Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

In the copycat league that is the NFL, teams will spend the entire offseason dissecting hundreds thousands of hours of tape to find any possible advantage.  You can bet every defensive coordinator will be trying to solve the read-option riddle.

The Chicago Bears can learn a lot from the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens.  Both teams finished up the year at 10-6, but one is holding a trophy and having a parade today while the other has a new head coach.  It’s fickle, this NFL.

Here is the most important thing they can learn from Super Bowl XLVII Champion Baltimore Ravens:

It’s an Offensive League  (more…)

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, your Super Bowl XLVII Champions.  The Ravens earned their title while hanging on over the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to cap off an improbable playoff run including road wins against Peyton Manning and the top seeded Denver Broncos and Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.   (more…)

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Power is out during Super Bowl XLVII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The power outage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that lasted just over 33 minutes early in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII has got to be the strangest NFL playoff moment since the infamous Fog Bowl between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles back on December 31, 1988.

I remember trying to watch this game and being so frustrated because I didn’t know what was happening.  I heard that the  flying saucer shape of the new Soldier Field was designed to prevent this from happening in the future.  Time will tell.

Check out this video from YouTube with some of the highlights (Click refresh on your browser if you don’t see the embedded video below):

The good news is the Bears defeated the Eagles and former coach Buddy Ryan 20-12 to go on to the NFC Championship Game.  The bad news is they got pasted 28-3 by the San Francisco 49ers to end another disappointing season.

Can the 49ers rally past the Baltimore Ravens, who led 28-6 when the lights went out?  Stay tuned.

Feb 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; General view of Super Bowl XLVII roman numerals on a barge on the Mississippi River with the Crescent City Connection bridge (Greater New Orleans bridge) at Woldenberg Park in advance of Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Super Sunday!

Not since the Civil War has there been such emphasis on a brother against brother  conflict.  The Harbaugh Bowl.  The Harbaughl.  The Breaux Bowl.  Super Bowl XLVII features brother head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh going up against one another for a championship for the first time in the history of the major sports as the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers face off for the ultimate prize.  You can skip the ten hour pregame show and just read this.  Here’s my preview of  ”the Big Game.”

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It’s the biggest game of the year; the Super Bowl.  Gone are the days of being stuck in front of a single TV.  Welcome to 2013, where you’ve got to be mobile.  You want everything at your fingertips everywhere you go.  The Super Bowl should be no different.

Here are my Top 5 ways to use the NFL Mobile app to enhance your Super Bowl viewing experience:  (more…)

Jan 21, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view as a street car passing the Hyatt hotel on the new Loyola Avenue street car line in downtown New Orleans in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII to be played between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens on February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Being the most watched football game around the world, it’s always the most gambled game.  From office pools to hardcore wagers, there isn’t an aspect of the game that doesn’t draw interest from gamblers.  Here’s a list of Super Bowl XLVII wagers from Bovada.lv via CBS Philadelphia:  (more…)

There’s nothing like daydreaming about a trip to New Orleans in early February for Super Bowl XLVII after another win for our 5-1 NFC North leading Chicago Bears.  Why sit on the couch at home while the Hurricanes are flowing at Pat O’Briens as the football universe descends on The Big Easy?  Enter for a chance to win tickets to GO TO THE BIG GAME.  Four incredibly lucky grand prize winners get:

• Round-trip coach air transportation for two to New Orleans
• Five-day, four night hotel accommodations (January 31-February 4, 2013)
• Two Super Bowl XLVII tickets (to be played on February 3, 2013)
• Much more!

Entry forms are available at any Verizon Wireless store and the contest is open through November 9.

Check out the details here or get yourself to a Verizon store ASAP to enter for a chance to win. If you believe the Bears are going to the Super Bowl, why not enter so you can be there too?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Fans program and have been provided with a wireless device and five months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.