a 12th player in his beard at key points in the game (a small player, like an extra DB).

What else might he be hiding in there?

Exhale

Wow, the Packers didn't make it that exciting just for us fans. Give the Bears credit for fightng back (although the Packers left a bunch of points out there). 



Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) intercepts a pass in the final two minutes of the 4th quarter to seal a win by the Packers during the NFC Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, Sunday, January 23, 2011 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Photo by Rick Wood. RWOOD@JOURNALSENTINEL.COM