SBNation.com: All Posts by Jim Buzinskihttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2017-09-17T10:20:01-04:00https://www.sbnation.com/authors/jim-buzinski/rss2017-09-17T10:20:01-04:002017-09-17T10:20:01-04:00The Chargers’ new home at StubHub Center will be best place to watch an NFL game
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<img alt="NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FwJ95krLWNHxRDd68jnv_O6SNdw=/0x0:6300x4200/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56689429/usa_today_10217746.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Stubhub Center, the Chargers’ home for three seasons, seats 27,000 fans, fewest in the league. | Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With only 27,000 seats, Stubhub Center is more like a theater than a big-league stadium.</p> <p id="c5B9H6">From 1961 to 1966, the San Diego <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a> played at Balboa Stadium, a relic built in 1914 that had a seating capacity of 34,000 for football. The now-Los Angeles Chargers will play for the next three seasons in a stadium even smaller in an era of 80,000-seat megaplexes.</p>
<p id="0GBBzp">When the Chargers host the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> in Week 2 at StubHub Center in suburban Carson on Sept. 17, the place will be filled to capacity — 27,000 seats, about 50% fewer seats than the next smallest NFL stadium, the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. </p>
<p id="jpISqC">Playing at such a small stadium may have been the Chargers’ only option, but the result will be the best fan experience in the league. In no other stadium will all fans be as close to the field — “<a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chargers-stubhub-farmer-20170811-story.html">NFL 3-D</a>,” as one ex-Charger said. Fewer people also means shorter concession lines and less of a hassle parking. </p>
<p id="relgD3">This is not a column supporting the Chargers’ move from San Diego, where they played for 56 seasons and had a dedicated fan base. The move sucks and having lived in L.A. for 30 years I can tell you that basically no one here cares about having the Chargers. They’ll start behind the Lakers, Dodgers, USC football, UCLA basketball, Clippers, Angels, <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Rams</a> and maybe the Kings in fan interest. </p>
<p id="AvLhpZ">But for fans who want a close-up NFL experience, StubHub will be hard to beat.</p>
<p id="NPpjji">The Chargers didn’t have a whole lot of options. The L.A. Coliseum already has USC on Saturdays and the Rams on Sundays. The Rose Bowl, which seats 100,000, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nfl-la-temporary-stadium-20160113-story.html">said no</a> to having an NFL tenant two years before the Chargers announced their move. Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nfl-la-temporary-stadium-20160113-story.html">weren’t really viable</a>. </p>
<p id="nvTqbM">StubHub Center was the choice almost by default, but the team is spinning the news as a positive. “Is that bad?” team President and CEO Dean Spanos <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/31/nfl-training-camps-tour-cowboys-broncos-rams-chargers-peter-king">told Peter King of MMQB</a> when asked about the small capacity. “Is it bad that every seat is sold, and the fan experience is positive? How is that bad? You may start to see the downsizing of stadiums in sports anyway.”</p>
<p id="ECzRlr">All 27,000 seats and 46 luxury suites <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/31/nfl-training-camps-tour-cowboys-broncos-rams-chargers-peter-king">have been sold</a> for 2017. And the seats aren’t cheap – the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/la-sp-chargers-tickets-stubhub-20170214-story.html">$192 average ticket price</a> is the highest in the league. None of this is a surprise. </p>
<p id="3wYu8D">The L.A.-Orange County metro area has 12 million people, so 95% of the public might not care about the Chargers, but it doesn’t take many to fill 27,000 seats. Take into account fans of visiting teams who want to see their teams live and sellouts are pretty much guaranteed for the three seasons the Chargers will be playing at the StubHub Center. (The Chargers’ first preseason game on Aug. 13 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/la-sp-chargers-tickets-20170814-story.html#nt=oft01a-1la1">drew only 21,000</a>, but no-shows in preseason are pretty much the norm at NFL stadiums.)</p>
<p id="uVHZ4D">Even a game between two bad NFL teams late in the season easily gets more than 27,000 fans. Last Christmas Eve’s dog between the 5-9 Chargers and 0-14 <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=400874528">drew 57,000</a> in Cleveland. There’s no doubt that the Chargers will play to sellouts each week, even if a good portion of the fans are rooting for the other team.</p>
<p id="5qoNO0">On StubHub.com, the cheapest <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a> at Chargers ticket right now is $231. For the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a> game on New Year’s Eve, it’s $280. In comparison, a December visit from the Browns is a steal — $92 for the cheapest seats. </p>
<p id="ZrRAGR">I have been to StubHub Center to see the L.A. Galaxy and the stadium has an intimate feel, bringing you close to the action. There will be some seats erected in an upgrade done for the Chargers, but otherwise the configuration will stay the same as for soccer. Some seats will make a fan feel they can listen in to the huddle.</p>
<p id="Bk7WoD">“There’s also a section that sits directly on the field, a safe distance behind the players and down closer to the goal line,” <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-rams-chargers-farmer-20170805-story.html">Sam Farmer of the <em>Los Angeles Times </em>writes</a>. “Whereas other stadiums have ground-level suites, these might be the league’s only on-field seats.” </p>
<p id="yymOoc">These on-field seats cost $7,000 for a season ticket. If Philip Rivers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IzpSBGvaWU">throws a game-deciding, soul-crushing late-game pick six</a>, a fan in those seats will have every F-bomb heard by Rivers. Even the “worst” seat in the house is still a lot closer than you get at other NFL stadiums. As the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/la-sp-chargers-tickets-20170814-story.html#nt=oft01a-1la1"><em>L.A. Times</em> notes</a>, “the elevation of the seats in the last row of StubHub Center is lower than the first row of luxury-suite seats in most NFL stadiums.”</p>
<p id="dp179i">Early reviews show that the <a href="http://www.espn.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/78756/chargers-rave-about-stubhub-after-joint-scrimmage-with-rams">Chargers players see the upside</a> of such a small stadium. Rivers pronounced the venue “awesome,” adding, "There's no bad seat in the house. Everybody's going to have a great seat and be up close to the action.” Defensive end <span>Melvin Ingram</span> agreed, saying, "The atmosphere is amazing. Everybody's all close. It's just a warm feeling, and I like that feeling. I love this place."</p>
<p id="8qtTXa">Of course, the players’ sentiments might change if the Chargers keep losing (9-23 the last two seasons). Then the crowd will be either hostile fans of the opposing team or Chargers fans who have turned hostile. In that case, intimate will not be a positive.</p>
<p id="R6RDww">Fewer fans also means much less waiting in line for concessions or restrooms. That’s always a hassle at a large stadium, having to time a bathroom, food or beer run. It will be easier at StubHub Center. For example, Katie Pandolfo, StubHub’s general manager, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chargers-stubhub-20170810-story.html#nt=oft13a-4gp1">said</a> that while most NFL stadiums have a ratio of about 120 fans to each concession stand, “we tried to get even lower than that. We’re at 112 to one.”</p>
<p id="tDahBM">The Rams have recognized the perils of too many fans, especially since they play in the aging Coliseum. The team will sell only 70,000 tickets for games this year, down 10,000 from 2016. Shorter lines and a better fan experience were the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-tickets-20170626-story.html">reasons cited</a> for the move.</p>
<p id="9hNumF">Despite what Spanos said about sports stadiums downsizing, there’s no way NFL teams want to play in 27,000-seat stadiums; too much revenue is being left on the table, even if ticket prices are high. Fewer fans means less money made on parking, concessions and merchandise. In 2020, the Chargers will move into the new stadium they will share with the Rams and the capacity there will be 70,000.</p>
<p id="QeiSrk">The Chargers are playing at a tiny stadium out of necessity, but this will turn out to be a plus for fans.</p>
<aside id="iI9ZRu"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"More on the Chargers","description":"Visit our Los Angeles Chargers blog","label":"Bolts From The Blue","url":"https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"}'></div></aside><p id="PW6346"> </p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/2017/9/17/16152772/chargers-stubhub-center-small-stadium-nflJim Buzinski2016-02-10T15:00:30-05:002016-02-10T15:00:30-05:00Panthers face 43-year-old Super Bowl hangover
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<img alt="Cam Newton had a rough Super Bowl" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SCE-JwsQgP3El8I6AvnE3OTgz6k=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48776885/GettyImages-508989602.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cam Newton had a rough Super Bowl | Streeter Lecka/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>History shows the Super Bowl hangover for losing teams is a real thing for the past 43 years.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> opened at 10-1 odds to win <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">the Super Bowl</a> in the 2016 NFL season. Given the history of Super Bowl losers the past four decades, anyone placing a bet on this outcome is simply throwing away their money.</p>
<p>Here is a sobering statistic for Panthers fans still licking their wounds from Super Bowl 50 and hoping next season will be better: No team in the past 43 seasons has lost the Super Bowl and come back to win it the next season. The 1972 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> were the last team to accomplish this.</p>
<p>In addition, no team since the 1993 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> lost the Super Bowl and even made it back to the big game the following year. The Super Bowl loser's hangover is real.</p>
<p>In the past 43 seasons, the loser of the Super Bowl has made it back to the game five times — 1974 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a>; 1987 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> and the Bills in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Only four Super Bowl losers have even made it back to the conference championship game the following season — 1977 Vikings, 1985 Dolphins, 2012 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> and 2013 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>. In other words, 34 of the past 43 Super Bowl losers were eliminated prior to their conference championship.</p>
<p>In addition, 17 Super Bowl losers were one-and-done in the playoffs the next season and 12 missed the playoffs entirely. Panthers fans have some consolation in that the last seven Super Bowl losers made the playoffs the next season.</p>
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<p>Losing a Super Bowl is more devastating to a team than losing earlier in the playoffs or not making them at all. In the past 10 seasons, three teams won the Super Bowl the year after missing the playoffs and three had lost the conference championship game the year before.</p>
<p>Players and coaches of losing Super Bowl teams have spoken since the first game was played in 1966 of how devastating a loss is. After all, you've essentially failed in front of more than 100 million people and it's the last memory you have of your season. In the Panthers' case, the last image we will have is of their high-powered offense being throttled and <span>Cam Newton</span> not diving on a fumble for whatever reason.</p>
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<p>As <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> linebacker Brian Urlacher <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=5547471">told ESPN.com</a>: "It was an all-time high getting there — and an all-time low when we lost. In a matter of hours you're going from thinking you're going to win to [being] at the bottom of the barrel. It's disheartening. You got there and you're kind of expected to get back to the next year and you don't."</p>
<p>Said <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> pass rusher <span>Dwight Freeney</span> after the loss in the 2009 season: "Losing in the Super Bowl is very painful. I think this is something that you never really ever forget. You're anxious, next season, [to] move on with it, but I think it kind of stays with you."</p>
<p>Others have taken a statistical approach to determine why Super Bowl teams aren't as successful the following season. Jason Drake of <a href="http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-analysis/2014/12/31/7476317/measuring-the-myth-of-a-super-bowl-hangover">SBN's Seattle Seahawks site Field Gulls concluded in 2014</a>:</p>
<p>"A number of sage observations have been bandied about to explain the decline of Super Bowl participants. Factors such as injury, aging, loss of players via free agency, and adaptation by the rest of the league can be collectively described as regression to the mean, and a simple measurement shows that Super Bowl participants do not regress any more than expected for above-average teams."</p>
<p>Drake was examining whether the 2014 <span class="sbn-auto-link">Seahawks</span> would suffer a hangover after <i>winning</i> the Super Bowl in 2013, totally different from being a loser but his analysis remains solid. In this case, the Seahawks made it back to the Super Bowl the following year and wound up a yard away from repeating as champions. This year, the loser's curse struck again and Seattle was bounced in the Divisional round.</p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p>My theory is that missing the Super Bowl a year after losing it tells us how difficult it is to make it to the game in the first place. A lot of good fortune and timing goes into even getting onto the Super Bowl stage.</p>
<p>For example, this year's Broncos trailed the four-win <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a> in the fourth quarter of their Week 17 game. Had they lost, the Broncos would have gone from a No. 1 seed to a No. 5 seed, meaning all their playoff games would've been on the road. It's hard to see how Denver would have survived. In addition, the Broncos needed the Patriots to lose their Week 17 game to the 10-point underdog Dolphins to get home field advantage.</p>
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<p>In the playoffs, the Broncos were lucky to be facing a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> team without their best receiver <span>Antonio Brown</span> and needed a fumble recovery with six minutes left to spark a comeback. In the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/afc-championship-game">AFC Championship</a>, one of the key plays was a missed Patriots extra point from a kicker who had made 523 in a row. Denver clearly deserved to be in the Super Bowl, but its last four wins prior were all decided by seven or fewer points, leaving little margin for error. It shows how thin the line is between winning and losing</p>
<p>The Broncos are just one example of good things happening to a Super Bowl team. And I can list several examples from just the past few years — the 2012 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a> miracle Hail Mary against Denver; the 2011 Patriots seeing the Ravens drop a touchdown pass and miss a chip shot field goal in the final 30 seconds; the 2013 Seahawks thankful that a 49ers go-ahead touchdown pass in the final seconds was not thrown six inches higher; the 2010 champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> needing two improbable Week 15 upsets of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> (by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> (by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a>) to even make the playoffs. And so on.</p>
<p>The 2015 Panthers also had their share of good fortune. Like all teams, they had their share of injuries but five key players — <span>Cam Newton</span>, <span>Greg Olsen</span>, <span>Luke Kuechly</span>, <span>Thomas Davis</span> and <span>Josh Norman</span> — were healthy throughout the bulk of the season and into the playoffs.</p>
<p>The Panthers also had a favorable schedule. They played eight games against the weak NFC East and AFC South, where the best record was 9-7 and both division winners lost their playoff opener by double digits. In addition, they were 4-0 in games decided by four points or less, which allowed them to gain home field advantage.</p>
<p>History shows that luck might not be there for the Panthers in 2016. Can they stay healthy at key positions? Will Newton play at his MVP level or revert to the good-but-not-great quarterback he's been in prior years? The schedule will also get much tougher, with games against the AFC West and NFC West, where four of the eight teams made the playoffs. Among the games is a road visit to Denver, the team that just dominated them in the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>I understand that the past is not always a predictor of the future, and some year a Super Bowl loser will win it all the following season. But an 0-for-43 streak is not something to be taken lightly and I would bet the Panthers will make it 44 in a row in 2016.</p>
<p><i>Jim Buzinski is co-founder of Outsports.com.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>Super Bowl Rings:</b> <i>From one diamond to hundreds through the years</i></p>
<div data-volume-uuid="83b1cc11a" data-volume-id="6604" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-2331" class="volume-video" data-analytics-label="Number of diamonds on each Super Bowl ring | 6604" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-viewport="video"></div>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/2/10/10957748/carolina-panthers-2016-super-bowl-loser-hangoverJim Buzinski2016-01-25T12:58:47-05:002016-01-25T12:58:47-05:00Losing home field meant everything to Patriots
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<img alt="After Sunday's loss, Tom Brady is 2-7 in Denver." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-HHiB5Pdm4fehsmOco_4tJpGPNk=/0x252:2238x1744/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48633645/usa-today-9075195.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>After Sunday's loss, Tom Brady is 2-7 in Denver. | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>New England can point to two losses over heavy underdogs as the reason they had to play the AFC title game in Denver.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/nfl-playoff-bracket-2016"> <img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5873353/banner-snippet-nfl-2016.0.jpg" alt="SB Nation 2016 NFL Playoff Guide" style="width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p>Perhaps the most meaningful game in the 2015 NFL season came on Dec. 6, when the 10-point underdog <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> in New England, 35-28. It was only the second loss of the season for the Patriots at the time, but it set in motion events that would lead to them losing home-field advantage in the playoffs. And we were reminded Sunday how vital home field is to the Patriots to get to the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>New England has consistently been the most dominant team in the past 15 years, and one key is their ability to play the vast majority of their playoff games at home. The numbers are eye-popping -- since their championship run began in 2001, the Patriots are 15-3 at home and 3-4 on the road in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-playoffs">playoffs</a> (they are also 4-2 in Super Bowls). They have lost their last three road playoff games, including Sunday's 20-18 thriller to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a>. All three losses were in the AFC Championship and all three were to <span>Peyton Manning</span>-quarterbacked teams.</p>
<p>The lopsided home nature of the Patriots' playoff run is set up by having the best (or sometimes second-best) record in the regular season. The Patriots have been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed the last six seasons and have not played in the Wild Card round since 2009. They have been lucky to play in a generally weak AFC East, but also take care of business by virtually never losing regular season home games, especially ones as heavy favorites against the Eagles in Week 13.</p>
<p>How rare was that Week 13 loss to the Eagles? It was only the second time since 2001 that the Patriots lost at home to a non-division team that finished the season below .500 (a 2012 Week 2 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> was the other). The loss to the Eagles came despite the Patriots having a 14-0 lead and outgaining the Eagles 427 to 248 yards. It was the first time since the Patriots' 2001 Super Bowl run where they lost a game they led by 14 or more points at home.</p>
<p>The loss was bizarre in that the Eagles scored on a blocked punt, punt return and 99-yard interception return. It was the second consecutive loss for the Patriots after starting the season 10-0 and both saw 14-point leads blown.</p>
<p>The Eagles game was a body blow, but the Patriots still had plenty of time to secure home field. Going into Week 16, they were 12-2 and led the Broncos by two games for the best record. The only way they would lose home field was to lose at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a> while the Broncos beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">Chargers</a>.</p>
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<p>The Broncos took care of their end, albeit by the skin of their teeth in an overtime win over the Bengals. They also needed a fourth-quarter comeback and the resurrection of Peyton Manning to beat the 4-12 Chargers. In Week 16, the Patriots lost in overtime to the Jets. That was bad but still not fatal. The Jets were fighting for the playoffs and have always played the Patriots tough. New England still had Week 17 at Miami against a Dolphins team playing out the string under a lame-duck coach.</p>
<p>It was déjà vu all over again -- just like in the Eagles game, the Patriots were 10-point favorites against the Dolphins, yet played listless and flat. It's true that they were dealing with key injuries, but they played way too conservatively, especially in the first half. A team that had a hard time running the ball all season still ran 27 times vs. 25 passes and even ran on two third-and-8 situations and once on third-and-14. Coach Bill Belichick looked like he was coaching a preseason game, where the emphasis was on staying healthy and not aggressively trying to score.</p>
<p>The Dolphins were no sleeper team waiting to pull an upset. They had lost three in a row and five of six, and were planning for the offseason. Yet, they played like a team with something on the line, as opposed to the Patriots, outgaining the Pats 438-196 yards. The <a href="http://www.patspulpit.com/2016/1/4/10707084/did-the-patriots-even-try-to-win">headline on Pats Pulpit</a> after the game summed it up: "Did the Patriots even try to win?"</p>
<p>The impact of the losses to the Eagles and Dolphins manifested themselves in the playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, the Patriots needed the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> to knock off the Broncos to ensure a Pittsburgh vs. New England AFC Championship. When that didn't happen, it meant a trip to Denver, where Brady and Belichick seldom win. Counting Sunday, they are now 2-7 lifetime in Denver, including AFCCG losses there in two of the last three seasons.</p>
<p>Leading up to the game, I understood why the Patriots were favored over the Broncos. Brady had his full arsenal of receivers healthy and Peyton Manning looked more like a fossil than a quarterback this year. Yet, I was stunned at how many analysts picked a blowout (<a href="http://www.si.com/author/greg-bedard">Greg A. Bedard</a> of Sports Illustrated called the Pats unstoppable and picked a 42-13 rout). <br> <br> Very few people accounted for how huge home field is for the Broncos, as well as New England's woes there over the years. They also didn't account for the Broncos having home wins against the Steelers, Bengals, Patriots, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> this season. That's five quality wins. In contrast, the Patriots had a cupcake schedule and played only two road games against teams that had a winning record: the Broncos and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>, going 1-1. The Broncos were clearly the more battle-tested team, and difficult to beat at home.</p>
<p>I am confident that, had the game been in New England, the Patriots would have won. A 15-3 home playoff mark doesn't lie. At Denver, the crowd noise can be deafening for an opposing team's offense and Tom Brady looked uncomfortable all day Sunday. Patriots <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots/2016/01/denver_defense_noise_overwhelm_patriots">offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer said</a> the crowd was a factor and that the team had to resort to using a silent count. "It’s part of it," Vollmer said. "The crowd was loud today. Good for them. ... It’s not easy, but it’s also not the first time. I don’t think that will be a good excuse." Playing in Foxboro it's a different story, and Manning is the one who would have looked rattled.</p>
<p>The game was close and came down to a missed two-point conversion, but playing on the road at a mile high against a hostile crowd made the job that much tougher. Had New England taken care of business against either the Eagles or Dolphins, two below-.500 teams, the Patriots would be making Super Bowl travel plans, not cleaning out their lockers. Instead they lost to two teams that fired their coaches at season's end. Chip Kelly and <span>Dan Campbell</span> will be honorary Broncos for their contributions in two games the Patriots "never" lose but somehow did this year.</p>
<p><i>Jim Buzinski is co-founder of Outsports.com</i></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>SB Nation presents:</b> <i>Stephen Gostkowski's missed extra point was costly against Denver</i></p>
<div data-volume-uuid="221e4540a" data-volume-id="6351" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-2258" class="volume-video" data-analytics-label="Stephen Gostkowski's missed xtra point was costly. | 6351" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-viewport="video"></div>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/1/25/10825586/broncos-patriots-losing-home-field-advantage-nfl-playoffsJim Buzinski2016-01-17T09:43:08-05:002016-01-17T09:43:08-05:00NFL needs to change its postseason overtime rule
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<img alt="Larry Fitzgerald celebrates the Cardinals win." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rtw9ITGYCqw_I1HFnpHAnZH5Ppo=/0x116:3324x2332/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48580449/usa-today-9061877.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Larry Fitzgerald celebrates the Cardinals win. | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Give each team at least one possession, no matter what happens on the first one.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/nfl-playoff-bracket-2016"> <img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5873353/banner-snippet-nfl-2016.0.jpg" alt="SB Nation 2016 NFL Playoff Guide" style="width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p>The insane ending to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> 26-20 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> in the divisional playoffs will make it one for the ages. But it was a tad anticlimactic because one team never possessed the ball in overtime and shows why the NFL needs to change its OT rules in the playoffs.</p>
<p>A quick review of the <a href="http://operations.nfl.com/updates/the-rules/nfl-overtime-rules/">NFL's overtime rules</a>: each team gets the chance to possess the ball in overtime, unless the team with the opening possession scores a touchdown. In college football, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/8/30/5869323/college-football-overtime-rules-process">both teams get to possess the football</a>, no matter what happens on the opening possession.<br><br>The Cardinals won the coin toss and scored in three plays when <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> took the game over. The game ended as soon as Fitzgerald scored on a short pass and we never got to see if <span>Aaron Rodgers</span> could drive the Packers and force a tie. It's not right that a coin toss still has that much impact.<br><br>I know the argument from those liking the current rule — the Packers defense needed to make a stop and get the ball back. True, to a degree. But it ignores the fact that the Cardinals defense was let off the hook and did not have to prove itself. Why should one team have to play defense because of a coin toss while the other doesn't? <br><br>The Cardinals defense utterly failed in the final minute of regulation, letting the Packers escape a 4th-and-20 and then allowing a Hail Mary pass on the final play. It's rare to see a defense choke that spectacularly. And yet because their offense did not fail, the Cardinal defenders could have spent OT with their feet up since they never had to prove themselves; all because of a coin toss.<br><br>A simple change would be to give each team a possession (barring a defensive score on the first drive) and then make it sudden death. The current rule is OK for the regular season because of TV demands and the possibility of ties but there's no excuse for the playoffs where there are no ties.<br><br>I am not a Packers fan and wanted <span>Carson Palmer</span> to get his first playoff win but the end still was unfulfilling. I wanted to see Rodgers with the ball once more and see if the Cardinals defense could redeem itself. Instead, because a coin fell one way and not the other, only one defense had to play in the overtime and the other got a reprieve. Let's change the rule.</p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>SB Nation presents:</b> <i>Green Bay's luck runs out after failing to cover Larry Fitzgerald</i></p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/1/17/10781862/nfl-needs-to-change-postseason-overtime-rule-cardinals-packersJim Buzinski2016-01-15T17:27:40-05:002016-01-15T17:27:40-05:00History shows Steelers' chance far from finished
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<img alt="Dan Fouts was intercepted five times in shocking loss to Oilers." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Fu8V5t8-WAJd8sCXWC4UTQ3bdIc=/0x0:3602x2401/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48574149/GettyImages-51253514.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dan Fouts was intercepted five times in shocking loss to Oilers. | Stephen Dunn/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It happened in 1979, thanks to some creative sign stealing.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> will be without <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> and <span>Antonio Brown</span> in the playoffs Sunday against Denver. Several outlets are saying this is the first time in NFL history a team has been in a playoff game minus its leading rusher and receiver. This is wrong; it will be the second time.</p>
<p>In the 1979 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Houston Oilers traveled to face the top-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a>. The Oilers were without Earl Campbell (their leading rusher), Ken Burrough (their leading receiver) and Dan Pastorini (their starting quarterback). They were facing a high-flying Chargers team led by Dan Fouts that looked like a lock. That's why they play the game.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197912290sdg.htm">Oilers didn't put up much offense</a> but stunned the Chargers, 17-14. The reason? The Oilers intercepted Fouts five times. The hero was defensive coordinator Eddie Biles, who had figured out the Chargers' hand signals. Here is the <a href="http://www.si.com/vault/1980/01/07/824286/the-stolen-signals-caper">Sports Illustrated game story</a> from January 1980:</p>
<blockquote>Fouts does not call his own plays; they are called by Offensive Coordinator Joe Gibbs, who works from a booth in the press box. Gibbs phones the plays down to the sidelines, to Head Coach Don Coryell and his first lieutenant, Jim Hanifan. They confer, and Hanifan signals the play in to Fouts. Hand signals, baseball signals — you know, touch flesh, touch cloth, flash one, flash two, fold arms and go. ... <br><br>The only problem Saturday was that Eddie Biles broke the Chargers' code. Eddie Biles is the tricky little chap who coaches the Oiler defense. He watches for small tips, for giveaways. A few years ago, for instance, he discovered that when Cincinnati Tight End Bob Trumpy took one kind of stance, he was going to block down on the defensive end, and when he took a different one, he was going to release inside for a pass. It never failed.<br><br>Now Biles had figured out the Charger signals. So, as Hanifan flashed the plays to Fouts, Wade Phillips, the Oilers' defensive line coach and son of Head Coach Bum Phillips, would train his binoculars on Hanifan from the press box and relay the Chargers' plays to Biles on the sidelines. Biles then would flash them to Middle Linebacker Gregg Bingham, who called the defenses on the field.</blockquote>
<p>Pretty clever, unless you were rooting for the Chargers. Ironically, Wade Phillips is still coaching, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a> defensive coordinator, but this time he is on the team not missing its best offensive weapons. <br><br>This history lesson shows that nothing is a lock in sports. The Broncos offense has been erratic all season and is led by a 39-year-old <span>Peyton Manning</span> who hasn't started in nine weeks. We'll see Sunday if the Steelers join the Oilers as a playoff team that beat huge odds.</p>
<p><i>Jim Buzinski is co-founder of Outsports.com and old enough to have watch the Oilers-Chargers game.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/1/15/10777130/steelers-broncos-deangelo-williams-antonio-brown-historyJim Buzinski2016-01-13T12:00:03-05:002016-01-13T12:00:03-05:00Manning at QB means it's all or nothing for Denver
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<figcaption>Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Since 2005, his teams have had six one-and-dones. But they've also been perfect in three AFC title games.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/nfl-playoff-bracket-2016"> <img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5873353/banner-snippet-nfl-2016.0.jpg" alt="SB Nation 2016 NFL Playoff Guide" style="width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p><span>Peyton Manning</span> will start at quarterback for the first time in nine weeks when his <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> in the AFC playoffs on Sunday. He will also try to be on the upside of what has been his bizarre boom-or-bust playoff history over the last nine seasons.</p>
<p>In Manning's last nine trips to the AFC playoffs with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> and Broncos, it's been all or nothing for his teams. There have been six one-and-done appearances and three Super Bowl appearances going back to the 2005 season. He's perfect in AFC title games in that span, but has also lost four times in the Divisional round when his team had either the No. 1 or 2 seed.</p>
<p>His AFC playoff record since 2005 is 7-6. Add in the 1-2 record in Super Bowl appearances, and Manning is 8-8 overall in that time. His postseason history suggests that if the Broncos beat the Steelers, they are likely to win the AFC title the next week, regardless of whether they play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Chiefs</a>.</p>
<p>I'm starting with 2005, when Manning's team was the No. 1 seed and the conference favorite for the first time in his career. In his six first-game playoff losses since (he missed the 2011 season), his teams have been the 1, 2, 5, 3, 1 and 2 seeds. In his three Super Bowl appearances, they have been the 3, 1 and 1 seeds. The Broncos are the No. 1 seed this season.</p>
<p>Contrary to widespread belief, Manning has not "choked" in these games. His stats as a loser in the AFC playoffs in the last nine seasons are comparable to when he wins, and he has actually thrown more interceptions in the wins. But there has been one constant in all six losses: the games, except for one, have been very close. Four times, the Colts or Broncos led in the fourth quarter. Two games went to overtime. In five of them, reverse one or two plays, and Manning's team moves on.</p>
<p>On the other hand, in his seven AFC playoffs wins, only one was by fewer than seven points: the 38-34 AFC Championship classic against the Patriots in 2006.</p>
<p>Here is a look at Manning's six first-game playoff losses in the AFC since the 2005 season (the Super Bowl is excluded because it has a distinct character separate from conference playoffs).</p>
<h4><b>2005: No. 6 Steelers 21, No. 1 Colts 18</b></h4>
<p>This was the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUcDGLHCOi4">Jerome Bettis fumble game</a>, where Bettis fumbled at the 1-yard line, <span>Nick Harper</span> picked it up and looked like he was going to score before a desperation tackle by <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> saved the day for the Steelers. In the game's final seconds, <span>Mike Vanderjagt</span> shanked a field goal that would have tied the game and sent it to overtime. Only Blair Walsh's miss this year was as badly kicked.</p>
<p>This easily was Manning's best Colts team, dominant on offense and defense. They started 13-0 and blew out the Steelers 28-10 late in the season. The playoff loss does need some context — in late December, the teenage son of Colts coach Tony Dungy killed himself and the game against the Steelers was the first meaningful game the Colts played since it happened. The Colts played in a fog for three quarters before dominating the fourth quarter and it's impossible to know how much that immense tragedy weighed on the players and coaches.</p>
<p>Manning threw for 290 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. But he was sacked five times. "We had protection issues," Manning said later.</p>
<h4><b>2007: No. 4 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">Chargers</a> 28, No. 2 Colts 24</b></h4>
<p>The Colts and Chargers went back and forth all game, but the Colts took the lead with 10 minutes left on a Manning touchdown pass to Anthony Gonzalez. Everything seemed to be going Indy's way and the Chargers even lost quarterback Philip Rivers to an injury. The Colts defense promptly let backup Billy Volek drive 80 yards for the go-ahead score and the Chargers hung on to win.</p>
<p>Manning threw for 402 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Wideout Marvin Harrison had a costly fumble deep in the red zone.</p>
<h4><b>2008: No. 4 Chargers 23, No. 5 Colts 17 (OT)</b></h4>
<p>The Chargers knocked out Manning for the second straight year and once again, the Colts defense could not hold a fourth-quarter lead. The key play, though, was a missed block by a backup tight end that stopped the Colts from converting a third-and-2 and running out the clock up 17-14.</p>
<p>(I attended the game and still get pissed thinking about what jerks Chargers fans were; I wish they would move the team to Mongolia.)</p>
<p>Manning threw for 310 yards, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.</p>
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<h4><b>2010: No. 6 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a> 17, No. 3 Colts 16</b></h4>
<p>Same old, same old — Manning gets the Colts a fourth-quarter lead only to see defense and special teams collapse as <span>Mark Sanchez</span> (!) led a drive for a last-second field goal. It was only the second time in playoff history that a team got the lead in the final minute only to lose it (1999 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a> and the Music City Miracle was the other). The goat was Colts coach Jim Caldwell, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOcZhoZoWOE">who called a timeout</a> to stop the clock while the Jets were out of timeouts and scrambling to get a play off. Caldwell must have studied at the Andy Reid school of clock management.</p>
<p>Manning threw for 225 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions.</p>
<h4><b>2012: No. 4 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> 38, No. 1 Broncos 35 (OT)</b></h4>
<p>In Manning's first year with the Broncos, Denver led 35-28 with 43 seconds to go. The Ravens had a third-and-10 from their 30. No way they come back against a top-five defense, right? But then <span>Joe Flacco</span> heaved one up to <span>Jacoby Jones</span> and safety <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmRYZOuXHrA">Rahim Moore blew the coverage</a>, allowing a shocking game-tying score. Despite Manning getting the ball back with 31 seconds and two timeouts left, coach <span>John Fox</span> orders him to take a knee. Manning threw a bad interception in double overtime and the Ravens won on a <span>Justin Tucker</span> field goal.</p>
<p>Manning threw for 290 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions and one lost fumble.</p>
<h4><b>2014: No. 4 Colts 24, No. 2 Broncos 13</b></h4>
<p>This is the only one of the six first-round playoff losses where the game wasn't that close. The Broncos scored first and then were outscored 24-6 the rest of the way. Manning threw for 211 yard with one touchdown and zero interceptions and was ineffective after the first drive. He looked every inch a banged-up, 38-year-old quarterback.</p>
<p>Out of Manning's seven wins in the AFC playoffs since 2005, only one was memorable: the 2006 AFC Championship where the Colts rallied back from 21-3 to beat the Patriots. That was the only win where the game was truly in doubt. In the other six wins, the average margin of victory was 12 points.</p>
<p>Manning's stats have been remarkably similar, win or lose. In his seven wins, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, averaging 291 yards passing. In the six losses, he's recorded 10 touchdowns and four picks, with 288 yards per game.</p>
<p>Obviously, there were moments in the six losses when Manning failed to lead the offense to a key first down or score, but overall it's been his defenses' inability to hold fourth-quarter leads that has been the single biggest reason his teams have been one-and-done so often. In his only Super Bowl-winning year in 2006, he threw seven interceptions total in the playoffs and Super Bowl. The Colts defense, though, was lights out, allowing only five offensive touchdowns in four games. Who knew football was a team game?</p>
<h4><b>Looking ahead</b></h4>
<p>The matchup with the Steelers this week has a lot of wild cards. Pittsburgh already lost its No. 1 running back, Le'Veon Bell, to an MCL tear earlier this season and now his replacement in the starting lineup, <span>DeAngelo Williams</span>, is likely out with a foot injury. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and top receiver <span>Antonio Brown</span> are also dealing with injuries and their statuses remain uncertain. Without them, the Broncos could start anybody at quarterback and be favored.</p>
<p>On the other side, Manning is also a huge question mark. He will be making his first start in 63 days since a foot injury caused him to melt down against the Chiefs, and he was already playing some of his worst football before that, with nine touchdowns to a whopping 17 interceptions in only nine starts.</p>
<p>In Week 17, he played a quarter and a half against the Chargers after taking over for Brock Osweiler, but it's impossible to tell if he'll be fresh and rested against the Steelers, or rusty and gimpy like he was for most of the season.</p>
<p>If the past is any indication, though, Manning's performance won't matter as much, as long as he doesn't resume being a turnover machine. More important is how the Broncos defense plays. A Manning team has never lost a playoff game when the opponent has scored under 17 points. And this Broncos defense is the top-ranked in the league and especially tough at home.</p>
<p>But if the game is close, history shows that it's the Steelers who are likely to win, since Manning's teams can't catch a break in the fourth quarter of tight playoff games. If the Broncos beat the Steelers, they will win the following week and move on to the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>At least that's what the Peyton Manning boom-or-bust theory says. And it hasn't been wrong in the last 10 years.<br><br><i style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">Jim Buzinski is co-founder of <a href="http://www.outsports.com/" data-ref-index="15" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #c52126; font-weight: bold;">SBNation's Outsports.com</a>. He has also watched every Peyton Manning playoff game and still has nightmares over some of them.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>SB Nation presents:</b> <i>Peyton's "Omaha" call set off a run for the ages</i></p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/2016/1/13/10756410/peyton-manning-broncos-playoffs-stats-win-lossesJim Buzinski2015-12-07T17:00:03-05:002015-12-07T17:00:03-05:00Not even NFL teams 'control their own destiny'
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<figcaption>Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's a popular idiom this time of year, and it's wrong.</p> <p>It's that time of year when college football and NFL fans start talking playoffs, and we inevitably see things like this:</p>
<p>"As we enter the final month of the regular season, Washington, of all teams, controls its own destiny to win a division crown."<br><br>"Michigan State controls its own destiny in the College Football Playoff."<br><br>"The Patriots still control their own destiny when it comes to securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs."</p>
<p>Stop already. Saying a team "controls its destiny" is the most misused phrase each football season. No one controls their destiny. As my 14-pound complete unabridged Webster's dictionary defines "destiny":</p>
<p>"The predetermined course of events ... something inevitable."</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/destiny">Oxford dictionary states</a>: <span class="definition">"The events that will <span class="w translation">necessarily</span> happen to a particular person or thing in the future." It offers this helpful example: "She was unable to control her own destiny."<br></span></p>
<p><span class="definition"></span>Your destiny is your destiny. You can't control it because it is set in stone. Yet, the misuse of the term is widespread on places like ESPN, SB Nation and practically every other sports website. I guess this is because a) the people saying it don't know the actual meaning and b) it's sounds like cool shorthand.</p>
<p>I'll admit that "controls their own destiny" sounds pithy and there is no easy shorthand. It also implies a fact while misusing a phrase. You can't say a team "controls it fate," since one's fate is predetermined. How about "controls their future"? Doubtful, though that leads to a philosophical debate over how much we can totally determine our future. "Control their playoff situation" is OK, but clunky.</p>
<p>What writers and broadcasters mean is that something certain will happen if a team simply wins the rest of its games. Do that, and nothing else any other team does matters. So why not just write: "The Chiefs will make the AFC playoffs if they win out." Or: "If the Patriots win their final five games, they are guaranteed home-field advantage in the playoffs." Both sentences are clear and concise. Granted, not as cool as "control their destiny" but grammatically and factually accurate.</p>
<p>Let's stop this misuse of the English language, unless its our destiny to have to endure it each football season.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/12/7/9865104/nfl-playoffs-control-their-own-destinyJim Buzinski2015-10-28T11:51:19-04:002015-10-28T11:51:19-04:00Peyton isn't the Broncos' only problem
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<figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Manning deserves his share of the blame, but there's more than enough to go around. </p> <p id="paragraph0">After six games, the offensive MVP for the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/" data-ref-index="4">Denver Broncos</a> is <span>Brandon McManus</span>, their kicker. This fact tells you a lot about how the Broncos' offense has struggled heading into a showdown of unbeatens Sunday night against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/" data-ref-index="6">Green Bay Packers</a>.</p>
<p id="paragraph1">McManus is 16 for 17 on field goals, while the Broncos have scored only nine offensive touchdowns. Cornerback Aqib Talib's two touchdowns are one more than that of star wideout <span>Demaryius Thomas</span>.</p>
<p id="paragraph2">Most of the blame has gone to quarterback <span>Peyton Manning</span>, who is 39 (which translates to 89 in football years) and playing in the twilight of his career. His stats are grim for a future Hall of Famer -- seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, three of them pick-sixes. In the NFL quarterback ratings after six games, he ranked below the likes of <span>Blake Bortles</span>, <span>Kirk Cousins</span> and <span>Jameis Winston</span>.</p>
<p id="paragraph3">Denver's struggles inside the red zone most clearly demonstrate their failures compared to the past three seasons with Manning. In 2012, the Broncos scored touchdowns on 61 percent of their drives inside the 20 (ranking sixth). In 2013, they were No. 1 with a 72 percent rate and fourth last season with 63 percent. In 2015, they rank 29th, scoring touchdowns on only 37 percent of their drives inside the 20, and an embarrassing 11 percent in the last three games.</p>
<p id="paragraph4">While Manning's skills are deteriorating and he deserves his share criticism for the Broncos' struggles on offense, he is just one cog that is not working correctly in the larger machine. To be fair, he's had some flashes of brilliance (his 75-yard strike to <span>Emmanuel Sanders</span> against Cleveland, for one) and some huge drops in key situations, especially by Demaryius Thomas. It's not all been Manning's fault, and if the Broncos finished off more drives with touchdowns rather than field goals, there would be less reason for Denver fans to worry. The team enters its last 10 regular season games with a brutal schedule that sees them play four teams (Packers, <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/" data-ref-index="13">Patriots</a>, <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" data-ref-index="14">Bengals</a> and <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" data-ref-index="15">Steelers</a><a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/" data-ref-index="16"></a>) with a combined 22-3 record, plus four always-tough division games and two non-gimmes at the Colts and Bears.</p>
<p id="paragraph5">Here are the five key reasons the Broncos offense resembles a 5-year-old's finger painting rather than the work of art we've seen the past three years:</p>
<p id="paragraph6"><b>Mismatched offensive philosophies.</b> Manning is creature of habit and hates change. He has played in basically the same offensive system through 16 seasons and four head coaches. He loves operating out of the shotgun and running a no-huddle offense. This year he has a new coach, <span>Gary Kubiak</span>, with a new philosophy and Manning is struggling to get comfortable. Kubiak wants his quarterback under center, Manning wants to be in the shotgun. Kubiak wants to run more, Manning is pass first. So they compromise and use a pistol formation. And like all compromises, it leaves both parties less than satisfied.</p>
<p id="paragraph7">"It has by no means been easy, but Coach Kubiak and I continue to talk, and we are committed to trying to get on the same page and get where he and I have a good feel for each other," Manning said last week after surviving the Browns. "We are both committed to the cause. ... Obviously, we are still going through a transition. We are trying to get on the same page and get comfortable."</p>
<p id="paragraph8">The play calling shows the dysfunction. Against Cleveland, the Broncos were running the ball well for once (152 yards). Yet they threw on four consecutive third-and-2 plays. The results were ugly -- incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, interception. So much for Kubiak's commitment to running the ball. The play calling was baffling. Likewise, Manning's best drive of the season was the 10-play, 80-yard no-huddle gem that tied the game at Kansas City in Week 2. It makes no sense why the Broncos can't go to this type of offense as a change of pace during games since Manning can run it in his sleep. It used to be impossible to use my DVR's 30-second skip while Manning was on offense, since I would miss two plays. Now, in that same time, he's not yet even snapped the ball.</p>
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<p id="paragraph9"><b>Lack of a third receiver:</b> Thomas and Sanders have been terrific as wideouts, each with 527 receiving yards, well on pace for more than 1,000 for the season. Between them, they have 86 catches. The other eight players who have caught passes this season have a combined 55 catches. The wide receiver with the most catches after those two is Bennie Fowler with seven.</p>
<p id="paragraph10">Manning has always thrived with a great third receiver, often in the slot, the likes of <span>Brandon Stokley</span> and <span>Wes Welker</span> or <span>Dallas Clark</span> (as much a receiver as a tight end). The Broncos have no dependable go-to third option this year. Second-year man <span>Cody Latimer</span> was drafted to be that guy and the team (and many preseason fantasy experts) had high hopes for him, but he is clueless on game day. His stat line this season: Zero catches. I could do that.</p>
<p id="paragraph11"><b>No tight end threat</b>: The Broncos really miss <span>Julius Thomas</span> and his 24 touchdowns in two seasons. He was almost uncoverable in the red zone and opened the rest of the field for Manning to find other receivers. But the Broncos let Thomas walk to a big payday in Jacksonville and have found no one close to replacing his production. <span>Owen Daniels</span> is a plodder, on the downside of his career, and while fans rave about Virgil Green's athleticism, he doesn't show it during games.</p>
<p id="paragraph12">The Broncos drafted <span>Jeff Heuerman</span> out of Ohio State and had high hopes that he would help replace Thomas, but he tore a knee in rookie minicamp and was lost for the season.</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><b>Ineffective ru</b><b>nning game:</b> The Broncos can't run when they need to. They rank 30th in total yards rushing and 27th in yards per attempt. <span>C.J. Anderson</span>, a breakout star last season, is averaging a pitiful 2.7 yards per attempt. And yet he still splits the running duties with <span>Ronnie Hillman</span>, despite Hillman averaging 4.9 yards per rush. Anderson has been nagged by injuries, which helps explain a lot, but Hillman needs to be the featured back until Anderson is 100 percent.</p>
<p id="paragraph14">One sequence shows how undependable the run game has become. Against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders" data-ref-index="27">Raiders</a>, the Broncos had first-and-goal from Oakland's 4-yard line. Anderson rushed on first down for 1 yard. Anderson rushed on second down for 1 yard. A third-down pass is dropped by Thomas in the end zone, and McManus is called on for yet another field goal. The running game is the cornerstone of a Kubiak offense and if that is not working, the whole thing just stalls.</p>
<p id="paragraph15"><b>Shaky offensive line:</b> Losing starting left tackle <span>Ryan Clady</span> to a season-ending injury was a killer and the line has struggled with consistency all season. The line was a sieve in the first two games, with Manning sacked seven times. It has stabilized since, giving up five sacks total in the last four games.</p>
<p id="paragraph16">The line has not opened a whole lot of holes. The rushing yards stat line in six games is grim for a Kubiak offense: 69, 61, 41, 43, 144, 43 and 152. The unit has been beset by injuries and is still a work in progress, but that's not encouraging with the weather turning colder and the schedule heating up.</p>
<p id="paragraph17">Add it all up -- aging QB, new coach and offense, no third receiver, no tight end threat, ineffective run game and shaky offensive line -- and it's amazing the Broncos are 6-0. That's all thanks to the best defense in the league, which is just as much a threat to score as the Broncos' offense. But the defense, like any, will have an off day and the question will then become whether the offense can finally carry its share of the load. If not, another one-and-done playoff appearance looks likely.</p>
<p id="paragraph18"><i>Jim Buzinski is co-founder of </i><a href="http://www.outsports.com/"><i>Outsports.com</i></a><i>. He was sports editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram back when Los Angeles actually had a pro football team.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<div data-volume-id="4954" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-9429" class="volume-video" data-volume-uuid="1a69216e1" data-analytics-label="Every NFL game from Sunday, disrespected in 2 mins | 4954" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-viewport="video"></div>
<p><b>SB Nation presents:</b> <i>Every Sunday game, disrespected in minutes</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/10/28/9622792/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-offense-struggles-still-undefeatedJim Buzinski2013-01-31T18:18:17-05:002013-01-31T18:18:17-05:00The gay guide to the big game
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WO4mGqpddSPKnhgPLusEOf3FJ4c=/39x0:3959x2613/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7438427/20130131_jla_al2_046.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A man-eating vagina; a giant turtle; gay rights supporters; the best bodies; a Beyonce halftime and who will win the game between the 49ers and Ravens.</p> <p>
<i>This originally <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2013/01/28/super-bowl-xlvii-baltimore-ravens-san-francisco-49ers-clueless-gay-guide-big-game/" target="_blank">appeared at OutSports</a>, SB Nation's sister site. </i>
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<p><b>WHAT</b>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl XLVII</a> (47 for you mathematically challenged) will be held Sunday Feb. 3 and pits the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Baltimore Ravens</a> (13-6) from from the American Football Conference against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> (13-4-1) from the National Football Conference. The Las Vegas oddsmakers have made the 49ers a 3 1/2-point favorite, showing how close the game is expected to be. The two teams did not play in the regular season.</p>
<p><b>WHERE</b>: The game will be played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, the first time the city has hosted the game since Hurricane Katrina.</p>
<p>The people of New Orleans are mighty pissed at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> Coach Sean Payton for the season and (unsuccessfully) some players after finding they paid bounties to injure opposing players. They are so upset that various floats at the pre-Mardi Gras Krewe du Vieux parade featured Goodell in various sexual acts. One, dubbed "Super Hole XLVAG," had the commissioner being <a href="http://deadspin.com/5977808/new-orleans-welcomes-the-super-bowl-with-a-roger-goodell-being-eaten-by-a-giant-vagina-float" target="_blank">eaten by a giant vagina</a>. Another showed him screwing a barnyard animal. I assume Goodell will have a taste-tester when he ventures into the French Quarter this week.</p>
<p><b>KICKOFF/TV</b>: The kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. EST, shortly after Alicia Keys sings the National Anthem. You can bet in Vegas on whether Keys' version will last longer than 2:15. The bookie who set the bet <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/1/25/3915380/super-bowl-2013-prop-bets-odds-alicia-keys-nationa-anthem" target="_blank">told SB Nation</a>: "Whenever a singer announces they will do their own rendition of the anthem, it complicates the situation because it usually runs much longer. You are never sure what to expect." You can also get 5-1 odds on whether Keys will get booed.</p>
<p>The game will be broadcast on CBS, with Jim Nantz doing the play-by-play and Phil Simms the analysis. Simms was a cute blond in his days as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> quarterback and he has two sons, Chris and Matt, that have carried on that legacy. They aren't as good a quarterback as their dad, but they certainly are hot.</p>
<p><b>FASHION NOTE</b>: The 49ers are the designated home team and will wear their <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/kaepernick-gives-49ers-look-nfc-title-game-203849691--nfl.html" target="_blank">red jerseys</a> and gold pants. The Ravens will wear <a href="http://www.nfl-wallpapers.com/bulkupload/NFL/Baltimore%20Ravens/ravens2.jpg" target="_blank">white with purple trim</a>. Teams wearing white have won six of the last seven Super Bowls. The 49ers logo is a classic "SF," while the Ravens have a stylized bird on their helmets; both work for me.</p>
<p><b>NUDE FASHION NOTE</b>: If Ravens defensive back <span>Bernard Pollard</span> had his way, the game would be played in the nude (and see the TV audience soar). <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/sports/football/ravens-bernard-pollard-delivers-loud-words-and-big-hits.html?ref=sports&_r=1&" target="_blank">From the New York Times</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Pollard's confidence reveals itself in the locker room, where he has no qualms about being naked. He will conduct full interviews in the nude. Pants are the enemy. When local journalists gave Pollard their "good guy" award after the 2011 season for being accommodating, they presented him with a pair of boxer shorts, in the hope that he would wear them. His own teammates have encouraged him to use a towel or two.</p>
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<p><b>QUARTERBACKS</b>: Two guys named Colin and Joe will be under center. <span>Colin Kaepernick</span> was on the bench for the first half of the season for the 49ers, until starter Alex Smith got hurt. When Smith got healthy, he stayed on the bench since Kaepernick brought an explosive dimension to the 49ers attack. In a playoff game against Green Bay, Kaepernick set a record for rushing yards by a quarterback, but he is also a threat throwing the ball. His body is <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/colinalex.jpg" target="_blank">adorned with tattoos</a>, mostly religious.</p>
<p>Kaepernick, 6-4 and 230 pounds, has an interesting background, being a mixed race child adopted by German-American parents in Wisconsin. As a fourth-grader, he wrote an adorable letter to himself that has proved to be prophetic:</p>
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<p>I'm 5 ft 2 inches 91 pounds. Good athelet. I think in 7 years I will be between 6 ft - to 6 ft 4 inches 140 pounds. I hope I go to a good college in football Then go to the pros and play on the niners or the packers even if they aren't good in seven years. My friend are Jason, Kyler, Leo, Spencer, Mark and Jacob</p>
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<p>Sincerly, Colin</p>
<p>In contrast, Flacco is kind of dull, a traditional "pocket" passer, but one who has been brilliant in the playoffs (eight touchdowns and no interceptions). Maybe the most interesting thing Flacco has done is participate in a Baltimore "polar bear" swim, diving into frigid Chesapeake Bay. Both Flacco and Kapernick seem like good guys, so there's no rooting interest either way for me.</p>
<p><b>QUARTERBACK PET ANGLE</b>: Kaepernick has a pet turtle, Sammy, that weighs 115 pounds:</p>
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<a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1420485/colinturtle.jpg">
<img alt="Colinturtle_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1420485/colinturtle_medium.jpg"></a>
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<p>via <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/colinturtle.jpg">outsports.com</a></p>
<p><b>THE COACHES</b>: In case you haven't heard, the <a href="http://www.panhandlepost.com/2013/01/22/the-harbaugh-brothers-ready-for-rematch-at-super-bowl/" target="_blank">coaches are brothers</a>. John Harbaugh coaches the Ravens and Jim (younger by 15 months) the 49ers. Their mom said she hopes the game ends in a tie and bristled when a caller on a media conference call suggested she liked Jim better. She calmed down when the caller turned out to be John. Jim was a generally successful NFL quarterback, while John never made it past college football. John is considered the less loopy of the two, at least if sideline antics and press conferences are an accurate guide.</p>
<p><b>THE FANS</b>: The Ravens don't have a rich history, having existed only since 1996, when they moved from Cleveland. But the city was passionate about the Baltimore <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, who moved to Indianapolis in 1984, so fans there know their football. Swimmer Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native, is the best-known Ravens fan, and he showed up at the AFC Championship Game <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2013/01/21/michael-phelps-channels-his-inner-slacker-in-cheering-on-baltimore-ravens/" target="_blank">sporting a new grungy look</a>. Two of my brothers and a nephew are huge <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> fans, so they hate the Ravens as a matter of course (the two teams are bitter division rivals), but I have not found the Baltimore fan base to be that obnoxious.</p>
<p>The 49ers used to have annoying, entitled fans - that's what winning five Super Bowls in 13 years will do - but this is their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1994 season, so their fans there are a little more humble. A news gay sports bar, Hi Tops, opened in the city last year and it made the pages of Sports Illustrated when the magazine ran a photo of two gay male patrons making out after the 49ers won the NFC championship.</p>
<p><b>THE GAY ANGLE</b>: It's hard to go wrong with either team when it comes to gay acceptance. We have <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/?s=Ayanbadejo" target="_blank">written a ton</a>about Ravens linebacker <span>Brendon Ayanbadejo</span> and his outspoken support for gay rights. He is the most consistently vocal athlete supporter on the issue and said he wants to use the Super Bowl platform to talk about LGBT rights.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I see the big picture," Ayanbadejo <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-09-07/sports/bal-ravens-brendon-ayanbadejo-responds-to-politician-looking-to-silence-him-on-gay-marriage-stance-20120907_1_equality-maryland-ravens-linebacker-brendon-ayanbadejo-gay-marriage-stance" target="_blank">told the Baltimore Sun</a>. "There was a time when women didn't have rights, black people didn't have rights, and right now, gay rights is a big issue and it has been for a long time. And so we're slowly chopping down the barriers to equality. We have some minority rights we have to get straight and some gay rights, then we'll be on our way."</p>
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<p>Ayanbadejo has the support of management, including team President Dick Cass, who told him, "we're not an organization that discriminate." Ravens center <span>Matt Birk</span>, who is retiring after the Super Bowl, has taken the other side on same-sex marriage, though he has not been anywhere near as vocal as Ayanbadejo.</p>
<p>The 49ers are the first NFL team to <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/08/24/san-francisco-49ers-first-nfl-team-it-gets-better-video-gay-teens-bullying/" target="_blank">produce a video</a> for the It Gets Better project. Coach Jim Harbaugh said last month that he would welcome an openly gay player and treat him the same as any player. Owner John York and his co-owner and wife Denise DeBartolo York have made frequent trips to gay bars in the Castro to woo LGBT fans. "That is an absolutely good opportunity to be able to meet fans," York told the<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/southbayfootball/ci_10019673" target="_blank"> San Jose Mercury News</a> in 2008 of the annual tour he makes through the Castro. And, it's "‘a fair bet" no NFL owner goes so far to cultivate gay and lesbian fans, he told the paper.</p>
<p><b>Update</b>: After I wrote this, 49ers defensive back <span>Chris Culliver</span> said some awful things to shock jock Artie Lange about having a gay teammate:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I don't do the gay guys man. I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah...can't be...in the locker room man. Nah."</p>
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<p>The 49ers condemned the comments, but it was the big story for the media midweek and probably caused some people to root for the Ravens.</p>
<p><b>ENTERTAINMENT</b>: Speaking of a gay angle, Beyoncé is the halftime entertainment this year, though I am so out of that musical loop (I'm more into indie alternative) that I couldn't name a song she has done without looking it up. People magazine reports that she will team up with "Destiny's Child bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams." I for one won't be riveted, but a lot of you watching will be. Last year, I was at an all-gay Super Bowl party and during Madonna's halftime show, the house was dead quiet. Minutes after she was done, two-thirds of the crowd bolted.</p>
<p>The big question, on the heels of her National Anthem "did she or did not" rendition at the Inaugural, is whether Beyoncé will lip sync on Sunday. There might be more tweets sent out about this than for the game itself.</p>
<p><b>THE COMMERCIALS</b>: The Super Bowl commercials get more overhyped each year, especially since you can go on tons of sites to see sneak previews (which kind of ruins the element of surprise). CBS is raking in the cash, charging as much as $4 million for a 30-second spot. Bad news - the annoying E-Trade baby is back with a 30-second spot. I am not a fan of infanticide, but would make an exception in this case.</p>
<p><b>FOR THE EYES</b>: Hot is in the eye of the beholder, and for my money the 49ers are the hotter team. The hottest guy might not even play - 49ers backup quarterback Alex Smith. The <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/alex-smith-shirtless.jpg" target="_blank">shot of him in an ice tub</a> is still one of my favorite sports photos ever.</p>
<p>For the 49ers, I love Kapernick's smile, the studliness of tight end <span>Garrett Celek</span>, backup receiver Chad Hall and linebacker <span>Patrick Willis</span>.</p>
<p>For the Ravens, rookie kicker <span>Justin Tucker</span> is a super-cutie (<a href="http://www.outsports.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4198&st=4150" target="_blank">a reader took a photo of Tucker adjusting himself; scroll down halfway on the page</a>), while QB Joe Flacco has smoldering looks. I'm also partial to safety <span>Sean Considine</span> and receiver <span>Anquan Boldin</span>, while readers have noted the look of tight end <span>Dennis Pitta</span>.</p>
<p><b>BEST BODY, RAVENS</b>: With players wearing helmets and bulky uniforms, it's not always easy to tell who has a rocking bod, but Ayanbadejo loves flaunting what he's got and I can't blame him:</p>
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<a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1420521/brendonbody.jpg">
<img alt="Brendonbody_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1420521/brendonbody_medium.jpg"></a>
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<p>via <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/brendonbody.jpg">outsports.com</a></p>
<p><b>BEST BODY, 49ERS</b>: <span>Vernon Davis</span>. <a href="http://bit.ly/Ww4tWR" target="_blank">Ridiculous</a>.</p>
<p><b>THE GAME</b>: The pointspread is small for a reason - these teams are evenly matched and any outcome would not be a surprise. That's been the trend of the past nine Super Bowls, all that were within a touchdown or less in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>On offense, the 49ers will employ what they call the "Pistol," an offensive formation that gives Kaepernick the option to run, hand the ball off or pass. It is very difficult to defend, especially for teams that are seeing it for the first time. The Ravens played the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a> this season and the Skins employed a similar offense with rookie quarterback <span>Robert Griffin III</span>. Baltimore did not do a good job in stopping the Redskins, losing 31-28 in overtime. However, the Ravens were missing several key defensive players in that game who will play against San Francisco, and all of them will play against the 49ers.</p>
<p>The 49ers key offensive weapons are Kaepernick, running back <span>Frank Gore</span>, receiver <span>Michael Crabtree</span> and tight end Vernon Davis. Receiver <span>Randy Moss</span> has been generally quiet this season, but he still has the speed to get deep and I predict he will score a touchdown in the game. On defense, the Ravens are led by the annoying <span>Ray Lewis</span>, who talks God at the drop of a hat. I loved <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Houston Texans</a> Connor Barwin tweeting: "Ray Lewis is going to make [tim] tebow look like an atheist the next two weeks." <span>Paul Kruger</span> developed into a terrific pass rusher, while linebacker <span>Terrell Suggs</span> and safety <span>Ed Reed</span> are veteran stars who can make plays.</p>
<p>On the flip side, the Ravens employ a more conventional offense. They have become more unpredictable with their play calls since Jim Caldwell took over as offensive coordinator, and Flacco has thrived. The Ravens throw the deep passes very well and that will pose a problem for the 49ers, who have had trouble rushing the passer the past month, which exposes their secondary. The Ravens' key weapons are running back <span>Ray Rice</span>, receivers <span>Torrey Smith</span> and Anquan Boldin and tight end Dennis Pitta.</p>
<p>The 49ers have a terrific defense, but it has sprung some holes late in the season, not getting as much pressure on the quarterback and giving up a lot of big plays. The Smith's (Justin and Aldon), key the defensive line, while linebacker Patrick Willis is the defensive leader.</p>
<p>Special teams could be a factor. Justin Tucker has been clutch all season for the Ravens as a kicker, but his 49ers counterpart <span>David Akers</span> has been erratic, missing a bunch of kicks. If the game comes down to Akers needing to make a field goal, 49er fans will not be able to watch.</p>
<p><b>THE PICK:</b> I see a back-and-forth affair as the Harbaugh brothers try to outguess each other. In 2001, <span>Tom Brady</span> was a second-year backup who replaced an injured <span>Drew Bledsoe</span> and kept the job when Bledsoe got healthy. Brady led the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> to a Super Bowl win in New Orleans. In 2012, Colin Kaepernick was a second-year backup who replaced an injured Alex Smith and kept the job when Smith got healthy. Kaepernick has now led the 49ers to a Super Bowl in New Orleans. History repeats itself: 49ers 24, Ravens 20.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/1/31/3938692/super-bowl-2013-xlvii-gay-guideJim Buzinski2012-10-24T09:00:57-04:002012-10-24T09:00:57-04:00Living in baseball's closet
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<img alt="John Dillinger, right, with partner Gregory Fisher" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/siQ862KqpzDB52iuqw_Bublfsxk=/0x12:500x345/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1895987/johndillingergregoryfisher.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>John Dillinger, right, with partner Gregory Fisher | Robbie Quinn/Robbie Quinn photos</figcaption>
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<p>For 11 seasons, John Dillinger bounced around baseball's minor leagues. And for 11 seasons, he hid who he really was. Now, as a happy, gay man, Dillinger tells his story.
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<p><em>This story originally appeared at <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/10/23/gay-former-minor-leaguer-john-dillinger-talks-about-life-in-pro-baseballs-closet/" target="new">Outsports.com</a>.</em></p> <p>John Dillinger did a double-take as he walked through the lobby of the Seaport Marina Hotel in Long Beach, Calif., one night in 2005 after a baseball game. He saw a flier with a "really good-looking, furry, muscular guy on it." It advertised Bear Night once a month at the hotel, and Dillinger was intrigued.</p>
<div style="border-left: 1px solid #c2c2c2; margin: 20px 10px 5px 10px; padding: 5px; float: right; width: 240; text-align: left; color: #999999;">
<a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1262819/JohnDillingerFace.jpg"><img width="240" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1262819/JohnDillingerFace_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Johndillingerface_medium"></a> John Dillinger (Photo by: Robbie Quinn)</div>
<p>"I walked into the lobby and my room was fairly close to the lobby where that club was and I saw the big flier outside and it said ‘Bear Night.' I was like, ‘Oh my God, no way.' Plus, there were all these big burly and masculine men walking in and out of that place," Dillinger said.</p>
<p>"I did react, or I should say, my eyeballs reacted. I just hung out in the lobby a little bit so I could just look around at who was going in and coming out. I kind of walked by the door and peeked in and that was about it. I didn't know anything about the bear scene. I didn't realize there was another subgroup of big, masculine men that were gay. It was really shocking to me in a good way."</p>
<p>Though men his type were feet away, Dillinger instead went to his room he shared with a teammate and called it a night. Being a closeted professional baseball player staying in the hotel with many of his Long Beach Armada teammates and visiting players, Dillinger never came close to actually going into the club. The risks were too great.</p>
<p>The John Dillinger of 2012 would have no problem walking into a bear bar or any gay bar, a far cry from the closeted pitcher who spent 11 seasons in baseball's minor leagues, where he played for 15 teams and five different organizations. After retiring from the sport in 2005, he came out in 2007 and now identifies himself as a happy, out gay man.</p>
<p>"I felt like it was time and I wasn't afraid of the unknown any more. I felt like people needed to know," Dillinger, 39, said about his decision to come out. He contacted <a href="http://www.outsports.com/" target="_blank">Outsports</a> after reading about the public coming out of <a href="http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/09/26/kevin-mcclatchy-when-gay-pro-athlete-comes-out-its-going-to-be-fine/" target="_blank">Kevin McClatchy</a>, former owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was happy to share his story.</p>
<p>Dillinger -- from Connellsville, Pa., just southeast of Pittsburgh -- was playing for the Pirates' minor league system when McClatchy bought the team in 1996. He knew a woman who was dating McClatchy at the time and she suspected the owner might be gay; hearing the confirmation this September "inspired and thrilled" Dillinger.</p>
<p>"What some people do not understand is that it takes considerable courage to reveal your true self and to not worry about what others may think of you, especially in professional sports," Dillinger said. "Whether it's as a player or executive, the unknown is what really keeps some of us in the closet. I'm very proud of Kevin and I wish he and his partner the best for years to come."</p>
<p><b>A typical teen</b></p>
<p>Dillinger was a star athlete in high school and his focus on sports allowed him to put off dealing with his sexual orientation. His first awareness of same-sex attraction came at the age of 10, when he found himself intently watching Tom Selleck as "Magnum, P.I." and Lee Horsley as "Matt Houston." Rugged, manly men with facial hair like those two TV stars gave Dillinger a rush, yet in high school he was not conflicted about what that meant.</p>
<p>"It really didn't bother me that much," Dillinger said. "I was so busy playing sports and I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it." He had a fairly typical teen experience, dating girls, playing sports and being one of the guys.</p>
<div style="border-left: 1px solid #c2c2c2; margin: 20px 10px 5px 10px; padding: 5px; float: right; width: 240; text-align: left; color: #999999;">
<a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1262807/JohnDillingerYankees.jpg"><img width="240" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1262807/JohnDillingerYankees_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Johndillingeryankees_medium"></a> Dillinger spent 2002 spring training with the Yankees</div>
<p>Drafted in 1992 by the Pirates as an 18-year-old while attending a junior college in Florida, Dillinger spent the next 13 years (he did not play in 1999 and 2004) bouncing around baseball's minor leagues, good enough to make a big-league spring training roster but not quite good enough to stick on Opening Day or be called up during the season. An imposing right-handed starter (6-5, 230 pounds), he finished his career with a 68-70 record and 4.30 ERA in 1,201 innings pitched and countless nights sleeping on motel beds.</p>
<p>His list of teams reads like a Greyhound Bus schedule: Lethbridge, Alberta; Augusta, Ga.; Lynchburg, Va.; Allentown, Pa.; Raleigh, N.C.; Bridgewater, N.J.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Little Rock, Ark.; Columbus, Ohio; Salt Lake City, Utah; El Paso, Texas; Newark, N.J.; Elmira, N.Y., and Long Beach, Calif.</p>
<p>He played for five Major League organizations: Pittsburgh Pirates (five Minor League clubs), Texas Rangers (0; he blew out his elbow and had surgery), Toronto Blue Jays (one), New York Yankees (one), Anaheim Angels (two), plus six independent teams. He jokes that playing for four independent clubs in 2005 qualifies as some sort of record.</p>
<p>"I do not have any regrets whatsoever," he said. "I had a blast, every minute and every day I was playing professional baseball. Even not being really true to who I was was not that big of an issue."</p>
<p>He spent 1997 on the official Pirates' major league roster to prevent him from being picked up by another team, but was never called up. His highlight was spending 2002 spring training with the New York Yankees. "It was awesome, unbelievable, that team was loaded with talent," he said of the experience. "Everyone was so nice and so cordial." The most he earned in any season were those six months with the Yankees organization, when he made $90,000. It was quite a change to go from fried chicken and pizza in the typical minor league post-game spread to filet mignon with the Yankees in spring training.</p>
<p><b>Just one of the boys</b></p>
<p>The other notable change as Dillinger moved from the lower rungs of the minors to higher classes was the quality of the women. "They got better looking as you went up the ladder," he said with a laugh. Despite knowing he was gay, Dillinger never acted on it once as a player (he had his first sexual experience with a man when he was 33 and already retired from baseball).</p>
<p>"At one point I thought maybe I could get rid of it," he said about his same-sex attraction. He just did what everyone else was doing - drinking, partying and hooking up with girls. "I liked to have a lot of fun and it was a way for me to not really have to think about all that stuff." He even had three-ways, but never lusted after a teammate because "I was never attracted to anyone my age." This helped in the showers, where the sight of naked teammates had zero effect on him.</p>
<p>"Being gay was a constant thought with me, but it just kind of stood there in a stalemate," he said. When he was dating women, he felt that having sex with a man would have been a betrayal, and when he was single, he was simply afraid of being found out. His training as an athlete helped him to compartmentalize, he said.</p>
<p>"We're taught as professional athletes, if you don't reach your goal or you fail, you gotta be able to leave it behind and move on and keep moving forward. You can't dwell on anything. I almost kind of put that whole thing of who I really was in a compartment somewhere and it stayed there."</p>
<p>Interestingly, Dillinger said he seldom heard gay slurs in the locker room or at the ballpark. Yet he stayed closeted because of fear of the unknown. "I was never afraid of anything I could see ... but the scariest things are what you can't see or predict," he said.</p>
<p>Had also had zero intention of ever telling a teammate: "That was a big capital N, capital O," he said. He was at the point where even telling his family was intimidating and a non-starter.</p>
<p>When he finally came out to his family after retiring, he still remembers his father's first words: "I love you even more."</p>
<p><b>Time to move on</b></p>
<p>Dillinger decided to call it quits in 2005 while with the independent Long Beach Armada. His skills were eroding and it was time to move on to the next stage of life. His life as an open gay man began in 2007 after he told his family and had his first date with a man. He met the man online and "knew I was hooked" as soon as the man walked in to their first meeting wearing a cowboy hat and boots.</p>
<div style="border-left: 1px solid #c2c2c2; margin: 20px 10px 5px 10px; padding: 6px; float: right; width: 340; text-align: left; color: #999999;">
<a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1616259/JohnDillingerGregoryFisher.jpeg"><img alt="JohnDillingerGregoryFisher_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1616259/JohnDillingerGregoryFisher.jpeg" width="340"></a>John Dillinger, right, with partner Gregory Fisher (Photo by: Robbie Quinn)</div>
<p>He now lives in Nashville and works as an account executive in accounts receivable for a healthcare firm in Nashville. His partner, Gregory Fisher, is also in the healthcare field and is a spiritual life coach. Dillinger describes himself as happy and content and still follows baseball passionately. He is excited about the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants because ex-Pirates manager Jim Leyland manages the Tigers. Dillinger remembers the first time he met Leyland in 1992.</p>
<p>"I was 18 and just drafted by Pittsburgh. I was walking through the training room at Three Rivers Stadium, and Leyland was standing there naked, applying hemorrhoid cream. I was awe-struck I think, and I walked right over to extend my hand to shake his. I wasn't even thinking of what may be on his hands! We got a laugh and I think he stuck out his hand to bust my balls. We didn't shake hands until after he washed them."</p>
<p>In the years since retiring, Dillinger has told a few ex-teammates that he was gay and all have been supportive. He says some of his former teammates and one coach he keeps in touch with on Facebook are looking forward to reading this story. Despite his time in the closet, he thinks baseball is ready to embrace an openly gay player because times have changed.</p>
<p>"Playing 162 games a year, you spend a lot of time with your teammates," he said. "You spend more time with them than with your own family and friends. Teams that are close-knit and get along are usually the ones that have better results. Therefore, being up front and honest with your teammates about who you are and what you are about will garner more respect from your teammates."</p>
<p>He also offers advice to any player considering coming out.</p>
<p>"My advice to a player who would decide to come out is to talk to one of your closest teammates first. If they are understanding and accepting like they should be, continue further and let the whole team know.</p>
<p>"I 100-percent believe that most of your teammates will respect you even more if you are honest with them. Baseball as well as all major sports have come a long way as far as not tolerating bigoted behavior and homophobic slurs. There have been quite a few examples recently. Successful athletes have one thing in common which helps make them successful: NO FEAR. This should be no different."</p>
<p><i>Dillinger can be reached via email at (<a target="_blank" href="http://jwdillinger44@msn.com">jwdillinger44@msn.com</a>) or <a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/jwdillinger44">on Facebook</a>.</i></p>
<p><i>Thanks to <a target="_blank" href="http://rqfoto.com/">photographer Robbie Quinn</a> for use of his photos.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2012/10/24/3545938/john-dillinger-interview-outsportsJim Buzinski