My take(s): I was pulling for the Saints, but thought the Colts would win. The main reason was that New Orleans lost in the regular season while they were still trying to be perfect, while Indy laid down in their final two games.
Ultimately, I think that’s what cost the Colts — and it makes me happy. If Indy had played hard and won those last two regular season games and then lost in the Super Bowl, they could’ve pointed to those two final games and said, “This is why we should’ve sat our starters.” Now, they can’t use that excuse.
Some more Super Bowl-related thoughts:
I don’t care what those losers from Dallas say, New Orleans is America’s Team. Outside of Indy last night, who wasn’t — somewhere in their heart — pulling for the Saints? With everything the city and residents of New Orleans have gone through in the past four years, this was refreshing and earned.
My favorite commercial was the Doritos ad featuring Jalen “playing nice” with the guy getting ready to go out with his mama. AWESOME! I also enjoyed the Doritos ad with the dog collar, the Bud Light commercial with the house made of beer and the Betty White/Abe Vigoda ad for Snickers. Here is the Doritos ad:
What was with all the commercials featuring guys in their tighty whiteys? It wasn’t even funny in the first one, then it was shoved down our throats at least twice more. Note to commercial-makers: fat guys in their underwear IS NOT FUNNY.
What was even more disturbing in a year that really didn’t have that many funny commercials were the Go Daddy ads featuring Danica Patrick. They’re not sexy, they’re not funny and, frankly, they were pretty misogynistic — and this is coming from a guy who featured “Eye Candy of the Day” on his blog for a year. My hope is that NO ONE went to GoDaddy.com and checked out the “unrated” ending to the ads … but since I’m a guy, I know better. I’ll vent longer about the no-talent Ms. Patrick another day, because I’m running way behind today, but she is not a good driver OR a good actress. Because she’s (mildly) hot, we’re supposed to pull for her in a racecar? Whatever. She’s the Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Indy Car racing.
I know my boy Jon Dawson is going to disown me now, but The Who’s performance at halftime was very, very underwhelming to me — and was the brunt of some pretty mean jokes at the Super Bowl party I attended. For starters, their sound was pretty awful and the vocals were terrible. Yes, I know they’re 75 years old, but should you be performing at halftime of the year’s most-watched spectacle if you’re 75? I think not. At least the light and laser show was pretty awesome — but that was the only redeeming factor of the entire halftime show.
I watched the first few minutes of the CBS show that debuted after the Super Bowl — and was pretty impressed. “Undercover Boss” seems to be a reality show I wouldn’t mind watching and last night’s episode was pretty intriguing.
My take: GENIUS. I don’t even see where the negatives are here. Love him or hate him, Stern is must-listen on Sirius/XM and that would translate on “Idol”, where people hate Cowell (I’m told, since I’ve never watched more than 5 minutes of that drivel in its 8-year run).
However, I would probably watch it JUST to see Stern on it. If Fox is smart, the network should get Stern signed NOW.
‘AVATAR’ UNSEATED AT TOP OF BOX OFFICE BY ‘DEAR JOHN’
Third through fifth at the box office were “From Paris With Love” ($8.1 million), “The Edge of Darkness” ($7 million) and “The Tooth Fairy” ($6.5 million).
My take: This is a bit of surprise, especially since there wasn’t a recognizable star in “Dear John”. However, with it being the Super Bowl weekend and snow storms blanketing the East Coast, I’m surprised the number was that high.
The iPod shuffle
I’m On A Boat — The Lonely Island featuring T-Pain
I noticed a lot of chatter in another thread about officiating at the rec-league basketball ranks, so here is your true thread to discuss it. I am up to my eyeballs with “real” work, but I’ll post my thoughts here later today…
My take: Damn. Would it kill us to get one good snowfall a year?
Admittedly, I’m from Western N.C., where my brother — who lives in Dobson (near Mount Airy) — has already had three big snows this winter, including this one that has given him around 8 inches of the white stuff. I love Kinston and Eastern N.C., but I’d love one good snow a winter.
JOHN EDWARDS’ FORMER ASSISTANT IN COURT ABOUT VIDEOTAPE
A videotape featuring sex between former U.S. Sen. John Edwards and his then-pregnant mistress is the center of court action today in Raleigh. The mistress wants the tape back and the former assistant who allegedly discovered it in his house while she was crashing there wants to keep it.
My take: And Mr. Edwards must be so proud. And there were those who wanted this slimeball to be president? Seriously?
My prediction: The Colts go into the game as 5-point favorites … and I think that is about how the game is going to end. In fact, my “expert prediction” has the Colts winning 31-24, so take the points and make some money this weekend, my fellow bloggees.
My weekly column is going to be on all the prop bets on this year’s Super Bowl, so check it out in the Sunday edition of The Kinston Daily Free Press.
The iPod shuffle (from sports guru Ryan Herman’s iPod; I’d like to see yours. E-mail it to me at bhanks@freedomenc.com, but be honest: if “It’s Raining Men” show up, send it to me!)
My take: That’s pretty awesome … and you’ll get two chances to see the Vikings in action on Friday and Saturday night.
Kinston faces Greene Central Friday night and then the East Central 2A-leading Blue Devils from South Lenoir on Saturday. Should be a LOT of fun both nights — see you there!
If a gay man or a lesbian loves this country enough to protect it with their own life, I have no problem with them taking up arms to defend it.
I served in the Army 20 years ago and knew a couple of gay dudes who were serving. They lived with the constant fear that they were going to be “outed” — and all they wanted to do was defend a country they deeply loved.
The military is finally using common sense — and it’s about time.
INDIANAPOLIS: ONE HOUR SCHOOL DELAY ON MONDAY AFTER SUPER BOWL
The caveat? They have to stay an extra hour on Monday.
My take: Sounds fair to me, although not as fair as when Alabama played for the national championship in football last month and the university simply cancelled school the next day.
‘AVATAR’ SURPLANTS ‘TITANIC’ AS TOP-GROSSING MOVIE IN U.S. HISTORY
My take: … and I still haven’t seen it and am not sure I will until it hits DVD. The HB and I were going to see it in Kinston over the snowy weekend, but it had already left our theater.
However, we did see “The Edge Of Darkness” with Mel Gibson — and it rocked. I highly suggest it. Gibson is a very good actor and the movie was not what I expected.
The iPod shuffle — from the iPod of Taylor Humphrey (BlueDevil99); want to see your shuffle here on the blog? Send it to bhanks@freedomenc.com. Just be honest: if a Celine Dion song shows up, so be it!
My take: Wow; tell your friends and neighbors — especially the ones driving Toyotas that might slam into me! What has happened to Toyota, arguably one of the best automakers?
My take: While some would say this is trivial, it’s really not. When the president denigrates an American city — the way Obama has done twice! — it has to hurt tourism for that city.
Where is David Letterman’s nightly segment “Great Moments In Presidential Speeches”? With all the gaffes Obama throws around, Letterman should have an full arsenal.
Oh — I forgot — it’s not cool to make fun of Obama…
TOM WATSON WANTS TIGER TO COME CLEAN
Legendary golfer Tom Watson is encouraging Tiger Woods to come forward and apologize to the public — and before he comes back to the golf course, so reports the Toronto Star.
Watson also told the Star that Tiger has not lived up to the high standards of other golf heroes, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
My take: Amen and amen. It’s one thing for some peripheral golf pro to say these things, but when an elder statesman like Tom Watson says it, Tiger should listen. I’d love to see some public response from Palmer or Nicklaus.
Another thing that bothers me is this: This story is all over foreign media, but ESPN has nothing on it yet. Are American journalists and newspapers scared to piss Tiger off in the fear that he won’t talk to them when he returns?
The iPod shuffle (courtesy of BHatcher; send me yours to bhanks@freedomenc.com and I’ll include it in a future MNR. But be honest! If Milli Vanilli shows up, so be it!)
If Merle Would Sing My Song — Blaine Larson feat. Merle Haggard
The Kinston boys’ basketball team, which takes on North Pitt tonight at Viking Gym, is ranked No. 38 in the latest Rivals.com national basketball poll that was just released today. The Vikings jumped 14 spots from the last poll and are up 20 spots from their inaugural poll in early January.
Other teams from North Carolina in the Rivals poll include Arden Christ (No. 15) and Huntersville Hopewell (No. 74). In the 2009-2010 season, the Vikings have faced No. 4 Philadelphia Neuman-Goretti, No. 23 Harlem, N.Y., Rice and No. 36 Washington, D.C., Gonzaga.
Yes, our very own floppy-haired muppet, Jon Dawson, has a fine column on the state of North Carolina-Chapel Hill basketball — and an incident that took place in the fine offices of The Free Press yesterday. Check it out here.
My take: Dawson does it again. And yes, Paulette was ANGRY at me yesterday — she loves her some Carolina.
