NBA All-Star Game was Good As Advertised

In front of a record basketball crowd of 108,713 people, the players in this years NBA All-Star game did not disappoint. The passes, dunks and scoring between the Eastern and Western Conference teams made the game worth watching. During the fourth quarter, you could tell each player was trying to win for their respective conference. Despite a valiant effort from the Western Conference, they lost to the East 141-139. The turning point in the game occurred when Darren Williams committed an unnecessary foul. I guess he thought his team was behind. Unfortunately, the game was tied. Despite the foul that he committed, the Western Conference still had a chance to win. At the end of the game, Carmelo Anthony attempted a three pointer that came up short and this gave the Eastern Conference the victory. The game was exciting from beginning to end and was worth watching.

Dwight Freeney is Probably Going to Play

My prediction is that Dwight Freeney will play in Super bowl XLIV tomorrow. Even though he has a severely sprained ankle, I think he's going to try and give it a go. The Super bowl is the biggest professional football game out there. For him to make it this far and not play in the game would be a travesty. One thing that does concern me is that he hasn't practiced this week. His lack of practice will probably make him a little rusty if he decides to go out there and play.

Another concern is the effectiveness of Freeney. It's hard for anyone to play on one leg especially linemen. Dwight Freeney is known for his speed and spin pass rush moves. He relies heavily on his feet and ankles to make these moves. With his ankle giving him problems, I'm not quite sure that Freeney will be the same. Don't get me wrong, he's still good enough to cause the Saints to game plan for him. I just don't think we will see the same Freeney that we saw prior to his injury.

If Dwight Freeny doesn't play, then the person taking his place needs to step up. If Freeney can't go in tomorrow's game, then the Colts will probably have Raheem Brock fill in for him. Brock is more than capable of having a big game against the Saints. He may not be as productive as a healthy Dwight Freeney, but he's definitely good enough to make plays if needed. He has stepped in and done a great job when called upon.

Lets not forget that the Colts have lost players all year and still found a way to win. They've lost key players like Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez and Marlin Jackson. The thing is, the Colts just plug in another player to replace that injured player, with the end result being good. The Colts just find a way to keep winning no matter who they have on the field. This is why they are such an elite team. Regardless of whether Freeney plays or not, I believe the Colts will play a great game.

Why The Pro Bowl Should Be Played a Week After The Super Bowl

The Pro Bowl should be played after the Super Bowl. By having the Pro Bowl played before the Super Bowl, we didn't get a chance to see some of the Super Bowl participants such as Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne or Drew Brees play. No disrespect to the players that replaced these guys, but I would have enjoyed watching Peyton Manning or Dallas Clark play in Miami. Even though many of the selected players like Tom Brady or Philip Rivers didn't play, the game was still entertaining to watch. I also liked that the fact that a player such as London Fletcher finally got a chance to play in his first Pro Bowl. He's been a great player for so many years and never got a chance to play in this game until now. Both the AFC and NFC scored a ton of points which made the game worth watching. It was a fourth down conversion late in the fourth quarter that won the game for the AFC. They defeated the NFC 41-34. I hope next year that the NFL will have the Pro Bowl played after the Super Bowl.

Saints vs Colts My Pre-Super Bowl Thoughts

Next week, the New Orleans Saints will play against the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl and quite frankly, I'm very excited. These are two evenly matched teams that will most likely put on a great show for us. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses that can score at will. I anticipate this game becoming a high-scoring affair. It could be one of those games where the last team with the ball wins.

In the NFC Championship game, the Saints defeated the Vikings in overtime. From beginning to end, both teams went back and forth trading points. It was a costly interception by Favre that gave the Saints a chance in overtime. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley, kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime and now the Saints march on playing in the Superbowl.

For the Saints to win, they have to play well on offense, defense and special teams. Offensively, they have to score a lot of points. Drew must distribute the ball to his play makers. These play makers must put the ball in the end zone whenever they get the opportunity. The running backs for the Saints must run the ball effectively. By running the ball effectively, they can keep the Colts offense off the field. By controlling the clock, the Saints will limit the number of chances the Colts will have to score.

Defensively, the Saints must put constant pressure on Peyton Manning whenever he goes back to pass. They must also contain the Colts wide receivers and tight end. Last week, the Saints defense allowed over 400 yards against the Vikings. If they want to win, I don't think they can allow this many yards against the Colts. Even though the Saints defense gave up a lot of yards to the Vikings, they did create turnovers which gave their offense the ball back. This defense must also generate turnovers against the Colts if they want to win.

The Saints special teams can also help their team by adding points as well. If the Colts decide to punt the ball to Reggie Bush, he definitely has the ability to return at least one of those punts for a touchdown.

In order for the Colts to win, they must continue to score. Peyton Manning must be given enough time in the pocket to distribute the ball to his play makers. The Colts must run the ball as well. By running the ball, they will keep the Saints defense honest. Defensively, the Colts must put pressure on Drew Brees. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have to play great. They've been playing well throughout the playoffs and must continue in the Superbowl.

Based upon what I've seen so far, I think this will be a great game. Both teams know how to score and play defense. My prediction is that the Colts win will the game. Peyton Manning and the defense are playing very well. The Saints struggled against the Vikings at home. It took a turnover by Favre late in the game and the win of a coin toss to beat the Vikings. Also, the Colts have only lost two games in the regular season and in both of those games, they rested many of their key players. In the playoffs, the Colts are soundly defeating their opponents. I'm looking forward to watching both of these teams play.