My First Big Interview - Michael Strahan

This morning I received a call from Sprint asking me if was free from 1-3 PM EST to speak with Michael Strahan. I figured the former Super Bowl champion & seven-time pro bowler must be a big fan of the Four6Three and wanted to chat with me about the big game. I figured I could reschedule all my other appointments and interviews. The phone call was coordinated with an online-video stream so the world could see my first big interview. I was pumped, this was my big break!

Not even a week in and the Four6Three was going to have an interview with its first big sports star. For the next two hours I watched with anticipation as Strahan spoke with Giants fans, Jets fans, and even a fellow Seahawks fan. I sat with my cell phone next to me plugged in for maximum battery life. As I listened to fan after fan after fan, I planned my conversation. I was ready. I wrote down the questions I would ask, the possible answers I might receive in return, and my witty responses.

I sat & waited & waited & waited then suddenly my phone rang this was my moment of glory. It was my brother calling to see if Strahan had called yet. The remainder of the two hours passed uneventfully. I watched tearfully and distraught as Strahan signed off the webcam and thanked Sprint for setting up the calls. I thanked Sprint for taking two hours of my life that I can never get back and for raising my expectations to all-time high and then driving them off a cliff in the car of my dreams.

Super Bowl XL Was FIXED?

The worst officiated Super Bowl ever, now has a hint of conspiracy to it. Both a Heisman winner & a NFL MVP have questioned whether Super Bowl XL was fixed. Wednesday on the Scott Van Pelt show Eddie George and Shaun Alexander discussed Super Bowl XL between the then Alexander’s Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Heisman, Eddie George, said the referees cost Alexander his Super Bowl. Although Alexander admitted he wondered about the calls- he would not go much further than to say he wouldn’t be surprised if something came out 10 years from now. Scott Van Pelt, the host, was obviously a little uncomfortable with the whole conversation and said I bet the NFL loves us talking about this the week of the Super Bowl and joked that this was the Herd or the Mike and Mike show.

Is there something to this? Did you see the game? It was either fixed, the officials all forgot their contact lenses, or it was the worst officiated game in NFL history. Either way it is interesting that two former NFL stars would bring this up the week of the Super Bowl four years later. Let the conspiracy theorists begin, but if George feels this way and he never played in the game what do others in the NFL ranks think. Is there any hard evidence to support this theory? Just a lot of little yellow flags!

Listen to the audio here.

Super Bowl XLIV Might Finally Be SUPER!

There is no doubt that this year’s Super Bowl features this year’s two best teams. This rarely happens. In fact, the last time two number one seeds from each conference met was 1993. This isn’t to say that there have not been some great games like the Giants upsetting the Patriots, the Rams vs. Titans, etc., but rarely is the matchup this even.

The Colts are 4.5 to 6 point favorites as of noon EST. However, football gurus can see this game going either way. The Saints are loaded with weapons on offense and a ball hawking safety in Darren Sharper. The Colts have the best quarterback on the planet in Peyton Manning. Both teams have very explosive offenses and very solid underrated defenses. So which is the more complete team? I guess we will find out Sunday. One thing is for sure this Super matchup will be Super to watch.

Super Tough or Super Selfish?

Dwight Freeney the star defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts has a torn ligament in his ankle. As if that isn’t bad enough a quarterback is the one that hurt him. A misstep on Mark Sanchez’s foot has Freeney possibly missing the Super Bowl. There is a long history of players playing despite horrible injuries in the big game. The question is whether this is Super Tough or Super Selfish?

All players want to help their team win the big game and no one wants to be sidelined with an injury, but at what cost? Is the back up so bad that you are better hopping on one leg? Or is it the pride and satisfaction of saying I had a broken leg and still played in the Super Bowl. After all, Jack Youngblood is a legend because he did this very thing.

At what point does Dwight Freeney say the best thing for the Colts is for me to sit the bench and let someone who walk without a limp play. I don’t envy Dwight, but the toughest thing he might do is to say I won’t play because the team needs me not to.  Now that is tough.