The best part of the Super Bowl isn't the football, halftime show, commercials, food, or booze. That's right, it's the prop bets.
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Saturday, January 31, 2015
Here's 8 of our favorite Super Bowl prop bets
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Pat the Patriot is having trouble sleeping on Super Bowl eve
He's hyped.
Too excited to sleep! http://ift.tt/1LxX6tW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2015
We know you're excited Pat, but tomorrow is going to be a LONG day. Try to get some rest.
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Oilers player's stick gets caught in a referee's visor
That HAS to be a penalty.
Sometimes visors can protect your face during a hockey game.
Other times they catch stray sticks.
This is taking high-sticking to a whole new level!
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Julius Thomas goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Katy Perry and Gisele Bündchen
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Denver Broncos TE Julius Thomas takes on trivia covering Forrest Gump, vocabulary, and more.
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Aaron Rodgers named AP Most Valuable Player of the Year
Aaron Rodgers was named the AP Most Valuable Player for the 2014-15 regular season, beating out guys like J.J. Watt and DeMarco Murray.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been named the AP Most Valuable Player for the 2014-15 season at the NFL Honors Awards Show. The award is given annually to the player who meant the most to his team and, typically, who can be singled out as a reason that team won games over the course of the regular season.
Many felt that the award would come down to Rodgers and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Many also noted that this year's award was a bit like comparing apples and oranges, given the differences between the two. Sometimes, it's clear that the offensive or defensive player is a cut above the rest, but when there's definitely one from each category, comparing the two isn't exactly easy.
Rodgers is an efficient, effective quarterback who leads his team to victory more often than not. The Packers finished second in the NFC this season and though the playoffs aren't taken into account for this award, he advanced them to the NFC Championship before they fell to the Seattle Seahawks.
Watt is a prolific defensive end who is as effective as anybody in doing the things expected of a defensive end, but then he does all this other stuff on top of that. Outside of game-sealing interceptions and things of that nature, it's often hard to pin wins specifically on one defensive player, but Watt certainly won the Texans plenty of games himself.
Still, it's not surprising to see Rodgers walk away with the award. He finished the season with a quarterback rating of 112.2, the eighth-highest rating since the merger, and completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 4,381 yards. He put up 38 touchdowns, and while none of the numbers mentioned thus far are league highs (second in passer rating, third in touchdowns and seventh in yardage), Rodgers had just five interceptions on the season.
That touchdown-to-interception ratio is insane. His arm accounted for 228 points in touchdowns, not counting extra points, and led to no more than 35 points for the opposing team, counting extra points. He didn't throw a single interception at home, and took the Packers into the playoffs as the second seed in the NFC, narrowly losing out for the first seed to the aforementioned Seahawks.
Many will argue that it's an offensive-minded award, and they're right. Defensive players can win it when any one quarterback doesn't stand out, but Rodgers certainly did and that's why he's going home with the hardware.
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Gerald Henderson throws down a big dunk on Jusuf Nurkic
Gerald Henderson had a running start so Jusuf Nurkic probably shouldn't have jumped. He did ... and this happened.
Gerald Henderson GOT Nurkic https://t.co/KkLxkIFQcT
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 1, 2015 Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1tN7x7r
Rob Gronkowski named NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Rob Gronkowski, coming back from multiple injuries, has won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been named the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The award is given annually to any player who recovers from a bad season in a big way -- whether that bad season was simply a down year or one caused by injury. In some cases, it can even refer to coming back from an early retirement.
In other words, the award goes to a player who had a great year after doing nothing the previous year. That's why it's not surprising that Gronkowski came away with this award. He is he one of the most prolific tight ends in the league, and the Patriots offense is better when he's on the field.
Another player who definitely deserves mention though is Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. He retired after looking downright awful his first couple seasons, but then Sean Lee got hurt and the Cowboys had a void at the linebacker position. Something clicked for McClain and he had a fantastic season. Dallas definitely won games based on McClain's play, and it would not have been surprising had he taken this award.
Gronkowski definitely deserves it, though. He played in 15 games this season, catching 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was an excellent blocker and he was always Tom Brady's safety net. The offense was much smoother with him out there, helping New England to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
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Watch Dustin Byfuglien headlock Jamie Benn with his legs
That's one way to stop the Stars best player.
Remember as a kid when your big brother would totally cheat during wrestling and put you in a headlock until you gave up? What Dustin Byfuglien just did to Jamie Benn is the hockey equivalent of that. Not cool, Buff.
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Ryan Tannehill goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Katy Perry and geography
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill takes on trivia covering Gisele Bündchen, the Phoenix Suns mascot, and more.
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Curtis McElhinney denies Ryan Callahan breakaway with terrific save
Sergei Bobrovsky would be proud.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are going to need the absolute best from their backup netminders while Sergei Bobrovsky recovers from an injury over the next few weeks.
And by absolute best, we mean saves like the one Curtis McElhinney made on a breakaway attempt by Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan on Saturday.
Considering the Jackets were on the penalty kill and already down a goal, the odds couldn't have been more stacked against McElhinney. And he still made the save look easy.
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J.J. Watt wins AP Defensive Player of the Year
J.J. Watt is your defensive player of the year, to the surprise of nobody.
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has been named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors show Saturday evening. The voting was unanimous in his favor, the first time that's ever happened. The award is given to the best defensive player each season and for the second time in his career, the honor goes to Watt. He also took home the award in 2012.
Watt certainly did enough this season to state his case as the most outstanding defensive player in the league. Many even argued he was the best player in the league, period. Not only did he finish second in the NFL in the sack race, first in fumble recoveries and third in forced fumbles, but Watt also had an interception and multiple touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. Some may view Watt coming in on offense as something of a gimmick, but he managed to put up three touchdowns on that side of the ball, in addition to two defensive touchdowns and a safety.
That's 32 points Watt accounted for on his own, not counting extra points. For the season, he tied a career high with 20.5 sacks to go along with the 78 total tackles and 10 passes defensed. He does everything that is expected of an NFL defensive end -- and more -- and he's done it at a high level.
Although Watt was considered the runaway favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, there were a few other players worth mentioning. While the media focused on Watt for much of the season and whether he'd break the single-season sack record, Justin Houston was having what must have been the quietest 22-sack season one could have. He led the league in sacks and was incredible against the run, but Watt was a lot more dynamic and came up just short of having the sack record himself.
Other defensive players like Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis deserve mention for their play in the secondary. As defensive backs, they're made all the more impressive by the fact that NFL receivers seem to be getting bigger, faster and better every single year. But Sherman and Revis continue to handle their business and remain shutdown corners.
Watt was on another level, though, and was making plays every single time he took the field. There were very few arguments against Watt winning this award, and only a couple more against him winning league MVP overall.
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Dion Waiters misses a WIDE OPEN breakaway layup
He did get his own rebound and scores on the second chance though.
Dion Watiers reminded all young basketball players to always follow your own shots, especially when you're the only one around.
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James Harden injury: Rockets guard leaves with apparent knee injury
Harden left Houston's game after going down on a drive.
Houston star guard James Harden left the Rockets' game on Saturday after suffering an apparent left knee injury. Harden was injured after attempting to drive to the basket. He landed a little awkwardly and immediately grabbed at his knee.
Harden remained down for a few minutes before eventually walking back to the locker room under his own power.
Harden is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. He's averaging 27 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game while playing better defense than in recent seasons. His efforts have Houston as the current No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and he's in the discussion as the MVP of the first half.
More to come.
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Kevin Love gets a 'warm' reception from Timberwolves fans
BOOOOOOOOOO!
Kevin Love's first game back in Minnesota started pretty much as you'd expect, with a chorus of boos from Timberwolves fans.
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Henrik Lundqvist takes shot to throat, keeps making huge saves anyway
King Henrik is not of this world.
In case you needed more proof that Henrik Lundqvist was an unbreakable Jedi warrior goalie or something, the Rangers netminder provided two more huge moments on Saturday.
Lundqvist was pretty shaken up in the second period when a shot from Carolina Hurricanes forward Brad Malone snuck under his throat protector and hit a soft spot on his neck.
The aftermath of this was pretty scary. Lundqvist writhed on the ice in pain as trainers frantically scooped ice onto his neck. I mean, just look at him:
That is not the look of a man in comfort. And yet, Lundqvist got right back up and continued playing! The man is unbelievable. Especially when you consider that he made this save literally a minute before the incident happened.
This is why hockey fans everywhere bow before King Henrik.
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Antonio Brown goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Katy Perry and Gisele Bündchen
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown takes on trivia covering the site of Super Bowl XLIX, vocabulary, and more.
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Watch Devils score beautiful tic-tac-toe power play goal
We can't stop watching.
The Devils scored a beautiful power play goal on Saturday.
We know, it's hard to believe. The words "Devils", "beautiful" and "goal" rarely occupy the same sentence, unless Jaromir Jagr is involved. But even New Jersey can create magic on the man advantage.
Especially when their opponent forgets to check the back door.
That between-the-legs backwards pass by Steve Bernier at the doorstep was just gorgeous. Roberto Luongo really didn't have a chance.
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Dominic Moore shows off pretty deke on breakaway goal
Who knew Dominic Moore had it in him?
When you think of Dominic Moore, you think of the grinding, durable New York Rangers center. You don't think of a guy with a bunch of fancy puck skills up his sleeve.
Apparently neither did the Hurricanes, and it cost them on Saturday.
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Arian Foster goes on Super Bowl game show, talks U.S. History and Forrest Gump
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Houston Texans RB Arian Foster takes on trivia covering Katy Perry, the Phoenix Suns mascot, and more.
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NHL Saturday: Canadiens repeat overtime heroics against Caps
Carey Price came up huge yet again in a 1-0 overtime win against Washington. Elsewhere, the Bruins host the defending champion Los Angeles Kings, while the Blackhawks visit San Jose.
There's nothing like an old foe to jump start your season.
At least, that's what the Los Angeles Kings will be hoping when they visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday. The two teams have each won the Stanley Cup in recent seasons while dominating the NHL along the way. Yet the Bruins and Kings have been awfully quiet halfway through this NHL season.
Los Angeles took down the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, ending a four-game losing streak in the process. Meanwhile, the Bruins are in the middle of an uptick, having won 12 of their last 13 games.
Here is a complete look at the schedule. All times are ET.
Matchup | Time | Visitor TV | Home TV | National TV |
Washington at Montreal | 1:00 p.m. | CSN | RDS |
|
New York Islanders at Detroit | 2:00 p.m. | MSG+ | FS Detroit |
|
Arizona at Ottawa | 3:00 p.m. | FS Arizona | RDS2 |
|
Toronto at Philadelphia | 7:00 p.m. | CBC | CSN |
|
Dallas at Winnipeg | 7:00 p.m. | KXTA | City |
|
Carolina at New York Rangers | 7:00 p.m. | FS Carolina | MSG |
|
Florida at New Jersey | 7:00 p.m. | FS Florida | MSG+ |
|
Los Angeles at Boston | 7:00 p.m. | FS West | NESN | TVA |
Columbus at Tampa Bay | 7:30 p.m. | FS Ohio | SUN |
|
Edmonton at Calgary | 10:00 p.m. |
|
| CBC, TVA |
Chicago at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. | CSN | CSN |
|
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There was a raw sewage leak at the Waste Management Open
The waste was not managed very well.
The Waste Management Open is one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour calendar, drawing crowds upwards of 600,000 people. All those people apparently led to more sewage than the portable toilets could handle.
Waste management problem at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Raw sewage backs up. http://t.co/p9xZaBDNEo http://ift.tt/1tMzPii
— azcentral (@azcentral) January 31, 2015
According to azcentral, sewage backed up in puddles outside of a heavily populated fan area.
Most fans recoiled from the smell as they approached the area.
Many of them walked through the dirty water, unaware of what was on the ground.
The culprit? A poorly-named portable toilet called the Crowd Pleaser. Yeah, not so much.
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Justin Forsett goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Gisele Bündchen and Phoenix Suns mascot
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Baltimore Ravens RB Justin Forsett takes on trivia covering vocabulary, the NFL linebacker he had the most success against in 2014, and more.
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There's a pig auction at halftime of the South Dakota St. vs. Denver game
This is some interesting halftime entertainment.
Halftime entertainment here in Brookings they are auctioning off a pig. http://ift.tt/1wOHiYY
— Denver Men's Hoops (@DU_MHoops) January 31, 2015
Halftime is a BIG DEAL at South Dakota State games.
You know you're in South Dakota when they auction off a pig at a basketball game http://ift.tt/1wOHiZ2
— Blondie (@chani_christan) January 31, 2015
That's a lot of bacon.
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Cincinnati Zoo penguins unanimously pick Seahawks to win Super Bowl
Every year, zoo animals and pets pick who's going to win the Super Bowl. Every year, it's totally rigged and stupid. EXCEPT FOR THE PENGUINS. Penguins are known to be the sports experts of the animal kingdom, and the Cincinnati Zoo's king penguins proved that they actually thought this through and achieved an educated consensus by all picking the Seahawks.
There was some drama, though. Look at this guy! This one waddles over to the Patriots gate as if that's going to be the pick:
... then NOPE:
The zookeeper guy is like "you wouldn't think penguins would like Seahawks." Why not, man? BIRDS OF A FEATHER! CA-CAW!
Anyway, Seattle's gonna win. It has been decided. Do not listen to any other animals.
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Jeremy Maclin goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Gisele Bündchen and Forrest Gump
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin takes on trivia covering the site of Super Bowl XLIX, vocabulary, and more.
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Louisville's Montrezl Harrell slams home ridiculously high alley-oop dunk
The key to an extraordinary alley-oop is a bad lob, and this was a bad lob:
Too high, too far back, still in Montrezl Harrell's wheelhouse. Damn.
look where Harrell caught the alley-oop http://ift.tt/1yUQL1V
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Kenny Stills goes on Super Bowl game show, talks Gisele Bündchen and candy
On the latest episode of Answer the Question, New Orleans Saints WR Kenny Stills takes on trivia covering Forrest Gump, the Phoenix Suns mascot, and more.
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Rick Pitino is dressed like a villain in a Quentin Tarantino movie for Louisville-North Carolina
oh Rick Pitino is absolutely part of the mafia now, no question about it. http://ift.tt/1tM4WKJ
— Dijana Kunovac (@dijana_kunovac) January 31, 2015
Louisville and North Carolina are underway in big-time ACC showdown, but it's hard to pay attention to the game when Cardinals coach Rick Pitino is out here looking like ..... like .....
Rick Pitino looks like the basketball version of Roy Munson http://ift.tt/1yldzJ9
— Ben Swanson (@CardboardGerald) January 31, 2015
Feel free to add your own in the comments.
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Injury cart drives into injured player at Africa Cup of Nations
But hey, DR-Congo won and Gabriel Zakuani is pumped.
What can I say! Started for my country, we are in the semi finals of #afcon2015 got ran over by the buggy when injured lol, only in Africa
— Gabriel Zakuani (@Gabs50Zakuani) January 31, 2015
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Trevor Lacey hits a game-winning three at the buzzer to lift N.C. State over Georgia Tech
N.C. State needed a win over Georgia Tech in the worst way on Saturday afternoon. After ending Duke's undefeated season on Jan. 11, the Wolfpack proceeded to lose four of their next five games, which included a heartbreaking overtime loss to a talented Notre Dame team.
The Yellow Jackets took N.C. State to overtime, and looked poised to grab the win. Trevor Lacey had other ideas. The junior guard pulled up and looked like he knew the game-winning three was going through the net as soon as the ball left his hand.
Even better than the shot? Cat Barber's reaction.
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3 things we learned from Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Manchester City
The title race isn't changing.
The title race isn't over yet, but Chelsea have avoided disaster and prevented Manchester City from gaining ground. In a match that looked to be more about not losing than putting City away for the hosts, Chelsea did enough, grinding out a 1-1 draw.
City started the brighter of the two sides and looked like they might be able to threaten Chelsea's goal early, but Jose Mourinho's side eventually settled in and started to defend well.
The visitors' first shot on target came in the 24th minute, when Thibaut Courtois made a stop on Sergio Aguero after youngster Kurt Zouma did well to shuttle the Argentine away from the center of the box. Chelsea's first good chance came in the 30th minute after Loic Remy picked the ball off Vincent Kompany, eventually leading to a shot for Oscar, but he didn't get much power behind it and Joe Hart saved easily.
Both teams could have scored during a wild sequence a couple of minutes later. Chelsea appealed for handball when City blocked a Ramires pass into the box, and were caught out when the referee waved play on. John Terry misplayed a long ball over the top, allowing Aguero to run onto it, but he surprisingly pulled his shot wide of the far post.
As has been the case in many of their big games during Mourinho's second spell in charge, Chelsea lost the possession battle comfortably in the first half but found the opening goal. Remy was the scorer, but merely applied the finish on a brilliant team goal. Willian won the ball back for Chelsea, who eventually worked it to Branislav Ivanovic. He switched to Eden Hazard, who volleyed a low ball across the six-yard box, and Remy was perfectly positioned to finish.
But City were able to find an equalizer before halftime, and in surprising fashion. Courtois flapped at a Jesus Navas cross and missed, then didn't quite get himself back into perfect position to tip Aguero's shot away. It was heading towards the far post before it met David Silva, who redirected the ball into the back of the net.
As much action as there was in the final 20 minutes of the first half, there was very little throughout the second half, with both teams looking afraid to gift the other team extra points. City had the better of the chances, but never looked much like scoring. Fernandinho forced saves from Courtois in the 55th and 68th minutes, while James Milner pulled a good effort just wide four minutes from time, but Chelsea held on for a draw fairly comfortably.
Chelsea : Courtois, Azpilicueta, Terry, Zouma, Ivanovic, Matic, Ramires, Hazard, Oscar (Loftus-Cheek 90'), Willian (Drogba 80'), Remy (Cahill 87')
Goals: Remy (41')
Manchester City : Hart, Clichy, Demichelis, Kompany, Sagna, Fernando (Lampard 77'), Fernandinho, Milner, Silva (Jovetic 90'), Navas, Aguero (Dzeko 84')
Goals: Silva (45')
3 things
1. Courtois' error was an odd one - Usually, in the case of spectacular 22-year-old goalkeepers, bad errors happen occasionally and their teams are willing to live with them because of their stellar shot-stopping ability. But bad errors are very rare for Thibaut Courtois, and were when he was a teenager at Atlético Madrid as well. His complete whiff at Navas' cross that led to City's goal was extremely uncharacteristic, and Chelsea might have hung on for a 1-0 win on most other days.
2. Vincent Kompany's poor season continues - While Vincent Kompany has turned in plenty of great performances this year, he's had more shockers. And in this game, he was the man most responsible for Chelsea's goal and for a few of their other decent chances. He pulled his leg out of an attempted block of Hazard's cross on the goal -- seemingly scared of scoring an own goal -- allowing Remy to score easily. Someone wake him up. He used to be the best in the world.
3. We still haven't answered the Fabregas question - Chelsea appeared to miss Cesc Fabregas' creativity in midfield a bit, but his absence due to injury means we still don't know whether or not he's shaken that big game problem. He was poor against top sides in the second half of the season for Barcelona throughout his run with the Blaugrana. His form this season suggests he's shaken that off, but it's a lingering question we're left waiting for an answer to.
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Watch Phoenix Open crowd shower 16th hole with beer after Francesco Molinari ace
Francesco Molinari cranks up the rowdies with an ace at the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.
Francesco Molinari cranked the volume at No. 16 to a whole new level with this ace. #pgatour #QuickHits https://t.co/LWRIQh34t4
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 31, 2015
Molinari’s was the ninth hole-in-one at the 16th since Scottsdale began hosting the PGA Tour’s most raucous event in 1987. The last player to post an ace at 16 -- where Tiger Woods famously raised the roof after his eagle-1 in 1997 -- was Jarrod Lyle in 2011, according to the PGA Tour.
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Super Bowl 2015: How the Patriots and Seahawks got their logos and nicknames
Curious how the Seahawks and Patriots got their names and uniforms? Keep reading.
When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots come running out of the tunnel for Super Bowl XLIX, they will have familiar logos and nicknames adorned on the sides of their helmets and across their chests. The designations go almost unnoticed unless there is change, making them mundane to the eye.
But how did the Patriots and Seahawks get their names and logos? What went into the making of the franchises?
For New England, it began as a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. The Patriots were named by the public, after the organization ran a contest through local media. Ultimately, 74 fans wrote in "Patriots" and won the vote, per the team's official website. New England was originally named the Boston Patriots and had a revolutionary soldier's hat with the uniform number above it on the uniform. The look only lasted one year until the team went to its famous "Pat Patriot" logo.
The famous image of the patriot hiking a football was created by Phil Bissell, a Boston Globe cartoonist who sketched the idea and ran it in the newspaper. Founder Billy Sullivan loved it and chose to make it the team's official logo, giving Bissell $100 for his contributions, per USA Today.
The angry patriot stayed on the white helmets until the 1993 season. Immediately before owner Robert Kraft took over the team, New England went through a radical uniform change. The Patriots made the helmets silver and began using the "Flying Elvis" logo, also putting the new badge in big print on the sleeves, and then the shoulders. The logo is actually representing a Minuteman, a historical figure from the 1700s. The pants also went from red/white to silver/blue, changing to a darker shade of blue in 2000 along with the rest of the uniform.
For the Seahawks, the name came about in the same manner. With the team slated to become a reality in 1976, the ownership had a public contest and received over 1,700 suggestions, ultimately settling with Clark McMillan's idea of "Seahawks."
The uniform originally was fairly plain. Seattle had white numerals, blue jerseys (white on road), gray pants and blue and green striping. The logo is not actually a Seahawk, but an Osprey colored with blue and green streaks. The uniforms remained mostly the same until 2002, with the only notable exception being the sleeves. Throughout the 1980s, the sleeves had the Seahawks logo in the striping, something added prior to the 1983 season.
In 2002, Seattle underwent an overhaul by drenching the uniform in dark blue. The helmet went blue, along with the jersey, pants and socks. There was also lime green striping added. Later, a lime green alternate jersey was created as well. The uniforms became more radical in 2012, when Nike decided to revamp the Seahawks' look once again. Wild striping was added down the pants, along with a font change on the numbers and striping along the shoulders.
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Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes drops the hammer on Iowa
With Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky also on the court, it' so easy to forget about Nigel Hayes. Pro tip: never forget about Nigel Hayes.
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2015 Super Bowl odds: Line holding, most money on Patriots
New England continues to be the choice of most Super Bowl bettors.
The offensively minded AFC champion is favored by a point or two and tons of money continues coming in on them, leaving sportsbooks in a precarious Super Bowl betting situation.
Sound familiar? That what the story a year ago when the Denver Broncos were favored big by the public but by only a point or two at the sportsbooks against Seattle.
Fast forward to today and the New England Patriots are the betting choice of more than 70 per cent of fans at some sportsbooks, according to Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.
"I know Bovada was seeing a steady stream of money, even though they had the biggest spread at -2 for the Patriots," he said today.
Will the ‘sharp' or professional bettors come in heavy on Super Bowl Sunday, hoping for a repeat performance of Super 48 when the Seahawks demolished Denver?
That turned into one of the biggest Super Bowl profits in history for Vegas and overseas sportsbooks.
The over-under continues to hover between a low of 47 at some shops and a high of 48 at others (among those tracked by OddsShark.com, SBNation's long-time odds partner).
The Odds Shark prediction computer has projected an OVER bet here with a surprisingly high-scoring game. It also predicted a near tie, with the Patriots winning by less than half a point, which would also translate to a Seattle cover.
Watch for Super Bowl betting updates today and into Sunday to check on line moves. Also, check out hundreds of fun daily-fantasy style prop wagers to spice up the day.
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Super Bowl 2015: History of back-to-back winners
The most recent back-to-back Super Bowl winners, the Patriots, are the only thing standing in the way of the Seahawks joining that exclusive club on Sunday night.
There are tons of intriguing storylines heading into Super 49, but perhaps none is more enticing than the potential history that is on the line in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 1.
The Seattle Seahawks are one win away from etching their name in the record books as just the ninth team all-time to repeat as Super Bowl champions and the first in a decade. So it is only fitting that the team standing in their way is the New England Patriots, who are the last franchise to repeat as Lombardi Trophy winners.
Regardless of who wins, there will be plenty to debate on Sunday night after the final whistle blows. The Patriots will either add to their claim as one of the most decorated franchises in league history, or the Seahawks will make their case as the NFL's latest dynasty with back-to-back titles on their ledger.
With so much at stake in this battle between the league's two best teams, let's take a look back at the history of repeat Super Bowl winners.
1966-67 Green Bay Packers (Super Bowls 1 & 2)
It is no coincidence that the trophy given to the NFL champion is named after Vince Lombardi, one of the league's legendary coaches and the man that led the Packers to victory in the first two Super Bowls. (Of course, back then it wasn't known as the Super Bowl, but rather the "AFL-NFL Championship Game.") Lombardi's final game as Packers coach was the victory in Super Bowl 2, ending an incredible nine-season career during which his teams won five NFL championships, including the aforementioned two Super Bowls.
1972-73 Miami Dolphins (Super Bowls 7 & 8)
The 1972 Dolphins remain the only team in NFL history to finish a season with an unbeaten record, capping off their perfect campaign with a 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl 7. The city of Miami wouldn't have to wait long for another championship. The Dolphins went 12-2 during the 1973 regular season and rolled through the playoffs, winning each of its three postseason games by 17 points.
1974-75 Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowls 9 & 10)
1978-79 Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowls 13 & 14)
The 1970s Steelers are considered one of the most dominant teams in pro football history, winning four Super Bowl titles in a six-season span. With this incredible run, the franchise established itself as one of the league's foremost dynasties -- following in the footsteps of the 1940s Chicago Bears, 1950s' Cleveland Browns, and the 1960s Packers. Buoyed by its "Steel Curtain" defense and the prolific arm of Terry Bradshaw, the Steelers won 80 games (including playoffs) from 1974-79, by far the most of any team during that span.
1988-89 San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowls 23 & 24)
An offensive juggernaut led by Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, San Francisco began its run of back-to-back titles with a narrow 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super 23. The 49ers then successfully defended their championship with a 55-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos one year later, the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.
1992-93 Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowls 27 & 28)
Powered by the dynamic trio of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys dismantled the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 27 by a 52-17 score to win the franchise's first ring since the late 1970s. Dallas suffered through the inevitable Super Bowl hangover at the start of the 1993 season, dropping its first two games, before cruising to another NFC East title and a 30-13 victory over the Bills in the big game for the second straight year.
1997-1998 Denver Broncos (Super Bowls 32 & 33)
The Broncos were the first AFC team to repeat as Super Bowl winners since the 1970s Steelers, beating the Packers for their first title and the Atlanta Falcons for their second one. John Elway capped his Hall of Fame career in storybook fashion, winning the MVP award in his final game on Feb. 1, 1999 following the Broncos' 34-19 victory in Super Bowl 33.
2003-04 New England Patriots (Super Bowls 38 & 39)
The Patriots established themselves as the NFL's most recent dynasty with three Super Bowl wins in four years during the early 2000s, including back-to-back titles following the 2003-04 seasons. One decade later, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still looking for that elusive fourth ring as they try to end their championship drought with a win over the Seahawks on Sunday night.
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Watch a guy eat a 6-pound hot dog in 13 minutes at the Super Bowl
Here is a video is of 21-year old Ty Hill of Tempe, Ariz., taking down this six-pound hot dog in 13 minutes.
It's one of the super outrageous, you-have-to-see-this carnival barker style attractions at the NFL Fan Experience in Phoenix for Super Bowl week. A 24-inch all-beef hot dog topped with pulled chicken, cabbage, pico de gallo, cheese sauce, rancho beans, crispy bacon, spicy salsa, sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos.
It costs $26, but if you can finish it in 15 minutes, you get your money back. Hill was the seventh person to attempt the feat, and the first one to finish.
Hill was unsure if he even wanted to take the challenge, but a kind stranger in line offered to buy him the dish just to see him try, so it became a no-brainer. Hill, who hadn't eaten anything that day, employed Joey Chestnut's jump up and down method combined with water to get the monstrosity down his gullet. He finished two minutes shy of his deadline.
"I don't think I'm going to," he said afterwards, when I asked if he was going to vomit. "I just need to sit down for a little bit."
Hill stood, sweating and breathing heavy, recounting the horrific 13-minute experience.
"There were a few points where I thought there was no way I could finish without throwing up first," he said, turning pale and recounting his strategy to eat the toppings last. "The meat's usually easier."
And then...
Raise your hand if you saw that coming.
"I feel better," he said, taking a sip of water. "I'm good."
As for whether he would take on another food challenge, Hill said that it would have to be a spur of the moment thing. As for now, he's basking in the glory of a very weird consolation prize.
"I'm very sad about my Arizona Cardinals this year," he said. "But I feel like I got a little bit of Arizona pride back today"
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Wisconsin's Sam Dekker splits the Iowa defense, dunks, hangs on the rim just for fun
You typically don't associate Wisconsin with an ability to make plays above the rim. Sam Dekker is shatters perceptions out here.
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Virginia student buries halfcourt shot on 'College GameDay'
This is the best possible way to start any college basketball Saturday.
Show that S on your chest all day, young man.
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PFT Commenter sets the record straight with Roger Goodell
The NFL commissioner gave another rock star performance on Friday. PFT Commenter was there too.
All spelling errors are intentional (we think), and PFT Commenter is about telling not spelling. - Ed.
PHOENIX -- Today was the day that Commissoner Roger Goodell would be adressing the media and I wanted a chance to meet the man. Theres no denyng it- the commissoner has a rockstar persona wrapped up in the body of adonis and he was going to be speaking to a room jampacked with reporters. You could cut the takes with a knife. There were live TV desks set up in the corners of the room with a 4 person panel doing the pregame show for the commissoners speech like it was a NFC Championship game:
To get in to see Roger is basicaly like trying to get past security at any non-Gerald Ford presidental event. You had to have your bag thoroughley checked at the door every time you walk into a different building. I have had a bottle of mad dog on my person at all times and have made it through 12 securty checkpoints btw. Then you have to pass about 7 people in the halls and on the esclators checking your badges, then you had to get a TSA style securty wand and pat down before being allowed in the room with the commissoner. Matter fact I wouldnt be suprised if the Commish was packing heat behind the podium just in case a reporter got out of line and started asking prying questons. That would be considered attacking Goodells livlihood and possessons and Goodell would of been well within his rights to squeeze off a few clips indiscriminantly into the audience.
The room itself where they drag Goodells robot ass out is a wonderful ballroom with tremendous acoustics, and it seemed like they didnt even need a microphone for Goodells strong but soothing voice.
Quick idea for the NFL- in the future they should do this press conference like the state of the union and have Peter King sitting behind the Commissioner and standing up to applaud every time Goodell copmletes a sentence without straight-up admitting to a double homicide, and on his other side I dont know they can have like DeMaurice Smith changing his hats to different colors depending on how hard hes getting owned.
Roger n' me
But nevertheless the state of the NFL league year is strong. Concussons dont happen anymore and if they do its only because players arent doing headsup football, and the NFL is creating a Chief Medical Officer positon to be in charge of covering up the next medical issue the league will be ignoring. The only thing I didnt like is that Goodell said he was going to be pushing the competition committee to move the extra points back next year because kickers were getting to good. Maybe its the power thats gone to his head but punishing someone for being to good at their jobs sounds exactly like something Obama would do. Instead of punishing them for being to good maybe we should just make there jobs easier so it becomes even simpler for them to succeed- that would make things better.
Another main change for the league year is that there going to be rotating officiating crews from game to game over the course of a season- changing refs and umpires and BJs from crew-to-crew during the season because (and Im not making this up) consistency is our #1 priority. This kind of doublespeak is straight out of 1984 folks. The Seattle Seahawks have always been at war with the NFC West.
You have to hand it to Goodell. He gets things done quickley, no offense to Rick Pitinos sex life. Just 6 months ago the league was dealing with a black eye from the Ray Rice insident, and in the span of just half a year Goodell claims a victory in how the NFL has become a thought leader in the domesic violence space: "We've brought more awareness to the issues of domestic assault" which is kind of like Timothy McVeigh taking credit for enhanceing the publics awareness of fertilizer.
Another great highlight was when a play60 kid asked Goodell total;ly spontaneousley and without the direction of 4 league officials who escorted her up to the mic "Mr. Commissioner- how do YOU play 60?"
But Goodells PR strategy backfired.
Goodell said "I played 65 this morning on the elliptical." Lets get this straight- I think that if our the commissioner of football you should be embarrassed to be seen on a elliptical. You should be in the squat rack builiding up your quads and core. Working out for 65 minutes on a elliptical is so easy I bet Albert Haynesworth could do it while he was currently getting into a car accident. I bet you WWE commissioner Vince McMahon would straight up throw a bomb at a eliptical if he was ever in the same room as one. You cant expect your commissoner to make a big impact on the game if he trains in a low-impact fantasy land. Goodell needs to realisze that he cant help the safety of the players before he takes care of himself. Instead of hiring a Chief Medical Officer he should of hired himself a personal trainer. Only then can he help his players. But I guess thats the commish for you allways thinking of others.
So obvously the Goodells speech was a smash hit as he pointed out, everything is doing good in the NFL and nothing is bad and I take him at his word.
Over to Radio Row
I was feeling jacked up as hell after Goodells speech so I went downstares to radio row and Florio saw me coming and scooted out the back door like some chickenshit mobster when the made man walks in, but speaking of Italians who have made alot of money off idiots buying into repackaged horseshit look who I found:
Papa John was down there doing a intervew for his new deal where he shows up at your house uninvited to deliver a pizza and sweats black hair dye onto your crust for $17.99. He was being interevewed by a local channel and really the only question he was asked was "In this day and age of the food police telling you what you can and cant use how does papa johns even manage to get by?"
"Well" John said "thats never a problem with papa johns because we use good ingredients", but Im concerned about this food police situation and it bears keeping a eye on because it sounds dangerous and completeley real.
I walked around radio row for a while and saw Jared Allen wearing a cowboy hat because hes country strong and just a hoss. Then I swung by the CBS sportsdesk. I had a bone to pick with Pete Prisco since he basically called me a turkey last year in our intervew where he told me he was stronger then me.
Acording to Pete he can bench press 225 lbs 10 reps which is pretty good I guess if your a syphlitic castrada in victorian England but not for a NFL pundit. We started to argue over whose takes are stronger so I decided to settle it like any NFL writer- I challenged him to a pushup contest. He said no because he was scared, So I offerred him a comprimise. I would drink half my Mad dog and compete drunk aka "the John Riggins .08 minute abs workout." Pete still said no because he wanted to train over the summer and compete verse me in training camp. So let it be known that Pete Prisco is a chicken whose afraid of being bested by my takes and by my padlevel grit.
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