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In case you’re not well versed in “squares” or want to learn how to set up your own pool, check out this site.  You’ll select a square from a 10 x 10 grid.   After the teams and numbers have been assigned, you have your rooting interest.

The last number of the score for each team represents a number on the grid.  If you have Baltimore 4 and San Francisco 7, and the score is 14-17 in favor of the Ravens at the end of a quarter, you would win.   Most pools pay out each quarter, but there are many different payout possibilities, including reverse, touching squares, etc.,  so be sure to check with the pool operator for complete rules.

I found this grid that shows your odds of winning based on actual Super Bowl results.   The number inside the grid represents the number of times that square hit during one of the previous 41 Super Bowls this was taken prior to the 2008 Patriots – Giants game, so it is not 100% complete, but should give  a pretty good sense of your chances.)

The *’s in some boxes represent the number of times this square was a final score, when pools often have higher payouts.

So if you get a 0 or a 7, there’s a much higher probability of winning, especially compared to getting a 5 or 8.  In case anyone from the IRS is reading this, I NEVER win these things.  Have fun and play responsibly!

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.

Here’s the scoop from Chicago Breaking Sports:

Gay-dating site Mancrush.com claims CBS has rejected its proposed Super Bowl commercial because it features two men making out on a couch.

Mancrush.com spokeswoman Elissa Buchter told CNBC’s Darren Rovell that CBS said it was sold out of Super Bowl advertising time.

Rovell writes that as of Thursday, advertising time remained for the Feb 7 game. That raised the question of, if CBS is willing to air Tim Tebow’s pro-life spot, why not a commercial for a same-sex dating site?

Money, or lack of it, might be the real issue. One unnamed television source told Rovell the site wouldn’t pass the mandatory credit check.

Then I saw the video and realized what we Bears fans have suspected for years – that Packers and Viking fans are GAY.  The dudes making out are clearly a Packer fan donning AJ Hawk’s #50 and a Viking fan sporting an Adrian Peterson #28.  Check out the supposed commercial for yourself: (more…)

I (1967)- Kansas City Chiefs
II (1968)- Oakland Raiders
III (1969)- Baltimore Colts
IV (1970)- Minnesota Vikings
V (1971)- Dallas Cowboys
VI (1972)- Miami Dolphins
VII (1973)- Washington Redskins
VIII (1974)- Minnesota Vikings
IX (1975)- Minnesota Vikings
X (1976)- Dallas Cowboys
XI (1977)- Minnesota Vikings
XII (1978)- Denver Broncos
XIII (1979)- Dallas Cowboys
XIV (1980)- Los Angeles Rams
XV (1981)- Philadelphia Eagles
XVI (1982)- Cincinnati Bengals
XVII (1983)- Miami Dolphins
XVIII (1984)- Washington Redskins
XIX (1985)- Miami Dolphins
XX (1986)- New England Patriots
XXI (1987)- Denver Broncos
XXII (1988)- Denver Broncos
XXIII (1989)- Cincinnati Bengals
XXIV (1990)- Denver Broncos
XXV (1991)- Buffalo Bills
XXVI (1992)- Buffalo Bills
XXVII (1993)- Buffalo Bills
XXVIII (1994)- Buffalo Bills
XXIX (1995)- San Diego Chargers
XXX (1996)- Pittsburgh Steelers
XXXI (1997)- New England Patriots
XXXII (1998)- Green Bay Packers
XXXIII (1999)- Atlanta Falcons
XXXIV (2000)- Tennessee Titans
XXXV (2001)- New York Giants
XXXVI (2002)- St. Louis Rams
XXXVII (2003)- Oakland Raiders
XXXVIII (2004)- Carolina Panthers
XXXIX (2005)- Philadelphia Eagles
XL (2006)- Seattle Seahawks
XLI (2007)- Chicago Bears
XLII (2008)- New England Patriots
XLIII (2009) – Arizona Cardinals

Keep your heads up Cardinal fans.  This too shall pass.  I know firsthand the pain you feel right now.  (see XLI 2007 – Chicago Bears).  In a couple of years, you’ll hardly remember how bad this loss stings.   Training camp will be here before you know it.

BEAR DOWN!!!

Dent’s time is definitely coming and I have no doubt that he will take his rightful place alongside teammates Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton from the vaunted ’85 Bears defense. The Colonel was a 4-time Pro Bowler and 1 time All Pro. At the time of his retirement, he was third all time with 137.5 sacks, behind Hall of Famers Reggie White and Bruce Smith.

Day vs Night.  Black (and gold) vs White (and red).  Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader.  Offense vs Defense.   You might say that this game features contrasting styles.  The Steelers come in as the top defense from the regular season while the Cardinals come in with the second ranked passing offense and a Top 5 offense overall.  Arizona’s key to success in this improbable playoff run has been their defense. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has been doing what they do best: playing great defense.  It’s time to stop with all of the hype and parties and get down to the business of crowning a champion for the 2008-2009 NFL season.

Many believe that a win by the Cardinals will put a stamp on Kurt Warner’s ticket to the Hall of Fame.   This is his third go-around on football’s biggest stage, having won one and lost one.  Meanwhile Ben Roethlisberger has a ring of his own, but many critics say he need to redeem himself after a lackluster performance in the Steelers’ win in Super Bowl XL over the Seahawks.

Breakdown

Larry Fitzgerald has become the darling of these 2009 playoffs.  How can you argue with 419 yards and 5 TD’s?  Compare that to 665 yards and 3 TD’s by Chicago Bears #1 receiver Devin Hester.  Oh, did I forget to mention those stats were compiled over 15 games for the Windy City Flyer while Fitz has piled up those bawdy stats in 3 playoffs games?  Who says the Bears need a difference maker at the receiver position?  The Cardinal defense has been the surprise of the playoffs, forcing 12 turnovers and upsetting the likes of the Falcons, Panthers and  Eagles en route to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.

The Steelers come in a bit banged up, with receiver Hines Ward nursing a knee and recent reports that Big Ben might have gotten a bit more banged up in the AFC Championship than we’ve been led to believe.  But this isn’t about the Steelers’ offense as much as it is about their defense.  Look for the Steelers to pressure Warner from all angles and shut down the resurrected Cardinal running attack.  Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison leads the attacking Steeler defense.

Key matchup

Arizona Passing Attack vs Pittsburgh Pass D.  Call it Hairbangers Ball, as safety Troy Polamalu brings his flowing locks to try to help cover the dreadlocked receiving stud Larry Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald has already set a playoff record for receiving yardage, breaking Jerry Rice’s postseason yardage record with a game left to play.   I don’t doubt that the Steelers will keep the resurgent Edgerrin James in check, but if they expect to win, they’ll need to do something that no one has figured out in this postseason and that’s slow down Fitgerald and company.

Sleeper

Willie Parker has been banged up for much of the season and missed a few games, but that just means he’s fresh for Big Game.   He was the game-breaker in 2006, tearing off a Super Bowl record 75 yard touchdown run against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL to seal the victory for the Steelers.  If Fast Willie can take some pressure off Big Ben and keep the Cardinal D off balance, it will be a long day for Arizona fans.

Prediction

Arizona has reinvented itself with a running game and tough defense  while Pittsburgh has followed their usual blueprint.  In a game of this magnitude, I like the team that stays true to itself.  This game is my postseason tie-breaker, so this had better be good:

Steelers 27-21

Michael Irvin will host the yet-to-be-named show set to debut in the Spring on Spike TV, as 12 contestants compete for the right to join the Cowboys preseason roster.  For details, go here.   And for your weekend warriors who still think you have what it takes,  download your application here.  Did Michael Irvin type this  up on a typewriter himself?  Put a little effort into it, would ya? Here are a couple of my favorite questions:

ARE YOU CURRENTLY PLAYING FOOTBALL AND WITH WHO?  IF NO WHY NOT?

…

DO YOU HAVE A FOOTBALL MOTTO THAT YOU LIVE BY?  WHAT IS IT?

…

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS?

I’m in favor of them.  Seriously, what would anyone with half a brain cell answer to that question???

On top of that, T.O. is getting a show on VH1 to join the ranks of Flavor Flav, Bret Michaels and other celeb wannabe’s.  The Terrell Owens Project will follow the megalomaniac Cowboys receiver during the offseason.

T.O. will be shadowed in the off-season by his best friends and publicists Monique Jackson and Kita Williams as they battle the two sides of his large personality.  Viewers will discover that behind all the braggadocio, emotional histrionics, and sculpted physique that is the outspoken media magnet known to the world as “T.O.” — there is also a quiet, sensitive, mild-mannered guy from Alexander City, Alabama…that’s Terrell.

Braggadocio?  Who makes this crap up?  What’s next, Newlyweds 2 starring Tony and “Yoko Romo” Jessica Simpson?  What’s up with these Cowboys?  You can blame HBO for planting the seed.  They featured this Cowboy team twice on their Hard Knocks series.  I guess the cameras are addicting.  What kind of circus are Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips running down there in Big D?  No wonder these guys didn’t make the playoffs.

It’s bad enough we get sports stars showing up on “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Apprentice”, but now get entire series dedicated to this crap?  And what about the last guy trying to make the Cowboys roster who doesn’t get to go to training camp because they have to give that roster spot to some reality show winner?  Why don’t we just raffle off roster spots to the highest bidder?  Hopefully, the McCaskeys don’t get any ideas.  They’re always looking for new revenue streams.

When are people going to figure out that the sport itself is the best reality show?  You can’t make up stories like the 2009 playoff run by the Arizona Cardinals or the shocking upset last season by the New York Giants over the heavily favored Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.  Reality TV is anything but that and it just doesn’t compare to the real drama that unfolds on the gridiron.  TO TV?  Only if the TO stands for Turn Off!

BOOM!!!